Top Notes 
Grapefruit
Lemon
Heart Notes 
Cardamom
Marine notes
Coriander seed
Base Notes 
Amber
Papyrus
Patchouli06/21/2024
Maksy
19 Reviews
Maksy
5
Aquatic Abstractions
Where to begin with this Mugler. The gorgeous art-deco flacon? The crystal cerulean color? Or the juice, this ode to ocean water?
I'll admit I took a gamble buying this (I blind bought yes, you give me lashings as I deserve). Having been interested in aquatics I was willing to take the risk when I could get this for about $92, and I've never really been let down by Mugler's fragrances apart from, Angel Elixir. And thus, when I got this in the post, I was excited to see what was in store for me.
With any possible hate I could give this fragrance aside, I give kudos to Mugler for their more "niche"-like presentation, with a more display style box able to showcase the art-deco design of the flacon. The presentation is ever Mugler, ever "hyper-modern", but still ever so classically art-deco. The cap on the atomizer fits very snuggly into place, the clear glass showing off the precious blue juice suspended therein.
When I first sprayed this scent, I was expecting some form of aquatic. But this Muglerian aquatic was something to behold, while not as salty as Megamare but something very hyper-realistic. The cardamom is the first thing that sticks out to me in this. Very sharp, biting, bittersweet, with a realistic lemon note bursting in those first minutes; a grapefruit essence lends a rind-y/vegetal nuance to the otherwise very energetic opening.
But the real "Muglerian" twist on this aquatic, are from the marine notes and ambergris present throughout this in concert with the coriander seed. They both (marine notes & ambergris) are stretched into abstraction, the later having an edgy slightly metallic skin-like impression to it, with marine notes burying your face in salty oceanwater mist, the coriander seeds creating a swirl semi-soapy fresh-spicy textures. It's something that when I first smelled, I had to ponder what this aquatic was all about. This isn't Acqua di Giò Profondo (2020) Eau de Parfum no, it's not mineral forward, but it's not as salty or algae-like like Megamare. These are aquatic notes stretched into some matte cerulean gradient, to give the impression of a sea mist on your face. It's light, but ever present as I catch whiffs of it as I'm sitting here writing this review.
As it dries, the signature Mugler patchouli blooms off my skin adding a woody backbone to this aquatic, lending some longevity to an otherwise short-lived journey. I want to say there's a touch of coumarin in this somewhere? This could be the patchouli however, giving off this scent in combination with the coriander seed, I am unsure however and this is just what I'm smelling. The papyrus makes an appearance as well. It’s very light but if you smell it, it sticks with you and doesn't leave to my nose, but you must find its dry reedy scent first! It's not often I smell a fragrance that I like so much that I don't want to use it, as counterintuitive as that sounds. But this is one that I often come back to, just to smell the atomizer, a reminder of a far-off ocean somewhere in an alien world. This is a fragrance that requires being appreciative of abstracted ideas in perfumery. And let's just get these out of the way: If you're not into fragrances that last around six hours, you won't like this. This isn't a date-night scent, this is your refreshing super-hot summer day scent. As for who can wear this? If you like it, wear it!
I feel the addition of the very realistic citruses, with a woody patchouli, helps with balancing out the aquatic overdose throughout the fragrance. It grounds the fragrance in some semblance of reality, and onto the shores of this alien ocean.
There are facets, in which I do wish this fragrance was "more". Maybe an amped up patchouli? Maybe a longer lasting opening? But when I bundle together, all the things I wholly enjoy about this fragrance? It makes me want to use it more. Maybe I will, as the weather has started getting much warmer outside. If you appreciate Mugler fragrances, this is worth a try, it's identifiably Mugler. Signature fragrance worthy? Perhaps not, but I still want to dive into these waves.
If you wanted to give this a more woody-amber nuance, you could layer this with a teeny bit of ISO E (Just buy some ISO E and dilute it yourself, don't spend the money on Molecule 01) however, I think this is perfectly enjoyable on its own. Les Exceptions is a line that needs more attention from L'Oreal, and I'd love to see it get a new addition in the future.
I'll admit I took a gamble buying this (I blind bought yes, you give me lashings as I deserve). Having been interested in aquatics I was willing to take the risk when I could get this for about $92, and I've never really been let down by Mugler's fragrances apart from, Angel Elixir. And thus, when I got this in the post, I was excited to see what was in store for me.
With any possible hate I could give this fragrance aside, I give kudos to Mugler for their more "niche"-like presentation, with a more display style box able to showcase the art-deco design of the flacon. The presentation is ever Mugler, ever "hyper-modern", but still ever so classically art-deco. The cap on the atomizer fits very snuggly into place, the clear glass showing off the precious blue juice suspended therein.
When I first sprayed this scent, I was expecting some form of aquatic. But this Muglerian aquatic was something to behold, while not as salty as Megamare but something very hyper-realistic. The cardamom is the first thing that sticks out to me in this. Very sharp, biting, bittersweet, with a realistic lemon note bursting in those first minutes; a grapefruit essence lends a rind-y/vegetal nuance to the otherwise very energetic opening.
But the real "Muglerian" twist on this aquatic, are from the marine notes and ambergris present throughout this in concert with the coriander seed. They both (marine notes & ambergris) are stretched into abstraction, the later having an edgy slightly metallic skin-like impression to it, with marine notes burying your face in salty oceanwater mist, the coriander seeds creating a swirl semi-soapy fresh-spicy textures. It's something that when I first smelled, I had to ponder what this aquatic was all about. This isn't Acqua di Giò Profondo (2020) Eau de Parfum no, it's not mineral forward, but it's not as salty or algae-like like Megamare. These are aquatic notes stretched into some matte cerulean gradient, to give the impression of a sea mist on your face. It's light, but ever present as I catch whiffs of it as I'm sitting here writing this review.
As it dries, the signature Mugler patchouli blooms off my skin adding a woody backbone to this aquatic, lending some longevity to an otherwise short-lived journey. I want to say there's a touch of coumarin in this somewhere? This could be the patchouli however, giving off this scent in combination with the coriander seed, I am unsure however and this is just what I'm smelling. The papyrus makes an appearance as well. It’s very light but if you smell it, it sticks with you and doesn't leave to my nose, but you must find its dry reedy scent first! It's not often I smell a fragrance that I like so much that I don't want to use it, as counterintuitive as that sounds. But this is one that I often come back to, just to smell the atomizer, a reminder of a far-off ocean somewhere in an alien world. This is a fragrance that requires being appreciative of abstracted ideas in perfumery. And let's just get these out of the way: If you're not into fragrances that last around six hours, you won't like this. This isn't a date-night scent, this is your refreshing super-hot summer day scent. As for who can wear this? If you like it, wear it!
I feel the addition of the very realistic citruses, with a woody patchouli, helps with balancing out the aquatic overdose throughout the fragrance. It grounds the fragrance in some semblance of reality, and onto the shores of this alien ocean.
There are facets, in which I do wish this fragrance was "more". Maybe an amped up patchouli? Maybe a longer lasting opening? But when I bundle together, all the things I wholly enjoy about this fragrance? It makes me want to use it more. Maybe I will, as the weather has started getting much warmer outside. If you appreciate Mugler fragrances, this is worth a try, it's identifiably Mugler. Signature fragrance worthy? Perhaps not, but I still want to dive into these waves.
If you wanted to give this a more woody-amber nuance, you could layer this with a teeny bit of ISO E (Just buy some ISO E and dilute it yourself, don't spend the money on Molecule 01) however, I think this is perfectly enjoyable on its own. Les Exceptions is a line that needs more attention from L'Oreal, and I'd love to see it get a new addition in the future.
3 Comments
