Angel is a perfume of beast mode proportions as the boys on YouTube would say. Back in 1992 it ushered in the gourmand sweetness of candy floss (ethyl maltol) along with a mixture of berries, patchouli and cocoa. Angel has been influential in the perfume world and is still one of the best-selling perfumes in France. In fact it came in at number seven on the list in 2014.

There have been many Angel flankers over the years. I have the special leather edition (Les Parfums de Cuir) that is truly sensational and an improvement on the original. This year’s Angel Muse  is a little different as even though it shares part of a name, it moves further away from Angel in tone and even comes in a new bottle (a cosmic pebble if you will) with a peach coloured liquid.

Angel Muse EDP : Nose : Quentin Bisch : Year : 2016 : Notes : Top : Grapefruit, pink pepper : Middle : Hazelnut, whipped cream, rose : Base : Vetiver, patchouli

As with all Mugler perfumes I believe a heavy spray can really overdo things. Don’t go overboard here. A small spritz is far more wearable and really lets the perfume shine. The top notes are identifiable as grapefruit with sprinklings of pepper but they are very quickly overshadowed by the sweet, fluffiness  that comes to the fore. Yes it’s still fairly sweet, but in a far more relaxed way than Angel. Angel Muse has a creamy, whipped up texture with a hazelnut topping. It’s smooth, soft and luxurious like a perfect goose plumped pillow. There is a also a semblance of a rose that works to amplify the sweetness in a good way. The vetiver is rather clean smelling and doesn’t overpower like the patchouli in the original, although it is present here too but feels lighter and cleaned up. Angel Muse is most definitely a change in direction from Angel, although still feels like it has an affinity with the original. Here’s what Christophe de Lataillade, Creative Director for Mugler fragrances has to say about the new offer.

“To make an analogy, you could say that Angel Eau de Parfum is the star, while Angel MUSE orbits around the star and revolves as if around a galaxy.”

It will be interesting to see what perfume buyers make of this one. Mugler / Clarins seem very reluctant to create a perfume that isn’t a reworking or flanker of  Angel or Alien.  I liked Angel Muse enough to buy a 30ml bottle and I’ll also say that the longevity is very good although not as long lasting as Angel. It’s a very cosy scent if you spray minimally.

Will you like Angel Muse if you don’t like Angel? Maybe but only if you like gourmands. If you are partial to Angel, I think this will easily win you over.

Will you be trying Angel Muse? Are you pro or anti Mugler? I do think you either like or loathe this house’s perfumes.

The Low Down : A fluffy, whipped up sweet, yet smooth and cosy perfume that feels at home in the Angel family. 

Read more about Angel Muse on  : The Scented Hound, Grain de Musc and MimiFrouFrou 

For where to purchase : This one is widely available so I’ll leave it at that. 

Notes : Images :  Mugler

Disclaimer : Review based on a bottle I purchased. Opinions my own.