By Dane
If your average fragrance is a novel, (some, like Escentric Molecules, are more of a comic strip), then Angel is nothing short of the Encyclopedia Brittanica. Most scents have topnotes, a heart, and a drydown. Angel seems to encompass a multitude of completely difference fragrances in one...all complex, all beautiful, and all clashing in a magical way.
Frankly, I'm surprised Angel sells as well as it does. I often assume that your average department store perfume shopper is uneducated when it comes to fragrances, and when you smell much of what's available, it's an easy assumption. I give credit to those who made Angel such a huge success, because it's an extremely difficult fragrance to wear. Most of the "connoisseurs" of the fragrance world dismiss Angel due to its sheer vulgarity, which is why you won't find many reviews on the perfume blogs. So why, you ask, is a men's fragrance blog doing you the honours? Those who know me already know that answer, but to everyone else, I will reiterate - brilliant perfumes are genderless. So there you have it.
The fragrance itself is built upon many layers - a tropical fruit accord, a high-pitched white floral, dark berry jaminess, a raspy patchouli, deep-fried cotton candy sweetness, a confectionery gourmande, and finally a dark, masculine musk. Each of these aspects seems to have it's own full transition throughout the scent, which is where the brilliance lies. One could easily pass this off as an "everything but the kitchen sink" formulation, which frankly it is, but all the ingredients in this stew were well thought out to sing in perfect harmony with each other.
The tropical fruits open the show with a sickly sweet blast of syrupy Ethyl Maltol. This was initially the most challenging part for me, as a strange, dark chocolate note makes it feel awkward and uncomfortable. The chocolate is emphasized with a campherous patchouli note that is pronounced throughout the entire life of the scent, and is really what Angel is all about - clashing contradiction. The patchouli seems so wrong at first, but without it, you'd just have Flowerbomb, and no one wants that (apologies to the Flowerbomb lovers). Once the tropical sweetness calms a bit, a glaringly bright white floral accord of jasmine and rose pushes it's way to the front with berry-like notes, and again is tempered by dry patchouli. The caramel and vanilla follow next, and you'd assume that this would linger on your skin as any gourmande drydown would, but you'd be wrong, because a powerful musk strong enough for a truck-stop men's room soon prevails, and on me, lasts until I attempt to wash it off the next day.
The whole experience is exhausting, but exhilarating at the same time. Like the last day of your 3-month backpacking trip through Europe, Angel feels like an accomplishment, and requires several days rest after experiencing. You may, at certain points, want to hide under a rock from it's overbearing presence, but soon enough you'll be back for more.
Year: 1992
Perfumer: Olivier Cresp
Notes: Melon, Coconut, Mandarin Orange, Cassia, Jasmine, Bergamot, Cotton Candy, Honey, Apricot, Blackberry, Plum, Orchid, Peach, Lily of the Valley, Red Berries, Rose, Tonka Bean, Amber, Vanilla, Patchouli, Musk, Vanilla, Dark Chocolate, Caramel
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