Sweet 15: Celebrating Angel by Thierry Mugler

Love it, or hate it; there is now doubt that Angel by Thierry Mugler is one of the most influential fragrances to debut during the past twenty years. Quite possibly Angel changed the direction of fragrance forever, with its ‘no flowers at all formulation’. According to Jonathan Zrihen, CEO & President of Clarins Group US, “In 1992, Angel sent shockwaves through the world of perfume with its unique fragrance. It quickly became a favorite of celebrities and consumers, and rose to the top of the fragrance charts in the US and Europe where it remains a leader in the Top 15 to this day.”

It’s over the top sweet notes of chocolate, vanilla, caramel and berries, created a new olfactory category called “gourmand”. Angel’s ‘juice’ was blue and it was a refillable; all firsts back in the early 90s’. Angel is now considered an iconic fragrance along with the venerable Chanel No. 5 and Guerlain Shalimar. As of 2007, there have been at least ten brand variations/extensions (including Angel Violet, Angel Peony, Angel Innocent and Angel for Men), as well as many variations on the original bottle. We hear that new Angel fragrances will be introduced during the first half of 2008.

To honor Angel’s 15th Anniversary in 2007, exactly 4742 limited edition bottles of Angel La Part des Anges Extrait de Parfum (la part des anges “is a wine making term for the portion of a wine’s volume that is lost to evaporation during aging in French oak barrels after distillation) were introduced this past November of 2007. Aged in the same way as a fine cognac in cherrywood barrels, the production of Angel La Part des Anges Extrait de Parfum was overseen by Pierrette Triche of Rémy Martin, an expert in the aging of cognac, for 23 weeks. This aging process produced a one-of-a-kind perfume extract that is a concentrated, rounder version of Angel, with accents of candied fruits and amber.

We don’t know how many Swarovski crystal studded cobalt blue star flacons are still available, but Angel fan or not—let this be your first New Year’s Resolution…Track it down and drink in its celestial scent! Available at select Nordstrom’s stores.