Mugler Cologne
Thierry Mugler (2001)

For some reason unknown (even to me) I blind bought this just before a summer trip to Greece. Let´s say it had nothing, NOTHING, in common with the other Mugler I owned at that time, the A*Men. This to me is freshness in its purest form and a formidable summer scent. I can't see this being worn in winter or fall.

Happy to say I again got my hands on this now discountinued masterpiece just a few months ago, 150+ ml for 60 euros... Problem is, I love it so much I don't want to use it. Also found the hair and body showergel at a Parisian hotel. Stuffed my bag.

Update 220607: Another 200+ ml on its way, I’m now closing in on almost 0,5 liters. Might consider using it more frequently.

I wouldn't classify this as a typical citrus. I smell nothing natural - no orange blossom, no petitgrain, no begamot. Infact I don't smell the musk either - I just smell a simple aromachemical (although I couldn't tell you which).

Having said that, it smells great - clean without soapy, upbeat without being a straightforward citrus, perfect for any gender. It just smell good, and I'm happy to have a bottle.

Bergamot, neroli and petitgrain - the usual suspects to kick off the fresh opening blast of an Eau de Cologene - here thy are again - but here they are quite beautifully done.

Soon the top notes rescind and give way to an orange flour with whiffs of of white floral in the background. Later on white musks appear, infusing just a very restrained sweet-ish undertone, which expresses clean and soapy characteristics.

I get moderate sillage with adequate projection in the top notes that both weaken rapidly, with an overall longevity on five hours on my skin.

A traditional summer Cologne following the traditional path, but with well-made ingredients. Even the white musks, usually a blandly sweet affair, are of some character in their aroma. No Brownie points for originality her, just a traditional formula re-applied with skill and well-hone craft's skill. The limited performance is what one expects from such a Cologne. 3.5/5

the perfect unisex clean scent. This truly smells like a shower. I don't find the vetiver to be too intense. It is probably one of the lightest vetivers. It starts out very citrus but dries down more aromatic soapy.

Perfect for super super hot weather. As a female, I would not wear this many places as it just doesn't suit me (I live warmer chypre or orientals) however, when I want a light clean scent in the summer(for daytime) this is where I go. If you are looking for something similar to DG light blue without smelling like everyone else you should look to this.

Undoubtedly lovely, if a bit lacking in longevity. Definitely crowd pleasing and well crafted.

The initial feeling I get from the opening is grassy - the neroli has been beautifully dialled down to give an underlying current of juiciness and the bergamot and petigtain are both really light and upliftingly green. The bergamot especially is not heavy handed, dry or bracing.

There's an extra something there as a ghost note that I think a lot of people are picking up as vetiver leaf because of the similarity between Mugler Cologne and Oritginal Vetiver. I don't know that I get enough of the sharp, vegetal or earthy qualities to make that leap myself, but I can definitely see the possibility. It could be the impression gets created by basil and other herbs, I just don't have an educated enough nose to make a definite call.

The overall impression is undoubtedly pleasant, especially when that lovely waxy soapy note hits in the heart. This is my new desk drawer favourite - on a hot day I can smell fresh, clean and bright in an instant.

As a comparison to Original Vetiver, the two scents are quite different. Yes, they both have orange blossom and a green, clean and soapy vibe, but the Creed has its vegetal bite, the ginger out front and much more heft from the woods, base and concentration.

Thumbs up for sure.

Grassy green scent, vetiver, cologne style alcohol.

Only smells soapy to you if you know the Savon de Marseille vert, the green one.

It's not barbershop-soapy, like JPG Le Mâle. Which is more complex, a level Mugler cologne is not at.

Got to be up there as one of the best vetiver and best office fragrances around, especially for the money. Not too bitter or earthy, and nicely balanced with the bergamot and neroli. It's worth checking out a few alternatives though that each have a slightly different vibe - vetiver fatale that's less floral, colder, more metallic and more refreshing on hot days; Timbuktu that's a warmer and earthier scent, and of course Terre d'Hermes Parfum that goes in a citrus direction.

For the life of me I cannot understand the hype surrounding this. It's as bland and inoffensive as it gets. If the goal was to create a scent that is reminiscent of soap then the brief has been fulfilled as it does. It's almost like the Lux bars that I remember from my childhood. It also smells variously of shower gel, air freshener and clean laundry. It's not groundbreaking or distinguished in any way. The neroli component is virtually non existent and is swamped by the citrus, making a fleeting appearance in the drydown. It has virtually no lasting power or depth. Sillage is thin and one dimensional and the comparisons with Neroli Portofino are risible. NP is a masterpiece full of depth, strength and nuance. It also does the clean laundry note so much better and you can actually smell the Eau De Cologne lineage within it. Mugler cologne smells cheap, is cheap and certainly isn't something you would wear for anything but casual loafing around during the summer. It's an air freshener masquerading as perfumery and was one of the biggest let downs for me.

Got a compliment from a stranger, at lunch, after the 6 hour mark, outside, in SE Texas heat and humidity....only used 4 sprays- front neck, back neck, and both forearms. Heard her exclaim to her husband or boyfriend as I was walking past, "I love that smell!".

This is great for work, very pleasant, very soft yet interesting, not too powdery or feminine, not too floral, not dated. Just a great fresh & clean scent that doesn't smell like AXE.

I'm gonna need a bigger bottle....

Influenced by my frugality, I was so excited to have many people tell me to try less expensive Mugler in place of Creed's Original Vetiver. Well, don't believe it. Both are "clean" scents, but the similarity stops there. You get vetiver with COV, not with Mugler. And Mugler suffers from weak longevity and sillage issues. Mugler is listed as "...for women and men." Well, here's some proof that Mugler is more for the former. After I'd sprayed some on, my wife say,"I like that one. It's clean, nice." I state I don't care for it and she chimes in, "give the rest to me." Done.

First, let me just say that if you want a good technical breakdown of Mugler Cologne (2001), you can find it in the myriad of reviews that predate mine (Zealot Crusader's is particularly good -- all of his reviews are good and entertaining, for that matter). I'm going to touch on a few points and thoughts, quite possibly with no method to my madness; let's see how this pans out.

If Mugler was trying to recreate a bar of luxury soap, then he did a damned good of job it, with due credit to Alberto Morillas. I can tell this is a Morillas creation because like cK One (1994) -- another of his works -- it is a completely inoffensive and benign scent that seems like a mess of notes, but it keeps you sniffing at your wrist (or other organs/appendages depending on your freak level) non-stop. It's so inconspicuous that it stands out. That's because it's an old-fashioned-style cologne that instantly reminded me of another -- as Zealot Crusader pointed out correctly -- Number Six by Caswell-Massey (1789). This is basically Number Six, given a musky base to amp up the longevity (Number Six practically requires hourly re-application). It's a classic smell, and I mean in a "Continental Congress-Classic" kind of way. For those of you who would need a simple description, as another reviewer posted below, it's basically a long-lasting, turbo-charged version of a high-end hotel soap.

And that's the twist that I love. Mugler wanted it to smell like soap, and I think you almost need to know the backstory of Mugler Cologne in order to truly appreciate the scent for what it is. Tell someone who asks what that fragrance your wearing is and answer "high-end hotel soap," and they'll look at you like you've got seven heads. When I was a young kid, I collected soaps. Really. I liked soaps that were shaped into animals, objects, weird shapes, whatever. This is a perfect scent for me to have on the shelf, and I do. It's great at what it does and it does what it is made to do, and that's "smell like some high-end soap." And honestly, that's a nice break from oud-laced orientals, shrill aquatics, and powerhouse fougeres. This is a pair of white linen pants, a white t-shirt, and white slip-on loafers. You could say that it's boring and without flavor or panache, or you might say that "lack" of flavor and panache -- the classic simplicity -- is actually what makes it elegant. I go with the latter, for sure. Some other reviewers have compared it to Creed's Original Vetiver (2004). I agree that there are some similarities, but they smell different enough that I wouldn't be confused. To me, someone saying that Mugler Cologne smells like Original Vetiver is like someone saying that Coke tastes like Sprite.

Projection and longevity are truly a mystery to me. I smell it upon application, and then I can barely smell it ten minutes later, even if I hold my wrist to my nose. Yet, I'll get occasional wisps of it that I pick up when I'm doing nothing. I'm not sure if I need to apply more or whether I've got enough on. I'm going to say that sillage and longevity on this are fair, although traces of it will stick close to you for hours and at other times you will smell nothing; it wears very bizarrely on me. Mugler Cologne is good stuff, and with its ease of availability and relatively low price, this is a safe blind-buy. Read a few reviews here and you'll know what you're getting into. If you like what you read, you'll enjoy what you get. Mugler accomplished his mission with this, and I give it a thumbs-up.

Mugler Cologne has a citrus opening and I almost smell something like ginger. There is also some subtle sweetness coming from neroli and orange blossom. Towards the drydown, the citrus aroma is always there, but I also smell something reminding me of vetiver, though it's not on the list.

Overall it's green, fresh and a little soapy. Very pleasant to sniff but not something plain and dull. The sillage is close to skin but the scent is persistent during the wearing. The longevity is at least 6 hours.

It's a fragrance that I'll reach out on a sunny day in spring or summer, when I don't have a particular desire for 'fragrance', but still want to smell good.