You're not like the others: Alien edp [reviewing Alien edp, by Mugler]

Alien spreads an aura, and it claims the right to do that by its very name...

Alien is a magic elixir captured in a bottle of deep and mysterious purple with the shape of a talisman, reminiscent of a philosopher's stone or some warlock object.

The creators of Alien based the composition on three main lines: warm, white amber in the base, woodsy notes in the heart, and sunny Indian jasmine in the top.

I bought Alien Goddess last year and really enjoy it, so I wanted to give the original Alien perfume more attention since I appreciate a jasmine-focused fragrance nowadays. Alien is a fragrance that I've tried many times since it's original release, but my opinion on it always changed - sometimes I'd love it, sometimes it was just okay, sometimes it was a nose-crinkler.

I'd avoided the majority of the post-Christmas sales everywhere, but when I popped into a Boots store in mid January there it was; a Alien perfume giftset, sat on the bottom shelf of the 98% empty perfume giftset display. I had a gift card to spend, the set had a third off, and I'd had the urge to really get reacquainted with Alien for a while, so here we are after wearing it almost daily since I bought it, to get a concrete feel for it...

Jasmine has become one of my favourite floral notes used in perfumery, so I love that jasmine is the only clear floral note in Alien - and it is very multifaceted. Initially the jasmine is quite buttery & has a hint of melon too, but sometimes I get more of a grape undertone.

Within an hour I'd almost describe the bouquet as kind of a posh fabric conditioner; fresh & clean, with a spaslh of musk-wrapped woody notes in the background. I can't describe the undertone well; it gives the impression of a fluffy towel fresh out of the dryer, hence me instantly thinking about some kind of upscale fabric conditioner.  Not the most flattering description ever, but I really enjoy it.

The longer Alien wears, the more a honey-like sweetness emerges from the jasmine and as the amber develops more fully, something that brings coke to mind becomes detectable in the background. The woody notes become slightly richer as the musk fades, bringing an extra warmth & deepness to the drydown. 

Officially listed scent notes; jasmine sambac, cashmeran woods, white amber.

 

Alien wears fantastically well - it's a 'apply in the morning and it'll still be there in the evening' type of fragrance, with a moderate projection. I once felt suddenly ill when wearing it & didn't manage to drag myself to the shower for around a day, and I could still detect traces of Alien on my skin almost 24 hours after initial application!

I'm really impressed by how complex such a simple composition Alien is on my skin and how many different sides of the jasmine are shown to us.  Alien isn't a shy fragrance and I'm predicting that such a rich floral blend isn't going to do any favours for migraine-prone me during warmer months, so I'm confident that Alien Goddess is going to be my late spring & summer alternative to this. I do still highly recommend Alien to people though - it's surprising how much my tastes in perfume have changed in some ways, but have stayed the same since my teens in others. 

You can buy Alien from most perfume stores ranging from Superdrug, through to Selfridges. Mugler fragrances are extremely popular.