Just digging through what seems to be the hundreds of untouched samples. This is the first thing I grabbed…
WHAT I SMELL: Alien opens with a cashmere woody musk and cotton candy sweetened jasmine. It’s slightly fuzzy and kind of sticky and it feels as if it’s sitting on a layer of gauze. Very quickly I want it to tone down its sugar as the opening is just too sweet and in your face. After around 10 minutes, the fragrance still remains sweet, but the perfume loses some of the candied aspect, but what I get most of all of this clean musk dryer sheet. Is is bad? No, but it’s not great either. Does it morph much past this? Unfortunately not, there’s just lots of jasmine and woody musk. The only thing that seems to be alien about the fragrance is that it’s taking over my body. A couple of spritzes and it keeps growing and growing; enough to cake the back of my throat and burn my eyes. Help!
Notes from the Thierry Mugler website: Sambac jasmine, Cashmeran wood, amber gris
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: pretty dryer sheets
THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE ALIEN: sweet, cloudy, youthful
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT ALIEN: Now Smell This, Perfume-Smellin’ Things, The Candy Perfume Boy
BOTTOM LINE: I am not the target market for Alien which harkens back to the perfumes of the 1980s where young girls would blot the local mall landscape with big hair and big perfumes. I don’t think that mall rats still exist in today’s culture, but if you’re wearing this there will be no mistaking your coming or going. As we used to say in the 80s, “just say NO.”
- Bone Rating: 2.5 out of possible 5 bones
- Scent: Oriental Woody
- Nose: Dominique Ropion and Laurent Bruyere
- Classification: Feminine
- Expense: Varied. Review based on the Eau de Parfum version.
The Scented Hound 
January 7, 2015 at 6:46 am
Oh Nooooo! So harsh Steve. I really like Alien and most of the flankers too.
What a shizz that it didn’t work for you.
Portia xx
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January 7, 2015 at 5:58 pm
Yes P – I think it’s the cold weather that is making my “snarkiness’ go full blast. Yes, this just was not for me. I understand that for many it’s a big love…that just means more for you my love! xoxox
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January 7, 2015 at 6:55 am
I love this stuff. Go big or go home. I get more woody jasmine and less dryer sheet than you do I think. It’s definitely a love or hate perfume and I’m not surprised a refined Hound such as yourself would pass on it. you’re right, it doesn’t do much as far as development goes. It is what it is and it’s not for everyone. It’s easy to wear on my scent eating skin.
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January 7, 2015 at 5:59 pm
A refined hound?? LOL. Is that your way of saying that I have old lady perfume tastes??!! Just kidding. Yeah, not for me. I like big and voluminous but just not sweet and this was not overly sweet, just rather puffy for my taste.
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January 7, 2015 at 8:14 pm
No, no, no! Not old lady at all! I always think you lean towards what I consider more elegant scents rather than trendy or mainstream ones or perfumes with nuclear sillage.
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January 7, 2015 at 7:11 am
Dear Mr Hound,
What a lovely diplomatic way with words you have! I feel I am not “the target market” either but try as I might, I can’t seem to dislike it. It doesn’t speak to me personally, but I have a small amount that I keep around because I feel I ought to, a bit like having insurance.
I very often find myself agreeing with you.
best wishes
Samantha
IScentYouADay
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January 7, 2015 at 6:00 pm
I will never claim to be diplomatic or politically correct. I will leave that to you 😉
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January 7, 2015 at 9:17 am
I’m also going through my stash of samples – perhaps it’s a new year thing? Have never tried Alien (I do love Angel and Womanity).
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January 7, 2015 at 6:01 pm
Of course, it’s the first of the year. We’ll get part of them organized and then the pile can start heaping again!
I do not mind Angel, like, but not love and have not tried Womanity, but am in no hurry now.
Happy New Year Carol!
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January 7, 2015 at 8:17 pm
Happy New Year, to you too!
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January 7, 2015 at 7:47 pm
2.5! I’m still waiting for the one bone Mr. Scent Hound! Hehe, Angel and Allen are both a bit … too much for me, though I haven’t given either or the flankers a true test. I base this judgement solely on the response I have when walking in the sillage wake of others. These scents though, they’re really love or hate, aren’t they??
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January 7, 2015 at 9:50 pm
Alien smells like root beer to me. I like root beer; therefore, I like Alien 🙂
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January 8, 2015 at 5:22 pm
“The only thing that seems to be alien about the fragrance is that it’s taking over my body.”!!!!! :))
I really love Alien. Not as much as I adore Angel but a lot. But I love it theoretically. I’ve never worn it or plan to. Why? There are so many great, much more refined perfumes in my collection that I just cannot justify wearing Alien.
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January 10, 2015 at 8:44 am
Alien – such an either you love it or hate perfume. Actually, I’m a bit surprised that you like this?!
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January 11, 2015 at 4:38 am
I don’t know what to say… I like most of Mugler’s perfumes. Like but do not wear 🙂
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January 9, 2015 at 9:17 am
I love Alien Essence Absolute and Alien Aqua Chic. The original is a little strong for me. Alien EA is a amber vanilla hug and Alien AC is a orange blossom hug. Both are more snuggly. Alien is like a big tight bear hug.
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January 10, 2015 at 8:45 am
Katherine – interesting that you like the flankers more than the original. Maybe if I get enough strength to venture towards the Alien again I’ll see if they are more to my liking.
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