If you know anything about me, it’s that I enjoy being put together. More accurately, I am put together. From my makeup, to my hair, to my outfit, to my scent, I love to walk out of my dorm feeling, looking, and smelling oh-so-nice. One of my favorite ways to stay put together? My perfume!
When I had the opportunity to try Mugler’s Eau de Parfum, Alien, I jumped at the chance. As someone who’s worn the same perfume (a.k.a. my signature scent) for the past three years, I was excited at the prospect of getting to call a new scent my own.
Alien was launched in 2005 as an intense elixir for women who wanted to feel as though they were wearing an extraordinary “halo” of goddess-like femininity, empowerment, and warmth. I especially loved this particular sentence in the product description: “Alien is a powerful, radiant, and gripping woody solar fragrance that celebrates spectacular femininity, a universal call to be extraordinary.” Before even the perfume, I felt anticipation and longing to experience all of these beautiful qualities in a fragrance. It felt inspiring that Mugler had carefully designed a perfume that was intended to allow women to feel both sensual and empowered at the same time, a duality of emotions that is often hard to pull off.
After receiving the perfume and testing it out, I was struck by just how intense the scent was, and I loved it. My roommate actually turned 180° in her chair to exclaim “what is that smell, it’s so good.” According to Mugler’s description, Alien’s key notes are a divine mix of jasmine sambac, cashmeran, and white amber. I enjoyed the woody undertones accompanied by the powerful aroma of jasmine. As a college student, especially a freshman, it’s difficult to feel luxurious, but after wearing this perfume for a few days, I felt elevated and uplifted. The scent made me feel expensive during times where I didn’t feel so, and spraying it on in the morning was something I genuinely looked forward to.
One of the things I appreciated most about this product was its longevity. When wearing my other perfume, I would notice how quickly the scent faded, and I was left using way more of the product than was necessary. Alien presented an entirely different situation. I would consistently smell the fragrance throughout the day, and was delightfully surprised when I did. This aspect of the product really speaks to how “powerful and radiant” the scent is meant to be.
Another aspect of Alien I found intriguing was the scent itself. A complex mix of scents with depth to them, when I first tested the perfume, I was almost afraid to wear it in public. As a young woman, who’s also a college student, I don’t often smell intense fragrances — it’s either a vanilla sugar cookie or floral something. I was afraid to be powerful and radiant while wearing Alien. However, within less than 72 hours of wearing the perfume, this was my pride and joy. I felt confident when walking into a room. I felt sensual when talking to my friends. I felt radiant when walking to and from my classes. The beautifully crafted scent allowed me to embody a courageous woman and wear an extraordinary halo, and I love it.
I have two main criticisms about Alien. The first is the name. While I 100% understand the concept of an “alien”, it makes it seem like confident, radiant women are scarce in society, and that by wearing this perfume, you alienate yourself and become a rarity. Additionally, because the nature of this fragrance is sensuality and femininity, the word alien simply doesn’t feel synonymous to the goals of this scent, at least in my eyes.
The second is the bottle. Mugler’s marketing of this product included themes of deep purple and gold, which I adored, so you can imagine my disappointment when I unboxed my own bottle to see the glass appeared black. It was only after holding it up to the light that the deep purple revealed itself, however, I would’ve loved the bottle 10 times more if this powerful color could be seen without having to hold it up to the light.
Despite these minor dislikes, I adore this perfume and would encourage you to try it out for yourself! It’s such a stunning way to allow yourself to enhance every side of your femininity. You can check out this perfume more on Mugler’s website! Embrace your warmth, sensuality, power, and of course, your halo!