Crazy Colognes that Smell Like Coffee, Cereal and Chocolate

Coffee, cereal and chocolate? What else will Thierry Mugler put in colognes? The series of Thierry Mugler Angel Men colognes are perfect gourmands. A gourmand perfume, as you may already know, is a fragrance that smells like something you might find on your breakfast or dinner table. If made carefully by fragrance connoisseurs, these gourmands, though smelling like something edible, are effortlessly wearable and attractive. But just how far can you go with gourmand scents?

Thierry Mugler Angel For Men, or more affectionately known among the perfume community as A*Men, is as shocking as the original Thierry Mugler Angel for women. Angel Men, just like the original Angel perfume, incorporates a delicious foody scent and something a little off-kilter. Thierry Mugler fragrances were some of the first to incorporate synthetic edgy notes: Thierry Mugler Angel has a tinny metallic note; Thierry Mugler A*Men, tar; A*Men Pure Coffee, an effusive burning accord; and A*Men Pure Malt, the alcoholic burn of fine malt liquour.

Following in the popularized foot-steps of Thierry Mugler, more and more perfumes today are incorporating these edgy synthetic notes. Yves Saint Laurent's newest perfume Parisienne, which will be launched this fall, includes a "vinyl accord"--something that evokes luxurious fashion materials like patent leather and nail lacquer.

So what is the overall effect of mixing gourmand and synthetic notes?

For most, A*Men is a very wearable perfume despite the mix of gourmand and synthetic notes. While the sound of the notes might seem shocking, the fragrant results are quite comforting and smooth. A*Men opens with a cologne classic--the brisk spray of sweet bergamot orange. Slowly the scent unfurls into chocolate, caramel and patchouli. Reading this last sentence, you may have felt a fragrant deja vu. If you did, then you're probably thinking of Thierry Mugler Angel. A*Men takes the chocolate-caramel-patchouli foundation of Angel and adds a manly kick or two. The added oomph comes from a mixture of burnt sugar, dark bitter chocolate, coffee and tobacco. The effect is sweet, earthy, and slightly bitter. Though those notes may sound alarming to cologne newbies, the effect is definitely more wearalble than it sounds.

Have you ever walked into a quality cafe--the kind that serves deep espressos and delicious lattes around the clock--and immediately taken a second or two to simply enjoy the smell? If you find comfort in coffee scents, the Thierry Mugler A*Men Pure Coffee could smell like a symphony to you. The dark bitter caffeine kick in the original A*Men was not enough for Thierry Mugler so he created A*Men Pure Coffee, which essentially is a pure coffee scent. New York Times perfume critic Chandler Burr waxes on about the delights of A*Men Pure Coffee. Typically critical of all perfumes, Chandler Burr calls this cologne "critic proof." He says it boasts the true essence of a dark shot of espresso. A*Men Pure Coffee incorporates everything from the toasting (or we might even go as far to say burning) of the coffee beans to brewing of the acrid grinds. It's a true sensory experience if anything.

The latest shocking gourmand from Thierry Mugler is A*Men Pure Malt. If the chemical effusion of tar was too vague to detect in A*Men, you surely can't miss it in A*Men Pure Malt. Pure Malt's concept focuses on the creation of a fine malt whiskey. Cereal barley notes are mixed with the familiar warming trio of chocolate, coffee and patchouli. Hovering above it all is the burn of a peaty scotch single malt. Reviewers say that despite the shocking sound, the effect, again, is quite smooth and comforting. The cereal and liquour notes mix evenly with the chocolate, caramel, patchouli and coffee notes.

Like most women, I find the effect of A*Men on men simply delicious. Pure Coffee is a very striking, undeniably coffee scent, while Pure Malt is a softer, more comforting version of A*Men. I'm personally intrigued to find out what foody scent Thierry Mugler will want to explore next in his line of fragrances?

What has been your experience with gourmand colognes and synthetic notes? Which foody scent that has yet to be explored do you want to see in the next Thierry Mugler cologne? A barbeque scent of hickory wood chips and caramelized sugar, anyone? A licorice mix of anise, fennel and tarragon? Share with me your gourmand cologne thoughts!

If you're interested in finding a gourmand cologne for yourself, cheeck out discount perfumes retailers online for select prices.