Best Men's Colognes

Thierry Mugler’s Angel is now, has been for a long time, and seemingly always will be a popular fragrance. It’s weird because, such a best selling perfume, isn’t well liked but a large number of people. Many think that it can be too much, while others swear by it. However, the polarization, isn’t that extreme.

There are still a ton of fans of this perfume, but may want to wear something else. Or maybe they’d like a cheaper scent with an aroma like that of Angel, to save some cash. Well, in this post, I want to present 10 perfumes which smell like this Thierry Mugler creation. And, substitutions for some of the flanker perfumes of the Angel line.

Perfume Alternatives that are Similar to Mugler’s Angel

Inspired Inexpensive Option 

Gourmand Patchouli by Dossier– One of the options for those who want a cheaper perfume ‘inspired by’ Mugler’s Angel is this entry from Dossier.

Gourmand Patchouli and their other creations really do hit the mark in terms of smelling close to the original designer perfume. With most of the one’s that I have tested, they seem to get it at least 85% of the way there.

With the notes, you’re obviously going to get the strong patchouli, notes like caramel and honey, along with the fruits and florals. For the current (as of writing) price of $29, this is pretty much going to give you what you need if you want a very similar alternative to Angel.

Sweeter with More Powder

BOND No 9 Nuits De Noho, 3.4 Ounce– A complex and seductive scent that can add a great deal of sophistication to a woman’s style. Nuits de Noho opens with a pineapple and vanilla mix that sits in the middle of a patchouli wrapping.

It’s gourmand and has a sweet, baked goods sort of quality to the aroma. The patchouli and musk are pretty strong for the first 15 minutes or so before, this Bond No. 9 perfume settles itself into something sweeter and gentler.

To me, the floral notes like jasmine, are powdery and green but mostly stay in the background to only come out a brief whiffs.  Nuits de Noho Full Review

Angel Elixir Alternative

Fairy Potion by Dua– The Angel line has of course produced a ton of flankers over the years. One, which was released in 2023 is Angel Elixir. The Dua Brand has released their interpretation of this newer scent and I’m adding it to the list.

Now, if you want something like the original Angel, the flanker (or this inspired take) doesn’t have much to do with it. Actually, I agree that it has a lot of overlap with Donna Born in Roma and its flankers.

It’s creamy with vanilla and sandalwood notes supporting a great jasmine note. Sweetish, but not the whole way through, and it does have a rather synthetic amber note.

Now, I haven’t tried Fairy Potion as of yet, but Dua does a nice job with their inspirations (I’ve owned like a dozen or more). So, if you’re in the market for something cheaper than Angel Elixir, here you go.

Toned Down Patchouli

Molinard Nirmala Eau de Parfum Spray for Women, 2.5 Ounce– Another fragrance that smells like and has some differences from our target. Nonetheless, the sweet fruits, vanilla, and warmth is all there.

Chocolate is missing and definitely not the same sort of patchouli bomb as Angel. The rest of it? Pretty much a dead ringer. It’s got a nice sweet/tart smell and not as heavy. 

Under $10 Inspiration

Spirit Of Heaven | Parfum De Toilette | Spray for Women | 1.85 oz– If you’re looking for the ultra cheap perfume that smells close, this one can fit the bill. Spirit of Heaven is available for less than $10 and cuts quite a strikingly similar aroma to the Thierry Mugler.

It opens up with fruits, warmth, and spice. Then, dries down with the patchouli, vanilla, and chocolate notes. Surprisingly not a weak version, Spirit of Heaven actually packs a similar punch, with its sillage and how long it lasts. 

Discontinued But Quite Similar

Lalique Nilang for Women Perfume 3.3 oz Eau de Parfum Spray– Just to be clear, the Nilang released in 2011 smells very similar to Angel. The other one, not so much. This isn’t widely available anymore, but you can still grab bottles.

The structure is very close, but the fruit notes are different here. You get plenty of melon and peach, in this perfume. 

Nilang is lighter, sweeter, with a floral base of lotus and freesia. This adds a slight watery component to the scent. This one is not an exact match with Angel, but is within the same ball park.

Like Angel Nova

Very Good Girl by Carolina Herrera– Now, Very Good Girl is a perfume that shares a lot with the flanker fragrance, Angel Nova. I personally, think that Nova is the better scent, but I’m adding this for those who want to try an alternative.

Red currant joins litchi early on to produce a bold, tart, and sweet opening of fruity notes. There’s not too long of a time with that opening, as the red rose note starts to move in. Actually, things start to take a powdery directions.

I do like the freshness and balance with the sweetness and the vanilla. However, this is mostly about the rose and litchi notes. Nice performance, but not outstanding. In the event that you find this for significantly cheaper than Nova, it might be worth a shot. Very Good Girl review

Fruitier and More Gourmand

Bond No 9 Ladies I Love New York Holidays Edp Spray Unisex 3.4 Oz– This is close to Nuits de Noho, as well as, Angel. Holidays is a very delectable perfume, which smells like a bakery. This always smelled very warm and sweet to my nose, back when I had the sample.

Not nearly the same level of power, or spice, nor patchouli. I liked the fruitiness in Holidays, apricot and pomegranate, which played extremely well off of praline. It’s not a one for one match, but gives you a similar experience, with some tweaks to the formula.

This one also has great performance, lasting over 9 hours and sometimes longer, depending on the day. 

Similar Notes, Different Direction

Calvin Klein euphoria Eau de Parfum Rollerball, 0.33 Fl Oz– So, Euphoria doesn’t smell like Angel. This is one that I wanted to throw in, because of its similar vibe. It does have some interesting overlap, but takes things in a different direction.

The pomegranate is very juicy/tart and edible with the inclusion of great floral notes and the well-blended addition of patchouli. Fruity/floral with spice and a solid base of rich mahogany.

As it dries down, Euphoria becomes darker and sexy, with the pomegranate taking on less of a role.

Inexpensive and Similar Option

Wish by Chopard Eau De Parfum spray 2.5 oz– With Wish, you get a cheaper, and altered sort of version of Angel. This fragrance isn’t as heavy and actually has a much cleaner fragrance. It’s pretty sweet, with notes such as: vanilla, honey, caramel, coconut, strawberry.

That sweetness is paired with a slightly smoky creaminess and some underlying floral notes. Very interesting take on this sort of perfume.

Again, not identical, but gives you great value for the price and a decent approximation of Angel. 

Best Men's Colognes

Best Men’s Colognes started back in 2013, as a way to share my learning experiences with the different fragrances that I’ve owned, as I dove head first into the hobby. Since then, that new hobby grew into a consistent passion, helping millions of readers along the way. I have personally test out and written reviews for well over 800 perfumes and colognes for both men and women. This is along with writing hundreds of other in-depth fragrance guides. You can also follow me on: YouTube, Instagram, and Tiktok!

bestmenscolognes.com/

Ahhh, Love Spell. I really don’t know how many times, I’ve come across a girl wearing this fragrance, particularly back in high school. It’s been fairly ubiquitous for a few decades now, and as such, has gained a large following.

Some of whom, are now seeking potential alternatives or comparable cheaper options to this smell. But, what perfumes smell similar to Love Spell?

Fragrances which Smell Similar to Love Spell

A Britney Perfume 

Britney Spears Midnight Fantasy Eau De Parfum Spray, 3.3-Fluid Ounce– A sweet blend of fruit and floral notes that will please the senses to no end. Midnight Fantasy is a different take on the sweetness offered by the original Fantasy but one which really stands out.

Notes include: Framboise, Black Cherry, Musk, Night Blooming Orchid, Vanilla, Plum, Freesia, Amber, Iris.

Plum and black cherry add a tart fruitiness to the Fantasy name. It’s clean and slightly dark with a creamy vanilla note circulating throughout. Sweet yet powdery with the iris note providing the main thrust of the floral accord.

Midnight Fantasy gives you cherry and plum, instead of cherry blossom and peach, as with Love Spell. Nonetheless, the effect is very similar due to how they blend, and the floral notes included.

Midnight Fantasy is an all around solid option from Britney Spears to replace or get a similar experience, as the Victoria’s Secret spray. Not as peachy, as the VS spray can tend to be for some people.

A Closely Styled Perfume

Selena Gomez Eau De Parfum Spray, 3.4 Ounce– Selena Gomez’s fragrance hits the right demographic and similar tone to Love Spell. It’s not exactly the same smell, but definitely in the same ball park.

This one opens up with an array of fruits including the same peach note as our Victoria’s Secret target. It is joined by citrus notes and pineapple. This perfume is juicy and sweet, with a bit more of a tropical vibe, but not entirely.

A bit further along, the berry notes come in to pair up with the peach and pineapple. It also gets more of a gourmand influence, with vanilla and chocolate.

Most of the wear, is extremely fruit laden, with a completely youthful vibe. A solid alternative option. Again, more of the vanilla/chocolate dry down which separates it from the more linear experience of the VS spray.

Similar but High End

Creed Spring Flower by Creed for Women Millesime Spray, 2.5 Ounce– Alright, this one isn’t an exact one to one. It’s a higher end designer scent, but it does have lots of overlap, as a fruity floral to Love Spell.

Peach, apple, jasmine, and musk are the shared commonalities. This is a much more developed and grown up version, of what we’re looking for.

Notes include jasmine, peach, apple, musk, melon, rose, ambergris.  Spring Flower is an uplifting fruity scent with bright, floral undertones.

Melon, peach and apple are paired for a crisp and juicy sweet start to the wear.  Then, the rose and jasmine note usher in its flowery namesake, which is quite pretty.

Along with the typical Creed ambergris note, Spring Flower has a musky dry down that is fairly potent.

The flower aspect is more prominent further along in the life cycle, with jasmine and musk being the highlights at that point. Meanwhile, the fruit notes have become more subdued.

Spring Flower isn’t really a heavy fragrance, more light to moderate. However, it provides good longevity, and versatility. It can definitely become a signature every day wear.

The Closest Fantasy

Sexiest Fantasies Love Struck by Parfums De Coeur Fragrance Body Spray 7.35 oz – If you’re looking for a straight comparable to Love Spell, this is as close as you’re going to get…and it’s pretty darn close.

Sexiest Fantasies Love Struck gives you both the peach and cherry blossom notes, without as much of the floral base. There is a slight muskiness to it.

On the plus side, it’s affordable, and gives you an intense juicy fruit smell. The peach comes with a huge impact, from the first spray.

Later on, the cherry blossom is more noticeable, along with the musk. The scent becomes much more balanced. This is almost a carbon copy of Love Spell, hence the name.

Best Men's Colognes

Best Men’s Colognes started back in 2013, as a way to share my learning experiences with the different fragrances that I’ve owned, as I dove head first into the hobby. Since then, that new hobby grew into a consistent passion, helping millions of readers along the way. I have personally test out and written reviews for well over 800 perfumes and colognes for both men and women. This is along with writing hundreds of other in-depth fragrance guides. You can also follow me on: YouTube, Instagram, and Tiktok!

bestmenscolognes.com/

Philosophy has been a really big seller in the skin care space, which naturally led, to having a wide lineup of fragrances also. Most of the perfumes that they have released, have been for women, and have added up to dozens of different options.

In this post, I want to break things down a bit more, and present nine options of perfumes for her which could be considered the best of the lot. I have included some best-sellers, as well as, some lesser known gems.

Favorite Smelling Philosophy Fragrances

Clean Rose Fragrance

Amazing Grace Ballet Rose Eau de Toilette, 2 Fl Oz– Ballet Rose is, as the name suggests, dominated by the rose note. However, within this composition, it really isn’t a heavy floral note. The rose is paired with a somewhat weaker peony and has a clean aroma with some litchi fruit and a bit of musk.

As it dries down, there is a bit of a powdery aroma, which lends to its attractiveness. But doesn’t go full ‘make-up bag’ with its scent. More similar to a light baby powder.

Ballet Rose is a pretty simple and linear fragrance, but it smells really great, and is a safe pick for those who like rose but don’t want to be drenched in it.

Top Summer Wear

Philosophy Summer Grace 4.0 oz Eau de Toilette Spray– Summer Grace is a wonderful summertime wear, with a light and clean aroma, that can function as a daily wear during those long humid months.

It has a light mixed fruits (peach) and citrus quality with some underlying light coconut. This is sweet, refreshing, with almost a little bit of an aquatic aroma lurking in the background. With that, is musk and some floral ingredients, which really take over later on in the wear.

Not a powerhouse, in the slightest, but rather a delightful fragrance for when you don’t need to stand out. Then again, Philosophy fragrances don’t generally have that sort of massive sillage.

Fruity Fragrance

PHILOSOPHY FALLING IN LOVE 0. 5 OZ EDT SP– Falling in Love is a very sweet perfume with a blackberry/vanilla dominant heart, with a light musky and some gentle jasmine added in.

The fruit is the strongest aspect of this scent, but it is still a rather light fragrance, with a candy-like aroma. It’s a very clean perfume, that gets a tad more toward the floral end of things, as it dries down.

Though, those notes never fully take over. Falling in Love isn’t an overbearing fragrance, so, the sweetness will moderate itself and stay enjoyable to wear.

Most Popular Philosophy Perfume

Philosophy Amazing Grace by Philosophy Eau De Toilette Spray for Women, 2 Ounce– Amazing Grace is the best-selling and most well-known perfume from Philosophy. It opens up with light and pleasant citrus notes, before the freesia, rose, and jasmine start to come in.

As it dries down, Amazing Grace becomes muskier with the floral notes surrounding it. A simple and fresh daily wear, that won’t break the bank, but smells great.

It is a pretty darn light sillage here. Don’t expect a bomb and it dries down with more of a powdery musky aroma, then I get earlier on.

Creamy Sweetness

Philosophy Fresh Cream Eau de Toilette, 2 Ounce– Fresh Cream is more of a specialty gourmand scent, that creates an aroma of milky-sweet cream. This one is super simple with a creamy vanilla-like scent, sort of cold, like an ice cream.

Yet, it has moments where it comes across as a warm embrace. Very nice duality.

It’s best to be worn in the cold, otherwise, the heat can turn it into a less than pleasant experience of milk sitting out in the sun. Nevertheless, when worn on a cold day, it is fresh, smooth, and a delight to smell.

Fruity/Floral Tropical Philosophy

Philosophy Loveswept Eau de Toilette, 2 Ounce– Loveswept has a fruit and somewhat tropical scent, that is bright, and very upbeat. Passion fruit is joined together with citrus notes for a delicious and juicy opening.

Then, there is additional floral notes, mainly consisting of jasmine. As it dries down, Loveswept can have a powdery quality to it, but the fruit notes are still the main attraction here.

This is another great option for the warmer months of the year. Moderate sillage (actually pretty substantial in comparison to some offerings), but very usable in terms of how long it will stick around.

Warm Sugary Vanilla and Woods

Fresh Cream Warm Cashmere– Fresh Cream Warm Cashmere is a flanker to the original Fresh Cream listed above. Instead of the colder aroma found in that perfume, this one goes for more of a warm sugary vanilla baked goods scent.

Philosophy says there’s a tangerine note in the top, but if it’s there, it’s extremely light. Instead, you’re going to get vanilla from the start, cashmere wood, sandalwood, and musk holding it all together.

As it settles, it does take on a drier and woodier aroma versus the early creamy vanilla extravaganza. The creamy effect does last for the entirety of the wear, just expect woods and musk to play a larger role towards the end.

Easy Magnolia

Amazing Grace Magnolia– Here’s another very nice Amazing Grace flanker fragrance. Magnolia starts out fresh with a semi-aquatic sort of smell. The nectarine and bergamot notes really shine in the opening stages.

It’s fruity and floral with a light sillage and the magnolia will start to pop out more after the first wave has past. The dry down is a vague fruitiness with the magnolia sitting with musk and a bit of wood.

Not all that complicated, just a nice floral-fruity perfume with a fresh cleanliness for the warmer months of the year. Again, this one isn’t a bomb with how it projects, so Magnolia will best be served for someone who wants a low key scent.

A Different Grace

Amazing Grace EDP Intense– I will say, that this one comes across pretty differently from the popular original. It still has rose and musk. However, this one feels more soapy/shampoo-like with how it smells. A touch of powder in the dry down.

The opening is a burst of berry notes, quite sweet, with a good deal of strawberry coming through. None of it’s naturalistic smelling to me, but has more of a candy-like sweetness to the aroma.

Nothing too intense about this perfume, but I still find it to be very likeable. A very fruity rose scent without the same level of musk. Nice release, but won’t be for everyone, and don’t expect much of a retread of the original formula.

Best Men's Colognes

Best Men’s Colognes started back in 2013, as a way to share my learning experiences with the different fragrances that I’ve owned, as I dove head first into the hobby. Since then, that new hobby grew into a consistent passion, helping millions of readers along the way. I have personally test out and written reviews for well over 800 perfumes and colognes for both men and women. This is along with writing hundreds of other in-depth fragrance guides. You can also follow me on: YouTube, Instagram, and Tiktok!

bestmenscolognes.com/