🟢2012 Vintage Mugler Pure Havane #208111 100ml/3.4oz Cherry Beast First formula
🟢2012 Vintage Mugler Pure Havane #208111 100ml/3.4oz Cherry Beast First formula
The holy grail KING of designer tobacco cigar fragrances for men in its nostalgic original formula!
If you know, you know!
After a company reset and reconstruction around 2020,
Almost all the Angel flanker colognes are now discontinued - making this a now a holy grail discontinued collectible vintage formula - that will continue to get even more rare with time.
Despite its lengthy reign on shelves- The original cigar box ' LE ' version is the most niche of all the formulas - the cursive 'Thierry Mugler' and 'MUGLER' versions are heavily watered down or the very least more simplified and mass produced using more lower quality ingredients to meet mass production needs.
The later reformulations are so watered down in fact - the juice is yellow if you look at the product star.
Sometimes hard to catch but if you look closely - 'Cigar box' formula juice is a darker rich ORANGE color.
Mad respect to all the Pure Havane versions - they are solid - but it's mind boggling they are ALL going for the same price ticket.
My take on the versions;
First Cigar box formula : Vibrant juicy red cherry cigar top, and richer chocolatey tobacco base. Niche with multiple layers.
Cursive 'Thierry Mugler'/ 'MUGER' formulas: More simplified buttery ' Honey cigar ' scent. Linear in nature. Performance is not in question - the quality and character however is heavily compromised - seems cheapened in materials and artistry despite similar performance.
Anyways - that's my experienced take on the 'vintage Pure Havane' situation.
Helpful to spread this message around. Those investing in a vintage Pure Havane and receiving the later versions seems like a waste if there's a more superior formula for the same price.
2010-2012 is the gold standard Pure Havane version and the only one I invested into my own collection.
As of the second quarter of 2026;
100 ml. / 3.4 fl. oz. listings of first formula 'cigar box' MUGLER PURE HAVANE EDT are selling on eBay for $499.99.
(ALL ABOUT MUGLER PURE HAVANE EDT)
They don't make them like they did before.
The original Pure Havane formula is fading into the distance and being lumped in along with the other discontinued cursive 'Thierry Mugler' & 'MUGLER' formulas that are honey cigar themed vs the cherry cigar first formula. Along with that, heavy IFRA regulation bans in Europe continue to regulate perfumery making any possible re-launch of this impossible. MUGLER as a brand has been steady under new direction and removing naturals, quality, expensive ingredients that give strength to the juice resulting in a modern fragrance that is gutted, synthetic, & a wasteful cash grab. The goal of the retailer's & designer brands are hoping you don't notice.
Fortunately,
At Guardian of the Fragrances, it is my mission to 'undo' all that & offer passion & transparency in everything I do.
To provide a selection of unalerted, well preserved, authentic, relics from the past.
With that said I bring you vintage Thierry Mugler Pure Havane for men EDT.
This is truly a must have collectible & store staple with Gurardian of the Fragrances & I am proud to present it to my store.
(COLLECTOR 1 ON 1 - FINAL THOUGHTS)
This discontinued vintage formula just keeps getting more rare as we move farther into the 2020's & into a generation of severe IFRA regulations. This is a great find frankly in any formula asthe entire Pure Havane line was ended by L'oreal. But there was something ULTRA special about the cherry loaded formula.
Thierry Mugler in its hayday was one of the BEST designer brands in terms of quality & prestige in their vintage eras. Right up there with most Armani's, Diors, & Chanels. Now combine that with a deep vintage formula macerating for 14 years in its dark box & you have a one of a kind collectible that is dare I say one of a kind unless IFRA reverses their mandates and we wait till 2040. for this to macerate.
Concentrated macerated vintage juice means less applications- this 100 ml. / 3.4 fl. oz. will last you forever!
Literally 2-3 applications & you're good - this juice is a dense concentration. Reminiscent of modern day EDP/ Parfum/ Extrait formulas.
Allow me to emphasize how rare this juice is now & will be in the future.
There is a reason this top tier formula matches the value of $500 niche perfumes - its top shelf!
When it comes to vintage fragrances in this caliber - it is worth every penny investing into it. You aren't buying for just hype and discontinuation - you are making a logical determination of value based on quality materials, strength, performance, the life of the product in terms of time, density of oils, maceration time, & discontinued ingredients.
POTENCY & PERFORMANCE cannot be undervalued. This one can last 24-48 hours on you!
This iconic original well preserved formulation is a must own for any beginner & long term collector.
✅WHY YOU SHOULD PURCHASE THROUGH GUARDIAN OF THE FRAGRANCES & NOT OTHER VENDORS…
✓ Gold standard service
Highly praised vintage fragrance vendor & longtime eBay member since 2004! Over 20 years of reliable gold standard service with satisfied customers leaving literal paragraphs on their positive feedback ratings. Your positive experience with me comes before the profit I make in my shop - & my enthusiastic service & money back guarantee surely reflects that. There's a deep sense of accomplishment that comes with being of purpose for your community. Allow me the opportunity to provide this to you & be your lifelong fragrance vendor.
✓ FREE extra goodies with purchase
Other sellers send you the item you paid for with a sad invoice slip - feels so cold & impersonal. I go beyond that with sending you a goodie bag with purchase to make your fragrance investment more worthwhile. YOU even chose the free gift! A hand written thank you note for supporting my shop included. All items in my shop are accurately & fairly priced to reflect the value of the vintage fragrance. Special goodie bag/bonus gift are never factored into the pricing. It's truly a thank you gift.
✓ One-category shop
I’m not selling a mess of random various thrift items that I know nothing about. At Guardianofthefragrances; you are shopping at a niche market that specializes solely on discontinued perfumery formulations. ‘One category shops’ like mine provide customers with a unique shopping experience that is backed with knowledge & experience within that category as well as shows I have a deep passion in what I am selling. Buying from fine-tuned one category shops like mine makes all the difference in a rewarding shopping experience. That seller who has listed some sneakers, baseball cards, hoodies, & that cologne you want - he may know its authentic & well preserved, OR he may not.
✓ Counterfeit Investigation process
With over a decade of professional Revenue Protection expertise investigating fraud & theft for my state of WI utility provider; all vintage fragrances in my shop are expertly ran through a process of deep research which involves but is not limited to; batch runs, listing dating, differentiating formula differences, production quirk studies, listing & cap weighing, taking hardware off to investigate inner details, fragrance strength & quality vetting - how long it lasts on skin & the quality of that experience, ect. Anything that falls into my hands that doesn't pass this process never reaches my shop.
✓ Quality appraisal process
I am college board certified in the state of WI in Sales & Design with over 20+ years of professional practice in appraising personal property & merchandise. At guardianofthefragrances; rest assured I am expertly skilled in determining whether your vintage formula has been well preserved by previous handlers. I find the counterfeit investigation process & quality appraisal the most 2 important things in my shop to gain customer trust & I am on a mission to not let you down.
✓ Mutual perfumery hobbyist & collector
Most importantly, I myself am a vintage fragrance hobbyist & collector. In fact, many listings come from my own personal collection after years of collecting back-up products as a hobby. As a hobbyist myself, I know exactly what my shoppers are looking for & what is sorely lacking in this sector. Studying & shopping for rare fragrances for my own collection has taught me the majority of the population are NOT experts in fragrances. Its a language many don't speak like ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics. In fact; the fragrance industry is the only billion dollar industry where the customer knows the least about what they are buying. Just that it 'smells good'. You even go on a forum discussion with hobbyist's & there's more questions than answers. This phenomenon is truly astonishing to me - as I am a personality type that demands answers. At guardianofthefragrances - I have those answers for you. It’s a passion of mine to go above & beyond the ‘indifferent’ lazy fragrance knowledge on vlogger videos & forums to give you real common-sense truths that Designer brands & retails hold back from us. In fact it was poor aloof information provided to the public about fragrances that gave me the drive to launch my business in the first place.
✅OVERALL ENHANCEMENT OF THE ATTRIBUTES BELOW VS BUYING MODERN FORMULAS
✓Positive mood enhancer
✓Confidence booster
✓Alluring attractiveness
✓Triggers memories
✓Aromatherapy
✓Makes you more attractive
✓Great impressions
✓Describes your personality
✓Attract other people
The death of Oakmoss:
By far one of the most controversial & damaging IFRA regulations was the ban/limitations in natural Oakmoss. This popular ingredient is in near every legendary cologne; Davidoff Cool Water (Also reformulated), Aqua Di Gio (Also reformulated) Versace Eros (Also reformulated). Many are utilized with weaker synthetics. Since Oakmoss rests in the base & has fixative effects fragrances also don't perform as well without it.
2022 Lilial ban:
& if you thought your top / mid notes were safe. You're wrong. In 2021 The Scientific committee on consumer safety (SCCS) & the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) banned the note of lilial due to its reaction to sensitive skin (That's it?).
They simply stated "It may sometimes act as an allergen." SOMETIMES?
Lilial was a common note in modern perfumery. Lilial being a synthetic aromatic soapy aldehyde; it gave the self titled signature Versace PH it's sweet yet refreshing intense floral green odor.
I don't understand this obsession with making sure the skin doesn't react to materials. Practically every face mask on the market 'Reacts' to your skin & in the long run - improves it's appearance.
Doesn't skin strength train like muscles do?
Fragrance shelf life scam:
Reformulations are one thing, it's something unable to be avoided.
One of the biggest gaslighting scams on the otherhand that may easily be avoided is the myth fragrances naturally 'Expire/go bad' due to time alone.
Fragrances are not your local produce guys, they are a balanced chemist composition of naturals and fragrant chemical aromas full of preservatives.
If that alone wasn't enough; that recipe is then preserved in a percentage average of 80 per ALCOHOL. resulting in 'maybe' 10 per natural ingredients to think 10 per natural ingredients are up against and a threat against 90 per chemical aromas, preservatives, and alcohol is a HUGE stretch.
Alcohol based fragrances should be compared to 50-100 year old products of preserved & cherished wine. Like wine, fragrances in fact get better with age from the process of maceration; when naturals soak in chemicals for extended periods of time making the juice richer & full of character. Fragrances are not fresh hand made cosmetics with no preservatives - quite the opposite.
Fragrances were even recovered from the 1912 Titanic wreck with no sign of expiring.
A perfumer salesman perished in the wreck resulting in an artifact from this person found on the BOTTOM of the ocean preserved for over 100 years.
This artifact was indeed perfumery. In an artifact examination room upon recovery, amongst the death, muck, tragedy, & solemn sorrow of decomposing materials the perfumery was presented to the room & by surprise brought the room to LIFE again, aromas of beautiful fruits, florals, resins, & woods sourced from so long ago.
The experience was so powerful to the scientist- it made a grown man cry.
Fragrances may face neglectful extremes...but most certainly don't go bad from just the passing of time.
I guess any myth works for these fragrance industries that want you coming in to buy their 'fresh' products.
The modern day scent:
I say all that to say; modern day fragrances as a whole - are complete & utter trash...
whether that be a brand new composed scent or a reformulation of a classic.
The modern recipe:
Fake citrusy c@ndy-like tops to lock you in, aromatic-mids to give you masculinity & bare minimal classic nostalgia, then a base gob-smacked with scratchy ambroxan / synthetic molecules completed with cloying sweetness to ultimately gaslight you so don't notice how 'fake' the entire composition smells.
It's truly depressing what they release nowadays.
You might as well wear your home cleaner.