I think I’ve mentioned this before, but Parfums de Marly is that brand that eludes me more than others. I wouldn’t consider myself a “designer-only” fan boy, but when it comes to niche I don’t’ have much and it’s definitely by design – mostly because of my wallet. However, recently I purchased a fragrance from a department store and when I received the package, there were a few samples and one of those was Parfums de Marly’s Darly. A), I’ve never heard of it before, and B) it REALLY smelled amazing. My biggest problem, as I’ve mentioned before, is that if I buy one, I’d have to buy multiple (like Pokémon), and that’s a really expensive ask. It’s bad enough that Creed frags are already really expensive (retail) and even designers pricing is going up more and more as the frags get released. To say that I’d want at least four PDM frags would be…a lot. Priorities man…priorities.
Anywho, let’s get back to Althair. How does this frag stack up and how does it smell? This fragrance is super sweet and super gourmand, there’s no doubt about that. The top notes are cardamom, bergamot, cinnamon, and orange blossom. I can honestly say…I don’t get ANY of that. Maybe a slight citrus, probably from the orange blossom, but that’s it. Any and all citrus is quickly subdued by that vanilla. I don’t know many frags with vanilla in the top notes, but I can say that vanilla is the dominant piece of this fragrance. Like a boozy, woody vanilla that’s perfectly balanced. In the mid you get that bourbon vanilla and elemi (piney balsamic) and in the dry down you get praline, musk, ambroxan and guaiac wood. Most of the scent profile is that bourbon vanilla though and maybe praline. In my opinion, a bit more of a darker spice would have made this more fall-like than it already is.
The only real-life scent that I can compare this to though are Nilla Wafers. Go buy a box and open the bag and take a huge whiff. It’s just the right balance of sweetness and that vanilla doesn’t feel synthetic or harsh. Longevity on this one will last a loooooong time. Nine plus hours will be the general amount of time that this fragrance will last on your skin, of course, more sprays could extend that.
Final Thoughts
This fragrance doesn’t have the room-filling stopping power that some other PDM fragrances have, but in a decent-sized bubble around you there will definitely be questions as to what you’re wearing. Since it’s an EDP concentration, this will definitely lay closer to your skin and not project as heavily but being that fall is officially here, you’ll get a lot of compliments for sure. As always, grab your decant of Althair right here at Decant House! There’s also many new releases coming out soon so check back often! Have a great week and I’ll catch you guys in the next one!
