Valaya by Parfums de Marly

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Valaya is a Parfums de Marly release that they came out with in 2023. I bought a sample of this perfume, as a part of a larger order, since I hadn’t ever tried this one out. Really, I had no expectations as to what it was or how it smelled, just a curiosity as to what PdM had come up with.

How does Valaya smell? Does it last long? Is it actually worth a try?

Valaya by PdM Overview

Notes include: aldehydes, orange blossom, peach, bergamot, mandarin, musk, vanilla, lily of the valley, vetiver, nympheal, mahonia, akigalwood, musk, ambroxan

Click here to try: Valaya by PdM 

My Full Review

Here’s what Parfums de Marly has to say about Valaya: a sensual and elegant fragrance opening with bergamot, mandarin, and sweet white peach, leading to a blend of white flowers settling on musk, vanilla, and woody base notes.

Valaya starts off with its fruity notes being prominent, but not completely dominating the early mix. Bergamot has a few minutes of run at the top, with some light mandarin, before the sweeter peach takes over.

The perfume has a rather sharp freshness due to that fruit accord and the aldehydes. For me, the aldehydes are slightly more heavily weighted in the opening versus the musk, but that will reverse.

Even in the opening, the musk isn’t weak. It feels very shampoo-like on my skin, at this early stage.

Valaya does settle down into something with a less ‘screechy’ aroma, after 5-10 minutes. Mainly, I think it’s the citrus quieting down that allows this one to become more pleasant.

Once I’m at this point, the floral notes become noticeable. I mostly get the orange blossom note, and the lily of the valley, doesn’t feel distinct here. It’s sort of orange blossom with a generic floral smell.

Maybe that’s what Nympheal is supposed to be? I’m not sure what that ingredient is. Perhaps that’s the somewhat odd synthetic scent that I pick up or just a mix with the ambroxan.

The middle act is a sweetish floral with a dose of musk and vanilla. On me, the aldehydes begin to really dissipate. There is some powder here, but it wasn’t too strong on me. Also, Valaya takes on a woodier profile in the base.

That’s really the final transition. Musk with some vanilla and woods, is the thrust of it. A general sweetness and floral impression remains sitting underneath.

Sillage, longevity, and versatility

Valaya opens up with some strong intensity. The result is a fairly far reaching fragrance that doesn’t need to many sprays to get attention.

It will settle down. I still find it to be strong, maybe on the upper end of moderate? Nonetheless, this isn’t a perfume that ever felt weak or insubstantial in any way.

The longevity is actually quite good. I got more than 9 hours of wear with this one, on my skin. Spraying it on clothes, Valaya is a fragrance that will just keep going and going.

Seasonally, this is for sure a spring and summer fragrance. Between the fruits, flowers, and aldehydes…the decision is pretty much made up for you.

Definitely a daytime wear, also. Something like a daily wear or something that you can just wear around casually when the sun is out. I don’t find Valaya to be sexy at all. Just clean and fresh for the most part. So, no romantic wear or nightlife with this one.

Overall Impressions of Valaya

Overall, do I like Valaya? Not really. If it were an inexpensive scent, it’d be okay. At this price? It’s a complete pass for me.

It started getting on my nerves during the wear, not completely headache inducing, but I wasn’t really enjoying having this perfume on either.

The opening is too sharp. The middle is somewhat better, but synthetic. The dry down is probably when I liked this scent the most.

Is it terrible? No, just nothing that really demands most people run out and buy it.

The performance is really quite good. So, if you’re one who really loves this for whatever reason, you do get some value in that respect.

This isn’t among Parfums de Marly’s best fragrances for women. It seems like one that I will forget about in a few months.

Perfume Comparison: Angels’ Share vs Oajan

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Angels’ Share and Oajan are two fragrances which fulfill a distinct role in the winter months. That of the sweet and spicy perfume laden with cinnamon and highly attractive. However, since both are expensive to acquire and have so much overlap, they can often be the final two options that people need to decide between.

Well, on this page, I break down each of these unisex fragrances and compare them across categories. Which smells better? Lasts longer? Is the better buy?

Tale of the Tape: Angels’ Share vs Oajan

Angels’ Share

Notes include: cognac, tonka bean, oak, cinnamon, praline, vanilla, sandalwood

Click here to try: Angels’ Share at Sephora

Read my review: Angels’ Share by Kilian

Oajan

Notes include: tonka bean, cinnamon, honey, vanilla, benzoin, musk, labdanum, patchouli, and more

Click here to try: Parfums de Marly Oajan EDP Spray, 4.2 oz

My Full Review: Oajan

Opening

Oajan kicks off with the cinnamon note being joined by benzoin and the tonka bean. Add to that, the continuing emergence of the osmanthus note, which adds the fruity-like sweetness to the mix.

It’s a bold and spice heavy opening act. Fresh and dark, with a thick warmth from the honey beginning to come through after 5 minutes or so.

Angels’ Share starts of with its signature cognac, oak, and its tonka bean note. The cognac has an apple-like sweetness to it, which is great.

The sweetness is enhanced by the inclusion of vanilla and praline. Which all plays well off of the spicy punch of the cinnamon note.

Which is better? It’s actually a very close decision for me, as I really enjoy how both of these perfumes start off.

But, I might slightly lean towards Angels’ Share. It’s boozy sweetness is better balanced with its toned down cinnamon note. Oajan can be rather intense that way. Not a massive win for the Kilian, but it takes this category.

Edge: Angels’ Share

Projection

So, with older batches of Oajan, this would’ve been a fairly straightforward win for it.

Now, it’s closer to being a toss up. The opening act is stronger and heavier with the PdM scent versus Angels’. That projection still packs a punch. However, it doesn’t sustain it for as long as it used to before settling into something more in the upper moderate range.

Angels’ Share doesn’t start off as strong, but it’s also got itself a good reach. It too settles into an upper moderate level.

That being said, Oajan still has an edge with this one. Not as much as it used to, but it fends off the Kilian.

Edge: Oajan

Longevity

With Angels’ Share, I get 9-13 hours of wear on my skin. It’s a really good performer like most of these colder weather scents.

Older batches of Oajan used to last 11-12 hours for me. With my current bottle, it only seems to get to about 9 hours. Or, the lowest of what I get with the Kilian perfume. Those last few hours aren’t exactly strong, either.

So, Angels’ Share takes it, nowadays.

Edge: Angels’ Share

Versatility

Both of these are cold weather fragrances. Neither is for formal wear.

While each is technically unisex, Oajan leans more masculine, than actually being something that most women would reach for.

I wear each of these for casual to semi-formal situations. Lots of the time, it’s for nights out or when I just want something substantial and cozy to have on.

There’s not much distinction here, other than Angels’ Share being more of a unisex fragrance. So, I guess that I’ll give it the slight edge.

Edge: Angels’ Share

Overall Scent

Overall, which of these fragrances do I prefer?

Obviously, since I own bottles of each of them, I think that they’re both great scents. As such, it’s more like I’d choose one 6 times out of 10 versus the other.

I’d lean that fragrance being Angels’ Share. It’s not always my favorite between them, as sometimes I dislike the praline note and how it presents. But, that cognac is great with the oak and other sweetness.

I will say, for most men, Oajan might be the one to go with. It doesn’t have the same level of sustained sweetness as Angels’ Share, though, it definitely is sweet and has periods where that sticky honey note really pops.

Angels’ Share in its current form, just does most everything a bit better than Oajan in its newer releases. That might change again, at some point. For now, I’d opt for the boozy Kilian perfume.

Winner: Angels’ Share

3 Fragrances Similar to Gris Charnel by BDK

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Gris Charnel is a best seller for BDK. Whether you’re talking about the original or the Extrait version, Gris is a delightful scent, laden with fig and wood that captures attention as a unisex scent.

However, it can also be one the pricey side of things. Or, you might also want something that is similar to but not the same as Gris Charnel. On this page, I keep track of the alternative fragrances to this popular release, whether they nearly match or have plenty of commonalities between them.

Similar Scents to BDK Gris Charnel

It is a short list, as of now. That’s usually how things start out, I would fully expect more designers and ‘imposters’ to utilize a formula like this perfume moving forward. I’ll update, as I come across more picks.

Carnal Gray by Dua– Carnal Gray is going to lead this list, since it is an option that is fully inspired by Gris Charnel, and aims to match the aroma that you get with our designer target.

The fig and tea with the spiciness of the cardamom are here. The back half with the sandalwood dry down and the powdery iris also make appearances.

Dua generally gets their releases mostly correct. That is, don’t expect an exact 100% match with the perfume, but something that is 90+% of the way there. Only, much cheaper than what the inspiration sells for.

However, as far as perfumes with similarities to Gris Charnel goes, this is the best option that I’ve come across.

Liam by Lattafa– Another one that is designed to be quite a bit like Gris Charnel, but not exactly the same. Lattafa puts out a lot of these similar to designer perfumes, but they usually have their own twist.

For example, Liam, utilizes a vanilla note that is stronger than the tonka bean alternative found in the BDK.

Early on, it is juicy with a great fig note. Lovely. You get the usual spices and many of the same highlights as Gris. They do share almost all of the same notes. The back half isn’t so nearly matching.

Liam doesn’t have the same sustained sweetness as our target. But, it basically matches things beat for beat otherwise. Also, you’ll want to get the gray bottle, not the blue one.

Passiflora Cologne by Jo Malone– This is a newer release from Jo Malone. It’s not exact, but it inhabits the same style as you get with Gris Chanel.

Here, passionflower is the flower at the heart of things. So, no iris powder is going to be present. Which, may be exactly what some of you are wanting in an alternative.

Honeysuckle and cardamom open things up. Again, we’re missing the fig note. But, you do get some nice sweetness with Passiflora Cologne, amid the spicy start. Just not a massive amount.

It is spicier overall in comparison and the tonka bean is joined by vanilla, to really amp up that aspect of the perfume. Still, this isn’t a heavy scent. Probably fairly lighter than our target. Yet, it is one to try, if you like the BDK.

4 Fragrances Similar to Acqua di Gioia

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Acqua di Gioia is one of Armani’s long running and still high selling fragrances from its women’s line. It’s use of citrus, mint, floral notes, and an aquatic style really help to set it apart.  However, sometimes you simply want something that’s a cheaper alternative to the original or you want a perfume that’s similar yet slightly different. On this page, I will keep track of the scents which fit the bill.

What Perfumes Smell Like Acqua di Gioia?

Aquatic Peony by Dossier– If you’re looking for a perfume that tries to match what you get with Acqua di Gioia, the best option that I can find is Dossier’s inspired take on the formula.

Here, you still get the mint, the sharpness of citrus and blackcurrant, jasmine, and the aquatic touches that shape the Armani fragrance.

The start will be bold with its surge of freshness and citrus, but that’ll settle into something that is noticeably sweeter.

For the price (currently under $30 as of posting), this is the top choice for those who want something that comes close to the aroma of Gioia.

Queen of Seduction by Antonio Banderas– Not the same as Acqua di Gioia, but that might be what you’re looking for. Queen of Seduction doesn’t have the strong mint note, which turns some people of enjoying it.

Queen of Seduction gives you a sweeter, more aquatic, and fresher take on this style. The jasmine is still here, a citrus top, and good use of cedar wood in the base.

Still quite green, just with less intensity. Suede and iris add a smoother dry down with hints of powder, that further separate it from our target. This is a really nice value by that is similar yet different to the Armani perfume.

Aqua Bella by La Rive– Aqua Bella is another cheaper option which seeks to mimic the formula of our target scent. In fact, this one is the least expensive of the choices on the list.

However, you do still get plenty of value with the La Rive, which actually doesn’t come across as being entirely the same as the Armani.

Here, the citrus is still very bold, but there doesn’t seem to be the same level of mint. At least, it’s blended into the mix more so than Acqua. Pretty sweet, a nice aquatic, and those brown sugar touches are very nice at this price point.

Perhaps this one has more of a peony weighting versus jasmine in the mix. Less of that overall fresh and greenish feeling, yet still has an aromatic vibe. Performance is solid enough, without being a top notch performer.

Aqua Celestia by Kurkdjian– Celestia is for sure not the same as Acqua di Gioia and probably the most different out of any on the list. Also, it’s more expensive.

But, I’m including it due to the similarities that it has with our target, while remaining distinct and a decent alternative option for those who want a perfume that’s different enough.

The floral notes here are mimosa and rose, which are going to be the biggest changes. Also, Aqua Celestia is a fragrance without the same level of sweetness or cedar influence. Nope, here the base is pretty much all about the musk.

Still, the citrus and blackcurrant opening alongside a fresh mint? That’s still here. Crisp and bold early on, with a softer side on the back half.

Invictus Victory vs Bad Boy

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Invictus Victory is a flanker of the very popular Paco Rabanne cologne. Meanwhile, Bad Boy is the original of Carolina Herrera’s more recent best selling line. Since each of these fragrances has a similar style, they can be the final two picks that someone is deciding between.

On this page, I break down how Bad Boy and Victory compare and contrast with one another, after having tested and reviewed each. Which smells better? Lasts longer? Is the better buy?

Tale of the Tape: Bad Boy vs. Invictus Victory

Bad Boy

Notes include: white pepper, cocoa, sage, tonka bean, vetiver, pink pepper, grapefruit, and amber

Click here to try: Carolina Herrera Bad Boy EDT Eau de Toilette 3.4oz / 100ml For Men, Black

Read my review: Bad Boy EDT

Invictus Victory

Notes include: pink pepper, vanilla, amber, lemon, tonka bean, olibanum, lavender

Click here to try: Invictus Victory

My Full Review: Invictus Victory

Opening

The opening of the original Bad Boy EDT, strikes quite differently to my nose, depending on whether it is close to the skin or not. Up close, I get a honeycomb like aroma that is dipped in amber and dotted with various pepper notes.

From afar, I really pick up the sweeter and creamier aspects of this scent. Namely, the cocoa and tonka bean.

Invictus Victory starts a lot like the old Pure XS line that Paco Rabanne had put out some number of years before this. Victory has a lemon note up top, with pink pepper, and a dose of incense.

Kind of smoky, but it doesn’t dominate the composition. Up top, it’s a bit of that lemon with a spiciness and smokiness. As it moves on, Victory will start to have a greater use of the vanilla and amber notes.

Edge: Invictus Victory

Projection

Bad Boy has never been a heavy or very far-reaching fragrance whenever I’ve tested it out. It’s more of a moderate fragrance. Not weak, but it doesn’t blow the doors off.

Victory does start off strong and it has a heavier/thicker feeling to it. That more powerful projection will last for an hour or two, before settling into a moderate sillage itself.

Between the two, Victory is stronger at first and still has a slight edge after that. Not much, but it gets the win here.

Edge: Invictus Victory

Longevity

Invictus Victory takes this category as well. On my skin, the Paco Rabanne cologne will last for 8-9 hours, which is pretty good but not elite.

Bad Boy falls a few hours short. At it’s best, I get 7 hours from that fragrance. Again, the upper end of average, but nothing spectacular.

Edge: Invictus Victory

Versatility

Seasonally, they’re both the same with what they bring to the table. Autumn and winter wear mainly, with the ability to venture into springtime, on days where it doesn’t get too warm.

They do both skew younger, have more nighttime vibes than something that you might reach for daily. But, they can cover that base too, if you don’t have a very formal environment you need to go to each day.

Really, there isn’t much separation in this category.  So, I’m calling it a tie.

Edge: Push

Overall Scent

Overall, which of these fragrances is the one that I’d go with, if I had to decide? For me, it’s not too difficult of a decision.

Looking back over at what I like about Bad Boy. The sweetness, the amber, the late stage vetiver, and use of cocoa. It’s kind of messy, when you press your nose to the skin. However, I do enjoy the fragrance while it floating in the air.

It’s just never been much more than that. It’s performance is middling, but it does have a good deal of versatility and this Carolina Herrera scent is very wearable.

But, I’d take Invictus Victory.

Spicy and smoky. Better use of the vanilla note, with maybe a somewhat harsher amber not versus what I get with Bad Boy. The performance is also better.

This isn’t a massive preference for one versus the other. I’d just choose to wear Victory 6 or 7 times out of 10, if all I had were it and Bad Boy.

Winner: Invictus Victory