parfums de marly

Athalia by Parfums de Marly

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For this fragrance review entry, I have a perfume from the women’s lineup of Parfums de Marly called, Athalia. PdM is a high end luxury fragrance brand, which has produced a lot of amazing scents over the past decade or so. This one was released in 2016.

In this post, I want to take a closer look at this one in particular. I will share my experiences wearing Athalia, discuss what it smells like, when it should be worn, and if it’s worth a try.

What does Athalia Smell Like?

Notes include: incense, rose, orange bitter, iris, orange blossom, amber, vanilla, and vetiver

Click here to try: PARFUMS DE MARLY Athalia, 2.5 Fl Oz

My Full Review

Before we get into my review, let’s see what Parfums de Marly says about Athalia: “Athalia is highly sensual with an opening of encens, rose, and orange bitter followed by a bouquet of iris and orange blossom on a base of amber, vanilla, and vetiver, giving the fragrance a floral amber accord. Seductive and attractive, this feminine perfume is one that is a perfect day regardless of the occasion.”

The opening of Athalia is quite lovely. There is a light incense note, at the top, which gets a bit smokier as the wear moves on (but never too much). However, what I mainly pick up at the start of this is orange blossom, orange, and some rose.

The iris powdery quality is hanging in the background, with a clean aroma, but it is secondary at this point.

After about 10 minutes, Athalia begins to shift more into becoming an iris-led floral perfume. The rose is not really that powerful to my nose, I mostly get the iris and orange blossom, with some of the smoky quality of the incense.

Athalia gets warmer, as it moves along, but I wish that orange bitter note still hung around. I really enjoyed that, in the opening act of this fragrance. Nonetheless, this perfume moves forward, with a surprisingly nice blend of iris, amber, and vetiver.

There is still some orange blossom and vanilla, but those two notes flank, these main three. That’s about what you get for the rest of the wear.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, Athalia has a fairly moderate sillage. It’s not too powerful, even at the start, but you’ll know that it’s there throughout the wear.

Though, it will stay in that 2-4 foot range from where you sprayed it for a good portion of the wear.

The longevity is really quite good, as well. It seems to sit somewhere in the 8-10 hour range, on my skin.

It’s about what I get with most of the perfumes from this brand. Some will go deeper into double digits, but most get to the level that Althalia is at.

Seasonally, this is a warmer fragrance, so it’s best in cooler climates. Wouldn’t be bad for springtime either, just not a summer wear, at all. A lot of iris fragrances, can get too powdery, and not have that appealing side to them.

However, Athalia actually does deliver as seductive aroma, as promised, and is something that I enjoy smelling thoroughly.

It’s also not just stuck in being a nighttime fragrance. It isn’t anything to out there, that it couldn’t be worn at the office or even more casually. Athalia can check a lot of boxes, as to when it can be applied.

Overall Impressions of Athalia

Overall, do I recommend Athalia? Yes, I think that it is a wonderful fragrance overall. My favorite part is the opening, but it is still nice during the rest of the way, also.

The incense is really well done, how it is paired with the rose, orange, and orange blossom, is fantastic. I’m not even a massive fan of that smoky note, but it’s so approachable and beautiful in this mix.

This is a fragrance, where you’re going to have to enjoy the iris note, because that’s the leader. That’s what you’re going to get a lot of in the dry down period versus it being more in the background in the opening act.

I might be a bit higher on this perfume than some other people, as I do enjoy a good iris scent.

But, there is still other things to enjoy from the orange bitter to the amber or the vetiver. The performance is very solid and it’s a joy to wear in totality.

It’s also just a perfume that can fit in a lot of places and has the potential to be a signature scent. At the $300+ price point, you might still want to test it out for yourself before committing to a full bottle. That can be a costly mistake, if you don’t enjoy the scent itself.

Darley by Parfums De Marly

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Parfums de Marly is a high end brand, that I’ve extensively covered on the site. I’ve for whatever reason, never got around to using my sample of Darley, probably because I have so many other. This one was released by PdM in 2009.

Recently, I began testing Darley, and wanted to post my Darley review here today. What’s it like? What’s inside? How does it perform?

What does Darley by PdM Smell Like?

Notes include: mint, tonka bean, lemon, sandalwood, lavender, rose, cinnamon, amber, patchouli, and more

Click here to try: PARFUMS DE MARLY Darley, 4.2 Fl Oz 

My Full Review

Before we get into my review of Darley, let’s see how Parfums de Marly describes it: Darley, inspired by the refined Arabian stallion, bred for speed, is embodied through this masculine fougere scent, with lavender and rose notes unfolding unto a sensuous oriental base.

The opening of Darley gives me: lemon, lavender, cinnamon, and mint. This immediately brings to mind Le Male by JPG (review). Are they exact clones of one another? No, but it’s hard to miss the overlap between them. 

The sharpness of the lemon is kept in check by the lavender’s influence, which allows for the spices (mostly cinnamon) to give Darley a warm freshness. 

One of the main distinctions between this and Le Male, is the presence of the rose note. It’s not super loud, but it does have a further softening effect on the composition, when brought together with lavender.

As it moves further along, the citrus begins to fade, mint takes over as the dominant spice, and the base notes come through. Amber, sandalwood, and patchouli. 

Darley becomes warmer, with a smooth and sweet creaminess, provided by the sandalwood and tonka bean. The notes on top are mint, lavender, and rose.

That’s what I get for the rest of the time. A trio of lavender/rose/mint, with an amber laden sandlwood, tonka bean, and a dash of patchouli. 

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

This is a fairly soft fragrance, but it actually does project itself well. I kept getting whiffs of this scent, while walking outside, on a mild day. It was really great. It’s not a room-filler, mind you, but it will create a nice airy scent bubble around you. Not a thick cloud.

Actually, kind of does have the same level of strength as my bottle of Le Male.

The longevity is really good. 8-10 hours, on my skin, and not a completely weak performance during that time either. This isn’t meant to be a heavy or bold cologne, but I can say that it is quite good, with how long it lasts.

Is this a versatile scent? Yes, it is. Darley can be worn casually, at work, out at night, or romantically. It’s not a super sexy type of cologne, but on that is indeed very attractive, and will get noticed. 

Seasonally, it will work well almost year round. Not for extreme heat, but in the mild temperatures and cold, it works perfectly. So, I’d call it autumn through springtime. Pick something else up for the summer months.

Overall Impression of Darley

Do I like this scent? Yes, it’s not the best Parfums de Marly fragrance, but it is a very enjoyable one. If you like Le Male, you’ll like this, it’s of better quality and with a different take. 

Not way better, in terms of smell versus the Gaultier fragrance, if at all. Sure, more sophisticated, but Le Male can be a very nice fragrance to wear at times.

I really like the cinnamon in the opening. Also, when the sandalwood, rose, lavender, and mint are working in conjunction…it’s great.

While the sillage isn’t huge, it does hang around the wearer, and will last a full work day. Occasionally, I have gotten it to that 10 hour mark. I just wouldn’t count on that being the norm. 

Very clean and elegant. I’ll definitely be wearing the rest of this sample, over the next little while. Is it worth the full bottle? Maybe. I’d get a sample and test it out for yourself before dropping $300+. Again, there are better Parfums de Marly scents. Personally, I went with Oajan before this, and would go with others ahead of it as well.

Galloway by Parfums De Marly

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Still making my way through the lineup of Parfums de Marly scents that I received recently. Check out the fragrance review page for all of those posts and well as hundreds of other colognes. Anyway, today’s entry is entitled, Galloway.

How does this fragrance stack up? What does it smell like? How do the notes of iris, hesperides, musk, and pepper interact with one another? Continue below for my full take.

What does Galloway by PdM Smell Like?

Notes include: hesperides, orange blossom, musk, amber, pepper, and iris

Click here to try: Parfums de Marly Galloway Men’s Edp Spray, 4.2 Ounce

My Full Galloway Review

The opening of Galloway struck me as a unique yet somewhat familiar experience. It took me a while to figure out which cologne I was being reminded of and finally came to the conclusion that it was Set Sail Martinique.

Why the reminder? The musk, citrus, and floral combinations in both fragrances. Though, Martinique has a muskier and saltier aroma, than this one does.

Now, I am not getting a direct comparison between the two. Martinique is heavier on the musk, feels watered down, and without spice. It is like a dulled down and cheaper version of Galloway in some regards.

In Galloway, I get that grapefruit aroma of the hesperides blended with that great orange blossom note, that I have been liking a lot lately. The musk is there but is well balanced by the pepper note which gives this Parfums de Marly scent a nice sharp kick.

As it dries down, Galloway reveals much more of the iris and warmth of the amber. It feels less spicy to my nose at this point, but still retains the musk.

At the end, it is quite fresh floral notes with just a dash of citrus lingering around, added to a peppery musk. You get some hints of powder, due to the iris, but it isn’t ever a main feature for this fragrance.

It’s fairly unique, for a men’s fragrance, but still retains plenty of elements that I have come across before. Pretty nice, though.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, I’d say the sillage is pretty strong here. It didn’t overpower in my opinion, but I knew that it was there. One could over spray, but I found that two or three sprays was sufficient for great performance.

It also will give you a full day’s worth of wear. This isn’t a citrus scent that just quits a few hours in, which I think is a credit to the other notes because the grapefruit note as an individual component does weaken with time.

Coming  back to wearing Galloway again, and it seems to have no issue hitting the double digit hour count. Parfums de Marly, while not always fantastic with the scents, never does disappoint me with the performance.

Galloway works well in the warm weather, but honestly you could wear it pretty much year round and it wouldn’t be weird. It is also quite versatile. Safe enough to wear to work and appealing enough to be worn on a date or out on the town.

It is a classy and refined kind of sexiness, like a tailored suit. I like it more as a daytime fragrance for spring or summer. Personally, that’s where I’d stick with it, but it can venture beyond that if you so choose.

Overall Impressions of Galloway

Overall, do I recommend Galloway? I like it quite a lot. It’s not my favorite from Parfums de Marly but I was really surprised how much I ended up enjoying wearing this cologne.

I’m not sure how most people would react to this scent, but it’s extremely fresh, spicy, and gives really nice performance. Will many guys like the floral and musk aspect of this scent?

Hmm, I should say they would, given a fair shot. I don’t ever think this would become a best seller, but it is a good perfume. I think the price, prohibits any real discovery by the bulk of the population.