Layton Exclusif by Parfums de Marly

I’ve been into this perfume hobby for six months; I’ve already tried almost all the popular designer ones, so I decided to step up and bought a decant of Parfums de Marly. To be honest: it smells like fine-stable Vicks VapoRub, but in the end, a very marked animalic note prevents me from enjoying it. No one would compliment this scent.

Paying $350 for this fragrance is a challenge in my country. It’s delicious, has brutal projection, and I’ll have it in my hands one day.

WARNING! Don’t buy it if you’ve tried an old batch. What a reformulation; in my opinion, they’ve ruined it. It doesn’t last less, but it feels like an inspiration from any designer brand. The scent lost its depth (that delicious dark vanilla that was there before is gone and not expected) and overall it feels lower quality. Is it a bad smell? Not at all, by itself it’s a good perfume… but with the price and compared to the original formula, for me now it’s almost trash. I couldn’t understand how a niche brand does this with a flagship product, or how a designer brand that sees perfumery as part of its business does it. Reading online, I found out that Parfums de Marly was bought along with Initio Parfums Privés in mid-2023 by Advent International. What is it? An American private equity firm that buys companies, squeezes them for profit, and then sells them. For my part, I won’t buy or try anything from Parfums de Marly (nor Initio) again. For me, they no longer exist; let those leeches go.

The opening puts me off a bit; the only moment I feel any oud (I doubt it’s real) lasts 3 seconds, then it settles into a Layton with quite a bit of patchouli and more woodiness. I do see it as more mature than Layton, but I’m 23 years old, and it’s perfect for very cold nights. Duration and projection are good.

Elegant, fresh, suitable for any occasion; an exquisite fragrance. I don’t see any resemblance to Layton, which is also incredible. One of my favorite Parfums de Marly scents.

It’s basically an upgraded Layton. It opens with a citrus bomb that quickly yields to a smoky mix of oud and woods, but stays very pleasant thanks to the prominent talc-floral note. As it dries, it becomes sweeter, and I detect a super creamy vanilla leather. Nothing dirty or animalistic as some suggest; it’s perfectly balanced. It’s super masculine, elegant, and formal, best for those over 25. The original is more youthful and versatile for daytime. On my skin and my partner’s, it performs amazingly. Per-fu-ma-zo.

Smells very mature, nothing youthful. The first spray reveals its power and personality, ideal for night outs or serious situations like the office. It doesn’t quite grab me because that ‘interesting maturity’ isn’t my style; it’s for those over 35.

A true masterpiece; I didn’t expect such a dark aroma from Parfums de Marly. It starts fresh, but watch out for the twist: a few minutes later, it turns dark, slightly smoky, and resinous, very much in the Arab style. It reminded me of Elixir and Absolu de Boss, a real gem.

I have to tell the story that won my soul: I sprayed it before bed, and 8 hours later, while still groggy, a divine aroma reached me. It was the Exclusif. My subconscious thought it was edible, and I tried to bite it until I snapped out of it. First confused trying to identify it, then I remembered the spray. A beautiful, long-lasting, masculine, and powerful scent. Buy it.

Layton Exclusif by Parfums de Marly. OMG, I loved it the moment I tried it and bought it instantly. I feel a half-sweet, half-citrus almond from the mandarin and bergamot, which then transforms into something super earthy, dark, and animalistic due to the oud, coffee, and civet. Just as described, it smells like THE BOSS, but not boring; it smells like a rich boss who is kind and fun (only with those who interest him), but firm, mysterious, and very dirty in bed. For me, it’s the perfume of Christian Grey. Compared to Layton, this is harder to like. Layton is the kitten everyone wants to pet, but Exclusif is the lion no one can tame and everyone wants to be. Just don’t like it if you don’t have the nose or the wallet to match. Success.

Another earthy-woody-incense scent that doesn’t speak to me. The animalic or almond notes I was expecting aren’t there. Layton Exclusif is super invasive at first, mega masculine; maybe they toned down the intensity for women, but it feels so heavy and classic that it bores me. It smells like a mature businessman all day long, with no imagination. It disappointed me.

I love woody scents. I own four Swiss flankers of Shaghaf Oud and I’m keeping the rest. I love oud with a capital O—even when it’s in the name but missing from the scent, or vice versa. So, I really like this strange Layton. If you overspray Layton with Reminiscence Oud, you’d get something like this. A solid choice. If you don’t like earthy notes, you won’t like this. Basically, they aimed for something darker and more masculine, and they nailed it. Great opening. More nutty, less fruity than the original Layton, but as it dries down, it becomes a very masculine blend of oud, gaia, and sandalwood. If you don’t overdo it, it’s fine for the office. It dries a bit dry and powdery, like sawdust in a workshop, but I’ve always loved my dad’s and uncle’s workshops for that smell. Some who don’t know oud, guaiac, or sandalwood might just smell cedar. Definitely winter wear. It might lean a bit too much into ‘woodsy’ for dates, depending on who you’re seeing. Great projection and longevity. No matter the setting or purpose, I think this is one you can wear for your own pleasure without giving a damn whether anyone else likes it or not.

I just tried this at a perfumerie. It’s like regular Layton, just darker with a strong wood note. It smells INCREDIBLE. I fell in love completely. I felt compelled to buy it. Edit: Said and done, I bought it a while later. I still love it, even though most people who smelled it on me agree it smells like ‘grandpa’ or ‘old man.’ It’s not a perfume to please the masses, but it’s not off-putting either, so it’s not out of place to wear. Lasts about 10 hours, and you can smell it the whole time. I’m super happy with the purchase! Highly recommended and a gem in my collection.

Wearing this makes you smell like a BOSS!… It’s not a common scent, but it’s still wearable. Great longevity and projection. The only downside, in my opinion, is that it’s strictly for winter and fall, obviously paired with a matching outfit—nothing casual or informal.

Smells great, but I expected something more original… I guess I had my expectations too high.