Layton Exclusif by Parfums de Marly

Layton is my favorite, so I had high expectations for the Exclusif. It’s not the most intense version of the original; it’s a different construction. The original is more versatile, friendly, and bright; this one is rich, dense, structured, and creamy from the start. It’s less automatic but has much more identity. It smells distinct and expensive, and it’s worth it. The citrus top note fades quickly: mandarin, bergamot, and a very pleasant creamy almond. There’s no prominent apple here like in the original; it’s less youthful. As it dries down, an elegant touch of oud appears—not dominant or heavy, just to add texture and depth to the vanilla, removing its easy sweetness and adding shadow. The florals are clean and comforting without being obvious. Dry down is vanilla, woody, warm, and creamy. I detect sandalwood and patchouli. It’s a deep sweetness, almost vanilla with amber and wood, warm on the skin without being cloying. It smells more adult to me than the original, which I find youthful. I thought the oud and agarwood would make it hard to wear since I’m not a fan of those notes, but this is different: it’s not aggressive, it’s elegant with depth. I expected something more intense, but it’s more sophisticated. Honestly, I like it more than the original, which is hard to say when Layton is my favorite. Ideal for temperate or cold climates, elegant dinners, outings where you want to make an impression, or dates. I already have the hype; when I save up, it’s going straight into my collection. Rating: 9/10

Layton Exclusif is a more intense, opulent, and sophisticated version of the classic Layton. It moves away from the accessible sweetness of the original to offer something more mysterious, dark, and deep, ideal for those seeking exclusivity and character. The notes are as listed in the top section, some more noticeable than others. – Duration: Easily 10-11 hours on my skin (I have high pH). – Projection: High at first, then turns into an enveloping bubble. – Sillage: Notable and elegant, ideal for special occasions. Is it worth it over the original? It depends on your preferences. If you prefer something accessible and versatile, the original is better. But if you’re looking for something dark, exclusive, and with presence, the Exclusif is a gem. In my opinion, they are very similar in the opening, but totally different in the dry down. I prefer the Exclusif a thousand times; it has great presence and a luxurious aura. If you enjoy perfumes with oud, amber, and a spiced woody base, but with a gourmand and sensual touch, it’s an excellent option. Fine note: 8.8/10

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.

I think it’s impossible to review this perfume without mentioning the original Layton. In my case, I never could get past Layton; that menthol accord (or at least what I sense) makes it smell like Vicks VapoRub all the time—actually, once someone commented, ‘it smells like menthol.’ I wanted to try Layton Exclusif hoping to find something different, and wow, there are noticeable changes. The opening feels like Layton, but as it dries down, I don’t feel that heavy menthol accord anymore. It’s a more mysterious, darker, and even more mature perfume. I see Layton for people between 15 and 30, while Exclusif is for those over 30 with a ‘business casual’ vibe. I liked it. I’ll wait until my Layton runs out (I sell decants in Chile), and then I’ll pick up a bottle of this Exclusif.

Tested on skin, it smells exactly like Amouage’s Interlude. The sandalwood and oud blend ends in an overly invasive incense. It lasts like a beast and has great class, but its versatility is zero: only winter-night or weddings. Sorry to the fans, it doesn’t give me compliments or personal enjoyment. For construction and quality, it’s a gem for a collection, but don’t buy it blindly. The scent is overwhelming, incense, palo santo, and strong wood. The personality is an alpha male who takes everything and doesn’t care about anyone’s opinion. If you think you have that personality, ask your close friends; otherwise, you’ll be a Winnie the Pooh wearing a Batman suit.

This is a beast, ideal if you already have Layton: next to it, there’s no difference; it’s 90% the same but with less brightness. At first, it smells smokier and resinous, but after two hours, it surpasses the original in projection, though not by much—just more noticeable. Strong notes of vanilla, patchouli, mandarin, and sandalwood, with that smoky touch; the rest blends so well that everything sounds luxurious. If you have one or the other, it’s almost the same, and those who don’t know them won’t notice. Top-tier performance, very elegant. Scent 10/10, Longevity 9/10, Projection 9/10, Sillage 9.5/10. Highly recommended.

It’s like an endless letter to the Corinthians written in ingredients: earthy, woody, and incense-heavy. It doesn’t speak to me. The long-awaited animal or almond notes are nowhere to be found, at least not in my experience. Layton Exclusif feels super invasive at first—mega masculine right out of the bottle. Maybe they toned down the intensity to make it wearable for women, but it still feels so heavy and classic that it bores and overwhelms me. It screams ‘suited business man in his 50s with zero imagination.’ A real letdown for me.

Few current perfumes compare to this beast. In terms of scent, it opens with a critical top note before revealing the vanilla and oud that give it good depth. Always test before buying; it’s a particular scent and some might not like it. In my collection, it’s the best in terms of quality (PDM already has high quality). What’s the downside? The price. The fact that it smells so good is partly negated by its cost. I recommend buying it only to those who have been in this world for a while.

I tried it at a department store, and it’s like regular Layton but darker and much woodier. It smells incredible and I fell in love; I forced myself to buy it. Edit: I already own it and still love it, though many people say it smells like an old man. It’s not for everyone, but it’s not out of place. It lasts about 10 hours and I’m super happy. It’s the jewel of my collection and I highly recommend it.

I loved this fragrance. It produces great pleasure; its notes are sensual, woody, sweet, smoky, and most incredibly, quite wearable—it doesn’t feel heavy. I imagine this is the scent I’ll use when I make a big purchase. On the other hand, as a collector, this fragrance was a 3-in-1 in categories where I have few representatives: oud, animalic, and gourmand… all in one.

I started this hobby six months ago, tried almost all popular designer brands, and decided to step up my game, so I bought a decant of this Parfums de Marly. To be honest: it smells like fine barn Vicks VapoRub. In the end, it leaves a very marked animalic note on the skin that prevents me from enjoying it. No one would compliment this scent.

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.

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.

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.

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.