In the world of men's fragrances, Parfums de Marly is a relatively new kid on the block but they've already built up a reputation as an exquisite, niche fragrance house.
Founded in 2009, their fragrances are inspired by the “golden age of perfumery” – the 18th Century French era. Think luxury, splendor, decadence, and fragrance recipes inspired by the court of King Louis XV.
The result? Unique, bold fragrances that leverage exotic fruits, florals, spices, and woods to make you smell and feel like royalty.
And with over 30 colognes available, you'll want to know which is right for you.
Good news – we've put each and every one through its paces. In this article, we're giving you our top 15 Parfums de Marly fragrances.
In this article, you'll find:
- What does Parfums de Marly mean?
- 15. Kalan
- 14. Byerly
- 13. Percival
- 12. Akaster
- 11. Sedley
- 10. Godophin
- 9. Pegasus
- 8. Greenley
- 7. Galloway
- 6. Pegasus Exclusif
- 5. Layton
- 4. Herod
- 3. Habdan
- 2. Layton Exclusif
- 1. Carlisle
What Does Parfums de Marly Mean?
Parfums de Marly is named after “Château de Marly,” a French royal residence that once stood near Versailles.
During this period, King Louis XV's love for fine fragrances flowered into a “golden age” for men's perfume.
Louis XV enjoyed not only fine perfume, but he also had a love for horses. So much so that he commissioned fragrances named after some of his most prized steeds.
Depicted on each bottle of de Marly are two horses – a nod to King Louis XV's passion for all things equine. Between the rearing horses, “1742” is emblazoned on a shield – the year Louis commissioned his ‘Marly Horses' fragrances.
Fast forward 200 years and Julian Sprecher, a lover of history and fragrances, created Parfum de Marly after working in his family business distributing fragrances across the Middle East and Asia.
Now, without further ado – let's count down from 15!
#15 Parfums De Marly – Kalan
Kalan is a unique, exciting, and – dare we say it – polarizing fragrance. The strong opening of blood orange and pepper isn't for everyone.
Kalan is warm and spicy, with an earthy and woody dry down. It performs incredibly well, lasts a long time and is perfect for fall and winter.
- Top Notes: Spices, Blood Orange, Black Pepper and Spices
- Heart Notes: Lavender and Orange Blossom
- Base Notes: Woody Notes, Moss, Tonka Bean, White Sandalwood and Amber
- Sillage: Strong
- Longevity: Long-lasting
- Best time to wear: Fall and winter. The perfect scent for the festive season
This article is sponsored by Parfums de Marly but don't let that fool you into thinking we're biased because out of the 15 fragrances in today's list, we'd bought 10 with our own money, long before writing this article!
But let's face it – you can read about fragrances all you want but there comes a time you need to try them.
#14 Parfums De Marly – Byerley
Byerley was created in honor of ‘Byerley Turk' – one of three stallions that were the founders of the modern Thoroughbred horse racing bloodstock. This masculine, woody, earthy fragrance is deceptively simple and reminds us of freshly sawn wood.
The vetiver component of Byerly really shines as it rounds off the woody notes of this masterpiece.
- Top Notes: Cardamom and Bergamot
- Heart Notes: Cedar and Guaiac Wood
- Base Notes: Vetiver and Resin
- Sillage: Moderate
- Longevity: Long-lasting
- Best time to wear: A day scent, to wear during spring and fall
#13 Parfums De Marly – Percival
Percival is a fresh, versatile fragrance with a surprising woody base. It's a clean, modern fragrance that is reminiscent of the ocean. We'd describe this as likable, familiar and versatile. A couple of sprays of Percival and you're going to get compliments.
- Top Notes: Lavender, Mandarin Orange, Bergamot and Geranium
- Heart Notes: Hedione, Coriander, Jasmine, Violet and Cinnamon
- Base Notes: Ambroxan, Balsam Fir, Amberwood, Clearwood and Musk
- Sillage: Moderate
- Longevity: Long-lasting
- Best time to wear: A fresh scent to wear during a warm day of spring or summer
#12 Parfums De Marly – Akaster
Akaster is a decadent fragrance with strong projection. With a rich oud base note, this is a powerful scent. There's a reason that oud is known by many as “liquid gold.” Due to its unmatched aromatic profile, oud is one of the most coveted perfume ingredients in the world.
- Top Notes: Cypress and Lemon
- Heart Notes: Bulgarian Rose and African Geranium
- Base Notes: Agarwood (Oud), Cardamom, and Musk
- Sillage: Strong
- Longevity: Long-lasting
- Best time to wear: Perfect for wearing in the fall
#11 Parfums De Marly – Sedley
Described by Parfum de Marly as “light, forceful and fresh“, Sedley is a woody fragrance that begins with a bang of mint and sweet citrus. This is a mature, yet fresh scent that you can wear all summer long.
- Top Notes: Mint, Lemon, Bergamot, Grapefruit, and Mandarin Orange
- Heart Notes: Lavender, Rosemary, Olibanum, and Geranium
- Base Notes: Ambroxan, Vetiver, Cashmeran, Sandalowood, Cedar, and Patchouli
- Sillage: Moderate
- Longevity: Moderate
- Best time to wear: During spring and summer, for a day by the sea
#10 Parfums De Marly – Godolphin
The name “Godolphin” comes from Louis XV's famed Godolphin Arabian, a horse that was the leading sire in Ireland and in Great Britain in the mid-18th century. This refined scent has impressive sillage and incorporates leather and fruity notes.
- Top Notes: Fruity Notes, Saffron, Mate, Thyme, Cypress, and Green Notes
- Heart Notes: Rose, Orris, and Jasmine
- Base Notes: Leather, Amber, Vetiver, Musk, Virginia Cedar, and Vanilla
- Sillage: Strong
- Longevity: Eternal
- Best time to wear: Day and night, fall and winter
#9 Parfums De Marly – Pegasus
Beginning with strong heliotrope, which blends with almond, sandalwood, and vanilla, Pegasus is a scent you won't forget. This amber fougère fragrance is one that you have to try for yourself.
- Top Notes: Heliotrope, Cumin, and Bergamot
- Heart Notes: Bitter Almond, Lavender, and Jasmine
- Base Notes: Vanilla, Sandalwood, and Amber
- Sillage: Strong
- Longevity: Eternal
- Best time to wear: Spring, fall and winter, day and night
#8 Parfums De Marly – Greenley
Greenley is a citrus aromatic fragrance. As the name (and the bottle) suggest, this is a very green scent, starting with green apple and with oak and amber wood coming through as it begins to dry down. Greenley is a fantastic spring and summer fragrance.
- Top Notes: Green Apple, Calabrian Bergamot. and Mandarin Orange
- Heart Notes: Cashmeran, Petitgrain, Pomarose, Cedar. and Violet
- Base Notes: Oakmoss, Musk, and Amberwood
- Sillage: Moderate
- Longevity: Long-lasting
- Best time to wear: During spring and summer; for a walk into the woods
#7 Parfums De Marly – Galloway
With bright citrus and fiery pepper, Galloway is a wonderful summertime fragrance. The small and hardy Galloway pony is a fitting namesake for this easy-to-wear scent.
- Top Notes: Citruses and Pepper
- Heart Notes: Orange Blossom and Iris
- Base Notes: Musk and Amber
- Sillage: Strong
- Longevity: Long-lasting
- Best time to wear: A bright spring or summer day
#6 Parfums De Marly – Pegasus Exclusif
Pegasus Exclusif has a sweet, woody scent. It's rich, luxurious and has a somewhat darker, more mysterious profile than the original Pegasus formula.
- Top Notes: Cardamom, Heliotrope, Pink Pepper, and Bergamot
- Heart Notes: Bitter Almond, Lavender, Jasmine, and Geranium
- Base Notes: Vanilla, Guaiac Wood, Agarwood (Oud), Sandalwood, and Amber
- Sillage: Strong
- Longevity: Long-lasting
- Best time to wear: During the colder months, or when going out on an adventure
#5 Parfums De Marly – Layton
Layton has incredible depth. It is one of those scents that after you've experienced it once, you'll from then on recognize it immediately. It begins sweet and then the rich yet complex base notes take over. This is a great year-round fragrance but especially great during the colder months.
- Top Notes: Apple, Lavender, Mandarin Orange, and Bergamot
- Heart Notes: Geranium, Violet and Jasmine
- Base Notes: Vanilla, Cardamom, Sandalwood, Pepper, Patchouli, and Guaiac Wood
- Sillage: Strong
- Longevity: Long-lasting
- Best time to wear: All day long, from morning to evening, especially during the colder months
#4 Parfums De Marly – Herod
Herod is a refined, elegant scent best suited for colder months. It has a smoky, vanilla scent and the tobacco heart note is the star of this fragrance. Looking for a fragrance to wear on a fall date? Wear Herod.
- Top Notes: Cinnamon and Pepper
- Heart Notes: Tobacco Leaf, Incense, Osmanthus, and Labdanum
- Base Notes: Vanilla, Iso E Super, Musk, Cedar, Cypriol Oil or Nagarmotha, and Vetiver
- Sillage: Moderate
- Longevity: Long-lasting
- Best time to wear: Fall and winter
#3 Parfums De Marly – Habdan
We love Habdan’s distinguished, smoky aroma – an aroma evocative of incense. As this fragrance deftly walks the line between sweet and spicy, it draws people in to get another whiff. Habdan is one of those fragrances you just can't stop smelling!
- Top Notes: Saffron and Olibanum
- Heart Notes: Apple, Woody Notes, and Rose
- Base Notes: Myrrh, Caramel, and Ambergris
- Sillage: Moderate
- Longevity: Long-lasting
- Best time to wear: Cold nights, during fall and winter
#2 Parfums De Marly – Layton Exclusif
With deep woody base notes, Layton Exclusif has a darker scent than the original Layton. This striking fragrance is both sophisticated and animalistic. If you're looking for a dark, mysterious scent, Layton Exclusif is for you.
- Top Notes: Almond, Mandarin Orange, Bergamot, and Watery Notes
- Heart Notes: Civet, Geranium, Rose, Gardenia, and Water Lily
- Base Notes: Laotian Oud, Guaiac Wood, Vanilla, Coffee, Sandalwood, Indonesian Patchouli Leaf, Oakmoss, Amber, and Pink Pepper
- Sillage: Strong
- Longevity: Long-lasting
- Best time to wear: Fall and winter and for an elegant evening.
#1 Parfums De Marly – Carlisle
If you're looking for a signature scent – this is it! Carlisle was born to be king and has consistently been in our Top 3 fragrances. It's a masterpiece.
Formulated in 2015 and described as a “wave of freshness,” Carlisle is a rich, seductive and intoxicating fragrance that will get you compliments. Think of it as masculine and elegant, but floral and fruity.
This powerful, long-lasting fragrance starts sweet, then turns spicy before settling into a rich, vanilla-centered aroma.
- Top notes: Nutmeg and Green Apple
- Heart notes: Rose and Tonka Bean
- Base notes: Patchouli and Vanilla
- Sillage: Enormous
- Longevity: Eternal
- Best time to wear: Spring, fall and winter and for a special evening
Click below to watch the video – Ranking My Parfums De Marly Collection (14 Bottles) WORST To BEST!
