Royal Equestrian

This is... uncomfortable. I have a review below, but I need to update it: I love Layton, I do. I even have a backup bottle, I like it that much. When I first got RE, I wasn't satisfied with it, it smelled to synthetic to really enjoy it. I regretted spending money in a copy instead of the original. Later I bought a backup bottle of Layton when I had the chance due to reformulations panic. Now to RE: I had this little guy inside a box macerating, forgotten for 3 years and today I tried it again. It blew my brains. In the opening, this one feels more fresh and a little bit more synthetic, but it lasts less than 20 minutes. Next, the only difference I can tell is that Layton is a little bit more floral, however this is really good as well. If I fanned the tester strip in front of my nose (outdoors), both smelled not only similar but pretty much the same! After 2 hours, there was no difference, I had to really try to get any and... It didn't justify the price difference. Next I tried them one on each arm. RE is sweeter, that may or not be your cup of tea, but after an hour, that's the only difference I can tell, one sweeter than the other, however it's not cloying or annoying, it's... good. That sweetness lives all the 8 hours that it lasts. It lasts just a little bit less than Layton but... who cares? I am writing this in the hopes that if you have a RE bottle and are not satisfied with it, send it to dagestan... I mean your closet for a year and forget about it. Let it go into secluded training and it will come back much better, let it macerate for 3 years and you pretty much have Layton's drydown which is I would say the longest lasting and most memorable part. Did I mention that it's a fraction of the price? Absolutely amazing. My rating: 9/10. I would still prefer Layton over this as it's more balanced and complete in the opening, but after an hour or two, I would need to try to delude myself to justify buying Layton again. And... If I consider that I have the backup bottle and 50 ml of RE. I doubt I will buy Layton ever again. This fragrance biggest strength or weakness is that it can get crazily close to Layton but, big but, it needs time. Mine needed 3 years.

Knowing the popularity of Layton, I bought this. I really enjoyed this scent, so I recently bought a 2nd one. I just got a sample of Layton, I tried it out having found mixed outcomes with clones. Layton is smooth, projects slightly less than RE, but in the final dry down RE comes out on top in my opinion. I get a powdery Amber and Vanilla, along with some spices. Now, price wise, if you only own a couple of fragrances than perhaps the real deal is the right way to go. If you find that you have MANY fragrances and want the Layton vibe along with a truly great scent on its own than RE is for you. It performs well, lasts a very long time, and Is not as “oily” as some of these fragrances can be. Price here is a bit of an issue, because per volume it is not a huge savings, you have smaller size options, and possibly require less sprays due to the performance, but if your heart is set on the real item and you know what your getting than spend the money there, it is just a slightly more expensive commitment at the end of the day. About clones...I believe they have a place in the fragrance community. We all can’t afford every item released, and so many fragrances borrow from other DNA that you will often get that “familiar” feeling clone house or not. They also offer up versions of scents no longer in circulation, and even release some original articles. I say it is viable while it exists in this very competitive market.

I use this to save a little bit of the OG juice when I’m at home but won’t be getting another bottle. Things you need to know: This is not Layton. Every fragrance tells you a story, transports you to different places at its different stages. Layton is an amazing feat, I don’t have a trained nose and don’t love challenging fragrances, however, I can tell it’s high quality, it is beautiful from its opening and changes so smoothly. RE is... alike but different. Yeah you can get an inspiration and say: it’s like layton, but... you won’t get the same performance, projection or the same beauty as with the OG. If you buy fragrances to pretend, yeah... this will give the mirage of Layton and you may be able to fool people. However... at what cost? You’ll need to overspray, reapply and at the end of the day you’ll end up spending almost the same as if you had bought the 125 ml bottle. Have I said you won’t be getting that initial kick on the opening? Don’t misunderstand, this is good but won’t get you layton for less nor the creamy spicy vanilla on the dry down. You’ll get something similar but less quality and you’ll notice it. As a layton clone: 8/10 As a fragrance itself: 7/10 You’ll do whatever you want with your gold but my advice is: sample Layton and if you like it, save your money and get the real thing. I’ll let it macerate for longer and update if needed.

There’s a refreshing citrus apple opening followed by a warm, sweet and spicy dry down, with good longevity. Royal Equestrian does nothing groundbreaking nor employ any unusual perfume notes, yet the end result is an exquisite fragrance; opulent, sophisticated and oozing sensual allure. I have never sampled Layton, so am unable to make a comparison, but I do think Royal Equestrian manages to smell expensive & very high end! Perhaps this is testament to the blending skills of Haney Hafez, the nose behind Alexandria Fragrances, or down to the use of high quality perfume notes. Or maybe this is a very good clone of a very good fragrance! Either way, I love Royal Equestrian, which is sadly no longer available on the UK website of Alexandria Fragrances. Update: After trying out a few small samples from EBay, I have grown to absolutely adore this fragrance. Was very happy to discover it for sale on the US website of Alexandria Fragrances. Update: I can now confirm it is a 99% accurate copy of PDM Layton and IMHO AF’s finest offering.

Wow!!! So I called myself playing it safe by only purchasing a travel size bottle just to see how close it is to Layton without grabbing a full bottle and being underwhelmed...And to my surprise this stuff actually smells better than Layton! Sheesh!! Tbh sometimes I have this thing about clones(inspired scents) that I can’t take them seriously, bcuz they lack originality, but when it comes to this scent right here forget all of that lol. RE is a hit!! It’s super close to Layton of course, but to my nose it’s a bit more smoother and pleasant than the original. I feel crazy for saying this but yes I actually prefer this over Layton, and I mean come on the price point adds even more to its appeal. Lasts a bit longer on my skin and projection is slightly better. Right after the holiday season I’m definitely gonna grab a full bottle of this juice. I’ve found my new signature scent folks. Well done Alexandria.

This fragrance is honestly just as good as Layton. There is one caveat, and this is that Layton is a bit richer and a bit deeper. Not enough for anyone to notice unless they are really trying. As far as sillage, longevity go, RE is actually better. I am beside myself with this one honestly. When I first sprayed Layton on my body last year, I fell in love. I thought to myself that this is what pure magic smells like. This is what love must actually smell like. I was, and still am in love with PDM Layton, and I will always have this in my collection as I have formed precious memories with it. When I saw that RE was a Layton clone, I thought, "how dare something claim to be as good as my precious Layton". So I decided to evaluate it myself. I am blown away, and I am being honest here, Royal Equestrian is as good as Layton...if not better due to the price point, sillage and longevity.

Damn this is pretty close to Layton! Easily 90-95% similar. I love them both and believe it or not...when I wear them both side by side after about 10-15 min it’s very hard to tell the difference! The opening on RE is basically the drydown of Layton! RE on me is mostly linear the whole time. Projection and longevity on me anyway is 6-8 easy. I could still smell it the next morning. It actually lasted a little longer than Layton on me but not by much! Both amazing fragrances! I am a niche head...quality over quantity for me so I was skeptical about RE as it is a clone of Layton, but I gotta say it’s a damn good one! Def worth the purchase! My top 5 in my collection right now! Xerjoff-1861 Naxos Xerjoff-1861 Renaissance PDM-Herod FM-Portrait of a Lady Diptyque-Oud Palao Edit: 3/18/18 I’ve actually had a few compliments since purchasing RE! Great everyday fragrance if you choose!

It's not often that I actually prefer a clone, but it's happened here. I prefer the smell of Royal Equestrian to Layton. Layton is deeper, more complex, spicier, and smells more niche. Even so, I prefer the scent of RE. The apple is sharper and the vanilla smoother. I'm not a fan of the cardamom note in Layton, and it's not present here. The apple in Layton is sweeter and more realistic, but I prefer the sourer synthetic apple in RE by a long way. Performance of this is really good, and every time I wear it it seems to garner compliments. It's more of a crowd-pleaser than Layton. Have sampled over 200 frags, mostly niche, and Royal Equestrian is in my top 3.

apple, vanilla, woods,spices, and mass appeal....sounds like layton or simply put that Royal Eq is an amazing frag. This frag is not a budget alternative scent. this is equally as amazin as layton.budget or no budget, im glad that i added royal eq to my roster. this scent seems to work year round but go very lightly on the sprays in the warm months. i dont feel this scent is business appropiate but for a date,clubbin,and every other situation.....U GO BOY!!!!!!

Got 2mL of Alexandria's first batch for $45; best purchase I've made in a while. Here's my comparison to Layton. The opening of RE is detectably more synthetic, but the silage is practically screaming and stays at that 'volume' hours after Layton settles down. As for scent character after the first hour, it's identical as far as I can tell. Cheaper, better longevity and projection, and nearly identical smell after the first hour. Great stuff.

Opens with apple and a sharp spicy pepper note with sweet vanilla and woody accords in the background. On dry down, the fruity and spicy notes smooth out and the vanilla and cardamom comes though more. The florals are very light and deep in the background. I love the way this smells and performs. Longevity is good and projection is decent. Bottle worthy for sure.

Compared this side by side with Layton and was pleasantly shocked with how nearly IDENTICAL RE is to Layton. RE actually projects slightly better and is slightly brighter. Extremely well done. Just getting into Alexandria recently, purchasing 14 samples and 3 full bottles... it’s been a great experience so far from both fragrance quality and service perspectives.

I finally got my nose on this thanks to a friend that got a sample pack. this is better than Layton, and I've smelled that too. This has a much better open and it projects better. I split a 60 mL with my buddy. This will be one of my spring summer scents. There is no apple here but the way the notes play it makes you think there is apple.

Hands down, one of Alexandria Fragrances best! Vanilla, spicey, fresh, musky, aromatic and sure to please any crowd you're in. Own the crowd and night with this juice. Smells exactly like Laytons, last just as long, cost 1/5th of the price. 10/10

Alexandria always nails the PdM Fragrances they go after. This is an almost exact dupe of Layton, which I love. This is a great fragrance for the office as it isn’t overpowering or too spicy, just a nice bit of citrus, lavender, and apple notes.

A fresh and sweet version of Layton (imo better), I got it in a sample pack just to try it out and ended up buying a big bottle, smells so damn good. Definitely a sexy fragrance, easily made it in my top 5, and saved me $200+ dollars

More dense than layton, has all the best parts of layton I actually like it more than layton sometimes. Its more of an inspiration rather than a dupe it seems. its like 80% similar to my nose. My new signature scent 9/10

I bought this blind as I'm pretty new to the niche scene. All I can say is "Wow!" If this is close to what Layton smells like, Layton must smell incredible x2 because this just smells so incredibly fucking good!

The only difference I get is a slightly sour apple opening for Layton vs. a sweetly smooth apple opening with Royal Equestrian. Hany is damn near spot on with this clone. One of my favorites from the house.

Absolutely perfect balance of sweet, spicy, fresh. I prefer this over Layton and for the price can’t beat it.

This made me smile from the first spray. This smells exactly like Layton if not better. 10/10.

Mid is very reminiscent of JPG Ultra male but will dry down to a manly vanillic cedar woods

So how close is this to Layton. That's what you really want to know right? Well, it depends on what batch of Layton you are comparing it to. Compared to current batches I would say it is very close, 95%. If you find a 2018-2019 batch of Layton it seems to have a more pronounced menthol/vicks vaporub note. This could make the opening pretty harsh but it would linger into the drydown and help pull it more masculine. Current batches tone down this down and you get a slightly menthol or clove vibe in the opening. Vanilla dominates throughout and this feels much more unisex. The Vanilla is somewhat dry and mixes with the fresh apple but this is a very sweet fragrance and now leans feminine IMO. Royal Equestrian nails the drydown and mimics the current version almost 100%. It is only in the opening that they menthol/clove note is toned down and off the skin smells different. If you have an older batch of Layton then this will fall short. It doesn't have the creamy vanilla nor the smooth menthol nor the vibrant cardamom or nutmeg or whatever spices they used. RE has good performance and 3 sprays will project well for 3 hours arms leave a arm's length cloud for another3-4 before becoming more of a skin scent for the remainder of the day.

PDM Layton is in my top 5 favorite fragrances. This is a very good interpretation of it, but... This opens with spicey apple. The lavender is peek8ng through as well which becomes more pronounced on dry down. Ultimately, the luxurious vanilla note associated with the OG rounds it out for duration of its life. Extremely pleasant and sexy DNA overall. Longevity and projection are fantastic. One of the best for AF. Versatility is huge...could wear it year round (a few less sprays on cooler summer days) and almost all occasions. In the air from a distance, one would be hard pressed to tell the difference. Up close, or more experience noses, the OG is richer and deeper. Here’s the but...I can pick up PDM Layton in Facebook groups for $150/160 for 125ml=$1.2ml. Buying two 55ml bottles from AF (when 25% off) $100 after shipping=.90ml. Personally, I’m willing to pay the extra cost for the real thing and extra mls. But, if you just want a quick 30ML because you won’t wear it that much...it’s a win here.

Just got this in the mail today. I never smelled Layton , I have nothing to hold this to--EXCEPT for other Alexandria fragrances. This smells very familiar to some others from Hafez & Co. Especially Apple Crumb and anything "honey tobacco / spice". If this fragrance came out 20 years ago- we would ALL be bowing down and serving it. Now, it's just a place-holder in your collection so you don't have to shell out the $$$$ for Layton. If you are one of the folks missing an "apple / spice / tobacco" fragrance in your collection: This would be a good "dumb grab", a crowd-pleaser and a compliment magnet. It's on the stronger end of the Alexandria spectrum so 2 to 4 sprays will probably get you thru breakfast - lunch- dinner and then some . P.S. This would make a great gift for a casual fragrance user who only knows Marshalls & T.J. Maxx "$24.99ers" ! NOTE: Like other Alexandrias : use this a few times--then let it "sit" with the cap off-- for a month or 2 - it will get stronger!

Another great duplicate from Alexandria. I own Layton 75 ml and I bought this out of curiosity to see how good it is in comparison to Layton. I have to admit that the scent is very similar to Layton's yet the preformence on my skin is even better than layton (above average) and the sillage is just equal to Laytons. Is this a buy? well it depends what you're after. I would pay the extra bucks to get the real deal. Bottle presentation matters to me but I will keep use this fragrance until its empty If you just want use have a smaller bottle like 30 ML in you're collection then go for Royal Equestrian, nobody will notice the difference beside the bottle.

I have the authentic Layton in my collection and I definitely consider it one of my favorite fragrances of all time, nothing compares to it really in my opinion. That being said, this is outstanding in comparison. When comparing both I could only tell one distinct difference, and that is the vanilla in the original is super smooth and to die for but you can only really tell that from smelling both side by side up close. In the air its beautiful and amazing and performance is great. Highly recommend this one! Rating: 7/10

Seriously : some Alexandrias get WAY stronger the MORE you use the bottle .. and this is one of them ! I was on the fence with this at first -- and now I love it . (I have never sampled anything by PDM, so there is that) . My bottle i now half full and I get "beast" from it ! The only issue is that , to some , it has that "green Jolly Rancher apple" smell (which never bothered me , I like "candy smells") .

I have a decant of this and Layton. This is denser while Layton has a bit of an airy quality to it. As the wearer, I think Layton is definitely easier to wear and easier to get away with in warmer weathers. However, there's also the consideration Layton is much more expensive. The differences are noticeable especially on skin, but they're both so similar one can absolutely wear either.

Going off by the little sampler provided with my order this is pretty good! I might even like this more than the original. The apple isn’t as realistic in this one and that might be the only thing holding this back, but other than that, all the notes are spot on. I’m also not getting the vaporub effect in this which makes it more pleasant to wear than the original.

If you're not on a budget, go for Layton. You'll spray it less often since it will last longer, and there's a deeper, richer quality to the scent. If you're on a budget though, go with this. It will get you 80% of the way to Layton, but expect reapplications since the performance isn't as good.

Thought this was weak when I bought it last year. It was just okay. Good enough for the money in my mind. Fast forward 1 year... it jumps off my skin and clothes. Beautiful apple vanilla mint vibe. Lasts much longer than it did when I first got it!

Lovely perfume, nothing to complain about smell, longevity and sillage can be better, but it's ok, maybe after few months gonna be better, because even after 1 month is getting better . 9/10

Blind bought this off of reviews, Never Smell Layton this reminds me of Salvatore Ferragamo Oumo and I love that scent... It's pretty solid how good is a 8.5 out of 10.

This is too much menthol. They must have reformulated it.

lol just get detour noire, a third of the price and (after trying a sample of this) will be a better representation of the original, with DEPTH. And no menthol smell if you're not a fan of that.

After 2 weeks of "settling" it still doesn't last more than 30 minutes. Today i compared side by side with Armani Code Absolu that has great performances and they are not even close with the performances, Code Absolu lasts and projects 10 times more. What a waste of money, im so disappointed and i took 2 60 ml bottle for this smelling water. I wonder all this amazing reviews and all the youtuber if they got my same juice (or concentration) because i am not so sure.

Since I haven't smelled Layton, I'm not sure if I got the right one. It says what it is on the label, but I don't smell apple, vanilla, etc. Mine smells like strong cough syrup with incense in it. They might have mislabeled the bottle, but at this point, i can't get on the hype train.

Smells like Layton, but it lacks quality and depth which makes it not that close to Layton, maybe like 60%. Has a synthetic quality to it, which I dont like. Perfumes Parlours version smells almost the same as this one, and it is much cheaper.

to me all i can smell is spice and maybe a bit of wood. i just bought it so maybe it needs maceration and maybe it was just a bad batch. not a hint of apple or vanilla or any sort of freshness like people say.

I'm having terrible performances with this one, like if i spray and half an hour later is gone. Is it because of the "settle thing" that somebody talks about?

Extremely disappointed with my first purchase from ALAXNDIA PERFUMES UK, very weak perfume, longevity is very poor and no silage. Suppose to be a extrait de parfum and terribly poor performance. I have over 100 perfumes in my collection and this is the worst perfume ever. Over hyped by the fragrance community including some famous reviewers. Complete waste of my money & Extremely disappointed by this purchase.

I got this a sample of this fragrance since 3 days ago and after read that great reviews I spected a little bit more. I like a lot the aroma but I ́d like a better performance. Maybe is because I'm used to stronger fragrances and this one is a kind more subtle. I will check how Layton and Exclusive Layton are and then I ́ll make my choice. Update: After try Layton and Layton Exclusif I wanna say that RE is extremely close to the original and the performance is quite similar. Along its development sometimes has better performance than the original (mainly in the first hours) sometimes Layton wins but what is sure is that Layton remains a little bit more but which really last and projects tones more is Layton Exclusive. this fragrance is espectacular and is not just because de performance. The juice improves the original and it finally makes it a true piece of art. I will save money and will go for L. Exclusif and will enjoy it this autum/winter. 2nd update: After wearing this fragrance the last 2-3 months I have to say that I still find it close to Layton but I feel this one a little bit more sweeter and citrusy but not a good citrus smell. I mean, it doesn ́t feels bad but is not a clean and properly balanced citrus and is not well integrated into the blend. The good point is that it disappear around after half an hour, in the dry down but next time I will go for Layton for sure.

This is an inspired creation/clone of PDM Layton. The notes comprise of vanilla, apple, cardamom, lavender, sandalwood, pepper, patchouli, orange, geranium, violet, bergamot, and jasmine. When I smell this, I mainly get a nice vanilla - apple blend along with the cardamom. It does great in cooler weather, and I feel is best suited for fall and winter but can be pulled off during cooler spring days as well. I think this fragrance is versatile enough to be worn as a casual fragrance but rich and sophisticated enough to be worn in a more professional setting. As for performance, 2 sprays of this stuff will have you set for the day, and it has really nice projection as well. Unless you're outside and it's very cold, I wouldn't do more than 2 sprays max otherwise you're going be slapping everyone in the face with your projection and sillage. I highly recommend this one.

This is one of those fragrances when you walk by heads turn. As for the composition, I detect at the top a citrus-freshness like Versace Fraiche mixed with a little Le male. That pretty much holds into the mid with some floral kicking in at the 1-2 hour mark. In the dry down some spices and woods (pine mostly) show up which reminds me of Burberry London. Although Royal doesn't smell exactly like any of the fragrances I mentioned at any point. But I can detect them at different phases in the background and it's rather mind boggling how they evolve. IMHO this is Hany's best work. Although I enjoy a number of his fragrances, this one is definitely my favorite at this time. I only smelled Layton a few times so I can't say with certainty this is a clone. But frankly, I don't care. Royal Equestrian is special on its own.

Layton is my favorite fragrance, I own an actual bottle of it too. Honestly, I do think this is the best clone of Layton bar none. I have tried the Al Haramain Amber Oud Bleu and its alright, but its a little too synthetic and I dont think the mixing on it is as good. Detour Noir is a little too much on the sweeter/ spicier side and doesnt capture the apple and juiciness of layton as much. Equestrian is the most balanced and highest quality clone of the two in my opinion. Its performance and longvity is kind of mid- you really only notice it for the first like 30-45 minutes then it fades to skin. But it does pump out compliments during that first hour. If you are not willing to buy the real thing, I honestly think this is your best bet.

I have smelled both RE and Layton, and I have to say that the difference is miniscule. Layton has a smoother apple note, whereas RE has a strong citrusy apple opening that is kinda off putting. Then, RE drys down with vanilla and spices while the sweet apple note lingers in the background. Layton has the exact same dry down but with a deeper vanilla and more prominent spices. However, they are exactly alike. Projection and Longevity is beast mode for RE but not so much for Layton but still good. RE will last on clothes till you wash them (MORE THAN A MONTH). Honestly, even if you have the money, RE is the better choice ignoring the synthetic apple note on first spray. I LOVE IT!!! Many compliments too!!!

I bought this in a 55ml spray from the UK website to see how it compares to my original 125ml of Layton. I have to say it's similar in some respects but nowhere near close to the original. I also detect a slightly oily undertone note to the fragrance - maybe it's the perfume oil they use? I can only assume that reviews saying this is identical to the original are at best misguided, or at worse fake. For the record, I also tried the oil from Perfume Parlour as a comparison and it was even worse. I wouldn't advise that anyone pay £52.50 for 55ml of this unless you are really desperate. Particularly so when you can pick up an original 125ml from Notino when on special offer for only £120.00.

If you’ve never smelt Layton, yeah you will 100% understand what it’s like from RE. I find it interesting how nostalgic this smells when in reality I have never smelt anything like it- or at least in this combination. The opening is harsh and stringent, but as it mellows out, you get this sweet, apple-vanilla-spice combo that is very warm, but is freshened by a menthol-like mint. I’m talking like halls menthol. I guess this is why people say stuff like “apple pie vibes”. I will say the menthol is toned down in RE as opposed to Layton, and so is the richness of the vanilla. Either way, this is a beautiful scent that works very well in colder weather/ cooler environments.

My bottle is VERY old . I had lost it - and just found it under a boxes of old clothes. My my -- we got VERY potent!!!! Alexandrias do a GREAT job of gathering strength ! Never smelled Layton ; this is really soave , smooth & would make a GREAT gift to a casual user ( high school / college dude in your family that only uses Axe body sprays OR the crap that Target makes). GRADE: B plus plus. Seems like it will have people stopping you in the street and asking "What is that you are wearing?" . P.S. I HATED DETOUR NOIR !!!!!!!! This is 100 times better !