Layton Exclusif

Continuing my Parfums De Marly streak with Layton Exclusif today. If Layton is the friend that everyone loves and gets along with, Layton Exclusif is his dark, brooding brother sitting in the corner. Layton is undoubtedly the most talked about fragrance from PDM, but Layton Exclusif doesn't get much press. I've reviewed Layton already and it did get a vote of "love" from me. However, will this turn out to be like Pegasus Exclusif that I ended up enjoying more than Pegasus? Let's find out together; Scent: The opening is nutty, citrusy, and woody. The primary notes I get are almond, bergamot, laotian oud, and mandarin orange. The strongest of the notes are the oud and almond. The oud is noticeable from the very beginning as a uniquely intense and dark wood note. Laotian Oud is notorious for being a very "funky" type of oud, and it's no different in this fragrance. Not quite to the point that it's challenging, but it definitely flirts with it. There's also an animalic tinge, but I'm thinking that's coming from the Civet and not the oud itself. The almond note is nutty and slightly bitter but mostly sweet. This is followed by the bergamot and mandarin orange. Both notes carry a citrus tone to them, with the orange providing sweetness while the bergamot provide aromatics and fresh spice. I also get hints of the coffee in the opening, but not too much. The dry down is woody, sweet, and earthy. The primary notes I get are Laotian oud, vanilla, guaiac wood, and indonesian patchouli. The strongest of the notes are the Laotian oud and vanilla. The oud still has the same intense and funky woodiness from the opening, nothing has changed there. The vanilla follows closely behind with a creamy, gourmand sweetness similar to fresh vanilla beans. This is followed by the guaiac wood and patchouli. The guaiac wood adds more woodiness to the dry down nuanced by smoky tones. Lastly, the patchouli is recognizable in the background as a dark earthiness that reminds me of the aroma of damp soil; but in a good way. Further in the back I can pick up on the sandalwood as well with its unique creamy woodiness, but it's mostly an afterthought. Much further into the dry down the fragrance is mostly vanilla with a bit of woods underneath. Performance: Initial projection is very strong at 6+ feet. Sillage matches that with a heavy scent trail. After about four hours the projection and scent trail were unchanged. Around the 7-8 hour mark the projection was still about 4-6 feet and the scent trail was still easily noticeable. The fragrance didn't become a skin scent until after 12 hours. When to wear: Layton Exclusif is a fall/winter fragrance best suited for evening wear. This is not a casual wearing fragrance and is best suited for special occasions or anytime you want to stand out in a crowd. Date nights would be a tricky wear because of how off-putting oud can be for some, but it could work if you're feeling daring. Formal occasions would probably be the most suitable scenario, but I would go light on the sprays. For obvious reasons, this is not a safe pick for the office. Blind buy: The Laotian Oud makes this not a safe blind buy. This wasn't made to be mass-appealing like its brother Layton, and only people that can appreciate natural oud will enjoy this fragrance. If you like oud, give this one a sample to see how it strikes you. Final verdict: Layton Exclusif turned out to be a positive experience. I'll admit that when I first sprayed it I made a bit of a face because of the oud. However, after I got used to it I discovered it to be quite enjoyable. I found myself going back to smell it on my arm more often than I thought I would. The scent profile of Layton Exclusif is pretty easy to describe; take Layton, remove the apple, and add natural oud. That's pretty much it. It's very similar in that regard to comparing Pegasus to Pegasus Exclusif; it's just added complexity through mostly oud. And even though they share similarities, they aren't redundant of each other. I won't say I enjoy this one more than Layton like I enjoyed Pegasus Exclusif more than Pegasus, but I like it just as much as Layton. Performance is noticeably more powerful than Layton though; at least four hours of strong projection and sillage and lasting at least 12 hours before starting to wear off. I'm sure it goes without saying, but Layton Exclusif is not winning any awards for versatility or mass-appeal. It's usage is very niche, essentially just formal occasions, and some people will think this smells like literal crap because of the oud. But this isn't what Layton Exclusif was made for. It's made for those that like statement fragrances and can handle challenging notes. Those who want to stand out and not smell like everyone else around them. If you want something everyone will like, just get Layton. All this being said, even though I can appreciate the beauty of Layton Exclusif, I don't think it's one I'll end up adding to my collection. It's just so niche that I won't get enough usage to justify the price. That and the fact that I already have Layton. But I'll definitely keep a decant around though for those few and far between occasions where it would work. Scent: 9/10 Longevity: 10/10 Sillage: 10/10

Layton Exclusif opens mature and elegant with wood, musky, soft floral, and strong spicy accords. The opening is spicy, bright, great projection, strong almost pungent/animalic but still very pleasant. The opening is a mix of multiple notes, first a combination of mandarin orange and bergamot, which adds a pinch of citrusy accord giving Layton Exclusif a spicy freshness; then the almond which feels more like a blending note rather than a featured note; curiously the woody notes described as base notes, come up immediately upon application and continue through the various phases of the fragrance. The watery notes of the opening are barely noticeable. The floral notes of the mid combine themselves adding a needed touch of softness to a fragrance that otherwise would be too harsh, however, Layton Exclusif is far from a floral fragrance. The civet found in the mid notes comes up immediately upon application and it gives Layton Exclusif a clear animalic/musky touch which makes it strong but not pungent. With these notes, Layton Exclusif moves to its dry-down, here a vanilla accord develops, noticeable but not overly sweet; the coffee is just a whiff whereas the musk is prominent and blends well with the civet of the mid notes giving Layton Exclusif its outstanding projection. Once fully dried-down, Parfums de Marly Layton Exclusif can be summarized as a mostly woody, musky, and spicy fragrance with some fruity/citrusy, floral, and vanilla accords. This fragrance feels refined, elegant, unique, of high-quality, and projects lots of confidence. Its opening and dry-down performance are excellent. Compared with Layton, Layton Exclusif feels less fruiter, woodier, spicier, and muskier. If Layton and Layton Exclusif would be brothers, Layton Exclusif would be the older brother, the same fantastic DNA but Layton Exclusif feels less fresh and more mature. Batch reviewed: 2020 Wow Rating: 10/10. Layton Exclusif is an impressive fragrance. Dislike Rating: 3/10. Its animalic notes may be too strong for some people. Uniqueness: 10/10. Layton has a distinctive and unique aroma. Mass Appeal: 8/10. This is a fragrance that will please most people. Projection: 5/10. Excellent, about five feet around the wearer. Sillage: 6/10. Excellent, about six feet behind the wearer. Application: Four atomizations will suffice, more could make the fragrance offensive. Longevity: 6/10. Excellent, about six hours. Seasons: Any. Layton Exclusif is more of a night fragrance, may not be ideal for hot weather. Occasions: Formal events, outdoor gatherings, business, casual, clubbing. Versatility: 7/10. Good versatility but not the best. Gender: Masculine, its spicy tones make it masculine. Ages: Any. Recommendation: A niche price for a worthy nice fragrance. If you have Layton and its freshness is good enough for you then you can pass on Leyton Exclusif. If you have Leyton and you feel you need a more intense, less fresh, more musky fragrance, then Layton Exclusif is your answer. Blind-Buy: No, sample it first. Similar: From the same house its younger brother, Layton is another great fragrance sharing the same DNA. The Dua Fragrances house produces clones, not all of them are good, however, Dua Fragrances Royal Chariot Attar is an impressive good clone of Layton. Summary: A strong woody, musky, and spicy fragrance with light fruity/citrusy, floral, and vanilla accords; refined, elegant, bold, and high-quality.

Layton Exclusif was a scent which I had no intent of ever buying, considering I found the original Layton, which I had tried at an airport, smelled like a cacophony of overwhelming sweetness to me. I just happened to come across Layton Exclusif in the mall and to my surprise, I loved it right off the bat. Of course, having my fair share of experience with fragrances, I let it sit on my skin for a bit and once again to my surprise, I loved the fragrance throughout. That was it. I had Layton Exclusif in my collection by the end of the week. It has also somehow made Layton more tolerable to me as well, but the Exclusif, to me, is easily the superior of the two. Layton Exclusif opens up with the note of almond and a hint of bergamot with an underlying woodiness from the oud. There’s also a hint of civet in the base. It is this combination of Oud and civet that made me love LE right off the bat. It smells more mature, more upscale than its younger brother. The bergamot soon fades and the almond note also takes a backseat. Off my skin, the prominent notes are the oud and civet with a touch of coffee. It lacks the cloying and quite frankly juvenile apple note that was so annoyingly overwhelming in the original Layton. The fragrance is very dark and it is only in the extreme dry down when the fragrance turns into a skin scent that I can pick up a faint vanilla note. I have a bottle with the batch number 103904 and it says 78% at the bottom. The projection is quite good for the first 2-3 hours. It’s not a room filler by any means but it’s more than enough to get people to notice you. I find the performance to be a bit lacking. Off my skin, I’d say it only lasts for about 6 hours or so. Maybe it doesn’t work with my skin chemistry because everyone else seems to be getting fantastic longevity out of it. I find the fragrance to be quite masculine, while the original Layton felt more unisex to me. This also wouldn’t appeal to the masses as much due to the presence of animalic notes and it being quite dark. However, it achieves what it set out to and stands out from a plethora of fragrances out there. Overall I’d give it an 8.5/10.

😈 The Darker Brother of Desire Usually, I create stories to describe the fragrances I love — but this time, let’s call it what it is: Not a story. A fantasy. Layton is the gentleman playboy in his late 20s — sharp suit, fast car, playful wink. But Layton Exclusif? He’s the older brother. Early 30s — more mature, no longer a playboy, but a seductive fetishist in full control of his desires. The one who walks slower but owns the room. The one who speaks softer, but every word lands like a promise... or a threat. There’s no rush in his seduction. No games. He knows what you want — and how long you’ll wait for it. He’s not the man who makes you blush. He’s the man who makes you lose control. He doesn’t seduce with sweet nothings. He uses silence, a glance, the space between words. He knows exactly where to touch — and when to stop — just long enough to make you beg. By the time he’s finished, she’s not just satisfied — she’s unmade. The sheets are ruined — and so is her body, of course — thoroughly used, every entrance flooded and left quivering. ;) Her sense of restraint? Gone. And he’s still ready for another round, dripping in sweat, not even out of breath. ⸻ The Scent It opens with dark apple, cinnamon, and lavender, but gone is the flirty freshness of Layton. Here it’s animalic and deep like bitten skin. Oud, gaiac wood, vanilla — not sweet... but dangerous. He doesn’t promise romance. He promises intensity. And once you’ve tasted it, everything else feels... boring. Think Christian Grey, but turned into Mads Mikkelsen’s Hannibal — refined, articulate, hauntingly polite... but with eyes that say “I will ruin you beautifully.” He doesn’t chase. He lets you crave. ⸻ I like, but don’t love the original Layton — but this one is my favourite PDM, along with Althair and Herod. 10/10. A scent for men who don’t just seduce — they conquer.

This one was a blind-buy for me. I expected an 'in your face' oud and powerful opening, but what I found is a very elegantly put together mix of floral, spicy, woddy, ambery, and citrussy notes, which I am still looking for, by the way. I was not a fan of scents that include rose, but I am simply blown away by the elegance of this masterpiece. I spray it behind both ears + on the back of my wrists, and my day is filled with the development of this one. It goes from lifting you up with the almonds (I pick up a bit of cardamom in there) and vanilla, leading to mysterious interplay of oud combined with rose, which, I should note, is a god damn good combination. It's mysterious, sexy, elegant, beautiful, and it comes out a couple of hours after you have sprayed it on. The vanilla remains dominant but mixes with patchoulli, coffee, and amber. Wearing it throughout the day and for e.g. work, you will be noticed in the morning and loved for the smell of almond milk vanilla frappucino, or simply a cup of almondy-vanilla coffee for non-U.S. employees. After lunch time, it will give you the excitement, lift your spirits and energize you through notes of rose, oud, vanilla, pepper, musk, and back to the rose again. After work, you will receive your afternoon cup of coffee to relax and enjoy the boozyness of vanilla, coffee, oud, amber, and patchoulli. Wearing it at night is a whole different story. It brings the slow start that a night-out may have, leading through the fever and excitement that follows after the first beat and gives you the hint of booziness for the after party or even the morning coffee afterwards. A very versatile, powerful, and elegant scent. It's not pushy or arrogant and it does not need to prove itself. It's aware of its elegance and pleases all those who can value it