Perseus

Too many whimsical haters here that couldn't tell the difference between their ass & a whole in the ground. You can give them a heads start by placing both their hands on their rear ends with a magnifying glass on a lookout stand over a chasm and they'd be utterly clueless. Throw them aside people, they're like dried weeds under the scorching sun. Useless fodder. Anyways, back to the fragrance. Is this in the realm of Terre D'Hermès? Yes, there is a similarity with Perseus and the TdH line up. Actually, if Hermès made this and slapped the Elixir or Absolute moniker to the bottle, one would fall right in line thinking it were so. Difference here is the Geranium and woods that it carries. It has a potent & juicy burst of citrus accords that is slightly sour & green from the Grapefruit, Bergamot and Mandarin notes. It can be a bit overwhelming at the initial spray over the first 5-10 minutes but, it does die down and smooths out to a moderately sweetened Vetiver with the floral accords to give it a clean and almost effervescent quality to it. It's rich yet clean with a sparkly freshness to it. That freshness stays with the fragrance throughout its life with the grounding woods and a subtle resin-ous like touch at the end that has a light sweetness to give it a very well rounded finish that is not cloyingly sweet nor too dry. Longevity for me has been an absolute Juggernaut by Perseus as on my skin with 4-5 sprays lasts the entire workday with my wife still catching light wafts of it which she loves into the evening hours. I start work at 5am and don't get home until 5 or 5:30pm. Now, I do go nose blind to it within an hour or two but, like I stated previously, my misses still picks it up and a few work colleagues have stated that they detect it without an issue and do enjoy its pleasant aroma. It does have legs and on my skin performs to the 9's. If you don't like Vetiver, Grapefruit and Woody notes with an effervescent vibe that actually provides depth as one wears it, you will not like Perseus and even less if you're not a fan of Terre D'Hermès. This is not groundbreaking as a whole and honestly, if you've been in the fragrance game for some time now, nothing is going to surprise you or totally make you do a complete 180° about face. What I will tell you is that if you like clean, sparkly, fresh with some substance, Perseus will deliver that successfully. Even better if you can get it with a nice discount off of the legit online fragrance retailers. Can be a signature scent as I feel it has enough to work both in hot or cold climates, indoors or out without suffering in scent or performance unless it's bitter cold where freezing temps do a number on citrus top & mid notes. I'm a TdH fan and own the whole line up minus the newest release with my favorites being the OG edt, Pure Parfum & Eau Tres Fraiche. Eau Givree & Intense Vetiver are excellent as well but, I just lean towards the previous three mentioned and use them more often. Perseus would fit right in between the first 3 and last 2 without hesitation and is a very, very good fragrance that has enough to stand on its own against the TdH line to form its own character & fragrance persona. Worth sampling in my humble opinion.

There are certain fragrances that simply fit a season—and then there are those rare compositions that define it. Parfums de Marly Perseus unquestionably falls into the latter category. From the very first spray, it announces itself as one of the most compelling modern summer fragrances in my collection. Built around a luminous citrus core, Perseus opens with a strikingly natural grapefruit and bergamot accord—bright, energetic, and effortlessly refined. Unlike many citrus-forward fragrances that feel fleeting or synthetic, this opening has a remarkable realism and polish, immediately evoking sunlit mornings and crisp, warm air. This vibrancy is beautifully grounded by a sophisticated heart of geranium and vetiver, creating a composition that is both invigorating and elegant. What truly elevates Perseus, however, is its balance. The citrus never feels sharp or abrasive; instead, it seamlessly melts into a refined woody-amber base with vetiver and ambergris, giving the fragrance a smooth, masculine backbone and a subtle sensuality. The result is a scent that feels clean yet substantial—perfectly tailored for warmer weather while maintaining a distinctly luxurious character. Naturally, comparisons arise. Perseus sits comfortably alongside icons such as Roja Parfums Elysium and Terre d’Hermès Parfum, sharing that same citrus-vetiver DNA. However, where Elysium leans more ethereal and airy, and Terre d’Hermès more earthy and mineral-driven, Perseus strikes a masterful middle ground—delivering both brightness and depth in equal measure. It captures the uplifting freshness of Elysium while retaining the grounded sophistication of Terre d’Hermès, yet feels more modern and versatile. Most impressively, Perseus outperforms both. For a fragrance rooted in citrus, its longevity and projection are exceptional—retaining its presence well into the day with a refined, consistent sillage. It’s a rare example of a fresh fragrance that doesn’t sacrifice performance for elegance. In many ways, Perseus represents what niche perfumery does best: taking a familiar structure and elevating it through quality, balance, and execution. It is effortlessly wearable, undeniably sophisticated, and endlessly enjoyable. Quite simply, this has become one of my favourite summer scents—one I reach for time and time again. A modern classic in the making.

First of all I was trying to find a new PDM for the Spring/Summer and I bought a tester of Perseus, Sedley, Greenley, and Percival. Perseus to me is one of the most beautiful and photorealistic citrus fragrances I have ever smelt. When your nose first picks up its scent, it smells sour, but the more you smell it the sweeter it gets. And that is completely what happens when you go to the grocery store and smell the rind of a fresh grapefruit. It lures you in wanting more of the bittersweetness. Quite frankly people might start thinking I’m weird the way I can’t stop smelling myself! 10/10 Summer fragrance. I definitely recommend this to all my citrus lovers. I will be buying a full size bottle of this. WARNING: I am about to go on a rant 1. My biggest problem with the PDM community is the fact that people like to pick the top 5 most popular PDM fragrances and call them the best and never give any other of the PDM fragrances any love nor a chance. The thing that bugs me a lot about the reviews I see about Perseus is the fact that everyone likes to say it doesn’t smell niche or it smells like every other citrus fragrance. Guys I guarantee there are tons of fragrances that smell like your favorite PDM before it even came out. And going on with the not niche crap, there are so many PDMs that do not smell “Niche” and when PDM actually releases a niche smelling fragrance, such as Kalan, everyone hates it for being too niche. So I just don’t understand the hate of Perseus. 2. If you blind buy a fragrance for $400 and are mad you didn’t like it thats on you for not trying it in store or getting a sample of it. That doesn’t mean spread misinformation about a fragrance online lol. Do you actually dislike the fragrance that much, or are you just mad you spent so much money on it. People already say this is a heavy citrus fragrance online and now you are telling people it’s too citrusy for your liking? Why did you blind buy it if you knew you weren’t going to like it lol

Man, I really enjoy this one. We shall see, but I heavily suspect this will be the first Parfums de Marly fragrance I actually decide to purchase. I have sampled this on multiple occasions, and there are a few things that I can attest to. First of all, the performance on this one is fantastic. It should be rated long lasting and strong in instead of long lasting and moderate. By no means overbearing, as evidenced by the slim majority vote in favor of moderate. Other than on skin, it has also show to last and project. I sprayed a paper with it four times, and it projected from the counter when I walked by all weekend. The scent itself is both juicy and dry. The grapefruit is less photorealistic than something like Light Blue Forever, and falls more in line with Light Blue Italian Love. However, it is important to understand that bergamot, black current, and "green mandarin" are all in there as well, so its not just a pure grapefruit. Rather, it is a juicy, fruity, grapefruit concoction. The dryness here comes from the "dry wood" notes in combination with the vetiver, which is the next most distinct note. The Tonka bean here plays the role of a very slight sweetener, just so that the fragrance isn't a bomb of dry grapefruit and woods, and has some mass appeal. Speaking of mass appeal, the cashmere wood (probably cashmeran) plays a comparable role to ISO E Super as an amber/musk note, and Ambergris (probably an ambroxan derivative) plays a role in granting the fragrance extra lift and projection. If you or someone you know is a fan of the Terre d'Hermes fragrance DNA, and is in the kind of area that enjoys masculine vetiver based freshies, this could be a massive compliment getter that is both classy and casual at the same time.

This is great realy , i dont get the hate this one gets , personally i often lean more towards fresh perfumes , so i absolutely prefer this over most niche perfumes , its citrusy , it has many similiarities with stuff like terre dhermes edt , versace eros energy and other citrus perfumes like them but it has one accord that makes it stand out a bit more , makes more manly , more refined and more like a "perfume" and not just a scent of citruses , its very subjective of course but unlike what u see online in real life encounters this fragrance realy leaves a good impression , i had multiple compliments about it and for that it became slowly one of my favourites (i realy tried a bunch perfumes in the citrusy grapefruity genre from turathi blue to bvlgari tygar to terre dhermes to eau givree to eros energy and other niche ones , but theres just a note in perseus that makes it stand above for me) , anyway its expensive so would i reccomend it to everybody , definitely not , but i would recommend going to a shop and testing it on you , give it a proper full wear or 2 and you will know if its worth it or not , i think it works in pretty much any season and time of the year as its fresh but its also deep and rich somewhat so it can work imo , its great realy and worth smelling at least once or twice (definitely dont blind buy but that should be a rule for pretty much any perfume apart from very few exceptions)

This one takes a few tries to appreciate its character. The mistake people can make when testing fragrances is to smell it straight off the skin once it’s been sprayed. This is okay with some scents but many smell their best in the air. Tygar is a great example of this and Perseus is similar (btw, I’m not saying they smell similar, they’re just both much better smelt from the silage). Smelt off the skin, close up, the strong grapefruit can come off as too dense and overpowering but this fragrance comes alive in the air. I learnt this from my experience with Tygar. I really didn’t like it when I tested it so I gave my 10ml sample to someone else. They wore it one day and I kept getting wafts from the sillage and it smelt incredible. Perseus is similar in this regard and I find it quite addictive. I love grapefruit anyway but the way it’s blended with the vetiver and woods gives this a wonderful combination of bright and dry, with subtle creamy highlights. It’s fresh in a unique way. I’ve dismissed PdM in the past for being a bit pedestrian but I’m really quite taken by it. Performance is great too, lasting all day with noticeable projection. I felt quite indifferent about this fragrance initially but now it’s one of my favourite PdM’s, along with Castley. I dismissed this fragrance on my first try for not being interesting enough but I was wrong. Definitely worth a revisit if you felt the same.

I am genuinely shocked to see so many people hate on this fragrance. But that's what happens when you are a niche house that caters to a designer audience. The financially challenged get upset that it costs more than $90 at retail and has some "challenging" aspects (not really but sure), and the ultra-niche heads get upset that it doesn't smell like a pirate ship carrying stolen citrus shipments packed in cedar wood crates that have been squashed and destroyed by burning gunpowder-covered cannonballs in battle with the British imperial navy fleet. This fragrance is long-lasting, strongly projecting, fresh, masculine, modern, and heavily citric with an emphasis on grapefruit. It is built similarly to Aventus in as much as it uses a unique fruity accord, with a dry woody vetiver body, with tonka bean to sweeten it and ambergris (ambroxan) to do its job and amplify sillage. Monster performance, especially for a citrus fragrance that smells as vibrant as this. The only thing one needs to be concerned about with a fragrance as citrus-heavy as this is that on some skin citrus can turn sour. If that is you, avoid it. If you don't like citrus or wood, I don't even know why you're reading these reviews: big time not for you. If you like smelling like a classy gentleman in the summer, give this a try.

I read a way to see how much is in my bottle, where they're painted like Perseus. I had stopped using my bottle, because I was worried it was getting low, but I put my phone flashlight up next to it, and could see how much liquid is left! I still have like 60% of the 75 ml bottle left! I used Perseus and Louis Vuitton Pacific Chill the most, during the warmer days this past year. I just love the uplifting, citrus notes and ambergris in Perseus, and the kiwi and green apple notes in Pacific Chill. I had bought the masculine sample set from PDM, and wasn't really blown away by any of them, except Haltane. I wouldn't buy that from PDM, because they charge so much for it! I was just going to let my $50 off coupon expire, but then, the guy at Nordstrom gave me a sample of Perseus, and it was just love at first smell! I used my coupon to order that, and it's one of my favorite fragrances I've bought or even tried so far! I might get something like LV L'immensite, Afternoon Swim, or Symphony, to fill that orange citrus warm weather fragrance spot, but I will probably just buy another bottle of Perseus, when I use all of this one! It just works with my nose.

I copped a full bottle of this right before high school graduation, it has a beautiful and almost realistic rindy grapefruit/orange and woody opening that to me is flat out addicting and hard not to like, quite strong too for a citrus fragrance. Not to mention that there’s an earthy tone in here that makes itself more present in the drydown (could be from the geranium or the vetiver) the cashmere wood is more noticeable during this period as well, I would say 4-5 hours in, and surprisingly the citrus doesn’t go anywhere until it slowly fades out at around 8 hours deep. I do feel like this fragrance gets unfairly trashed on by some, calling it “moldy fruit” or “a basic freshie” but it’s far from either of those things, it may not be the most unique thing from Parfums de Marly or even in the fragrance market in general but it’s definitely better than most in my opinion, I suggest to save up some money and get any size of this fragrance instead of looking for a clone or interpretation of it because I personally think it’s worth it. Parfums de Marly Perseus overall score: 8.7/10

After everything that was written, I was a little sceptical at first. But now??? Oh my god. This is awesome. Is it Hermes in a different bottle? No!!! I can see why some would say so, but they are so wrong, but yet so right. The difference is in the quality and longevity of the ingredients. This is a beautiful bitter citrus, rindy fragrance with a creamy undertone that is so addictive, you’re gonna need rehab to get it out of your mind. As good on clothes as it is on skin. This lasts all day, which is unusual for a “freshie”, but this is no ordinary concoction. As soon as it hits the skin, it’s a citrus love affair, but not the sweet, sickly kind. Then as the vetiver starts to creep in, there’s just something that just won’t let you stop smelling it. This shouldn’t be called, “Perseus”. It should be called, “Winehouse”, because of its addictive qualities. If you like the smell of summer, then this is it. It’s bottled and it’s quality. You’re welcome....

I feel like no one talks about this PDM, It's my best discovery from the brand, I've bought Pegasus as my first niche so I had to comeback to PDM at some point, last summer I tried a sample of Perseus which was new I believe, I was blown away, the grapefruit is all that I can smell from it, and I loooove grapefruit, definitely simple and linear but If you want a perfect summer (even all year around) fresh fruity scent, this is the one of the best. Last all day (even two on temperate weather) project like a beast, so much that I had to spray under my clothes because I felt people I work with could be bothered, it never happened to me before, except with red tobacco. A lot of people seem to dislike it, and I don't understand, I truly don't see how this can be unpleasant. so to wrap up maybe one of the best long lasting fresh perfume ever and a must try If you like Grapefruit (the vetiver is nicely done, subdued, nothing to say about it).

Perseus is a nice, very fresh citrus scent. It's a tart citrus - vetiver - woody fragrance and is almost identical to Tom Ford Grey Vetiver EDP (GV is slightly woodier). Arguably, it would be redundant to own both. So if cost is a concern for you, Grey Vetiver would be the cheaper buy at first (around $100 on discount sites), but because Perseus may have stronger performance, it's the better value in the long run since Grey Vetiver may require at least one reapplication during the workday. If you're considering Perseus, I wouldn't worry about the criticisms that Perseus is linear -- that's what you want it to be (as I do with most of my citric colognes). If you're wearing it, it means you want to smell fresh and clean. If it were to morph into, say, woody or smoky, it would defeat that purpose and might come off as unseasonable for the late spring/summer fragrance that Perseus is.

I previously commented on its longevity. Today, in 40-degree heat, I wore it with 8-10 sprays, doing it justice. It performed incredibly well. I can still smell it on my neck after about 15 hours. I received a compliment from a friend walking behind me on the street after 4-5 hours. I own several of the scents mentioned in reviews. I don't think it's similar at all. It's a citrusy summery scent, of course, they belong to the same family, but as this one dries down, the woody and musky notes shine through, and it feels incredibly smooth. It feels like you're pressing your nose against a wonderful citrus scent on incredibly expensive, lightly fuzzy fabric. Many YouTubers say it's a completely unnecessary scent, and I think it's definitely one of those underrated scents. It's so versatile you can wear it anywhere.

I honestly don’t understand the hate this fragrance receives. The opening reminds me of Terre d’Hermès with its orange–vetiver freshness, but the dry-down is where the magic happens: a refined blend of powdery tonka bean and cashmere wood that exudes true class and luxury. To my nose, it sits a class above Terre d’Hermès—you can really smell the higher quality in its composition. On my skin, the longevity is excellent, easily lasting 8–9 hours, with a projection that starts off noticeable but never overwhelming, before settling into an elegant, refined aura. It’s one of those fragrances that lingers beautifully without becoming cloying. It’s also one of the rare fragrances that has earned me compliments from complete strangers. Even my mom, who generally dislikes perfumes in general, enjoys this one.

Rocked it last spring/summer. Very beautiful grapefruit fresh opening as you would have expected, grapefruit and bergamot smell juicy and ripe and for me they remain the main players for at least an hour and after that my favorite part comes in. You have this beautiful, opulent Haitian vetiver that is juicy,sweet and smoky slightly woody with the highest quality possible. It continues to go deeper and deeper on that vetiver with woody and cashmeran backup. This is just gorgeous and actually quite unique for spring and summer. It's also a compliment magnet and people around you will love it. It's juicy green in my opinion, the freshness isn't what you would expect in terms of airy or out of the shower fresh, it's a bit heavy fresh if that makes sense. My favorite PDM alongside Layton exclusif.

An interesting offering by PDM. Not complex by any means and rather linear on my skin. Doesn't seem like anything extraordinary, both on paper and when sprayed; BUT, there is just something about this one that puts me in a great mood and makes me want to smell it all day long (maybe my love for grapefruits/ oranges). When I first sprayed it I had to have it and it's one of my favourite freshies by this house. Yes, greenley and sedley are slightly more complex (I have and love both of these as well) but there is just something different about Perseus that I really enjoy that's difficult to pin-point. Added benefit is performance, one of the best projecting and longest lasting freshies I own. Having said that, I definitely wouldn't recommend a blind buy here.

Smells incredibly similar to TDH edt. This one does feel a little smoother and more "laundry" like, possibly coming from the cashmere note, but I would still recommend TDH over this. The performance is quite similar, and the smell is pretty close as well. The one main difference between the two is that this uses grapefruit rather than orange for the citrus, which does have a small notable difference; however, the difference is not that much. Also, the prices for each are staggeringly different; FragranceX will get you a bottle of Perseus (4.2oz) for 260$ whereas you could get a bottle of TDH (6.7oz) for 120$. I would say the answer is pretty clear unless you care about small, subtle differences and saying you own a niche fragrance.

It's pretty great. I'm not over the moon with it or anything, but I think this is their attempt at a clone of the old Terre de Hermes. It still has a bit of that Flintstones Vitamins thing going on, but at the same time, does a lot of things I would want it to do. This one is very possibly a buy for me! Edit: I wound up buying it. Honestly, I think it smells closer to original Terre de Hermes than the what Hermes currently sells does, which has been reformulated so many times that it has lost key aspects of the original scent. That by itself makes it a winner for me. There are some extra notes in there, it isn't 1:1 the same as the original TdH, but it is much much closer than anything else I have found, and I have LOOKED.

I think it is very unfair to criticize this perfume because it is too simple. The brand already has different varieties at different levels, the purpose of which is to offer a simple citrus scent at a niche level, I think it succeeds in this. Among citrus perfumes, it is a special scent that gives the feeling of smelling the fruit itself, yes, I accept it, it is as simple as possible. I interpret it as simple but effective. For example, similarly, you need to refresh Terre Dhermes at least twice a day, this perfume has enough performance throughout the day, so while you finish two bottles of TDH, you use one bottle of Perseus, which actually means you pay the same price in total.

I dropped by the PDM store, looked around, sample some fragrances, and ended up wearing this one. Before this, the only time in my life I received a compliment from a total stranger was when I wore Valentino Uomo Intense. It was a hot, sunny day and I was in a polo tee. I stopped by a watch store, and a total stranger walked up to me and said I smelled good. Feeling great, about an hour later, while standing in line to buy a cinema ticket, another lady told me I smelled good. I didn’t know what to say—but I got two compliments from two gorgeous ladies in a single day. Yes smell like the legendary Terre' D Hermes. Might get it in the future if there's a deep discount.