Layton by Parfums de Marly

I could swear it’s my favourite fragrance of all time, a very wearable sweet apple outing. I open the bottle almost every day to smell this delight. Despite everything, I don’t recommend buying it blindly, not because it smells bad, but because the performance doesn’t justify the price. The projection is potent at first but disappears in little time, not even reaching an hour clearly. The longevity is decent, but with that poor trail, you’ll have to press your nose to your neck to smell it and reapply constantly. In summary: Scent 10/10, the best I’ve ever smelled; Projection 4/10, unacceptable for the price; Longevity 6/10, it’s not water but neither is it miracles; Price/quality 3/10. Conclusion: I don’t recommend buying it blindly, especially if you don’t want to be disappointed by a $300 perfume that you’ll have to reapply every hour. I do recommend trying it in a decant. If you have money to spare, I’d bathe in 200ml bottles of this delight.

First I tried Layton Exclusif (batch 2023) and then the classic (batch 2025). The difference in performance is brutal. I don’t know if they reformulated it, but the classic lasts about two hours of trail and eight on my skin. The Exclusif is a gem; it smells better and performs better than the original. It works great in the cold, and given the poor performance of the original, I also don’t recommend it for heat.

A perfume that makes me feel good. The first time I thought ‘how sweet, is this Layton?’ and associated it with the vibe of Le Male and similar scents. But then it became addictive; sometimes I just unscrew the bottle at home to smell it. After that first outing, it transforms into something more avianilla that accompanies and comforts me on fresh days, like wearing a smiling scarf. It smells with quality, has a strong but not shrill equalisation, without that synthetic base that makes lesser niche perfumes sting. I use it in waves, but when it comes… Mmmmm…

The first time I liked it although it smelled like Canadian pine. With more calm I perceived it and it really captivated me. It goes from casual to a good suit, from warm to a cold night. I consider that Layton is not for young people; it is a mature, serious, masculine perfume, without being heavy or oppressive. Its notes interweave modernity and good taste.

Masculine, elegant and imposing. When I first smelled it, I thought of a great ranch man, well-dressed, elegant and strong. It is the perfume alongside Ombre Nomade that smells the most masculine (of those I’ve had the privilege of owning). The perfect mix of wood with the sweetness of the apple and that lovely lavender flower make Layton something beautiful to smell.

Hello, let’s be clear: subjectively, it doesn’t work for me; it’s not my type of scent. However, beware of the ‘dolphin noses’ claiming it smells like medicinal balm or camphor. That is false. The fragrance is noble and high-quality, even if I don’t enjoy it. What is truly annoying is that this creates a false impression for people seeking honest opinions. We don’t demand perfect reviews, but neither do we tolerate crude comments. I don’t know if it’s an olfactory issue, ignorance, or simply unjustified hate against a great fragrance. If you want decants, go to a shop and ask them to prepare it in front of you; don’t buy expensive things blindly that could be cheap ‘vaporub’ or ‘mentolatun’ diluted in alcohol.

The first time I wore it, it stole all the looks, non-stop compliments. It projects strongly, elegantly, and addictively from the very first second. The opening is a blend of apple, lavender, and bergamot, clean but with a characteristic sweet touch. Then comes a spiced base with cinnamon and cardamom, and as it dries, it leaves a vanilla and woody trail, creamy, where it truly shines. On my skin, it lasts 8-10 hours with a powerful trail in the first few hours. I’ve worn it outside and at meetings, and everyone says I smell incredible. It is sophisticated, sweet without being cloying, elegant, and versatile for day or night. It makes me feel good every time I wear it. Rating: 9.5.

The most overrated perfume out there. It smells like Vicks VapoRub. A colleague defined it as ‘mentholated Hugo Boss in a bottle’ and I fully agree. I see nothing in it; it’s neither fresh nor sweet, it smells like a weird, medicinal mix. By the way, the Detoir Noir by AL Haramain smells exactly the same but has better performance. A total meh.

Warm and elegant. The opening combines vivid citrus with a green apple accord, fresh and appealing, which quickly gives way to an aromatic heart of lavender and spices. The evolution moves towards a warm and elegant profile, where vanilla and woods add robustness and maturity. As it dries, the synergy between cardamom, vanilla, and woody notes creates an enveloping and refined texture, the reason for its popularity. It is an intense fragrance with great performance, conveying confidence and sophistication without falling into the juvenile or festive. My rating: 9.5/10. A versatile and elegant creation, ideal for those seeking a perfume with presence and character.

I step up my game with this fragrance. I don’t wear it out, but I always keep it close due to the hype. A great friend gifted it to me on my birthday. The opening is citrusy, sharp, and well-masculine; I notice that mentholated touch I’ve read so much about, barely sweet. The heart feels floral and masculine, more wearable, but not for daily wear or heat; it’s for going out at night or when it’s cold. You can detect the sandalwood, cardamom, the cherry, and black pepper very clearly. In the dry down, it’s sweet and vanilla-like, like a vanilla ice cream with a mentholated twist. I don’t know about the performance yet; I’ll test it and re-rate the longevity and sillage; I’ve heard it’s been reformulated and doesn’t last as long as before or smell the same. We’ll see.

Layton smells like classic elegance with a modern twist. From the very first moment, a fresh and vibrant explosion of green apple, crisp and juicy, like biting into fruit on an autumn morning. This freshness blends with a citrus and herbal touch of bergamot and lavender, a clean and sophisticated sensation. As it settles, the heart reveals warm and seductive spices, cinnamon and cardamom, which warm without overwhelming. Here the fragrance becomes sensual and enveloping, like moving from a park walk to an elegant date at dusk. In the base, it becomes creamy, ambered, and addictive: soft vanilla, velvety sandalwood, and clean musk. It gives it a deeply masculine yet accessible character, like a scented cashmere coat after a gala. One of my favourites; I recommend it.

Very interesting and rich aroma, good longevity and projection. Indeed I think the price is too much for what it offers; nonetheless, I read other reviews and your sense of smell must be very simple to say it’s nothing special. It has many tonalities and that mentholated note gives it a special character, but the scent could get tiring with habitual use.

Nothing special, warm, spiced, sweet, like any other designer perfume. If it’s a scent that most people like, but definitely I wouldn’t pay for it.

I can understand the hype of this fragrance because it really smells spectacular and I doubt it will disgust anyone. Now, I also understand the people below who accuse it of lacking character and personality, and that it reminds of a commercial creation (in my case, the dry down patchouli takes me to Boss Bottled Absolu). Come on, putting the nose in well they pick out delicious nuances, but for any common sense sense of smell I think it’s fair to affirm it smells like smoked apple sweetened by vanilla and patchouli. The first thing that came to mind was a hybrid of YSL Y EDP and the aforementioned Boss. It’s a winning horse, it smells deadly and will please others, but in my humble opinion, for a niche category perfume and the price it has, I ask for something more. With a decant I’m more than covered.

I bought Detour Noir by Al Haramain before the Layton to get an idea of the original and, well, upon using it I thought what a bad clone it must be of the original. The sad part is that when trying the original Layton it does resemble it and a lot, even in the opening. Both with very good dry down, obviously the Layton one is better, lasting around 8 hours on skin. But as a summary it’s a perfume that’s NOT worth it after so many reviews on YouTube and elsewhere. DO NOT SPEND YOUR MONEY. Try it first or use the Arabic clone.