Why the hate for PDM?

[City74]

I’m newer here so maybe I’m missing something, but why the hate for Parfums de Marly? I find there offerings smell very nice and think they are a really great house. Did they do something I don’t know about, like own children’s work factories, or are people smugglers or is it simply that many people like their scents so that means others simply dislike them due to that alone? Is it the Creed Aventus type hate?

I’m just thinking out loud but I simply don’t get it. Maybe someone can help me understand it

Also, please don’t come in the thread bashing others. If you like or don’t like PDM then just explain why. We all have our reasons and that’s fine

[strifeknot]

Their fragrances are bland and unoriginal, made with mediocre ingredients. They're overpriced department store fragrances marketed as upscale niche.

[epapsiou]

Their fragrances are bland and unoriginal, made with mediocre ingredients. They're overpriced department store fragrances marketed as upscale niche.

This

[MegaMav]

Byerley is an exceptional resinous vetiver.
Hamdani is a pretty wicked leather.

Those 2 alone are definitely NOT department store fragrances.

[naylor]

Their fragrances are bland and unoriginal, made with mediocre ingredients. They're overpriced department store fragrances marketed as upscale niche.

This. Exactly this.

[City74]

Their fragrances are bland and unoriginal, made with mediocre ingredients. They're overpriced department store fragrances marketed as upscale niche.

And that’s ok. Personally I think they smell better then most things out there. I don’t really care about the marketing, it’s about the product to me.


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[City74]

Byerley is an exceptional resinous vetiver.
Hamdani is a pretty wicked leather.

Those 2 alone are definitely NOT department store fragrances.

Haven’t smelled those, but I need to


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[gerbick]

Ignore the hate. If you find some that you like, buy it. There's a few in this house that I feel are downright enjoyable and I'm glad they're in my collection.

[Diamond Joe]

I love this house too man, so its not all hate. Layton and Herod are two of my favorite frags, period. Oajan is beautiful, Nisean is very nice, and Kalan is interesting. I don't find ANY of those bland or unoriginal. Quite the opposite in fact

[Jack103]

Their fragrances are bland and unoriginal, made with mediocre ingredients. They're overpriced department store fragrances marketed as upscale niche.

This.

[hednic]

No dislike for their fragrances from me. Have always enjoyed their men's offerings

[Iron Lion]

I own them. Dont love them but cant deny I tend to get compliments when I wear Layton even though it dosent excite me.

Main accusation against PDM is they are simply a clone house masqurading as a Niche house.

If you look at the majority of their scents they are direct rip offs of other brands.

There is a market for that.

[AndyJB]

I haven't seen that much hate, to be honest. They make great scents and anyone who says they are a clone house needs to re-calibrate their noses. They do have some duds, but a lot of their fragrances are very good. well above average, for sure. Fragrances are so personal anyway, just ignore what others are saying if you enjoy something and it works with your body chemistry.

[Scarce]

Their fragrances are bland and unoriginal, made with mediocre ingredients. They're overpriced department store fragrances marketed as upscale niche.

Bingo.

[MuscleCars]

I love many of their fragrances, only one I can think of right now I didn't care much for.

[speckmann0706]

Nothing really unique to warrant a reason to purchase a lot of other fragrances already offer what they do for a lot less.

[L'Homme Blanc Individuel]

Their fragrances are bland and unoriginal, made with mediocre ingredients. They're overpriced department store fragrances marketed as upscale niche.

+1

I'd add that most tend to smell blatantly chemical. Pegasus, for example. The opening is nice, but wow, that base is HARSH.

The materials and compositions usually don't justify their prices.

[ultravisitor]

Who cares if someone doesn't like a particular house?

Not everyone has to like everything.

If you like it, then like it and don't worry about what anyone else thinks.

[FragFrog]

I think most people who enjoy fragrances do like Parfums de Marly.

If I take a look at the ratings on the German Parfum forum I get these results:

Herod: 8,8/10 (798 votes) - https://www.parfumo.de/Parfums/Parfu..._Essence_Herod
Layton Exclusif: 8,7/10 (238 votes) - https://www.parfumo.de/Parfums/Parfu...ayton_Exclusif
Carlisle: 8,6/10 (168 votes) - https://www.parfumo.de/Parfums/Parfu...Marly/Carlisle
Layton: 8,5/10 (497 votes) - https://www.parfumo.de/Parfums/Parfums_de_Marly/Layton
Oajan: 8,4/10 (354 votes) - https://www.parfumo.de/Parfums/Parfu..._Essence_Oajan
Godolphin: 8,1/10 (264 votes) - https://www.parfumo.de/Parfums/Parfu...arly/Godolphin
Pegasus: 8,1/10 (357 votes) - https://www.parfumo.de/Parfums/Parfums_de_Marly/Pegasus

That's not so bad, right?

[Zealot Crusader]

Their fragrances are bland and unoriginal, made with mediocre ingredients. They're overpriced department store fragrances marketed as upscale niche.

+1

I'd add that most tend to smell blatantly chemical. Pegasus, for example. The opening is nice, but wow, that base is HARSH.

The materials and compositions usually don't justify their prices.

I agree with these sentiments, but as I've been exploring the house a bit more, I've discovered some things which have me a bit conflicted about them.

1) They come across as a "Creed Lite" by using heavy bottles, lots of French-themed aristocratic marketing (powdered wigs and all), plus weaving a magical backstory concerning the Château de Marly and Louis XIV. His horses were naming inspiration for the early scents, while the formulae were "inspired" by whatever perfumes they wore back then, but they don't smell anything like what would have been around at the time (perfume in the 17th century barely existed as we know it now anyway).

2) Early launch releases from 2010 (like Ispazon) through to their exclusive Middle Eastern releases (like Habdan) were truly intended to compete in the same olfactive space as Creed and Tom Ford Private Blends, but as other basenoters have noticed, they began taking the easy way out by cannibalizing old designer accords and beefing them up with a barrage of aromachemicals so they smell thicker, richer, and longer-lasting than what they plagiarize. This is the source of most complaints.

3) It seems they've filled the coffers enough these days to start taking more risks and doing some things that don't directly smell like "Emperor's New Clothes", as evidenced by releases like Sedley and Kalan, but who's to say if this is the beginning of more-creative output or just an eye of the storm before they start making more upscaled designer clones again? It boils down to a matter of trust. It's hard to give something like Kalan a fair shake when perfumes like Galloway, Herod, and Layton have become their most-popular fragrances.

Regardless of your income, if you spend the kind of money they're asking for, you'd like to know it's going to something you can't get elsewhere for less, and so far PdM has felt mostly like a fleecing operation.

[N.CAL Fragrance Reviewer]

Their fragrances are bland and unoriginal, made with mediocre ingredients. They're overpriced department store fragrances marketed as upscale niche.

Very true. I consider it in the same category as houses like Bond No 9

[ToughCool]

My issue with their offerings isn’t a lot of what I read here..just a little. Unlike many houses I think they start off wonderful but in the end they tank up and fall apart late where it’s just a mess assaulting me. It’s the only house..well maybe Bond No 9...where a strong drydown is a fail !

[Dallas.com]

I like the house, own several and enjoy them

[Buysblind]

I think the "hate" is for three reasons:

1) Some people find their fragrances derivative (i.e., clones or closely resembling other fragrances that came before them)

2) They use strong synthetics, so people who are sensitive to synthetic notes find them harsh.

3) They play it safe, with likable combinations of notes and don't challenge the consumer.



For the record, I like the brand and find that in general they release fragrances that smell good and perform well.

[Diamondflame]

Are you sure you want to know, OP? What you don’t know won’t hurt you. But you it’s harder to forget what you’ve discovered. While I do like some of the PdMs I find them a little synthetic and tough to swallow at those prices. Coupled with the ridiculous King Louis XIV backstory requires a big leap my mind can’t seem to make. No hate here, just not impressed. Guess you can’t win them all.

[Cornflake]

To me it's the loud synthetics first, and the scents that remind me heavily of other fragrances that i liked better.

They tend to give me a headache so that doesn't help either.

[NickZee]

For me it seems PdM is a bit too clever with their marketing - the ridiculous incomplete backstory, the flood of freebies given to Youtube reviewer. And their fragrances are actually quite harsh and irritating make-overs of successful designers or common niche genres.

[RedRaider430]

I certainly have nothing against them. I sampled several of them after they came on the scene and simply didn't smell any that I found appealing....and certainly nothing I would want to buy.

[City74]

Ignore the hate. If you find some that you like, buy it. There's a few in this house that I feel are downright enjoyable and I'm glad they're in my collection.

Oh I do ignore it as it pertains to owning them. I was just curious as to why

[City74]

I love this house too man, so its not all hate. Layton and Herod are two of my favorite frags, period. Oajan is beautiful, Nisean is very nice, and Kalan is interesting. I don't find ANY of those bland or unoriginal. Quite the opposite in fact

Yea I’m a fan too. Herod might be my fav scent