That girl, Delina

She was a contender for a full week wear test, but I knew I just couldn't stand to be with her all day, every day, though she's great fun at (tea) parties...

Notes from Parfums de Marly:

Top: Rhubarb, Lychee, Bergamot Essence

Heart: Turkish Rose, Peony, Vanilla

Base: Cashmeran, Musk, Vetiver

image credit: parfumsdemarly.com

Parfums de Marly is a house I am somewhat on the fence about, leaning more towards the 'pro' side. One day I may topple off that fence right into the field of Parfums de Marly dreams but it's not happened yet. I'm balancing there, looking at the two items by the brand I own, both of which I paid full price for but have damaged packaging.

I see Parfums de Marly as the French answer to Penhaligons but without the irony. This is an earnestly exclusive brand that has gone mainstream, putting luxury perfume on the beauty map. I'd position them on the same proverbial perfume shelf as Xerjoff and Roja, and having smelled several of their offerings (but far from all) I can say I find them to be easy to love. Oriana is my #1 comfort scent, for example. I adore it.

However, the fact that both my bottle of Oriana and my Delina body cream have broken packaging though I'm right at the beginning of both of them irks me. Oriana's lid clasp came off on its first ever open, and my Delina Body Cream lid has a crack across it just from screwing it closed. When there are issues like this it does take away from the fact they would otherwise look lovely on my dresser.

Not indicative of the juice inside necessarily, it does make me wonder whether Parfums de Marly is worth the money. Are the fragrances as good as their premium price tag?

Once bitten, everyone is smitten

People in the fragrance world refer to her as a girl for a reason. She is more than a fragrance. Like Chanel No 5, Angel, Musc Ravageur, Baccarat Rouge and Santal 33, her success has spawned umpteen smell-alikes, some of which are by her creator Quentin Bisch himself, and some of which are copycats.

She has armies of fans and wannabes. She is proof that you don't always need to be edgy to set trends. I think of her as the personification of a successful influencer: both gorgeous and tenacious. She is the kind of girl who is already engaged even though she's in her very early twenties: and her diamond ring is LUSH (antique of course, and bought from Burlington Arcade...)

All of this is down to the marriage of tart/sour fruits, rose, vanilla and musk. A bit of incense or oud to anchor it all. Bisch bashed rose with rhubarb, and BAM, there it is: a perfume dripping with mouth-watering fruitiness and romantic petals. You now smell this combination everywhere. Even my hand sanitiser smells like a Delina copycat (Molton Brown Rhubarb & Rose).

Launched in 2017, she's already an industry stalwart. It's hard to imagine a time when Delina didn't exist. It's not just how ubiquitous she has become that Parfums de Marly should get kudos for. For many people, she is now seen as an essential in a female-leaning fragrance wardrobe: with the throw this girl has, she gets noticed. Being a fruity floral, your in-laws and your gran will probably like her. Not saying she's a safe 'blind buy' but many people who like feminine fruity florals and who want to smell 'pretty' will enjoy her.

If you prefer to smell edgy or androgynous, you will not.

For me, she is a mood.

Delina, Delina, Delina

I'm going to stop referring to Delina as a 'she', because there are three versions of Delina now, with the addition of Delina Exclusif (2018) and Delina la Rosée (2021). I slightly prefer both to the original.

Exclusif is a richer, warmer, more gourmand version of Delina. By being even more brazen with its tart juiciness and with just a kiss of added oud, it's more interesting to me. Exclusif and I are most definitely in the eyes-across-the-room phase but it's looking promising we might hook up.

Delina la Rosée is the one I know best as I've been through a few decants of it. My poor family (including my parents) were made to rate all of the perfume samples I brought with me to a get together and La Rosée came out on top. This seems to be how my loved ones want me to smell, or at least my husband and my dad, who I suppose are bound to want me to smell demure.

My bohemian mother's favourite was Vilhelm Perfumerie's Dear Polly, but that's for another post.

Parfums de Marly call La Rosée a more youthful version of Delina, but I find it more sophisticated, if a little prim. It's mainly an exploration of a fruity white musk, being second only to Chloe signature and Narciso Rodriguez eau de toilette for fragrances I've tried with such a lingering musky halo.

For this reason, despite its almost aquatic rose opening, it lasts just as long (on me) as the OG Delina and has a milky, clean dry-down. Unbelievably wearable and full bottle worthy for white musk lovers and anyone hosting a tea party on a long (striped) lawn.

As for whether they're worth the money: that depends on what smelling this way is worth to you.