Reviews of Delina by Parfums de Marly
I bought this earlier in the year when Sandy Liang reawakened "Girlhood" for millennials, and bows adorned every part of a woman's figure -- from hair to the shoe details. "Delina" really helps lean into feminine energy. I have to be in a particular mood to wear this fragrance as it reads more sweet on me. When I am feeling particularly feminine and flirtatious, I will wear this fragrance as an accessory to outfits that are often in a light color palette with a hint of delicate pink, ivory and lace.
This fragrance starts off bright and juicy, but can be a bit strong. One or two sprays is enough. I don't wear this daily but love it for outdoor events or a fun night out. I think it's very high quality and I don't regret the purchase.
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She’s all glitter and jelly sandals, this one. And unabashedly so. Tart, fruity floral. Very young, very loud, syrupy sweet.
UPDATE: After a few hours of wearing this scent, you feel like a kid at a slumber party whose powered through several candy bags and is now nauseated and exhausted and needing mum to come pick you up. Too sweet, too sour. Headache inducing.
UPDATE: After a few hours of wearing this scent, you feel like a kid at a slumber party whose powered through several candy bags and is now nauseated and exhausted and needing mum to come pick you up. Too sweet, too sour. Headache inducing.
After reading great reviews and from time-to-time finding myself on a journey for a new "signature" or daily fragrance, I decided to give Delina EDP and Selina Exclusif a try. I will review Delina Exclusif in a little bit.
I am still on the fence about this one and overall, I like it but I do not love it. The intense initial rhubarb, lychee and bergamot blast is something folks seem to love or hate. For me, the intense vegetal & fruity opening, which seems to last forever and a day, is one aspect I do NOT love.
The intense tartness and sharpness to the perfume's opening almost give me a headache. Additionally, the intensity and "uniqueness" of the opening note(s) remind be a lot of the numerous fruity, creamy, cotton-candy fragrances presently on the market. Seems there are numerous fragrances like Delina EDP that deliver this overly-intense "unique" initial blast in a quest to give the fragrance a young & "edgy" vibe. It feels like the opening notes of Delina EDP are just trying a bit too hard to be relevant and "hip."
I struggle to smell rose, incense, or musk but floral mid-notes do emerge, along with milky, creamy somewhat vanilla notes. Finally after an hour or so, Delina EDP settles as nothing more than a floral, somewhat milky vanilla fragrance with CONTINUAL wafts of rhubarb, lychee, bergamot...vegetal & fruity notes.
I would like some incense, wood, musk and other like notes to rise and somehow ground/balance this fragrance. But on my skin, these notes never appear. Silage is moderate, longevity is long. This is a nice enough fragrance I suppose but definitely not for me and surely not full-bottle worthy at such a high price-point.
All stars and thumbs up but not a fragrance I would buy and wear on a regular basis.
I am still on the fence about this one and overall, I like it but I do not love it. The intense initial rhubarb, lychee and bergamot blast is something folks seem to love or hate. For me, the intense vegetal & fruity opening, which seems to last forever and a day, is one aspect I do NOT love.
The intense tartness and sharpness to the perfume's opening almost give me a headache. Additionally, the intensity and "uniqueness" of the opening note(s) remind be a lot of the numerous fruity, creamy, cotton-candy fragrances presently on the market. Seems there are numerous fragrances like Delina EDP that deliver this overly-intense "unique" initial blast in a quest to give the fragrance a young & "edgy" vibe. It feels like the opening notes of Delina EDP are just trying a bit too hard to be relevant and "hip."
I struggle to smell rose, incense, or musk but floral mid-notes do emerge, along with milky, creamy somewhat vanilla notes. Finally after an hour or so, Delina EDP settles as nothing more than a floral, somewhat milky vanilla fragrance with CONTINUAL wafts of rhubarb, lychee, bergamot...vegetal & fruity notes.
I would like some incense, wood, musk and other like notes to rise and somehow ground/balance this fragrance. But on my skin, these notes never appear. Silage is moderate, longevity is long. This is a nice enough fragrance I suppose but definitely not for me and surely not full-bottle worthy at such a high price-point.
All stars and thumbs up but not a fragrance I would buy and wear on a regular basis.
What immediately comes to mind when wearing this is that scene in Sophia Coppola's Marie Antoinette, where the gals are having themselves a good old fashioned 18th-century self-care day, set to "I Want Candy." If that scene had a smell, it would be Delina.
It's intensely rosy but also bright and succulent thanks to rhubarb and lychee, which leads one down a deceptively giggly, girly path before hitting the nose with its cheeky dry down, a bracing vetiver with just a hint of incense. (And kudos to whoever designed the bottle. It's on point and high quality, with a heavy cap that snaps in place with a decisive click and stays there.)
It's intensely rosy but also bright and succulent thanks to rhubarb and lychee, which leads one down a deceptively giggly, girly path before hitting the nose with its cheeky dry down, a bracing vetiver with just a hint of incense. (And kudos to whoever designed the bottle. It's on point and high quality, with a heavy cap that snaps in place with a decisive click and stays there.)
Sometimes I feel like I am on a different planet than the average basenotes users/reviewers. The fact that this has so many neutral and negative reviews on here is kind of blowing my mind. I LOVE this, and both of the other Delina Flankers as well. It has a tartness to it (I guess that’s the rhubarb and lychee), that just is so unique to me. I don’t have many fragrances that have a very juicy tartness to them, even those with citrus notes don’t achieve this for me. Then, on top of that very pleasant and unique aspect, it has an explosion of sweet roses that I just can’t get enough of. This is a very powerful perfume, very easy to overspray. It has a huge projection, and very VERY long lasting. The sillage is another point that I can’t help but notice it’s unique beauty… the smell coming off of my body and leaving that beautiful trail… that’s a different scent than the one I sniff on my wrists. So that little present you are leaving behind to everyone, it’s so pretty! Sometimes I’ll get a whiff of that and think oh my god what is that beautiful scent? Oh yeah, it’s me! But anyway, don’t write this one off without trying it on your skin. And don’t spray too much. The Exclusif version doesn’t have the tart, juicy Quality… but it has a creamy quality instead.
I love how this opens with the nutmeg spicy smell, but it wears off rather quickly and turns to a more floral smell, which is still nice. But that quickly turns too sweet and I notice flowers and what smells to my nose of cotton candy. I can see why it’s popular, I’m in the dry down phase and just have lots of rose which smells wonderful. It’s just a little too sweet floral for me. I gave my sample to my mom. I think it is a good daytime fragrance for spring and summer.
Love the scent! At first, I thought I preferred Delina Exclusif, but now I think this one's drydown can compete with it. Delina smells like a higher-pitched version of Delina Exclusif. I think this one is suitable for casual events, while Delina Exclusif is more suited for evening or date scenarios. As I haven't explored many feminine fragrances, I can't compare this to others.
However, the price is too high. I wouldn't pay more than $180CAD for it. The cost is always the factor that lowers the rating for the women's line.
However, the price is too high. I wouldn't pay more than $180CAD for it. The cost is always the factor that lowers the rating for the women's line.
I was so excited to try Delina by Parfums De Marly because of all the hype surrounding it! I ordered a sample set from their website which included the new La Rosee version as well.
When I smelt Delina on paper for the first time I was shocked. I was expecting a fresh rose with lychee and rhubarb but all I can smell is incense? It smells musty and woody and not fresh and light at all like the reviews I've watched and read. Then I thought it may smell different on the skin but had to go for a shower shortly after spraying because the smell was so suffocating!
La Rosee is more of what I expected Delina to smell like, it is on the fresher side but again just smells like a musky rose with wood. Neither are fruity and fresh like their descriptions say.
I wish I had liked it and have only seen positive reviews online so I'm sad I'm the only one it didn't work for! I have tried other perfumes with rose and lychee (Kilian's After Sunset, Lancome Idole, and LV Attrape Reves) and loved those.
When I smelt Delina on paper for the first time I was shocked. I was expecting a fresh rose with lychee and rhubarb but all I can smell is incense? It smells musty and woody and not fresh and light at all like the reviews I've watched and read. Then I thought it may smell different on the skin but had to go for a shower shortly after spraying because the smell was so suffocating!
La Rosee is more of what I expected Delina to smell like, it is on the fresher side but again just smells like a musky rose with wood. Neither are fruity and fresh like their descriptions say.
I wish I had liked it and have only seen positive reviews online so I'm sad I'm the only one it didn't work for! I have tried other perfumes with rose and lychee (Kilian's After Sunset, Lancome Idole, and LV Attrape Reves) and loved those.
Parfums de Marly is a house that seemed determined to catch that H.E.N.R.Y. money right from the start (high-earning not-yet-rich males), going after the same market Creed had been cultivating for decades, and other houses like Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle or Serge Lutens had been taking nibbles of with select compositions since the beginning of the 21st century. With Xerjoff and Roja Dove also entering the same olfactive space of "I want my 'cologne' to match my Rolex and Audi", it was only a matter of time before Parfums de Marly started taking the fairer sex more seriously, shaping up their afterthought of a feminine-market catalog into something respectable. Nobody talks about their feminine perfumes for the same reason nobody really talks about early Parfums de Marly masculine releases, and that reason is they just aren't focused, feeling more exploratory like owner Julien Sprecher was taking shots in the dark. Delina (2017) seeks to change that perception, and isn't a retread of a big 80's perfume like Safanad (2012) or something once-daring but thouroughly sterilized like Darcy (2014), but what it presents may be met with some ambivalence from the fanbase too. Apparently Delina also gets the "exclusif" treatment like Layton (2016), but also like Layton, doesn't really seem to benefit from it at all.
In short, Delina is what you get if you tried to take the smell of the Glade "Angel Whispers" scented candle and gave it the luxury niche perfume treatment. I don't know if perfumer Quentin Bisch was specifically going for that, but seeing his usually-referential work on releases like the more-recent Caronlina Herrera Bad Boy (2019), I can't say it's unexpected. Delina is that peony-foward smell of the aforementioned candle married to a large hit of dark Turkish rose, creating a clash of deep floral tones and sweet candy-like ones, sharpened and polished to a lethal point with aromachemicals like cashmeran to make Delina both bemusingly childish and frighteningly serious. The opening of bergamot and lychee is rounded with rhubarb and nutmeg, giving some tartness and heft to introduce the Damask rose in the heart. The peony comes in later with a bit of muguet to reign in the sweetness just a tad, although vanilla breaks those shackles in the late dry down stage, then gets amplified by cashmeran, musk, and norlimbanol. The last one adds a bit of scratch which belies the "niche quality" of Delina, but also continues the balancing act of sharp and sweet. Wear time is all day, and sillage/projection are more formidible than past PdM feminines, but Delina doesn't scream like some of the masculines from the brand.
The biggest characteristic of Delina is how youthful and dainty it tries to be, but how forceful it presents itself, like a bodybuilder in drag trying to pass himself off as Bette Davis from "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?". Some people will read this as horridly gauche, and I suppose it would be to folks with conventional wisdom concerning femininity presented in perfume, especially in times dominated by the "fruitchouli" and the fruity floral. However, a certain level of genderbend flexibility is afforded Delina for this reason as well, making it an interesting sort of "intersex" perfume for male-identifying people with strong feminine stylistic vibes or vice versa, meaning Delina could be a whole lot of fun for the right individual. Unfortunately, this runs about $300 for 75ml, so Delina is a costly experiment at best and a total waist of money for something that smells similar to a popular Glade candle at worst, so Chanel Coco Mademoiselle (2002) can serve much the same role for far less. Still, this is the first PdM feminine perfume of substance and I like it, so I'll give it my stamp of approval, just with the warning that this is far from your average perfume. Who knew a candied Turkish rose and lychee over a rakish aromachemical bed of "wood" notes and musk could be so thought-provoking? ...Not I said the fly. Thumbs up.
In short, Delina is what you get if you tried to take the smell of the Glade "Angel Whispers" scented candle and gave it the luxury niche perfume treatment. I don't know if perfumer Quentin Bisch was specifically going for that, but seeing his usually-referential work on releases like the more-recent Caronlina Herrera Bad Boy (2019), I can't say it's unexpected. Delina is that peony-foward smell of the aforementioned candle married to a large hit of dark Turkish rose, creating a clash of deep floral tones and sweet candy-like ones, sharpened and polished to a lethal point with aromachemicals like cashmeran to make Delina both bemusingly childish and frighteningly serious. The opening of bergamot and lychee is rounded with rhubarb and nutmeg, giving some tartness and heft to introduce the Damask rose in the heart. The peony comes in later with a bit of muguet to reign in the sweetness just a tad, although vanilla breaks those shackles in the late dry down stage, then gets amplified by cashmeran, musk, and norlimbanol. The last one adds a bit of scratch which belies the "niche quality" of Delina, but also continues the balancing act of sharp and sweet. Wear time is all day, and sillage/projection are more formidible than past PdM feminines, but Delina doesn't scream like some of the masculines from the brand.
The biggest characteristic of Delina is how youthful and dainty it tries to be, but how forceful it presents itself, like a bodybuilder in drag trying to pass himself off as Bette Davis from "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?". Some people will read this as horridly gauche, and I suppose it would be to folks with conventional wisdom concerning femininity presented in perfume, especially in times dominated by the "fruitchouli" and the fruity floral. However, a certain level of genderbend flexibility is afforded Delina for this reason as well, making it an interesting sort of "intersex" perfume for male-identifying people with strong feminine stylistic vibes or vice versa, meaning Delina could be a whole lot of fun for the right individual. Unfortunately, this runs about $300 for 75ml, so Delina is a costly experiment at best and a total waist of money for something that smells similar to a popular Glade candle at worst, so Chanel Coco Mademoiselle (2002) can serve much the same role for far less. Still, this is the first PdM feminine perfume of substance and I like it, so I'll give it my stamp of approval, just with the warning that this is far from your average perfume. Who knew a candied Turkish rose and lychee over a rakish aromachemical bed of "wood" notes and musk could be so thought-provoking? ...Not I said the fly. Thumbs up.
A sugary rose, with hints of lychee, on a musky-vanillic base. The note of rhubarb is in the background. Adequate presence on skin, with reasonable tenacity but overall it is disappointing: sophomoric, dull, too earnest, and unintelligent. This is a perfume for dolls, not women. Perhaps a guy could give it a twist.
2/5
2/5
When I first wore it, it reminded me of Florabotanica by Balenciaga, but more elegant. Florabotanica is already elegant enough but there's a richness to the depth in which Delina balances its rhubarb and lychee. The performance quality is quite the same and it's a real head turner! It's no wonder why this fragrance is so expensive. You can smell the depth of every note and you can smell it on you for a long time. Others can smell it on you as well, for it has a moderately inoffensive sillage. One of the best things about it is that it is suitable for almost any occasion so if you splurge on it and it's your signature, you can guarantee that you will be using it for everything.
Big, bright pink rose, spike of green, RHUBARB!!! Vanilla-musk base. Has a light, carefree feel and a similar vibe to NR For Her EdT, but with subtler musks and no patchouli - less distinctive in style perhaps, but it feels more luxurious than the NR. The one stand-out feature is how well the rhubarb pops, but it settles quickly and my excitement was short-lived.
Projection and sillage moderate; longevity decent, but I'd expect better at this price-point. It's a really nice and pretty perfume, but it doesn't feel particularly original and I can't help feeling that it's probably been done better elsewhere. Given it's price, I'd expect it to feel a little more accomplished. Definitely a thumbs up - it's a great scent and I'll be getting a larger decant, for sure.
Projection and sillage moderate; longevity decent, but I'd expect better at this price-point. It's a really nice and pretty perfume, but it doesn't feel particularly original and I can't help feeling that it's probably been done better elsewhere. Given it's price, I'd expect it to feel a little more accomplished. Definitely a thumbs up - it's a great scent and I'll be getting a larger decant, for sure.
This gives me the same sense of unbalance as Purple Flowers did with it's sharp fig note over a soft flowers. Dissonant. It offers some interest, but ultimately is not satisfying. This one offers an uber soft underfloral--peony, topped with a tart, prominent, sustained rhubarb. Thirty minutes into it, I become aware of the vanilla and it still seems like a lopsided construction, as the warmth and sweetness of the vanilla don't blend with the rhubarb but rather provides contrast to make it now smell sour. I know I should hang in there for the sake of this review, and it tells me something that this time, I cannot. I find the heart so unpleasant that no base dry down could be worth the wait. I'm scrubbing.
This exudes femininity. While it is sweet, floral, and fruity- it is by no means ordinary. Shares similarities to Montale's Intense Cafe (minus the coffee), but the rhubarb in this amplifies it. I absolutely love it! Love...