Reviews of Percival by Parfums de Marly
Percival by Pafums de Marly was released in 2018 as a fresh citrus aromatic “blue” fragrance. Top notes are bergamot, mandarin, and aromatic “water”. Heart notes are hedione, jasmine, violet, geranium, lavender, coriander, cinnamon and cardamom. Base notes are ambroxan, musk, pepper, fir balsam, woody notes, spicy notes and tonka bean. Percival starts with a sharp citrus blast accompanied by a familiar watery blue note. The scent makes a smooth transition to lavender, geranium, floral notes and spices with the blue accord growing deeper. The scent smells like blue body wash at this point. Percival has an heavy ambroxan note in the base augmented by amberwood, spices, pepper and musk. The scent retains its blue character throughout the progression.
Percival is very similar to fragrances such as A & F Fierce, Montblanc Legend, Bleu de Chanel Parfum, even Bed, Bath and Bodyworks Mahogany Teakwood. The scent is fresh, blue and versatile. Performance is smooth, long-lasting with good sillage. Percival works well for casual occasions in all seasons.
If you already have one of the similar fragrances in your wardrobe you may not need to own Percival as well, especially at its high price point. All in all, Percival is a smooth, high-quality, blue fragrance that I recommend as an upgrade to Fierce, Legend and the like. Recommended.
Percival is very similar to fragrances such as A & F Fierce, Montblanc Legend, Bleu de Chanel Parfum, even Bed, Bath and Bodyworks Mahogany Teakwood. The scent is fresh, blue and versatile. Performance is smooth, long-lasting with good sillage. Percival works well for casual occasions in all seasons.
If you already have one of the similar fragrances in your wardrobe you may not need to own Percival as well, especially at its high price point. All in all, Percival is a smooth, high-quality, blue fragrance that I recommend as an upgrade to Fierce, Legend and the like. Recommended.
I know everybody loves this, and I really tried. The scent is fine. I like the minty opening, and the lavender in the dry down is very nice. It smells like quality and is perfect for the office or on a warm spring or fall day.
But the longevity on my skin was trash. It was a skin scent inside of 2 hours and completely undetectable after 4. I got a little projection for the first 2 hours that was very nice, and I enjoyed the scent. I don't expect everything to be beast mode, but at this price point, I do expect that the fragrance should have some performance.
Alas this one isn't for me.
But the longevity on my skin was trash. It was a skin scent inside of 2 hours and completely undetectable after 4. I got a little projection for the first 2 hours that was very nice, and I enjoyed the scent. I don't expect everything to be beast mode, but at this price point, I do expect that the fragrance should have some performance.
Alas this one isn't for me.
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Percival is a great scent. Quality of ingredients makes this one a stand out. This is blue fragrance. This is fresh/clean spice. Well blended.
This is a year round scent. Top notes are fresh and citrusy. Mid Notes are floral and the base dry down is woody with a spicy edge.
Marked as a scent for men but can absolutely be worn by a woman especially once drying down.
Price isn't bad compared to performance and quality. Smells similar to Vodka on the rocks. I have them both. I thing longevity and sillage go to Percival. Smells like a scent you need to have!
This is a year round scent. Top notes are fresh and citrusy. Mid Notes are floral and the base dry down is woody with a spicy edge.
Marked as a scent for men but can absolutely be worn by a woman especially once drying down.
Price isn't bad compared to performance and quality. Smells similar to Vodka on the rocks. I have them both. I thing longevity and sillage go to Percival. Smells like a scent you need to have!
The A+F fierce comparisons are spot on. I'd say they're 75% identical, especially in the dry-down. The biggest difference (on my skin) is percival has a salty note which lasts throughout the life of the scent. Sometimes it's a bit harsh and tiring, other times it gives it that sharp fresh bite that fierce lacks. Fierce on the other hand is sweeter and rounder.
After finally smelling this fragrance....it immediately reminded me of another one, to a tee....Calvin Klein Eternity. It might sound silly to some, but smell them side by side and tell me there's a scent difference.
If a MCU Spiderman film were a fragrance, this would be it. Look, this is what Tom Holland probably wears on set. It's young, hip and kinda playful in that way all these freshy scents tend to be, just like Mr. Holland. It's also moronic and kinda generic, just like Mr. Holland. Is it *bad* perfume? No. Just like the new Spiderman franchise isn't really bad. It's just part of the same overall formula we dumb filmgoers expect to see when we slide our credit card into the reader.
If you're looking for something darker, like Andrew Garfield's Spiderman, check out Bleu de Chanel, of course. Or if you want something more stylized and goofy, like a Sam Raimi and Tobey MacGuire collaboration? Give Dylan Blue a chance. Maybe you're more of a Deadpool or Daredevil guy, in which case AF Fierce or Montblanc Legend are your types.
But if you're going to spend the cash on a full presentation of Percival, then by all means, go for it. Who am I to tell you how to spend your money? I admire your conviction to owning every infinite possibility in the multiverse of blue fragrances. I'm sure the bottles will look perfect next to your Funko Pop collection.
If you're looking for something darker, like Andrew Garfield's Spiderman, check out Bleu de Chanel, of course. Or if you want something more stylized and goofy, like a Sam Raimi and Tobey MacGuire collaboration? Give Dylan Blue a chance. Maybe you're more of a Deadpool or Daredevil guy, in which case AF Fierce or Montblanc Legend are your types.
But if you're going to spend the cash on a full presentation of Percival, then by all means, go for it. Who am I to tell you how to spend your money? I admire your conviction to owning every infinite possibility in the multiverse of blue fragrances. I'm sure the bottles will look perfect next to your Funko Pop collection.
If you are looking for a live jazz replacement this is it. Its a mainstream blue but i love the coriander note that comes to front here and its why i loved live jazz.
Percival is too generic for the PDM line. It's easy to wear, nice smelling, but not distinct in any way. Aromatic citrus top notes, over a lavender, violet mid and woody musk base, super amplified with aroma-chemicals, but in a deft and skilled way. It runs across many Versace, Montblanc and Banana Republic offerings but with five times the performance and ten times the price. I'll pass on it.
This is a product that gets very mixed reviews online, mostly due to the combination of its steep price tag and the familiarity of the olfactory experience that a lot of people consider it to provide. Many people out there say that this is basically a designer fragrance with a niche fragrance price tag.
It gets compared to Abercrombie & Fitch Fierce and Mont Blanc Legend. I have not had the chance to smell the former, but I own the latter, and I have to agree that, in a very general manner, Percival and Legend both feature lavender and bergamot as notes that really stand out. So, there is, indeed, a similarity.
In the fascinating world of fragrances, details matter quite a bit, and more often than not, subtleties in the accords of the notes, the strength or moderation of even the slightest notes can make all the difference in the world. And more often than not, this can be a major differentiator between an expensive niche fragrance and its clone, or a Mont Blanc Legend and a Percival. And this explains why I do like Legend, but I'm absolutely in love with Percival.
Among the details that turn this baby into a totally different experience are the fantastic base notes. I find that the musk note, especially, really has a lot to do with the magic here. As a base note, it just really carries the top and mid notes beautifully and constantly makes them fade in throughout the first few hours in a calculated yet powerful manner...and really efficiently.
Is it a ground-breaking scent? Not at all. It is a fresh, clean, blue-ish type of scent whose formula is reminiscent of cheaper designer fragrances that's unlikely to garner a whole lot of "What are you wearing?" type of questions from fragrance aficionados that lean on the connoisseur side of the aisle. But, given that such fragrance aficionados do not constitute such a large portion of the population that you're likely to encounter on a daily basis, I do not see this as such a big deal, as most well-known online reviewers among the fragrance community seem to find. Yes, this is mass-appealing, and incredibly versatile. It's an all-year round scent that you can wear on basically any occasion, and it will get you tons of compliments.
This has way more depth and roundedness than Legend's linear, squarely lavender-driven scent, and it takes probably three sprays of Legend to get the projection of a single spray of Percival, and it will not match its longevity either. So the steep price tag is not so unjustified, if you ask me, but I can understand why someone would differ.
To me, Percival is the Mona Lisa of fresh scents, as its relatively familiar combination of notes blend in a deeply elegant, sophisticated way and its phenomenal quality is undeniable with stellar projection and sillage, and a longevity that puts 99% of fragrances out there to shame. I was at a pool party one afternoon and wore ONE spray, and people around were noticing. I jumped into the pool and stayed in the water for 15 minutes and I could still smell it on my skin afterwards, and for much of the evening. This is some seriously strong juice.
So, is it fair to say that this is a designer fragrance with a niche fragrance price tag? I would disagree, mainly because of its superior quality, the way the notes blend together beautifully and its amazing performance. It is a very safe pick if you're looking for a crowd pleaser and a versatile scent, and yes, it is expensive, although you can find it on certain discount sites. The pyramid of notes might make you think otherwise, but the roundedness, incredible performance and tiny details take it a step above similar designer fragrances. So, to be fair, while this is not a daring scent at all, this is very sweet craft...niche house type of craft too.
One of my go-to's!
It gets compared to Abercrombie & Fitch Fierce and Mont Blanc Legend. I have not had the chance to smell the former, but I own the latter, and I have to agree that, in a very general manner, Percival and Legend both feature lavender and bergamot as notes that really stand out. So, there is, indeed, a similarity.
In the fascinating world of fragrances, details matter quite a bit, and more often than not, subtleties in the accords of the notes, the strength or moderation of even the slightest notes can make all the difference in the world. And more often than not, this can be a major differentiator between an expensive niche fragrance and its clone, or a Mont Blanc Legend and a Percival. And this explains why I do like Legend, but I'm absolutely in love with Percival.
Among the details that turn this baby into a totally different experience are the fantastic base notes. I find that the musk note, especially, really has a lot to do with the magic here. As a base note, it just really carries the top and mid notes beautifully and constantly makes them fade in throughout the first few hours in a calculated yet powerful manner...and really efficiently.
Is it a ground-breaking scent? Not at all. It is a fresh, clean, blue-ish type of scent whose formula is reminiscent of cheaper designer fragrances that's unlikely to garner a whole lot of "What are you wearing?" type of questions from fragrance aficionados that lean on the connoisseur side of the aisle. But, given that such fragrance aficionados do not constitute such a large portion of the population that you're likely to encounter on a daily basis, I do not see this as such a big deal, as most well-known online reviewers among the fragrance community seem to find. Yes, this is mass-appealing, and incredibly versatile. It's an all-year round scent that you can wear on basically any occasion, and it will get you tons of compliments.
This has way more depth and roundedness than Legend's linear, squarely lavender-driven scent, and it takes probably three sprays of Legend to get the projection of a single spray of Percival, and it will not match its longevity either. So the steep price tag is not so unjustified, if you ask me, but I can understand why someone would differ.
To me, Percival is the Mona Lisa of fresh scents, as its relatively familiar combination of notes blend in a deeply elegant, sophisticated way and its phenomenal quality is undeniable with stellar projection and sillage, and a longevity that puts 99% of fragrances out there to shame. I was at a pool party one afternoon and wore ONE spray, and people around were noticing. I jumped into the pool and stayed in the water for 15 minutes and I could still smell it on my skin afterwards, and for much of the evening. This is some seriously strong juice.
So, is it fair to say that this is a designer fragrance with a niche fragrance price tag? I would disagree, mainly because of its superior quality, the way the notes blend together beautifully and its amazing performance. It is a very safe pick if you're looking for a crowd pleaser and a versatile scent, and yes, it is expensive, although you can find it on certain discount sites. The pyramid of notes might make you think otherwise, but the roundedness, incredible performance and tiny details take it a step above similar designer fragrances. So, to be fair, while this is not a daring scent at all, this is very sweet craft...niche house type of craft too.
One of my go-to's!
This is so uninteresting, another "blue frag" like many before it. It's a very clear combination of two well-known, cheap designer scents: AF Fierce and Montblanc Legend. IMO it's no better than either of them (it might actually be worse), and at several times the price that comparison is laughable. Why anyone would spend $200/300 on this is beyond me.
I finally found the perfect use for this fragrance, flying long haul!
Anually I do a couple/few long haul flights 10-13hrs+. I was tossing up between Percival, GIT or Original Vetiver.
Yep I picked Percival and this thing rocked! The whole time from leaving home until arriving at my destination 18 hours later I was catching whiffs.
It is such a clean, pleasant shower gel type feel. If you want to stand out i do not recommend this but it will sure keep you smelling shower clean for a long time!
I do really enjoy this but i do not think it's worth the price point.
7.5/10
Anually I do a couple/few long haul flights 10-13hrs+. I was tossing up between Percival, GIT or Original Vetiver.
Yep I picked Percival and this thing rocked! The whole time from leaving home until arriving at my destination 18 hours later I was catching whiffs.
It is such a clean, pleasant shower gel type feel. If you want to stand out i do not recommend this but it will sure keep you smelling shower clean for a long time!
I do really enjoy this but i do not think it's worth the price point.
7.5/10
Oh this is cute. Parfums de Marly decided to make a fresh fougère with Percival (2018), and instead of directly copying one or two popular designer examples, they decided to mix a few different styles together. I don't want to like it, because it's just another luxury redressing of a blue collar vibe with over-amped performance, but I actually do. In this instance, we are getting a note pyramid mostly similar to Montblanc Legend (2011), a fragrance known by many in the hobbyist community affectionately as "expensive Axe", mixed with slightly more-recent developments found in fragrances like Versace Pour Homme Dylan Blue (2016). The base is fattened and rounded out with higher quality aromachems in the usual way Parfums de Marly does, but there isn't anything particularly niche about the execution, and this is yet another example from the house of a scent meant for the rich STEM or medical professionals that have enough interest in perfume to watch the occasional YouTube reviewer rant about a brand like this. In an almost comical way, the matte blue finish of the bottle on this one is very reminiscent of the racing blue I see on some BMW cars, so it's very fitting for the intended market segment. Unlike some past efforts such as Herod (2012) or Layton (2016), Percival also manages to not come across cloying despite obvious base note enhancements.
The opening here in Percival is almost the spitting image of the first ten minutes of Creed Himalaya (2002), with metallic aldehydes (eg: helonial), dry bergamot, and a sweet citrus like mandarin for counter-balance. I'd almost call this a lower-cost alternative to the Creed, since Percival is about $200 cheaper, but even at $300 MSRP you have to really love what is being offered, and because this is such a common idea being represented, the chance of such a love affair is unlikely. From this Himalaya-like opening, we switch into the "Montblanc phase", with jasmine, lavender, geranium, coriander, and cinnamon creating a rather round, spicy, clean, and smooth "shower gel masculine" vibe. A tiny speck of violet infers some similarity to Creed Green Irish Tweed (1985) as other note, but it is gone is a hurry, as the final "Versace phase" of the base comes about. In this final turn, we get a healthy dose of norlimbanol and ambroxan, with some "generic blue 90's thing" filling in the gaps, but a larger quantity of musk and evernyl than in the Versace, plus some tonka and fir balsam. Overall, this smells better than Versace Pour Homme Dylan Blue, but for three times the price, I don't know if it's better enough to justify the leap. Wear time is over 8 hours and sillage is good but not obnoxious. I'd stick to office or casual use with Percival if I was to buy it.
I commend Parfums de Marly for finally being able to make a niche-priced designer dupe that actually smells like more time and attention went into it than the designer it parrots (and not just more/stronger ingredients), but this is still far and away from anything a hobbyist would qualify as niche. Luckily for Parfums de Marly, they're not trying to capture the same market as someone like Serge Lutens or Amouage, so they're not so worried if the oakmoss-huffing and oud-licking segment of the market doesn't get their fix of natural-smelling bases and is able to prattle off the chemicals they smell in a scent like Percival in the same way a kid reads the ingredients on a cereal box. The guy graduating from that aforementioned Montblanc and looking to "move up to the next level" after watching a few YouTube videos is the prime candidate for something like Percival, as it is friendly, clean, well-constructed, and smells "better" than whatever else such a person may have been using, and without sufficient knowledge in what other options exist, could easily be slipped a bottle by the right salesperson. Once again, I like Percival, but am hard pressed to recommend it to anyone unless a bottle comes across your path at a severe discount due to the glut of alternatives. Thumbs up
The opening here in Percival is almost the spitting image of the first ten minutes of Creed Himalaya (2002), with metallic aldehydes (eg: helonial), dry bergamot, and a sweet citrus like mandarin for counter-balance. I'd almost call this a lower-cost alternative to the Creed, since Percival is about $200 cheaper, but even at $300 MSRP you have to really love what is being offered, and because this is such a common idea being represented, the chance of such a love affair is unlikely. From this Himalaya-like opening, we switch into the "Montblanc phase", with jasmine, lavender, geranium, coriander, and cinnamon creating a rather round, spicy, clean, and smooth "shower gel masculine" vibe. A tiny speck of violet infers some similarity to Creed Green Irish Tweed (1985) as other note, but it is gone is a hurry, as the final "Versace phase" of the base comes about. In this final turn, we get a healthy dose of norlimbanol and ambroxan, with some "generic blue 90's thing" filling in the gaps, but a larger quantity of musk and evernyl than in the Versace, plus some tonka and fir balsam. Overall, this smells better than Versace Pour Homme Dylan Blue, but for three times the price, I don't know if it's better enough to justify the leap. Wear time is over 8 hours and sillage is good but not obnoxious. I'd stick to office or casual use with Percival if I was to buy it.
I commend Parfums de Marly for finally being able to make a niche-priced designer dupe that actually smells like more time and attention went into it than the designer it parrots (and not just more/stronger ingredients), but this is still far and away from anything a hobbyist would qualify as niche. Luckily for Parfums de Marly, they're not trying to capture the same market as someone like Serge Lutens or Amouage, so they're not so worried if the oakmoss-huffing and oud-licking segment of the market doesn't get their fix of natural-smelling bases and is able to prattle off the chemicals they smell in a scent like Percival in the same way a kid reads the ingredients on a cereal box. The guy graduating from that aforementioned Montblanc and looking to "move up to the next level" after watching a few YouTube videos is the prime candidate for something like Percival, as it is friendly, clean, well-constructed, and smells "better" than whatever else such a person may have been using, and without sufficient knowledge in what other options exist, could easily be slipped a bottle by the right salesperson. Once again, I like Percival, but am hard pressed to recommend it to anyone unless a bottle comes across your path at a severe discount due to the glut of alternatives. Thumbs up
First impression reminded me of Green Irish Tweed by Creed, however with some important differences of the positive kind. Where GIT during dry down smells too much like Davidoff Cool Water (which I cannot stand btw) the Percival does not have that same scent. Somewhat sweet/creamy but not from vanilla. Long lasting and good silage. This is a fragrance I an absolutely live with. Never tried Mont Blanc Legend nor A&F Fierce so I can comment on any potential resemblance.
Since I'm no fan of vanilla scents which seems to be present in most Parfums de Marly scents, this is their best of the ones I have tried (Herod, Pegasus and Layton).
Since I'm no fan of vanilla scents which seems to be present in most Parfums de Marly scents, this is their best of the ones I have tried (Herod, Pegasus and Layton).
Just purchased Parfums de Marly Percival and I must say, I would agree with many who have categorized that as a fragrance that smells very designer, not so much 'niche.' I am not sure if this smells like AF fierce or Mont Blanc Legend, I would say that this reminds me of Creed's Viking (even sharing a few notes in the note breakdown). I am not saying that they are identical, perhaps just falling into the same genre-family.
Percival is a fresh, zesty light, slightly sweet, woodsy, menthol-ish even aquatic fragrance. With some lavender and rose to mix things up, the musk and amberwood give it that masculine edge.
Overall, I think Percival is a nice fragrance to have, however not something to rush out and purchase.
Projection: 6.5/10
Silage: 7.5/10
Longevity: 7/10
Performance: 7/10
Overall: 7/10; PdM Percival-a nice fragrance, however nothing to call home about. I could get whiffs of this only when I would put my wrist to my nose, the scent bubble was not that great if any, and the performance was average IMHO.
Percival is a fresh, zesty light, slightly sweet, woodsy, menthol-ish even aquatic fragrance. With some lavender and rose to mix things up, the musk and amberwood give it that masculine edge.
Overall, I think Percival is a nice fragrance to have, however not something to rush out and purchase.
Projection: 6.5/10
Silage: 7.5/10
Longevity: 7/10
Performance: 7/10
Overall: 7/10; PdM Percival-a nice fragrance, however nothing to call home about. I could get whiffs of this only when I would put my wrist to my nose, the scent bubble was not that great if any, and the performance was average IMHO.
Tried much of the Marly line over the break, and wasn't at all impressed. This was the worst of them. Just look at that note profile and tell me it's not chasing the dollar of the Sauvage / Profumo genre.
I couldn't figure out what this reminded me of at first. It has a green-freshness that originally had me thinking Green Irish Tweed but it's not that close and I knew that wasn't it. Then I checked out other online reviews. MB Legend, that's it! It is a little sweeter and not as harsh as Legend but I would say owning both would be redundant as the cost of Percival doesn't eclipse the current value of Legend.