Warmer weather is creeping into much of these United States of America but for me living in New England, warmer temperatures are still a pipe dream of mine. With a blistery cold 12° day today, I’ve started my second round of testing of the new Perseus by Parfums de Marly and upon initial spray I was reminded of my time with this fragrance when it came out and warmer temperatures had surprisingly graced New England. I can now say I’ve tried Perseus in both warmer conditions and cold conditions, so I feel as though I’m more than qualified to give a staunch verdict on this fragrance. Figured I really need to lay that information out on the table before I start this review.
I’ve written many a review on this site for newer fragrances and I always really try and find the good in any fragrance that I test. What you may not know is that a lot of times, cost is one of those facets that weighs my decision heavily when it comes to a full recommendation on any fragrance. If you have a $500 bottle of Fragrance du Bois and it’s the best thing you’ve smelled in your entire life, then 9/10 times I will recommend this as a fragrance you should own. But, if you just spent $365 of your hard earned scharole on a brand-new shiny bottle that you’ve never smelled before and then you spray it and are immediately disappointed, I will be less likely to recommend it and I feel as though it’s now my duty to relay that information to you ahead of time, so you don’t make a huge mistake.
This is 100% the case with Perseus.
The opening is super bright, citrusy, and elegant with notes of bergamot, grapefruit, and green mandarin. For a summertime fragrance it’s a banger of a scent and worth every penny. But there’s a problem that lies within this fragrance…and that is the fact that this citrus heaven only lasts for a really really short amount of time before you’re left with nothing but vetiver.
Let’s look at the official note breakdown: Top – grapefruit, bergamot, and black currant. Middle – green mandarin, vetiver, and geranium. Base – dry wood, cashmere wood, and ambergris. I can assure you; I only detect maybe 3 or 4 of these notes, the rest are non-existent to my nose. It’s just citrus for 10 or 15 minutes and then vetiver.
The thing that makes me more upset about this release is that it’s way too close to a scent that I’m all too familiar with, and that’s Terre d’Hermes Eau Intense Vetiver. This beast of a fragrance costs $220 retail for a 200ml bottle and the note breakdown is almost identical and smells WAY better in my humble opinion.
Truth of the matter is, if that amazing opening lasted longer or mixed somehow with the vetiver and other notes in the dry down it could change the entire dynamic of this fragrance and make it 10/10 in the recommend department. For what it is though, I can’t with a good conscience recommend this to anyone other than to just simply try it for yourself and see if my thoughts and ramblings are similar to yours. Sorry to say but it’s more disappointing than the final season of Game of Thrones. THAT bad.
Final Thoughts
I’m not going to tell you not to try Perseus because I really want you to see for yourself how this fragrance smells on your skin. It really had potential, but I feel like this was a rush job to get this fragrance out and feels unfinished. For what it is though, I’m going to have to give this a 4/10. If the price was more affordable in the sub-$200 range, it may have swayed me to a 7/10 but for that kind of price? You can easily get something like TDH Eau Intense Vetiver or even Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Forever for way cheaper and has more lasting power than Perseus.
Sorry, this wasn’t a glowing review of Perseus and I wish my opinion was different, but it is what it is, I guess. Give Perseus a try today and let me know in the comments or in your product review what you think. As always, I’ll catch you all in the next one!
