Herod Parfums de Marly 2012

While some perfumes can make me feel confident and put-together, Herod literally fills me with happiness. It's a cozy and inviting fragrance that still has a masculine character due to some spiciness and a mild tobacco note.

You have to like your sweet stuff to enjoy Herod. The opening is cinnamon-heavy and the drydown is dominated by vanilla, so this scent is as gourmand as it gets. The tobacco note isn't green or pungent, but quite dry and a bit smoky. Needless to say, the transition from cinnamon to the warm, cherry-like pipe tobacco is divine.

Cistus and osmanthus blend with vanilla, creating a creamy, slightly leathery impression. This is underlined by a woody base of cedar and Iso E Super along with earthy patchouli. Olivier Pescheux (R.I.P.) got the balance just right; the scent profile is incredibly pleasant.

Herod lasts for 8 hours on my skin and the projection is decent. I'm surrounded by a sexy scent bubble during the first half of the wear, so 3-4 hours. Is that good enough given the PdM price tag? Considering I would generally wear this during the holidays and for family gatherings, I can't honestly say I need it to last any longer.