Carios Parfums de Marly 2025

If Eragon is private-line designer level, and Valero is slop destined to stay rotting on department store shelves, then Carios is bang in the middle. It's something I'd expect from a designer extrait or the newfangled "elixir" that is pretending to be a concentration. It's the same problem I had with Lucius (and they kind of smell similar too), just isn't a step up from designers for the price, which is about double or even triple the high end department store frags.

Carios opens with a fruity burst, which is not really reflected in the notes. I was expecting it to have blackcurrant or pineapple or fig, something sticky-sweet, when I pulled up the notes after applying. There's a tiny bit of the burnt-rubber saffron also lingering, without being too overt or offensive. I'm not getting the comparisons with Oud for Greatness Eau de Parfum or Haltane at all. It smells more like a fruity take on Baccarat Rouge 540 Eau de Parfum with some spices. Kalan-adjacent but a lot more sweet, and a lot more flat, airy, and "perfume"-y. The drydown is pretty tame, just a run-of-the-mill masculine woody base that you've smelled a million times before.

Surprisingly, with these extraits, it seems that PdM has taken a step down, without even considering the price increase. While Eragon can be mentioned in the same breath as Althaïr or Oajan, it's probably middle-of-the-road in terms of PdM releases (again, ignoring the price). Carios is a definite step down. Doesn't smell like a niche product, even a niche version of a well-established genre. If I smelled this in a department store, I wouldn't blink an eye. It would probably be one of the more unique/better designer releases of the year, but still not something I'd consider purchasing at $150-$200. And Valero? Just straight up trash. Amberwood slop that is completely out of touch and out of fashion.

My thoughts are that prices are going up across the board, with inflation spiking, plus tariffs being introduced by the lovely country I happen to be a citizen of. And brands don't want to have their customers riot with pitchforks, so they are not increasing prices too quickly on their existing lines. However, they are introducing new lines (e.g. Amouage with the Essences) that are slowly going to take over their main collections, or just simply charging more for new releases (e.g. Oud Zarian). Same with designers. They are getting away with charging upwards of $200 for new elixirs/extraits. So I think the new normal is going to be: designer retail prices starting around $200 for EdTs and EdPs, and niche/private line retail prices starting around $500, but it's not going to happen overnight.

The coverage of Parfums de Marly's Les Extraits comes to an end today with Carios and in some ways, I feel like Carios is the best example of the argument I've made in the other reviews: people are slamming the product for non-fragrance-related exogenous factors since the product itself is essentially average.

In the top, the first accords I smelled were fruity-sweet, but those accords are instantly followed by the dark woody smell from Initio's hero franchise Oud for Greatness Eau de Parfum. I, for one, find that amusing, because Marly already has a product mimicking Oud for Greatness, that being Haltane. Without looking at the notes, I wrote down that the fruitiness is strawberry and I placed it between products like Oud for Greatness and Xerjoff's Indochine. But the main thing that I noticed is the fact that it objectively smells decent and is nowhere near a 6.1/10 by the standards with which people vote here on Parfumo.

As the scent transitions into the heart and I see the notes, I will say I'm a bit surprised there isn't an actual fruity note listed. The saffron from Oud for Greatness Eau de Parfum plays a prominent role in the structure throughout, but the scent does transition in a fresh-spicy direction as the geranium and ambroxan begin to oppose the dark woody and light fruity touches I experienced in the top. That is to say it lacks the quality of Oud for Greatness, a statement that I'm sure some people will find very amusing. I believe either the geranium or the ambroxan is giving Carios a light muskiness on-skin to the point where Carios almost feels like an alternative to Oud for Greatness' flanker, that being Oud for Greatness Neo: Neo also smells fresh-spicy (same realm as Torino22), but doesn't build its structure around geranium and ambroxan (instead utilizing fir balsam and lavender, delivering a better product in the process). Those notes are actually the lone issue with Carios since I feel like most of the depth this scent has is featured in the top and a lot of that doesn't carry through into the base where you mostly get fresh-sweet-spicy with a light fruitiness, almost like it's not even in the OFG realm anymore. That is to say the dry-down is very much barebones.

I've smelled many takes of this genre and while I haven't revised my Initio ratings yet, I've historically been firm on the idea that Oud for Greatness Eau de Parfum is the market-leading scent in its own genre. However, due to the crowdedness of that realm (meaning the scent's success has led to many imitations), I will be lowering the ceiling of its rating. Various niche takes like Outcast Blue Eau de Parfum, Liwa Extrait de Parfum and even Haltane have not brought any relevant improvements, instead just trying to earn a quick buck off the same DNA. Carios is certainly towards the bottom of this genre, even if we extend our reach to fresher takes like Neo and Torino22. However, the bottom in this genre is still product that fits the criteria of a median fragrance, especially in today's market. The performance is average-to-moderate and the value is still terrible just like the other 2, but those criticisms are, yet again, separate from the underlying product.

The core takeaway from Carios and the other Les Extraits is that of a souring sentiment within the niche community: people's bitterness towards the commercialization of niche perfumery has rendered them unable to offer (or attempt to offer) objective coverage. Make no mistake, some of you are overselling the story: Parfums de Marly hasn't been at the forefront of niche perfumery for at least half a decade now and I'm puzzled why people even come to Parfums de Marly in hopes of finding great releases in the first place. Ironically, when Marly has launched new products post-COVID, all of you seem to love it and it feels like I'm among a select few saying the product is average-to-subpar. So I just have to know: where was this criticism when they launched Terre d'Hermès Eau Givrée (Perseus), Club Black Eau de Toilette (Althair), Fleur Narcotique Eau de Parfum (Valaya), Love Don't Be Shy Perfume (Oriana) and several other inspired-by products? There's no space for flipflopping, either put up or shut up.

Honestly dont understand the hate for the extrait line, Carios specifically isnt a mass appealing frag like imagination by any means. It has the BR540 dna with the saffron note but adds in a woody citrus vibe to it. Put it on yesterday while at home like i usually do with a fragrance just to smell something and woke up the next morning after sleeping in and could still smell it.

Umm, really let's not! The nicest thing I can say about this stuff is that the bottle is great. Unfortunately, you can't wear the bottle. This sweet, fruity uneventful, lackluster offering from PDM, makes you ask why? Why didn't PDM know better. Why didn't someone pull this before it was released? Why would they put a price like this on it? If this stuff came with a complimentary bottle of Creed Aventus and MFK Baccarat Rouge 540, it still wouldn't be worth the price on it. Let this be a cautionary tale for those prone to blind buying...DON'T DO IT!!!! PDM, rarely misses but we've arrived at rarely.

After my rant regarding the botched "Valero | Parfums de Marly," I of course made it a point to test the other two newcomers.
I found Eragon to be quite alright, but still too expensive.

I would say something similar about Carios, but ultimately I want to claim that it is still the best of the three overpriced Marlys.
Even if it may seem boring to keep hammering on the price, in the end, one must also be measured by it, and a high monetary value usually stirs a certain level of expectations. Long story short: Carios is also way too expensive!

But why do I consider it the best?
For me, this fragrance brings a certain depth and a rather interesting contrast, namely that of saffron and rather fresh, citrus notes.
I must say, it is exactly this kind of contrast, or interplay, however one wants to see it, that I have come to love since acquiring "DesirToxic L'Intense | M. Micallef."
No, the fragrances don't have too much in common in terms of their basic structure, but the charming relationship between saffron and citrus unites them.
Probably also due to this personally cherished combination, I rate Carios with the term "the best of the three newcomers."
The presentation of the red mandarin works quite well for my nose, with slight tendencies of grapefruit also being noticeable.
The rose geranium, fortunately, holds back significantly here. In my opinion, this benefits the fragrance.
Thyme, pepper, and vetiver form a fitting cocoon around the top notes, which never completely disappear and are almost delicately enveloped. A slightly woody base note, which fits well, allows the cocoon to rest appropriately.

Whether and to what extent Ambrox swings its club here, I cannot reliably tell you, as I do not have a high sensitivity to this fragrance component and probably like it quite well for that reason. For me, it is rather subtle and appropriate.

Carios is potent and radiates significantly in the first 3-4 hours, so the dosage here, depending on the "application location," should be chosen carefully. After 4 hours, the projection calms down, but it lingers on the skin for a very long time, for me a good 8 hours.

I am at 7.75 points here, but due to the price, I refuse to apply the mathematical rules and round up, but down - Sorry!