Kalan Parfums de Marly 2019

I admit it: For me, it was a love at the second sniff as well. A small spray from the tester included with my PdM order disappeared directly into the depths of my perfume sample box. Disgusting... dried orange, spices... a wild stallion - brrr, stop - absolutely not my thing.

However, I had a second tester at the office and tried it there very cautiously. One spray - whoa - and about 30 minutes later, I promptly received a compliment from a colleague, even though I took social distancing quite seriously. Projection and sillage are typically very good for PdM, the scent is very intense. So, with too many sprays, you risk being thrown off the horse.

A week later, Kalan has become one of my favorite fragrances. Once you get used to the fresh-fruity spice and find the perfect spray amount, you’ve tamed the wild horse, and it’s easy to ride. Of course, it can happen that some people wrinkle their noses when you gallop into the office with Kalan or trot through the subway in the height of summer. However, others will be quite impressed by your presence, and some may even want to pet the horse.

After about 7 hours, it finally starts to lose its strength, but that’s okay. Brrr - I also need a break. I put Kalan back in the stable in the evening; he will spend the next few days there while I recover from my olfactory muscle soreness and settle for ponies and donkeys. But every few days, I dare to take him out of the pasture - whoa there, whoa there - and ride with Kalan towards the sun of a new day.

______________________________________
Rating:

Likeability: 6/10
Needs getting used to. Some love it, others find it (especially at first sniff) disgusting. I also found it far too strange at first. Not necessarily a classic compliment-getter, even though I have only received positive to enthusiastic feedback about the scent so far.

Uniqueness: 9/10
Yes, in the drydown, I also perceive the BR540 notes, and sometimes the sweet spice reminds me a bit of Tom Ford's Effing Fabulous. Nevertheless, the scent is very distinctive and unique.

Wearability: 8/10
If you don’t overdo it with the sprays, it is quite suitable for the office.

Year-round suitability: 8/10
I will wear it in spring/summer just as I do in autumn/winter. The spices give it a festive touch for the cold season, while the bittersweet orange brings freshness in spring and (when applied sparingly) probably also in summer.

Unisex rating: 7/10
I find it unisex, but it tends to lean slightly towards the masculine for me. However, in the end, it’s surely a matter of taste or personal preference.

Longevity and intensity: 8/10
It lasts about 8 hours on me despite the bitter orange notes. With 2-3 sprays, you will be strongly noticed by anyone within a 2-meter radius. With more sprays, you risk headaches. An intense scent.

Packaging and bottle: 4/10
As a designer with a penchant for minimalist aesthetics, I can’t find anything appealing about the PdM bottles in general; they remind me too much of ostentatious bottles for pseudo-elite alpha-male CEO aftershaves, both in terms of packaging design and bottle shape. Hammer-like luxury. However, the craftsmanship and material are at least decent.

For whom?
People in their mid-twenties to mid-forties who like to polarize. Those who don’t want to smell like everyone else and don’t want to please everyone. Kalan is not a 0815 scent that 0815 people wear in the club. No Layton, no Aventus, no Sauvage, no 1 Million. Still, or precisely because of that, it is usually very well received in my environment (but I’m not a club-goer). Kalan certainly stands out from the crowd and leaves an impression - (for me very) often positive, sometimes negative.

What does it smell like?
I find it smells like a damp pile of leaves in front of a barbershop, into which you stick dried blood orange pieces and lavender, and then cover it with spices and herbs. Baccarat Rouge similarity, if at all, only in the drydown; for me, it’s a completely different scent, much spicier. Not a typical PdM; anyone expecting Layton/Herod DNA will be disappointed.

Blind buy?
In this price category, blind buys are generally very risky, and with Kalan, even more so. Even if you like the notes or many other PdMs, it’s better to test it beforehand; I was also a bit confused upon first sniff after reading the notes.