Valaya Exclusif Parfums de Marly 2025

When PDM announced an exclusif version of Valaya was being released, I was super excited mainly because I wasn’t crazy about the harshness of the OG. While I do like citruses, I think the composition of Valaya lacks balance and rhythm. However, I think switching out some of the notes in the OG definitely upgraded the scent profile and wear in this new Valaya Exclusif.

To start, that pesky peach note is thankfully gone. I’m sorry to anyone that liked it, but it added an unnecessary cloying-ness to an already flamboyant scent. Instead, a smooth almond is substituted and gives VE a softer, smoother opening. Paired with the powdery notes in the heart, VE is notably more powdery than the OG, which may or may not work for you depending on your preference. As someone not fond of powdery scents, I quite enjoy the powder here cause it helps to soften the sharp citrus and dry woods in the base. It still has that “clean” feel without being as soapy as the original. VE is also much more wearable than the OG, without losing its strength. It’s sweet, pretty, and feminine, just like the OG, but has a little more of a mature vibe.

Lastly, I will say that I agree with the commenter that said this one and the OG aren’t synonymous to Delina and it’s Exclusif. If you have the OG, you can probably skip this because the scent profiles are very similar (unlike the Delina’s!). But if you’re like me and couldn’t stand certain aspects of the original, definitely give this one a sample. It’s new in my collection and I’m excited to test her out more when the weather gets warmer.

I have never smelled anything stunning in OG Valaya. Sure, it is nice and fresh but nothing in the scent, quality or longevity is worth 300$.
So I was surprised to find the opening of Valaya Exclusif very interesting. What a nice and creamy almondy scent, lifted up by citrus! As I think more and more that Parfums de Marly are of these "niche" brands who sell lazy 2020’s designer juices wrapped in a beast mode marketing (including the « high price = high quality » bias), I truly believed at this moment that Valaya Exclusif would prove me wrong. I love to be proven wrong.
But half an hour after spraying... I was unfortunately right. The middle and base notes, a flowery-vanillic-plasticky haze, remembered me of 3 Kilian fragrances, at least.
Good for you if you love this and can afford it, you do you! But these scent and brand does really feel like a scam to me.

The first spray is an ambroxan bomb. To the point I almost said absolutely not. After about 10 minutes that settles down and shining through is the almond with specifically pink powder compact notes. This is the ultimate clean girl, expensive, fragrance. I’ve been in this game and have way too many perfumes that I know I have something more affordable that will make me just as happy. There is a slight vanilla in the dry down and I don’t get anything but a fleeting wiff of orange.. she’s well done as I would expect nothing less from PDM but that price tag. No. I’ll stick w a yearly 5ML decant and be happy.

about me: 30s, introverted, nonbinary (perceived fem), working in medical

source: 2mL decant, sale/swap
price: $430 for 75mL
current season: autumn, evening
priming method: none
hydration level: high
application: light

wet: soft white florals.

dry: if there's a floral here it's buried under what might possibly be the almond accord but is reading to me as a mélange of heavy musks. color impression is #f7efeb.

1 hour in: we have finally left musk and/or almond city and are entering flower town. which flowers are these, i do not know (looks at "white flowers" in notes list) and perhaps we are not meant to know. i see orange blossom on this pyramid, but i sure dont smell it. this is airier than i expected for something that started out so heavy.

1.5 hours in: fruity nuances emerging. this entire test has been the inverse of what i would expect: musk first, then flowers, then fruit. but i cannot deny that now, and not a moment before, i am getting strong wafts of what smells to me like lychee. if anything, this should be getting warmer and more woody/vanillic but i am a man of science and i report what i can observe empirically and yeah, there is no vanilla anywhere in sight.

2.5 hours in: floral bouquet with lychee-esque nuances. this is like. nice! i guess! i would wear this to a wedding i was invited to, or a nice dinner, but at $5.73 per mL this is frankly an insane price to pay for what in the end comes down to "floral lychee edp" (a genre already occupied by Lychee Rose Eau de Parfum, which i acquired for $9 on mercari).

4 hours in: still a perplexingly sweet floral lychee. not even a hint any more of ambroxan, which tends to dominate any drydown on my skin.

7.5 hours in: woke up the next morning and LYCHEE???? what are you still doing here omfg.

8 hours in: showered. still here. what on earth. this would probably have lasted several more hours if i hadnt showered. breaking out the alcohol pads so i can put something else on but wow. respect.

verdict: keep(?)
gender impression: feminine
office-friendly: possibly, if applied lightly
crowd-pleaser: yes
full-size candidate: no

Valaya is just so... beautiful. It is very angelic, soft and pleasing. I love the almond note in this once which makes it more creamy and feminine than the OG. The opening is very similar in these two but after half an hour OG gives so much of mandarin to me. Exclusive is such a kind-queen fragrance. It's a perfect blend of creamy-nutty-floral notes.