Valaya

Valaya, inspired by Parfums de Marly Valaya (2023)

Valaya opens with bergamot and mandarin, white peach giving a pale, juicy roundness, while aldehydes in the launch notes add a fizzy, starched-cotton lift. Orange blossom and a cluster of white flowers form the heart, kept airy rather than heady. The base rests on white musks and akigalawood, a woody material with a peppery, patchouli-like edge, rounded by vanilla and grounded by vetiver. The house compares the result to 'a veil of linen caressing the skin'.

About the original

Quentin Bisch composed Valaya for Parfums de Marly, and it launched in January 2023. Founder Julien Sprecher said the aim was a scent 'fresh and delicate but at the same time very powerful and expressive'. The launch notes lean on modern aroma molecules such as Petalia, Nympheal and Ambrofix, which the brand's own page groups simply as white flowers and musks. It belongs to the house's women's line and comes in a 75 ml bottle.

Our version

Ours is an independent eau de parfum made to evoke the same character. It is not Parfums de Marly stock, not an official relaunch and not the original formula.

Who it suits

Clean musk is the point here, so it appeals to women who want to smell freshly washed rather than heavily perfumed. It reads light and polished. Lovers of dense, sweet orientals may find it too restrained.

Related scents

• Parfums de Marly Delina
• Maison Francis Kurkdjian 724

Notes of the original fragrance, as published by the brand.

Top notes: Bergamot, Mandarin, White Peach

Heart notes: Orange Blossom, White Flowers

Base notes: White Musks, Akigalawood, Vanilla, Vetiver

Citrus and white peach come first, with a fizz of aldehydes often likened to fresh cotton.

Orange blossom and white flowers settle into the heart, clean and slightly powdery.

White musks and akigalawood dominate the drydown, with vanilla and vetiver underneath.

Is Valaya a women's or a unisex fragrance?

Parfums de Marly lists Valaya in its women's range, unlike its unisex scents such as Greenley.

What does akigalawood smell like?

It is a woody material derived from patchouli, with a peppery, slightly spiced edge. In Valaya it gives the musky base some structure.

Does Valaya smell sweet?

Only lightly. There is vanilla in the base and peach at the top, but the overall impression is musky and clean.

Inside the EU, delivery is free on orders of €49 or more. Below that it is a flat €4.99. Outside the EU, delivery is a flat €4.99 on every order. We send every order in 1 to 2 working days. It arrives in 3 to 7 days across the EU and in 7 to 14 days outside the EU. You have 14 days to return an unopened bottle.

Parfums de Marly and Valaya are trademarks of their respective owners, and all rights remain with them. Parfumour is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or connected to Parfums de Marly in any way, and no business relationship of any kind is implied. Our product is an original interpretation created to evoke a similar scent profile, and the trademark names are used purely for honest, descriptive comparison, so that you can quickly identify the style and fragrance family you are looking for. We make no claim to sell the original product, and we do not use the same ingredients or formula. Any similarity lies in the overall impression of the scent as interpreted by our own perfumers, not in the source materials.