Parfums de Marly Pegasus Exclusif

Pegasus Exclusif is Parfums de Marly's 2020 eau de parfum for men, composed by Hamid Merati-Kashani as a new version of the house's original Pegasus. It smells of heliotrope, bitter almond and vanilla set against dark guaiac wood and oud. The almond-vanilla signature of the original is still there, but it has been pushed into deeper, drier and woodier territory. As with the house's other Exclusif editions, it is a reinterpretation rather than a stronger version of the original, and the composition bears that out.

Fragrance Notes

Top: Cardamom, Heliotrope, Pink Pepper, Bergamot

Heart: Bitter Almond, Lavender, Geranium, Jasmine

Base: Vanilla, Guaiac Wood, Agarwood (Oud), Sandalwood, Amber

Full note breakdown on Fragrantica.

The Scent

It opens warm and lightly spiced. Cardamom and pink pepper give a soft aromatic lift, bergamot adds a little brightness, and heliotrope brings its powdery, almond-tinged sweetness from the very first minutes. Heliotrope sets the tone: soft, powdery and faintly cherry-almond, it prepares the way for the bitter almond in the heart.

The heart is where the Pegasus character shows. Bitter almond sits at the centre, nutty and slightly marzipan-like, with lavender and geranium adding an aromatic, barbershop structure that keeps it masculine. Jasmine softens the middle without making it floral.

The transition into the base is gradual. As the almond softens, the guaiac starts to show through, and the fragrance moves from a powdery, nutty sweetness toward something drier and darker. It is a smooth handover rather than a sudden change, which keeps the composition feeling unified.

The base is where Exclusif departs from its parent. Guaiac wood brings a smoky, slightly tarry dryness, oud adds a dark woody depth, and sandalwood with amber gives a creamy warmth. Vanilla ties it back to the almond, so the finish is a rich, woody gourmand rather than a sweet one. This is where the difference from the original Pegasus is clearest, and it is the main reason to choose this version over its parent.

When to Wear

This is a cold-weather fragrance. The almond, vanilla and dark woods are at their best in autumn and winter, for evenings, dinners and formal occasions. In Bangladesh it suits the dry, cooler months and air-conditioned evenings, and is too dense for midday heat in the hottest part of the year.

Who Is It For

It suits someone who likes almond and vanilla but wants them grown-up and woody rather than sweet, and anyone drawn to Parfums de Marly who wants something less common than the house's best-sellers. It is a considered evening fragrance for a man who prefers depth over freshness, and its price makes testing it first worthwhile. It also suits someone who owns sweeter almond or vanilla fragrances and wants a more formal, evening-weight version of that idea.

Explore the rest of the house in our Parfums de Marly collection, or find other dark woody compositions in our oud and dark woods collection.

Pegasus Exclusif is decanted here in 3ml, 5ml, 9ml and 15ml sizes.