Althaïr vs Althaïr Exclusif vs Layton vs Oajan: Which Parfums de Marly to Buy? (UAE 2026)

Short answer: Pick Layton if you want the fresh-to-warm all-rounder: apple and lavender on vanilla. Pick Althaïr if you love vanilla and want it bright and spiced. Pick Oajan for a honeyed, resinous amber made for cooler evenings. Althaïr Exclusif, new in 2026, takes Althaïr's vanilla deeper with amaretto and saffron. At AZ & CO, Layton costs AED 710 for 75ml and Althaïr AED 680 for 75ml, against boutique prices of AED 1,050 and AED 900.

These are four of the most searched Parfums de Marly perfumes in the UAE right now. All four are warm, sweet and polished, which is why people compare them, but each leans a different way. This page puts them side by side with the prices we have today, and adds Layton Exclusif, the darker Layton, which people search for alongside them.

Which is which, at a glance?

"You pay" shows our price and the size, with the strength (EDP is eau de parfum) and whether it is boxed or a tester. "Boutique price" is the price we compare the bottle with, and the tester is compared with the same boutique price as the boxed bottle. The Character column sums up each perfume's notes. It is not a wear test.

Layton or Althaïr: which should I buy?

Buy Layton if you want one bottle that works in more places. It opens fresh with apple, bergamot and cardamom, goes soft and slightly powdery with lavender and violet, and settles on vanilla and praline kept in check by guaiac wood and patchouli. Our description calls it polished and warm rather than sugary, and says the fresh opening keeps it comfortable indoors the rest of the year.

Buy Althaïr if vanilla is the point. It starts brighter, with bergamot, mandarin and elemi, a lemony resin, then cinnamon, cardamom and orange blossom warm it up before Bourbon vanilla takes over. It is the sweeter and more gourmand of the two. In the UAE heat, a light hand works best.

Both share praline and guaiac wood in the base, which is why they feel related. Layton came out in 2016 and Althaïr in 2023, and the same perfumer, Hamid Merati-Kashani, worked on both.

Skip Althaïr if you dislike sweet vanilla. Skip Layton if lavender is not for you.

What is new in Althaïr Exclusif (2026)?

Althaïr Exclusif is the 2026 follow-up to Althaïr, by Hamid Merati-Kashani. Parfums de Marly describes it as an intense Bourbon vanilla, with amaretto and saffron. Its listed notes are bergamot, amaretto, saffron, cinnamon, orange blossom, cardamom, praline, ambroxan, guaiac wood and vanilla.

Compared with Althaïr, it adds the almond-liqueur sweetness of amaretto and the warmth of saffron, and ambroxan gives it more lift in the base. If you already like Althaïr and want it richer, it is the one to watch. We do not have it in stock today. Send us the name on WhatsApp and we will tell you the price and when we can deliver it. Until then, Althaïr is the closest bottle we have.

Is Oajan like Althaïr?

No. Both are warm and sweet, but Oajan is an amber, not a vanilla. It opens with cinnamon, honey and osmanthus, moves into benzoin, labdanum and ambergris with a herbal edge from artemisia, and dries down to vanilla, tonka bean, patchouli and musk. It feels resinous and cosy, while Althaïr feels creamy.

Oajan is the most cold-weather of the four. Our description suggests autumn and winter, evenings and cooler weather. We have the 125ml at AED 850, against a boutique price of AED 1,460, a gap of AED 610.

Skip it if you want something fresh for daytime in the heat.

What about Layton Exclusif?

Layton Exclusif keeps Layton's apple, mandarin and lavender at the start but turns darker. Civet, cinnamon and rose sit in the heart, and the base is Laotian oud, guaiac wood, vanilla and sandalwood, with amber, coffee and oakmoss. It is the one to choose if Layton feels too easy and you want oud and wood under it.

We have it as a 75ml boxed bottle at AED 730, a 125ml boxed at AED 880, and a 125ml tester at AED 780.

Which one works best in the UAE heat?

Of the four, Layton is the safest for warm days, because its apple and bergamot opening stays fresh and our description says it is comfortable indoors the rest of the year. Althaïr, Oajan and Layton Exclusif are richer, and all three are best saved for evenings, air-conditioned spaces and the cooler months from November to March. For more cool-season picks, see our best winter perfumes for the UAE.

Tester or boxed: which should I pick?

A tester is the same perfume in the brand's own tester box, new, unused and unsprayed. Only the box differs. Of these bottles, Layton Exclusif is the one we have as a tester today: AED 780 for 125ml, AED 100 less than the boxed bottle. If it is a gift, the boxed bottle is the better choice. More in tester vs boxed perfume.

How do I know my bottle is real?

Every bottle is checked before it ships, and its batch code is left readable so you can check it with the house yourself. If a bottle is not genuine, we collect it free and refund every dirham, and you will not need to prove it. To check a bottle yourself, read how to check if a perfume is original.

Delivery is AED 25 anywhere in the UAE: same day in Dubai and Sharjah when you order by 10 AM, otherwise next day, and one day more elsewhere. Delivery is free on orders of AED 1,000 or more, and this works together with discount codes. You can pay with Apple Pay, Google Pay, Visa, Mastercard or Tabby (pay in 4).

For the whole house, read our Parfums de Marly guide or browse the Parfums de Marly collection. See all our guides.

Questions people ask

Is Althaïr better than Layton?

Neither is better; they lean different ways. Layton is fresher and more versatile, with apple and lavender over vanilla. Althaïr is sweeter and more focused on vanilla, with cinnamon and orange blossom. If you want one bottle for most occasions, Layton. If you want a vanilla for evenings, Althaïr.

How much is Layton in the UAE?

At AZ & CO, Layton costs AED 710 for 75ml and AED 840 for 125ml, both boxed. The boutique prices we compare them with are AED 1,050 and AED 1,490. The product page always shows the current price.

How much is Althaïr in the UAE?

We have the 75ml Althaïr boxed at AED 680, against a boutique price of AED 900. The 125ml is sold out today.

Is Oajan a winter perfume?

Mostly, yes. With honey, labdanum, benzoin and vanilla, it is warm and resinous, and our description suggests autumn and winter, evenings and cooler weather.

Where can I buy Althaïr Exclusif in Dubai?

We do not have it in stock today. Send us the name on WhatsApp and we will tell you the price and when we can deliver it.

Prices on this page were correct on 22 October 2026. The product page always shows the current price.