Althaïr

Parfums de Marly classifies Althaïr as an amber aromatic vanilla. The house describes it as both warm and fresh, gourmand and light, and pairs the softness of vanilla, the indulgence of praline and the radiance of orange blossom, lifted by citrus, spices and noble woods.

Bergamot, orange blossom, vanilla

The house’s page places bergamot, mandarin and elemi resin in the top. The heart brings together orange blossom, cinnamon and cardamom. The base combines Bourbon vanilla, guaiac wood and praline, which gives the whole its gourmand note.

The notes are arranged here as follows: bergamot, mandarin and elemi in the top; orange blossom, cinnamon and cardamom in the heart; vanilla, guaiac wood and praline in the base. The vanilla is Bourbon vanilla, which the house sources from Madagascar.

At launch, in 2023

In 2023, the house placed orange blossom absolute, Italian bergamot, Ceylon cinnamon and Guatemalan cardamom in the top; Bourbon vanilla and Philippine elemi in the heart; and Ambrox, guaiac wood, praline and musk in the base.

Today’s list moves orange blossom, cinnamon and cardamom to the heart, adds mandarin to the top and no longer mentions Ambrox or musk. The house does not say whether this change in presentation comes with a reformulation.

What the label declares

Alcohol and fragrance open the list, ahead of a woody amber molecule, vanillin and water. Next come a synthetic musk, linalyl acetate, bergamot peel oil, limonene, linalool, pinene and an antioxidant, vitamin E.

Further down are rose ketones, geranyl acetate, citral, terpineol, terpinolene, beta-caryophyllene and alpha-terpinene. Ceylon cinnamon bark oil and geraniol close the list, which declares neither colorant nor UV filter.