FRAGRANCE | Oajan EDP by Parfums de Marly: Balanced gourmand sweetness with a generous sprinkling of cinnamon

Oajan by Parfums de Marly was one of the first frags from this house that I really liked (although it was ultimately Herod that I ended up with first). Unlike Layton, Layton Exclusif, Percival, Kalan, etc., which all ended up annoyingly sharp on my skin, Oajan did not.

The bottle's black and gold motif works for me. The flacon itself is also quite heavy, adding to its premium feel. The gold cap likewise carries considerable weight and locks nicely into place. What I'm not digging as much is the box's glossy finish. There's just something about it that I think cheapens the look even if the box itself is pretty solid. But that's just me.

As for the scent, Oajan is a delectable gourmand that projects a rather mature vibe and leans masculine. The opening is a honey and cinnamon bomb, loud and uncompromising. Surprisingly, I don't find it cloying at all. The cinnamon here is a realistic representation and comes in a very generous dose, far more than what you'd get from the likes of By Kilian's Angels' Share or even of Zara's Unexpected Fresh Spicy. It starts distinctly dry before slowly melting into the syrupy honey.

The honey's prominence is just as unquestionable. It almost has a boozy vibe; more like beer actually if I dig my nose into the back of my wrist. It sounds like an odd scent association but I do get the same feeling from certain types of raw honey. Meanwhile, there's a third wheel in the opening by way of a sweet, fruity accord. However, it never is able to break the honey and cinnamon love affair, and so it leaves after several minutes.

This stuff is strong and can easily fill a room, like some sweet pastry baking in the oven fills an entire house with its warm and comforting smell. However, it quickly loses steam after two hours or so, when it begins its slow transition from honeyed cinnamon to a soft, vanilla-tonka bean blend that sits close to the skin. Tempering the sweetness are woody and musky nuances quietly puffing from the base. The drydown is a far cry from its roaring entrance but is by no means any less beautiful. 

Sweet gourmands like this are often pigeonholed as cold weather scents. In Oajan's case, it's true but not restrictively so because the sweetness is never too heavy to wear even in warmer temperatures. Similarly, while it radiates a certain air of formality, the scent profile also panders to one's sense of casual fun. For me it's worth trying but with a caveat that Parfums de Marly's Oajan doesn't come cheap.