Winged Horse

Winged Horse opens on a powdery heliotrope and bergamot brightened by a touch of cumin, the soft, slightly nutty start that leads into Parfums de Marly Pegasus. The heart is all about that famous bitter almond, creamy and marzipan-like, rounded by lavender and a whisper of jasmine, before settling into a sweet base of vanilla, sandalwood and amber. Pegasus is the almond king, a near-linear, warm-sweet almond-and-vanilla scent with strong performance, and this budget dupe captures that gist, the creamy almond, the powdery vanilla, the cosy comforting character, while rendering everything more one-dimensional and skin-close, missing the smooth, refined depth of the original. Longevity is shorter than the original's strong wear, settling into a quieter presence sooner. It is a warm, sweet almond-vanilla scent for cooler-weather days and evenings that delivers the Pegasus mood at a fraction of the cost, even if it lacks the original's polish and staying power.