Un Lys
Serge Lutens (1994)
Average Rating:
23 User Reviews
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About Un Lys by Serge Lutens
Reviews of Un Lys by Serge Lutens
There are 23 reviews of Un Lys by Serge Lutens.
On the surface, this is a pretty standard lily/muguet perfume, soapy and powdery and green and quite strong. There's a shockingly dated 90's marine chemical in the topnotes that's a bit offputting, but if you wait a few minutes, it fades when the rest of the notes arrive.
At its core, I believe Un Lys is actually built on a lavender/tonka fougere, which gives perfumey depth to the lily notes. There's a quiet molasses gingerbread mix of vanilla, ginger, and tobacco running underneath, lifted straight from Lutens' iconic 5 O'Clock au Gingembre, which is really what separates Un Lys from every other lily perfume.
The subtle twists and turns beneath the lily are what earns this a thumbs up.
At its core, I believe Un Lys is actually built on a lavender/tonka fougere, which gives perfumey depth to the lily notes. There's a quiet molasses gingerbread mix of vanilla, ginger, and tobacco running underneath, lifted straight from Lutens' iconic 5 O'Clock au Gingembre, which is really what separates Un Lys from every other lily perfume.
The subtle twists and turns beneath the lily are what earns this a thumbs up.
The take on this scent is confusing. Early reviewers mention lilac. Turin in his three star review mentions jasmine, muguet and vanilla, but no lily at all. After all "Lys" is "Lily" in french. Why should such a scent not smell like lily - seems an exercise in idiocy to me.
Well, upon trying it, I must agree with later reviewers here that what I am smelling is a synthetic take on the waxy, rich, deep and langorous lily accord. It smells like no real lily I've ever encountered, and my garden has held many species from the orient. Nor does it smell like the ubiquitous white, so-called "Easter" Lily.
For me it is a failed attempt to replicate the "effect" of lily. It fails because it lacks opulence, depth and volume. There is a dry, menthol-like note that emerges early on, more the scent of a dying than a living specimen.
True lily for me is only found in the sadly discontinued Penhaligon's Lily and Spice. Lutens' attempt lacks interest for me. Not a terrible scent, just uninteresting, rather a bore really.
Well, upon trying it, I must agree with later reviewers here that what I am smelling is a synthetic take on the waxy, rich, deep and langorous lily accord. It smells like no real lily I've ever encountered, and my garden has held many species from the orient. Nor does it smell like the ubiquitous white, so-called "Easter" Lily.
For me it is a failed attempt to replicate the "effect" of lily. It fails because it lacks opulence, depth and volume. There is a dry, menthol-like note that emerges early on, more the scent of a dying than a living specimen.
True lily for me is only found in the sadly discontinued Penhaligon's Lily and Spice. Lutens' attempt lacks interest for me. Not a terrible scent, just uninteresting, rather a bore really.
Genre: Floral
A lovely, crisp, white lily fragrance, underpinned by the driest of vanillas and cooled by some very subtle green notes. Un Lys is clear, simple, and transparent in a way that few Serge Lutens fragrances are. It was made by the same Christopher Sheldrake who gave us Sa Majeste la Rose and Gris Clair, not the other guy who did Arabie, Chergui, and Ambre Sultan. This Christopher should come out more often - his work is refreshing!
A lovely, crisp, white lily fragrance, underpinned by the driest of vanillas and cooled by some very subtle green notes. Un Lys is clear, simple, and transparent in a way that few Serge Lutens fragrances are. It was made by the same Christopher Sheldrake who gave us Sa Majeste la Rose and Gris Clair, not the other guy who did Arabie, Chergui, and Ambre Sultan. This Christopher should come out more often - his work is refreshing!
It's the lily in this fragrance that's doing me in so I find very little to love, while acknowledging a certain purity of lily-vision. I just don't like the synthetic quality of the lily note in fragrances. It never smells like true lily. I am always on to the game of synthesis when it comes to this note.
Its effect most reminds me of the movie "Invasion of the Body Snatchers". The aliens look real, and sound real, but there is something eerily off about them you can't put your finger on. But you just know - they aren't human. Lily is the fragrance note they would wear, thinking they are fooling everyone... but this human would just know. I can't seem to delude myself into the fantasy of a flower, or tell myself to just go with it. While most fragrances now are 90% synthetic, it always feels especially obvious in Lily, like you inadvertently glimpsed the reality of the Matrix. A little scary really.
Its effect most reminds me of the movie "Invasion of the Body Snatchers". The aliens look real, and sound real, but there is something eerily off about them you can't put your finger on. But you just know - they aren't human. Lily is the fragrance note they would wear, thinking they are fooling everyone... but this human would just know. I can't seem to delude myself into the fantasy of a flower, or tell myself to just go with it. While most fragrances now are 90% synthetic, it always feels especially obvious in Lily, like you inadvertently glimpsed the reality of the Matrix. A little scary really.
Great lily fragrance. Smells like freshly cut lillies but it only lasts 4 hours max on me :(
If someone would have told me even just a year ago that i would be wearing a lily fragrance, i would have laughed in their face. Now as I lap up the rest of my CROW....this fragrance is completely amazing. It, at least with my chemistry, is more of a cream-of-lily soup. It's definitely an after the rain scent of lilies bathed in dew and possibly fog, but full on nonetheless. it's incredible. Before this, my only lily encounters were the occasional Easter lily ( which to my nose is a bit too strong ), and the lily of the valley DISASTER that is Jessica McClintock. I have put this on twice now before going to bed and I drift to sleep so happy. Also, when I wake up there is a faint lingering that still smells absolutely amazing. I think I want a bottle.
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