Madonna Lily

Due to laziness and what I feel is my lack of expertise in describing scents, I rarely leave fragrance reviews. I am not at all sure that Madonna Lily was created to duplicate Serge Lutens’ Un Lys, but it is the closest to it that I have ever smelled. I was heartbroken when I learned that for some inexplicable reason, my absolutely favorite perfume had been rendered next to impossible to get in the US (hopping a plane to Europe is not an option), then I stumbled onto Ava-Luxe. I bought Madonna Lily, as well as a few other offerings, and to my shocked, joyous surprise, it was exceptionally close to my beloved Un Lys. Granted, it is softer, or maybe less powerful (?), but the drydown also does not disappoint. One thing about the Ava-Luxe fragrances I’ve sampled, this one, especially, is that the opening notes are never screechy, seemingly unrelated, or too strong. You don’t have to wait for the sometimes unpleasant first notes to disappear, allowing the real scent to emerge. The wonderful smell is always there to enjoy as soon as you apply it. Come to think of it, that is a rarity. This is probably not the place to praise the other Ava-Luxe scents that I bought, but Carnation is another one of my obsessions (see a linear floral trend, here?) and again, her Oeillet does not disappoint. It is the best. No medicinal clove-y dentists’ office vibe, nor too much spice. It has just enough green in the formulation to convincingly portray a real live bunch of carnations. One more....Waterlily is also beautiful. I also love the fact that she offers samples at a very reasonable price. 2.5 ml is just enough to be able to determine the fragrance’s full bottle worthiness. And speaking of sizes, these fragrances are also offered in a ton of sizes and strengths. I find that to be very accommodating to the customer; it is great to not be locked into buying a giant bottle of something just because it is only sold in that size. I’ve never had to avail myself of Ava-Luxe’s customer services, as all of my transactions have been perfect, but based on the size offerings, I have the distinct feeling that this company is very customer oriented.

Absolutely amazing Lily smell. I have lilies growing in my backyard, I’m fascinated with their intense strong smell and I’m in search of perfume with prominent Lily note in it. This one is very realistic, I want full bottle now.

Lily, lily, LILY and a hint of suntan lotion. It's simple and pretty, but a little on the prissy side (extrait concentration).