Un Lys

skip to end for quick take have you ever had a scent change drastically on you after some time (years)? i don’t man has your opinion of a scent ever changed drastically but literally if a scent has completely changed on your skin/to your nose. because that’s what’s going on with this. i have a sample that i bought years ago, that i was underwhelmed with at the time because i found it rather simple and not complex enough. pretty, but wasn’t the lush, fleshy, “alive” lily that i was looking for. on top of that, sillage was almost nonexistent it was a skin scent pretty much from the very start, and longevity was no more than 3 hours. it was just kind of weak and lackluster in every way, albeit pretty, but pretty can still be boring. just today, after many years, i retried that very sample and was shocked to be hit with a completely different scent! it’s not off, it actually smells incredible now, but just totally, and i mean totally completely different. you know what it smells like now? two words: vintage diorissimo. the edt. not an exact dupe but seriously close. the main difference is that vintage diorissimo edt has a gorgeous lilac scent that to me, is characteristic of and integral to the perfume; it just wouldn’t be diorissimo without it. but perhaps it would be un lys? this “version” of it at least (or maybe i should say this “version” of my skin chemistry? lol). i now feel like i get a gorgeous lush non-soapy, possibly slightly indolic lotv, though it could just be that the lily here is so bright and joyous smelling that it’s making me think there’s lotv in there too. the vanilla is soft and not in any way the sugary variety, and doesn’t actually read as “vanilla” as much as it reads as the creamy, vanillic aspects of the scent of certain types of lilies (the types that happen to be my favorite; i love this scent profile) and somewhere in there is a very soft, very airy base of soft spice tying everything together and keeping it grounded (diorissimo has something like this too) but again it reads more as the intoxicating soft spicy notes that you smell when you stick your nose in certain types of lilies (sorry i wish i knew the names of the different lily varieties. i know how they look and smell but just can’t remember the names right now maybe i’ll update them later). diorissimo is still a bit brighter and more joyous and sparkling than this, but this plays gorgeously on the creamy vanillic and soft spicy aspects of lilies and you get an overall effect that is still bright and full of life but also a little quieter, softer, more grounded, a tiny bit oriental. also, another really crazy thing that changed is the performance! it actually got better! and this really is weird because if anything, my skin is much worse at projecting perfume and preserving longevity than when i was younger, and my nose is less sensitive too, and i distinctly remember this being so weak when i first tried it. can performance and strength increase drastically like that with age? in any case, this sample vial is amazing now, but i would have to try another one before i’d consider buying this to rule out a fluke. even still, should it end up being the same as this sample is, i’m not sure this perfume would be a priority for me to buy, simply because i still prefer vintage diorissimo edt and they’re similar enough that it would be very low priority to own both. though who knows, it might grow on me in its own right too and in all fairness, diorissimo is a really tough one to compete with and be compared to. final thoughts: a great take on lily and should be a standard perfume to try for all lily lovers. it might not be the ultimate greatest but it’s one that anyone who’s into lilies, or cold white flowers in general, should smell at least once as part of their perfume education, could see it being a true love for some. edit: as it dries down, i find myself falling more and more in love with it. ok, this is definitely a love after all. the vanilla really comes out to play at some point in the heart as it starts to transition to the dry down. it’s nothing like diorissimo at this point, but it is delicious. it’s turned into much more of an equal parts lily and vanilla perfume and seems like it’s heading towards becoming a vanilla scent primarily. a scrumptious cold vanilla bean with soft spice and a soft warm and cold lily. mmmm...

(Review of a Palais Royale era bottle) My mother loved lilies. She grew all sorts. Lily of the valley, stargazer, casa blanca, muscadet, trumpets, day lilies of course, and many others I’m not going to be able to recall. There was always a vase full of lilies on the dining room table. It’s one of those aromas that’s inextricable from my early life to such an extent that I recall to memory the precise aromas of different lilies, and my mind instantly replays early memories whenever the aroma of a lily hits me. Un Lys is quite odd for me, mostly because it does engage instant recall but yet I find myself saying for most of the time I wear it “this doesn’t smell like any lily I know of.” That statement is purposely a bit exaggerated because there is enough “lily” in Un Lys to make one say “yes, lily” but there are other facets pushed so far to the foreground that I dubiously shake my head. The soft white floral quality is there, heady and very intense, creamy and unctuous, soapy and powdery, musky, soft and sweet green pea borders. Check, check, check. But then there is a vanillic/coumarin-ic under-layer that doesn’t sit quite right. It’s very reminiscent of an old school masculine fougere with the vanilla, clean musks, perhaps a bit damp mossy, highly refined patchouli, and very soft floral tobacco qualities. It’s strikingly beautiful, but I’m not convinced of lily. The final skin scent is more of the musk, patchouli, and a calmer vanilla note, that carry us through to the end. It shouldn’t come as a surprise to me or anyone very familiar with Serge Lutens that he isn’t going to give us something as straightforward as a lily soliflore. For the fact that it’s called Un Lys is a sure indicator that Lutens is not going to give strictly un lys. The perfume is all the better for it. Its unusual detours through the body of what makes a lily a lily - even if the stopovers aren’t quite lily at some points - makes it very memorable and pleasing to wear. Beautiful work.

I have now resumed my relationship with Serge Lutens perfume house. In the past , the samples I had tried, adorned the fragrances with way too many spices , hard hitting, resinous , edgy , or quirky notes for faint hearted me. I just couldn’t pull them off despite appreciating their craftsmanship, complexity and uniqueness . I, then found in Serge Lutens perfume house , a group of simpler, quieter and more linear florals which I have now amassed 8 bottles . I believe there is a market for those who love his creativity and quality ingredients but prefer more wearable perfumes. Simplicity done perfectly is outstanding in itself . Saying that , Un Lys is indolic and has an underlying spice that is predominant throughout the scent’s journey . Un Lys is real Lillies, honeyed lilacs, fresh dew and a hint of vanilla . The right amount of vanilla to merge with the warmth of the subtle golden musk as it shines through . The drydown earthens it a bit and you get the full effect of the Lillies with the vanilla . As one reviewer commented - “ you get the petals , the dew on them , the air around them , the stem and grass beneath them and the breeze that carries their sweet , beautiful aroma “. How beautifully said and exactly what I experienced . As with all SL’s perfumes , the initial blast on first spray, is quite scent explosive but this is predominately a skin scent on me . After 5 mins , the notes settle and they start to weave their captivating and hypnotic notes. Un Lys is not what I expected . It’s very heady/ indolic for me and being a white floral lover I would have preferred the lilies to stand out more but the underlying spices ruin it for me . I won’t be getting a bottle but still appreciate its beauty .

It happened. I finally own it, it's mine. My perfume is not in a bell jar, it's in regular clear "coffin" bottle with an old small black label with Palace logo, and batch code dates it back to 2006. By the way, there is a mistake here on Fragrantica. It was launched in 1994, not in 2007. It has not spoiled one bit (this is always my fear with older bottles) after almost 20 years. Before today I only sampled it from a tiny 1 ml dabber bottle. And dabbing it is not the same as spraying. I thought it was quite weak and intimate scent, and it certainly is not. Un Lys to Lily is like Tubereuse Criminelle to Tuberose and Iris Silver Mist to Iris. This is The Lily. But only in the beginning! The opening is pure Lily. After about an hour it transforms into lilac + lily. How does it do that? I don't know! But by God, this is the most realistic fresh blooming lilac known to perfumery. My old dabble sample did not do that, it remained Lily only. At the same time hints of lightly charred vanilla pods also appear. One word I would use to describe the entire experience is mesmerizing. As always after experiencing something breathtaking by this house I question why do I have all this other stuff from other brands, why even bother... do I really need it all?

The second you pick up the bottle of Un Lys invisible string instruments start to warm up. Why? Because the very moment that you depress that atomizer and release this parfum into the atmosphere a symphony begins. As you move through your day you will be imparting beautifully scented music wherever you go.Sound corny and over the top? Then you've never tried this parfum. Un Lys is a stunning full bodied lily that wafts and kisses the air w/her lushness. She's the star of the show and allows you to be noted for your exquisite taste. She's a true diva who takes all the credit for something that's built to let her shine. Holding her up is a soft, deep vanille and blurring her edges is a gorgeous almost imperceptable musk. These ingrediants are layered in perfectly and create a truly creamy,almost wilting quality to this compositon. As if the lily has been in her vase for a few days and the whole house has now taken on her aroma. Fullness, decadence, excess, are words that come to mind when thinking of Un Lys. She is delicate passion in a bottle. Seriously,look her up and see if she won't seduce you. (Please forgive me for the dramatic review. This perfume does that to me. I hope she's able to do that for you too!)