Lys Carmin

Red Lily indeed! As a rule I dislike lily, but this is a win. This lily is almost a carnation, and has that complexity, but lacks the sharp, almost metallic edge that carnation can bring. Slightly waxy, robust, warm to the point of being spicy, LC was a surprise. The notes above specify pink pepper, but to my nose this is white pepper- that heat without the rose scent of pink, or the harshness of black pepper. Very fresh, crisp, and a counterpoint to the well rounded lily note, which is by far the most pleasant lily I have ever encountered. Not photorealistic, but a beautiful representation, bold, with crisp waxy petals, and a sense of both majesty and fun. This lily has shadings of fresh greeness rather than a perfumey tone, just wonderful! For me the heart lasted for two hours, with the dry down appearing to maintain the same composition, but adding a creamier accord, as sandalwood and vanilla make an appearance. I do not detect the sweetness of ylang ylang, or the sharpness of cinnamon. There is an edge present in this scent, but to my nose it is a darker wood tone, more reminiscent of the smokiness of guaiac wood. I am quite sure, though, that if such a high end ingredient were used that it would be present in the official notes. Good sillage, and very good longevity. I recommend applying this one with a light hand- my skin usually eats florals, but this remained quite apparent from beginning to end, and at times the heart was a little too. I never found the powdery notes promised. Instead LC is rich, almost oily, and crisp on my skin. Overall, I would characterize this as an outstandingly warm, almost vivacious scent, that is grounded enough to be suitable for the professional environment. LC would be as at home in a boardroom as it would in a canoe, scaring fish. To me this seems distinctly fall oriented, and for day wear. Huh, I just noticed that this is marketed towards women. I would call this safely unisex, and would be curious to see how it adapted to male chemistry. It is perhaps a touch more floral than most male oriented scents, but that is what would make it so outstanding.

A very lovely and very elegant lily with a mature character. Lys Carmin is not at all a boring white flowers type of perfume; as the name suggests, it's more like a reddish coloured stargazer lily, combined with sweet cinnamon, muted pepper, and (although not listed above) sweet and melting ylang ylang. As Kchild put it very well, this is a sizzling lily; it wraps you with a warm aura. It's not overwhelming or overpowering, not in-your-face, it feels as if it is your own skin's smell. It probably -and luckily- matches quite well with my skin chemistry because the smell feels like a part of me that was already there all this time. Sadly, this treasure is quite underrated, probably due to the ridiculuously high price tag but I am also glad that not everyone has discovered it. I cannot imagine anyone loving and wearing this perfume feeling unsure of themselves. Lys Carmin positively emanates self-confidence, a carefree femininity. Also it brings to mind the warm, sunny days of summer; a lush garden full of beautiful flowers and I cannot think about a more self-confidence inducing thing than sunny summer days. Lys Carmin is quite long lasting, I can still smell it on my hair and neck the day after I put it on and it's still lovely. As for the sillage, it doesn't fill the whole room but it definitely leaves a trail and I must say that is a very provoking one. Also, the minimalist and bold design of the bottle, the cap, the little charm around the cap and the box are all a part of luxurious elegancy. In fact, everything Lys Carmin is about making your point subtly yet highly effectively, not shouting what you have but encouraging people to find them out while you elegantly sit there with a lazy smile on your lips. Curiously, the drydown of Lys Carmin reminds me very much of Ultraviolet's sweet, surrounding drydown. And there's no single note that's similar. Interesting.

This perfume reminds me vaguely of Flower by Kenzo (which is a fragrance I haven't smelled for at least 10+ years, so don't quote me on this one lol) I has a rather creamy, powdery note, almost like some sort of old school lotion. This is gonna sound weird (but I think this is why I make the connection with Flower) but it is almost like it makes the inside of the nostrils feel.. smooth. Or waxy. Eh. I know. I've felt this with a few powdery perfumes in my days, although it's not completely unpleasant, it's not at all a favorite of mine. BUT in Lys Carmin, this note is really tamed down by the spices and just makes it an interesting feature. And the floral heart of this is just gorgeous. And I could have sworn it was carnation in this one, but clearly not. Update; Today I really overdosed on this one, spraying it not only all over my body, but also my sweater - and I got complimented so many times it was ridiculus. The waitress even wrote the name of the perfume down on her notepad while taking my order. And then I overheard her talking to other guest about how good "that girl over there by the asparagus soup" smelled. No joke.

Don't we all hate to fall in love with a discontinued and impossibly hard to find scent? It just happened to me with Lys Carmin. This is one of the most perfect lily scents I ever smelled. A creamy, fluffy cloud of blooming white lilies with a subtle peppery zing and a delightful powdery vanilla base. Just the right amount of sweetness and warmth to keep the lily from being screechy and sharp without ruining its pure and cool beauty. Thankfully there are no green stem notes to disturb the floral dreams. Elegant and clean, but inviting. Simple and suitable for any occasion, but never boring. No idea why they called it Lys Carmin, to me this is 100% a white scent, not red. I find this even better than Baiser Vole, another lily I have in my collection and love. It reminds me a wee little bit of L'Artisan Oeillet Sauvage, if they removed the carnation and replaced it with more lily and vanilla. I'm so sad that I will most likely never have a full bottle, but I set some alerts on ebay and other sites in hope of finding a used one someday.

A sizzling lily. This hums and sparks as you go about your day.Everything about this parfum screams "knowledge", and "mystery" as well as "warmth". This is worn by a woman who's sure of herself but not hung up on who she is. She's too busy BEING who she is. Ava Gardner Would have worn this well.... It may bring these emotions to the surface for me but Lys Carmin never overpowers or overplays it's hand. It's done with excruciatingly good taste and would be a perfect signature scent for the fall/ winter. Cinnamon and I usualy don't do well together but it's done beautifully here. This and the pepper compliment the lily in such an extraordinary way. I've yet to smell anything even remotely like this. Lily speaks with a new voice here. It's still lily but it's also so much more. Instead of being an unapproachable diva Lys Carmin invites....questions,interest,closeness.... Breathtakingly original and a true standout. Just like the woman who wears it......