Left At The Altar – Again?
March 20th, 2007
I have always loved flowers and fragrance, but I did not know what I was missing until I discovered the lily. Everyone knows the Easter lily and its subtle fresh fragrance, but once I discovered that there were other lilies in the world that were much more powerfully fragrant, I was hooked for life. I grow them, I buy them at the florist in the off-season, and I keep at least one lily fragrance in my possession at all times. When I need my lily “fix” nothing else will quite do.
The lily most commonly used in perfumery is called the White Lily; its botanical name is Lilium candidum, the Madonna Lily, native to Asia Minor and the Middle East. This astonishingly white flower looks like it is carved from alabaster, and its complex fragrance is a blend of high, pure cool notes and indolic undertones that are almost foxy in their intensity. One either loves it, as I do, or cannot bear to be near it; there is rarely any in-between. Other lilies are grown for their fragrance and beauty but not used commercially, as their essence is notoriously difficult to capture. The Oriental group, native to Japan, has some of the finest perfumes in the entire floral kingdom. In general, they are less indolic than the White Lily and have a gentle, sweet spiciness that is very pleasing. Others smell anywhere from musky and strange to unbelievably delicious, and some are scentless, though still beautiful.
My first lily perfume was the great Ana?s Ana?s by Cacharel, released in 1978, which I wore as a very young woman. This was even before I started growing lilies in my own garden, but I knew what I liked, and this lovely and ethereal green floral was the best thing I had ever smelled. This is most commonly seen as an Eau de Toilette now, but what is not so well known is that it was once available in a far broader range than it is today. On one end of the spectrum was the Parfum, which I had, and it was just sublime. It was less green than the EDP or EDT and had a softness and purity to it that was mesmerizing. I think it as the most feminine perfume I have ever experienced. There was also a masterpiece of a bath oil, completely opposite to the Parfum in character, which brought out the sexy side of this fragrance. I would wear this as a perfume in tiny amounts when I went out in the evening when I got a little older. It highlighted the lily, hyacinth and honeysuckle in the composition, and you could really get the woods and oakmoss too. When that was discontinued, I hoarded my bottle of it for years, using it only for special occasions.
I lost a lot of interest in Ana?s Ana?s after I could only get the EDT, and the EDP is rarely seen now as well. It’s a shame, because this fragrance was really one of the finest fragrances of its time. I felt that Cacharel had abandoned the true aficionados of this perfume.
Some time later I discovered Alpine Lily by Crown Perfumery. I don’t know whether this one had any actual lily in it or not; I believe it had a generous dose of Lily-of-the-valley as the majority of its composition, but it was no less lovely for it. It was airy and luminous and simple, and smelled like a meadow in the spring. I adored it. Alas, my affair with this fragrance was cut short. The Crown company was bought out a few years ago and was reincarnated as the Clive Christian company, purveyor of overpriced (and in my opinion, overrated) perfumes aimed at the super rich among us, and all the Crown creations were no more. I have not forgiven Clive Christian for this, nor am I likely to do so in the near future. I did not have a lily perfume again for several years. I was left without my obsession once again.
So what does one do when bereft of a lily scent to own and enjoy? In my case, I happened to start reading perfume blogs such as this one, and everyone was talking about Serge Lutens, and a fragrance called Un Lys. Could this be the one I was looking for? I read all I could find about the company, as I had never heard of it before, and it all sounded wonderful. I discovered that my local perfume boutique had just started carrying the full line. Off I went, and I fell in love instantly. Not just with Un Lys, but with virtually the whole lineup. I was astonished at the superb quality and originality I found. But it was indeed Un Lys that won me over, with its frigid heart of purest lily essence, hiding a sensuality that turns into something just a little dangerous on the skin. It is the White Lily brought to vivid life as in nothing else I have ever smelled. Now, of course, the company has decided that Un Lys belongs in the Exclusive Range, and it is no longer sold outside of the Palais Royale du Shiseido in Paris. I have about half a bottle right now, and it is reserved for very special occasions. Once again I will have to find a lily perfume to call my own. I will forgive Serge Lutens for this someday, since the other fragrances are so good, but why did they take it away? I am jilted once again!
So I am looking for another candidate for my lily romance, and so far the best one is Antica Farmacista’s Casablanca Lily, which is a remarkable rendition of the famous white Oriental lily beloved by florists and brides alike the world over. This is achieved by the addition of the spice clove to the formula, which warms the chill of the lily to make it more like its namesake flower than the glacial White Lily. Ylang ylang keeps it sweet and approachable. As a bonus, this is available as a home fragrance and a bath and body range as well, like many Antica Farmacista fragrances. I am almost afraid to buy it, as I almost surely will when my beloved Un Lys is finally gone. What if it abandons me like all the others? It would be easier to be in love with Chanel No. 5 or Shalimar to guarantee that I will always be able to get more, but I always did fall in love with the one I could never have. Why should it be any different with perfume?
Image source: 3-D effect photograph copyright 2007 by K. Mingl, used with permission.
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18 Comments
1. Marina | March 20th, 2007 at 11:27 pm
Donna, you made me so happy! *gleefully splashes Casablanca* I am SO in my floral period right now and am obsessed with lilies.
I must find me some of that Alpine Lily. Fantastic article, please write more!
2. carmencanada | March 21st, 2007 at 4:42 am
Donna, congratulations on your first article and on your choice ! Like Marina, I am currently in a white flower period and have broken my “different scent every day” self-imposed rule for Un Lys. It’s almost unbearably gorgeous, pure and dirty at once. I would definitely wear this to seduce… When I wear it, I feel like snogging myself, it’s so powerful on my senses.
3. Nina | March 21st, 2007 at 5:14 am
By coincidence, I craved lily this morning, andI dabbed on my sample of Lys Mediteranee. It’s very lovely, very green…and suspiciously similar to DK’s Gold. I’m wondering if this is another case of a mainstream perfume copying a niche success?
4. chayaruchama | March 21st, 2007 at 5:42 am
Welcome, and what a wonderful post !
I adore Un Lys, and Marina sweetly sent me a touch of the Antica Farmacista- creamy, gorgeous.
Besides the fear of discontinuing some of these, I fervently pray that we don’t ‘overdose’ on these indolic lovelies to the point where we suffer from “perfume bulimia”..lol.
Take care all !
[Waves to Inushka]
5. Leopoldo | March 21st, 2007 at 6:42 am
I’m with you and CC on Un Lys – it makes me swoon (in a manly way, bien sur…!). Great first post – love the theme.
6. Elle | March 21st, 2007 at 6:56 am
Welcome! What a wonderful post! I am going out and getting some lilies today w/out doubt. I love Un Lys and was shocked at how close to the actual flower AF’s Casablanca Lily is. I never sniffed the Anais Anais bath oil, but am mourning its loss w/ you now.
7. March | March 21st, 2007 at 7:17 am
Lovely post! I’m not a big lily fan, but Un Lys is beautiful. FWIW if you’re looking for a mainstream lily scent, you might want to try DK Gold, which smells like casablancas to me. Apparently Donna Karan is a lily fan, and I think it’s present in other scents as well (e.g., White Cashmere.)
8. Patty | March 21st, 2007 at 8:10 am
Un Lys is gorgeous, and I’ve stockpiled loads of it… just in case.
Lovely writing. The one thing I can’t seem to grow properly in Colorado is the lily, and it annoys me beyond belief. My mother has them growing practically like weeds in Kansas. Every time I go out there in the spring, she has those great big casablancas sprouting everywhere on the east side of her house, and I just stop, my jaw drops, I cry just a little, and ask her *again* what she is doing different from me. I think Colorado is just too dry for the darling, no matter how much I try to protect them.
9. tmp00 | March 21st, 2007 at 10:32 am
Welcome Donna!
I used to loooove smelling Anais Anais on women in the 80′s: such a pure, lovely scent without being overblown and overbearing, like so many scents of the day were. Definately time for a comeback!
Don’t hold me to this, but I was told by a Barneys SA that Un Lys was going to make a comeback to the exports. Don’t know if it will be only for a short while, or even if she was talking completely out of her hat, but I can’t wait to sniff it if that’s the case.
10. Tigs | March 21st, 2007 at 3:17 pm
Donna, lovely article, welcome. Just to let you know, Un Lys is a limited edition that returns to the export collection every once in a while. Nazrin at the The Perfume Shoppe in Canada (www.theperfumeshoppe) (I’m not affiliated) has some right now – in addition to Chergui and Vetiver Oriental.
11. violetnoir | March 21st, 2007 at 6:27 pm
What a wonderful post, Donna. And you are so right: When it comes to love and perfume, we always want the one we can’t quite have.
I look foward to reading more of your posts.
Hugs!
12. Flora | March 21st, 2007 at 9:07 pm
Thanks so much, everybody! I am blushing from your compliments! You are all so kind. And Ina was so generous to let me rave on about lilies!
And Tigs & tmp00 – how great to know that Un Lys is not gone forever from our shores! That brightens my day for sure.
March, I have tried the DK Gold and does start out wonderfully, but the lily part fades too quickly for me. Otherwise it might be in my possession right now.
Marina, you will probably have to go on Ebay to find Alpine Lily, unless you can find a shop that still has a stash of Crown fragrances. They have been gone a long time now (sobs). Alpin Lily was only one of many very fine perfumes in the line.
Carmencanada, you said it exactly – “almost unbearably gorgeous, pure and dirty at once.” That’s my Un Lys! I love that about it, that it is emphatically both things.
Nina, I have yet to try Lys Mediteranee – obviously I must do so in the very near future. If the lily part of it lasts longer than DK Gold, we may have a winner.
Hugs to all of you!
13. Ferdie | March 21st, 2007 at 9:54 pm
Oh my! The fluid jargon shows how in the know you all are about parfumery. I can’t speak the “language” but I sure know what I like and y’all have articulated it for me. Lovely article, PT, lovely.
Now…does anyone know where I might find the essence of daphne in a parfum?
14. Ina | March 21st, 2007 at 11:03 pm
Donna, thank you for this excellent piece! Besides being beautifully written, it was also very informative for someone like me who has a very basic knowledge of flowers. I’m truly privileged to have you on board.
I wore Casablanca to bed after reading this. What a gorgeous lily! I’m looking forward to more floral posts by Flora. 
15. Kyra | March 22nd, 2007 at 1:36 am
Delighted to have the thoughts of another lily mad gardener. I’m afraid that Un Lys, while an utterly stellar representation, failed to capture my heart, but Lys Mediteranee is on it’s way to doing so. You will know exactly what I mean if I say that Madonna and Easter lilies are all very well, but I would give the moon for a perfume that captures African Queen or Orania. And have you noticed that perfume notes are notoriously lacking as to specifying plants by botanical names.
16. Flora | March 23rd, 2007 at 1:06 am
Kyra, I do know exactly what you mean – if I had an ‘Orania’ perfume I would never leave the house! I would be lying at home rolling around in it. Not to mention Silk Road, Conca d’Or, Rosario, Uchida, Caravan, Heart’s Desire, Queen’s Promise… the list goes on.
As to lack of botanical names, It makes me crazy when perfumers list notes of flowers or essences that just do not exist to make it sound new and exciting. My current pet peeve is Michael Kors’ ‘Island’ – yes, it smells good but it most certainly does NOT have any “Kauai Waterfalls” or “Galapagos Driftwood” in it.Yes, those are actually some of the notes that are listed! It also lists “Oxygenated Water” as a note – the last time I checked, water is not supposed to smell very much. When it does there is usually something wrong!
Also, Subtil by Ferragamo has something called “red lily” in it – I have no idea what that is. If it’s an actual lily, or even an actual flower, could they not call it by its real name?
17. ericat | March 24th, 2007 at 2:25 pm
I have never thought of lilies in the perfume line so this blog was very interesting with something new for me.
At the moment I am doing an endemic lily garden. Which is nice and lazy as I never romove them, they grow, bloom and rest with the seasons. You can see some South African lilies on my site, unfortunately you can not smell them.
18. gkelly | May 24th, 2008 at 10:15 pm
I bought several big bottles of this just before Crown went out of busness. If anyone is interested you can contact me through my website, gretchenkelly.com