Un Lys (1994)
by Serge Lutens Les Salons du Palais Royal Shiseido

I am learning that I don't care for lily in anything more than a supporting role. The first few stages of this perfume were OK, with the lilly supported and diffused in vanilla and soft musk. But pretty soon the other notes seemed to fall away and it was lilly, lilly, lilly. To my nose, lillies are shrill and overpowering. For someone who appreciates lillies, this perfume would probably be lovely.

First I must say that I don’t consider this as a unisex fragrance. To me utterly feminine scent.

Not that complex scent obviously but well balanced smoothness. Smells very natural and images of beautiful summer days run through my mind. Well made as usual when we are talking about this perfumer.

However, to me crisp and distinctively green qualities engaged with sweet and fresh lilies doesn’t smell that compelling or even especially pleasant. I have a hard time with these white flowers in general.

Not a fan.

I admit that I suffer from "Lily Love". Un Lys is a beautiful, lean, dry lily fragrance with moderate sillage & staying power. I would have liked more Casablaca lily and less lily of the valley, but this stark lily is a lily that I could learn to love.

I really do not care for this fragrance. It is lilly overload! Truly gag-worthy!

I got a healthy sample of Un Lys in the process of bidding on a miniature bottle of Parfum Sacre that was offered with it on Ebay. I had pretty much dismissed Un Lys since I don't care for floral scents. In the meantime I had ordered the wax Serge Lutens sample set from France which arrived before the bottle did. I spread the sample on my wrist and was immediatly smitten. All I kept thinking was that if Un Lys could smell that wonderful in a weak wax sample, I couldn't wait to smell the actual liquid. When it arrived I was not dissappointed. I tend to go for scents that are spicy, woodsy and smokey like Tabac Blond, Habanita, Fumerie Turque, but Un Lys is giving them all some real competition. There is something creamy and hypnotic about this scent. This is exactly why I've learned to never say "never" when it comes to Serge Lutens.

UPDATE: in hot, humid weather there is an underlying skanky note that's absolutely gorgeous! Un Lys is full of surprises.

Ah! The vagaries of body chemistry! I envy Shycat's and how it transports Un Lys into warmed lilies for her...one me Un Lys opens sharp, harsh and almost acidic. Green. I get no lilac or any of the spiciness of rubrims or Casablancas. I do detect (on me) Muguet and a melancholy bit of amber. It's a beautifully balanced scent - but for the headiness of the real thing I prefer Ava Luxe Lily. What can I tell you.

A later edit: none of the above is true in the summertime!! The voluptuous roundness Vibert mentions - being in a room enveloped in the fragrance of thos Casablanca.- now happens in heat!!