Lily & Spice (2006)
by Penhaligon's

A light floral fragrance perfectly suitable for warmer occasions, or on those days when you have no wish to stand out. There is minimal evolution beyond the top notes, minimal sillage,and the longevity is on the brief side of adequate. One could easily make a case for its unisex classification were it not so difficult to imagine anyone making a full bottle purchase. In general terms,this is a very average fragrance, but by Penhaligon's standards its pretty poor.

A pleasantly fresh lily scent that, unfortunately, failed to move me. It's worth a try, though.

Lily & Spice is really nice. I don't normally go for lily fragrances, at all, but the lily note in this one is warm and soft and creamy instead of rottening or sharp or waxy. The spices (mostly saffron) harmonise nicely with the lily rather than adding a contrast, adding more warmth without being too dry. It's like a "light" oriental, clearly oriental in feel (warm, smooth, rich, spicy) but without being heavy or animalic. It really stands out as more modern than the rest of the line. Despite my amazement at finding a lily scent pleasant and wearable it still doesn't quite feel as "me" though. I think I'd rather go for the candle, in which a more prominent and animalic ambergris note adds a very nice touch.

Woo hoo! Ever stick your nose into a Casablanca lily? Well, you don’t have to, now that Penhaligon’s Lily & Spice is on the market. To this old gardener’s nose, Lily & Spice is and extraordinarily accurate rendition of the unique oriental lily note. Whether or not you like the fragrance depends entirely on how you feel about the scent of oriental lilies. Some people can’t tolerate it, and won’t bring the cut flowers into the house. If you’re one of them, you don’t need to bother with this scent.

Me, I love that heady lily smell, and I’m very glad to find such a natural-smelling liquid facsimile. The lily here is more pure than that in Lys Mediterranee, undiluted by the Malle scent’s bright citrus, and far greener and drier than Serge Lutens’s ethereal Un Lys. It’s potent stuff, but never cloying or oppressive. It’s mostly linear until it fades into a very light and pretty vanilla skin scent. That’s just fine by me, since I like it well enough just the way it starts out. In fact, the worst thing I can say about Lily & Spice is that its longevity is fairly modest. Nice stuff!

Although this contains 8 notes according to Pehnaligon's web site, I can only detect one - the white lily, slightly green notes without the cloying ripeness present in most lily based oils. This is fresh, as if the lily had just opened. Lovely and heady. Warning- it lasts and lasts and lasts and could become a bit much at the end of the day if applied in too heavy a fashion.

8 notes:

Top: Saffron, White Madonna Lily
Middle: Hot Pepper, Clove
Base: White Musk, Patchouli, Vanilla, Benzoin

Lily & Spice is one of my favorite lily fragrance so far. It smells live and realistic. The flower is sweet and spicy. Green leaves abound. A bit of patchouli gives it weight. The musk base makes it animalic and warm. Lily & Spice is enticing and natural, not soapy at all. It is a well-constructed, enjoyale perfume, sexy and becoming.