Lily: Un Lys vs Lys Méditerranée

[farang]

I am looking for a lily fragrance that can be worn by males, especially in a hot/humid climate. It seems Serge Lutens and Frederic Malle have come up with two gorgeous scents. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to sample them yet as they are not available where I live.

Any advice - which one is 'better'?

Or if you have any other suggestions for lily fragrances, thank you so much

[teardrop]

These are both beautiful lily scents; hard to say which is "better", as they are quite different interpretations. Un Lys is sweeter, creamier & headier, whereas Lys Med is cooler, saltier & slightly greener. Of the two, l would say Lys Med is probably more wearable for a man.

[jasonx]

I haven't smell Lys Méditerranée so I cannot give option on that. I do wear Un Lys for a couple of times from a sample though. To me it is not very remarkable, open with a realistic floral note (do not smell much like lily to my nose) then quickly dry down to a boring vanilla/clean musk. It does tip toward the feminine side though.

[30 Roses]

Can you get Hermès Hermessence Vanille Galante​ where you live? It's basically ylang-ylang and lily.

[jasonx]

BTW, if you can find a Penhaligon's boutique from where you live, give Lily & Spice a try. It smells just like lily (the pink one, not the white) and vanilla. I think it is more male friendly than Un Lys

[DuNezDeBuzier]

I never pass up a chance to get an up close sniff of stargazers.
lilies stargazers.jpg


I immediately associated Musc Ravageur with this smell. It was an obvious one and I made quick arrangements to buy a big bottle.

Oddly enough perhaps, only 1 reviewer in 151 made this same association (although I've no idea what type of lily that reviewer was thinking of). Here's the relevant part of Mr. tuffpup29's MR review:

Received a sample of this in the post but think it must have bee wrongly labeled - I got the most gorgeous smell of one of my favorite flowers, Lilies. So think the must have actually sent me Lys Mediterranee. If not then I must have the weirdest nose...

If you have not already sampled MR in this regard, I believe you should.

[hednic]

Club Aficionado by Jeanne Arthes

[cacio]

As others have said, Lys Mediterranee is definitely the freshest and more masculine of the two. It is a beautiful, realistic lily over a slightly salty, marine background. It does indeed have a mediterranean vibe. While it is not itself a marine, it does have some marine notes in the background, so you must be comfortable with them. But if you are, there's no better lily.

cacio

[farang]

Thank you, all. Great suggestions! I will try to hunt down samples since it seems to be necessary to smell the fragrances.

[ajmc]

As others have said, Lys Mediterranee is definitely the freshest and more masculine of the two. It is a beautiful, realistic lily over a slightly salty, marine background. It does indeed have a mediterranean vibe. While it is not itself a marine, it does have some marine notes in the background, so you must be comfortable with them. But if you are, there's no better lily.

cacio

I agree 100%.