Reviews of Lys Méditerranée by Editions de Parfums Frederic Malle
The most overtly solar soliflore Malle has ever given us, in my opinion, and likely the last at this point. I'm not sure I understand the Mediterranean reference as this doesn't strike me as Mediterranean coastal at all. There is a humidity and saltiness to this that makes me think of a lily in the South Pacific. Thankfully the sea water notes in this are not huge doses of screaming calones like it is in so many marine-note perfumes; it's a lot more tasteful than that. The bright and salty hesperidics at the top string down to a green heart of angelica, and, of course, lily. But there is quite a bit more besides. Orange blossom is well-accounted for in the heart, and I also want to say there is some neroli and ylang-ylang as well. White floral, but with a strong citrusy and tropical bent that does not quite lend itself strictly to lily. It's a bit too green, a bit too citrusy, and a bit too fresh and bright to really be a sumptuous and sweet lily accord. It comes across as botanical and very natural, but at the same time it's abstract because it's clear Flechier wanted to string the various notes of lily together without actually using much actual lily material. The final dry down to the base is a very pleasant sweet and soapy musk accord that, to me, is the most overtly "lily" note so far in the perfume. As a whole, I thoroughly enjoy Lys. It's breathtakingly pretty, and, a unlike the majority of Malle perfumes, it is remarkably simple and straightforward; no tricks, no need to heavily interpret anything, the abstraction is easy and never distracts from the mission, and it is incredibly easy to wear. A simple and lovely perfume made with excellent care and materials; you can't get an easier win than this.
Now this is just ok to my nose. Its a super fem lactonic, slightly salty white floral. White florals are king here, its all about white florals. Its almost like a coconut lotion with a white floral mix. Slightly reminds me of Carnal Flower, but this is more calm and easy breezy. Imagine drinking coconut milk, smelling a white floral bouquet, and sitting near pacific ocean.
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Alchymia. Perfumare. Magnum Opus.
A Pungent Chemical Cocktail
On paper “Lys Méditerranée” is little more subtle and alluring than on my skin. So, I have to assume, that the overwhelming positive reviews are due to “Lys Méditerranée” behaving on other people’s skin closer to what I smell on the paper, although this is not enough for me.
Still, this is the closest I have gotten to liking a Frederic Malle perfume. Initially, it starts gently and I am happy, but very soon it turns into a heavy, almost pungent and boring solid block of discombobulated chemicals at odds with each other. And this is not just a matter of opinion. The pyramid is clear about it – all of the listed lily of the valley, marine notes, water lily and musk are synthesized molecules. It is to them that I attribute the impressive lack of development of this fragrance.
And yes, there is something green there, but it fails to become the saving grace for this perfume. The green note, the marine note and the lily note do not create a harmonious whole, while the pressing sweetness from the orange blossom and the vanilla underneath make things even worse, turning this into a challenge, not worth overcoming. Moving on without any regret.
Editions de Parfums Frederic Malle, Lys Méditerranée:
Composition: 5.5/10
Complexity: 6.5/10
Development: 3.5/10
Naturality: 4/10
A Pungent Chemical Cocktail
On paper “Lys Méditerranée” is little more subtle and alluring than on my skin. So, I have to assume, that the overwhelming positive reviews are due to “Lys Méditerranée” behaving on other people’s skin closer to what I smell on the paper, although this is not enough for me.
Still, this is the closest I have gotten to liking a Frederic Malle perfume. Initially, it starts gently and I am happy, but very soon it turns into a heavy, almost pungent and boring solid block of discombobulated chemicals at odds with each other. And this is not just a matter of opinion. The pyramid is clear about it – all of the listed lily of the valley, marine notes, water lily and musk are synthesized molecules. It is to them that I attribute the impressive lack of development of this fragrance.
And yes, there is something green there, but it fails to become the saving grace for this perfume. The green note, the marine note and the lily note do not create a harmonious whole, while the pressing sweetness from the orange blossom and the vanilla underneath make things even worse, turning this into a challenge, not worth overcoming. Moving on without any regret.
Editions de Parfums Frederic Malle, Lys Méditerranée:
Composition: 5.5/10
Complexity: 6.5/10
Development: 3.5/10
Naturality: 4/10
Creamy lily with flashes of a sea breeze. Predictable but lovely, quiet yet vivid. Proper and crisp from the lily, relaxed at the cuffs. Society types idling on the beach. Upon further consideration, it masterfully blends the soapy-sweet-buttery aspects of the lily with a deeper salty undercurrent. Barely a whisper of powder to be found. Overall, careless and darling.
Flower, land and breeze
How can I separate you?
Let me live in you
How can I separate you?
Let me live in you
I snuck spring into the office today. Looked out on yet another dark dank dreary day and headed for work. With me is this polite scent, riding close to my skin under my jacket up the elevator. I hang my jacket on the back of my chair, inhale deeply -- and magically, in my office is SPRING: scented by blooming of tiger lilies, orange blossoms, muget peeks in later in the day, ferns. and a little ray of sun to brighten my day.
In meetings and conferences as I tuck my chin in my hand as if considering some topic, and take a discreet sniff or two and try not to smile. Still, I'm the only one who knows spring is here.
At the end of the day, I smile as we ride down the elevator and I head back out into the rain and darkening skies of November while enveloped by spring.
In meetings and conferences as I tuck my chin in my hand as if considering some topic, and take a discreet sniff or two and try not to smile. Still, I'm the only one who knows spring is here.
At the end of the day, I smile as we ride down the elevator and I head back out into the rain and darkening skies of November while enveloped by spring.
Lovely, very realistic floral with great longevity. Will last all day. Projection is moderate, but you won't forget you are wearing it. I love the smell it leaves on my shirts after wearing it, which will last for days. You will keep going back to your closet to sniff your collar, just because :-)
1990's overload. Absolute torture / nightmare for me personally but I do appreciate that it exists in the world.
If there was a life blood that connected the 90's cultural zeitgeist from beginning to end, from the lily and sunflower print bicycle shorts and rodeo drive' aesthetic of the early decade to the mid-1990's bubba / southern belle chic moment (designing women, grace under fire, Forrest Gump, bill clinton, Kathie Lee, etc) to the Late 1990's where CK1, wet-look, gelled hair, and the Lilith fair reigned supreme - it would smell like this. If you are a millennial, you wore CK1 to your aunt's Lily-filled wedding. Now you can wear Lys Med to transport you back in time.
If there was a life blood that connected the 90's cultural zeitgeist from beginning to end, from the lily and sunflower print bicycle shorts and rodeo drive' aesthetic of the early decade to the mid-1990's bubba / southern belle chic moment (designing women, grace under fire, Forrest Gump, bill clinton, Kathie Lee, etc) to the Late 1990's where CK1, wet-look, gelled hair, and the Lilith fair reigned supreme - it would smell like this. If you are a millennial, you wore CK1 to your aunt's Lily-filled wedding. Now you can wear Lys Med to transport you back in time.
Anti-sweet, floral opening. Green. Bitter. Borders on fetid or indolic. Rooty-ginger, old fading lilies. The flowers are too "rotted" for my pleasure. The heart is more civilized, adding a touch of root, near the earth, aromas. More green. Lily increases. Pungent still.
I get more angelica greenness. Musk is crusty, almost dirty. I like my florals, lily scents, with less green, more sugar. Not for me.
I get more angelica greenness. Musk is crusty, almost dirty. I like my florals, lily scents, with less green, more sugar. Not for me.
Wonderful aquatic/marine scent and one of my favorite Malle perfumes. I'm no fan of lily scents, but this one won me over by miles. Lys Mediterranee is also quite a 'clean' scent and one has to work hard to find something offensive in this perfume and can easily be worn by both men and women.
Sadly the longevity of Lys Mediterranee is a slight disappointment and only lasts about 4 hours at most on me, which is the only reason I haven't sprung for a full bottle.
Sadly the longevity of Lys Mediterranee is a slight disappointment and only lasts about 4 hours at most on me, which is the only reason I haven't sprung for a full bottle.
A perfectly nice perfume, probably most notable for what it isn't than what it is.
With the 90's marine perfume fad leading into the 00's aquatic fad, it became quite popular to try to make "aquatic florals" by mixing lily chemicals with cucumber and salt. There are a lot of those out there, and they're starting to smell pretty dated.
Thankfully, Frederic Malle went for the long game with Lys Méditerranée, opting for a timeless white flowers accord and a pinch of powdery musk as the backbone of this, his lily perfume. It's quite nice, with a hint of orange blossom for richness, though the powder can get a little sneezy when over-applied.
All told, Lys Méditerranée deserves a thumbs up, though I think there are more interesting lilies out there (Guerlain's beautiful but prohibitively expensive yearly Muguet perfumes spring to mind, as well as Cartier's interesting lily/chocolate Basier Vole). One for the floral fanatics.
With the 90's marine perfume fad leading into the 00's aquatic fad, it became quite popular to try to make "aquatic florals" by mixing lily chemicals with cucumber and salt. There are a lot of those out there, and they're starting to smell pretty dated.
Thankfully, Frederic Malle went for the long game with Lys Méditerranée, opting for a timeless white flowers accord and a pinch of powdery musk as the backbone of this, his lily perfume. It's quite nice, with a hint of orange blossom for richness, though the powder can get a little sneezy when over-applied.
All told, Lys Méditerranée deserves a thumbs up, though I think there are more interesting lilies out there (Guerlain's beautiful but prohibitively expensive yearly Muguet perfumes spring to mind, as well as Cartier's interesting lily/chocolate Basier Vole). One for the floral fanatics.
The first floral hit is a lily in full bloom. Touches tiger lily, not sweet initially, very nice.
After this first hour or so, I get more of a sweeter note that is quite characteristic of muguet, and for quite a while the muguet really defines this composition. Later in the drydown, orange blossom is added as well as whiffs of citrus and nigh-ozonic undertones, but for most of the time the muguet rules.
The base combines nonspecific woodsy hints with white musks and a very restrained tonka - but the muguet stills shines through on my skin until the very end.
The sillage is moderate, the projection very good, and the longevity amounts to ten hours, albeit very close to my skin for the last hour.
This spring scent, unashamedly a floral fest, is well-executed and composed of ingredients that are of a very good quality overall. At times the standard drops and inferior synthetics are evident, but that is only for smaller parts of the development of this product. 3.5/5.
After this first hour or so, I get more of a sweeter note that is quite characteristic of muguet, and for quite a while the muguet really defines this composition. Later in the drydown, orange blossom is added as well as whiffs of citrus and nigh-ozonic undertones, but for most of the time the muguet rules.
The base combines nonspecific woodsy hints with white musks and a very restrained tonka - but the muguet stills shines through on my skin until the very end.
The sillage is moderate, the projection very good, and the longevity amounts to ten hours, albeit very close to my skin for the last hour.
This spring scent, unashamedly a floral fest, is well-executed and composed of ingredients that are of a very good quality overall. At times the standard drops and inferior synthetics are evident, but that is only for smaller parts of the development of this product. 3.5/5.
The blending of lily and vanilla (vanilly!) makes me question whether or not there is actually honeysuckle in this scent. Either way Lys Mediterranee is as soft as buttered silk and milky-pleasant top to bottom. Like a quieter yet more regal version of Deep Night. Excellent stuff.
Lys Mediterranee is a strong floral. I admire it for opening so loud and strong, and for smelling like lilies as advertised, but the overall mix is just a little off to my liking for a perfume to wear, just a bit sour, in a way that may be the best representation of natural lilies, but takes it beyond what I prefer to wear.
Hedging, somewhat, I'll say it develops well on skin, and presents a symphony of floral goodness at a distance; and I'm somewhat torn between neutral and thumbs up. When I draw the source up close, it shifts into neutral.
Hedging, somewhat, I'll say it develops well on skin, and presents a symphony of floral goodness at a distance; and I'm somewhat torn between neutral and thumbs up. When I draw the source up close, it shifts into neutral.
Lys Méditerranée
Briny, breezy marine notes liven up a rather classical floral fragrance, conjuring a perfume that says "Summer at the seaside".
The marine notes have nothing to do with Calone, or ozone, or sour metal, or fish, rather feel airy, like the subtle , salty sea spray you get on windy days on the beach. The flowers- gorgeous lily and some of its relatives- aren't, in my opinion, cold and austere as some reviewers pointed out: I feel them creamy and waxy and rather warm, almost sharing savoury notes with sun kissed, slightly sweaty skin- I can't help quoting Luca Turin, here, and his comparison between lilies and salame! Though in many country, Italy for one, lilies are widely used in funeral services, I somewhat succeed in skipping this association and enjoying their heady, rich, pollen laden scent. (On a personal note, my psychoanalist, who is anosmic after nose surgery, used to put beautiful pink streaked lilies in a vase in his studio, hoping to be able to smell them again, sometimes. The heady, pervasive scent of lilies reminds me of an important, very vital phase of my life, so that's maybe why I see lilies devoided of cold or gloomy aspects). The drydown is creamy, soft, sweet and slightly resinous, with cosmetic and musky undertones.
In short, a softly radiant, serene, seamlessly elegant fragrance, ideal match with a holiday facing "the blue honey of the Mediterranean" (F. Scott Fitzgerald)
Briny, breezy marine notes liven up a rather classical floral fragrance, conjuring a perfume that says "Summer at the seaside".
The marine notes have nothing to do with Calone, or ozone, or sour metal, or fish, rather feel airy, like the subtle , salty sea spray you get on windy days on the beach. The flowers- gorgeous lily and some of its relatives- aren't, in my opinion, cold and austere as some reviewers pointed out: I feel them creamy and waxy and rather warm, almost sharing savoury notes with sun kissed, slightly sweaty skin- I can't help quoting Luca Turin, here, and his comparison between lilies and salame! Though in many country, Italy for one, lilies are widely used in funeral services, I somewhat succeed in skipping this association and enjoying their heady, rich, pollen laden scent. (On a personal note, my psychoanalist, who is anosmic after nose surgery, used to put beautiful pink streaked lilies in a vase in his studio, hoping to be able to smell them again, sometimes. The heady, pervasive scent of lilies reminds me of an important, very vital phase of my life, so that's maybe why I see lilies devoided of cold or gloomy aspects). The drydown is creamy, soft, sweet and slightly resinous, with cosmetic and musky undertones.
In short, a softly radiant, serene, seamlessly elegant fragrance, ideal match with a holiday facing "the blue honey of the Mediterranean" (F. Scott Fitzgerald)
I like the scent of lilies in perfume, if done well, but not so much lily of the valley which I find a bit harsh and soapy.
When I first tried Lys Mediterranee I feared it was a bit clean and LotV rather than lily. But on further wear I grew to love it. I wore it generously when out for a dressy evening party in winter, which is not when you'd imagine this perfume should be worn since it suggests summer. But actually it was just right for a dressy event.
It has an Audrey Hepburn-like elegance and charm - graceful, not very fleshy but pretty. Also, just like Hepburn, it has a grounded personality underlying the creamy clean lily. I tend to think its the note of ambergris which gives this a skin-scent saltiness and something that vaguely reminds me of labdanum, slightly sweaty though not indolic (makes me think of the scent of horse-hair). The animalic part is very subtle though. (Having said that, when I last wore this a handsome Japanese cellist kept sniffing my neck!)
I'm trying, and failing, to imagine this on the average man. For men who don't require a perfume to smell 'manly' (whatever that may be) it's lovely, it's not sweet and I think would suit a man wearing a light summer suit or shirt
If anything I'm reminded of a 1960s Dolce Vita aura - white/cream couture elegance - as opposed to a garden or the outdoors, but our impressions and associations are bound to differ.
When I first tried Lys Mediterranee I feared it was a bit clean and LotV rather than lily. But on further wear I grew to love it. I wore it generously when out for a dressy evening party in winter, which is not when you'd imagine this perfume should be worn since it suggests summer. But actually it was just right for a dressy event.
It has an Audrey Hepburn-like elegance and charm - graceful, not very fleshy but pretty. Also, just like Hepburn, it has a grounded personality underlying the creamy clean lily. I tend to think its the note of ambergris which gives this a skin-scent saltiness and something that vaguely reminds me of labdanum, slightly sweaty though not indolic (makes me think of the scent of horse-hair). The animalic part is very subtle though. (Having said that, when I last wore this a handsome Japanese cellist kept sniffing my neck!)
I'm trying, and failing, to imagine this on the average man. For men who don't require a perfume to smell 'manly' (whatever that may be) it's lovely, it's not sweet and I think would suit a man wearing a light summer suit or shirt
If anything I'm reminded of a 1960s Dolce Vita aura - white/cream couture elegance - as opposed to a garden or the outdoors, but our impressions and associations are bound to differ.
Sadly I do not know flowers as much as I would like to, therefore I can really not judge the quality of the notes here lily and muguet, or more in general this perfume as a whole from the point of view of its objective quality. What I can say though is that it opens with a breathtakingly vibrant and realistic feel which threw me right into a greenhouse: the smell not only of petals and leaves but also soil, stagnant water, dust, freshly-cut branches, humidity, and an almost perceivable and really fascinating rendition of that peculiar feel of humid warmth there's often in greenhouses and florist shops almost stale, opalescent, suspended. All of this with a fresher, brighter, zesty citrus-floral breeze coming from outside, to bring in also a more radiant outdoor feel (I guess the Mediterranée part of the concept). This perfume seems so simple, yet so deep and complex, carrying a powerful and romantic feel of nostalgia, slightly gloomy too, at the same time lively and relaxed almost sleepy. It smells apparently clean and elegantly understated, but if you listen to it carefully, it has a lot of images and stories to narrate, with some unpredictable darker shades (the dust, the soil, the archaic rawness, the dreamy feel of warmth). As I was saying, I don't know if the materials are objectively good here (they definitely seem to me though), but all of this I noted above is more than enough for me to consider Lys Mediterranée a fantastic, deep, sincere scent, absolutely worthy a sniff for any fan of flowers (and of perfumes in general, actually).
8-8,5/10
8-8,5/10
The top notes are nicely floral (without overdoing it) and it's unmistakenly Lily. It stays this way for a while and the Neroli appears but doesn't overpower the lily (finally!). Very balanced. The musk keeps this from being only feminine but I expect women would be more interested in it. Guys who love florals will love this due to the green quality of the florals. This is the best lily fragrance I've smelled.
Genre: Floral
I worried that Lys Méditerranée might be too sweet and heady for me, but I needn't have. It actually opens with a volley of astringent green notes that put lily in a whole new perspective. The lily has real presence, but the green notes keep the scent from ever getting cloying. A gentle squeeze of citrus keeps things crisp for a truly Mediterranean olfactory picture. Simple, well executed, and very easy to wear.
I worried that Lys Méditerranée might be too sweet and heady for me, but I needn't have. It actually opens with a volley of astringent green notes that put lily in a whole new perspective. The lily has real presence, but the green notes keep the scent from ever getting cloying. A gentle squeeze of citrus keeps things crisp for a truly Mediterranean olfactory picture. Simple, well executed, and very easy to wear.
There is a predominant green note that smells more chemical than natural. The lily scent is not strong and also has an artificial quality to it.
It lacks depth and complexity - for the best lily scent on the market, try Penhaligon's Lily and Spice, deep, true and rounded by the subtle spices.
This is another of the modern acquatic scents, thin and wispy. If you like this sort of scent, this may please. For me, it's okay, but nothing special.
It lacks depth and complexity - for the best lily scent on the market, try Penhaligon's Lily and Spice, deep, true and rounded by the subtle spices.
This is another of the modern acquatic scents, thin and wispy. If you like this sort of scent, this may please. For me, it's okay, but nothing special.
If someone asked me if this fragrance smells like lily, I would say maybe. To me it smells more of lily-of-the valley which is a quite different scent. There seems to be jasmine in it, and musk that comes to prominence during dry down. It is a nice floral, and I quite like it.
Edit (Feb14): I like it better now. After having tried many more fragrances, perhaps my nose has 'developed'. I feel this one is unisex and men can pull it off as well, especially on a hot tropical evening. There are elements of lily-of-the-valley and jasmine, but at times quite a good lily smell can be detected as well. So I've changed to thumbs-up.
Edit (Feb14): I like it better now. After having tried many more fragrances, perhaps my nose has 'developed'. I feel this one is unisex and men can pull it off as well, especially on a hot tropical evening. There are elements of lily-of-the-valley and jasmine, but at times quite a good lily smell can be detected as well. So I've changed to thumbs-up.
how to make a parfume for the summer?
either you take some citruses, or some geranium (chic PdN), or take this parfume :)
perfectly salted lily,
lily is white but this parfume has green smell for me, received my sample from 2009! it smells very natural, ingredients smell like alive!!3dimensional!(this is true for all FM i have tested)
perfect summer scent with a bit herbal tone from angelica, without any citruses! like fresh salted sea air, with strong projection!!
either you take some citruses, or some geranium (chic PdN), or take this parfume :)
perfectly salted lily,
lily is white but this parfume has green smell for me, received my sample from 2009! it smells very natural, ingredients smell like alive!!3dimensional!(this is true for all FM i have tested)
perfect summer scent with a bit herbal tone from angelica, without any citruses! like fresh salted sea air, with strong projection!!
Lys Mediterranee opens with a brief oceanic mist before a very subtle angelica makes an appearance. The angelica hangs around in the background, just barely perceptible when a gorgeous lily of the valley note emerges and remains through the heart, soon coupling with a co-starring water lily to give a nice presentation of lilies right after a spring rain. Joining the angelica in its supporting role is a very faint orange blossom. The base is a light clean musk that melds with the lily but never calls attention to itself staying true to the linear and subtle nature of the scent. Projection is above average and longevity is excellent.
Lys Mediterranee is a beautiful composition that lily of the valley and lily fans in general should really appreciate. The angelica is so subtle that at first I did not detect it, instead focusing on the lily of the valley, but on my second wearing I not only noticed it, but can now really appreciate the skill in how Flechier uses it to support the muguet. On the whole Lys Mediterranee does not change much once you get past the brief oceanic stage at the top, but it is probably the best lily focused composition I have smelled to date. From a guy's perspective I probably would prefer smelling this on a lady than wearing it myself, but wearable and wonderful it certainly is. Lys Mediterranee is another strong release from the house of Frederic Malle and earns an excellent 4 stars out of 5.
Lys Mediterranee is a beautiful composition that lily of the valley and lily fans in general should really appreciate. The angelica is so subtle that at first I did not detect it, instead focusing on the lily of the valley, but on my second wearing I not only noticed it, but can now really appreciate the skill in how Flechier uses it to support the muguet. On the whole Lys Mediterranee does not change much once you get past the brief oceanic stage at the top, but it is probably the best lily focused composition I have smelled to date. From a guy's perspective I probably would prefer smelling this on a lady than wearing it myself, but wearable and wonderful it certainly is. Lys Mediterranee is another strong release from the house of Frederic Malle and earns an excellent 4 stars out of 5.