Description
Van Cleef & Arpels is launching a luxurious line which includes 6 fragrances in September 2009, created in cooperation with various perfumers. Their flacons are identical, massive and made of glass, decorated with simple black tops, while their compositions are very special and of high quality because of expensive raw materials used in creation of the fragrances.
Collection Extraordinaire includes:
Gardenia Petale, nose: Nathalie Feisthauer,
Orchidee Vanille, nose: Randa Hammami,
Lys Carmin, nose: Nathalie Cetto,
Muguet Blanc, nose: Antoine Maisondieu,
Bois d’Iris, nose: Emilie Coppermann,
Cologne Noire, nose: Mark Buxton.
The fragrances will be available in amount of 75 ml (1.5 oz) EDP, for about 130 Euro. They will be sold in boutiques of Van Cleef & Arpels and in selective stores. Inspired by Haute Couture fashion line, Haute Couture perfume collection is made as a very luxurious and authentic one. The nose behind this fragrance is Nathalie Gracia-Cetto.
sva275speagoessenda – :
Oh, sweet lily heaven.. It takes a lot for me to really fall for lily scents. Im very picky with them, I like them ultra realistic and lush. I am happy to say Lys carmin passes my lily test with flying colors…
This is all about the super sweet petals and powdery stamen. No animalic facets to be found. It lacks any sort of greenness and dirt. A polished and very wearable sweet and spicy lily. Almost candied..
Ripped up stargazer lily petals put in a blender and blended with a smooth vanilla extract and ylang ylang.. Something about it is also giving me some serious Christmas day vibes.. The pink pepper + cinnamon combo?..
Whatever it is, im sad this is another discontinued and hard to find lily masterpiece..
Laserjet – :
Soft and sensual flowers, so velvety smooth. The spice is fluffy and clean and blends so well in this creamy concoction.
Lys Carmin is airy yet rich at the same time, a beautifully warm lily with some heat but no sharpness or syrupy sweetness. The musky, woody backdrop is gorgeous. Somehow this sits smack dab in the middle of Penhaligon’s Lily & Spice and L’Artisan’s Passage d’Enfer on opposing ends of the spectrum.
The ylang ylang is delicately sweet and alluring, not a feeling of tropical vacations but one of elegant seduction with its subtle indole. A little aloof, classy, enhancing the concept of sweet, lush, stylish lilies with a slightly minimalist approach.
For an animalic/indolic lily I enjoy L&S more as it is a bit deeper and has more animated facets, but this comes quite close. It’s an absolute shame that both discontinued scents are so hard to find.
samdyrak – :
Lys Carmin – finally I found a bottle online. Very spicy flower, not a white innocent lily at all. Strong and very feminine. Not a safe office scent but great for special occasions.
Генка – :
This perfume reminds me vaguely of Flower by Kenzo (which is a fragrance I haven’t smelled for at least 10+ years, so don’t quote me on this one lol)
I has a rather creamy, powdery note, almost like some sort of old school lotion. This is gonna sound weird (but I think this is why I make the connection with Flower) but it is almost like it makes the inside of the nostrils feel.. smooth. Or waxy.
Eh. I know.
I’ve felt this with a few powdery perfumes in my days, although it’s not completely unpleasant, it’s not at all a favorite of mine.
BUT in Lys Carmin, this note is really tamed down by the spices and just makes it an interesting feature. And the floral heart of this is just gorgeous. And I could have sworn it was carnation in this one, but clearly not.
Update; Today I really overdosed on this one, spraying it not only all over my body, but also my sweater – and I got complimented so many times it was ridiculus. The waitress even wrote the name of the perfume down on her notepad while taking my order. And then I overheard her talking to other guest about how good “that girl over there by the asparagus soup” smelled. No joke.
Lucy_fromAC – :
Uplifting, gorgeous and hyper-realistic Star lily! I’ve fallen in love… Anyone knows where to get a FB of this discontinued beauty? only seen it on ebay but it’s sold with 5 other scents from the collection, which I don’t want to buy 🙁
@Hipchick40 – TY for bringing up Lys Soleia, I’m on my second bottle and keeping a backup. It’s THAT good 🙂
лётчик – :
I’m going to answer my own question. Yes, it is possible for the love of one to ruin the possibility of another! I own Lys Soleia. I love Lys Soleia. The notes are fairly similar, both are high quality from esteemed houses. But because I own and love what I think is lily at its finest, I wasn’t blown away by this. Don’t get me wrong, this is very nice. It has the spicy pepper going on, it adds a tingly flavor. The lily is next most obvious and then the ylang, sandal and vanilla are in the background. The cinnamon is present too. It is a very nice blend. No sweetness anywhere. Just a powerful lily that includes the stem and leaves, to my nose. I really do need to give it another shot. I want to love it. But it may need to be when I haven’t smelled Lys Soleia in a while, it’s futile to compare and would probably doom this bottle to swap status. And I don’t want that, I am definitely not there yet.
Bottle: 7/10
Sillage: 7/10
Longevity: 7/10
Overall: solid 7/10.
ppm993elipseskism – :
I am going to have to wear this again soon, because to my nose this smells very similar to amber musc by NR.
Little weaker, anyone find this odd? The notes are not similar.
Btw, NR amber musc is the best smell on earth. So this is good too!
vanes1979 – :
Red Lily indeed! As a rule I dislike lily, but this is a win.
This lily is almost a carnation, and has that complexity, but lacks the sharp, almost metallic edge that carnation can bring. Slightly waxy, robust, warm to the point of being spicy, LC was a surprise.
The notes above specify pink pepper, but to my nose this is white pepper- that heat without the rose scent of pink, or the harshness of black pepper. Very fresh, crisp, and a counterpoint to the well rounded lily note, which is by far the most pleasant lily I have ever encountered. Not photorealistic, but a beautiful representation, bold, with crisp waxy petals, and a sense of both majesty and fun. This lily has shadings of fresh greeness rather than a perfumey tone, just wonderful!
For me the heart lasted for two hours, with the dry down appearing to maintain the same composition, but adding a creamier accord, as sandalwood and vanilla make an appearance. I do not detect the sweetness of ylang ylang, or the sharpness of cinnamon. There is an edge present in this scent, but to my nose it is a darker wood tone, more reminiscent of the smokiness of guaiac wood. I am quite sure, though, that if such a high end ingredient were used that it would be present in the official notes.
Good sillage, and very good longevity. I recommend applying this one with a light hand- my skin usually eats florals, but this remained quite apparent from beginning to end, and at times the heart was a little too. I never found the powdery notes promised. Instead LC is rich, almost oily, and crisp on my skin. Overall, I would characterize this as an outstandingly warm, almost vivacious scent, that is grounded enough to be suitable for the professional environment. LC would be as at home in a boardroom as it would in a canoe, scaring fish. To me this seems distinctly fall oriented, and for day wear.
Huh, I just noticed that this is marketed towards women. I would call this safely unisex, and would be curious to see how it adapted to male chemistry. It is perhaps a touch more floral than most male oriented scents, but that is what would make it so outstanding.
cinsArcassY – :
Sweet but fresh lily beautifully melded with subtle spices.
Very nice.
nomad_berik – :
Lys Carmin is an unexpected love for me since I normally am not a fan of lily fragrances. This is a wonderful exception. Lys Carmin opens with some green flowery notes, which are joined by lovely spices. I smell the pink pepper but it is not sharp. Rather it enhances the cinnamon and makes it deeper and stronger. There is some cardamom in there, too. It’s a warm spicy base that is really pretty.
What I like most about the fragrance is that the often sharp lily scent is softened by a lovely milky sandalwood, yummy sumptuous ylang and just the right amount of vanilla to create a beautifully constructed scent with the spices. I don’t get much powder until a couple of hours into the drydown. This scent lasts for about 4 hours with good sillage and then as a skin scent for another 4 hours after that. I never thought that a lily-centric fragrance could be a comfort scent, but Lys Carmin is like a cashmere wrap on a chilly day!
ramus – :
Its metamorphosis goes before your very eyes! Well.. nose. It literally blooms through the natural stages of a flower.
She starts green – an irresistible reminiscence of still dewy, freshly cut, fat, juicy stems. She stays that way for a good half an hour or so. Than she slowly goes up and turns into colorful bee inviting flower petals and goes on like that for hours; and by the end of the day, she’s that central powdery pollen, with sweet nectar burst.
Isn’t she lovely?
sased20 – :
I actually like this red lily, despite the fact that it gives me headaches. The pink pepper note is intense and I can also smell the vanilla in the background. The lily is there to stay, so be prepared for something special that lasts all day.
Lys Carmin is an elegant fragrance, that comes in an elegant bottle, for elegant women. Not for me 🙂
Vika_Tori – :
When I first tried this one about 6 month ago it was a disaster on my skin.
Now I tried it again. And its lovely, wonderful, beautiful. Now in the middle of hot summer in Sweden I can smell soft spicy’s dancing around a fresh and halfsweet Llly. The Sandalwood is soft and very female’ish. The vanilla in base is great and I get a hint of powdery notes as well. A keeper!
När jag först provade denna för ett halvår sen så var den hemsk på min hud.
Nu har jag provat den igen. Otroligt fin, underbar och fantastisk. Nu är det högsommar i Sverige och nu känner jag mjuka kryddor som dansar runt en lätt, fräsch, halvsöt Lilja. Sandelträet är mjukt o kvinnligt. Vaniljen i basen är perfekt och jag får en aning av pudriga noter i basen oxå. En doft att äga!
4eJI – :
Wow! This fragrance is the perfect blend of sweet, floral, and spicy. And by spicy I mean spices like cinnamon and cardamom are what I smell right away. A sophisticated sweet, not too girly or young. The lily and vanilla makes it delicate, but the spices give it a unique punch. Very very nice.
After about 20 minutes it still smelled nice, but started smelling a little more soapy, but you could still smell the other notes.
Drieceite – :
How to review this one without repeating what’s been said.. for me it was also my favourite, a breathtaking stand out, the one sample among over 30 smelling_gr8 sent me that day. One sniff and you had me. Lily can be austere, but not here. An amazingly balanced warm floral, with just enough vanilla and cinnamon.. but not too much. It doesn’t distract from the lily. The pepper gives you the feel of pollen on stamen. A twitch in the nose (I also get this feeling with Ofresia). A refined fragrance, that really lasts. Beautiful, I had to buy it, and in UK online I got a good deal. Lucky me. My friend walked in the office and said OMG, what is the gorgeous smell in here. It’s not me, it’s lys carmin!
menstor – :
This is my favorite out of the Collection Extraordinaire line, and I’m not usually a huge lily fan. I don’t know if other people have gotten this, but on me this smells like herbal tea after the dry down. Since I love tea and would be more than happy to smell like a huge cup of the stuff, this is right up my alley!
What is stopping from committing to a full bottle is #1 the price. $185? Ouch. Although, I could even rationalize that if this weren’t so light. This, like all the others I’ve tried in this line, is a very close skin scent while it lasts… and that isn’t long.
pashkovss – :
“Lys Carmin” is a really good presentation of lily. It feels very natural and feminine. What causes problem for me though is the lack of cinnamon which I was really looking forward to and the overdose of pink pepper. Also lily for the first hour seems simply too much, yes it does smell natural and feminine, but it is overpowering and all over the place.
Not for me, but will work on those who love lily.
appopyize – :
Blind buy and I adore it. So different than anything else. I have tons of fumes from all houses, some you can’t even find in the states and thanks to my personal shopper in France I have got some lovely niche fragrances. It is sweet and peppery and very very rich smelling, only gets better with time on me. I find myself sniffing my wrist often. I would say this is more of a fall winter fragrance. Not sure it would work as well in the hot months. If you can, do give this a try. Not on paper either, this has to be on the body because of the heat and chemistry. I sprayed on my daughter and myself, and it smelled different on each of us, both good I will add. High price tag also but to me, it is worth it.
gjhyj – :
The most amazing scent! I especially love the dry-down, with every hour it gets better and the smell becomes deeper and more sensual. What a rich, well done fragrance! Nothing I would wear daily, this is for special occasions!
unceni – :
As I found with another member (BOIS D’IRIS) of the Van Cleef & Arpels Collection Extraodinaire, LYS CARMIN has quite a bit of vanilla along with the spicy lily. This is a rich wintertime elixir for sure. I do not think that the vanilla is too sweet, but its presence is undeniable. At the same time, LYS CARMIN is VERY floral, so this composition is going to overwhelm anyone who shies away from big floral fragrances. The lily and the ylang-ylang may as well be white flowers since they are coated with lots of spices and vanilla.
I like this creation, which has big sillage and excellent longevity, and I do believe that it smells “niche”, not like just another designer floriental among dozens. I should say that the first time I wore it, LYS CARMIN caught me off guard, and I myself found it to be a bit much. Today, however, it seems to work perfectly in the cold. It’s rich and golden and comforting and voluptuous and just as sweet as it is floral but without being overly so. I would not be able to wear this perfume in the heat, but now, in December, it seems mighty fine.
kaskay – :
A very lovely and very elegant lily with a mature character. Lys Carmin is not at all a boring white flowers type of perfume; as the name suggests, it’s more like a reddish coloured stargazer lily, combined with sweet cinnamon, muted pepper, and (although not listed above) sweet and melting ylang ylang. As Kchild put it very well, this is a sizzling lily; it wraps you with a warm aura. It’s not overwhelming or overpowering, not in-your-face, it feels as if it is your own skin’s smell. It probably -and luckily- matches quite well with my skin chemistry because the smell feels like a part of me that was already there all this time. Sadly, this treasure is quite underrated, probably due to the ridiculuously high price tag but I am also glad that not everyone has discovered it.
I cannot imagine anyone loving and wearing this perfume feeling unsure of themselves. Lys Carmin positively emanates self-confidence, a carefree femininity. Also it brings to mind the warm, sunny days of summer; a lush garden full of beautiful flowers and I cannot think about a more self-confidence inducing thing than sunny summer days.
Lys Carmin is quite long lasting, I can still smell it on my hair and neck the day after I put it on and it’s still lovely. As for the sillage, it doesn’t fill the whole room but it definitely leaves a trail and I must say that is a very provoking one. Also, the minimalist and bold design of the bottle, the cap, the little charm around the cap and the box are all a part of luxurious elegancy. In fact, everything Lys Carmin is about making your point subtly yet highly effectively, not shouting what you have but encouraging people to find them out while you elegantly sit there with a lazy smile on your lips.
Curiously, the drydown of Lys Carmin reminds me very much of Ultraviolet’s sweet, surrounding drydown. And there’s no single note that’s similar. Interesting.
iangolier – :
Gorgeous! I like it. A lily sweet, not powdery scent. A lovely combination between lily, cinnamon and pink pepper. I prefer wearing it in the spring and autumn. It is too sweet for hot summer days.
Foreks_Kniga – :
Lovely and warm-smelling; I especially like the dry-down. Subtle but distinctive. On me, none of the components dominate – they blend into something delicious. I agree with lindy-fay that it’s comforting, but not gourmand. I wish it was easier to find!
xdimas – :
What a lovely, comforting, sizzling scent! Almost a year ago, during my pregnancy, I was addicted to green apples for a while. Lys carmin does not smell like that, but on my skin it has the same hint of fresh sourness, like the smell you get of a fresh cut, green apple.( Strange when there is no apple what so ever in there!) At the same time it is complex and rich. It is not by any means a fruity gourmand! In my opinion, very unique, perfect balanced and a must try!
yfnfkmzv – :
This is a delicate floral. Suitable for warmer weather, and reminiscent of Givenchy L’Interdit – softer and slighty more fruity with a confectionery note perhaps. I’m not so in love with it that I’d pay the large $$s that it commands.
papusha – :
A sizzling lily. This hums and sparks as you go about your day.Everything about this parfum screams “knowledge”, and “mystery” as well as “warmth”. This is worn by a woman who’s sure of herself but not hung up on who she is. She’s too busy BEING who she is. Ava Gardner Would have worn this well….
It may bring these emotions to the surface for me but Lys Carmin never overpowers or overplays it’s hand. It’s done with excruciatingly good taste and would be a perfect signature scent for the fall/ winter.
Cinnamon and I usualy don’t do well together but it’s done beautifully here. This and the pepper compliment the lily in such an extraordinary way. I’ve yet to smell anything even remotely like this. Lily speaks with a new voice here. It’s still lily but it’s also so much more. Instead of being an unapproachable diva Lys Carmin invites….questions,interest,closeness….
Breathtakingly original and a true standout. Just like the woman who wears it……
gbhj – :
On my skin, this is quite a soft fruity floral smelling fragrance. I am a massive fan of pink pepper, cinnamon, lily, however when I smell this. it don’t find that the cinnamon or pink pepper take front stage (perhaps my skin). To me, it smells like a light sweet, fruit soap… with a touch of floral. I pick up more of the sweetness from a soft vanilla mingling with lily and ylang ylang subtly lingering. Very beautiful, simple enough, it doesn’t try to be more than it is… i will be buying this soon…. i love it for my quiet days in the office when it’s sunny out…
LelsOneld – :
I like how the pink pepper interacts with the lily. If cinnamon worked with my skin chemistry, this would be a winner for me. Unfortunately the cinnamon is sharp on me, but it seems like it would be a lovely sophisticated scent on the right person!
малышка – :
The most sensual, elegant, overwhelming, sophisticated and at the time incredibly austere fragrance I have ever smelled. It is a copy of myself, I feel fully indentifyed with is, it has been love at first sniff !
kguba – :
This one is so delicious, sweet lily, pepper makes it some stronger with a hint of cinnamon ( not very strong, thats good).This scent comes the most close too Feerie epd. Realy love it. Also high quality and longlasting.