Description
Gilded Lily is a new perfume created by Ineke Ruhland in 2010. It’s named with famous phrase from Shakespeare’s King John:
“Therefore, to be possess’d with double pomp,
To guard a title that was rich before,
To gild refined gold, to paint the lily,
To throw a perfume on the violet,
To smooth the ice, or add another hue
Unto the rainbow, or with taper-light
To seek the beauteous eye of heaven to garnish…”
The meaning is “to perfect the perfection,” which is what every perfumer does.
The heart of perfume is made of the note of Goldband Lily of Japan. This species of lily (yama yuri in Japanese) was brought to Europe (England) from Japan. Ineke ordered it for her garden in San Francisco to learn the fragrance.
The top notes include pineapple, rhubarb, grapefruit and elemi. There is Goldband lily in the heart, and woody notes of patchouli, oakmoss and labdanum in the base.
predatorbuilder – :
Opening has citrus/mossy/elemi punch…you feel the “chypre” vibe …the florals are mixed…therefore becoming un-identifiable…so..just “floral”. This is actually a good mix,IMO. Like with most chypre family scents, this demands to be explored thru to the drydown before you can fully appreciate the full end scent.It does have a classic/retro vibe and yet it is also modern. I have worn this on the past two days…and have fallen for it…
ufa1981sergey – :
To me it’s an abstract retro floral chypre. None of the floral notes are identifiable to me, including lily. The oakmoss and patchouli are really the central notes to my nose and make an early appearance rather than appearing as a soft, earthy drydown. A bit bitter, turpenic, and harsh to me overall. I’m not enjoying this one and I do like some vintage chypres. Something about the balance and quality of the materials used in this one makes me feel slightly ill, actually.
warrior – :
On my skin this is a very classical vintage chypre fragrance, very much and persisting oakmoss
The lily is very soft and hardly detectable.
So indeed the name is a bit misleeding. I will not recommand this for a blind buy.
To me a little disappointment. (for me the best perfumes form Ineke are Evening edged in gold and brair rose)
lkjbizgSAZy – :
Ineke Gilded Lily opens on me with sweet-tart citrus fruits. Tempered by the oakmoss, it feels like some sort of dried fruits. As time passes, the woody aspects of patchouli and elemi emerge. Combined with the fruits, it almost feels like rich oak barrels.
Labdanum also joins in with its balsamic warmth a few moments later, yet the fragrance still retains a certain luminescence and translucency like other Ineke offerings, which is amazing considering that some of the notes can be quite heavy and opaque.
After about 4 hours, the mossy and resinous elements seem to fade into the background. The fragrance then becomes a soft floral with a bit of zing from citrus. Unfortunately, I can’t really identify the floral as the namesake lily, as I’m more used to lily accompanied by spices or in the ‘big white floral’ form.
The sillage is relatively soft and the longevity is around 7 hours. Contrary to what the name would suggest, Gilded Lily behaves more like a fruity chypre on my skin. Moreover, it’s a modern one at that, yet retaining the true spirit, nothing like the ‘fruitchouli’s of recent years. I’d definitely recommend it as an approachable fruity chypre to those who struggle with classic chypre, but I’d strongly suggest against blind buying if you seek a lily soliflore.
_PhotoEDO – :
Warm, exotic and delectable. Citrus first before lily that is shortly followed by the rhubarb. Im amazed by how well the pineapple and the elemi work here. My heart usually sinks when I see pineapple listed in the notes but fear not here. The elemi has a sort of fruity aroma and along with the pineapple they bring almost a gourmand aspect to the fragrance The perky oak moss and a little patchouli are very evident on the opening but its not an over heavy fragrance. Lily can be really heavy but that is definitely not the case here. Its a beautiful fragrance of the night. Have a fabulous time seducing your man with this mesmerizing beauty.
Aerohopleneritbc – :
Gilded lily absolutely best perfume in the collection in my opion. I loved it at first sniff and it is one of my favorite perfume anymore. When you sprayed Gilded Lily on your skin I’m sure you will find your nostalgia memories. It has a modern and also classic style. Just tyr it and let yourself into its atmosphere!
Mellublix – :
This is the best lily fragrance I have ever smelled. It’s heaven in a bottle! Ignore the notes, which look like a confused Mish mash of some kind of fruit salad. This perfume WORKS!! The notes and the composition are skilfully orchestrated to create a masterpiece!
The fume is absolutely divine, I can’t get enough of it. It’s difficult to describe, but I would say, aside from the lily, this is a sweet non suffocating perfume which is most wearable day or night time. It has astounding longevity on my dry skin and magnificent silage. Simply stunning!!
tatacootClike – :
This is one of the worst ones from the alphabetical collection for me. The oakmoss is way too much for my taste. I don’t get any sweetness from the fruits really, just an overpowering, musty, dated oakmoss fragrance. Seriously gross for me; therefore, I would definitely suggest trying before buying. The alphabetical collection is a good value, although if you are like me you won’t like most of them. Many of these Ineke fragrances just have something in them that doesn’t smell quite right to me. I am quite surprised that other reviewers have called this scent masculine, since I do not smell anything masculine about this. I am a woman who enjoys smelling and wearing masculine scents, and this doesn’t ring that bell for me.
aikb – :
I am kind of indifferent to most other “Ineke” perfumes, however this perfume “Gilded Lily” is for me absolutely outstanding. I appreciate it is not for everyone, so worth sampling first to see if it is right for you – your nose and experienced based opinion is always the best judge.
The fruity aspects of the top notes are pleasant but not what I like most. It is the heart and base notes that really make this perfume a pleasure to use – becoming more apparent on the dry down (patience needed as ever for that). Good for any occasion and at any time.
Try, enjoy or move on.
Shookevox – :
Gilded Lily by Ineke I find to be incredibly lovely. It opens my mind to another era, a time when life was at a slower pace or so it seems in hindsight. An age when women who could afford it only wore perfume from France, dressing gowns and silk pumps in the morning while they powdered themselves under gaslights before ornate mirrors at their dressing tables. It is a gilded age perfume to perfection. It has a touch of Paris in it and speaks of glamour, seduction on a refined and delicate level.
The perfume opens with a fruity blend of tangy pineapple, sharp sweet rhubarb, a zing of grapefruit. These bright notes sparkle like champagne on the skin. This bubbly blend is smoothed and soothed by a touch of aromatic elemi. The pine elements of this note tie the opening together most elegantly and prepare the nose for what is to follow.
There follows the beauty and glory of the perfume as it blooms within moments of these opening notes. The gorgeous Goldband Lily makes its entrance and sings its aria of pure lily loveliness in the most captivating lilting manner. This sublimely fragrant lily is lush and full-bodied and gives the perfume a deceptively delicate aura. It is the backbone of the fragrance and has the strength and staying power of a star note that has the singular job of carrying the perfume forward to the dry down.
The dry down is classic in blending the notes of patchouli, oak moss and labdanum. To me this is what gives the perfume a classy, classic French feeling. Louis XV and his mistress Madame de Pompadour loved labdanum so much as to practically bath in it. This royal note along with a rich Patchouli and the beautiful oak moss carry the fading notes of the lily to a beautiful conclusion. The life of the perfume is moderate lasting on my skin about six hours. It is close to the skin after the opening with occasional glorious bursts of scent like a small fireworks display. It is truly the beauty of its day.
FIVE GOLD STARS *****
(FOR THE STORY OF LILY DE MARCHE BEHIND MY REVIEW CHECK OUT MY BLOG SCENTS MEMORY)
ylatoevace – :
Thank you so much, Ineke for the gorgeous sample collection.
I want to echo LIN’s sentiment that Gilded Lily is dark, sexy, and masculine, yet it miraculously manages to retain a powdery fresh quality, never becoming cloying or sour as it develops on the skin. It only continues to open ever more gracefully, warmed by labdanum in the base. This fragrance is unique and seamless from start to finish.
Gilded Lily perfume is a tough, beautiful, Japanese-Italian girl from Queens. She is exotic and petite, but there is something firm and masculine about her posture, even though she powders her face in the rearview of her car, wears iridescent dresses, gliitter like shards of glass on her eyelids, and her wavy light brown hair flows down past her waist. Though she is young, she uses a cigarette holder with confidence, and often finds herself in cheap hotels with men twice her age. There is nothing cute about her. She is a Gilded Lily. She is at once graceful, unforgettable, and morose. She is so familiar it makes you want to weep, though you have never been able to meet her, even when you held her in your arms.
Zed5000 – :
I really like the house of Ineke and own a couple full bottles from the line. The lily in Gilded Lily reminds me of the lily in Donna Karan’s Gold. When I first tired DK Gold I thought I’d gotten a bad bottle . . . until I tried Gilded Lily. I have learned from both of these experiences that I DO NOT LIKE LILY . . . AT ALL. Gilded Lily is not as strong and overpowering as DK Gold and dries down with a tolerable spicy floral, but that lily note they share is unmistakable and unpleasant to my nose. n
deykas – :
So I learned my lesson and discovered that lilies and I will never get along. Something about their smell is too pungently green for me (unless we’re talking tropical lilies, in which case it’s even worse at the other end of the spectrum, with the scent of rotting meat as it blooms and wilts). In this perfume the green aspect is just highlighted more by a strong celery accord – green rhubarb maybe? Hard to tell. It’s simply not for me.
zrckmooerv – :
I sniffed this briefly and then spritzed a bit on my sweater and left the store. Hours later I kept smelling this every time a breeze blew the scent upwards. I went back and bought without another thought. The best part? $24.00 at anthropologie on super sale.
This is so beautiful that I can imagine wearing this year round. I can pick the lily out and something else that I can’t identify. Know what? Doesn’t matter; it’s lovely and worth a FB, especially at 24 clams!
Gypegnalley – :
This one is really special..It’s dark and masculine, animalistic sexy but yet a very clean scent. It reminds me a lot of Kingdom By Alexander Mcqueen. I believe it’s a fragrance that you love or hate and nothing in between. Great silage and lasting power!!! A masterpiece in my opinion! Waiting to finaly have it…
mziber – :
As advertised, Ineke GILDED LILY is a gorgeously gilded lily perfume. The overall effect is that of a fine floral chypre, so part of the “gilding” appears to consist in oak moss—or reasonable facsimile—which imparts a truly splendid texture to this haute lily perfume. Sometimes I find lily too dirty or heavy-handed, but this compelling composition is a big-time wrist-sniffer.
GILDED LILY is beautiful from start to finish and would appeal to anyone who appreciates vintage chypre perfumes, provided that they like lily, which is definitely the dominant floral. With relatively big sillage and superb lasting power, GILDED LILY is a bona fide eau de parfum, not a watered-down cologne stretched thin and mislabeled to maximize profits. I can honestly state that I cherished every drop of my 1.5 ml sample vial, and I would love, love, love to have a bottle of this! On my wish list! Bravo, Ineke!
Nanosferic – :
Dear Grottola,
I appreciate the effort you put into your review, but lily and lily of the valley are totally different flowers. Diorissimo features lily of the valley. Gilded Lily features lily. You will never find lily of the valley in Gilded Lily because it is not there.
ZiruNoma – :
Well, before I begin, let me say this: Beautiful bottle. One of the best I’ve ever seen.
Now, on to the fragrance. Lilies are my favorite flower (in terms of smell), and unfortunately are a challenge for any perfumer to reproduce (if a perfumer can accurately reproduce the scent of a lily, then they’re definitely worth something). So, I’m always looking out for a good lily fragrance. So far, vintage Diorissimo seems to have fit that bill for me.
Is Gilded Lily a worthy lily fragrance? No, but it’s not a bad fragrance at all. It’s just not really a lily fragrance. Gilded Lily, more than anything else, is a rhubarb/elemi/amber composition that smells a lot like Kiehl’s Pour Homme Essence, in the little rollerball bottle. Granted, Gilded Lily is perhaps a little softer and not as overtly masculine, but the similarities are convincing enough. It lasts a good 6 to 7 hours and I smell some patchouli-oakmoss in the drydown, which is always a good sign.
So, unfortunately, Gilded Lily is NOT the next great lily perfume, but it’s a worthy masculine regardless. I won’t be wearing it, as I prefer Kiehl’s Pour Homme Essence Oil (I’m hard to please). I’d still check it out, though.
prognos22 – :
This is such an unusual scent. I have come to the conclusion that I must have never smelled lily in this fashion. It’s totally foreign, exotic maybe? It’s striking and haunting.
The scent starts out with bright(bergamot) tart(grapefruit) but sweet(pineapple) juicy citrus. I don’t think I really get the green element from the rhubarb and I think the elemi just adds to the smoothness and helps transition to the warm, subtle base which is mostly amber to me but the oakmoss adds a perfect touch and the patch is merely a whisper that just adds to the exotic scent.
I get mainly the tart, sweet, bright and lily with the lily being dominant but the ambery base keeps it from ever becoming cloying or mainly citrusy and/or fruity.
On one hand it is totally unique, on the other, it is SO foreign. It really is like nothing I have ever smelled, I keep coming back to it and I think it’s worth trying just for that reason. Outstanding craftsmanship.
Longevity is good and it’s strong so not much is needed.
As others have pointed out do try the sampler. It’s an opportunity to try samples of all her creations and you can use that toward the purchase of a full bottle of your choice.
peresdenis – :
My quest for lily fragrances brought me to the GILDED LILY perfume by Ineke. This is the first Ineke fragrance I have tried and I am very impressed with the composition and craftsmanship put into this scent. First of all the composition is a bit unusual for the lily perfume (at least based on my previous experiences) and shows great imagination and creativity. Unlike a typical intoxicating white floral bouquet, the lily note is a single flower note in this scent framed by fruity and earthy accords. The composition definitely succeeds and captivates me right from the start.
First burst is absolutely gorgeous and tender grapefruit scent but the fragrance does not stay on the citrus trajectory. The opening becomes more rounded and complex as the resins add earthy tone and hints of rhubarb and pineapple provide very gentle fruity accord. The lily slowly makes an entrance and it is delightful. The lily note is usually crisp, strong, overpowering and intoxicating in most perfumes. But here it manages to be tender, soft and not sharp at all. There is a slight sweetness to the scent but not sickly sweet. The oakmoss is prominent in the dry down and I start noticing its presence in the heart notes. Though patchouli is also there, it is the oakmoss that makes the fragrance so lovely for me in the dry down.
The fragrance is subtle and suitable to be worn on many occasions. There is no danger of lily suffocating everyone in a close proximity. Somehow this fragrance makes me feel classy and chic. This fragrance is not bold or eccentric but I think it expresses good taste and lady-like behavior. I would not call it sexy but it is very attractive in the ways the modest but classy designer outfit accentuates natural beauty without being too revealing. The longevity and sillage are decent. I definitely recommend this scent.
tamariss – :
Gilded Lily puzzled me a bit. I expected something a bit different from the notes. It opens with a burst of sweet, juicy pineapple, lemon and rhubarp compote. But then it very slowly transforms into, and what a surptise, not chypre, but woody aquatic scent, with a strong presence of lily, and what on my skin snells like a combination of lotus, musk, perhaps lilly of the valley, ad mosses (with lilly of the valley and lotus not being the actual notes). It’s very fresh and crisp, and actually reminds me a lot of Scents of Time Nenufar, except the lasting quality of Ineke’s creation is fantastic, while Nenufar disappeared on me.
fleelifrenI – :
Another work of art from Ineke. The perfume opens with sweet lily and slowly blooms (hah!) into the gourmand notes. Citrus comes up first, followed by the other fruits and the darker base notes, particularly the amber. The true genius of this fragrance is the use of rhubarb and amber to balance the sweet juicy pineapple note, which is quite prominent with the lily. If you don’t know Ineke try her sample box–it’s the steal of the century.