Hey All,

Back in December EmmaKate did a review of Lys Mediterranee and I was so inspired that when I was in Vienna, shopping with Birgit and Sandra from Olfactoria’sTravels, and one of the shops (Pure Day Spa) were offering mixed 10ml travel sets I jumped on it and grabbed some. En Passant, Carnal Flower & Lys Mediterranee.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Sea water and ginger
Heart: Angelica, orange blossom, lotus and lily
Base: Vanilla and musk

The opening burst is so transportative, not to anywhere particularly, just away. Remember back in the 1980’s when you would walk into a restaurant and at the door they would have this ENORMOUS floral architectural extravaganza? This is one of those restaurants but located on a completely untrammeled beach and the salty air is fresh and cool. There’s a great restaurant down on the uncool side of Ibiza where all the locals gather for paella and nobody speaks English, the food costs nothing and the waters that the restaurant are built over are so clean you can count the sand grains. It smells like that with flowers.

Photo Stolen TravelBlog

I can understand why so many people love this beautiful fragrance, and I am quickly becoming a convert. This is day 3 of wear.

After the beautiful, slightly loud opening Lys Mediterranee settles into what will be its most long lived section on my skin, the heart, which is pretty and linear. The flowers all play beautifully together and though each one has moments I think they are hard to read separately and just enjoy the beauty and serenity as it washes over me in waves. I get why EmmaKate thinks this would be perfect Bridal fragrance. It swoops effortlessly and flies behind in breathtaking but tasteful sillage. I would spray this on the petals the flower girls throw before you walk down the aisle and then bathe myself in Lys Mediterranee.

As it dries down the musk remains unsmellable to me but I do get a soft warm vanilla pushing through the flowers that slowly takes over the fragrance while it fades. 5-7 hours of smellable fragrance, less in the heat of the day, more for night wear.

Photo Stolen HoustonWedding

Further reading Olfactoria’sTravels and PerfumeShrine

FredericMalleInternational has 50ml €115 or 3x10ml €75
In Australia MeccaCosmetica has 50ml $218 or 3x10ml $142
SurrenderToChance starts at $6/ml

I know you’ve tried one or more of the Frederic Malle range, what was your favourite? Do you own a bottle? Have you maintained your composure and kept to samples or decants? I love the 10ml trvelers and getting a mixed set made the decision easy, just like buying splits or big decants.

See you tomorrow,

Portia xx

Guest post by EmmaKate

Hello hello fumies,

It is EmmaKate here to spoil you with fragrance for Christmas. One the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me a bottle of Lys Mediteranee… from Frederic Malle. 🙂 This particular fragrance appeals to me because of the fresh white flowers, sea water and green spice make this feminine without being at all cloying.

Lys Mediterranee by Frederic Malle 2000

Image from Fragrantica.

Fragrantica lists the notes for this scent as

Top: sea water and ginger

Heart: angelica, orange blossom, lotus and lily

Base: vanilla and musk.

When I spray Lys Mediterranee by Frederic Malle it takes me to a beach side cliff where the white flowers grow. I feel the sun on my back with a cool breeze playing through my hair. It is like I an escape to a place we would all rather be. It is the scent I could see myself wearing on my wedding day. Something fresh, beautiful, floaty, a little bit mysterious and long lasting, it makes me smile and lends a sense of contentment.

Photo Stolen weheartit

It opens with a burst of lily with a true green edge, mellows out to let the sweetness shine through and becomes a mysterious blend upon dry down, almost powdery, yet not at all. Lys Mediterranee by Frederic Malle wears incredibly well on me and I am a renowned scent “drinker”. This is such a clean fragrance. I want to spray this in the middle of summer when I have come from the extreme humidity inside and don’t feel like a shower.

This composition is an interesting choice, the combination of such fresh smells such as ginger and sea water combined with the white flowers makes sense, even the white flowers combined with the grounding warmth of vanilla and musk, it is the idea of these three together that gets me every time. The warmth and cool freshness is an interesting mix. To combine the ultimate in freshness, sea water, with the warmth of vanilla, is what truly sets this fragrance apart from all other lily fragrances.