Isabey Lys Noir

Smooth, tame, warm white floral. Milky heliotrope and sandalwood, an unobtrusive pepper that adds some of a lily's natural dankness..... No hard wooden edges in the drydown, no sourness to the sandalwood or musk... Borderline drowsy in how warm and plush it is. It wouldn't be too out of place in a modern Dior collection. It's fine, nice. So idk why I care so much about it every time I wear it.... It smells replicable and generic but it often distracts me (nicely). I realised it has a similar roundness to what I loved about L'Eau d'Hiver a couple years ago, before its drydown suddenly annoyed and suffocated me. They don't smell similar, just have a similar quality. Lys Noir feels less technically executed, but I enjoy it more.

Black Orchid had a baby and named her Lys Noir :) Lys Noir is definitely the progeny of Black Orchid. It's quite a bit softer, lacking the aggression and compelling nature of Black Orchid. As a point of comparison, Ford’s Black Orchid is a loud roaring tiger, threatening to pounce with every spray. Lys Noir, on the other (more cautious) hand is a purring black kitten curled on your lap. She’s still dark, warranting the Noir name, but just barely. That being said, it still works for me. The reason it works? The floral and woody notes! Florals–They’re central in this creation. You’ll smell an impressive lily note here, but it’s not the only prominent floral. A creamy tuberose is also present and surprisingly, it doesn’t overwhelm the other florals as tuberose is often prone to do. Heliotrope comes later but it’s not nearly as robust as lily and tuberose, but you won’t mistake its slightly sweet floral infusion to the bouquet.. Narcissus doesn’t play a role at all, but gardenia makes an appearance. Isabey excels at gardenia. Woods–Lys Noir is about ebony wood note. Sandalwood is present, but it is not what gives this composition expression. Lys Noir finds its voice through its lovely lily, tuberose and the use of a darker more interesting wood note. I love that the ebony feels darkish here but resists being bitter or too masculine in the way the inclusion of darker woods can present. Top spice is black pepper and an unlisted cinnamon. I also smell a sweet coconut on top, which is an interesting choice. Base patchouli gives weight to the bottom, further grounding the lingering florals and ebony. Musk goes without notice. Noteworthy lily, tuberose, dark woods, patchouli The nod to Black Orchid, DNA doesn’t lie. Lys Noir is definitely a descendant ;)

Lys Noir is nothing at all like I was expecting it to be. Upon first sniff I get a black pepper note but it is very mild. But what really surprised me about this perfume is how freaking sweet it is. I was expecting more of a vintage vibe and what I am getting is a sugary floral that should be marketed towards teenagers, not someone in my age group, which is more mature. I get no lily whatsoever and I'm not getting a whole lot of tuberoses either. This perfume for me is a vanilla, heliotrope, almond and sugary bomb w/ a hint of greenness and mild black pepper. And how do I know for sure there isn't a whole lot of tuberose w/ this perfume? My husband hates tuberose is very sensitive to the smell of it, and he said oh I don't hate this. It is very sweet. The vanilla in here I will say is high quality so if you are vanilla lover, you should check Lys Noir, because I really think this is a heavy on the vanilla and light on the florals type of floral perfume. This is one of my least favorite of the line. Tender Nuit was the worst. Lys Noir is Very, very vanilla heavy w/ a mild warm spiciness, floral perfume. I was just expecting more. It isn't as seductive as I thought it would be. Smells almost like a vanilla cream soda. Edit: I know vanilla isn't listed here but I smell it all the same. This is only slightly woody for me. Another overly sweet vanillic white floral and the market is flooded w/ those. For this price point I could get something else close to this and it would be half the price.

I recently bought some decants from someone, and they threw in a sample vial of this as well. I knew from the notes listed that it probably wouldn't be my style, but I gave it a try anyway. Indeed, this is a fragrance that is not for me. To my nose it is an interesting combination of powdery/soapy and pepper, which seems incongruous to me. I'm really not a fan of powdery fragrances, and this definitely is one, so I won't be wearing this again. I don't really get woods or white florals from this. I'm also confused as to why warm spicy and almond are listed under main accords, as I don't get those at all from this. Honestly, on my skin, this is kind of a fresh-smelling fragrance for me, leading me to feel it would be best in spring, rather than the majority of voters who are calling it a fall fragrance. However, as a patchouli hater, I'm here to report that I don't get strong patchouli from this. It's there as a wisp, but isn't dirty or aromatic/medicinal as it sometimes is in other fragrances.

This is a nice perfume, but it isn't my absolute favorite and I am not getting a whole lot of lily here. Just touches of it, honestly. Heliotrope is what I smell the most of, followed by the ebony wood and then the patchouli. I smell a good wollop of pepper at the beginning too, which is honestly too much for me and sometimes makes me sneeze. I wish that there was no pepper and no patchouli and that the ebony wood was dialed down a bit, with more lily added in this fragrance. It is also slightly too strong for my tastes. I would wear it if someone bought it for me though, but with a light hand and only during night in the fall/winter season. It would be too much for spring or summer and during the day. Having said that though, it is quite a long-lasting fragrance and it definitely projects. It kept on going for about 10 or so hours on my skin before it dissappeared completely and so I think that it is definitely worth the money if you are into this sort of fragrance. Lys Noir kind of reminds me of Omnia Amethyste, but with a more woody/peppery/dark vibe and not as sweet. I think I prefer Omnia Amethyste because of that, but I am just that sort of girl. All in all, I'd give this fragrance a 7/10. Nice, but not absolutely amazing and something I think women should wear with a light finger.