Lys Carmin

Together, they founded Van Cleef & Arpels in 1906, located on the legendary Place Vendôme. The house established itself thanks to an extraordinary talent that combined precious stones, semi-precious stones and hard stones, in geometric or floral combinations. In 1936, the inimitable “invisible setting” was seen on the arm of the Duchess of Windsor and marked an exceptional turning point in the future of the jewelry house. It was in 1976 that the brand presented its first perfume, First. In 2009, Van Cleef & Arpels presented Lys Carmin, a fragrance that is part of the Collection Extraordinaire.

The power of the lily according to Van Cleef & Arpels

The Collection Extraordinaire aims to elevate a noble, extraordinary ingredient and make it shine in every possible way. The first trace of the lily is found among the Egyptians. Then the Romans, who were great lovers of perfume, considered the lily a noble flower. For the Greeks, the lily was the flower of flowers, associated with the goddess Hera, a symbol of motherhood. The fleur-de-lis became the symbol of royalty from the eleventh century onward and remains the French royal emblem to this day. In the language of flowers, the white lily is the emblem of the innocence of pure love. Tinted with red, the lily then represents passion. The perfumer who created Lys Carmin wanted to work the flower in a spicy, carnal way, and offers here a distinguished fragrance.

The harmony of the floral and spicy notes of Lys Carmin

It is the perfumer Nathalie Garcia Cetto who is behind this composition. Lys Carmin opens on the luminous and exotic notes of ylang-ylang combined with the spicy notes of pink pepper. The heart is submerged in powdery lily. Finally, vanilla and sandalwood give the composition an ultra-sensual aspect. The bottle is understated and elegant. It resembles all the bottles of the Collection Extraordinaire. The glass is heavy and precious. Like a jewel of the house, the bottle is signed with a hallmark on the bottom and topped with a black lacquered cap. In the middle of the bottle, the embossed label indicates its name in the center along with a number corresponding to the trial number chosen by the house.

Lys Carmin is part of the house's Collection Extraordinaire. A fragrance that showcases the flower of flowers, the flower of royalty, the flower of friendship. The carmine color tints the lily with the color of passion. The composition is bold, as it blends flower and spices and offers Van Cleef & Arpels a particularly magical essence.