Hello Olfactoria’s Travelers,
Portia from Australian Perfume Junkies and Perfume Posse thrilled to be with you all today. I hope life is treating you all well and that your holidays are wonderful. If times are tough for you now I am sorry. All I can say is bad times are like the rain, you can’t stop it, it will pass and pretty soon the sun will come out. It will happen, depend upon it.
I have in my collection a bottle that has always seemed delightfully festive in its lovely red, gold & black. Festive and elegant. Even the name suggests the over the top extravagance of the holiday season:
Gilded Lily was created by Ineke Ruhland for Ineke in 2010.
Photo Stolen Fragrantica
Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Pineapple, rhubarb, grapefruit, elemi
Heart: Goldband lily
Base: Patchouli, oakmoss, labdanum
For our house here in Australia Christmas season is usually an onslaught of friends and family. A full table, laughter, joy, probably a snippy fight, great food and the camaraderie of years spent together. I know I’m the lucky one yet this time is always bitter sweet. I miss my Mum, Dad and Sister. In the end though family has become what I have made with my BFF Kath’s family and Jin. We are all a good fit and I love the madness that is Christmas Day in 35-40C down here.
Photo Stolen WAToday (Problem with using the image? Let us know)
Gilded Lily seems the perfect accompaniment to this Holiday bitter-sweetness. Its opening of lightly sweetened fruits, the green brightness of the resin and the softest kiss of lily that can be smelled from very early on. Sweet but not sugared, a lovely treacle thick waft of something quite unusual, disarming and teetering on awkward. That frisson of nearly going over the line of gorgeous into disgusting; but Gilded Lily only skirts the edges and remains prim and ladylike through the heart. I love this nod to naughty, even though it doesn’t properly manifest, it keeps me guessing even when I know the outcome. The base notes conjure for me a well loved leather handbag, filled with remembered scents of cosmetics, fragrance and all the othe paraphernalia of modern womanhood.
Photo Stolen Flickr
Reading back it feels like Gilded Lily wears big on me, it does not. Yes, it is fragrant and lovely but no BIG WHITE FLORAL, rather a memory of a BWF. A hologram that has all the hallmarks of the BWF but manages to remain calm and composed and only hint at outrageous. I like Gilded Lily for that, and I am still beautifully fragrant but sotto voce. Yes, the impact of being softly and beautifully fragrant. Perfect for a night of reflection.
Further reading? Perfume Shrine and TheNonBlonde
First In Fragrance has €95/75ml
Posh Peasant has samples starting at $3.50/ml
Photo Stolen Wikipedia
Whatever you are doing or wherever you are doing it I hope your holidays are/were on the happier side of bittersweet. Even if you are solo this year try and do one good thing that you really enjoy, luxuriate in it. Be it cooking, reading, cleaning, sewing, surfing the internet, walking your dog, window shopping, spritzing fragrance or helping at the local church. Whatever, wherever, I wish you health, wealth and happiness.
Peace
Portia xxx
Editor’s Note: Portia had intended for this post to go up on Christmas day. It is entirely my fault that it did not (my commitment issues, you know? 😉 ), so I adapted it a bit to still fit the aftermath of the holidays. But in any case, Portia’s words are timeless and make sense now just as much as on Christmas day.
Olfactoria's Travels 
Lovely post Portia. Happy New Year to you and wishing you all the best for 2015.
Always enjoy your writing and sentiments. Not a big white floral fan so this sounds good – base notes are all things I like. One to try when passing – I notice they have this at Roullier White in London.
Hi there Lila,
Thank you, and wishing you the best of everything in turn for 2015.
If you get to try Gilded Lily I’d love to hear if you enjoy it. Are there any white florals that do attract you?
Portia xx
I hear a lot of good things about the Ineke line and Gilded Lily sounds great on you, Portia.
Such a beautiful, thoughtful post and I love the phrase “nod to naughty”!
Hey Tara!
I am the eternal “nod to naughty”, and think you could waltz the Gilded Lily too buddy.
Portia xx
All the best wishes for 2015 Portia. I really enjoyed your post. I liked Gilded Lily when I tried it so will have to try again. Sandra xo
Sandra,
So nice to see you. Thank you and of course wishing you and your crew a wonderful 2015. Hug that scallywag Sean for me please.
Portia xx
This one wears much different on you than on me. White floral never even crossed my mind when I tried it. It’s much more of a classic perfume type of scent on me if that makes any sense. It smells very vintage on me, like what you’d imagine an actress in the golden age of Hollywood to smell like. It’s quite nice and I love the name.
Aaah, interesting Poodle. Yes it does have a vintage feel now you mention it, but a modern re-evaluation of one on my skin. Not nearly dirty enough to be real deal.
I would love to smell it on you and get the different trajectories.
Next time I’m in NYC I’ll bring it. We also need to spend more time together then.
Portia xx
Lovely post, Portia. I miss departed family members too. Your advice is sage-I took it easy this Christmas, bought and wrapped presents to give to children through the local fire department. That is a very fun thing to do, and you know it will go to someone who really could use a boost. The Ineke line is lovely. I am wearing Pasarelle-so beautiful. Nuits Etoilee was another big favorite for me this year.
Be well, and thanks for posting!
Sincerely,
Carole
Hi there Carole,
What a wonderful thing to do for Christmas. we have a few Giving Trees in our shopping malls. I didn’t give this year but will remember to next year, fills me with warm fuzzies.
Aaaah Nuit Etoilee, that blue bottle is almost as pretty as the fragrance. MMMM
And the Passarelle? By Tommi Sooni? YAY! Australian house, how does it wear on you?
Portia xx
Just like the TS website says-Passarelle was always going to be beautiful. It’s a classic white floral, with an update. I think it’s the tea tree. It’s so fresh and so beautiful-very easy to wear, too. I wish I bought Jinx, too. But it was an unsniffed purchase, so i didn’t want to buy too many.
WOW! You are daring with an unsniffed purchase. I am so glad you love it. I like Jinx very much too but my favourite is Tommi Sooni II. Get yourself a sample, it’s really lovely.
Portia xx
Really enjoyed reading this, Portia, and I think it reads perfectly for the post-holiday season when so many people feel let down and depressed ( not me, because this is when the seed catalog season starts!)
Reading enviously about your experience with Gilded Lily reminds me of what a totally personal experience scent is. There is something in the Ineke base that smells like hot plastic on me. I think this is a rare reaction, because most people like this line. Enjoy it, and keep veering toward naughty!
YAY!! Seed Catalogue! I used to feel the same each autumn when the Bulb Catalogue comes out. So yes, I totally get the feeling.
What a shame there is something in the Ineke base that disagrees with you. Thank goodness there are enough other fragrances to choose from that one house won’t cramp your style.
Does any other house give you a similar problem? I have a Carolina Herrera called Flora that some days smells like I’ve left a plastic utensil on the hot stovetop. Bleaughhhh!
Portia xx
I have come across the hot-plastic note in some other white florals, but not in any other entire line. I suspect it is some aromachemical that smells floral to many people but that I smell very differently.
Yes, it’s so interesting FeralJasmine. Sometimes I wish I was a perfumer with thousands of chemicals in my brain index so I could tell you what it might be or why you have that response. I bet you’re not alone though.
Portia x
HI Portia, Nice post and it has encouraged me to try another Ineke fragrance. Field Notes From Paris is the only one of that line that I know, and I really love it, especially in cold weather. It’s like nothing else. I do love white florals, especially Carnal Flower, used in very small amounts.
Keep the good work coming.
Best, anitathepianist
Hey there AnitaThePianist,
Field Notes From Paris is lovely, and I wanted to adore it but it is missing something on my skin, and though I like its progression and can tell it’s all done beautifully, it just does not sing. Bummer.
Portia xx
Beautiful post Portia.. Trust you had a wonderful Christmas and wishing you a very happy year ahead! You make gilded lily sound truly lovely. Must try.
Hi there Lavanya,
Thanks and good wishes blowing your way too.
Yes, Gilded Lily is gorgeous.
Do you have a white floral that you love?
Portia xx
Ooh- i have several that I love: SL Tubereuse Criminelle, Malle Carnal Flower, SL Un Lys, Fleurs d’oranger..i also really like CDG Champaca, By Kilian Love and Tears..
What a sensational list, you may very well like Gilded Lily but it may be a bit safe for you Lavanya. You have some heavy hitters in that list.
Portia xx
Thanks for reminding I’ve been wanting to try this line. Based on your review and the notes list, this may be the one I start with. Thanks for the kind thoughts in your post and Happy New Year!
Heya Kandice,
Excellent reminder time. Good luck with your sampling. If you’re in the USA Ineke has a great sample deal I think, check the site.
Portia xx
Just checked it out and they do! Thanks for the tip 🙂
I’m not a big lily fan but this does sound lovely. I feel like you may have had me try this at some stage but can’t recall. Is this a line worth exploring?
Hey there Michael,
Come over. I have a few you can sniff. I like the line very much.
As to the lily-ness, there are a couple less that way inclined here.
Portia x
Thank you for sharing the article. I’d love to try it. Hope to hear more from you.