Lilyphéa Diptyque 2024

Bottled Monet. A lily pond lullaby. The nectar that buds out of a fresh-cut stem. Its elements – cardamom, violet, vanilla – somehow meld into a impressionist’s garden. I don’t think “vegetal” when I hear any of those scents, so Lilyphea must have some clever perfumer’s sorcery behind it. If I strain, I can imagine their roles in the painting. The airiness of violet turns aquatic, the sweetness of vanilla a sappy green, and the buzz of cardamom something earthen and herbal. It’s an elegant, fey skin scent, which feels somewhat maternal. Like a more organic Jardin Sur de Nil meets a powder-free L’Eau d’Hiver. If this scent were a movie, it'd be Pride and Prejudice (2005). Unfortunately, as with Rose Roche, I like Lily P. far more on fabric, as she ages rather tallowy on my skin. I’m impressed, but not bewitched.

Mental Snapshot: A modern fairy godmother, a Central Park naiad. She looks like a John Williams Waterhouse nymph. Works as a florist, a Tai Chi instructor, a concierge dermatologist. Amongst countless other talents. She’ll be a plein air pastellist next week, a calligrapher tomorrow. She's a lifetime member of every museum in the city.

tl;dr: frog mom

i am a diptyque lover- almost everything i've tried from them i really enjoyed. but this is the one for me; my true love, my sweet pea, my good time girl. aquatic and green, crisp and fresh, sharp and almost bitter. not sweet. very cooling, lovely to wear in the warm weather. and yes i think if there was a fairy who lives in a magical pond, with the lily pads and flowers, this is what she would smell like.

Truly an unusual vanilla! Out of the five Essences, this was immediately the most memorable to me because it wasn't what I expected at all. It's first and foremost, a fresh green scent. Not an ounce of gourmand vanilla at all. I expected something almost tea-like with the addition of ginger and cardamom.

The second I sprayed it on my skin, it instantly reminded me of biting into a green guava. The kind with the white flesh, not the pink kind that's more nectary and tropical. It's fresh, leafy, wet, and such an optimistic scent. I had a guava tree in the backyard of my mom's house, and I remember my grandma slicing them up for me as a kid, reminding me to not eat too many of the seeds (according to Vietnamese people, it can cause indigestion). It's such a specific scent that I was surprised to see it replicated so realistically here.

Looking back at these adjectives (fresh, leafy, wet) they make perfect sense for a fragrance inspired by water lilies. The staying power isn't great, but gosh, maybe it's worth it for something so unique and evocative.

Of the newest line of Diptyque fragrances, this one and Lunamaris were my absolute favs. Funny enough, violets and violet leaves are some of the most challenging plant notes in perfumery for me. They often come off too sharp, cold, and uninviting for me. But Lilyphéa may just be the perfect one for me.

The name of this one is brilliant because it tricked me into thinking this would be a lily or water lily focused scent. Come to find out no such florals exist in this, but actually, no florals exist at all here. It’s just a big, plush, violet leaf in all its ozonic and dewy glory. There is a *sparkle* to this scent, reminiscent of sun reflecting off the water of a pond. I take it the ginger + cardamom give that effect without the scent ever going too spicy. And then there’s the vanilla that likes to reveal itself and then hide again. It gives the fragrance some sweetness without overpowering its green, aquatic nature. As if it exists on a green screen that keeps glitching. The whole composition definitely gives an atmospheric vibe (as often ozonic scents do) and I just adore the association of ‘naiad’ that others have brought up. Think of the cutest toad at a local pond, jumping from lily pad to pad (hence, Lilypheá!) on a hot sunny day.

Now this line wasn’t built to project and shout like some of the EDPs from Diptyque, but I will say the staying power is fairly good and I do think these scents were meant to be sprayed with a bit of a heavier hand. This one lasted well on clothes and I think it’s going to be a summer stunner. Grabbing a full bottle as soon as I can get my hands on a slightly discounted one (these are pricey!!!)

She felt like everything I could want. A pond, the shimmering turquoise blue water ripppling in the sun. A whispy willow, gliding with the same wind that carries the swans to the algea accumulating on the shore. The turtles nibbling on lilypads, as fairies jump on their shells like stepping stones. She is ice cool, and yet a summer breeze. I find she lasts all day, maybe not as strong as I want, but she's there under my sleeve. Lilyphea is the first full bottle of my collection.