Le Lys Noir by Isabey c1924

Le Lys Noir by Isabey: launched in 1924. It was created by perfume Jean Jacques.

Fragrance Composition:

So what does it smell like? It was classified as a floral fragrance for women. I had a small amount to test, these are the notes I detected:

• Top notes: orange, acacia, narcissus, neroli, jonquil, hyacinth, lily of the valley
• Middle notes: tuberose, violet, orange blossom, rose, heliotrope, ylang ylang, cardamom, jasmine, Florentine iris
• Base notes: rosewood, ambergris, Tonkin musk, styrax, vanilla, civet, benzoin, tonka bean

Bottle:

Le Lys Noir was described in advertisements as packaged "in a mummy package and a beautiful pyramid bottle."

Presented in its jeweler's case, made up of poplar wood covered with embossed Toledo paper, its interior lined with yellow satin. The front of the box opens with two doors. The clear glass bottle, molded pressed cubic section, truncated pyramidal shape, with molded decoration at the bottom of foliage and flowers picked out with anthracite patina, its conical stopper floral gothic décor.   Model designed by Julien Viard, unsigned. h: 15 cm. The bottle held about 1 2/3 ounce of parfum. 

 

 

The perfume flacon above was manufactured by Rene Lalique and featured stylized lotus flowers accented with black enamel. Curiously this lotus design would be used on a modern Lalique perfume bottle for Azalee in 2013.

This black crystal flacon is the first I have seen of it. It is of opaque black crystal, accented with gold enameling on the sides. Maker unknown.

Fate of the Fragrance:

Still sold in 1927. Isabey's perfumes faced a challenging end attributed to a combination of factors, notably the impact of the Great Depression and the onset of World War II. The economic strain of the Depression led to rising costs, affecting the availability of essential raw materials and supplies needed for perfume production. Additionally, wartime restrictions imposed constraints on importation, further complicating the production process for perfume makers like Isabey. The Nazi occupation of Paris during World War II also played a significant role, disrupting operations and preventing many perfume companies from maintaining their factories and premises.

2014 Reformulation & Relaunch:

In 2014, Panouge released a modern version of Isabey's Lys Noir, by Rania Naim.  It is classified as a floral oriental fragrance for women.

• Top note: black pepper
• Middle notes: tuberose, narcissus, lily and heliotrope
• Base notes: sandalwood, patchouli, musk and ebony

From Isabey:

"The Story

In 1924, the first edition of Lys Noir was presented in a magnificent bottle and coffret conceived by the renowned designer, Julien Viard and the famous Sorys House. Lys Noir is one of the first of Isabey’s fragrances such as Gardenia, La Route d’Emeraude, Le Mimosa… creating the prestige of the brand. Lys Noir has been redesigned first in 2014 and now in 2017 while keeping the emblematic art-deco codes of the brand. Lys Noir is a mysterious, desirable fragrance dedicated to elegant women with glamorous style and charm, leaving an unforgettable trail wherever she passes.

 The Fragrance

As a ‘femme du monde’ signature, Lys Noir affirms its style through an elegant Clair-obscure around the opulent and captivating scent of Lily. Stirred up by notes of Black Pepper, Lys Noir develops its voluptuous trail through narcotic flowers: Tuberose and Narcissus imprint their spicy animal facets on this mysterious aura. In the dry down, Patchouli expands its dark attractive power playing between Ebony wood and a milky Sandalwood accord. This forbidden game softly wrapped by a musky veil."

I received a generous sample from Panouge. My first impression is that this fragrance is very similar to JuJu by Joots. It is incredible! It is sweet and musky, perfect for cashmere and soft fabrics. The cherry pie scent of the heliotrope is evident in both perfumes. The gardenia in JuJu and the tuberose in Lys Noir are very similar in character, full bodied and opulent. The perfumes both share a woodsy, musky base which round out the scent beautifully. Though both are oriental florals, there are some differences between them, while Lys Noir is sweeter and more complex, JuJu is muskier and softer.

JuJu's notes:

• Top notes: gardenia, geranium, bergamot
• Middle notes: jasmine, neroli, vanilla, heliotrope
• Base notes: musk, amber, woodsy notes

The 2014 version, called Lys Noir, was contained in a beautiful smoked glass bottle with a sensuous black matte finish on four sides. Bright metallic silver serigraphy displays the name of the perfume as well as a stylised design of ivy. The bottle is topped by a black cap covered with a soft, matte black rubber. The cap also contains a magnet which forms a tight fit to the bottle when in place.

The bottle is housed in a luxurious presentation box covered in metallic silver textured paper and is printed with black serigraphy and the same ivy pattern as on the bottle .The bottle nestles within a gather of glossy black satin.

Below are photos of my own box I purchased. Below are some photos of the back of the box with the description, the base of the box showing the ingredients list, and the base of the bottle.

Perle de Lys Noir:

In 2014, Isabey introduced a limited edition extrait for Lys Noir. Known as Perle de Lys Noir, the fragrance is housed inside of a 50 ml round flacon based on the 1924 "perle" designed flacon. In this case, instead of the pearly nacre that decorated the original 1920s bottles, Lys Noir is housed inside of an opaque black flacon. The presentation box is covered in a rich, ebony black leather and lined with black satin. The extrait is a concentrated and intensified version of Lys Noir. You can purchase this directly from Parfum Isabey's website.

• Top note: broom absolute, black lily, black pepper
• Middle notes:  ylang ylang essence, tuberose essence, jasmine essence
• Base notes: amber, vanilla, incense, sandalwood essence, cashmere wood

2017 Repackaging:

In 2017, the bottle for Lys Noir Eau de Parfum was given an update, by combining modern design with a 1920s Isabey bottle originally produced by Czech master glass craftsman, Ludwig Moser. You can purchase the 50ml flacon directly from Parfums Isabey's website. A 10ml travel flacon of the eau de parfum was also released which is great for carrying in your handbag.

I believe the fragrance may have been slightly tweaked, though I have no confirmation.