ILYA Parfums

All 5 ILYA Parfums perfumes on ScentVerdict have a verdict. 2 are Favourites and 3 are Statements. Each verdict sorts a perfume by character, using the same measures for every house, whatever it costs or who makes it.

ILYA Parfums is a small English perfume house led by Ilias Kakis, a research scientist and perfumer. The house says it launched in 2019 and makes its perfumes in limited amounts in a small studio in the south of England. A company called ILYA Parfums Limited was registered in May 2021, and its officer is Kakis.

Kakis describes himself as a scientist who wanted room for a creative side, and says he trained alongside both science and perfumery. Each perfume starts from a memory or emotion that is personal to him, and he works with no limit on time or formulation. The house says it favours rare, natural, sustainably grown materials such as Rose de Mai, Grasse jasmine, sandalwood, ambergris and oud. Its perfumes are created for anyone, not for him or for her.

The range is split into collections, including the Les Velours and DNA lines. Black Velvet is an aromatic leather and oud with frangipani and ambergris, an ode to a lucky black velvet suit. Santal Fatal is a creamy sandalwood scent with coconut, blackcurrant and heliotrope, inspired by the Taj Mahal. Elude is a fresh, fruity escape of apple, pear, jasmine, honey and patchouli, and Heaven's Tide is a white floral and aquatic scent of jasmine, gardenia and cedarwood.

ILYA sits in luxury artisanal perfumery at the small-batch end: one perfumer, a short list of scents, and limited production sold mainly through its own website. It suits wearers who like rich, ingredient-led perfumes with a personal story, and buyers who want something made in small quantities.