Lily of the Valley: 15 posts

by Suzanna

In the early 1980s, the late Annick Goutal created two fragrances for her young daughters, Camille and Charlotte.  Ivy and honeysuckle inspired Camille’s scent (Eau de Camille, 1983) while Charlotte’s scent (Eau de Charlotte, 1982) described a young girl smitten by blackcurrant jam and cocoa. Despite the foodie nomenclature of the notes, Eau de Charlotte is not a gourmand scent. The blackcurrant and cocoa notes belie Charlotte’s true nature as a lily of the valley scent.

I discovered Charlotte, or she me, on a scent strip in a magazine. It smelled so different—this was the mid-nineties—to anything else I’d smelled until that time.  I was a Jean Patou Joy wearer, and Eau de Charlotte seemed less mainstream and more creative. I wore it through a couple of bottles before finding Gardenia Passion from the same Goutal line (by way of the incredible soap, but that’s another story!)

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Star rating: 5 stars–outstanding/potential classic, 4 stars–very good, 3 stars–adequate, 2 stars–disappointing, 1 star–poor.

Sometimes it seems to me that every floral note needs to be “modern,” because (fill in the blank with your favorite blossom) is “a fusty, old-fashioned flower suitable only for maiden aunts and grandmothers.”  When you get your fusty flower back, it feels like something that has gone through several wash cycles and emerged squeaky clean and limpid.  As I read the aforementioned quote by Stella McCartney about her desire to modernize lily of the valley for her new signature fragrance L.I.L.Y., I wondered what the outcome would be.  My qualm with most modern lily of the valley fragrances is that they smell of laundry products—lily of the valley aroma-materials are popular in functional perfumery—not that they are old-fashioned.

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Star rating: 5 stars–outstanding/potential classic, 4 stars–very good, 3 stars–adequate, 2 stars–disappointing, 1 star–poor.

Graceful and delicate, Weekend à Deauville is tied along with Odalisque and Le Temps d’une Fête as one of my Parfums de Nicolaï favorites. The fact that I cannot decide simply proves how much I enjoy the offerings from this perfume house. I love how perfumer Patricia Nicolaï expresses classical themes in a modern form. Weekend à Deauville is a particularly nice example of her signature—a salty-sweet composition of lily of the valley and leather.

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Star rating: 5 stars–outstanding/potential classic, 4 stars–very good, 3 stars–adequate, 2 stars–disappointing, 1 star–poor.

Among the ever growing niche area of the fragrance market, I would not hesitate to name Parfums de Nicolaï as one of the best. Created by talented perfumer Patricia de Nicolaï, the collection contains some of the most memorable fragrances available today. The dreamy darkness of Sacrebleu, the exquisite gracefulness of Le Temps d’une Fête, or the moody elegance of New York speak of its creator’s original vision and her ability to marry modern themes with classical forms. My favorite Nicolaï fragrance is Odalisque, which despite its name does not advertise its seductive nature. Rather, Odalisque beguiles with its striking combination of fragility and strength.

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Happy May Day! In France, May Day is associated with the lily of the valley (muguet in French), a symbol of purity and a reminder of spring. If I were about to spend 9h on the plane, I would wear Christian Dior Diorissimo, the most perfect lily of the valley fragrance. Or perhaps, vintage Coty Muguet des Bois. Nonetheless, I would like to mention a few of the lily of the valley related articles on Bois de Jasmin as well as to offer a list of more than 40 fragrances dominated by that note.

Spring Flower Bouquet ~ Lily of the Valley discusses some of the most quintessential lily of the valley fragrances and offers several suggestions, from classical to modern. It includes links to lily of the valley fragrance reviews.

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