Floral · Accord · Heart notes, Base notes
Lily of the valley
Lily of the valley is a small bell-shaped flower from the plant Convallaria majalis, called muguet in French. It smells fresh, green and clean like flowers covered in morning dew, with a hint of lemon. In perfume, lily of the valley is always an accord and usually sits in the heart notes.
· Written by the FRAG team
What does lily of the valley smell like?
Lily of the valley smells light, fresh and green, like small flowers picked early in the morning. There is a cool, dewy feel, a hint of lemon and a soap-like cleanness. Its sweetness is thin, far from dense white flowers such as jasmine or lily.
On skin, lily of the valley starts fresh and then softens into a gentle, slightly waxy floral. Because it feels so clean, it often appears in perfumes meant to feel neat and bright.
Why must lily of the valley be recreated?
Convallaria majalis is a small plant from the cool temperate parts of Europe and Asia. In France, muguet is sold every 1 May as a symbol of spring, a tradition that dates from the early 20th century.
No natural aromatic extract can be made from lily of the valley, so its scent is always rebuilt from synthetic molecules. Materials such as hydroxycitronellal and lilial were once widely used, but their use is now restricted, and lilial has been banned from cosmetics in the EU since March 2022. Perfumers now use newer replacement molecules.
Lily of the valley in a perfume
Lily of the valley is almost always placed in the heart notes. It gives a perfume a clean, transparent floral feel, and often makes rose or jasmine feel lighter. Lily of the valley is a classic note in green floral perfumes.
Good partners are rose, jasmine and hyacinth in the heart, green notes for a leafy feel, then musk in the base. Because the accord is light, lily of the valley is most noticeable in the heart, and how long it lasts depends on the base notes, your skin, the weather and the concentration.
When to wear a lily of the valley perfume
Lily of the valley suits mornings, daytime, work and hot weather, because it is light and only gently sweet. It is also comfortable in closed rooms, since it feels clean and does not bother people nearby.
