Anisha Riggs
Lily of the valley is a delicate, floral fragrance that has been used in perfumes for decades. The scent is often described as fresh, slightly sweet, and slightly woody, with green notes. It is a popular fragrance in the spring and is symbolic of renewal, hope, purity, rebirth, and joy. The flower is also known as muguet, valley lily, wood lily, or steeple lily. Its scientific name is Convallaria majalis. In perfumery, lily of the valley notes are created synthetically as it is not possible to extract the natural fragrance from the flower.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Convallaria majalis |
| Other Names | Valley Lily, Wood Lily, Steeple Lily, Muguet |
| Scent | Fresh, Floral, Slightly Sweet, Lemon-tinged |
| Fragrance Notes | Green, Woody, Tropical |
| Use in Perfumes | Base Note in Floral Fragrances |
| Blends Well With | Woody Notes (Sandalwood, Patchouli, Vetiver), Green Notes (Herbs, Foliage) |
| Cultural Significance | Emblem of Purity, Rebirth, Joy |
| Medicinal Uses | Anti-inflammatory, Relieves Joint and Menstrual Pain, Reduces Water Retention |
| Toxicity | Contains Convallatoxins, which can cause Cardiac and Digestive Disorders in high doses |
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What You'll Learn
Lily of the valley perfumes
Lily of the valley is a delicate woodland flower with small, milky-white, bell-shaped flowers. Native to Asia and Europe, it blooms every year in spring and is cultivated in several regions across France. The flower has been used for medicine, cooking, and perfumery, and is often associated with purity, rebirth, and joy.
The scent of lily of the valley is emblematic of spring and is described as fresh, floral, and slightly sweet with green and woody notes. It is a popular fragrance, especially for brides and wedding guests, and is believed to bring good luck. The flower's oil cannot be extracted for use in perfumes, so the scent is synthetically recreated using molecules like lilial and lyral, or through the headspace technique.
Some popular lily of the valley perfumes include Dior's Diorissimo, Cartier's Pur Muguet, and Byredo's Inflorescence. Diorissimo, created by Edward Roudnitska in 1955, is said to have put the scent on the map. It is a long-lasting fragrance that evokes a basketful of freshly-picked lily of the valley. Cartier's Pur Muguet captures the first blooms of lilies in spring with dewy, fresh, and green notes. Byredo's Inflorescence is a floral scent that captures the strength and delicacy of wild garden blossoms, making it an easy-to-wear warm-weather fragrance.
Other lily of the valley perfumes include Estée Lauder Pleasures, Louis Vuitton Apogée, The New Paradise by Ramon Monegal, Crabtree & Evelyn’s Lily of the Valley, and Tocca Giulietta EDP. These fragrances offer a range of interpretations of the classic lily of the valley scent, from straightforward to nostalgic, showcasing its versatility and enduring appeal.
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History of the fragrance
The history of the lily of the valley fragrance is a fascinating one. The flower, also known as muguet, has been an emblem of purity, rebirth and joy for centuries. It is said that the flower was first gifted to Charles XI in France on May 1, 1561, a tradition he continued with the ladies of the court year after year.
Despite its popularity, the lily of the valley has rarely been used for its perfume. This is because, unlike many other flowers used in perfumery, the lily of the valley is a "'mute' flower", meaning that it is almost impossible to extract the fragrance from the plant naturally. The flower will also cause death if ingested as it contains three toxins: convallatoxin, convallarin and convallamarin. However, this fact was well known to the ancients who, since antiquity, prescribed drinking lily of the valley wine to "strengthen the heart" or cause "early childbirth".
In the 18th century, lily of the valley returned to favour in pharmacopoeia and perfumery. This was due to the increased translation of medical treatises from Greek or Latin to French, as well as the creation of lighter and more floral perfumes such as the Queen of Hungary’s Water. However, as extraction techniques evolved, perfumers faced the issue of the lily of the valley being a mute flower. Its essence loses its smell once distilled, making it difficult to create a natural perfume from the flower.
The turning point in the history of the lily of the valley fragrance came in the 19th century. With the opening of more and more perfumeries in London and Paris, and the increasing popularity of perfume among the bourgeoisie, lily of the valley reconstitutions became more common. However, these perfumes were soon met with puritan mores which dictated that "well-behaved women should not wear any perfume". As a result, lily of the valley made its way into soaps and detergents before it did into actual colognes.
It was not until 1905 that chemists succeeded in synthetically recreating the scent of the lily of the valley. German chemist Herman Knoll (of the Knoll & Co. company) synthesized hydroxycitronellal from citronella, creating the key molecule in lily of the valley accords. This molecule made its debut in 1912 with Quelques Fleurs by Houbigant, which was one of the first aldehydic perfumes. In 1956, Diorissimo by Dior, composed in homage to Christian Dior's favourite flower, further popularized the scent of the lily of the valley. Today, the fragrance continues to be a popular choice for perfumes, soaps, and lotions, valued for its delicate, floral fragrance and romantic and elegant appeal.
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How the scent is created
The scent of lily of the valley is one of the most emblematic fragrances of the spring season. It is a light, delicate, fresh, and slightly sweet fragrance, often associated with the May Day holiday in France, where people offer scented sprigs of lily of the valley as a sign of happiness, good luck, and new beginnings.
Despite its popularity, the scent of the flower cannot be extracted for perfumery. Therefore, perfumers have to recreate its scent through a combination of natural and synthetic raw materials. These reproductions or reconstructions use molecules such as linalool, hydroxycitronal (limited), lilial, lyral (now banned), aldehyde cyclamen, mayol, florol, and nymphéal, among others.
Hydroxycitronellal, for example, offers a bright, floral lily of the valley aroma with lily shades and green and watery aspects, close to watermelon, with a light, tropical note. Another similar material is Cyclamen Aldehyde, which has a powerful, bright, floral smell, recalling cyclamen, with green, sweet, lily of the valley, linden, and subtle rhubarb shades.
In recent years, there has been a shift towards unique, new materials to replace lyral and lilial, which were once common ingredients in fragrances. For instance, Swiss company Firmenich has developed a patented formula based on Lilflore, a new lily of the valley odorant, and Hivernal, an in-house creation.
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The flower's symbolism
The lily of the valley is a flower with a rich history and strong symbolism in many cultures. Also known as the valley lily, the wood lily, or the steeple lily, its scientific name is Convallaria majalis. The name "lily of the valley" comes from the Latin word "maialis", meaning "of May".
The flower is often seen as an emblem of purity, rebirth, and joy. It is associated with the May 1st holiday in France, when people give sprigs of the flower as a sign of good luck. In fact, the French name for the flower, muguet, was gifted to Charles XI in France on May 1, 1561, a tradition he continued with the ladies of the court year after year. Royal brides, including Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle, Princess Diana, and Grace Kelly, included the flower in their wedding bouquets.
In addition to its symbolic value, the lily of the valley has been used for its therapeutic benefits. It contains flavonoids, saponins, and polysaccharides, which give it antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and diuretic properties. It is said to relieve joint and menstrual pain, promote the elimination of toxins, and reduce water retention. The delicate fragrance of the flower is also believed to soothe the mind and promote relaxation, making it ideal for wellness and relaxation products.
However, despite its many virtues, the lily of the valley should be used with caution as its leaves and flowers contain toxic compounds, such as convallatoxins, which can cause cardiac and digestive disorders if consumed in large quantities.
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Other products with the scent
Lily of the valley is a popular scent for perfumes, lotions, and soaps. Its delicate fragrance is often described as fresh, floral, and slightly sweet, with green and woody notes. The scent is associated with spring and is symbolic of renewal, hope, purity, and joy.
Perfumes
- Diorissimo by Dior: Created by Edward Roudnitska in 1955, this perfume is said to capture the iconic scent of lily of the valley. It has impressive longevity, lingering on the skin for hours.
- Pur Muguet by Cartier: This fragrance evokes the first blooms of lilies in spring, with dewy and fresh notes, complemented by modern green accords.
- Inflorescence by Byredo: Described as "a floral scent capturing the strength and delicacy of wild garden blossoms," this perfume features subtle hints of verdant green stems and leaves, making it ideal for warm weather.
- Tocca Giulietta EDP: A lily-of-the-valley-dominant fragrance that has been described as nostalgic and classic.
- Estée Lauder Pleasures: Another perfume with a strong lily of the valley note, often associated with nostalgia.
- Louis Vuitton Apogée: A straightforward lily of the valley scent.
- The New Paradise by Ramon Monegal: A unique interpretation of the classic lily of the valley fragrance.
- Jessica McClintock for Women: A lovely lily of the valley fragrance, as described by a perfumes, lotions, and soaps. Its delicate fragrance is often described as fresh, floral, and slightly sweet, with green and woody notes.
Perfumes
- Diorissimo by Dior: Created by Edward Roudnitska in 1955, this perfume is said to capture the iconic scent of lily of the valley. It is known for its longevity, lingering on the skin for hours.
- Pur Muguet by Cartier: This perfume evokes the first blooms of lilies in spring, with dewy and fresh notes, complemented by green accents for a modern twist.
- Inflorescence by Byredo: This floral scent is described as capturing the strength and delicacy of wild garden blossoms. It is an easy-to-wear fragrance, especially for those who find heady jasmine, rose, and lily scents too overpowering.
- Louis Vuitton Apogée: A straightforward lily of the valley fragrance.
- Estée Lauder Pleasures: A popular LOTV-dominant fragrance.
- The New Paradise by Ramon Monegal: Another fragrance with prominent notes of lily of the valley.
- Tocca Giulietta EDP: A lily-of-the-valley-centric fragrance.
- Jessica McClintock for Women: A lovely lily of the valley scent, as described by a Reddit user.
- Kenzo d'Ete: A fresh and green fragrance with lily of the valley notes.
- Eau de Lacoste L.12.12. White: A fragrance that features lily of the valley as a key note.
Other Products
- Crabtree & Evelyn's Lily of the Valley: A range of products, including hand therapy cream, body lotion, and eau de toilette, all featuring the scent of lily of the valley.
- Floris: An elegant and understated lily of the valley fragrance with musky undertones, inspired by flower buds rather than fully bloomed lilies.
- Kuumba Made Lily of the Valley Fragrance Oil Roll-On: A concentrated fragrance oil that can be applied to pulse points for a lasting scent.
The scent of lily of the valley is also recreated using synthetic molecules, such as Hydroxycitronellal (or "Hydroxy"), Cyclamen Aldehyde, and lilial, due to the difficulty of extracting the natural fragrance from the flower. These synthetic notes are used in various perfumery products to evoke the scent of lily of the valley.
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Frequently asked questions
The scent of lily of the valley is often described as fresh, floral, slightly sweet, and slightly woody.
Lily of the valley is a perennial plant that is indigenous to Europe and distributed throughout North America and Northern Asia. It is also known as the valley lily, the wood lily, or the steeple lily. Its scientific name is Convallaria majalis.
The use of lily of the valley in perfumery dates back to 1905 when chemists first succeeded in synthetically recreating the flower's scent. However, it was arguably Dior's Diorissimo, created by Edward Roudnitska in 1955, that popularized the fragrance.
Lily of the valley is used in fragrances for its delicate, floral scent, which evokes renewal, purity, and elegance. It is also believed to have therapeutic benefits, such as soothing the mind and promoting relaxation.
Some popular lily of the valley fragrances include Diorissimo by Dior, Pur Muguet by Cartier, Inflorescence by Byredo, and Super Muguet by Givaudan.
