Lily of the valley

Lily of the valley is an annual plant that blooms in spring. Its small white clusters shaped like bells on small stems are very elegant and aromatic. Lily of the valley grows in temperate zones. 85% of the lily of the valley sprigs produced in France come from Nantes, the rest is grown in Bordeaux. France produces 60 million sprigs of lily of the valley per year, and to this must be added 10% that grow in the woods. Lily of the valley is known as a lucky flower given on May 1st. Lily of the valley is highly toxic but is used in medicine for digestive disorders and heart problems. It is in perfumery that it is used the most.

The use of lily of the valley in perfumery

The lily of the valley note is frequently used in fine perfumery but also to scent home fragrance products. In the sixteenth century, the scent of lily of the valley was already highly appreciated. In fact, a chic and distinguished young man was called a “muguet”. Lily of the valley is a delicate natural material that is complicated to work with. Lily of the valley flowers cannot be extracted or distilled to obtain odorous essences, but other essences can be used to reproduce it. Nowadays, lily of the valley is often used as a heart note in feminine fragrances but in synthetic form. Many perfumes of the floral family are accentuated with lily of the valley. The composition of these perfumes is dominated by lily of the valley accords. Some fragrances use lily of the valley in combination with other materials such as honeysuckle, orange blossom, hawthorn and cyclamen in their heart note. It should be noted that lily of the valley, whatever its use, is an extremely toxic plant. Consuming lily of the valley, even in small quantities, can cause death within minutes.

Fragrances built around lily of the valley

Many perfumes contain a lily of the valley scent. Two famous fragrances that have a lily of the valley note in their composition have been selected. Launched in 1956, Diorissimo by Dior is, in addition to being an icon, the fragrance that best expresses the scent of lily of the valley. Lily of the valley is Christian Dior's favorite flower, and it is also the emblem of his fashion house. Created by Edmond Roudnitska, who complained about the confectionery-like and synthetic trend of postwar perfume scents, the creator chose to select lily of the valley, a material with a natural scent but far removed from culinary aromas. From the outset, the lightness of Mayotte ylang-ylang can be recognized, giving a serene and pure sensation. The lily of the valley accord is found in the heart note with a subtle fruity green note. In the base note, Egyptian jasmine absolute brings sweetness to this fresh feminine perfume built around lily of the valley.

Another classic perfume made with a lily of the valley note is Anaïs Anaïs by Cacharel. Created in 1978 but launched in 1985, the perfume was reformulated in 2014. The intended image is that of a young girl in bloom, both soft and attractive. The repetition of the name Anaïs marks both the innocence and the sensuality of a lolita. The lily of the valley accord in this perfume is combined with hyacinth, jasmine and orange blossom to form the scent of lily, since no natural essence can be extracted from it. Woody, amber and leathery notes make up the base of this perfume with a light lily of the valley scent.