Sweet Sexy Tuberose: Heely Bubblegum Chic vs Estee Lauder Private Collection Tuberose Gardenia

Every time I spritzed on Heeley's Bubblegum Chic, the intense heady top notes reminded me of another perfume I knew I had in my collection. No, not the ass-kicking-take-no-prisoners tuberose of Fracas. It was definitely something more velvety and smooth. Bubblegum Chic is sold as a jasmine perfume, but I have to say the jasmine takes a back seat to the tuberose. Not surprising, as tuberose rarely takes a back seat to any other note in perfume. Such a diva, that flower.

Almost as soon as I took the cap off my Estee Lauder Private Collection Tuberose Gardenia I knew this was the one. Gorgeous, creamy and bewitching, ELPC Tuberose Gardenia is my favourite tuberose perfume. It just sings on the skin, wafts gently all day long, weaving slowly in and out of tuberose and then gardenia notes. It is a mostly green scent, I'd say. I read a review awhile back that said EL PC Tuberose Gardenia was more about the "perfume of a flower" vs "a flower" - could not have said it better myself. It is like the heady air around the flowers - heavy, moist and sweet. The gardenia note takes the floral aspect and makes it headier and greener, but the sweet tuberose is always there. In true Estee Lauder perfume fashion, the concentration of perfume, even in the eau de parfum, is high, and the lasting power incredible. The parfum is divine, as are all the parfums/extraits in her Private Collection series. Seriously, smell them all if you can.

Estee Lauder diva who would LOVE Private Collection Tuberose Gardenia

These perfumes start out quite similarly, but the heart and drydown is where the differences start to show. Something to love in both of them...

Frenchy blow bubbles....

Heeley Bubblegum Chic Extrait de Parfum takes that initial heady blast of sweet tuberose and takes in a different direction with sweet, watery fruity notes. I don't get bubblegum exactly, although if you said it was Strawberry Bubblicious, or maybe Watermelon Bubblicious, then I would say yes! This fruity candy is a perfectly complimentary note to the tuberose. It makes the tuberose ethereal and fairy like - like a tuberose dream rather than a garden overflowing with the perfume of ripe tuberose flowers. I say strawberry because I do detect that note, but I also get a melon note, albeit a sweet watery melon. The jasmine note gently whispers thoughout the drydown and it's progression is soft and dreamy. The perfume is softer than the Estee Lauder, and wears closer to the skin, while still being a sexy whisper of tuberose. I'd say this is the perfect tuberose scent for the tuberose phobic, as the soft yummy fruity notes make this a lovely and wearable scent. "Chic" is an appropriate name as well. As is the case with all Heeley perfumes, this perfume is elegant and refined, even with the word "Bubblegum" alongside it. Not surprising from the company that makes the most heavenly and ethereal incense perfume I've ever sniffed, Cardinal.

So, does one win? No way! I love them both, and both have a place in my collection. Estee Lauder Private Collection Tuberose Gardenia when I am feeling like a diva, and Heeley Bubblegum Chic when I feel more ladylike than man-eater.

Estee Lauder Private Collection Tuberose Gardenia is available online and at select Estee Lauder counters. Heeley Bubblebum Chic is available online at Heeley and online and in person from MIN New York.

It's Raining in My Perfume: Miller Harris La Pluie

Miller Harris is a London niche perfumer who has quite a following worldwide. Their scents range from soft and elegant to challenging and interesting, meaning there really is something for everyone. I have liked a few, Jasmin Vert and Figue Amere being two that stand out in my memory. I am now enjoying one of their newer releases - Miller Harris La Pluie. Translated to "the rain" this lastest offering from Miller Harris perfumes is  what I would call a perfect warm weather perfume. La Pluie also won Best Niche Fragrance 2012 at the Cosmopolitan Fragrance Awards, which only made me want to try it more!

From the Miller Harris website:

"La Pluie eau de parfum conjures the inky blue-black of clouds heavy with rain and the heightened sense of expectancy before a thunderstorm, this fragrance is richly suggestive of tropical showers and the balmy climate of a far away island"

Well doesn't that sound lovely! It really does have a weight to it, but it is like the heaviness of water, not of perfume notes. It smells like walking through a warm rain surrounded by lots of greenery and flowers. The green and floral notes combine beautifully, into a impression of the air, rather than one specific flower. With perfumes like this, the list of notes is almost irrelevant. You certainly can get notes of white flowers, but just when you think "jasmine!" it becomes "orange blossom". And there is a humid aspect to these flowers, which I think comes from the cassie (acacia) which is a sweet yet 'foggy" scent, but also the green, watery & almost aquatic feel of mimosa. It dries down gently to a crisp vetiver note sweetened with a touch of vanilla, but maintains the watery feeling throughout the wearing. It is a soft scent, and would be a perfect choice for someone who likes their perfumes gentle and soft, but still interesting. It is lovely to smell the slow transition Miller Harris La Pluie makes on the skin, and then enjoy the soft kiss of rain-like scent that lingers on the skin. Verdict? Lovely.

On my radar right now: Miller Harris candles. I think La Pluie would be incredible as a scent wafting through the house, so calming and soothing.

I got my Miller Harris La Pluie from MIN New York, an amazing shop that ships anywhere & has excellent customer service- they will include samples of other things you might want to try with your order as well. You can also order from the Miller Harris UK website.

Chanel Jersey is a Pretty, Soft, & Fluffy Lavender

Chanel's lastest offering in their Exclusive line is the lavender based Jersey. It was released to mixed reviews, but, luckily I know I have to judge things for myself so I still really wanted to check it out, given my mad love for Chanel perfumes. Chanel Jersey is named after the ubiquitous fabric Chanel took from menswear and make accessible for women, and the perfume Jersey takes the scent lavender, almost always used in men's colognes, and adds a feminine touch. Chanel's website says Jersey is meant to be evocative of a meadow lush with lavender. Well, doesn't that sound beautiful! The notes are given as lavender, vanilla and musk. I think I detect a powdery iris in there somewhere, and perhaps a warm wood in the base, but that could be tonka. By "think I detect" I mean that this scent is so soft & delicate, no one note jumps out at you. 

Lavender fields in Provence, France

On first sniff I thought "pretty!". Then, as it dried down I thought "too sweet!" then "too powdery"! I thought why would I buy Chanel for a simple powdery lavender scent? But, as is often my wont, I had a turnaround. I have been know to hate a perfume on first sniff, only to later love it more than anything. So I never really say never with regards to perfume. Hours after applying the Jersey, the scent left behind was a delicate, warm, cuddly and cozy skin scent. It had a little something of the Guerlain warmth that I love so much in it, that warm skin smell that is very hard to describe without actually smelling it. So I thought, well, I will re-test and see what I think on subsequent wearings. 

Lavender honey ice cream

Well, turns out I like it. It is pretty, soft and clean smelling. There is a snuggly aspect that works even in warmer weather, likely due to the cooling & calming lavender notes. The musk/tonka combination adds a sweetness to the dry down that is sweet & enticing on the skin. It has a lovely spa effect, which I suppose one might expect from lavender. If you like soft elegant perfumes and you like lavender, I recommend you add Chanel Jersey to your sniff list. Verdict? Love.

Chanel Jersey is an Exclusive perfume, available at Chanel Boutiques and their website.

Bobbi Brown Bath Perfume- Good Clean Fun

I'm nothing if not a woman of broad tastes. I can appreciate vintage Guerlain Aprés L'Ondee parfum, swoon over it's heartbreaking beauty while weeping over it's unavailability while I watch bottles as rare as gems sell for many thousands on ebay. But, I am not a perfume snob, and I can appreciate something that makes my skin smell lovely, no matter what the price tag says. Which is both a good and a bad thing....

One of my favourite, easy, cheap and cheerful perfume is Bobbi Brown's Bath. It is meant to evoke that squeaky clean feeling one has after the bath- obviously- and does a good of it. It's chock full of soapy and wonderful orange blossom and neroli that blooms on the skin, with a gentle note of water hyacinth that adds a watery aspect. It is uncomplicated, like a simple cologne, and as easy to wear as a white t shirt. It is definitely a soapy perfume, and an unapologetic one at that. I would say this is pretty much Ivory soap, and I have always loved the scent of Ivory. Wet and warm freshly scrubbed skin, good clean fun...

This perfume is particularly lovely in extreme heat, as you have that just jumped out of the bath (or shower) feeling. And for a soapy cologne scent that does not cost the moon, I get amazing longevity from Bobbi Brown Bath- maybe 3-4 hours, even in the heat. It is perfect for daytime, and also lovely for a night out, maybe on a patio with a nice cool drink. This sweet little perfume has garnered me so many compliments when I wear it, one wonders if we really might be over thinking our perfumes. I've been stopped by strangers asking me what perfume I'm wearing. It makes me think of a line from one of my favourite movies, Amadeus, when Emperor Joseph II tells Mozart that his music "is quality work....there are simply too many notes". 

       


I got mine at Murale  (it is available on their website) in Canada, and I have seen at the Bobbi Brown cosmetic counter recently as well. But I see that it is no longer on her website, and is "unavailable" on the Nordstrom site. Hm. Maybe it's going to be discontinued? For the bargain $48 I paid, I may go buy another bottle as back up.

Annick Goutal Songes Has Me Dreaming of Jasmine

Annick Goutal Songes is a deeply sexy and lush jasmine perfume. For over-the-top, stiletto heels & red lipstick sexy, Annick Goutal Passion is really the queen, but Songes is the queen of sultry summer perfumes that are bursting with white florals and hot skin. I'd say sweaty skin, but that's not quite poetic enough for an Annick Goutal perfume. I prefer the more floral eau de toilette to the more vanillic eau de parfum. Songes is like a steamy hot summer day, the kind that makes you want to move slowly, and perhaps not at all. The word that comes to mind is "languid". 

...the sweet life, indeed

Songes starts out by coming on to you in the most shameless way. She is not hiding her ripe & succulent jasmine, ylang and frangipani, but instead sheds everything and just lies back on a bed overflowing with intoxicating white flowers. Slowly the warm cushy scent of gentle vanilla wafts up from the lush bed of flowers, adding a sweet and edible aspect that makes you want to bury your nose in this scent. Songes was allegedly inspired by a walk through an exotic garden on the island of Mauritius at night fall. As the air cools, the heat from the gardens rise and the tantalizing scent of tropical flowers surround you like a spell. You will need to find a slowly swaying hammock in a cool shady forrest, and lie down, while you float away on a jasmine-y cloud of flowers.

Night blooming jasmine; cestrum nocturnum

What makes Annick Goutal Songes sexy is that it comes on strong then pulls back a little. The heady and seductive scent that draws you in slowly subsides and becomes part of your skin, meaning if anyone wants to smell it, they will have to get close. And because the air is sweltering, getting closer will only make things, well, hotter. Best place to wear it? As Chanel would say, wear perfume where you want to be kissed.

Does It Smell Like Perfume? Or Is It Just Skin?

I love a good musk perfume. They are soft & stay close to the skin, and are perfect when I don't really want to wear an actual perfume, but when I just want to smell good. The beauty of a musk that works with your chemistry is that it is likely no one will even know you are wearing perfume. When I wear musk I often hear comments like "you smell good" or, in a group of people "someone here smells good". The latter comment is usually followed up with "it must be Jane" but that's just because my friends know me too well. But the point is no one ever says "what is that perfume" or "what perfume are you wearing", because when you find a musk you love, it should melt into your skin and become part of you. You- just a bit warmer, sweeter, sexier & yes, muskier. Oh...yes. Muskier. Like the smell of that special someone's shirt that you slip on when they aren't there, or their pillow. This kind of scent appeals to us on a more "primal" level that your average perfume. 

The smell of his clothes....

"Manly, yes, but I like it too...” was what came to mind the first time I tried Kiehl’s Musk. While it is definitely not a strong scent, it kind of has a rich, deep & sexy vibe that most frilly floral women's scents lack. It's manly and tomboyish, which frankly makes it even more sensual when a woman wears it. And, it just goes perfectly with everything. The story behind it says it’s based on a vat labelled “Love Oil” found stashed away in Kiehl’s flagship store- they introduced it in 1963. Love Oil? I'm in.

Manly, yes....ride 'em cowboy.

But it's not just sensual. It's cuddly and cozy. When my youngest daughter was little she said it smelled like hugs. That works. It’s soft, quiet & won’t offend anyone, even in a small space. It smells like warm, kissable skin. Adore the little roller bottle for my purse, perfect at under $30. Even the big 50ml bottle is under $60. The shower gel is one of my fave things and gently scents your whole bathroom, or master suite. The apothecary style aesthetic of Kiehl’s products is modern & simple- I love clean, classic lines. This is the perfect “white t-shirt” perfume & I wouldn’t be without it in my collection. 

After The Rain - Guerlain Après L'Ondée

It's been raining a lot lately. You know, those heavy, ozonic rain storms.  They only come after intense heat and humidity, when you can barely see a few feet ahead, there is such a deluge. So of course, this brings to mind a perfume, and of course, that perfume is Guerlain Après L’Ondée. Après L’Ondée translates more or less to "after the rain shower" and was created in 1906 by Jacques Guerlain. It has often been called "heartbreakingly beautiful" by those who wear it. Some so much that they simply can't wear it- it makes them too sad. I adore it, maybe because it feels therapeutic to  wear a perfume that can evoke such emotion. Jacques Guerlain himself has said "I felt something so intense, I could only express it in a perfume". Are we feeling what he felt in 1906? Maybe...

Après L’Ondée does to perfume notes what watercolours do to art. Guerlain calls it "a perfume of absolute romance". When I wear it, I can almost see Monet's Les Nymphéas (Water Lilies), with their almost ethereal blues and purples and that feeling of cool fresh water.

Iris butter (from iris rhizome/root) is one the most expensive perfume ingredients in the world...

I love the cool earthy and buttery iris combined with the most delicately sweet and green violet, both of which are wrapped in the gentle powdery vanillic heliotropin that only Guerlain can do. I also notice a delicious anise note, which is kept from being too sweet or "licorice-y" by a whisper of gently soapy carnation and jasmine. Oh, to be sure there are other notes, but they are so masterfully blended I can't really discern them.

Many complain that Après L’Ondée is also heartbreaking in that it's magical beauty doesn't linger long enough on their skin. Luckily, my skin wears this perfume perfectly, and from the first second I sniffed it, I loved it.  It does make me feel sad, but in a good way, the way a good cry during a sad movie does. It smells like a lush closed garden, at dusk, after a heavy downpour, when the flowers are heavy with water and weighed down, and air is still slightly electric, like the rain could come down again at any moment. Perfect.

Guerlain Apres l'Ondee eau de toilette in the 100ml bee bottle is available from Guerlain Boutiques. Some department stores in the US with comprehensive Guerlain counters also carry it.

Murale Wants To Spoil You!

Gratuitous Estee Lauder Paulina ad image, around 1980

Yes, you! That's right, the amazing & generous folks over at Murale want to spoil you with a stunning gift basket of goodies! What's inside, you may ask? You may want to have a seat, dear readers, before continuing...

The Murale Contest Gift Basket contains:

Michael Kors EdT Spray

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair - all skintypes

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye - all skintypes

Estee Lauder Pure Color Shimmer Gloss 

Deborah Lippmann Nail Lacquer - Forget You

Smashbox Be Discovered Cream Cheek Trio

Smashbox Be Discovered Jet Set Waterproof Eye Liner & Brush

Smashbox Shades of Fame Eye Palette & Brush

Total Value: $378

Note that these are full sized products! So click this LINK RIGHT HERE and enter- STAT!



This contest is open to Canadian residents only.

Feel Silky Smooth & Beautiful in The Body Shop Beautifying Oils

We love The Body Shop. All of us have our fave prodz from this awesome shop - maybe it's a perfume (White Musk!), one of their luscious Body Butters (Shea Butter!), or perhaps a delicious shower gel (Satsuma!). Or if you are as old as I am, maybe you remember when they had their super cool perfume bar. It was like a little tower in the middle of the shop, full of wonderful perfumed oils that you could wear on their own, layer together, or, add to your fave body product from their unscented line. I mourned the end of those oils, and have even trolled Evil Bay to find some of them- Indian Gardenia, a old fave, is now "vintage" and hard to find for under $60. 

Marual Nut

Marual Nut Oil

So, imagine how happy was I to read about The Body Shop's new Beautifying Oils collection! From their site: "Beautifying Oil is pure beauty in a bottle. Made with a lightweight blend of nut oils including Community Fair Trade marula oil, it gives instant hydration and a shimmering finish". They are gorgeous and luxurious, can be used on hair or skin, and have a lovely scent that does not overwhelm or irritate. And "shimmering" is just the oil effect- there is no glitter or anything like that in the oil. I am huge fan of oils for skin and hair treatment. In the winter, they soothe, nourish and protect the skin, and in the summer, they do the same thing while making your skin glow. No dry ashy legs allowed in shorts/sundress season! That is right up there with the Open Toe Shoe Pledge. Friends don't let friends get flaky. 

Ok- so, my faves? Right now, Strawberry is in my top rotation. Yes! It's The Body Shop Strawberry we loved forevah! Also, Satsuma, which is probably one of the loveliest orange prodz out there, and Shea, which is sweet and comforting. Moringa, sort of a tropical-white floral-tiare scent, is quickly becoming another fave. The scents are very subtle and nowhere near what their small perfume bottles are, but that's ok as the texture and feel of the oil makes you want to slather yourself head to toe.

At under $15 for 100ml, these are easy on the wallet while making your skin glow and smell yummy. Verdict? Love. Obsessively. Go get- now.

Smell Like A Kiss By The Ocean

Biotherm has some gorgeous spa-like products. I love their skincare and the fragrances of their body products as well. They have a new perfume out for summer, Biotherm Eau Océane, and it is like a oceanside spa. It is a soft gentle perfume with very soft aquatic notes. These are not the cloying sweet aquatic notes that were done to death in the 90s *stares at Davidoff Cool Water & Issey Miyake* but a kinder gentler aquatic. More like an ocean breeze than actual water, and would be perfect on a hot day.

It starts out with crisp, citrusy and refreshing lemony and bergamot notes, and then you get to the cool breeze of the heart. There is a whisper of jasmine that plays off the aquatic notes so nicely and really keeps it modern. The base has soft notes of musk, cedar and moss and Eau Océane becomes a soft and fresh skin scent. And, leave it to Biotherm to add gentle moisturizing glycerin, mineral-rich marine source water and negative ions to this scent, so it also good for your skin. There is an accompanying moisturizing gel in the scent of Eau Océane to soften and soothe skin while extending the life of the scent on your skin. 

I think that someone out there needs a new perfume for summer, right? So, be sure to like Daly Beauty on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Pinterest, and comment here with your email addy and on May 31st at 6pm I will draw a name to win a bottle of Biotherm Eau Océane and the moisturizing gel!

The contest is now closed. Congratulations to ConnyMc! Your name was chosen using the the generator at Random.org. Thanks to all for reading and commenting! xo jane

Biotherm shopping information in Canada is here, and for the US here.

Summer Scents That Shine Like The Sun

Donatella's personal perfume collection - Elle DECOR

Versace has been making perfumes for years. I've loved and owned many Versace scents, and they have changed to suit the times. They started out strong & flashy in the 80s and have become kindler and gentler over time. They are softer now, but they have turned their bombastic design to their bottles. Two that always catch my eye are the stunning Bright Crystal & Yellow Diamond. They are gorgeous treasures that would look beautiful on any dressing table or vanity, and make you feel pretty just spraying them on. Only Versace could pull off such fun and playful flash!

Versace Bright Crystal came out in 2006 and is a lovely soft fruity floral scent. It is pretty and fresh and easy to wear, with yummy notes of pomegranate & yuzu, and gentle peony, magnolia and lotus. The soft musk base adds a clean almost soapy note to Bright Crystal, which makes sitting next to someone in this perfume a pleasant experience, as opposed to a choking or overwhelming one. If you enjoy a soft sheer floral perfume, Bright Crystal would be a great addition to your collection.

Versace Yellow Diamond, released in 2011, is a variation the Bright Crystal scent, but replace the red fruits with lemons, limes, neroli and pear sorbet. There is a sweet dessert note here but it is tempered wonderfully by the citrus. This is a perfect summer perfume and just sniffing my wrist makes me crave a tall frosted glass of lemonade. Add some amber & musks to warm up the base and you have a perfume that dries down to a lovely skin scent. 

Verdict? Two lovely Versace perfumes for summer, so you can choose. Or, you can choose both! The bottles would look perfect together and you could have a perfect summer perfume wardrobe to choose from!

Thanks to all who entered! The winner is DRTVrMoi!

Comment on this post, like us on Facebook & Twitter to be entered in a draw for two gorgeous 5ml minis  of eau de toilette of Bright Crystal & Yellow Diamond. Draw open to everyone, ending May 25th at 6pm. 

By Kilian Bamboo Harmony Is Ethereal Tea For Your Skin

By Kilian has released two new perfumes as part of their new Asian Tales line. It's a bit of a departure from their first two collections, which tend to be headier and richer. They are all beautiful in their own way, but certainly not for everyone. We all wear scent differently, and one person's lovely floral is another  ones suffocating nightmare. So for those of you that like some air and softness in their perfume, which I love too, you must check out By Kilian Asian Tales Bamboo Harmony and Water Calligraphy. 

Water Calligraphy- this is the packaging of By Kilian perfumes SWOON

From By Kilian, "Bamboo Harmony pays homage to Bamboo, considered by the “Men of Letters” as the symbol of human perfection. It is also the main component of their brush, the central element of calligraphy which, in Chinese culture, is the representation of Art and Beauty". That is sort of an esoteric and poetic descriptor for a perfume but By Kilian is not known for their pared down approach to creativity. I love that they put this much thought into a scent, and reading about this new line is as enchanting as their previous offerings.

So- the scent. Bamboo Harmony is a lovely white tea scent. There is a touch of citrus & orange blossom in the top notes, but only a touch. Then the white tea note blooms, and its made ever so gently floral with a bit of mimosa. It dries down to a delicate slightly warm skin scent with a little more sweetness from fig leaves, but never too sweet, thanks to their "Matè Essence" which adds a crisp green fresh note, which is unusual in the base of a perfume. This is perfect scent for warmer weather as well. It manages to balance the complexity of notes By Kilian and the amazing perfumer Calice Becker are known for, and make it an ethereal veil of soft, pretty perfume.Verdict: Lovely! 

By Kilian also has lacquered evening bags that echo the design of his perfume packaging- gorgeous

By Kilian is available online at their e-store, at MIN New York, Aedes, Luckyscent and several large department stores in the US, and at Holt Renfrew in Canada. Bamboo Harmony is $225 for a 50 refillable bottle. Travel sets with atomizer are around $70 but I don't know if Bamboo Harmony has a travel set out yet.

Gratuitous photo of Kilian Hennessy

Funny screen cap of what comes up when one Googles Kilian....oh, ladies.

Be Sweet & Pretty, Smell Sweet & Pretty

Hey boys and girls, it's time for another perfume draw! I am loving the sweet boho styles I'm seeing everywhere for summer and it made me think of this beautiful photo. 

Both of my daughters love Taylor Swift, and even I have to admit when her music is playing, I feel relaxed and happy. There is an innocence and simplicity to her sweet country ballads that hooks me in every time. So, I thought it was fitting to give a bottle of Taylor Swift Wonderstruck perfume away to a lucky reader. Her perfume is sweet, like sort of a fruity gourmande. It has fresh tart lemony notes, with a sweet sort of cupcake-y heart, and then a clean, fresh woodsy dry down. The lemon cupcake note lasts and lasts, and would be lovely on a warm summer night. Don't worry, this is not just for teenagers! There is a fresh-squeezed summer day note in here that reminds me of D&G Light Blue, with some of the sugar of Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb. I would say this one will be a compliment getter for sure!

To enter, simply comment here, and like us and this post on our Facebook page, and follow us on Twitter if you are on it! Draw at 6pm on May 16th 2012. And if you are a mom, or have a mom, and you are like me, this song will make you cry....

The winner is Melzzzzzzzzzz! Congratulations & thanks for entering! Watch Daly Beauty for more giveaways! Comments are closed.

Lily Of The Valley Perfumes Bloom in May

I don't know why, but this time of year makes me crave the sweet, pure and simple scent of lily of the valley. They do always bloom now, and I grew up in house that was surrounded by them. My friends and I would pluck the tiny little stems with those perfect white blossoms and give them to our mothers. The scent is simple and sweet, and I can spot the scent of that flower a mile away. I won't get into the science of the perfume, but it is interesting to note that a true extraction of the flower is not how the scent is constructed. The lily of the valley note is created with combinations of other natural essences (often citrus and florals such as jasmine, orange blossom, rose and green notes) or more commonly, with synthetics. That tiny little flower does not produce an oil so it has been a man made creation in perfumes since the first lily of the valley perfume. It's often thought of as a soapy clean scent, simply because it's popularity throughout the years as a scent for soaps, shampoos and laundry products.   

     

So, the perfumes. There are many, but I will just talk about a couple favourites. I wish I could include the Guerlain beauty, Muguet, that is a limited edition perfume released only on May 1, but at $500 for a small bottle, I will let you, dear reader, investigate that one on your own. In France, lily of valley flowers are sold everywhere as part of May Day celebrations, which is the inspiration for the Guerlain launch. As well, it really cements that sweet little blossom as a scent of spring, rebirth and re-awakening.

Christian Dior Diorissimo: This is the grand dame of all lily of the valley perfumes. If you love the flower, then you must own this one. The illustrations above are by the incredible Rene Gruau who did a lot of ad work for Dior. Don't you just love them? Princess Diana is said to have loved it and to have worn in on her wedding day. There is a lot of consternation regarding reformulation and older vs newer formulas of this one, but I actually prefer the newer one. It's light, bright and sparkly and smells like the kiss of a gentle spring shower. It is my absolute favourite of the lily of the valley scents. The vintage pre IFRA restrictions formula, while it smelled divine out of the bottle, contained a weird sharp note that did not work on my skin at all. When I wore it, I was often asked if I had been drinking. Le sigh.

Penhaligon's Lily of The Valley: This is a lovely green, woodsy interpretation of lily of the valley. Launched in 1976, this one has a sweet almost musky undertone that softens any sharp floral notes. It also has that rainy-day quality and is gentle and easy to wear. This one is also said to have been a favourite of Princess Diana- she loved Penhaligon's and also wore Bluebell.

Jessica McClintock: The bridal gown designer released this one in 1988 as a bridal scent, and it really is perfect. Often overlooked and available for a song at online discounters, it is a slightly heady floral with lily of the valley front and center, but with a little extra sweetness. It is very feminine and pretty, and worth getting if you are a fan of this sweet little flower. 

Yardley Lily of The Valley: Well this one is cheap and cheerful, available at most drugstores for under $20. I love this one. My daughter wears it and it smells so beautiful on her. I often forget and ask her what she is wearing, surprised when she names this simple and lovely perfume. I think I will grab some for myself as it really is so pretty. It has a bright, green lily of the valley note that is tempered by a slightly fruity note that really makes it gentle. I have the Yardley Lily of the Valley body powder, which is cooling soapy and clean smelling. I love to use it on my sheets in the warmer months, and all over after a shower. It feels feminine in an old fashioned way, like I'm doing something special and pampering for myself.

You may recognize these brides who both  favoured lily of the valley in their bouquets....

Spring it seems, has finally sprung.