Lily of the valley is such a precious flower. The way the tiny blossoms hang precariously from their slim stems makes my heart ache just a little. And their glorious scent is beyond captivating, I adore it. A neighbor has lily of the valley in her garden, and I point them out every spring to my boys, hoping they remember to bring a muguet-nosegay to their “someone special” when they grow up.
I wish we celebrated May Day with the floral gusto of the French. I read more about the history of this holiday and the French traditions around it at the blog Everything French Gardening. Give it a read if you are interested. I found it fascinating, and it inspired me to bust out the one muguet inspired, all natural perfume I have, Strange Invisible Perfumes Urban Lily.
There’s a reason I try my best not to read other blogposts on perfumes before I write about them; the power of suggestion. Over at Perfume Smellin Things, Tom reviewed Urban Lily and wrote that it reminded him of cut grass, earth and the scent of lily with a “heaping helping of their (SIPs) gorgeous Musc Botanique.” In the comments of Tom’s review, Scentscelf suggested she might layer Gap Grass and Diorissimo to approximate Urban Lily. March at Perfume Posse expressed her experience of Urban Lily’s evolution as a “honey-hay-beeswax smell with a hint of something peat/leather like narcissus.”
I don’t know if I am easily swayed or if I happened to have the same experience as my fellow bloggers, but I agree with it all! Tom is so right about the fresh cut grass and similar base of Musc Botanique. There’s a vegetal muskiness to Urban Lily that cannot be denied, and while it’s different from Gap Grass, the two perfumes have a common tone. March’s description resonates with me a great deal, as I too find a honeyed-haylike quality in Urban Lily. And yes, a leathery narcissus as well! Thank you March, for nailing that one.
My experience of Urban Lily also includes vetiver, a damp soil-laden vetiver, which unfolds on my skin. The dark richness of vetiver mingles enticingly with the muguet/narcissus springtime blossoms as well as the bright green musk. All of this might sound like a hot mess to some, and it might have been for me if the vetiver didn’t ground Urban Lily so completely.
I am in San Francisco this weekend, wearing Urban Lily on this beautiful day. I’m going to enjoy its scent while I do yoga with my sister and then we’re off to her baby shower at her favorite tea house. I’m hoping to find some lily of the valley along the way.
Happy May Day to you all. I sincerely hope you get to delight in lily of the valley’s beauty today.
Posted by ~Trish
Lilies of the Valley by dsbrennan at etsy.
Disclosure: The sample of Urban Lily is from my own collection. The opinons in this review are my own. I was not financially compensated for this review or any other.
thefloraesthetic.com 
I loved reading this! Lily of the valley along with, wisteria and lilac I look forward to smelling every spring!
Your sister’s baby shower sounds perfect! I hope you both enjoy.
Hi A,
I’m back from SF and the baby shower was perfect! I had one here for her in Portland a few weeks ago, but this was in SF with her friends.
And how wonderful that we get to smell all the spring flowers! Wisteria is so beautiful in every way 🙂
~T
You’ve tantalized me to try this although I’m not a LOTV lover-unless I’m bending down and inhaling it, especially when they’ve got little drops of rain hanging on for dear might!
L,
I agree, the best way to smell LOTV is when it’s coming from the earth! Urban Lily is more of SIP’s representation of LOTV more so than trying to replicate it exactly. It’s worth a try!
Best,
T
ms. balahoutis is it. i mean, if you want to experience aroma, as art, and art as planetary responsibility? this is it. but if you just want ART as addiction, well… again, it. of course, this coming from an addict….
I just read an interview with her and have so much admiration – a true tale of following your bliss. However, have not tried any of her scents. Going to her site now to check it out.