I’ve always loved lily of the valley. I’m a May baby, so they’re my birthday flower. Plus, they’re teeny-tiny, pretty and white and I have a thing for white blooms. They also have a loud voice. That’s fragrance-speak for a big presence. In a good way. So when I was sent a package of Yardley London’s fragrances and Lily of the Valley eau de toilette was in it, I ripped off the cellophane, cracked open the box and started spritzing.
The scent is crisp and sharp, like a fresh spring morning. Then, as it nestles onto your skin it begins to waft a green grass like cleanliness combined with the bud’s explosive yet not overpowering soapy sweetness. It’s close-your-eyes-and-inhale worthy. It also smells like my past.
When I was around six or seven, walking to the drugstore with my mom was a big deal. For starters it was next door to the bakery, so I knew a meringue puff was coming my way if I played my cards right. But more importantly, it meant that I would have approximately 10-15 minutes of unsupervised drugstore time to take in all of the amazing lipsticks, powders, pantyhose, eyeshadow and of course, perfumes on display. I never asked if I was allowed to, but I always spritzed some of the tester perfumes on. A lot, actually, and I frequently gravitated towards the 100-year-old British brand’s quintessentially English scents of Lavender, Rose and Lily of the Valley. Their earthy garden and bright blue sky, damp grass and free-growing spirits were intoxicating. They still are. And they’re super easy to wear.
Lily of the Valley and it’s Rose and Lavender counterparts have had a contemporary tweak or two, but the scents are remain stunningly beautiful, classic and elegant—all with a bit of a refined wildness attached to them. Clearly, I still can’t get enough.
Yardley LondonLily of the Valley, Rose and Lavender EDT, $19 each, available at Shoppers Drug Mart.
