Lilies & Lily of the Valley

[cranberry]

I think I really like Stargazer lily but I'm not really sure what exactly it smells like. I'm getting it mixed up with other florals, and moonflower in particular, as many of the floral scents I like have both.

 

Can anyone recommend a really true stargazer lily scent, or at least one where it's really prominent?

 

Thanks!

[darklorelei]

Ok:

 

Stargazer is in Grandmother of Ghosts, Peitho, Sheol, Juliet, Ophelia, Virahotkantita, Kindly Moon, Bearded Lady, Berenice, Isle of the Dead, Melancholia, and Lyonesse. A few of these are LEs.

 

Without smelling them, I'd say Lyonesse would be your best GC bet for pulling out the lily, as it's the only floral in the blend.

 

Berenice looks like the best LE, but it looks to be much more floral.

 

I've actually tried Ophelia, and I think it's really nice for a floral (and I usually don't go for them), but it's very much a floral/aquatic, so I think if you're really looking to distinguish the note, it wouldn't be good.

 

Stargazer lily looks to usually be paired with other very strong notes, so if you try multiple blends and are able to single it out, more power to you.

[lookingglass]

Absolutely Lyonesse...I, too, am a stargazer lover. My happiest memories that I share with my sister are of smelling them in our father's garden. Lyonesse comes the closest to capturing that. I think that the amber and vanilla take the sharp edge off that stargazer SN's usually have. Peitho is more floral, but I think the jasmine is more prominent.

Edited January 14, 2007 by lookingglass

[cranberry]

How would you say Kindly Moon rates in terms of stargazer? Maybe it's the moonflower in there that I'm loving.

 

I love Lyonesse, and if that's a strongly stargazer lily scent then that's a wonderful thing!

 

I'm also liking Black Lily a lot (actually a love at first sniff kinda thing) but I have no idea what kind of lily it is.

 

darklorelei, I think that's the thing, it does seem to be usually paired with other strong notes, so I just get them all mixed up. Especially the floral ones so I can't tell what I'm smelling.

[ivyandpeony]

I'm a lucky girl, in that I was around before the single notes were discontinued and I bought a bottle of Stargazer Lily because it's one of my very favorite florals in the entire world. I like to use it to amp up the lily sometimes in the blends I love.

 

My favorite blends of the ones containing Stargazer Lily are Bearded Lady and Berenice. I just tried Melancholia for the first time so I don't know that I have enough of an impression to "review" it on its stargazeliciousness - I got a lot of lilac from it, but I can say I loved it and it's gorgeous.

 

To my nose, Cobra Lily seems to contain Stargazer Lily... have you tried it yet?

[cranberry]

oh - thanks for responding. Ohh, a SN sounds wonderful!

 

I've got a bottle of Bearded Lady and love it, and I'm going to have to dig out my imp of Berenice and try it again. I remember it as the aloe and linen being most prominent.

 

 

I haven't tried Cobra Lily, yet but I'll definitely throw that into my next order. Thanks!

[tziporra]

So one of my FAVORITE smells in the world is a big old vase of stargazer lilies a day or two after they should have been tossed out.... Spicy to the point of tickling your nostrils, heady, with a faint undertone of decay.

 

But, I ordered a bunch of imps with Stargazer in my VERY FIRST imp set (yup, I'm a newbie) only to run into two big problems:

 

1. I'm not sure the Stargazer note actually reflects this scent. It might be more Lily-ish, less SPICE.

 

2. I appear to have the infamous "turns-lily-to-weird-soap" skin. All the lily fragrances I tried dried to sweet nondescript soap.

 

So, can anyone recommend a really spicy floral that doesn't dry down to vague-floral-nothing? That evokes the blown vase of Stargazer without actually containing any lily?

 

Thanks so much!

 

Tzi

[LadyLuckless]

I'm not really looking for stargazer lily in particular, but I do want a beautiful sweet lily scent. I'm torn between Black Lily and Tiger Lily, and also looking at Queen of Hearts. Any thoughts?

[cranberry]

Black Lily is gorgeous. it is a gorgeous dark lily scent.

 

Tiger Lily was ok too, not as good as Black Lily imho. it has that honeyed note that I don't always care for and I preferred the clear lily of Black Lily.

 

I can't remember ever trying Queen of Hearts, so no help there, but Black Lily is wonderful.

[LadyLuckless]

Black Lily is gorgeous. it is a gorgeous dark lily scent.

 

Tiger Lily was ok too, not as good as Black Lily imho. it has that honeyed note that I don't always care for and I preferred the clear lily of Black Lily.

 

I can't remember ever trying Queen of Hearts, so no help there, but Black Lily is wonderful.

 

Hmm, I do have a lot of honeyed scents on my list already. OK, it sounds like I should go with the truer Black Lily now to see how lily works on me, then try Tiger Lily in my next order if the Black Lily works out. Thanks for the help that really seems the best way to go!

[DARKBEAUTY28]

Ooo I almost started a thread asking the same thing not too long ago. Here are the scents I found with Stargazer Lily in them:

 

Kindly Moon

Bearded Lady

Grandmother of Ghosts

Peitho

Virahotkantita

Berenice

The Oval Portrait

Victoria

Melancholia

[fairnymph]

My favourite Stargazer lily scent is definitely Victoria (Stardust) because it's a very gentle and fairly simple blend which allows the inherently mild lily to shine without being overwhelmed by too many other notes, or bully notes. I think you would be able to pick it out at this point from Victoria.

 

SL is one of my favourite notes (oh, to try the single note in any amount....*sigh*). In response to some other suggestions:

 

Kindly Moon - I don't get much SL in this, really none at all in fact, as the far more potent florals in the blend totally overshadow it, at least on my skin.

Grandmother of Ghosts - This would be my second favourite SL blend, again because the other notes are gentle enough to let it play on the skin. Still, it doesn't shine as brightly as in Victoria.

Berenice - My third favourite SL blend. The lily here is nearly as strong as in Victoria and this blend reminds me a fair bit of Victoria as a result. I think I like GoG as an overall scent more, though of all these I have only a bottle of Victoria.

Tiger Lily - I do think there is some SL in this and it's one of the better lily blends on my skin (as many go to COMPLETE powder), but I still found it a bit too powdery for my liking. Still, it had that honeyed (if not a bit too sweet in this blend), citrusy-freshness that recalls SL to an extent, so worth a try.

Black Lily - One of my all time absolute favourite scents (top 10, far above Victoria) - it's absolutely stunning! However, I don't get the least bit of SL in it. But it's a truly gorgeous scent and if you like slightly sweet, extremely virginal-pure-bright, feminine deep musky florals, I think you'd like it too.

Cobra Lily - I don't get an SL in this at all.

Juliet - Has a lovely SL note but this is a very complex floral blend and it's very seamless, so the SL doesn't stand out. Gorgeous though! Very similar feel to Black Lily.

Ophelia - Starts out very nice on me, but goes to utter powdery soap.

 

 

And another idea:

 

The Phantom Wooer - Lovely and fairly distinct SL note here. A very ghostly and light floral blend.

Edited June 2, 2008 by fairnymph

[Khodgins]

I love all floral scents but Lily of the Valley is one of my absolute faves. Any recomendations?

 

Just a side note, I can't wear myrrh, patchouli, labdanum (makes me ) And I am not fond of pine, spicy, or foody scents.

 

Thanks!

[sqwook]

A quick search in my spreadsheet of bpal turns up the following mostly non-LE:

 

Lilium Inter Spinas - Hibiscus syriacus, white sandalwood, lily of the valley, apple blossom, and green fig

Suspiro - Ylang ylang with white plum, white orchid, jasmine, calla lily and lily of the valley

Dragon's Eye - A piercing, radiant perfume: dragon's blood resin, lily of the valley, lilac and galbanum.

Wings of Azrael - Warm myrrh swirled with a bittersweet blend of violet, Lily of the Valley, juniper, cypess and cajeput

Belle Epoque - Sweet opium, Lily of the Valley, vanilla, mandarin and red sandalwood

Madame Tracy - tea rose, ume blossom, geranium, lily of the valley, violet, and heliotrope

The Queen of Hearts - Lily of the Valley, Calla Lily, stephanotis and a drop of cherry

Hymn - perfect rose absolute and Palestinian Lily of the Valley with olibanum, labdanum, frankincense and myrrh

Bilquis - Honey, myrrh, lily of the valley, rose otto, fig leaf, almond, ambrette, red apple, and warm musk

The Penitent Magdalen - Immortelle, lily of the valley, gaiac, amber, honey, white sandalwood, almond flower, blonde musk, and hyssop.

La Mort Qui Danse - Black pepper, white ginger, Calla lily, and lily of the valley.

Moscow - imperial rose, carnation, lush jasmine, lily of the valley, dark musk, amber, bergamot and gilded tangerine

Judith Victorious - Chestnut blossom, lily of the valley, King mandarin, French magnolia, and golden musk.

Endymion - d'Anjou pear, Lily of the Valley, bois du rose and white musk

 

The only one I've tried of these is Judith Victorious, and it didn't strike me as floral, so I wouldn't start with that one. You could read the reviews for some that have your no-go scents like myrrh, to see how strong others found it where it's listed. Suspiro sounds beautiful.

Edited February 2, 2009 by sqwook

[Monster]

I don't have any recommendations (I'm not a floral person at all) but I would like to know which scent has the STRONGEST, most pure smelling Lily of the Valley scent. My future sister-in-law loves Lily of the Valley and I'd love to pick something up for her.

[Apple]

Two caveats: 1.) I have trouble distinguishing between the different types of lilies (e.g., Lily of the Valley vs. calla lily), and 2.) lily is one of the many floral notes that I tend to amp, and so it comes roaring out after touching my skin... and then usually turns quite soapy.

 

Keeping those caveats in mind, the strongest lily scent I've encountered has been La Mort Qui Danse:

La Mort Qui Danse

(The Salon) - Black pepper, white ginger, Calla lily, and lily of the valley.

On me, it was sharp, soapy, assertive, and unmistakably LILY! A softer, gentler but still pure lily scent for me was Tiger Lily (this one actually reminded me more of Lily of the Valley, even though they're not in the description):

Tiger Lily

(Mad Tea Party) - A feisty bouquet of golden, warm, gently honeyed lilies.

Other lily scents that I've tried include:

Ichabod Crane

(2008 Halloweenie LE) - Dusty black wool, tea with cream, black pepper, muguet, and beeswax candle drippings.

(Muguet is another name for Lily of the Valley. This one smells warm and cozy, like

White Rabbit

plus Lily of the Valley.)

 

La Belle Dame Sans Merci

(Bewitching Brews) - no scent description

(This one was very lily on me, and several reviewers mention Lily of the Valley.)

 

The Lady of Shalott

(Ars Amatoria) - Bold gardenia, crystalline musk, muguet, water blossoms, clear, slightly tart aquatic notes and a crush of white ginger.

 

Ulalume

(Bewitching Brews) - Starry white lilies lend an eerie brightness to the deep black wooded scents of cypress and oak, layered with a touch of crushed dried leaves and the faintest aquatic note.

I've never tried them, but several reviews of Black Lily (Rappaccini's Garden) and Love-In-Idleness (Rappaccini's Garden) mention Lily of the Valley, and Swan Maiden looks promising as well:

Swan Maiden

(2007 Lunacy LE) - White gardenia, white iris, sandalwood, calla lily, French magnolia, muguet, jonquil, and orchid.

[Khodgins]

Fantastic suggestions! Going to check these out. Thanks so much!

[Khodgins]

Just a note to others looking for Lily of the Valley. Came across a couple others in my search.

 

Apparently NOIR, has lily of the valley listed first in its scent description. SPECTRE also has it in its description too. And just my luck, these are SO easily available!

Edited February 2, 2009 by Katial8r

[Persephone76]

Just a note to others looking for Lily of the Valley. Came across a couple others in my search.

 

Apparently NOIR, has lily of the valley listed first in its scent description. SPECTRE also has it in its description too. And just my luck, these are SO easily available!

 

Noir is a sensual, ambery lily/jasmine/sandalwood. Spectre is more ethereal and almost soapy and more floral. They are both lovely, but take my advice and never try them because it's better not to want what you can't have.

 

On the not impossible to find front, Belle Epoque is a favorite of mine. It's beautiful!

 

And it looks like I need to pick through my imp box of doom to see if I have any Tiger Lily to sample!

 

[jarvenpa]

Belle Epoque was my seduction scent. That is, the scent that, given me by a friend, introduced me to Black Phoenix. She said the scent reminded her of me, though she personally didn't much like it. I liked it a great deal (though of course I wondered what about it brought me to her mind)

 

But I'm not sure I'd call it a pure lily of the valley scent at all. And La Belle Dame Sans Merci, which I also like a lot, smells to me more like small wild white roses.

 

Tiger Lily is very pretty, but warmer than lily of the valley (which always seem to me a bit crisp).

 

If you find a true lily of the valley please let us all know!

[grashopper8]

Muguet is another name for Lily of the Valley.

 

Just wanted to make sure you noticed this - it will help you expand upon your search!

[Persephone76]

Belle Epoque was my seduction scent. That is, the scent that, given me by a friend, introduced me to Black Phoenix. She said the scent reminded her of me, though she personally didn't much like it. I liked it a great deal (though of course I wondered what about it brought me to her mind)

 

But I'm not sure I'd call it a pure lily of the valley scent at all. And La Belle Dame Sans Merci, which I also like a lot, smells to me more like small wild white roses.

 

Tiger Lily is very pretty, but warmer than lily of the valley (which always seem to me a bit crisp).

 

If you find a true lily of the valley please let us all know!

 

ITA with all of this. Belle Epoque is not at all a pure lility of the valley. And Tiger Lily smells much more like a Calla Lily to me after testing it. Lily of the valley is a bit greener...and the closest scent I've come to a pure liliy of the valley is Spectre, though it goes a bit soapy (and good luck finding that!).

[oakmoss]

The most lily-of-the-valley scent I've found (and I've tried just about everything in the GC at least) is.... Squirting Cucumber. Depending on how impressionable you are to scent names, you might have to psych yourself out of thinking it smells like cucumber, but really, it has a light and sweet and very fresh lily of the valley scent. Get an imp, check it out!

[oakmoss]

Just got a frimp of Amsterdam, which I hadn't tried in years, and was pleasantly surprised how much it evokes lily of the valley, even though its notes are actually tulips, peony, fresh flowing water and crisp green grasses. Give it a try!

[jiggahava]

I would like to suggest La Vague, it is a lovely lilly of the valley and cream scent.