Lily of the Valley (Eau de Toilette) by Penhaligon's

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British Tales

Lily of the Valley Penhaligon's 1976 Eau de Toilette

7.6 / 10 231 Ratings

A popular perfume by Penhaligon's for women, released in 1976. The scent is floral-fresh. It is still in production.
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Main accords

Floral

Fresh

Green

Citrus

Woody

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes

Geranium

Bergamot

Lemon

Heart Notes

Lily of the valley Jasmine

Jasmine

Ylang-ylang Rose

Rose

Base Notes

Oakmoss

Sandalwood

Perfumer

Michael Pickthall

Ratings

Scent

7.6231 Ratings

Longevity

7.1168 Ratings

Sillage

6.5156 Ratings

Bottle

8.0160 Ratings

Value for money

6.433 Ratings

Submitted by Seglein, last update on 10/05/2025.

Interesting Facts

The fragrance is part of the British Tales collection.

Smells similar

What the fragrance is similar to

Lily of the Valley Solid Fragrance

Envy Eau de Toilette

Diorissimo (2009) Eau de Toilette

Series 1: Leaves - Lily

Lily of the Valley

Un Matin au Jardin - Muguet en Fleurs

Reviews

5 in-depth fragrance descriptions

04/12/2018

10
Bottle 8
Sillage 9
Longevity 9
Scent

Fhaldara
60 Reviews

Fhaldara

Helpful Review 1

Most natural lily of the valley

Lily of the Valley is my favorite floral, and I have many versions of it, but Penhaligon's is the closest to the actual, freshly opened flower in my opinion. It's as fresh and green as spring itself - AND it has excellent longevity, rare in a LOTV fragrance.

08/26/2018

MasterLi
375 Reviews

MasterLi

Cold, Green & Floral...

I think Lily-of-the-Valley may just be one of my favourite notes of all time. A traditional staple and classic in perfumery, this is yet another example of a Lily-of-the-Valley perfume (one of the many soliflore iterations of this note).

One thing which strikes me about this Penhaligons creation, is it's projection and longevity. Unlike other Lily-of-the-Valley fragrances, this one projects and lasts for longer than others (in my experience). The smell it'self is a green, bitter one with a soapy floral vibe (as is quite common with this note, due to it's prevalence in soaps). I can faintly detect the chorus of ylang-ylang, jasmine, oakmoss, bergamot & sandalwood, but the overall blend is so well put together that it just comes across as a green, soapy perfume (not that there's anything wrong with that).

Overall, if you are someone looking for a no-frills Lily-of-the-Valley scent (and know what to expect) then this is good value because of lasting power and projection (about 3 feet I would say, with a lasting power of at least 4 to 5 hours before fading. To my experience it is somewhat linear, but for what it delivers it has it's own merits. This could even be an all seasons fragrance in my opinion. Not bad.

01/25/2019

9
Bottle 7
Sillage 7
Longevity 8.5
Scent

Parma
39 Reviews

Translated Show original

Parma

Top Review 21

Where the wind blows over the hills

English Countryside at the time of the Tess of the d'Urbervilles. Dance around the maypole. The girls' skirts flutter in the wind. Flower wreaths in your hair. The half-high grass waves over the hills. The cheeks are heated red. Everything is solved.

I like this picture. It reflects much of the character of the fragrance: it is natural, fresh, green, floral, gentle, but also robust, innocent seductive, traditional and so wonderfully English.

I love the name, too. I think it's one of the finest for women's perfumes. He sounds graceful, lovely and somehow familiar, as if he'd always been there.

Fragrance:

Lily of the valley starts off fresh and bright with a citric-white-flowery note, whereby the citric nuances only flash briefly. The white-flowered note is a little soapy and already slightly green. The impression of a sweet and fresh bouquet of flowers is quickly created, clearly tending in the direction of white flowers, in which the sweet and pure lily of the valley radiates intensively in the centre - a little too much for some - and clearly dominates the fragrance. Despite its softness, the fragrance is surprisingly resistant, which is mainly due to the green moss base, which is subliminal from the beginning and is becoming more and more present. It enhances the impression of nature and gives the perfume a stable backbone and depth.
The combination of the white-flowered soapiness and the greenmoosy base also makes the fragrance slightly perfumed and discreetly classic.

Durability and Sillage:

On my skin it keeps well perceptible for about 5 hours. Projection and sillage are slightly reserved after a strong start.

Availability:

Due to its fresh floweriness it is predestined for spring and summer. Especially in spring, this green, lovely and radiant fragrance is particularly effective. In my opinion, it can be used both casually and on formal occasions due to its good quality and down-to-earth nature.

Result:

Lily of the valley is a timelessly classic, wonderfully English flower chypre. Gentle, but with recognizable assertiveness, slightly soapy, pure, fresh flowery, mossy, and wonderfully natural. With a beguiling lily of the valley in the center, which always makes me lose my mind :) For me one of the most beautiful flower lady scents.

05/21/2019

8
Bottle 7
Sillage 7
Longevity 9
Scent

Novalis
43 Reviews

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Novalis

Top Review 19

... your majesty...

A tribute to the little lilies of the valley. Everything else than "small" or intimidating comes this Prachduft from the house Penhaligons therefore.

Actually, I'm not so good with that old British brand. This one, however, is hardly surpassable for me. For me, it is one of "THE" women's fragrances par excellence and is full of unbelievable elegance. He lends the wearer an almost magical aura, he gently and empathetically lays down around her and accompanies her through a festive evening.
When the said person enters the room, the voices are silenced, the jingling of the glasses goes out, the conductor accidentally pricks himself and the mass of the opulent feast turns all its eyes to the One.

She comes down the huge steps, with one hand supporting the baroque decorated railing, with the other hand lifting the dress slightly in one place to catch each step. A warm smile adorns her face, her head slightly bent. Some ladies have to push up the jaws of their masters or give them a keken jerk with their elbows in the side to awaken them from the dream world in which they were floating.
The lady arrives at the last level and speaks with a tender voice:" only further!"

The host takes his wife's hand and leads you towards the dance floor. Despite the call of his love, not a single one moves in the magnificent hall.
You're entering the dance floor. She gives the conductor a sign, the orchestra starts playing and they dance. They dance as if their lives depended on it and with every fine twist this incredible flower spreads into the noses of the travellers. There's nothing but the music. When the dance ends, the whole entourage cheers. Now the other couples join each other on the dance floor, each eager to be near the One, the One Couple. Truly, wonderful.

Fragrance:
In no other lily of the valley fragrance can you say that all the fine ingredients are almost perfectly matched to each other. Many other smells seem clumsy or overloaded, sometimes dull and cheap. Something was created here that outlasts all the others. I admit, however, that Floris' fragrance is almost there and a little cheaper. But who cares about the price of this timeless, elegant fragrance.

A special and also very positive aspect of Penhaligons is that they are suppliers to the court of the British royal family, so they are not allowed to reformulate fragrances from this high house without further ado. This statement is directly from Penhaligons in London. That's where I took the trouble to investigate.

Durability and Sillage:
He could give more here. So at the beginning he gets the impression of a toilet s. If it isn't almost louder and more penetrating than a perfume in the beginning, it flies away more quickly. And is an Eau de Parfum, Parfum or Extrait more permanent, more even over the whole run but constant constant not comparable. Nevertheless, they are really minimal subtleties, yes, maybe I could even omit the section... BUT too beautiful it is and therefore I would wish for a little more fullness.

Flacon:
Here Penhaligons has added another one and created a new bottle, which is now even more beautiful than the old one, adapted to the others in the house.
Simply this fragrance belongs to the top three of women's fragrances.

10/05/2025

6
Pricing 8
Bottle 7
Sillage 7
Longevity 7
Scent

Qzbriel
100 Reviews

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Qzbriel

2

Realistic lily of the valley

Its name definitely suits it. Despite the many fragrance notes, the lily of the valley is dominant here. All the other fragrance notes are more like embellishments around the lily of the valley.

The lily of the valley in this fragrance is quite indole-heavy, which makes it more realistic, but also at the expense of a slight "mustiness" that accompanies it. And unfortunately I notice it. It's not a pure, majestic lily of the valley like Dior Lucky, for example.

In addition, the ylang-ylang is also very recognizable, with its slightly spicy and also partly subduing facets, which somewhat suppress the lily of the valley. Maybe it's just me, as I'm not a fan of ylang-ylang.

This composition smells a little more classic to me. Realistically floral, with a hint of grass and a minimal freshness. In the top note, you can still perceive a citrusy breeze of citrus fruits.

In my search for the most beautiful lily of the valley fragrance, I'm pretty sure I haven't found it here. Nevertheless, there is something magical about this fragrance for me, which can shine especially in spring: The scent of a beautiful meadow of flowers at your best.

Its H/S is average. Not strong, but not weak either.