Muguet 2016

First, the notes listed above are wrong in one important respect: they include "water lily" instead of "lily of the valley"! Muguet 2016 is gorgeous. It opens with a bright, but not harsh, green note that smells like leaves with the flowers. There is no citrus, unlike the bergamot in its predecessor, the Guerlain Muguet of 1998-2015. As the opening fades, the greenness diminishes and the floral notes become stronger. Also unlike its predecessor, there is no lilac. I do love lilac but I usually prefer my muguet straight up, or with fewer floral companion notes, so I don't miss that. As it dries down, the jasmine note becomes stronger but never overpowering. I don't really smell rose separately but this is certainly not a jasmine or muguet soliflore; as it dries down further, it becomes creamier and even a bit like Nivea cream in the best possible way, given that Nivea's fragrance notes include lily of the valley, rose and jasmine. The fragrance is an eau de toilette, so it doesn't last long, but while it does it is lovely. I saw the actual bottle at Neiman Marcus, where I was allowed to try it on May 1, 2016 (May Day) and it too is gorgeous. The price of this limited edition, almost $500 for 100 ml, is out of reach for most people but it does seem less outrageous if you think of the bottle as a lovely piece of jewelry, which it is (designed by jewelers Ambre & Louise). The photo here is accurate but doesn't really show how pretty it is in real life, with its silver filigree (including a part that can be engraved for the happy recipient).

All of these super expensive Guerlain things are so tacky. Ugh. You can buy old laboratory glass a thousand times cooler than this for next to nothing and fill it with vintage Diorissimo, which is still very inexpensive and smells way better than this, if you want something "special". Tried at Neiman Marcus and have already forgotten what it smelled like.

Received it for my birthday and really like it! The top notes are for me are Lilly of the valley, not a yellow water lily! It lasts pretty long on my skin and dries down as jasmine with mild rose notes. I still small Lily of the valley through so. It is very soft, intimate and sensual fragrance. Prefer it over Diorissimo.

To me, a refreshing take on lily-of-the-valley. However, since I associate LOTV with an individual who is somewhat crazy, I'm probably ill-suited to give a completely unbiased opinion. That bottle, though... *SWOON!*