L.I.L.Y

I found this perfume for an amazing deal from my local beauty shop. I tested it twice and the second time definitely convinced me of the beauty of this fragrance and I am so happy with my purchase! When I first saw some fragrances on sale at my local beauty shop, I eagerly went to test them out. It turned out that the other fragrances weren't anything special, and I was almost disappointed, but then I had my eye on a tester bottle of L.I.L.Y. Instantly the name and the design of the bottle lured me in, and I had to spray it on a tester paper. At first the opening of the fragrance was quite unpleasant and very peppery and what many people, including myself, would call old ladylike. But the heavy opening was gone in a matter of 30 seconds and what I could then smell was very interesting indeed. I could not put my finger on what the perfume actually smelled like, but I found it very different and really lovely. I had to be on my way, so I left the store and carried the tester paper around with me sniffing it through out the day. That's when I knew I absolutely loved how the perfume developed through out the day but I wasn't yet convinced if it was a fragrance for me. SO come next day, and I knew I had to go test L.I.L.Y another time. I went back in to the shop and this time I had to try it on my skin. The opening was again very heavy and unpleasing but I find the fragrance settles down quickly. And after 10 minutes of letting L.I.L.Y sit on my skin, I knew I was in love! I had to get it, and I did! And ever since I have been completely obsessed. It smells so elegant. It's fresh and yet somehow warm like a summer day. Reading Stella's inspiration for this fragrance made me love it even more and it definitely does make me think of the English countryside. This fragrance makes me think of beautiful green meadows filled with flowers after the rain. I just can't get enough of this! This fragrance is lightly floral, but I can't say that it smells exactly like LOV, it' more like a beautiful blend that creates the scent of a summer meadow, it's a bit earthy, but not too much so. So far I have only sprayed L.I.L.Y very lightly and it hasn't lasted terribly long that way. But today I tried spraying it directly on my wrists as opposed to misting it around myself, and that way it seems to last much longer. L.I.L.Y is very inoffensive in my opinion. Don't let the harsh opening put you off from trying this out. The opening settles very quickly and I love how this fragrance develops. It suits my skin so well. I think L.I.L.Y is not necessarily for teenagers, but if a teen would happen to like it, I think they could totally wear this. I do think this scent is a bit more mature, but it's absolutely not old ladylike in my opinion. TL;DR I love this fragrance. It's innocent and sophisticated. It's lovely like a summer meadow after the rain. A bit earthy, but fresh like the greens and the flowers of the meadow.

I've been testing L.I.L.Y, and I am not 100% sure how I feel about it. When I first smelled it, I was a little taken aback, but a small glimmer curiosity remained. After I tried it on, I found that it's one of those perfumes that I don't like when I put my nose directly on my arm, but I thoroughly enjoy the occasional wafts I keep catching throughout the day. The fragrance lasts, and it has a bit of projection, which is great. When I first spray it, it's a bit screechy and brash with the pepper and lily of the valley. Soon after, the musk and moss come in and calm everything down a little. It still packs a tangy punch, but the earthiness saves it from being just another cold, peppery floral. In the very late stages of the drydown (like 4 hours in), it *almost* takes on the character of Hermes Eau Des Merveilles. I don't know if I would ever purchase a full bottle of it, but I imagine I'd like a decant just to have around for when I'm in the mood. Update: It's 11:25am the next day after spraying one spritz of L.I.L.Y in the crook of my arm (at about 4pm yesterday). I can still smell it on my arm! Wow! *Moves longevity slider to the right one more notch*

The first puff rejected me as hell. What is it??. The beginning is strong, sharp, piercing in the nose and completely rejected me. I do not feel that spring from advertising or delicate white petals of lily of the valley. The smell in this phase of reminds me of the old ladies and such we've read reviews of Lily. And as time passes and the smell is changing and is just wonderful. It reminds me with some luxury products for the body, milk from Dior and Chanel. Lily at this stage is cuddly, wrapping and more fit me in colder seasons of the year, because there is no refreshing things. Gracious bottle, a class by itself, you can see that we are dealing with a design project- not celebrity perfume. Persistence incredible 10 hours. I would recommend to test before buying.

This scent is somewhat nostalgic for me. It was a gift from my parents when I was coming into my teen years and the scent has grown on me. First spray will come off with earthy notes, but fades off to a white florally, warm, and mildly spicy scent. I absolutely adore it, and it's one of my favorite florals. It's elegant yet strong without being overwhelming. I am saving my bottle for special events because as of 2021 it's been discontinued. What a shame.

This is GORGEOUS, why so many negative reviews??? This opens with a hint of masculinity (just a hint), which I love, as well as a combination of musk and florals. It dries down to the most sensual, charming, naturally delicious scent that lasts and lasts. I love getting wafts of it throughout the day. To me, it's a "your skin but better" type of scent. Definitely an everyday type of deal, and definitely seductive and fashionable. Mmm.

Just picked this up today, i really do love it!!! Gentle refreshing , lily of the valley goes quite quickly but the drydown is beautiful, musky but not strong in your face, stays close to skin, and amazing lasting on clothes. The 30ml has no frame and i quite like the bottle , I am a big fan of Stella in two, but find her other perfumes too strong. Anyway will enjoy this 30ml and see how i feel when this one is finished.

I love it!! I think it is a real summer/ autumn perfume. its fresh and clean smelling. can be quite expensive, but so worth it its not very common among peoples choose of perfume... be different from the crowd!!

Oh my! Love lov love! I was looking for this type of scent and finally found it in Lily💓it is fresh, warm, deep and a bit maskuline. I now need to try Lily absolute.

I like this. First green, sharp and peppery but softens quickly. The drydown smells very similar to Yves Saint Laurent Y.

This is gorgeous and so unique relative to what is currently out there in the market. It's not for everyone, but it lasts and lasts. She's beautiful, understated, distant, and feminine in an aristocratic way. This feels like a scent to wear on days when it's rainy, misty, or green and dewy. It feels like a flavor of the English countryside. Definitely a scent for spring or summertime since I sniffed this from my bottle one night in November (New York weather) and got a chill from sniffing it, so it’s not not for cooler weather. I have to agree with one of the reviewers who said that the key is in how you spray it. It has to be at least 8-10 inches away from your skin for this beautiful, feminine, yet earthy (maternal) scent that lasts for a good while. I learned this when I sprayed very close to my skin on one wrist, while the other wrist was farther away, and the wrist where I sprayed too close was SO cloying and intolerable. This is a finnicky one, and the lighter the touch, the more beautiful and romantic the scent. Edit: 9/26/23 I recently acquired a backup of this and can say that there is quite a variation in how this juice smells according to time / how it's matured. With this backup bottle, I can spray it about 3-4 inches away from the wrist and it smells way lighter than my first bottle, though has still that elegant, feminine, aristocratic smell / feel. It almost feels like my first bottle is an EDP version and my backup bottle is an EDT. The maturation of the first bottle has turned it nuclear and hyper-finnicky according to proximity of spray, so I definitely recommend not discounting it if it smells off-putting at first and playing around with the spritz distance.

Imagine walking into a small garden just after a rainfall. Fragrances of wet soil, grass and plants that blend with a mild note of lilly of the valley. It is quite unique. If you like the smell of freshly cut grass and a more authentic white flower note you will also like the opening of this fragrance. Pepper also plays a prominent part and becomes warmer after a while. Together, this makes a pretty complex fragrance, fresh yet earthy and spicy. I would say that this is not a sensual fragrance. It is honest and romantic but not seductive. If you like a seductive gourmand, this is certainly not for you. I like it because of the strong association to wet garden and rainy summer days. It is more of a mood setting fragrance. I think that ́s nice. It is like a fragrance you wear just for your self, just to make your self feel happy, calm and to create a certain atmosphere :)

As picky as I am when it comes to perfumes in general, I have to say I really like this one! Such a pity that it`s already disappeared from the market..I bought the last bottle available in my city.. I find it different somehow. There`s masculine pepper, soft notes of lily of the valley and musk, and something bitter (must be tuber?) however I get no oakmoss and barely any pink pepper. The musk is raw and dominant but the other notes appear first. It`s a bit cold and elegant scent, wouldn`t consider it seductive, but definitely different and makes a statement. I like Stella-s, have worn them in my late 20s, this one is a more grown-up scent altogether, but not one bit less feminine than any Stella-s! I personally adore it and will try and hunt down another bottle..

First read of this in a magazine, and wasn't sure what I'd think. I don't care for the original Stella but I like this, it is different and I think I'd describe it as mature as well as modern. I don't find it masculine at all, could it be because we're not used to much oakmoss/truffle being used in women's fragrances? This has a woody freshness that is a welcome relief from the fruity florals I'm getting bored with. Definitely a scent for a grown-up woman, not a teenager. I think the color of the scent should have been green, though-there really is nothing pink about it! Well done. If you're looking for something new that not absolutely every woman on the planet is wearing, try this.

stella you great woman. i tried this and another fresh sort of smell, and all of them reminded me of a few other scents i have: peace love and juicy couture the scent issey miyake a little like gucci envy a little little like diorissimo there is an added fresh icyness to this scent. its not like anything else in my collection so i will hang onto this one impressions: fresh, clean, rounded, gentle when smelled up close, but has a generous sillage, for me its like camping near a rocky stream and waking up in the very early cool morning with a mist all around, before the leafy green bush smells kick in.

A modern day, easy to wear, delicate chypre-floral - in my opinion. The musk is very clean and soft. This is the perfumed definition of dainty and elegant. Lily of the valley meets Oakmoss very carefully here, and it has a lovely earthy feel. Like one with nature, in a sense. It's not overtly floral, it's not a slap in the face, it's actually rather gentle. I think it's stunning. Longevity is moderate on me, projection is soft, but remember to spray with a light hand. I always feel that musky scents should be sprayed lightly or else they become stuffy.

this is a beautiful chypr , so nice and unique for me, I never smelled something similar. It has a touch of old school frags ..So intrigue ! I like it a lot - the only one new frag of many years what I like but I test 50 every week for a year))) Only one concern - power and longevity + sillage. I didn't quite got an impression of that. It seems to me that it lacks these, but will try again. So many frags of our time doesn't have strength and good sillage and I am sick and tired of that already..But prices are high as for a good quality perfume((

A very nice earthy perfume that has reasonable staying power. I purchase earthy perfumes because to me they're a bit "different" from the super sweet perfumes on the market. (I know I know- earthy scents are not particularly unique) It's earthy with a hint of floral freshness and sweetness. I get the peppery vibes too. It's not super green and bitter, there is a hint of sweetness that still makes it appealing.

I get a lighter, softer version of Coco Mademoiselle. It opens quite aquatic with sprinkles of pepper. Then it warms down and the truffle note emerges and floats haphazardly among the other notes. i dunno, it must be just me. i love truffles but i dont get its fullness in this perfume. Longevity is about 4 to 5 hours on me.

I did sprayed it on my wrist the other day and I have to say, that it didn't last long on my skin (maybe 30min) and I couldn't make much out of it. Such a pity usually testers smell more intense than the fragrances. I don't think that I will be buying it. Sorry Stella too expensive for 30min!

I have a few sample vials of this and I'm quite impressed with the lovely lily-of-the-valley chypre. It sits well on my skin for a good 3-4 hours and drydown is lovely. Soft & feminine, not a bomb on your nose kind of smell.. really nice! an office safe fragrance.. a 3.9 out of 5 for me. :)

This opens as a bright crisp floral, and then the green notes move in quickly. There is a strong lily of the valley note, and I could smell the patchouli easily. The oakmoss is not as strong on me as the patchouli, but I love that its there. A cool mix of florals and greens.

I love this Perfume.it is a wonderfull fashionable chypre.a uncommon fragrance,not as sweet and fruity how the most new perfume releases at the last time.a graceful chypre not overwhelming how much chypre perfumes.after one hour it smells voluptuous in a classy way.

I got this for my birthday this year and was pleasantly surprised. I was expecting a simple Muguet white floral type fragrance but was instead met with something a lot darker and complex. A woody, musky scent that defies expectations

omg i have it and it brings headache to me...it smells like pepper and i wait for the next notes to come but nothing happened but peppers and peppers yuck! it's such a heavy perfume that i think that i would rarely use it x(

My skin burned and turned red when I tried this. Didn’t like the scent aswell. Dissapointed, because I absolutely adore the original Stella and also love Stella Peony.

this is lovely. it is breezy with a hint of naughty. it has that alcoholic twist at the end when it dries down, but nothing too astringent-like.

Nice and different. Quite fresh and earthy. I like this :)

An earthy classic chypre in the style of Chanel and Lauren. Patchouli and oak moss. It has that retro “old lady” vibe. It’s not my style but I can recognize its classiness. If you like chypres, you’ll probably love this.

23. march 2012 Sorry, but the bottle and fragrance inside are not in harmony. Absolutly. Such a pseudo-glamourous bottle which is very unpleasant to hold while spraying in a big size (tester must be 100ml). In reality this bottle does not look so beautiful like on the picture, the frame kills it all (just my opinion). Now to the fragrance. Tea indeed. Spicy tea. Somehow i do get associations with Bulgari ́s "White tea" fragrance. Yes it is strange how peppery lilly-of-the-valley can call associations like that. Very poor sillage and i can ́t hardly smell it after 2 hours. Drydown is plain and boring: dry musk. The whole concept of the juice inside indeed reminds me of a L-O-T-V flowers in a fresh spring mud. Not appealing sadly at all to me. Please do not remove this comment, since others might find it useful. Not every review should be positive, so people like me wanted to make a blind buy might find it very informative. Thanks.

I so wanted to like this because I love the name and the love story of Paul and Linda. I also kind of like the bottle, although I agree that it is rather painful to operate it if you have a small hand. Should I ever change my mind and fall in love with the juice, I am not getting a 100 ml bottle - perfume should be pleasant, not painful! Anyway, chances are slim that that will ever happen, because I found the perfume to be rather tame. A sanitized flower with a woody drydown. I am not that fond of Lily of the Valley, but this is so cleaned up that it doesn't even bother me, I am just bored. And in perfume I much prefer to be bothered rather than bored. Edit: I see that 32 people say it reminds them of Chanel 19. I am almost in tears to see my beloved, complex, first love from Chanel compared to this indescript soapyness... Needless to say I don't agree!

Well despite all the emotive hype and heartfelt claims to have personally given much deep and meaningful selection of each and every note: I'd be grateful if Stella could stick to turning out expensive frocks. If a hefty punch in the nose of burning pepper and eye watering sickly overdone Lily of the Valley (although it could be anything really) reminds you of your Mother you have definitely got serious issues. Like every other cheap smell-alike clumsy celeb' air pollution this is all hype and absolutely nothing else. I'm almost exclusively wearing vintage scents these days so maybe I'm just rather spoilt as the difference between 'then' and what is presented to our noses 'now' is an insult. This like so many others is just plain bad. Harsh as this may read I truly find the emotive play in the marketing of this poorly executed pong distasteful.

This doesn't work for me, it's extremely sharp on my skin. I get fresh pepper, extremely green flower plants, moss, crushed leaves, fresh earthy patchouli, normally all scents I absolutely love, but in this fragrance it settles too bitter green and offensive on my skin. There's nothing to mellow it out or soften it; I would almost say it verges on being acrid. I do have to say I can definitely smell how beautiful this fragrance could be with the right chemistry.

It smells like Grandfather kissed Grandmother who used too much of her "Lily of the Valley" perfume. The bottle is wonderful and I expected something light, maybe slightly spicy and sweet. Maybe they thought ok, the evergreen ROSE got a huge hit last time, why not bring the good old lily of the valley back and spice it up a gear. Sorry. Didn't work.

I thought this would be great, as it was described as having oak moss at the base...it's very uninspiring and has very short longevity. It's like that really good looking guy you think is a great kisser because he has nice lips; but disappointingly find out that he slobbers. that's what L.I.L.Y is like.

LILY is a grandma with a crooked wig and thick knee highs who leaves lipstick on your cheeks and forgets to wear her bra. She calls men, "Sonny," and won't let them leave, pushing brisket and leaky carrots on them, hoping they'll stick around. They won't. Just, no.

When I first sprayed it on, I hated it, but after it sat on my wrist for 30 mins, now I can't keep smelling it! Its very very interesting... can't quite figure out what exactly it is that I like, but I'm intrigued and maybe addicted now! Well done Stella!

I could not wait to get this one off me fast enough. It smells like an old lady's medicine cabinet. It's sooooo long lasting too. The ones I couldn't stand last the longest on me. It's Murphy's Law at its finest.

Nice bottle but sent was bit basic not much to write home about . Sorry stella :) however I would deffo check out other perfumes from ms McCartney as she is animal rights so her perfumes are made guilt free :)

I expected this fragrance to smell like Lilies and it didn't... I don't like it at ALL. I gave it away!!! I LOVE THE SMELL OF LILIES IT'S MY FAV FLOWER. THIS SMELLS NOTHING LIKE LILIES.What a disappointment.

Wearing the fragrance today and finding it mild and a bit bland, not peppery or woodsy to my senses. Definitely a 'dry' floral in the sense that it is lacking in sweetness and sparkle. Meh. Going on ebay.

it's a quite soft and fresh fragrance. the lily is definitely overwhelming along with the pepper. too bad the musk is quite in the background. not my kind of scent but it does represent the name well ...

This perfume actually burned my skin when I sprayed it on. It was strong and not very pleasant. I did smell a lot of pepper in it. I could see this perfume being unisex actually, not just for women.

I tried this one quite some time ago. Maybe I'd think differently of it now, but at the time it was a completely powderbomb and immediate scrubber!

This is Issey Miyake + shrill lily note. Sorry Stella, this is just a very typical, watery floral. Wear this and blend into the crowd...

I am not a fan. It smells like a man's fragrance. It's not horrible, but I don't want to smell so green and musky.

Loved the name but it's just a twin fragrance of Eau de Merveilles, and this means: horrible.

The drydown is too masculine for my taste.

"And then it filtered down through the department stores and then trickled on down into some tragic Casual Corner where you, no doubt, fished it out of some clearance bin". -Miranda Priestly (The Devil Wears Prada) WARNING: This is more of a conceptual review rather than a practical smell review. I purchased this for $20 at the drugstore without any huge expectation. I figured it wouldn't hurt to divulge into the wacky world of interpretation - this instance being Stella's take on her momma. Like most of Stella McCartney's frag's, L.I.L.Y. is underwhelming, but interesting somehow, and grows on me with each wear. The truffle note is barely detectable, but the pink pepper evens out the predominent floral fluffiness. Pink pepper usually does. To sum it up, it is a pretty scent and a good contemporary take on an English garden. No decipheral lily of the valley - just enough twinkle of old-fasioned nuances to evoke the era where such notes were more noticeable (and weren't synethetic). Bottom line, you won't smell like an old lady, so I applaud McCartney for this, but smell like a typical "I don't want to smell like an old lady " type of lady, you will. It's a brave feat to depict a portrait (let alone of one(s) you endear), no matter what medium - paint, words, reinacting, or through perfumery. Paloma Picasso attempted it as ode to her grandfather's Cubism in her self-titled perfume. All perfume is mere subjectification, so I can concede with this. The problem with Stella McCartney (as all artists-cum-fashion designers) - especially ones who are spawn of famous parents (rock stars, no less), is conflict of interest. Mass market meets art, (or art meets mass-market), whichever, in lieu of the constant pressure to produce content for its own sake. We all know there is no real way to depict her famous photographer/wife of hallowed rock patriarch Paul McCartney in a market jesture of art to be produced via an inexpensive perfume line without it losing its whole concept altogether, thus, the concept dies to mediocrity and predictably gets assigned to the proverbial drugstore clearance bin. If you're a fan of the McCartney's, (like me), and grew-up listening to Wings, have ever been charmed by Linda's plain, no make-up farm girl beauty, and love the zany, warped imagination of McCartney in his song writing, you'll wonder how such two people and their lingo'd affection for each other ever ended up as a concept for a bottle of lily of the valley perfume. The abbreviated name is clever, but you will never make the practical connection and the generic perfume will never conjure such imagery. But all that aside, wear it if you must wear a pretty scent you don't want to think much about nor be challenged by, but still somehow feel sophisticated, because a perfume ought to do that... I appreciate Stella McCartney serving us personal content and nostalgia rather than just a flower bouquet she likes for the sake of it being "pretty". It served her interests as an artist, which in turn, serves the ever- flooded industry of safe, floral-centric scents, and in part, fulfills its proverbial destiny - ending up being enjoyed by a budget-buying wannabe perfume reviewer such as myself.

Spraying too much of this and it will be overwhelmingly peppery as if you got into a fight with your spice rack. Sprayed lightly, you still get some pepper, but after 10 minutes, the lily of the valley immerges and it can be a little loud at this point, but it will settle down to a very pleasant, clean smelling fragrance after about 20 minutes. I can not reinterate enough that this is a fragrance that works best when sprayed lightly or misted on the body and clothing. Sprayed with a heavy hand and it will smell like the "old lady" comments below of someone spraying too much because she lost a lot of her sense of smell and over compensates. This fragrance does not smell old, but poor application can make it smell that way. A little goes a long way. The LOTV will stay for a while before the patchouli, oak moss, and musk come in for the dry down. Truffle seems to stay in the background along with the pepper throughout the wearing. This is also one of those fragrances that smells best when you wave your wrist in front of your face vs putting your nose directly on your wrist. It's like viewing a painting from afar to have best possible perspective of the art piece. This is not a sexy fragrance, but a rather crisp, clean, and a bit green and earthy scent that could be worn in spring, summer, or fall...maybe winter too. Definitely a day scent. I've worn this to the office and people (both men and women) loved it, so it's non-offensive. Some thought I was wearing a Chanel so it certainly doesn't smell "cheap". Seems to wear closer to the skin once it settles after about 3 hours (but those standing a foot from you can smell it) and lasts about 6-8 hours on the skin. EDIT: Wore this to a meeting last week and everyone who came near me was gushing over how elegant this is and even the word "aristocratic" was used. Of course it's aristocratic, an OBE (Officer of the British Empire) picked put the ingredients and her father is Sir Paul McCartney. Even so, the fragrance needs to be worn correctly. This is how I wore it to garner so many compliments. I sprayed from an arms length from my body a couple of times so only a mist got on my skin and sprayed each of my wrists misting them the same way as well. Once dressed, I sprayed and walked through for the scent to catch my clothes. This creates the effect of a stately lady, properly groomed, and ready to handle business...or whatever comes her way. Elegance truly is the sayings, "less is more" because "simplicity is the ultimate form of sophistication"

At last , a return to the Chypres, oh how I have missed you amongst the sugary offerings of late............Simply beautiful and a stunning tribute to her mother. I found this to be the perfect perfume for my age group 50 years plus) Gentle, soothing, light but lingering, modern but in an old fashioned way. Not at all sweet in the sugary sense and absolutely no fruit, both of which I find hard to stomach in a perfume On paper it certainly had a coldness about it, and was somewhat off putting, However, once applied on your skin it is light and earthy. The florals sing above the oakmoss and patchouli . It reminds me of another perfume, but could not put my finger of what I had in my perfume wardrobe like it. I don't mind that either, it adds to the comfort factor I always look for in a perfume. Will wait a couple of hours to experience the dry down, but I already know this will on my dressing table soon. If you look at the advertisement blurb, it fits the perfume perfectly. something for the not so young, and natural. Yes, I knew I had smelt it somewhere before, it is like Jicky without the lavender and powder. 11/11/13 I have bought it. Xmas pressie in waiting!!!!!