What is the very best muguet fragrance?

I don't particularly like muguet, but my favorite is the discontinued Sandringham by Crown Perfumery (a paler version exists as Anglia Sissinghurst I believe).

My favorite, by far, is vintage Diorissimo parfum (but also vintage edt etc.). Vintage Diorissimo is quite different from the current version. It's both smoother and more vivid; in the drydown, it has some civet, which makes it rich. And it has no functional feel at all - unfortunately, most muguets now go right away into household cleaner territory. Vintage parfum is now nearly unattainable, but the edt is found pretty regularly on ebay or the like, and it's not particularly expensive, for vintage.

Luca Turin claims that IFRA restrictions have made a true muguet impossible. I am no expert here, but I have yet to smell a satisfactory muguet in current perfumery. People have talked a lot about a recent Andy Tauer, Carrillon pour un ange. Despite the name, it is a rather sombre perfume. It pairs a clean, functional muguet with a dark, somewhat leathery base (that contains also the dry Tauerade typical of his perfumes). The result is not angelic at all. The pairing is interesting and innovative; but I prefer true, happy, springlike muguets rather than the scrubbed clean variety.

I like Envy a lot, but, as you pointed out, muguet is only one of the many players there. If you are interested in floral mixes with muguet, I recommend one of my favorite perfumes, Paco Rabanne Metal, where muguet is one of the player, but with a supporting role to the main player, hyacinth. After a purely floral start, Metal develops a very unusual, oily note that I like a lot. However, this seems to be a divisive frag, comments go from a purely clean white floral to disgusting oily scrubber.

cacio

Equipage is a wonderful muguet fragrance.

The EDC I have is spray and lasts well on me, with a nice civety drydown. I don't know the vintage, but it's likely more recent - and it's not in the houndstooth bottle. I have a splash EDT in the houndstooth bottle, quite long lasting too on me. I guess reformulations and variations aren't a new thing, plus, as usual, tastes differ. If you like cleaner muguets, you should really try the Tauer then; besides, it is extremely long lasting.

As for Metal, yes, the oily notes starts close to the real hyacinth one, but then as it goes it becomes more powerful, taking a life of its own unrelated to the white florals. Again, it's a love/hate thing, and curiously, it seems people's sensitivity to this note varies a lot.

cacio

You could try Van Cleef and Arpels Muguet Blanc ?

I sniffed the Guerlain Muguet 2011 recently - so gorgeous ......

It's true Diorissimo is no longer the same though - weaker in EDT ( though still quite good ) , pronounced tuberose in the EDP , green jasmine in the parfum.
I still like it very much though it is not the same really .

l am a big fan of Carillon pour un Ange; l do not find the muguet "functional" at all. Rather it is like the whole lotv plant, complete with leaves, roots, & the mossy earth where it grows. An unusual & beautiful muguet with lots of depth & complexity.

One I like is Duo Homme by Vuarnet

Guerlain Muguet & Diorissimo are way too expensive for me, I only have Fleur de Cristal Lalique. Its not the best but I like it.

I take issue with cacio's appraisal of Carillon Pour Un Ange by Tauer.

Indeed, it is not a limp-wristed, bright scent, to be sure, but rather a sedate, much like the lily of the valley itself, scent. The muguet is lifted by its soft and, at times, indolic environs.

A really beautiful fragrance, the muguet reverberates within the composition with other notes, to elicit a wide, evocative spectrum, again, much like the flower itself. See ↓↓↓:

Carillon Pour Un Ange by Tauer - One is initially treated to an inspiring, spring bouquet. A somewhat spicy rose, a rosy, vanillic lilac, a sensual, fruity ylang ylang and a timidly sweet hyacinth, all wonderfully align. An errant hint of wet cardboard flickers. A green carpet of violet leaf, with its mowed grass character, carries the exhilarating nosegay to the waiting middle. Here, a lovely lily of the valley subsumes the opening, imparting its wondrous, sweetish freshness. This glorious muguet, in addition to inherent delicacy, bares its woody and green features as well as its faint muskiness. And, a subservient jasmine sprinkles its fruity sweetness. A soft leather gracefully serves as an exquisite background. Transitioning to the enhancing base, the splendor of the lily of the valley is lifted by a fascinating labdanum, which contributes its richly aromatic facets of wood, leather, earth and ambergris. A foresty and peat-like oakmoss adds its finishing touch. An alluring drydown ensues. This well-constructed, elegant composition has average projection and good longevity.

Another vote for Tauer's Carillon - yes, the muguet is heady and rich in it, but then so is the scent of the actual blossoms. If what you are after is a light and aldehyde lifted lily of the valley, you may not care for it. But one sniff and I thought Bingo, this is the real thing. The muguet is foursquare and up front - I appreciate that other defenders of this fragrance point out the other notes, but to me they're a bit like the sprig of parsley thrown on top of a restaurant dish.
Carillon is also ridiculously powerful and long-lasting - buy a sample and you'll probably get 30 wears out of it.

Diorissimo sounds enough "synthetic" to my nose, interesting but far away from the real flower scent.

I suggest Un lys by Lutens: as the muguet, the lys is an artificial reconstruction (using white flowers jasmine, tuberose, etc). E

L'Occitane has 2 fragrances which have lily of the valley in their heartnotes, but it is not the dominant note in either: L'Occitane Voyage en Mediterranee Jasmin EdP, or Pivoine Delicate EdT. They are delightful florals with medium to long lasting power especially the Jasmin EdP.

Diorissimo probably used to be. I used to own it many years ago. According to Turin it has been ruined since.

I recently found a vintage bottle of Coty's Muguet de Bois in a thrift store for a dollar. It seems aimed at very young girls, but the muguet note is actually quite lovely. I don't know if it is still in production or if it has been reformulated.

WOW . . . Only $1 ?

None of the currently-produced LOTV fragrances do it for me. Not even Guerlain's Muguet.

Coty Muguet des Bois still in production but has been reformulated. Personally I do not like it as much as the earlier versions, which can still be found on eBay-- get one of the bottles with the white cap that are in the box decorated with a heart, pink roses and lilies of the valley with a violet colored ribbon bow. I have several and they are still good. And they're not expensive.

The reformulated-juice bottle looks like this (bottle looks like cut crystal): http://www.amazon.com/Muguet-Coty-Wo.../dp/B000XE6336

Another very nice LOTV is the discontinued Aqua Allegoria Lilia Bella, which comes up now and then on eBay. That one has a distinct lilac note, and is better smelled as worn (rather than with your nose right up to it.)


Annick Goutal Le Muguet is very realistic, but I find it stuffy rather than fresh, whereas the living flowers seem to exhale cooled air when sniffed up close.

I found I could not wear Diorissimo, not even the vintage stuff. The ylang-ylang put me off.

This one!

I like Diorissimo EDP (even the current stuff), and my wife likes the parfum. She likes the EDT, too, but I don't. My wife also likes the Penhaligon's Lily of the Valley.

I'm not a big muguet fan, to be honest, so I prefer a fair amount of other florals mixed in.

Diorissimo EDP is good if you don't associate it with reformulation - take it as a different perfume on its own merits . It does remind me of Carnal Flower - the Muguet freshness then the indolic tuberose . I like it but I always remind myself to try not to compare it with the original .

I enjoy Caron's Muguet de Bonheur. http://www.nstperfume.com/2006/05/01...erfume-review/

For a scent marketed to men, Crown's Sandringham, although this might be hard to find. Muguet as a huge middle note.

http://www.basenotes.net/ID26121437.html

Diorissimo by Christian Dior

I don't think there is such a thing as the best muguet fragrance but this one is certainly lovely. It is elegant & doesn't try too hard to impress.

If you like the Guerlain, but want to save about $560 try the Molinard Muguet which is excellent.
Idylle also has a nice muguet note, as does Brindille by Galimard.
I need to find this Equipage and givw it a sniff.

I smelled the reformulated Annick Goutal Muguet today at Neiman Marcus, Boston. You would not recognize it as the same scent. It's quite grassy now.

I can also recommend some simple soliflores such a Molinard's Muguet and also Berdoues Bal de Clochettes.

I've never smelled the vintage but, the current formulation is extremely far from being recommendable. Smells terribly generic and synthetic.

I recall the wonderful Coty Muguet de Bois of my youth! Splashed it on with abandon!

As for the Caron, I can't recommend anything but try the EDP version.