This Was Christian Dior's Favorite Flower—Now, It's in the Most Angelic and Ethereal Perfumes

This lily of the valley perfume is as masterful as it is iconic. Diorissimo debuted in 1956. Now, 70 years later, its soft, sweet, and highly sophisticated scent endures. Its primary note is embellished by an equally elegant supporting cast of jasmine, ylang-ylang, and amaryllis. Once applied, it warms on the skin, offering an aura of powdery sweetness and slightly woody depth. It's utterly romantic and perhaps the most hyperrealistic take on lily of the valley's natural fragrance.

Aesthetically, this is one of my favorite perfumes. Chloé's bow-topped glass bottles are chic enough to display in the Louvre. Beyond the bottle, though, the scent is lovely. While lily of the valley is hidden among a long list of floral notes that includes peony, rose, and freesia, it gives the fragrance its signature sophisticated air. Meanwhile, honey and cedarwood give it a subtle, radiant warmth. It's utterly timeless in that hard-to-achieve French-girl way.

Tocca is known for museum-worthy glass bottles and garden-inspired scents, and this one is no exception. It's an ode to the sunlit island of Corsica in the Mediterranean Sea and features notes of lily of the valley, iris, vanilla orchid, heliotrope, pink tulips, and Bulgarian rose. First and foremost, I detect a fresh, juicy note of green apple. It's a breezy, subtly fruity scent that keeps me coming back for another spritz, especially in the warmer months when I'm spending long days in the sun.

Miu Miu's L'Eau de Muguet is a green scent. This is a category of fragrances that are often described as fresh, lush, and verdant because they feature notes of grass, leaves, and stems. In this case, lily of the valley is accompanied by green, musky notes as well as earthy, peppery akigalawood. It's fresh, floral, musky, and clean, and if you ask me, it's the modern, cool-girl way to wear a lily of the valley fragrance.

Maison Margiela's Replica Lazy Sunday Morning Eau de Toilette is the ultimate skin scent. (This is a category of subtle, sheer fragrances that smell like your skin, but better.) Lily of the valley mingles with iris and white musk to create something warm, soft, and effortless. It's like "waking up on clean linen sheets to the sunlight gently warming your skin," the brand says.

This perfume is beloved by multiple Who What Wear beauty editors, and for good reason. It gives its wearer a chic, fresh, and serene aura, and it's all based around a "heartbreaking" note of lily of the valley. Additional notes of rose, frankincense, labdanum, ambergris, and white musk give it a fresh, bright, and emotive quality. I'll leave it at this: It has high "signature scent" potential.

Here's another one of Dior's iconic lily of the valley perfumes. Soft, sweet, and traditionally feminine, Miss Dior opens with a bouquet of floral notes, including lily of the valley, peony, iris, and rose. Beneath, a trio of smooth vanilla, creamy sandalwood, and nutty tonka bean creates a comforting, sensual base.

Sure, lily of the valley and citrus fruits aren't the most obvious fragrance pairing, but in this Acqua di Parma perfume, it works. First, there's the delicate and dewy muguet. Next, there's a bridge of three other fresh florals: jasmine, magnolia, and geranium. Then there are sparkling citrus notes of grapefruit, black currant, and bergamot. Lastly, it all settles into an enveloping combo of musk and cedarwood. It's a luminous, sun-kissed scent that smells like summer.

Byredo's Inflorescence Eau de Parfum is a fresh bouquet, bottled. Lily of the valley is found amid freesia, rose petals, magnolia, and jasmine. The latter lends its siren-like sensuality. It's the ideal perfume to wear to all the romantic, whimsical occasions in life—weddings, bridal showers, garden parties… You name it.