I had been searching for the longest time for a fresh fragrance with lily-of-the-valley. Fellow Canadian royal watcher on Twitter, Fabulously Styled, had brought back Fragonard’s Muguet (French for lily-of-the-valley) from her last visit to Paris so I was hoping to get one too. By the time I visited Fragonard in Paris, however, the eau de toilette was no longer in stock. One of the sales ladies recommended this one instead: Marché aux Fleurs.

Fragonard – Marché aux fleurs

This eau de toilette has top notes of melon and black currant (none of which I could detect); heart notes of jasmine, lily-of-the-valley, orange blossom, sweet pea, and peach; and base notes of musk. Overall, the dominant scent is lily-of-the-valley, so it was just perfect for me. The bottle and box it came in are prettily decorated with flowers. My only complaint is that this scent does not linger so I find myself spraying it more often than I would other more ‘overbearing’ fragrances.

This is the perfect fragrance for spring, and even summer, if you’re looking for something light, fresh, and feminine. It retails for 16€.

Also, if you are visiting Paris, I would recommend visiting the Perfume Museum on 9 rue Scribe near the Palais Garnier (opera house). There is a free guided tour and a shop as well. I regret not going into this one because I visited another Fragonard boutique not too far away and the service was lamentable. I know most people complain about French service or snobbery but this was my first encounter with saleswomen who could not care that I was there and seemed annoyed to have to wait on me. I wanted to run away! Please note, I was polite, well-dressed, full of smiles, and I spoke French as best as I could. Nevertheless, they were far happier when the Russian women were in the store before me. Despite my Oriental appearance (it’s well known that the Chinese from China are rich shippers), I suppose I didn’t have a million euros plastered all over me! Maybe my mistake was going in alone! ;p