The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Since 1908, Guerlain has commemorated May 1st with a new interpretation of lily of the valley. The tradition began under Jacques Guerlain, continued through Jean-Paul Guerlain, and found its way to Thierry Wasser, who composed the modern Muguet in 2016. The 2023 edition marks the 170th anniversary of the iconic Bee Bottle, the Flacon aux Abeilles, with a collector's vessel adorned by ceramic artist Karen Swami and embroidery house Ateliers Vermont. A limited, numbered edition. Spring, distilled.
Lily of the valley resists extraction. Its scent molecules are fragile, lost in most perfumery processes. Guerlain's answer? A reconstruction, synthetic and natural molecules layered to approximate what the nose recognizes as muguet. The green accord grounds it, brings the dewy-stem quality. Jasmine and rose fill out the heart, adding warmth without weight. It's a study in restraint: no heavy base, no shouting drydown. Just the flower, fleeting as the season itself.
The evolution
The opening hits clean, green, fresh, the smell of stems cut at dawn. Lily of the valley announces itself immediately, unadorned. For the first hour, it sits close to the skin, a quiet presence. Then jasmine and rose arrive, soft and soapy, the Guerlain signature. The green accord lingers beneath, keeping everything cool. By hour two, it thins. By hour three, it's memory. That's the design. Spring doesn't linger, and neither does this. On fabric, it may hold a trace longer, a whisper in the fibers. On skin, it's gone by evening.
Cultural impact
The 2023 Muguet joins a 115-year tradition of Guerlain releasing a lily of the valley fragrance each May. The collector's bottle, a numbered edition adorned with ceramic and embroidery, has become a target for fragrance enthusiasts and collectors alike. The bee bottle's 170th anniversary makes this edition particularly significant. On the secondary market, sealed bottles command premium prices, reflecting both the limited nature and the Guerlain name.
The House
GuerlainGuerlain stands as one of the oldest and most revered perfume houses in the world, founded in Paris in 1828 by Pierre-François-Pascal Guerlain. What began as a boutique on rue de Rivoli quickly became the preferred destination for Parisian society, attracting dandies and elegant women who sought custom-crafted fragrances. The house's influence grew to such heights that Guerlain earned the title of Official Perfumer to Napoleon III after presenting Eau de Cologne Impériale to Empress Eugénie as a wedding gift in 1853. This royal patronage marked the beginning of Guerlain's enduring association with European aristocracy, as the house went on to create fragrances for Queen Victoria and Queen Isabella II of Spain. Today, under the creative direction of Thierry Wasser, the fifth-generation perfumer, Guerlain continues to shape the landscape of fine fragrance with a portfolio spanning over 1,100 olfactory creations. The house remains headquartered at its legendary Champs-Élysées mansion, a historic monument that anchors Guerlain's position at the intersection of heritage and contemporary luxury.
The Creator
Thierry WasserWasser gravitates toward green, crispy notes and the bold florals Guerlain is known for. Bulgarian rose appears repeatedly in his work, and he travels annually to oversee the harvest in Kazanlak.
