Molton Brown Lily of the Valley Star Anise Range (Launch + Review)

If you are a regular reader of my blog, you would know that I am very obsessed with all things Molton Brown. I have also built a nice collection made up of products I have purchased myself and some I have been kindly gifted by Molton Brown. I love Molton Brown events because they are always well planned and I have such an amazing time. 

A few weeks back I was kindly invited to a Floral Headdress Making Workshop to celebrate the launch of the new Molton Brown Lily of the Valley and Stay Anise Range. I was very excited because Lily of the Valley is one of the fragrance notes I love. Molton Brown partnered with the Flower Appreciation Society for this event and for the deisgn of the illustration on the packaging of the Lily of the Valley and Star Anise range.



I had quite a few meetings that day and I was so happy I managed to attend all of them as I planned my journey well. It was held in the Gallery House Soho in Central London and I love how easy it was to find. I got there nice and early as usual and was warmly welcomed by the Molton brown team. They are always so lovely and friendly and I always look forward to catching up with them. I had some nibbles (some super delicious mini Cornish pasties which I failed to photograph) and drinks (there was even coffee and tea). There were two sessions of the Floral Headdress Making- one in the morning and one in the evening which I attended. Before the workshop began, I had a chance to check out the new Lily of the Valley and Star Anise range. 

The entire range is swoon worthy as expected from Molton Brown but there is something so feminine and delicate about theLily of the Valley and Star Anise range. The range consists of a Bath andShower Gel*, Body Lotion*,  Eau de Toilette*, Hand Cream, Candles (single and three wicks), and Aroma Diffuser. I am so pleased that there is a wide range of products to choose from and the best part is that it's a permanent part of the Molton Brown Collection (not limited edition). You all know how I feel about the exquisite Molton Brown packaging and I still feel the same way about this range. The beautiful green colour immediately brings spring to mind and I love the delicate illustration from the Flower Appreciation Society on it. It is so pretty and call me silly but I would be keeping the gift box because I just love it.

Brief Overview of the Lily of the Valley and Star Anise Range

Molton Brown is a quintessential British Brand and they take great pride in developing all their products in the UK. The Lily of the Valley and Star Anise range is as British as it can get as the products used were sourced from Cornwall, England. I have never been to Cornwall but it is such an amazing place from the pictures I have seen. I need to get down there and see for myself. The key ingredients in the Lily of the Valley and Star Anise range is, well you guessed it, Lily of the Valley and Star Anise. We were given a brief presentation on the development of this range and shown this lovely video which was created to celebrate its launch.

The  Top note in the range is Magnolia, the heart note is Lily of the Valley and the base note is Ylang-Ylang. Of course, Star Anise is the extract used in this fragrance. If you are wondering about the ‘nose’ behind this amazing range it’s Jennifer Jabon and she’s the Principal Perfumer. I learnt so much about Lily of the Valley and Star Anise on the day and I was quite intrigued by all the little traditions and history behind the ingredients/notes used.

For starters, Lily of the Valley is a graceful woodland plant with 6 petals that are fused together to form a beautiful bell-like shape. It’s one of those flowers that blooms in March and when you see Lily of the Valley, you would know Spring has come around.  Lily of the Valley is associated with romance, happiness and luck and it’s also a popular flower choice for a wedding bouquet. It is super expensive as it has a short life span so the flowers and bouquet can only really be picked and prepared on the wedding morning. As you would imagine, it’s absolutely fit for royalty as Princess Catherine (Katherine Middleton) and Grace Kelly had Lily of the Valley in their wedding bouquet. Lily of the Valley is associated with the French Tradition of gifting a sprig of the flower (on 1^st May) to loved ones for happiness and luck.

Star Anise is another outstanding botanical in this range and it’s used in perfumery, soaps and even cuisines. It’s an intensely fragrant scent which is also quite reminiscent of sweet liquorice. There are two forms of Anise; the regular Anise Pod and the Star Anise Pod. The Star Anise (has a star-shaped pod) is quite rarer and it has a really unique fragrance which is easily recognisable. Star Anise is associated with the Chinese Tradition of giving a bridal couple a whole Anise Star Pod to signify spiritual unity.

I really love the addition of Star Anise to Lily of the Valley as it gives it so much character and it smells so exotic compared to other Lily of the Valley fragrances I have tried. Needless to say, the traditions tied to the notes in this range makes it a perfect scent for brides or a gift to a new couples. Of course, it is perfect for anyone who fancies trying it but I know women would be drawn to it more because of its delicate feminine notes.

Floral Headdress Making Workshop with Flower Appreciation Society

I love flowers and I think my love for them increased as I have grown older (and blogged a whole lot more). We all know that flowers are one of the best blogging props and they make many an Instagram photo look amazing. I was so delighted to actually learn how to make a floral headdress as I have never made one. The Flower Appreciation Society partnered up with Molton Brown in the design of the Lily of the Valley & Star Anise packaging. There were two lovely ladies (Ellie and Anna) who taught us how to make these floral headdresses. To be honest, I thought it would be super easy and behold it was not. It’s a complete art as you need to understand what flowers would look best at various points of the floral headdress. Of course, you can free style but you do want it to look amazing.
 
There were so many beautiful flowers to use including baby’s breath and of course, Lily of the Valley. We started off by wrapping a beautiful green felt lining around the wire to make it look pretty. The next stage was securing the anchor flower which would set the direction for the other flowers. Once this was done, I just followed the same direction and added in the flowers I wanted. This was the result at the end of the workshop. I absolutely loved it and felt quite proud of myself if I do say so myself. Hehehe. 

I was kindly gifted with some amazing products from the range and other keepsakes. In my bag, I found the Lily of the Valley Star Anise Bath and Shower Gel*, Body Lotion*, Eau de Toilette*, a lovely notebook and some beautiful cards with illustrations. I was so thrilled especially for the Eau de Toilette as it’s my first one from Molton Brown and it smells so divine. I am so tempted to pick up some of my favourite scents EDTs e.g. Gingerlily and Delicious Rhubarb and Rose. I have only used the Shower Gel and Body Lotion a few times but I already love it. 

The Bath and Shower Gel* lathers really well and it’s now one of my pamper favourites. If you are looking for an indulgent shower gel for Spring, this is definitely one to check out. I know many people may think £18 is very expensive for a shower gel (and I totally understand too) but a little goes a long way and you would find this lasting a long time. Mine lasts for around 2-3 months so I think that’s so worth the price. The Body Lotion feels slightly silkier than the other Molton Brown Body lotions I have tried. It smells so beautiful and I am really glad it’s not limited edition.

Now my favourite from this range is definitely the Eau de Toilette. It comes in such pretty packaging and which houses 50 ml of goodness in a bottle. I love how portable the bottle is and it’s definitely one to throw in my travel bag. It smells so fresh and lasts for a good while considering it’s an EDT. I am so grateful I have these beauties in my stash and I know they would serve me well all year round.

Soon it was time to leave as I had another event attend. I had such an incredible time and met some new blogger friends. I absolutely enjoy going for these events because I get to network with like minded bloggers and meet some PRs I always email. A big thanks to Molton brown for inviting me to such an incredible event. Have you tried the new Molton Brown Lily of the Valley & Star Anise range?
*PR Sample + Affiliate Links used, read my full disclaimer here