Luminous Eau de Parfum

I am obsessed. I never really buy the perfumes at Bath & Body since they are usually overpriced for the quality but this one went on sale for a deep discount at the SAS. Of course I bought 3 of them. The body mist performs like a perfume so I had a feeling this would be a powerhouse. It's everything that the body mist is but 10 times stronger. I can smell it on my wrist from yesterday. I sprayed La Vie Est Belle on my other wrist to give them a proper comparison. My brain used to tell me that these 2 smelled the same, but they don't smell anything alike until they both dry down. Nowadays Luminous smells more like Flowerbomb to me. I prefer Luminous to LVEB. Luminous is much sweeter, warmer, deeper, and richer and LVEB is more earthy and herbal. Smelling them side by side shows me how different they actual are. I still love LVEB, don't get me wrong, but it isn't something I want to buy a full bottle of as much anymore, at least now that I've found this one. You can smell the patchouli and jasmine overpowering the notes they share in LVEB. Luminous is strictly the 3 notes that it has. The praline is a lot more pronounced, like a warm pecan pie. The ruby currant is more tart and juicy. It's almost gourmand. The drydown is powdery and very sweet while LVEB's drydown has the same powdery iris, mixed with patchouli and some pear peeking through. Luminous quizzically makes me feel warm and cozy yet makes me want to go out dancing to obscure goth music on a dimly lit floor. You can wear it going out or you can wear it to the grocery store. I think I'll use the perfume for going out to dinner or goth night and the body mist for work or running errands lol. I'm so stoked that I found this for 15 dollars! The ruby gem bottle is beautiful, comes in an elegant red box with gold on the inside, and opens up with the bottle mounted up like a diamond in a jewelry box. It makes the experience feel really special! I hope they bring this one back around in the future. I think I have enough backups in many forms of this scent to last me a few years but I don't ever want to stop smelling this. I am crushed that they didn't keep it in the permanent lineup. I always wonder why they keep bringing back JCB and Sweet Pea after diluting and reformulating them to shit. The amber in Luminous reminds me so much of OG Sensual Amber before they reformulated. I think I like Luminous more. It smells so distinctly similar but with a lot of extra sprinkles on top. It brings forth a huge wave of nostalgia and feel good memories. This lasts on my skin and clothes for hours. There is something about it that makes it a lot more likeable than LVEB. I wholeheartedly disagree with the person below that finds it to be a badly executed version. This is beautiful all on its own and has its own unique scent going on, even though it was most certainly inspired by her or Flowerbomb. I like Flowerbomb a lot more than LVEB, but I no longer have a tester to compare them side by side. I am simply gagging that I was able to get this beast mode banger for 75 percent off because it performs like a 100+ dollar juice. You can't go wrong with the pretty bottle, either. Some may find it gaudy or kitschy but that's right up my alley.

At first, I wasn't a fan but I let the scent sit. I love it now. It reminds me of Estee Lauder and YSL from yesteryear but with a modern twist. I am not a gourmand or strong vanilla fan so I get excited when I see BBW release something that is not in those categories. This is not a mild fragrance so I can understand the love and hate folks have for it. For me I LOVE this since, to me, it is a true perfume fragrance. I enjoy both the FFM and the EdP. When layered with matching lotion/cream you easily get hours of scent!

It's been a while since I smelled La Vie Est Belle, but I remember it smelling like a generic sweet powdery old lady perfume. Given the comparisons, I'm surprised by how much I love this perfume. I think without the patchouli, orange blossom, and tonka, the black current and praline are able to shine through a lot more. Younger, brighter, sweeter, and a bit less powdery, without coming off as completely juvenile, I can see myself wearing this regularly throughout the winter.

I love this edp. Smells like La Vie Est Belle and Flowerbomb had a Lovechild with the Best of both perfumes! Sweet, Floral and almost gourmand and with decent projection. I recommend.

I've done something with Luminous that I haven't done with a fragrance in many years--I've worn it over 4 or 5 days. I've worn it layered with other fragrances and scented oils. Also, I've worn it alone, as a complete set--bar soap, body cream, body mist, perfume, and hand sanitizer. The reason being, I purchased different parts of the set at different times. I had an extreme desire to really test Luminous--and, I must say, I am not at all disappointed. Luminous has wonderful silage and longevity. The fragrance dries down slightly powdery, but is very present with moderate silage. Luminous is not a bold, powerhouse--but you will be smelled. It is airy, modern--yet mature. It is sweet, but not a gourmand. The amber in Luminous is delectable, and pairs nicely with Bath & Body Works'--Sensual Amber. Luminous also has an earthy element. This allows it to pair well with other earthy scents and oils--like Nag Champa. Luminous is a very wearable fragrance. It can be worn lounging around the house, doing chores-- or it can be worn during most daytime activities such as: working, shopping, or brunch. If you are fond of Vicktor & Rolf's Flowerbomb and/or Lancome's La Vie Est Belle--surely you may enjoy Luminous. I've already given it out as a gift--It is the perfect addition to any collection.

An interesting holiday release from BBW. It's warm, glamorous and festive. Picture twinkling holiday lights during winter evening. The scent conveys a festive, winter holiday spirit when the Christmas break is just around the corner. When I smell it, I imagine a winter evening. It's snowing outside. The city is beautifully illuminated and decorated. You're getting ready to attend a holiday event that takes place in a nice restaurant or a hotel. The scent itself is ambery, cozy yet elegant, thanks to the warm iris that is slightly powdery and earthy. It has some sweetness in the background. I prefer this fragrance in a body wash as a more elevated, rich yet cozy winter scent option.

I like this one a lot. It’s strong so don’t plan to wear anything else that day.

Reminds me of Catherine Malandrino Romance de Provence but less powdery

I got this as a gift and knowing the price I even feel more sorry to say that I dislike it. It's super generic, something I have found over years from many other brands. In the beginning it's a pungent sweet floral scent. Which dries down in powdery note with some Patchouli and sweetness. It does have that pungent indefinable sweetness in the background, but the powder and patchouli note are prominent, so it becomes wearable and I could even say, that I kinda like the dry down. It reminds me a lot of Tresor "La Nuit". The opening notes are horrible to me and the fact that it's super generic is really bothering me, as B&BW could have done something outstanding this year. But they decided to not do so. It's ok, I'll see myself wearing this time to time, somewhat enjoying the dry down. But it'll be an absolute once in a while scent.

I tried this......and no thanks. To me, it's a poorly executed LVEB and I love LVEB. I'm not sure what it is, but I get this plastic, artificial aroma after the notes settle. The opening isn't bad, but it settles quickly into what turned out to be a scrubber. I think it's the combo of notes; they just don't mesh well together in this composition; the amber clashes with the other notes. Longevity is quite good, but I just can't get past the plastic smell in this; it's just too artificial for me. I know, I know, it's B&BW, so I shouldn't expect much, but I am disappointed in this new release. Bummer.

I have the lipgloss roller with this scent on the other side. I'm not a fan. It's very weak (at least in the roller) and wears off quickly. Overpriced for what it's worth

Unless this EDP is on a deep discount save your money and get the mist. The mist is a beast already. Can we take a moment to admire the performance of the “mist”? Honestly Luminous puts 95% of EDTs and 85% of perfumes out there to shame. This mist lasted on my skin for 8+ hours with excellent sillage for more than half the duration. It lasted for 2 days on my clothes. I didn’t even drench them like with the regular mist. For the scent itself yes there is an uncanny resemblance to LVEB but there are also some differences. Believe it or not LVEB has a lighter opening! Or maybe brighter is the more accurate description. Probably due to the pear and white florals there. Luminous starts similar to the heart and dry down of LVEB. And although patchouli is not stated here I can still sense it but in a lower dose. LVEB is more earthy in the dry down. This is only for cold weather use; it can truly overwhelm in the heat. You can use Luminous for layering but LVEB doesn’t really need it. Maybe with Flowerbomb (which is weak on my skin) or Sofia SV. But it can stand tall and proud all on its own. This is perfume quality in a ffm bottle ❤️

I happened across this one while shopping at the mall. Upon first sniff, all I got was La Vie est Belle. Didn't test on skin, but on the blotter it is identical to the LVEB in my memory. Even if this one is more poorly executed than LVEB as claimed below, I doubt anyone would be able to tell the difference, especially if sprayed on clothing rather than skin. I don't get any whiff of iris in here.

This is a GORGEOUS LVEB rendition! I am absolutely buying when this goes on sale, it is a juicy, sweet and slightly syrupy powdered Iris scent. I am so happy I have gotten into B&BW at this time so I don’t miss out on this beauty!

It definitely doesn’t smell bad, but in reality it’s just a lighter citrus version of La Vie Est Belle. Which can be a good thing, because LVEB is too strong for some people.

So impressed by this scent. I tried to resist buying it, but by the time I was ready to check out, I had to go back and get it. Sweet, ambery, stayed for hours.

I’m not big on the scent, but the bottle and packaging is a 10/10! This really is a perfect luxury fragrance dupe!