La Vie Est Belle

Lancôme is the type of company that usually launches great fragrances, which become a sales success, every five years or so. And they all mark generations! We have, for example, Trésor (1990), Poême (1995), Miracle (2000), Hypnose (2005), among others. In 2012, it was La Vie Est Belle's turn. The creative concept explores a fragrance capable of making any woman happy and everything was thought to convey that effect, including the bottle. Its project was started in 1949 by Armand Petitjean, founder of Lancôme, and represents a crystal smile. It took more than a year for the effect to be achieved, creating the impression of a smile. The fragrance was the first iris-gourmand ever made by the brand and featured the work of three big names in the industry: Anne Flipo, Olivier Polge, and Dominique Ropion. According to the Lancôme communication area, the palette has 63 ingredients (half of them of natural origin) and it took more than 5.000 tests - in fact, 5.521 - until final approval. La Vie Est Belle Eau de Parfum (in the box, L'Eau de Parfum) has a vibrant composition, which was created to reinterpret the luminosity of the magnolia. And there is a detail that is poorly publicized on the market: the note of Iris Pallida of Florence is present in all stages of evolution, so it is considered a transversal note, although it has been listed in the body of the fragrance. Other important (and very confuse) information is due to the note of cassis (Black Currant), which appears in most Brazilian and North American texts, but changes in some official pages of the brand, such as the United Kingdom and Australia, which list Blackberries. As a critic, I could not leave this aspect out of the analysis, reinforcing the immense amount of communication failures that I find in the industry. That being said, I will stick to what is on both pages, which list pears and blackberries (at the exit), followed by an iris concrete and absolutes of Sambac jasmine and of orange blossom (in the heart), on a base of patchouli essence. And going through all the fragrance, another transversal note, called Accord of delicacies, that would be the combination of vanilla and praline and gives the gourmand effect. La Vie Est Belle combined a well-produced campaign (bringing an actress with a broad smile and public empathy) with a highly accepted fragrance that became a benchmark in the industry. Before that, only one other attracted so much attention from the female audience and the competition: Flowerbomb (2005 / Viktor & Rolf) which, by the way, brought the touch of two equal perfumers involved in its process. Coincidence? On the skin, La Vie Est Belle is exuberant, in all possible meanings: abundant, rich, filling, etc. It has a little bit of everything and at the same time, nothing in exaggeration. From the moment it touches the skin, it's sweet, sensual, warm, slightly dry and powdery, it's floral, it's gourmand ... it's amazing! For these and other reasons, women who have always complained of sweet fragrances have surrendered to their charms, as well as those who do not like fragrances that are too floral or powdery. It is a floral-gourmand, which has vitality and exudes femininity, without pulling into an exclusive age group. In my perception, it looks like a dessert in which slices of pear and petals of jasmine were crystallized and watered with a caramel syrup. Then, an iris powder was gently sprinkled on the dish and, next to it, a kind of tea made with the leaves and roots of patchouli was served, to accompany and give the necessary contrast. There is still a lot of comparison to the Flowerbomb fragrance. But I, in particular, feel that the latter has more floral content. The biggest connection comes from the patchouli note, but I still think that one is more open and oriental, while the other is denser and gourmand. It's no wonder that La Vie Est Belle has become one of the most copied fragrances in every corner of the world, involving companies that make inspired perfumes and, of course, the most famous brands that will never admit the true intention. In less than a decade, it has generated more than 15 flankers, including limited editions. You may not even like La Vie Est Belle, but you must admit its role in world perfumery. After all, we need to respect a winner when we come across one!

I'm surprised to read so many poor reviews of La Vie Est Belle, so I thought I would add my two cents' worth. I find this one delicious. I've had a bottle for about ten years, but I have a pretty big collection so this one was forgotten for a while. I recently found it doing a cleanup for (endless) home renovations. I have been wearing it every day over the past few weeks since the weather got a little cooler here in Massachusetts. I love the scent trail I leave behind me as I navigate my way from room to tortured room. It cuts through the smells of drywall, wet paint, and secondhand smoke from the cigarette butts the lovely construction crew leave smoldering on the ground :) I can really smell the praline in this one. Is it original? No, maybe not, but it's well known and a lot of people wear it for a reason. There are days when I am up for a challenge but more days lately when I just want to smell good. This one makes me feel like a I just got a hug from a mature boss b!$@h at the office who listens to my tearful worries and reassures me that she will take care of everything. I smell a chocolate note in La Vie est Belle, but not a dry, bitter dark chocolate. Milk chocolate. The foil covered chocolate bells in the bottom of your stocking on Christmas morning. Yes, there is patchouli but that's not really the dominant note here. It just anchors the whole composition. If you want a fragrance that lasts ... and lasts ... and lasts ... this is a great choice. It is clearly very well made. You will not have to respray this one all day long. Because La Vie est Belle is so popular, you should have no trouble finding it at the Lancome counter so you can spritz on a little. Cruise through Macy's or Belk's, wherever, apply some LVEB, then go have lunch and discuss further plans for your shopping day with your friends. Let it mellow on your skin. See how it mixes with your unique chemistry. Go home and kiss your husband and wait until he says, "Wow, what are you wearing? I like it!" And he will say that. Men love LVEB, maybe because it isn't all that subtle. Who knows? Put it on your Christmas list. Never buy a girly gift for yourself if you can get a man to do it :) Anyway, I love this one. If you have never tried it I recommend seeking it out. If you have dismissed it in the past, try it again. Your tastes might have changed. This is a great one to have in your collection for the fall and winter months. God bless you all and have a great day. Happy fall -

I brought home a test strip saturated with this stuff. My husband, who usually endures my perfume obsession with the quiet tolerance of a hostage, smelled it and insisted I buy a bottle. And wear it constantly. Who knew the beautiful, intellectually unburdened oaf had such good taste? Gotta love him. Anyway, here we are at brass tacks. This is, for lack of a better term, THE perfect fragrance. Feel free to stop here, because I'm about to go on one of my unmedicated tangents. The interweb’s army of hipsters and malcontents, who think smelling like a depressed cucumber makes them interesting, love to shriek about popular fragrances. They go out of their way to down vote every single positive review like feral toddlers throwing a tantrum. La Vie Est Belle is their favorite pinata. But love bugs, if your most devastating critique of a perfume is “it smells like a grandma,” you possess the wit and depth of a bowl of Frosted Flakes. And thankfully, the rest of us are still fully capable of enjoying things without needing to be validated by anyone on the internet. Try it sometime. Deep, jagged breath. The reason why this perfume is everywhere ain't hard to find. The vast majority of ordinary, unlobotomized humans who encounter it, enjoy it. It's not rocket science. It’s sugar and flowers and joy. That's exactly why it still sells by the ton a decade later. If you disagree or that offends you, by all means go find a scent that rocks your world. Alrighty? I’ll admit I'm late to this party, but since I arrived I’ve gotten nothing but compliments. Yes, SOME people recognize it instantly. But nobody has ever grabbed me by the shoulders and told me I smell like the world's saddest hooker. Side eye at you, Scandal and all your flankers. And NO, it's not the most complex fragrance on the planet. But sometimes you don't want to spend your day analyzing the existential mysteries of your own wrist. You just want to smell nice and leave the house without ending up on Dateline. Voila: La Vie Est Belle. Life is terrifying and complicated. And it's way too short to throw a tantrum over a bottle of perfume. Go find your joy and leave the rest of us in peace to smell as we please. You either like it OR you don't; end of story.

A beautiful, feminine, modern classic fragrance that stands the test of time for good reason. This is warm, sweet (but not overly so), deep and memorable. It lasts a very long time on my skin and projects beautifully. It’s bold, but not overpowering (unless you underestimate it and overspray, I suppose). It feels special to wear and works for generally every occasion. The dry down is just lovely. This is a perfumey perfume. It’s not a skin scent. It’s not a cotton candy cloud or whisper of vanilla. It’s not some musky pseudo-perfume. It’s a full fledged powerhouse fragrance with a beautiful blend of notes. I suppose this is why it garners such strange reactions these days (and the insistence that it’s “old school” by some). I suppose when you compare it to many of the barely-there fragrances on the market today, it definitely stands out. It always gets me a compliment, which is an added bonus. I’m not sure which notes I’d say are most prominent here. They blend and mingle beautifully and the top and middle notes are grounded in this truly spectacular warmth. LVEB made its debut in 2012, so those calling it outdated make me giggle. I still reach for classic perfumes that are - *gasp* - even older. I’m perplexed by the scathing AI sounding reviews here. Whats worse is those who repeatedly deem everything an “old lady” fragrance. That always reveals the reviewer as someone not worth taking seriously. Might as well skip on over to the next review. I can see how this might be too ‘heavy’ for certain people depending on personal preference - sure. Not everything is for everyone. We know this. Self assuredly bashing fragrances that literally millions of people love is quite amusing and funny though. Scent is subjective, so you’ll never be 100% right, no matter how much you click clack here. But I digress. I have 2 of the flankers of LVEB and they’re very different from the original. I love them all, but a classic is a classic.

La Vie Est Belle is a treasure. There is absolutely a good reason why it is the reigning queen of fragrance right now.. it just smells good, plain and simple. It is sweet, strong, luxurious, and long lasting.. and nothing else smells like it. Other popular fragrances like Flowerbomb, La Nuit Tresor, and Black Opium share a similar vibe but LVEB is unmistakable. I used to think of it as a "basic bitch" scent until I realized I'm part of that Starbucks-drinking, leggings-with-Uggs wearing camp anyway and then I learned to embrace it ;) LVEB is ubiquitous where I live and maybe that also put me off it a little at first but I ended up being seduced and now own the two strongest flankers.. after all, I want to retain some uniqueness at least! But I do have a sample of LVEB I wear at times and deeply enjoy. LVEB opens with a juicy burst of blackberries and pear and settles into the signature sparkling praline, vanilla, and patchouli melange with the fruit taking a backseat in the drydown. At this point the fragrance is so well blended the only thing my nose really picks out is the praline and then "everything else" which is uniquely LVEB. There is really just nothing else like it. I love all types of perfumes.. classics, drugstore cheapies, celeb scents.. I can enjoy the heavy hitters from past decades and appreciate their presence in fragrance history as much as I appreciate what Lancome has done for fragrances today. I love the fruitchouli trend and find it just as essential as the eras of orientals, animalics, chypres, aldehydes, 80s powerhouses, etc. All hail the queen of this generation's perfume--LVEB! Life truly is beautiful :) Edit: I had to buy a full bottle.. I used my sample up quick, I can't get enough of this scent!!