La Vie Est Belle L'Eau de Parfum Legere

This came as a sample with an order I recently received, and I will admit I did not think much of it at first glance. It seemed, boring.. perhaps another dusty rose scent. I hadn't heard much of anything about this fragrance or its notes, so at first spray my jaw did drop slightly. My first impression of this left me in a bit of a haze, happy and dreaming. Instantly realizing this is what I'd say is "me". Having said that, I do realize this is not necessarily well liked amongst the communities/blogs I follow, and I find it kind of sad how unsupported a brand or fragrance can become on such a subjective topic (ie the similarity this bears to the other patchouli fruity/florals -- even while this is the musk version, will review the EDP version soon). My experience with this fragrance is one I feel to be long overdue. This is precisely the balance in sweetness and fruitiness I have been looking for. As stated above, a scent that embodied me. Sweet, warm, slightly dizzying -- girl at the carnival. I do not at all agree that this is anywhere near Flowerbomb which has only proved itself to be a one note, flat liner to me. The kind of fragrance that has all its cards out on the table, with no tricks or surprises up its sleeves. It is what it is. That's just not as appealing to me in comparison to something like LVEB. It (Flowerbomb) just doesn't seem to go anywhere, where as LVEB L'eau takes you from the dizzying, bubbly rooftops of currant and pear then sails downward into a warm, almost caramel-like descent, adorned by sweet, light floral breeze, finally down to earth on top of a musky, praline and vanilla lined trail, into this forest carnival I find myself in. I do appreciate personal opinions in reviews, but what I find most beneficial is an assessment of quality! Because well, let's face it.. we've all been victim to mismatch chemistry, and have had to part ways with a fragrance. It's not always the fragrance's fault. This fragrance is of excellent quality, while still embodying the modernized french wave composition we've all come to know, and that may just be too familiar at this point. In my humble opinion, this does indeed, surpass the competition and reaches a state of completion in the patchouli/musk fruity/floral realm. This to me, is a complete, well rounded venture that begun very long ago. Thank you, Lancome!

I field tripped to Macy's to try Modern Muse and this. MM was ok, but too much tuberose "creaminess" for me. I walked around with one on each wrist and this just made me smile. MM ended up just tuberose on me. Anyway, I finished my original bottle and even though I love patchouli, I love that. Legere has less and is going to be so wearable for day/work. This will be my fall fragrance, it just makes you feel cozy. The powder trail at the bottom end is soft and not too sweet. Just like la vie est belle it lasts (I love to be able to say that). It really sticks, even with my dry skin. You can use a light hand, so less is more and I feel like I will get my money's worth from the bottle. There was a great makeup/skin care gift so I also got a good size tube of the la vie est belle lotion as well. Good value, the plus of a gorgeous bottle,wear it fall/winter. Lancome got it right having Olivier Polge, Dominique Ropion and Anne Flipo create this beauty for us.

Went to Ulta to pick up La Vie Est Belle and noticed the Legere version for the first time. It smells fresher and brighter than the original while still keeping that sweetness. They are extremely similar, to the point that you won't want both. I ended up walking out with the Legere version. I can see how it'd be more versatile, as it smells less syrupy and heavy than the original. I'm not sure if I'd consider it a summer scent or not. I'd say it'd at least be safe for fall, winter, and spring for sure though. It's such a beautiful blend of fragrances and they all come together to make a really beautiful smell. I'm sure this one will get a lot of use. Also, just editing to add: Since I switched to this one, I've been getting tons of compliments on my smell, including one guy calling it "heavenly", and I have to agree with that.

I tried this today on a whim when shopping with my friend, and I loved it! It's not the kind of perfume I usually go for, and I've never really looked at beauty brand perfume, but this is a lovely scent. My friend agreed, but said it was too 'old lady' for her, and although I see what she means, I think this is something that could be worn by all ages, and has a hint of coolness about it. It is quite soft and light, but sweet and slightly powdery, with an undertone of vanilla. There is some floral tones in there, but this is complemented by musk and praline which I think prevents it from having the 'old lady' scent. I don't know why this is advertised as a summer perfume, because to me this is definitely a perfect autumn/winter fragrance.

What I love about La Vie Est Belle Legere is that I can fully appreciate the addictive gourmand notes (with the sensual addition of musk) without the strong patchouli that takes over in the original. Though I LOVE patchouli of the original—it's better for nighttime. While Legere is indeed better suited for daytime. In comparing the original La Vie Est Belle with Legere, the original is heavier and warmer than Legere. It is stronger too which is saying a lot since Legere is strong!