Ode a la Vie

The YR "Ode" line to me are very rich and almost niche in how they are made and bottled and in how they smell. I was not planning on reviewing this today but the first review on here got me going... Of all the Odes by YR, my absolute fave is Ode au Reve-ode to a dream;(in the XDP-eliXir De Parfum-strength) but my second is Ode a la Vie-ode to life. This is a burst of the most natural green scent imaginable...bamboo leaves (lush, aquatic and verdant) with galbanum (heady green plant-based resin) makes me feel like I am in a lush forest near a pond with all sorts of aquatic plants growing about me, swishing in a soft spring breeze. The heart-florals are soft and demure (cyclamen, water lily & violet) and come smoothly together, tickling my nose and making me smile. The woods here are a nice cedar and an almost white sandalwood that add to the forest ambiance and finish on a translucent musk that reminds one of a clear sky above... I love Nature in all of it's glory and wonder and THIS is one of the most natural 'green' scents I have ever smelled. It is light, airy, green, slightly floral with just enough wood and musk to ground it and keep it earthy but not "dirty". Whoever decided to discontinue the Ode line should be strung up and lashed with a perfumed whip!!! Sillage: light but firm Longevity: good Overall: 4.5/5 I have the body wash, scent and sparkling parfum gel and bath crystals for this and let me tell you, even the body wash smells more natural than some perfumes...like washing yourself in a waterfall with fresh leaves. I also have many Avon scents and if you want to compare it to one of theirs it is more akin to Meadow Dew from the Simple Elements line than Haiku is...

One of the first aquatics with bamboo and water lily that I have loved. This is Green with a lot of bamboo, water lily and heavy orchid. It is fresh and floral. I have more than 1200 full bottles and don't find this "boring" at all as someone else mentioned. It is unlike anything else in my collection. Maybe because I don't wear mainstream stuff; so, I am new to this. It is lovely. I repeat, there is lots of orchid here and musk, as well. The top is the fresh aquatic green but it quickly settles into an orchid floral with musk. Still light and fresh but with a depth to it.

This was MY perfume for years. This is the perfume my friends and family compare all my other scents. "That doesn't smell like you at all" or "That smells just like you". I love this fresh and green fragrance. When I sprayed it on, I always thought I'd be standing in a lush green forest after rain, watching as rays of sunlight are filtered through leaves. I still have few drops left in my last bottle, but I'm afraid the precious liquid has mysteriously turned in to somekind of foul urine-like goo... *sob*

This, along with CK Truth, another bamboo fragrance, is my bed-time perfume. Fresh, clean, woody and green, it's so peaceful, perfect for a day on the sofa with a good book, or a restful night's sleep.

Gorgeous fresh and beautiful. Perfect bamboo; definitely the best one I've tried. It's a delightful scent. Does make one feel happy and carefree.

Ode à la vie was the first of the range and I bought it unsniffed. I wore it during a whole summer before ode à l'amour was released. Ode à la vie is a nice scent and gypsy parfumista's review hits the nail on the head. I never knew that bamboo was one of the top notes. It must have been the galbanum that made the top smell so unbelievably green. I never got much of the middle notes, just a light mixed flower note that joined the galbanum and bamboo mix before lots of sandalwood gave this scent a warm finish. The lasting power was alright, I would say about 4 to 5 hours.

I'm so sorry it's no longer in production. I absolutely loved it as a teenage girl. It brings back so many memories of family holidays by the sea and trips to Saint Tropez. I wish I had discovered something that smelled the same.

It's the best for young and happy girls. It's so fresh, sweet and green. Ode a la Vie reminds me the spring when I was 19, I was studing and falling in love ... with my husband:)

Review of the vintage splash miniature. The fragrance is fresh, aquatic, and green. Galbanum lends a slight crispness, perhaps intensified by the age of the sample. The very first moments were almost sharply alcoholic, reminding me of vodka on bison grass. As the scent settles, it evokes a tranquil space where one can slow down, relax, and unwind. Longevity and sillage are moderate, leaning toward light. The flacon is beautiful, shaped like a droplet.

After reading reviews here, bought this perfume online without sniffing. Big mistake! :( On my skin it smells like horrible mix of pepper and cigaret butts. I hoped that it would be bamboo-y, and my husband said that there is light bamboo scent couple meters away from me... but it completely disappears and starts to be unpleasant in close range. Soooo disappointed!

Me and green perfumes don't really get along most of the time and this is no exception, I would never wear this. My closest frame of reference to this is Davidoff Cool Water, kind of the same splashy vibe. This is almost a bit cucumbery and I swear I smell a guava note.

Based off reviews I read here, I acquired a new bottle via eBay. And I can also attest that I have nothing else like it in my collection. This smells like nature from my childhood, when I lived near forest woodlands, except I'm transformed to a bamboo grove where I come upon a stagnant pond with overgrown vegetation. I can't pick out the flowers, but I do detect the cedar and musk in the base. An interesting perfume.

The bamboo is really well done in this, it is a fairly linear scent but great for summer especially. I don't get much of the aquatic note at all in this, although it may be muddled in with the water lily. Doesn't much matter the bamboo is definitely the strongest note and overrides a lot of the others.

This is pretty much a body wash in perfume form. It has that clean, green scent most of us associate with body wash. In other words, it's boring! That aside, it smells okay, fresh, green and a bit sweet, too sweet if you ask me. This is comparable with VS Body By Victoria and Avon's Haiku.

Sadly I think this is discontinued? I have not tired the purfume but the body wash was amazing. It smelled very refreshing and green.

I wore it as a teenager, well it was great, and was my first fresh perfume. Shame on YR for discontinuing it!

very fresh ,pleasent and unisex! One of my favorites.