Description
La Vie Est Belle is a new Lancome fragrance, available on the market from fall 2012. The concept of this fragrance is centered on the idea of natural and simple beauty, freedom from conventions and the choice of once own vision of happiness. The fragrance is a kind of outlook on life, inspired by joy and pleasure in small things.
This gourmand yet elegant composition is developed by perfumers Olivier Polge, Dominique Ropion and Anne Flipo. The final formula is the result achieved after three years of probation and 5000 versions. Iris is the key ingredient of the perfume, surrounded by orange blossoms and jasmine in the heart. The composition’s opening provides fruity flavors of black currant and pear, while the base is warm, gourmand and powdery due to almond-like accords of tonka bean, praline, patchouli and vanilla.
The flacon is a redesigned version of the classic Lancome bottle from 1949. Actress Julia Roberts is the face of the campaign, shot by director Tarsem Singh.
It is available in EDP concentration.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTHa398inP4&rel=0|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KF-_83hX1J0&rel=0
VLOVVJOLL – :
One of my favourites. It’s sweet, sugary with some fresh cleaness to my nose. I guess I can see why it was considered unique when it first came out, it has barely any floral and no musk that I can detect. To me it smells like a candy scent; youthful yet mature at the same time. It’s not really dark or rich like pralines or caramels, it’s more of a “white” sugar scent if that makes any sense. It is strong, but I was surprised that the longevity on myself was only around 5 hours. Luckily you don’t need to spray much in one go.
nikolay33333 – :
I’ve tried this quite a few times. I’m baffled as to why there are an abundance iof reviews saying this is sweet. On my skin I just get a powdery floral that’s very linear. It disappears after a couple of hours approx 2-3 hrs. I get no sweetness of any kind at all, no praline or fruit notes. Just a faint whiff of a powdery Iris (like an iris scented baby powder) and poof it’s gone not long after it’s applied.
юрий80 – :
It baffles me that so many reviewers say that this is sweet. I adore sweet scents, but I found nothing sweet about this fragrance. It was all flowers. Not old lady flowers, but rather bright, fresh flowers. That’s it for me, I perceived nothing else. Personally, La Vie Est Belle is definitely not my cup of tea.
tuq236bedyWelty – :
La Vie est Belle starts out heady and intoxicating. Instantly makes you think of a night out with drinks, dancing and fun. But soon you start on that rollercoaster of notes and you somehow know the fun is over. La Vie has turned into Vera Wang’s Princess on Molly….this fragrance is a big glittery Easter Basket filled to the brim with sweet tarts surrounded by Hershey kisses, it’s walking into the Mall on Black Friday, twinkling lights and cocoa everywhere but suddenly being stampeded by the crowd, it’s a big platter of yummy brownies that someone tells you are laced with cannabis after you’ve already eaten three of them. Beauty that lured you in only to turn on you in the end. Yummy gourmand that turns into flat iris and stale powder. Waking up from the best dream ever only to realize you are sick, dehydrated, and hung over. The ultimate in deceptive fragrances.
sheb2006 – :
Lo usa una mia collega e francamente mi disgusta.
Un odore talmente dolce e finto che mi opprime,mi disturba e mi soffoca coprendo qualunque altro odore,compreso il mio profumo.
Ovviamente è tutto sintetico e la sua presenza mi dà la nausea.
Epoi direi anche basta a questi odori di dolciumi e frutta. Non sono sexy e non c’è niente di bello nell’odorare come crostate e macedonie.
olegkanushin – :
Sometimes you recognize quality but hate it anyway. Like right now I’m listening to a song by Carole King on the radio; I recognize that she’s got a great voice, but it bugs me and I’m glad when the song is over. That’s the impression this perfume has had on me from the first time I smelled it. I can see why so many people are diehard fans and I am no doubt in the minority here. But I recall how I wanted to strangle myself when I tested it because it just wouldn’t go away no matter what I did. I am now just thankful to get through the day without smelling it on someone else.
aloldestman – :
I know most of U love this perfume ,on me though ,smells weird ,I don’t like it on my skin
aleks_666 – :
I smelled it in a drug store and LOVED it. But did not buy it – expensive… One day I saw a mini in a thrift store for cheap and bought it. When I applied it on my hair it smelled soooo good. But soon when it dried I was gagging from an overpowering powdery vanilla note in it. I stopped applying it on myself, just smell it from the bottle. Perhaps, if I went out for a walk on a cool/cold day I would enjoy the scent on my hair.
pribludaa – :
The most noticeable note is praline for sure. Black currant, iris and pear are also noticeable. And vanilla, of course. This fragrance is too sweet for me. From last sweet fragrances by Lancome I prefer La Nuit Tresor, because it’s more fruity. La Vie Est Belle seems to me more simple. Or maybe because I prefer litchi to black currant or pear. It depends on what you prefer.
Dulkgoonous – :
Sweet sweet sweet sweet. You either love or hate this perfume. For me, it’s the latter. Smells like a mashmallow and cotton candy headache. In my opinion it lacks personality, sensuality and individuality. It smells pretty much the same on everyone and it’s so over-advertised.
Rebok55 – :
Wrist crack is right!! This fragrance is just absolutely beautiful! On first spritz, I get a dose of sugary patchouli, but give it just a few minutes and it turns into a smooth, sweet, feminine beauty! The patchouli dies down a bit and you’re left with the most beautiful, sweet, sophisticated scent! I don’t find it sickeningly sweet at all and it really doesn’t remind me of anything I’ve had before. (I usually choose fresh/fruity scents)
12345qwert – :
Serious wrist crack right here.
She is what we say in Australia “Cracker”, short for “firecracker”. Some one petite, exciting, energetic, awesome, like Dolly Parton and Kylie Minogue.
We say, What a Cracker Chick. 😀
To me that’s how Belle is. She is Cracker!
Still in my top five after many years.
I find Belle, multifaceted. I can smell alot of praline and iris, along with all the obvious notes. I heard people say they can’t smell much iris and praline at all, Just over powering sweetness, I don’t get that, and can imagine it would be dissaponting, I guess that could well be the determining factor to how one feels about her.
I think Belle is a masterpiece.
I have had the flankers but it’s this one that really grabs me. Love ❤
A+
KosnmarnuyDJO – :
If Angel had plastic surgery. Or Pink Sugar was told to “grow up” & take a corporate job My point is that La Vie Est Belle, while “nice,” smells like the end result of too many focus groups, too much airbrushing too eager a desire to please. The quality is there, but it seems wasted, as if a Michelin-rated chef had been told to “make something that tastes just like Pizza Hut.”
I wanted to like LVEB much more than I do, because the packaging is beautiful and Lancôme is my favorite beauty brand. But I regret having bought a bottle, because truthfully it bores me silly. Bath & Body Works comes up with a new synthetic fruit-chouli like 5x a year and they’re all indistinguishable from one another. LVEB has these cheaper offerings beat in terms of silage and tenacity, but it is every bit as full & predictable.
Don’t get me wrong, you’ll smell nice in this. Disney Princess nice. Almost aggressively nice (don’t overspray!). But, at least to my nose, you won’t smell distinctive.
Abzerdcom – :
This is an overwhelming parfume. I can only wear this when it’s really really cold outside, it’s the only time i’m not suffocating from it. I love gourmands and own quite a few, the praline in this is hella synthetic, compared to kenzo flower l’elixir, in which the praline and raspberry smell extremely natural. To my nose it’s just plain sweet, smells a bit cheap, like dollar store parfume but it shows it’s depths in really cold weather, when i can really enjoy it, especially the dry-down, after 3-4 hours i smell like a doughnut, no joke, it’s like i’ve been in a bakery and sat there for 3 hours. I like that. It is really suffocating me when i smell it in the summer heat in closed spaces like a bus or car and that makes me be a bit harsh on it
яйцоглист – :
Love or hate this fragrance, let’s face it, it’s going to be a classic. And it’ll be remembered from this time along with Flowerbomb, Black Opium, Si, etc. I enjoy this one, the flankers not so much, but not enough to buy a full bottle. Future icon of its time.
stalker74 – :
A smile in a bottle. Feminine, tender, cozy, happy and serene. The perfect daytime fall/winter scent. Wraps you in a cloud of joy and doesn’t let go until you wash it off. Popular? Yes, but some things are popular for good reason. This is one of them. I will never get tired of this, no matter how many others use it. I don’t understand why some women put others down because they wear mainstream perfumes. The more women that wear this, the more that I get to smell it, and so the happier my days become. Please never stop wearing this one – as vanilla as it may be, this is a vanilla I personally can’t get tired of, even if I’m among every other woman in the world who uses it.
P.S: This one smells just like a vanilla dessert on me – I get no patchouli whatsoever on my skin – and I only get praline if I try to use this in warm weather (which I don’t do because I don’t wanna go around choking people to death) otherwise it’s a pure vanilla bomb on my skin – and I love it! Please try it before you judge it.
wcc013JeomiWogkig – :
I smell it everywhere. Little bit overwhelmed by it.
Very sweet!
assasin – :
I have used about a third of this, and am bored of it now. Other fragrances I have I enjoy to the last drop. It lasts well, is sweet, it has a nice dry down, but it is just a touch boring for me. The opening is juicy but a touch synthetic, then quite quickly I get a fresh floral that develops into a vanilla floral. After a few hours you get a floral vanilla that is kept alive by patchouli. Personally I wish it was creamier on the dry down or that the vanilla was able to shine more. Comparing to flowerbomb, I find flowerbomb warmer and more inviting/more rounded and less sharp on the finish.
Genius59rus – :
This is super sweet patchouli in a decadent syrup that lasts all day and projects like a monster. It reminds me of Miss Dior Cherie, the 2011 release, which I own. But Miss Dior Cherie has a brighter tart note. This perfume is all about the sugar and patch.
I love this for it sugary mega projection. My daughter is in the next room and she told me she can smell my perfume from all the way in there. (I just sprayed it once on my arm–LOL)
But while it’s a statement maker, it’s a cozy scent because there’s a pillow of spice that envelopes you like a woolen blanket. This is the kind of spice infused in Flowerbomb.
La Vie Est Belle is a sure fire fragrance that will be noticed as soon as you walk into a room. And when you walk away, you’ll leave a beautiful trail of scent in your wake. Classic and powerfully sweet.
With that said, my only issue is that this fragrance is so beloved, a lot of women wear it. I know of two people in my office who wear this as their signature scent. So I try not to wear it when I know we have a meeting with the entire staff body. I prefer to smell unique.
And for that reason, niche perfumes are of particular interest to me.
mishania33 – :
Who doesn’t like this one?? I think we all do!!
This just brings a smile to your face whether on your skin, clothes or even just smelling the bottle.
This is the first perfume i’ve ever received a compliment from a stranger!
I don’t care what’s in it – It’s Lovely.
If you like her she will LOVE you, as she just loves to project and follow you everywhere you go.
She’s Sweet, she’s Lush, she’s Feminine, Elegant and could be your new best friend. Go easy on this though- Silage and longevity are Aaaamazing.
The GOLDILOCKS of all Fragrances….this one is Juuuuusst Right…
MadKenig – :
There is a reason this perfume is so popular! It’s very long lasting and very sweet. Perfect for a cold winter’s day and it’s much better than Flowerbomb in my opinion. Maybe it’s not a very unique scent but I don’t mind as long as I smell delicious lol. I own a 30ml and I’m positive this will last me a looong time since you basically need maximum 2 sprays. Worth every penny!
nikitos336 – :
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!
taran… – :
LVEB is sexy and delicious. It’s got a little bit of everything: sweet gourmand notes, powder, fruit, flowers (iris). A lot of people find it similar to Flowerbomb, but that one makes me nauseous and LVEB doesn’t. It’s heavy and can be cloying and overly sweet at times, granted. You might write it off as another generic, boring fruitchuli. But to me, it’s not. You know what I respect and like about LVEB most? In this day and age of weak scents, it’s bold! It is potent, thick, rich, powerful. It has real sillage and lasting power. I am tired of paying for scented waters. This is a real perfume! I think the bottle is lovely too.
Edited: after owning it for a while, I have a love/hate relationship with this. It is SO sweet and strong some days. I wanted something with a ton of sillage and longevity. Be careful what you wish for, right? 😉
turber – :
This is a lovely scent, quite nostalgic indeed as it brings back fond memories of scented care bears from my childhood. I love it very much.
vladzam – :
I remember smelling this on a friend at a wedding and thinking that it was beautiful on her.
Then one day, my co worker smelled so good that I was losing my mind and she said she had on La Vie Est Belle and also a few sprays of Bombshell. Wow – that was unforgettable.
So La Vie Est Belle was on my radar. I was at Walgreens and smelled their Instyle version and before I even got to check out, someone commented how good I smelled.
Sold –
Not my normal fare but I do like it.
Legi4 – :
This perfume is sweet, but it also smells opulent, like wealth. I feel wealthy when I wear this, and leaves a lasting impression by all I encounter.
kuw645JeomiWogkig – :
I do not know why this is so popular . There is something about the patchouli that is harsh and irritating, contrasting with the sugary elements . I can smell it easily on others at 10 feet distance. There are not many perfumes I dislike , but I do not care for this one – even as a patchouli lover .
I think Midnight Rose by Lancôme is far more interesting and pretty .
VG KRAP – :
Holy smokes I like this one – for women.
I am a guy and while I am down to wear a perfume marketed to women if it works for me, this is not one of those…I like this one on women.
I rarely ask people what perfume they’re wearing- because I feel weird about it. I recently asked two women though on separate occasions because I loved what they were wearing. The answer was this perfume in both instances. I am not 100% sure that it is this particular one… they just gave me the name and I only found out later that there are parfum versions and extrait versions and flankers and all- I will send away for a sample though just to check and I’ll edit this comment if something is off – …
sexy sexy stuff. Also – excellent sillage.
Enviromentalist – :
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!!
vnk – :
I completely understand why everyone loves this. It smells gourmandish but not as much as let’s say Juicy Couture Gold or Dior Poison Girl. It is like the older sister of said fragrances, more grown up but still sexy and sweet and lasts a LONG time. I sprayed it before going to sleep, and 3 days later I can still smell it on my pillow. I love it even though everyone wears it and that’s why I wouldn’t make it my signature.
Creenedub – :
Delicious!! LOVE IT!!
I was trying perfumes randomly at Sephora,something I always, always do when I go to the mall, straight to Sephora to try new perfumes.I remember I tried some of the Prada Candy perfumes, I believe it was the original one and also the new SP one, I liked them both, but they didn’t ” capture me” at all…they were just nice, I kept sniffing around, expecting nothing, just trying new scents…and then, I saw on the bottom row of the huge wall selection of perfumes at Sephora, a bottle that I had seen before numerous times, but just never tried out! It was LVEB by Lancome..I remember years ago I saw it on a magazine, it had the paper sample that usually come in magazines, I just tried it lightly but didn’t think it was anything special..after that I kept seeing the bottle at many stores and just NEVER tried it directly FROM the Bottle on my skin!!
Until this day at Sephora… that I decided to try it, and again, expecting nothing I just sprayed once on my wrist and left the store(they were already closing and I was the only crazy lady sniffing perfumes at the store at almost 9pm! lol) I remember I was walking to our vehicle outside and as I walked I kept smelling soft whiffs of a gorgeous scent..”warm sweet happiness” this is what the scent was making me feel, happy, comforting..I was even smiling! Thinking which of all these perfume strips from sephora was the one I was enjoying so much, I had like 10 of them on my hand! I got to our car, my kids on the back getting buckled up, my husband getting ready to drive, and I was just sitting there sniffing the heck out of all those paper strips I had from Sephora, kept sniffing and discarding, trying to find the ONE that had captured me! I finished them all and couldn’t find the one, so I put them all away and forgot about it. ( I think I had forgotten that I sprayed just ONE of them on my wrist!) Minutes later I just kept getting whiffs of that warm, delicious, charming scent and unconsciously sniffed my wrist… IT WAS IT!! The ONE that was calling me, the one that I ignored for years and now had captured me! I looked like a maniac with my wrist shoved at my face almost all the way back home lol! I shoved it at my husbands nose many times too while he was driving, incredibly he didn’t mind, as he also loved how this perfume smelled on me, he even said it was his favorite of all the ones he had smelled before!
.
Next day La Vie Est Belle was still blooming on the long sleeve of my blouse, just as if I had recently applied it, softer but still beautifully charming! That was IT for me, went out and bought it that day, the biggest bottle available. It was pricey yes, but so worth it. Fall is almost here, and I know that LVEB will be my signature scent all this autumn and all this Winter and probably all the next ones to come. Comforting, warm,femenine,charming,sweet,delicious and unique, this is LVEB for me, yes there are many more that smell ” alike” but for me,none of them equal LVEB . I’m totally in Love with it, my hubby adores it on me too, my babies snuggle closer on me when I wear this perfume,it is the ONE. My favorite so far out of all my perfumes.
I don’t have to spray much of this, just 2 sprays on each wrist and I pass them on my neck, and it lasts all day, it gets even better after time passes by.
LVEB is and will forever be in my most favorite perfumes of all time!
scg169 – :
This is a compliment getter, everytime I wear this I receive so many compliments, I actually had people arguing over who got to sit next to me because they loved the way this smelled on me. I will always be one who changes my scent depending on the weather and my mood but I find myself reaching for this more often than not.
amellashyTems – :
On me, a dark dense blueberry, first and foremost, with patchouli next and the other notes much more discreet. I think I can smell a bit of the pear, and something vaguely dry and sweet which I cannot identify.
I cannot smell the praline, sorry, and I am not sure I feel the floral notes.
Currently I find it not unpleasant but not interesting enough, neither naughty playful like La Petite Robe Noire nor dark and sexy nor innocently joyful and bubbly nor simply pretty and girly. Just… nice and serious, I guess?
—
I’ll have to re-test it.
—
I tested one spray at the top of my hand. Eau de Parfum.
Styepik – :
I dont know what it is about this fragrance but everytime my mum wears it, I’d die to be near her. It is such an amazing scent on my mum. Sweet but not overpowering cloying sweet, very mature and versatile. But on me it smells like cheap children’s cologne. *Sigh* 🙁
antituiviar – :
I love it just bought it today scent is very sexy and mature but not too mature smells yummy
direx10 – :
I’m confused. What do you see in this fragrance for you to say that it smells gorgeous? I’m starting to think that people have this misconception that “the sweeter the fragrance the better” beacuse this is what I’m getting from the majority of the reviews.
Катькоу – :
Very beautiful fragrance for a lady. Smells sweet and soft. Also a very long lasting fragrance.
Sherry Zeng – :
Very sweet, very long lasting! Use it preferably at night at an outdoor party or dinner, it is very strong!
siny22 – :
I don’t know what it is about this perfume but I just cannot stand the smell of it. Given the rave reviews I was expecting something really special – but I just found myself spraying it several times trying to discover whatever it was everyone else is so enamoured with and could not. I find it overpowering and with a lack of any type of original personality. Maybe its the powdery finish that doesn’t agree with me – it just seems so strong – not for me. If you’re sensitive to any fragrances – definitely try this one out before buying. I couldn’t tolerate even being in the same area after I sprayed it. Awful
Milqep – :
I’ve tried this out multiple times in different stores, and I can’t see what the fuss is about. This is a sweet floral/gourmand scent that feels heavy and suffocating to me. It also smells rather generic and uninspired to me. If you’re really into caramel and praline, this might be the scent for you. If you like the Prada Candy line, you’ll probably like this. Otherwise, whatever you do, don’t blind buy it. Try it in the store, and don’t let other people’s opinions sway you.
stx308speagoessenda – :
vanilla central; sweet praline, vanilla, tonka with patchouli, black currant and iris
Vladimik – :
I don’t get any fruitiness in this. For the first few hours this is straight intense candy cotton on me.
After that it dries down to mostly Vanilla with some Patchouli.
What I really love about this is how long it lasts and projects even in a hot tropical climate (I live in Mumbai).
It’s so funny, most people seem to think that hot humid climates demand for lighter perfumes as heavy handed ones would be to ‘cloying’, but going back and forth between Germany and India frequently, I really never shared that experience.
Light fragrances just vanish in extreme humidity (at least on me). You might as well spritz water on you. Besides the fact that you’re sweating more and nothing sticks quite as well to you, I also feel a higher concentration of humidity in the air doesn’t allow the scent molecules to travel as easily. Everything gets kind of pressed down.
So yeah, even if not super complex (to my nose) this is a performer in India as well as Europe. In Germany one-two spritz are plenty. In Mumbai I need easily 6 for the same effect, but then it’s lovely pick that makes you instantly feel more feminine for the rest of the day.
Not very sure yet if I’d repurchase once my bottle is over, but I would definitely always appreciate it as a gift any time.
njrj-super – :
This fragrance is okay, but not special. I mean, Lancome hyped it SO heavily in 2012. Three master perfumers and thousands of focus groups were involved in this “first-ever iris gourmand”…. which ended up smelling like a bland amalgamation of every drugstore/BBW fruity gourmand body spray ever sold.
It’s got some pear, some blackcurrant, a metric ton of praline-caramel-vanilla, and a demure sneeze of patchouli. In other words, YAWN.
I can’t argue with its longevity or sillage (it beats out Opium and Giorgio for sheer molecular concentration), and it’s clearly made with quality ingredients. I also can’t argue that it smells “good,” in the same way that food court pizza tastes “good” (ie, not the best of the genre but perfectly palatable). I only wish that Lancome had applied some of that quality to a different and more interesting sort of scent.
I just don’t end up wearing this much, even though the neck-tie bottle is super elegant. It just screams “mall” to me and I like more character in my perfumes.
CrysTaLL – :
I’m shocked! My mother, who hates perfume in general and complains rather than compliments when I’m wearing any fragrance, actually said I smelled nice the other day. I didn’t know I’d be seeing her, as I would have skipped perfume. So I lightly applied my LVEB, then ran into mom later…a breeze carried the scent to her and she liked it, apparently. This might be the first time I’m able to purchase perfume for my mom…exciting! Lol
I wear this first of all because it’s just beautiful…I love a sweet fragrance that lasts, and this is one of the few that works with my chemistry. Yes it’s extremely sweet, and packs a patchouli punch, but to me that’s a good thing. The dry down is a comforting powdery vanilla/praline that I still enjoy sniffing several hours later.
klart – :
I can understand why this is popular, but on my skin is is just too much sweetness and patchouli. This was a scrubber.
RuslanFitisov – :
Since I joined Fragranctica, I have read pages and pages of informations about fragrances, and countless helpful reviews from this website that tremendously have helped me understand fragrances and “scents” better in general, as well as “notes”. Even though there have been many opposite opinions and experiences, just like many of you here, men and women, at some levels, I too share a passion for fragrance. So thank you Fragrantica.com, as well as the Fragrantica members for that extra knowledge.
I have owned and worn LVEB for quite a long time. LVEB is among the group of my very first few perfumes that I bought to start my collection. I like it very much and I still don’t quite have a specific reason why I never paid attention, nor bothered writing a review for it anywhere. I felt like I have taken it for granted. And now, from one fragrance lover to another, I think it is time for me to express my gratitude to it in return 🙂
LVEB is one of a very few fragrance lines that I truly enjoy the original version. With other lines, I tend to prefer their flankers better. I’m not a fan of patchouli in general, but by a miracle, it works here for me, especially when combined with tonka bean and vanilla in a particular ratio as they plan out in LVEB. The whole combination turns into something rather comforting, soothing and very enjoyable. Imagine this, after a long dreadful trip away from home, you return to your comfort zone in a warm evening, relaxing by the fire, on your favorite spot on the couch, wrapping yourself with a light throw on your shoulder, and a cup of hot cocoa, or hot chocolate on your hand. It is h