Lancome • La Vie Est Belle • Fragrances

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Dancingfool09 on 9/3/2012 12:11:00 AM more reviews by Dancingfool09

Age: 44-55   Skin: Acne-prone, Tan   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

I really like this fragrance. Probably because it reminds me of flower bomb and not so expensive. It is slightly sweet, vanilla and chocolate seem to be present with a hint of patchouli and of course iris.

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tdhx0 on 9/2/2012 12:42:00 AM more reviews by tdhx0

Age: 19-24   Skin: Normal, Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Hazel    

I've already finished my big bottle of this. I absolutely love it! I get compliments on it EVERY time I wear it. Definitely not a long wearing perfume, but it stays on me for quite some time during my day. I highly recommend!

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rena10 on 8/28/2012 10:23:00 PM more reviews by rena10

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Tan, Warm   Hair: Brown, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

love this....great warm sweet sexy scent! if you love flowerbomb, this is for u! love!

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hesperia on 8/28/2012 10:04:00 PM more reviews by hesperia

Age: 56 & Over   Skin: Oily, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Brown, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

UPDATE: Ok, tested this again yesterday. Must knock off a couple of lippies. Did I say the initial whiff was a bit harsh? Make that, toxic. I sprayed some on my wrist at Sephora and I couldn't wait to scrub it off. And you're getting this from someone who is NOT afraid of strong scents. If you can wait for the dry-down, you might like this. For me, the initial harshness just took too long to go away. Not for me. .


I sprayed some of this stuff at Sephora today and I liked it. It is sweet, but not in a cotton candy way (like the horrid Acquolina Pink Sugar). More of a gourmand sweet. Unlike others, it's the dry-down I liked. The initial whiff was a bit harsh, but later it turned into a soft, sweet, powdery scent. I love iris, so no problem for me there. This would make a yummy cold weather scent, although I'm one of those people who wears anything anytime.


Would I buy it? I'm not sure. I need to get a sample and wear it for a couple of days before I decide. But the first impression was a good one.

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*TOP REVIEWER* GlamDiva on 8/23/2012 2:36:00 AM more reviews by GlamDiva

Age: 56 & Over   Skin: Dry, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Other, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Hazel    

La Vie est Belle flaunts loads of powdery iris on top, with jasmine and orange blossom, a generous helping of praline, vanilla, and is anchored with subtle patchouli in the base. Very feminine, extremely sweet, very pretty in the later drydown but a bit overwhelming for me with iris, sweet praline and vanilla in the opening and early in the drydown. Reminds me of a mix of Coco Mademoiselle, Flowerbomb, and Prada Candy. I get several hours of longevity from La Vie Est Belle, and it's around even the next morning. The final drydown the next day is much like Shalimar Initial with the iris, jasmine, vanilla and patchouli.

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*TOP REVIEWER* cleo777 on 8/22/2012 1:44:00 PM more reviews by cleo777

Age: 44-55   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

Well, here's my two cents on this. Loved it at first since I am a big fan of fruity gourmands, or just regular gourmands, but didn't like the drydown. Of course the nice fruity part disappears (sigh...as par usual) and you're left with the heavy-duty I'M A PERFUME smell that just makes you want to yock. I don't know much about "notes" but it was pretty darn strong. So no.

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*TOP REVIEWER* lollsazz on 8/22/2012 11:27:00 AM more reviews by lollsazz

Age: 19-24   Skin: Sensitive, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Other    

It's very sweet, very cotton candy-like. It reminds me of Flowerbomb by Victor&Rolf. Another perfume that smell's a bit like this is Black XS by Paco Rabanne (but XS is even sweeter). I guess, if you have one of those, you don't really need this one.
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This smells like all of the sweet things in a bakery. This is so sugary that I can't really detect much else in this fragrance, which makes it pretty boring to me. Generally, I would say this smells like something one would eat/it smells gourmand. I'm not a fan of such sweet and cloying smells. The description says:
"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."
So, after 3 years, 3 of France's leading perfumers came up with THIS...?
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BTW, I don't consider this an 'elegant' smell - it smells like something a typical teenage girl would wear, and therefore, to me it doesn't smell particularly expensive. The other type of person this reminds me of is a plus-sized super happy lady that loves to bake.
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Not work-environment friendly, I would say. Both my boyfriend and I, who both has sensitive noses can't handle this - it's so strong!
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The staying power is good - I wish all of the perfumes I love had such staying power. You should be VERY careful about how much you put on - only a few drops is what it takes to fill a small room with the smell of this.

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*TOP REVIEWER* fabulyss on 8/21/2012 5:46:00 PM more reviews by fabulyss

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Blue    

If you like Flowerbomb or Coco Mademoiselle, you'll like this. It's sweet, girly and romantic. It's a lovely introduction to perfumes for a teenage girl. Not so perfect for an adult woman (I'm 28).

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*TOP REVIEWER* BeeBonnet on 8/17/2012 12:57:00 PM more reviews by BeeBonnet

Age: 44-55   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Cool   Hair: Red, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Hazel    

I'm extremely particular and sensitive when it comes to scents. There's maybe 3-4 that I really liked enough to ever purchase. I like this a lot. Got this as a sample when I bought another product at Lancome and tested it on one arm. Hmm, nice!... So I gave myself a good spritz and enjoyed it more the longer I wore it as the middle and end notes emerged. Thinking I might just have to buy a bottle of this!.... Turns out my husband (likes the scent too) but is severely allergic to something in it..... this we discovered about 2 minutes after snuggling while watching TV when he started to sneeze nonstop and his throat and sinuses swelled. Maybe be the iris? :(

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VikiLyn on 8/16/2012 7:53:00 PM more reviews by VikiLyn

Age: 36-43   Skin: Dry, Fair-Medium, Cool   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Green    

I like this. I don't know why but lately I have been really into the sweeter, vanilla sugar scents. I've never liked them before! But for the past year or so, I am drawn to them, particularly Lancome scents - Hypnose, Tresor Midnight Rose, and now La Vie Est Belle.
I smell mainly vanilla and some chocolate in this - I guess I do get some powdery iris. I can't really smell any patchouli, which is a good thing since its not my favorite. I am really going to love this in the fall - it just smells so warm on me. I don't think it smells too young, although my daughter does love it and is "sharing" my bottle! Midnight Rose smells younger, with its fruity, raspberry notes. This just smells GOOD. And it does make me happy - like life IS beautiful! It lasts a long time (all day) on me, but stays pretty unobtrusive - its not something you can smell across the room. I like the bottle too - its pretty without being too frou-frou. Overall, yeah, I would buy this again unless I get sick of these scents and move on to something else :)

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glassofwater on 8/16/2012 5:16:00 PM more reviews by glassofwater

Age: 30-35   Skin: Oily   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

Shrill and stomach turning.

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*TOP REVIEWER* nathaliez on 8/14/2012 6:54:00 PM more reviews by nathaliez

Age: 44-55   Skin: Normal, Fair-Medium   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

This is a beautifully crafted perfume! Although I can see the comparison with Flowerbomb in the very top notes, La Vie est Belle is so much more complex, better overall
Flowerbomb is sweet throughout, with not much change. LVEB is more dimensional with notes that are so well crafted, and blend in to create a great scent, a modern chypre with class and sophistication.
The patchouli is present but high quality also, so it isn't overwelming
It is a bold rich scent that will work great in cool weather. In warm weather it can be a bit much.
I will add the lasting power is fantastic!!!

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sk0046 on 8/14/2012 1:59:00 AM more reviews by sk0046

Age: 19-24   Skin: Sensitive, Fair   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Hazel    

I am a big fan of sweet perfumes, and working for Lancôme wanting to wear the fragrances I sell, I was extremely thrilled about this new scent "La Vie Est Belle" - Life is Beautiful. I used to wear Trésor Midnight Rose because it was the only sweet perfume we had. Trésor In Love is also a very beautiful perfume that we have and sell a lot of. I'm very happy to say that LVEB is a wonderful perfume if you like sweet scents. It really is similar to Flower Bomb, but a lot cheaper and I think LVEB smells a little better (: enjoy!

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libbynan on 8/12/2012 11:13:00 AM more reviews by libbynan

Age: 56 & Over   Skin: Normal, Fair   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

I love this scent. I tried it on as a sample yesterday and it still lingers. It reminds me of Angel but not as heavy. Lately it seems like every perfume I try just doesn't last very long. You have to reapply. Not this one. It has a nice chocolate undertone to its scent. Love it.

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*TOP REVIEWER* Shwets on 8/11/2012 3:53:00 PM more reviews by Shwets

Age: 30-35   Skin: Normal, Olive   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Hazel    

This is flowerbombs twin. On my cardi flowerbomb on one arm and la vie on the other, neither me or my friend could tell the difference. On my skin la vie is slightly sweeter and refined. I prefer this to flowerbomb which is slightly masculine on me. Both last just as long. But just not my kind of scent too synthetic smelling and sharp. But flowerbomb lovers need to try as a potential replacement. No need to purchase this if you already own flowerbomb unless you wished flowerbomb was sweeter.

Update 22.08.12 - SA sprayed on me and lasts on my skin like a leech!! It just is too sharp for my liking and irritates me so downgraded from 3 to 2. That same effect that flowerbomb has.

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*TOP REVIEWER* luluhalabaloo on 8/11/2012 1:14:00 PM more reviews by luluhalabaloo

Age: 44-55   Skin: Sensitive, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Hazel    

While it isn't as awful as some of the scents of the last little while, it's still too sweet. It tries, boy does it try, but ultimately, it's just too cloying, at least on me, and while I did not race to wash it off for a change, it wasn't for me. It's probably more suitable for a younger person, although Julia Roberts "ain't no" spring chicken. Too bad - this is a no for me.

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*TOP REVIEWER* yum_yum on 8/11/2012 12:43:00 PM more reviews by yum_yum

Age: 36-43   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

A fruity-praline-patchouli scent that'd smell great on someone else. I tested this on a card in store, not on skin. The review will be updated if it smells very different on skin. But I want to pop this on MUA, in case anyone is curious about it. :) Warning: I use the words 'sweet', 'sweetness' and 'sugar' A LOT in this review.
The sweetness suffocates when first sprayed (instant diabetes), the dry down's better, definitely powdery, if still extremely sweet. It reminds me of Pleasures Delight at the start, but the Lauder is more marshmallow and Lveb is spun sugar or praline-vanilla -- maybe there's a bit of cocoa in there too, but there's so much general sweetness, I can't really tell. I prefer Lancome's Lveb because it's a little less sugary -- (and that speaks volumes about the Lauder). Perhaps there's better differentiation between notes (marginal) because Lveb isn't quite the jumbled sweet-mess that PD becomes on me.
Lveb's patchouli note isn't too loud, which is a minus, because I prefer less praline / vanilla and more patchouli. I get the pear / blackcurrant listed in notes, but the level of sugar in this one really smothers the fruit, and the listed iris is cancelled. I don't get much -- if any -- iris. It smells a little dry, which might be an attempt at iris. If you're good at figuring out gourmand iris scents (I'm not) maybe you'll have better luck. If I look harder than I want to: there's a hint of something like bergamot and orange blossom, no obvious jasmine. But I don't want to focus on a scent like it's a magic-eye picture in order to see past a prominent feature -- in this case vanilla-praline-sugar.
If you liked fruity-patchoulis and want something similar or more youth-oriented, that tweaks and 'updates' the theme -- try Lveb. I prefer the original Badgley Mischka. I've worn Angel, Coco-M and a heap of others in this vein (let's go ahead and add Flowerbomb, even though its patchouli is supposedly light and 'purified').
While the Lancome is nice, it's not all that new. It is softer on the patch than the others, and certainly less heavy on the fruit than BM. But it keeps hitting me with the all-consuming sweet mid-notes. I need something in the base for balance, and the Lancome doesn't deliver. That's probably the update: the lack of heavy patchouli/solid bases which was a feature of the big fruichoulis.
The development on the card is actually pretty good. This could've worked if the sugary notes weren't so girly-but-ferocious. That said -- it isn't loud, exactly -- not in the way Poison, Giorgio or Angel are loud. (I love those perfumes). To me it Lveb is a super-feminine (and a bit more posh) gourmand with a steady, unrelenting, wave of sugar -- and despite its insistent nature, it's a notch above average department store gourmands flooding the market.

It's really not me - hence the low rating. It smells a little young, with no interesting twists. The bottle's okay and I like that the spokeswoman (Julia Roberts) is a grown-up. I just remembered a scent that successfully reworks the heavy fruichouli idea and has a praline-like note in the middle: Angel Innocent. The Mugler is more to my taste because the top has some freshness which cancels out any 'candy-floss' effect -- and it's a little different -- it surprises me. I *think* Ropion worked on both Innocent (with Bruyere) and Lveb (with Flipo and O. Polge). If memory serves -- Oriens by VC&A is another one with praline, if you want mainstream scents with that note. Gourmands I like with obvious fruit notes: Hanae Mori extrait, BM, Delices, Pozo's In Black and Hot Couture. I still think Hypnose by Lancome is one of the brand's better, contemporary releases. Patchouli favourites: I have about a hundred, so I'll stop now!

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