Lancome La Vie Est Belle (Life is beautiful)

A sophisticated patchouli gourmand, La Vie est Belle is sweet and feminine – like its muse Julia Roberts – the ultimate girl next door.  The marketing blurb states that 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.

Okay – we say; on first spray there’s a delicate black-curranty note and a hint of pear before the scent of patchouli and warm praline begin to drift in.  It’s caught up by a few pretty florals – nothing distinguishable but we are told iris and jasmine are the makeup and as the fragrance begins to dry down we are left with hints of the florals, praline and a delicate tonka bean/patchouli/vanilla combo.  This fragrance has quite impressive staying power – the vanilla clings to the skin for many hours after the final notes of tonka bean and patchouli have departed.    We’d say it was a grown-up gourmand – not sickly sweet like ones for younger girls but more for the elegant, confident woman.

We have to take a moment to admire the part you will probably throw away – but the box is so pretty – very pale pink and glittery…more younger girlie than the fragrance would actually turn out to be.  The bottle itself is understated – a simple, smoothly curved design, finished off with a grey chiffon tie around the neck and a nice clunky lid.  Good quality bottle – doesn’t scream at you like  plastic daisies or other gimmicky effects – just quietly confident and refined.

Keywords; Praline, blackcurrant, patchouli, gourmand, vanilla, sweet, powdery

You will probably like this if you like;

Flowerbomb, Miss Dior Cherie, Coco Mademoiselle, Viva La Juicy, anything patchouli based!

Available from all good department stores…try Debenhams