La Vie Est Belle Lancome for women

I hear a lot of people being in love with this perfume. I honestly find it too "safe". Its fragrance does nothing for my soul. Its a blanket of a scent... in my opinion it needs some air, some freshness, some life... My only impression is "suffocating", although the sillage is not enormous. It just fills my nose with "stuff" and leaves me looking for "life" in it... It does not tickle my imagination at all.

It's weird because at times smelling this perfume (it's very popular) I've gotten TONS of patchouli, and others all I could smell was pear + caramel + vanilla.

On my skin La Vie Est Belle sits squarely in the patchouli-less gourmand category. Vanilla and pear. That's about it. The praline note does not come out on me at all. Weirdly I also get no black currant, and normally black currant really stands out to me.

La Vie Est Belle is the new Angel. Everyone's favorite big girl gourmand and probably more lovable because it won't punch you in the face with patchouli. But don't get me wrong, I honestly do not believe they smell all that similar. They were just in the same perfume sorority or whatever.

I am in love with this fragrance. I must admit I was a little reluctant to test it because I assumed it would be too gourmand. I expected it to be cloying and nausiating. I've found out I am anti really really sweet/gourmand perfumes lol.

But oh my god, it's absolutely beautiful right from the very beginning. Sweet? Definitely. Cloying? not at all!!

It kind of reminds me of Hypnotic Posion, not because of the smell, but because of the sweetness and powerfulness they both have(Love them both by the way).

I do find some similarities with Miss Dior le parfum, strangely enough.

I will buy it as soon as I get the chance.

This fragrant beauty is part of the game called 'let's play dress-ups' that we indulged when we were little boys and girls and we snuck into our my mummy's closet and wriggled around in her best dress and high heels and we smeared her fabulous make-up over our faces, draped her necklaces and earrings on every arm and ear, and doused ourselves in her very best perfume. Gazing into the big mirror we were truly queens ...just like our mothers.

Whenever I wear this perfume I know I'm dressing up and being someone else, someone who is wearing ironed clothes (not paint-stained artist's clobber) with smooth sleek hair (not unruly curls sticking up like Einstein's granny), with clean kitchen benches and no dirty dishes, with a shiny dust-free lifestyle that looks like I live in a hotel resort, not a home filled with loud music and teenagers and a lot of chaos and my husband's and my own art projects strewn everywhere. Just for a brief moment this perfume makes me feel like a grown up lady.... but then I get really bored and tip a fistful of home-blended pure essential oils of patchouli/geranium and lemongrass over myself and fling the silly pearls into a teapot on my way back to the garage to paint another masterpiece. Life is wild and unpredictable too.

After so many time looking for a bottle of this beauty in the perfume exchange section,and with no luck.. I decided to order a bottle yesterday and got it on the mail today :-). I am so happy :-) the only bad thing is that this perfume is getting a lot of fame,and it's not a good thing for me as i hate to smell like every girl walking on the street,anyway this is amazing,and lancome will make millions with this,i believe.. Very well done..

So, so very sweet. Comes out loud and synthetic.

The sweetness drowns out everything else, for ever and ever and ever.

I did not find the Flowerbomb similarity, except that both are loud.

The salesladies were crazy about this and looked like they lived with the tester in their hands, spraying everything that moved.

I seriously am HEAD OVER HEELS with this perfume!!!!!! During the time when I was obsessed watching perfume collections on youtube I came across this pretty girl sharing her collection ending with saying that Lancome's La Vie Est Belle is her new fav and it's so candy coated and yummy! I didn't really got the name while I was watching the video, so I went to Lancome and asked them for a tester pointing at my phone with the playing video. I liked it at first and was thinking hmmm shall I buy this one?? then after a few hrs this dries down to a beautiful sweet scent! I was smelling the tester non stop and decided to purchase it on Sephora(really great deal) and have it shipped to my sis' best friend's home in LA and bring it back to me at Hong Kong!After I got my hands on them and I started wearing it... seriously it is A-freaking-Mazing especially with my body chemistry!!!!!! This is now My fav fav fav fav fav perfume!!!!!!!!! I love how long lasting it is and how beautiful it smells on me... it's a sophisticated lady! not mature woman old lady... sometimes I do wish they have another person instead of Julia Roberts for this perfume as she's on the more mature kind of level...yet this is something that also suits a twenty smthg lady that's classy...
Anyways, GREAT PERFUME!!!!! IN LOVE BIG TIME!!!!!!

Wow, this is a 'loud' perfume. I get the ones comparing it to Flowerbomb - they have the same insistent, intense fragrance that lasts forever, but I definitely prefer this one over Flowerbomb.

It's intensely sweet, and I have to apply very little of it or it will easily become too overpowering and headachy, but it is really divine if you don't overdo it.

Sillage is massive if you put too much on, but if you get the dose right be prepared to be engulfed in a sweet, powdery smell all day. Yup, this baby lasts all day and night, which is sooo nice compared to the many perfumes that disappear minutes after application.

I got a sample sizes from Shoppers drug mart. I sprayed it on my wrist, been sniffing it for about 30 mins now reading reviews thinking of what this reminds me of...then I figured it out..it smells like Beyoncé Heat! omg very similar. nothing like flowerbomb

العطر روعه, بس كنت متوقع احلى من جذيه

ريحته بناتيه وايد وسكسي, وريحته مثل وايد من العطور الثانيه, يعني مب وايد مميز

ريحته اتم وايد وايد, بس بعد جمن ساعه يصير شوي هادي

انصحكم فيه لو تحبون ريحه الورد والفواكه, واكيد بيعيبكم, بس لو عندكم مثلا 50 عطر غيره, احس مب لازم تاخذونه

وسعره ب 650 درهم, واكيد بكون أرخص فالمحلات اللي برع المولات وجيه, بس أنا ما أوثق فيهم مادري ليش >

My favorite perfume ever, and I have an extensive wardrobe! LVEB is not for the faint of heart, it's a strong, in your face frag but in the most comforting and delicious kind of way. Smells like Flowerbomb, yes, but it's so potent that it smells more like Flowerbomb Extreme. I own Flowerbomb and I like this better. My bf goes crazy over it, and so do I ;)

This has to be my favourite Lancome fragrance! So delicious! So creamy! So crisp! Yet still so elegant! Must get it as soon as!

When i first tried this perfume (the saleslady insisted that i should) I was kinda surprised at how it resembles "flowerbomb" because i had it and it was a pleasant daily/casual perfume for me and i had a lot of memories with its scent dwelling upon them.
However, the difference is that flowerbomb is more floral and a lot fresher than La vie est belle. Which makes it a better day to day scent than this.
I didn't get the perfume BUT i got it as a gift cause my friend who is also a perfume lover knew that i wanted a perfume out of my comfort zone and she knew that i liked it so she got it for me :D

At first spritz (on my skin) it's quiet loud ( :P ) a lot going on there; patchouli,vanilla, praline and lots and lots of sweet notes. After 5 minutes though the craze calms down a bit and i get patchouli, black current and praline. It's really sweet, i don't get pear though, i bet it's lost in the sea of sweetness going on. I mean it's literally like you're at a chocolate factory or a pastry shop while they're baking. I like pastry and chocolate so i don't mind this at all, it's actually succulent and yummy. Yes, i realize i'm talking about a perfume lol.
After 15 mins though, it gets really pretty, i finally got some jasmine, orange blossom and the sweetness is less now which is good cause it could be really overwhelming on hot days.

The dry down is surprising, it's my favorite part of the transition of this perfume, it's crisp, solid and persistent, tonka beans and vanilla treat each other well enough and they don't mask each other, patchouli is helping them bring out their scents and the praline is now waaaaaay humble than it was at first, there's a powdery feel to this phase as well which i'm guessing is the reason why the praline is toned down.

Best part about the perfume is that it lasts a looooong time, i could wake up and i'd still smell it on my hair. It's a loud perfume, it fills the room and you definitely get noticed so you've to be very discreet while wearing it, a couple of spritz or 3 is enough, if more than that it may make people feel uneasy cause the patchouli and the praline are intense and could bother some people.
It's a day and night perfume, however imo I think it's more fall/winter suitable. It's just warm and cozy.
It's a really fun perfume and is suitable for an outing with your friends.
It gets compliments and people like it. I like it too.

I am going to defend this one. Yes, it is a bit of a marketing fail (this isn't the first advertising campaign to blow a lot of hot air - Lady Gaga I'm looking at you), and yes, there are similarities between this and Flowerbomb, particularly in the opening. But whereas Flowerbomb is based around green patchouli, and packed with fruity-floral freshness, LVEB is more round and sweet. I get mostly vanilla mixed with juicy blackcurrant. Patchouli comes into play later on, and nicely balances out the sweetness of the composition, but without becoming a dominant note. I do agree with other reviewers that this has a bit of a Coco Mademoiselle vibe to it, but is much more sweet and easier on the patchouli. And yes, it may not be particularly unique; it may not be a game changer which redefines the paths of modern perfumery...But it is still a delicious and captivating scent, and it can be enjoyed despite the poor marketing which led us to expect LVEB to be something it just isn't. Also, despite being quite pricey, this is value deal for money - a couple of sprays are enough to fill a room, so even a small bottle should last a long time.

Considering all fragrances, (niches on the one hand and designers on the other) this one is "in the middle", not bad, but not exceptional.

But if we look on its own category, ie fruity-floral designer fragrances, this is clearly one of the best... or less worst, say. (Well, the competition is not very rude... Thanks to all generic pieces of crap)

Like a jaffa cake on flowers.

---

EDIT : Pleasant just for smelling the jaffa cake. But loudy, synthetic and loathful after few minutes. Bleh :/

In fact, I dislike it.

I'm really surprised at how popular this scent has gotten. I once had a sample of it and was really turned off by it. To my nose, it smells tacky...cheap. Very synthetic, no natural fresh notes in there... Nothing wrong with synthetic, when you're able to get at least some of the notes to smell like the real essence from nature. But that is absent here. Add to that its heaviness, and I was really feeling nauseous after a while of having it on my wrist.

I'm also surprised Lancome would release something like this. Was expecting better quality from them. The thing about it is that even on paper it smelled that way to me, so I really don't think it's all about body chemistry here. I love the concept and the name, but come on... when you imagine the beauty of life, you don't think of artificial heavy sweetness. Where is the freshness, elegance and sensuality? Too bad...

Overwhelmingly sweet, to me, it's lacking some fresh notes to balance the sticky sweet smell. Longevity is great though. Tried a little spritz on my wrist before bed and could smell it on my skin even after I took my morning shower. It kinda smelled a little better after a few hours but then it became too powdery. Powerful stuff!

Yummy....as a proud owner of the original Miss Dior Cherie edp, I can say that this is a very similar fragrance and is just as beautiful.

I get strawberries and patchouli,sweetness and warmth.I also own Angel and find that this is not nearly as intense or spicy, it is much mellower and office-friendly. Angel can even give me a headache in small doses and I find it hard to believe that La Vie est Belle could offend anyone (when worn in moderation).

I tend to dislike Lancome fragrances as I find them far too powdery (makes my nose twitch) but this one is absolutely gorgeous.

This will be my next full priced fragrance purchase, or a request for my birthday in July.

Wow - it's so sweet!

I can't develop a taste for this. It reminds me of a drugstore bodyspray.
However I really like the bottle and the color.

Ropion? Polge? I would never have guessed in a million years they could be, in any form or fashion, at all responsible for this fragrance. It is, by far, one of the WORST "scents" it's been my misfortune to experience. I don't care how clever the marketing campaign, nothing can redeem this rancid-smelling concoction. No disrespect intended to those who truly like/love La Vie est Belle--to each their own. However, I'm quite passionate in my opinion. I find it to be pedestrian (at best), overstated (understatement), pretentious, headache-inducing, nauseatingly saccharine, ferociously strong, ridiculously overpriced, and completely unwearable. If one knew nothing about the parfumeur/manufacturer nor the ad campaign, and were to sample this from a plain, glass bottle,--a blind "smell test" as it were--how then would you feel about this fragrance? That's rather a rhetorical question but an important one to consider. The power of advertising is legend and it plays no small part here. I don't allow advertisers to dictate what is a "must have", only I determine that. This wretched stuff has nothing whatever to do with life being beautiful, Paris, mega-airbrushed photos of Julia Roberts, on and on. This has everything to do with the power of mind control, price-gauging, a disappointing lack of originality in composition, and Lancome putting more time, effort, and money into "image" than into their product. Flash over substance.

In the Fragrantica description it states there were over 5,000 versions and it took over three years in "in probation"? I find that VERY hard to believe and would like to see written proof/documentation from the company to substantiate that bizarre claim. Why bizarre? Because, after all of that, THIS version is the best they had to offer?! Ridiculous.

In my opinion this smells nothing like Flowerbomb although I can understand why some make the comparison. You know, opportunistic perfume companies: adding praline, brown sugar, vanilla, caramel, marshmallow, is NOT the answer to everything. It's gotten so you can't tell one fragrance from the other, they all smell alike. Black Currant (note du jour) is in EVERYTHING. Pear. Etc, etc. I much prefer a fragrance that has something NEW to say. Not one that takes the "safe" route and serves up yet another incarnation of the same crap that's been served up for years. Then they put it in what they believe to be (or want you to believe it) an impressive vintage flacon, stick a $70+ price tag on it, and hope you've been brainwashed sufficiently to believe you own the most "elegant" perfume in the history of the world. Well, think again! This one is a complete miss and could be used to kill termites.

For shame!

For a while this was a favorite, even though there was someting about it that wasn't quite right for me (patchouli). A highlight was the afternoon a pushy and disgruntled customer followed behind me saying he had no idea what I was wearing but he knew I smelled good. He was mad as could be but we both laughed because he was right -- I did smell good.

I have this brand new 75ml, just few sprays missing, and would like to sell or swap it. Thought it could replace my favourite Flowerbomb, but it cant. So, if u are interested, im waiting for messages. :)

Germany:
Oh, Angel, that evil poison!
I dislike anything with strong patchouli and this case is not a exception. It didn't suit the few women I met. But if this has so many fans, there must be a reason. I'm sure it must be their chemistry. When I tested LVEB on my skin, it smelled sweet and lovely and I'm sure that's how it smells on you too! But on my review I think I must be honest: this perfume is not that innocent and friendly as the adverstising makes you think, at all!

GentlewomanX I see where your coming from. I think the same way about Angel. I love Angel though but it's super odd on some and nice on others and I haven't yet figures out why that is. Chemistry can't be that much of a factor on a perfume or can it? Or could it be that some shower daily and others don't ? Some use to much ? I am not sure but I haven't had the experience with this scent smelling overwhelming I usually mix this up with flowerbomb. but as I said with Angel i have had bad experiences I love patchouli though.

Germany: I'm basing my review on just a few women. When I first tested La Vie Est Belle, I thought it was a sweet delight. But on them, that sweet note was overshadowed by patchouli. It seemed like the remains of a perfume they wore the night before. I hate patchouli, so I'm being very partial on this.

Gentlewomanx ; seriously? Dirty hair? I don't see where you are coming from at all????

ForrealMe2. I agree 100% the two are so similar that I have mixed them up on people as well. They certainly are different when compared side by side. There was a time last winter when I disliked Flowerbomb and much preferred la Vie ! But then it got too much for me too. It is a very strong scent , major silage. A silage BOMB I don't like the bottle better thought and I don't like Lamcome as much as Victor and Rolf. But as far as the scents go , well I may slightly prefere la vie at the moment. But that can change again. I have Flowerbomb in different flankers which I love. La vie is one and one thing only. But my husband says it smells like candy. He says the same about flowerbomb! He cannot tell them apart at all.

this perfume can change from time to time as i have stated before..but overall when i retry it it is definately very similar to flowerbomb..i personally don't understand why lancomb would higher the same people that made flowerbomb to make this perfume to make such a similar scent..perhaps they knew they could pull in more sales if they sold the same scent slightly changed for a lesser price and get away with it...on the other hand i dunno i love this bottle way more than flowerbomb..my husband told me that it smells like flowerbomb when i resprayed it yesterday and he's not an experienced nose so what does that tell you?...so for the price i am going to go with this one...the bottle is too pretty over flowerbomb..it's one of my favorite bottles its that pretty in person...i'm a sucker for bottles too..La vie just shines and screams feminine..for the price range of $160 versus $95 i think Lancome did a tricky yet smart call with this one..i'm definately buying this bottle for now on for that price tag..

The first time I smelled this on a woman, I tought she didn't have taken a shower that morning. I tought it was her dirty hair what I was smelling. I know sweetchoulies are the trend now, but I can't understand why. It seems that a lot of people like to smell like they have been partying all night long and rushed to the door to work/classes. Hey, to each his own! But I must say, they all smell like dirty hair to me.

Like it but don't reach for it much. My husband says it smells like candy and reminds him of flowerbomb extreme. I agree. It's nice. More for colder days Gourmand !

I cannot seem to understand all the hate here for La Vie Est Belle, especially because of the insane number of compliments Ive been getting wearing this? La vie cant possibly be so terrible! On my skin this is a juicier more vibrant and contemporary Allure Sensuelle brightened with a pear note. The drydown is even sexier.

I tried this awhile ago and it was sickly sweet. Cute bottle, but I'll pass on the fragrance.

It opens with some fruity scents then quickly dries down into praline, vanilla and patchouli scents. The praline is dominant. Though the patchouli tends to balance it with some earthiness, it doesn't seem to be enough. I find it at the limit of being cloying sweet even with one spritz. Plus I have difficulty to associate the fragrance with the supposed image of a 'beautiful life'. I'm not very inspired. But the longevity is 9h+ and the sillage is quite good. Maybe I'll test again sometime.

EDIT: I tested it again today and I insist using it sparingly. Not only just one spritz but one litte spritz. This time I detect the fruits and floral scents much better and they helped a lot to pull the praline back from being cloying sweet.

Copy of flowerbomb not identical but very similar. I have mistaken it a few times on people and I own both.

I'm sad saying this but I can't like this fragrance: I'm a little bit boring about this parfum created just to me us say "oh, It's so nice" if we feel it on our friend/sister/collegue! This one has absolutely nothing new...is the tipical fragrance you will use if someone gives it to you as a gift, but not the one I want to buy after smelling! Not memorable at all.

La Vie Est Belle is a delicate,sweet fragrance. It is not overpowering, yet it has precense. This a soft, whspy fragrance...it's how I would think angels would smell.La Vie lasted about 6 hours on me and I got so many compliments. I love this perfume. I will always have a bottle in my armoire.

I had a terrible first meeting with this fragrance. A women in her early forties, a grey mouse, not looking trendy, nor messy, entered the store and sprayed her self five or six times in a BIG fog of La Vie Est Belle. Then she quickly made her way to the escalator and dissapeared.

So many mixed feelings woke up in me. Astonishment/madness because of the huge, agressive fragrance fog and the shamless acting, at the same time I feel pity for her (maybe she was poor, but 5 or 6 sprays?!), but was very happy because I liked the scent that I smelled.

Now about the scent: I smelled a rich, expensive, sweet rounded fragrance. A little fruity, a little gourmand, with some nice patchouli - not too strong, but definitely prominent. I would really like it, but I can't get rid of this disturbing memory of it.

But the point is - I will never ever forget La Vie Est Belle.

not for sunny days ... for winter is perfect!!!!!!!!!

I have smelled this perfume in the magazines and KNEW it would be my signature scent from then on out. I recently purchased the biggest bottle in the pack that comes with the little parfume and the lotion and! I regret buying it. It doesnt smell bad it just smells like not really citrusy but fruity I guess I dont really care for it any more and so wish that i should of just went with my gut and bought Viva La juicy. I prefer sexy scents, and La vie est bell just smells like a more grownup version of fruityness that doesnt smell cheap. I wish i never bought it.

As some commenters have said, it does smell like candy. Right now I am in extermly hot weather and maybe that is why it doesnt smell as good as i had hoped. I am going to try it again in the winter and hopefully it smells better on my skin. I only bought this becuase out of alll the lancome perfumes this was the only one that smelled the best. i guess after sticking a bunch of scents up my nose that day, is what made La via belle smell better than i thought

Now I know what the monstrous fragrance is that an acquaintance of mine emits in a ten foot radius.

I tried a sample of this and the top notes are wonderful. Sweet, juicy berry is what I smell. But suddenly it's gone, and a syrupy, heavy, cloying, patchouli incense digs in and stays for the long haul. I can't scrub it off and it's so head-achy, not for me.

I wish I got the praline scent others seem to, but I don't. It smells so very heavy on said acquaintance too, but she doesn't seem to mind.

I am wearing this today, although only on my wrists, as I knew it was very sweet, and I usually only like these types of fragrance in winter. It was chilly this morning, so I thought I'd give it a try. I like it, not love it. It is sweet...someone at work said I smelled like a creamsicle...not sure if she meant that was good or bad. The bottle is beautiful. May try another sample when it gets warmer to see if I like it in the heat.

LOVE IT. Says it all!

Today I feel very playful and feminine becouse I am wearing La Vie Est Belle. :) Sweet and lovely. I feel like a sweet chocolate in a small lovely box . :) Happy scent.

La Vie est Belle celebrates the triumph of being over having and opinion. Celebrates the joy of living, the smile and confidence of every woman who does not hesitate to be happy.

The fragrance notes values of femininity, which crossed ages of rebellion, ambition, equality, materialism, and finally realization. Take happiness as the new zeitgeist. The campaign includes Julia Roberts, owner of the world's most famous smile. It is a fragrance with a soul.
The bottle is inspired by the orignial bottle of fragrance, created in 1949. There has logo marks throughout the flask. Its lines are elegant and design refers to the scarf around his neck typically French.. I love it.. and it´s a MUST HAVE for me..

This stuff smells like candy, and really who doesn't like the smell of candy? I can see the creators were aiming for a real crowd pleaser, and they're pretty much on the mark if it weren't for a couple problems.

Praline, vanilla, and a whole lot of patchouli are the key players in this fragrance. I don't get too much fruit, but they're hanging around with the vanilla. This is the epitome of sweet, and its a little disturbed by some patchouli. I can't decide if the patchouli gives it some dirtiness or earthiness, but it does its patchouli thing. All around, its a sticky, sweet bomb of sweetness that is more than enough to satisfy the biggest sweet tooth out there.

My problem is with how strong this is. I know, how on earth could crazy sillage and longevity be a problem in a perfume? Well, its not. But in this particular fragrance its overwhelming. It doesn't matter how little of it you smell, spray, catch a whiff of, or heck, even thinking about this scent. This fragrance overpowers your sense of smell and overrides all other smells. It travels up your nostrils and takes root in your nose, and once its there its not going anywhere. No amount of nose blowing, coffee whiffing, or fresh air will get this stuff out of your nose. It settles in for the long hall and sets up shop. One whiff of this and you will be smelling nothing but this for some time to come, my friend.

Does it smell yummy? Sure. Is it a weapon of mass nasal blockage and potential headache inducement? Most definitely. Do I still want to smell it from time to time and subject myself to a full 24 hours of smelling nothing but this? Occasionally... But that's just me. Others might want to spare their fellow humans and themselves from the nasal assault.

Very, very sweet. I think it is too much to be honest. I blame it on the praline. Anyways, I would not wear it myself but if you are going for a very sweet smell, you should go for it.

How weird, on my skin this is basically a dupe of coco mademoiselle and when I came here to check what everybody else thought I was surprised to see flowerbomb? How? I guess it's definately a scent that works with body chemistry, for every one their own. But to me la vie est belle is just a sugared version of CM and to be honest, I would prefer the latter anytime. Even if LVEB had been the first one to come out, it would still lack style.. too linear, too sweet and also a bit boring.
But still, you have to give Lancome credit for the choice of words for the name.. just spray some of it on and you'll know what a beautiful life smells like. And people will buy it.

I love Lancôme perfumes but when I smelled this I imediatly felt sick. It´s tooooo patchouliish for me...

To meama: yes, it's true this fragrance is identical to the ones you mention. However, Flowerbomb gives me the worst headache ever, and Million smells like bug spray. But I do want to wear a sweet sugary fragrance and La Vie fits the bill for me. It works with chemistry, does not give me a headache, and smells like Flowerbomb.

My 2nd edit didn't register as a new review so I wanted to post this again since this is one of those fragrances that fills the room (Prada and Angel too). I'm sad that so many people prefer to talk about people than to them. If you find their perfume too strong for work, please take them aside and politely tell them some coworkers are allergic, think it's too strong, etc. Refuse to name names even if they ask. Just end it with "I thought you'd like to know".

I dont think it smells like Flowerbomb at all, but what do I know about horses?!
I find this extremely sweet, probably the most caramel scent I have ever smelled, and although it is pretty and round, it's too sticky for me.

Often people do not know that when they buy Paco Rabanne (million) or V&R (flower bomb) or Lancome(la vie est belle) they buy at the same company the same product with a different appearence.
Lancome and Paco and V&R and ... is just a portion of L'Oreal. And the variation between these two(3-4...) parfumes create by the sames noses are like variation between two washing powders. An illusion to sell more.
L'Oreal is one of the biggest company in cosmetic products. They try to Produce many very cheap products (it's ok) with an image of luxury and quality thay have not (no more).

29)how is this possible? make three noses working at the same time to get out at the end a perfume that smells like sugar kitchen. The bottle costs more than the content.
I do not even dare to mention the publicity surrounding it, "out of convenience" (??) "Differentiate" (??) ... It's just insulting people who don't know much in perfume, make them buy what is poorer by the illusion of luxury.
About this scent, in Top there is the iris, a very small, almost non-existent iris and also very poor. Then direct after it's all about excessive sugar. I thought people would be saturated with all these candy flavors that give indigestion but no ... Lancome only wants money (au revoir les parfums).
Juste a shame.

comment cela est-il possible? faire travailler trois nez en même temps pour sortir à la fin un parfum qui sent le sucre de cuisine. Le flacon coûte plus cher que le contenu.
Je n'ose même pas parler de la publicité faite autour de ça, "sortir des convenances" (???) "se différencier" (???)...c'est juste insulter les gens qui ne s'y connaissent pas beaucoup en parfum, leur faire acheter ce qu'il y a de plus médiocre par l'illusion du luxe.
En tête il y a de l'iris. un iris très faible, presque inexistant et en plus très pauvre. Puis directement tout tourne autour du sucre à outrance. Je pensais que les gens seraient saturés de bonbons avec tous ces parfums qui donnent des indigestions mais non...Lancome veut de l'argent.

...I'm sorry but this is just... candy...
Very sticky.
A woman at the office on my school wears it and it's always too much.
Everyone complains about it behind her back.

Yes.
It smells nice, but not on a person, no!

This reminds me of Miss Dior Cherie. Lucious and sweet with a caramel like note. This also lasts a longgg time. Too strong for work but I'll definitely get to enjoy this outside of work.

EDIT: A bit warmer and richer than original MDC and a lot cheaper than the current Miss Dior.

2nd EDIT: It really sucks that people prefer to talk about you instead of to you. If you find someone's perfume offensive at work, take them aside and nicely tell them that some coworkers are allergic or feel your perfume is too heavy for the office. You don' t have to name names, but just say "I thought you might want to know". I love the smell of this but I realize it's too strong for work. Great for spraying on my sheets, etc. Lasts for days.

I'm amazed to see that so many people think this is like Flowerbomb. I didn't like Flowerbomb at all, somehow it felt really thin and fleeting on my skin, although the longevity was good. La vie est belle has more depth. This is sweet, but not at all sickly sweet, when sprayed in moderation. I think Flowerbomb is more of a floral, and La vie est belle a gourmand.

EDIT
This is very heavy patchouli. Like all patch scents, this seems to work better for me now when the weather gets warmer.
Now that i been wearing La Vie est Belle a few times, i really don't find it sweet. The patchouli makes the overall feeling somewhat earthy, with a little sweet twist.

The body lotion smells amazing btw, i think i like it more than the perfume. The strong patchouli is missing in that, and the sweetness comes out in a subtle way.

Life is beautiful. That's the name of this beautiful perfume. Yes, I got two samples of it recently and I have already had beautiful days with La vie est belle.

It's that kind of perfume where all the notes seem to appear to my nose, in a perfect and well balanced composition. Of course some of the notes we only can smell properly after some time, but when I spray this perfume on my skin and two minutes are gone, I can smell all the notes in a beautiful way.

The first thing I get is a huge and high quality floral aroma mixed with patchouli. As perfumers Olivier Polge, Anne Flipo and Dominic Ropion say, the natural ingredients used in La vie est belle are really natural... it's really enjoyable to smell, really pleasent. I can smell the black currant, giving a sweet, fresh and strong scent to the fragrance, together with the elegance of pear, also very fresh, but not so sweet in this one. Iris is here. Orange blossom. Jasmine. All of them perfectly mixed. It's just incredible the way La vie est belle mixed the notes, and how they work on my skin and projecting into the air... the patchouli makes this perfume so sophisticated, so classy, so expensive... it does smell expensive... and some hours later, the gourmand side of the perfume comes stronger, with a delicious vanilla, an irresistible tonka bean and a warm praline.

I think this is the most strong perfume I have. It's impressive... it does not stop projecting and it lasts on my skin and on my hair forever and ever... very good power!

The idea for La vie est belle was amazing, wasn't it? This name... Julia Roberts in that beautiful commercial... the thing of not to follow rules and making happiness our way, by ourselves... the shiny box, the bottle inspired in that Lancôme's old bottle... a modern classic that was brought to life by the hands of three of France's leading perfumers...

Oriental. Gourmand. Full of iris. Floral, then. And chypre. Fresh. Sweet. Refined. Powerful. Beautiful. That's what I can say...

La vie est belle show us that life is beautiful, after all. That fresh and clear notes can go beautifully with sweeter and stronger ones. That's like life, isn't it? Could we be winners if all was just easy, if we didn't have any trouble to superate? We are made to learn with mistakes. We are supposed to find light even in the darkest of times. And even though we have problems... life is beautiful. And it's beautiful to be alive. And it's beautiful to live, just being who we are.

I didn't particularly care for it. I found cloying sweetness and then the patchouli punched me in the face. That pain lasted all day, so there IS much to be said about its longetivity.

Go for it if you're a sweetness or vanilla fan. Otherwise, back away from the tester table and move on.

i sprayed this at night time so my hubby could enjoy it since he likes the scent and i could still smell this on my pajamas 24 hours later!this is a delicate yet strong sweetness..worth every flippin pennay! lol this is for gourmand,sweet lovers..i don't see how some don't smell the sweetness because this one lingers and lingers especially on clothes..its on my top list for sure

Yesterday we were shopping with my bf. So I have tested this and showed it to my bf. He was like " you dont like this right? Good cuz it smells awfull" I personally dont like it either. Very sick annoying sweet.

Craziness. I sprayed this on both my arms yesterday evening around 9 PM. It is now 9:30 PM THE NEXT DAY, and although I showered this morning, there is still a very faint smell of La Vie est Belle on my left arm. That is crazy longevity!

EDIT: My friend gave me a bottle for my birthday!!! YAY!

I agree wholeheartedly with Kitka. There was no sweetness in any phase of this perfume on me. I couldn't believe it was so different from the product description. It reminded me of any number of other fumes out there today-nothing original here.

This didn't work at ALL for me. I thought it would be very sweet based on all the reviews I read, but it didn't sweeten up for me until about 4 hrs after spraying it. Never did I see even a hint of flowerbomb --that would have been much appreciated.

For the first few hours the scent was quite bitter and strong smelling--not pleasant to be around. I agree with the reviewer that mentioned a pepper smell because I can't think of a better way to describe the bitter chemical-like smell. I really wanted to wash it off.

I got a sample of this at Sephora and for some reason I was underwhelmed. It did nothing for me. I tried it over a span of two weeks and nothing. I was looking forward to a less expensive alternative to Flowerbomb but I see I'm going to have to just save up for the real deal according to my liking. Not a bad scent fragrance at all, but it's just not for me.

This is such vanilla, sweet, sugary scent that I was surprised to see patchouli as a note. I love sweet perfumes so next time I am in a perfume store I’m going to have to spray some on my skin to give it on final test. Right now I'm smelling a magazine insert.

wow...wow...wow...what a wonderful fragrance..a few days ago, i went to my nearest perfume counter and have A SPRAY on my wrist...i dap it to my neck too...as soon as it touch my skin, ive covered with this cloud of fragrance which smell soooooo good! OMG...at first spritz, i smell a whole bunch of fruits and i take up to 2-3 hours later to dry down to creamy patchouli based and its still retain the fruitiness of the fruit...i havent own 1, but this definitly go to my wishlist! thanks LANCOME for such a fragrance! LOVE IT..as far for the longivity, it stay on my skin for the whole day with A SINGLE SPRITZ

amazing perfume , one of my top perfumes i bought ever , i cant stop smelling it each time i wear , i wear it also when i got depressed , it makes me happy ,

I tried LVB in the winter and i felt it was overbearingly sweet and almost made me feel ill, like i would have eaten a big cake.

Most complimented fragrance i ever had :)

There is a definite likeable familiarity with this scent. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, then it finally came to me. It reminds me of one of my husband's Axe body sprays. I can't quite remember which one, but it is a rather generic smell. Not bad, but why pay for generic that could be half a dozen other fumes? Nothing special for me here.

This is VERY strong ind the beginning. But after about half an hour, it turns into a very sweet and a little flowery scent.

I do not (normally) like sweet scents, cause I think it is too young and girly for me (29 years old). This is just sweet in a mature and delicious way. I think this is the only sweet fragrance I've smelled, that I really want to buy!

It sits close to skin, and has a good staying power (about 6-8 hours).

Vanilla, sweet, sugary scent, not my style i'm into the floral acquatics and greens, veeery long lasting with huuuge sillage, very well made although its not my cup of tea, i think its simillar to euphoria by CK but sweeter.

I hope they NEVER discontinue this! It reminds me of Violette Angel if you've ever smelt it! Makes me want to eat and cuddle myself :P just try it!
Thick lashings of blackcurrant syrup, heavy praline, smouldering/dirty patchouli. The tonka bean brings it all together wonderfully. I LOVE it!

Half Mademoiselle, half Fantasy or any other celebrity sugar scent. You fill in the blank.

Shameless copy of FlowerBomb

This is what perfume is supposed to smell like.

It's interesting that there are so far no references to the similarity of Lancome's La Vie Est Belle to TM's Angel. Both perfumes are pretty similar, La Vie Est Belle only lacks the depth of Angel and it rather resembles an "uncomplete" version of it.
Something with this perfume is quite raw. Praline and patchouli together (plus the vanilla!) is an incredibly hard combination. It is potent enough to literally give one nausea. And patchouli here is dirty. Pralines and vanilla make it sweet, hence we have a pretty much dirty-sweet fragrance here. That's a big no.
La Vie Est Belle is way too much of something which is already wrong.

This one is so sweet it gave me one of the worst headaches ever when I tested it! And I normally love the sweeties...Fantasy, Fancy, Miss Dior Cherie 2005, etc., you name it...but this one is just so thick and overpowering, silly me thinking that the initial spray would make way for something more interesting, it stays strongly sweet, getting louder and more overbearing by the second hour mark that I just had to scrub it off...I suppose it would work perfectly in the dead of winter? Well, I've enjoyed many of Lancome's offerings (Hypnose, Miracle, and Miracle Forever are my faves), but La Vie Est Belle is a big NO for me, it's the first Lancome frag I can say I dislike...it must be the combination of praline, blackcurrant, orange flower and patchoulli, all big loud notes. Sillage is mega and it lasts forever (unfortunately for me). I wish they hadn't discontinued Miracle Forever, it's much better than this one, strong and almost as sweet, with similar notes of blackcurrant. patchoulli and vanilla, but not as sickly, and much sexier and deeper with spice and woods instead of cheap candy overload.

I smelt this while shopping in macy's and it smelt quite nice. Sort of like Britney Spears curious but has a little bit sweeter scent.

I've never had cravings for a particular fragrance. I do for Belle. I went back to the department store a second time to spray it on a tissue and placed it in a plastic baggy. Now I've ordered it and am counting the days until its arrival. I hope my beau will find it equally exhilarating. (My father loves it.)

It's a chameleon of a parfum. One moment, it's a delicious caramel-y, and I want to nibble off my wrist. The next moment it's floral. Sometimes I detect cocoa and something a bit smoky.

The name of a perfume is important to me. Life is always beautiful even when I have fallen from my mistakes or the road has been strewn with rubble.

Viva la vie!

These sophisticated patchouli gourmands are so popular right now...Flowerbomb, coco mademoiselle, and Miss Dior Cherie etc.

Lancôme is definitely capitalising on this trend. La Vie Est Belle when first sprayed smells almost identical to Flowerbomb. But the dry down is really when you can separate them. While Flowerbomb is definitely more floral with strong tea and orchid notes, La Vie Est Belle dries down to a soft vanilla patchouli musk.

Although they are in the same vein, La Vie Est Belle is more of a gourmand scent. La Vie Est Belle is more foody sweet while Flowerbomb is more floral sweet. Both are great but I think La Vie Est Belle may have the advantage because it doesn't have that initial strong floral blast that Flowerbomb has.

The moment I smelled La Vie, I fell in love with it. This reminds me of nothing else! I swapped for Flowerbomb a few years ago and found it to be weak and watery. Of course, I alway respect other people's options because we are all different.
La Vie is the most elegant perfume I have ever smelled, and I am enamored of it. To me, it starts out strong with a mixture of heavenly florals, spices, and fruits and a base note I am not sure of. It is perfectly blended; an absolute masterpiece. It settles down to a soft warmth and is not heavy at all. Love, love this!!

Gorgeously sweet, syrupy and feminine. I love it and it lasts all day. Perfect!

Entirely too sweet. I am going to wash it off.

Às vezes, penso que seja um pouco doce demais, ou ainda que me lembre muito aquele cheiro característico dos esmaltes, mas ainda me agrada. A entrada é intensa, que me fez lembrar o A*Men de Thierry Mugler, que com o passar do tempo se suaviza, não perdendo poder de silagem nem de longevidade. Ao meu ver não há muita evolução. O talco é bem perceptível mas não incomoda, o "cheiro" doce dos demais perfumes é bem diferente do La Vie, é um doce mais sofisticado, confortável é a palavra correta para defini-lo. Algumas frutas podem ser percebidas, juntamente com o patchouli que se faz muito presente. Cuidado com a quantidades de borrifadas! Se exagerado, incomoda.

Fragância: 07/10
Longevidade: 09/10
Silagem: 7/10
Compraria novamente: Talvez.
Compra às cegas: Não.
Elogios: Poucos.

Too sweet for me. Not interesting

Tuto vůni používám půl roku a už se těším až jí spotřebuji.Hlava a srdce vůně jsou překrásné.Základ je kyselí a čpící až nepříjemný.Je to držák.Škoda že na mé pokožce se rozkládá tak ošklivě.Už si jí nekoupím.

Cheap chocolate, vanilla, patchouli and black currant. The most disgusting combination ever. A woman shouldn't smell like this. Awful. Sickly thick sweetness...

Here where i live it seems now like half of every women uses this. Maybe over than a half.

This is sweet in a cheap way. I love sweet scents but this is just too... dull and cheap. And way too common. Easy scent to wear, i guess.

I just can't get idea behind this perfume. 'Cause i don't say this is a bad scent at all but maybe... it don't have that personal twist and a carachter that i search from perfumes.

This is just one of those easy ones that you can't love or hate.

For me, it is like some cheap thing in chinese shop. Sooo unpleasant sweet.

I'm in love with La Vie now.. glad at last my search for vanilla perfume is finally over :)
My skin seems does't work well with some vanilla perfume, floral vanilla to be exact.

La vie, fortunately, is a fruity vanilla, that makes this perfume smells wonderful, not overly sweet, thus not yucky.
Also, there's praline that add extra depth without making you want to gag.
And many compliments received whenever I wear La Vie.

Sillage and longevity 8/10

I have no idea why this perfume has received so many dislikes. I don't have it, but I've sampled it several times and I'm actually wearing it right now. Maybe it's because it's a strong fragrance for so many people. People have become more accustomed to perfumes that can only be detected if the other person is a foot or less away. I'm not saying that I like the extreme opposite, which would be an unbearably strong fragrance, but this in my opinion is perfect. It projects, but doesn't seem suffocating. Like I said, I'm wearing it right now and I can smell it on myself without being totally overwhelmed. It's beautiful, warm, inviting, sexy and just a great fragrance. It's sweet and floral, but womanly at the same time. I can't wait until I have the money to buy this. It's totally a winner in my book.

*Update* I sprayed this on myself around 8 last night. It is now about 1:30 pm the next day and I can STILL smell it. It's faint, but still, that's AMAZING. One of the best perfumes longevity wise.

Interestingly enough, 2 of the Noses who created La Vie est Belle -

Olivier Polge & Dominique Ropion

also created Flowerbomb (according to the Fragrantica blurb...)

I know Flowerbomb very well (as it is my signature fragrance) and in my opinion this is definitely NOT like Flowerbomb. They are both sweet and "electric" like fireworks, but I cannot consider them copies. Flowerbomb is a beautiful symphony of flowers with a good dash of sweetness. La Vie Est Belle has a kind of euphoric sweetness with a few fruits and flowers. They are in the same genre (both sweet and flowery), but different smells.

I usually don't like very sweet perfumes, but I really like this one. I can smell something fresh in the back, something like citrus (when I smell my wrist, not in the air around it). I think it's a great blend.
Also this is the only perfume my boyfriend can smell, the only one he can notice as he passes by. Usually I have to ask him if he likes the perfume I'm wearing, but not with this one. It's a strong fragance to wear just if you want to get noticed.

La vie est belle is a sweet, very feminine fragrance with enormous sillage and lasting power. It is very similar to Flowerbomb but still different enough to not being regarded as a plain copy.

As much as I like this fragrance and have been wearing it quite a bit during fall/winter I still wished Lancôme would have launched something more innovative and unique.

Lasting power: very good.
Sillage: good.
I tried this few times and I didn't like it. But Sephora put samples of it in my bag and after I read all the polemic comments I gave it a second chance. I still don't like it and it gives me headache. I have tried it in different weather, few times on my skin and once on my clothes.
It is very similar to Flowerbomb,that is a fact. Better or worse this is subjective. But this was created by 3 "noses".There are tons of perfumes that I don't like but I can appreciate the idea or some innovation. Only good thing that this babe has is lasting power, very impressive.
( I could expect this from Anne Flippo but how could you Dominique after all you have done for Frederic Malle? By the way Dominique created Flowerbomb too, so after having so good sales I believe they decided to do something similar. )

Oh so only Flowerbomb can make sweet perfumes!!?? I feel La vie est Belle is an improvement over Flowernomb, not as sickly sweet, more complex, a beautiful creation by Lancôme!!
I love it!!

A flowerbomb replica with nutty praline among the top notes (that dissappears very quickly though). I hate it when Perfume Houses follow the recipe of success someone else invented, they should bring copyright laws to perfumery! It is a nice perfume, yes, but what Lancome did here is just ridiculous. Thumbs down for Lancome

I liked it when I first purchased it, but after wearing it a couple of times, I realized that it triggered my migraine both times. It was an impulse purchase and I'm not able to return it. Perfumes normally don't last long on my very dry skin, but this is sticking with me like I fell in to a vat of chocolate. It will go to the back of the shelf and will never be used again. Ordinary, cheap and not up to Lancome standards IMHO.

This perfume is too sweet and heavy for me.
It triggered my allergies to the point that I could barely breathe and even gave me a headache.
Not for me.

this is the one and only perfume with patchouli that I can forgive. La Vie Est Belle is gorgeous and I want this damn perfume so bad. I feel like it would be my "special occasion" perfume. I would buy the smallest bottle possible and only use it selectively. great job Lancôme!

OH MY FREAKIN GOSH!!LOVE LOVE LOVE!!! It smells very similar to Flowerbomb but the praline in it gives it some twists and turns because i am smelling different sweet notes from time to time so it evolves and i love when fragrances do that and its not linear..also it has great sillage and it lasts a long time..wow..i can smell rose in it as well and citrus..what a gorgeous fragrance..it is not as sweet or sharp as flowerbomb its a tad less..so if you found flowerbomb too too sweet but you want the same scent this is the way to go its a bit more mature but still sweet and it really changes in its sweetness..i even smelled Amor Amor in here as well by Cacharel..but the best thing about this perfume is it gets better and better over time and usually most fragrances don't do this..They really knew what they were doing when they chose those famous perfumers to develope this scent it's just so multifaceted.Absolutely Gorgeous!The bottle is beautiful in person you guys so well crafted and sturdy and it looks like its wearing a little scarf..too cute..it looks like a sophisticated lady would wear it...what a delight.. i think after all the scents i have ever had so far this one will satisfy my sweet tooth and the need for class and keep my interests..at least until they make something way better..lol..The wonderful part about this fragrance is that its a fraction of the price of Flowerbomb and the bottle suits me better!Finally a sophisticated gourmand i can really enjoy and repurchase that says..Me!..They really took some thought about all the things a woman likes and wants from a perfume and it shows..Job well done Lancome!

I tried this one at Sephora, it smells very nice, very feminine and sweet. I could still smell it on my wrist the next morning. I went to sephora gain to buy it, but i tried it again and hated it, it's so weird but now i smell something very cheap and too sweet.

Really nice gourmand. Starts like flowerbomb, but in few minutes this one reminds me a little bit of Miss Dior Cherie. Later, it's smells like chocolate with vanilla, praline and caramel. So yummy!!

Too sweet and vanillaish. At fisrt I liked it. Minutes later I cant`t stand it anymore.Also a very ordinary kind of scent for my limited perception...

Just by chance I wandered into Sephora today and was on a sniff fest, I knew I liked La Vie Est Belle because I absolutely wore out the sniffy strip that I found in Vogue last week! I spritzed it on my right wrist and on a tester strip and continued shopping. I then came across Flowerbomb, now I already own Flowerbomb but it is the rollerball and though I do like it I don't love it, I sniffed the bottled which smelled lovely, I spritzed Flowerbomb on my left wrist and on a tester strip. I didn't know folks were comparing these two perfumes but by a happy cooincidence I now have a great comparison right under my nose, so to speak...

La Vie Est Belle is a total powerhouse! This is not a wimpy fragrance, I get white flowers and a bit of jasmine, vanilla, and a tiny bit of chocolate, I do not however get any patchouli. LVEB is a bit powdery on me, the opening is extreamly beautiful I really enjoy it and was a bit let down by the dry down, if it was less powdery (I like powdery, Shalimar is a favorite but this powdery is a bit wonky on me) I would Love it. I've only had LVEB on for about 2 hours but I predict it will go all day plus! The sillage on this is huge, apply with a very light touch (the lady in the next shop I went in said I smelled great.....not sure if it was LVEB or Flowerbomb but since this one is double the sillage as Flowerbomb I'd say it was LVEB.

Now for Flowerbomb, I always thought it was a huge perfume until I met LVEB, poor Flowerbomb is not really a bomb anymore! I do love the spray of Flowerbomb much better than the roll on and hope to get a bottle of it at some point.

I personally can detect that FB and LVEB are in the same basic family but LVEB is HUGE compaired to FB, FB is so nice well behaved and delicate, totally vanilla (which I adore!) FB did go through a "cat pee" phase on me for about 15 minutes, but it is gone and replaced by yummy smooth vanilla....delish!!! LVEB will probably whoop FB's butt on longevity and it certainly whoops FB on the sillage, FB is close to my skin, LVEB is a major projector! Out of the two FB is my favorite but I do like both. :0)

Here it is my judgement, a male one:
Flowerbomb is smooth vs La Vie Est Belle is harsh.
1.Lancome tried to make a parfume, OBVIOUS, Not ORIGINAL, but a copy of Viktor&Rolf. This thing I hate the most!(when someone transcripts anotherone)
2. About the smell, (this) LANCOME jumps in your face, while V&R whispers (even it is sweet, but not sugar sweet like LveB).
La Vie est belle is just another sugar bomb.
Take as you want.

Just bought this for my mother-in-law... she doesn't really wear perfume.. This will be her second bottle so I'm reallyyyyy hoping she likes it:) Because I DO!

This perfume was one I HAD to go back and buy. I first smelled it in a paper ad. I could not stop smelling that paper. I passed by a Lancome counter and sprayed it. I could not stop smelling my wrist. It is very long lasting and completely worth it. I would recommend purchasing with Lancome has a bonus gift, which is what I ended up doing.
As far as the comparison to Flowerbomb, I agree, but I think it smells better, is cheaper, and is certainly a prettier bottle.

LOVE IT! It smells fantastic on me but may not be for everyone's smell. Everytime I wear it people ask me what I have on.

I like this fragrance. At the same time it reminds me of Coco Mademoiselle. Yes, you're right when you say the pear makes it sweater than Coco Mademoiselle and yes, you're right when you say this fragrance is less powdery. Still, it reminds me of Coco Mademoiselle!

Smell very chocolate candies indeed, with strong sweet vanilla. I do love sweet gourmands, but this one is a little bit to sweet. It has longevity and monster sillage and it shows it's an expensive and sophisticated stuff. Too bold to wear every day, and for a long time- to me :)
Thanks again to F. lady to send me a sample.

This smelled like heaven on my hand after wearing it 15 minutes in the store so i purchased it even though it was a little bit expensive. When I got home one hour later it smelled like yuk candy on my hand and i couldn't get it off. It may be because im not so into sweet perfumes, but this was like WOW who poured syrup on me? But the opening was nice! This is why i always tend to use lighter perfumes because every single one gets sweet on me.

This is like a much better version of Flowerbomb (and less expensive-so definitely go with this one!). Flowerbomb tries too hard to still be floral when in my opinion it's clearly a very sweet, gourmand with maybe some nondescript flowers floating around in there. As a result, it's much too sharp and cloying, and the sweetness smells like burnt sugar a la Pink Sugar. La Vie Est Belle is just as sweet but it's not trying to disguise itself as a floral, it owns the sweetness! So instead what you get is a nice, well-blended, and creamy sweet gourmand. It's still fresh (which Flowerbomb actually isn't to me because of how screechy it is) but the sweet notes are definitely praline, smooth, delicious praline. No burnt sugar here! Flowerbomb tries way too hard in every department, but La Vie Est Belle is balanced and just right, a very nice sweet scent.

I bought it on a whim... Big mistake... Way too sweet for my nose.

I really love flowerbomb so this perfume must be a very nice one as well... What a dissapointment! At first it really smells very strong, very sweet. Thats good, the heart was a very nice flower / sweet and a little bit gourmand mix. Loved it, but this stage only lasted for 1 / 1,5 h! After that, the drydoen reminded me of flowerbomb but did not last cery long on my skin. Here comes the most dissapointing smell.. During all the layers, I smelled cigarette on the background. As a non smoker, I am annoyed by a smell like that! Besides the smoke and longetivity it is a really nice smell.

I like all the ingridients...but,when use it .....too much for me,unbearable!!!!....The only possibility to wear it -is to go through the cloud of it,sprayed on the air,when like this - I like it....powderly-patchouly-blackcurrant-sweet .VERY LOOOOONGLASTING!!!

Let' s give it to Lancôme for creating a scent that has punch, that doesn't evaporate in less than 30mn, La Vie Est Belle has character, sillage , projection and smells beautiful. The scent for women sure of themselves, interested in wearing a perfume of substance.
A mix bewteen Coco Mademoiselle and Flowerbomb, so not as sharp as the fisrt one and more complex than the latter.
I am not fond of patchouli, but in LVSB it is a bit candied, so it isn't suffocating at all.
Nice scent, Lancôme did a fine job with it.

The patchouli is too strong in this

this one make me smile!

Very similar to Flowerbomb, which is my favourite. Especially as its wearing off. I only discovered this by chance when I asked the sales assistant if they sold Flowerbomb, her reply 'No, try this' Very impressed as I have never given Lancome a second glance as I thought it was an older womans brand. Cheaper than Flowerbomb too

this is to much sweet...when i felt these scent for the first time,i ask,what parfum is this..?the reason was,,,when i want to
chose some new flagrance; this perfume not alternative was never about me..sorry but to this flagrance nothing special;((

So much better than Flowerbomb!

I have had my eye on this perfume for a while as a mothers' day gift as the bottle reminds me of my mum. I am now in two minds about it having tried it this afternoon - the patchouli is very strong in the opening and combined with the sweetness of the praline it gives the impression of menthol cough sweets. However its settled down into a beautiful sweet scent which i am sure my mum will love, im just concerned the opening will put her off. Gorgeous bottle though

For years, I was convinced that Julia Roberts and Brad Pitt would make the perfect couple, because they both looked like mice to me. Alas, it was not meant to be, I suppose. They are both married to other people and breeding like rabbits, but who knows what the future may bring?

Since I am not the biggest Julia Roberts fan to begin with--indeed, I find her quite annoying for some inexplicable reason--I was not all that excited to get my nose on the new Lancôme fragrance, LA VIE EST BELLE, of which she is the representative, although her teeth take up most of the ad.

I recall having read that Julia insisted at some point that no fruits be used in this, "her", fragrance. So it looks as though the marketing data won out in this case, because the composition opens with a fruity-floral pink patchouli complex very similar to many other recent launches. Or perhaps we can say that Julia's preferences were not vetoed, since LA VIE EST BELLE doesn't really contain any fruit. Whatever may have happened, this creation does indeed seem very similar to a variety of recent pink perfume launches, including La Perla J'AIME, well except that the big musk is missing here, and the patchouli is rather low key--at least by recent standards. The listed flowers are jasmine, iris, and orange blossom, but it's probably hedione along with other abstractions.

LA VIE EST BELLE, however, morphs swiftly into another twenty-first-century hackneyed fragrance phrase: that pseudo-woody, pseudo-ambery "stuff" which forms the base of way too many perfumes today. It smells an awful lot to me like ambroxan, as in Le Labo ANOTHER 13 or Juliette Has a Gun NOT A PERFUME, and even has a tinge of what I have been thinking is oud in all of the oud-named perfumes, but perhaps I've been misidentifying it all along?

All in all, LA VIE EST BELLE rolls a few trends into one bottle of pink liquid (that being one of the trends), and does not appeal very much to me at all. Abstract fruits, abstract flowers, a dash of patchouli (probably the only thing natural in the entire composition--but only because there is no cheaper synthetic substitute), some pseudo-woody, pseudo-ambery stuff, a somewhat sugary opening with a more unisex or even masculine middle stage and, as a grand finale, the opening sweetness making a come back in the drydown. Not for me.

Lancôme redeemed themselves to some extent in my eyes by launching La Collection a few years back, proving that they could produce seriously good perfume. With this new bottle of gobbledygook, they've regressed to their former mass-market ways.

it has something in common with Shalimar Parfum Initial and I can see the reason.the have so many notes in common: Iris,Tonka beans,vanilla,patchouli and jasmin.
the difference:la vie est belle is sweeter with the dominant praline smelling.actually I like it better than shalimar parfum initial.yet I didn't find it interesting enough to buy it.it's just too sweet for my taste.
another point is choosing Julia Roberts as the face of perfume.I don't think it was a wise decision.her style barely fits the perfume.

WHOA! This fragrance is STRONG! It took only one spritz to get complaints from people about how strong my perfume is. But somehow I actually enjoy that I don't have to press my nose against my wrist to smell my perfume; the sillage is really awesome. However the scent is veeeeeery sweet, heavy and sugary, heaven for hard-core gourmand lovers. It does remind me of Flowerbomb (as other have already stated), but I actually find Flowerbomb subtle compared to this one.

This fragrance is just fabulous. I love the praline and vanilla. Each time I smell it I feel wrapped in sweet warmth. I can see why people are saying it's similar to Flowerbomb, but I feel this fragrance is better balanced. It's what Flowerbomb wanted to achieve (but didn't).

I've had this one on for the last couple of hours, waiting for some magic to happen, but it stays the same on my skin, stubbornly sweet and unchangeable.
The sugary vanilla praline or whatever is in there, is so intense on my skin that I cannot detect anything else.
Maybe in a few more hours some other scent will come up, if so, I'll edit the review.
For the time being, I can only say that though I do not exactly dislike it, I'm not crazy about it either.
If I were to wear it, I'd have to spray it on from a distance so that only a tiny mist would get on my skin, otherwise it would be too overwhelmingly sugary and I'd have to head for the shower to get some relief.

Reminds me a little of Diva Ungaro, which I loved in the eighties. Not for my workplace, but anywhere else. To me it's a little heavier than other floral gourmands, but I love a deeper sort of scent. Paradoxically this feels light at the same time. On me it works. Similar fragrances I tried had features that gave me a headache or had those stabs of something wrong. Tried Dior Addict, Jimmy Choo, Flowerbomb, a couple of Armanis, Burberrys, other Lancome ones, Givenchys too, and some more obscure fragrances.
Now hey, other reviewers, who doesn't love something super special and unique with depth, quality, and scents finessed out of nature ?
Of course it's not completely original, but I like it anyway.

Now if only Lancome would bring back the real Magie Noire.

I adore this. It's basically VIVA LA JUICY sans the caramel, which makes it develop much more subtle and refined, less "in your face candy-ish". The violet adds a very sophisticated touch, very smooth and pleasant. I used to be all over VIVA LA JUICY for the cold days but this will be my new go-to scent when I want to feel cozy, safe, and just a little bit sensual. ;)

From the first spray it's patchouli - tonka bean overdose. But in a nice way! At the dry down it's sweet vanilla hiding inside of yummy pralines. It's not sickly sweet for me. It makes me wanna lick my wrist so good and chocolaty it smells. This is that kind of a frag that i'd really like to wear. Might consider buying full bottle very soon. Sillage and lasting power amazing according to me.

I normally do not feel the need to comment back and forth on fragrance pages with anything but a review, but the comment below mine is extremely rude and there is NO reason to be criticizing the appearance of a woman as opposed to, you know, the way the perfume actually smells. The face of the actress used to promote the perfume has zero effect on the juice itself, whether you personally find her attractive or not. Fragrantica is a community built around our love for fragrance, not petty schoolyard insults about the size of a woman's assets. I do think they could have found someone more suited to the "spirit" of the scent but, again, there is no reason to be making disparaging remarks about Ms Roberts herself.

سأجربه لعيون جوليا روبرتس كم احبكي جوليا
اكيد العطر رائع مثلك

This could very well replace the delicious but now discontinued original Miss Dior Chérie. Scrumptious, and it lasts sooooo long.

This scent opens on me with bitter orange, orange blossom, more bitter orange, and jasmine. It's not the most pleasant odor, not bad, but not great. After a fairly long dry-down (a good hour or so), it settles into a scent that is very similar to that of Flowerbomb, but definitely darker in character. I love the dry-down on this, the silage is decent, and the scent lasts. But... I'm not a fan of the time it takes to get there. Since Flowerbomb tends to hold its scent better on me, I'll likely try Flowerbomb Extreme to see if it is any better as a darker alternative. Nonetheless, once settled this one is lovely, and the price is definitely an incentive to buy over the more expensive Flowerbomb Extreme.

EDIT: I've tried this again a time or two, and the opening is definitely something to wait through. At first I felt it wasn't so bad, but later wears have left me feeling almost overwhelmed by the chemical booziness of bitter orange. The dry down is really quite lovely, but I'm not sure I would be able to justify the expense for something I could only wear when I had the time to wait an hour after spraying before I could enjoy it (or feel comfortable leaving the house). I'll probably try it a time or two more to be sure.

I tried this one over the weekend. Julia Roberts suddenly made sense as the face of this perfume. It's very difficult to hate it, but the dry down on skin was so sweet I had to wash it off. It's a pretty, unassuming yet charming...girl next door kind of fragrance.

Not very original or exciting but a great gift for Mothers Day!

I was hoping for the fruity vanilla floral others have gotten, but the patchouli just takes over on me, drowning out everything else. And patchouli isn't good on me anyway. So disappointing,

Im in a world of fruitchouli right now and Im not happy about it. I got a sample of this from Sephora. I put it on this morning, three squirts... one on each wrist and one on the back of my neck. Note to self: you dont need to suffer though a scent you know your gonna hate just to right a review.

Where do I begin with this? First squirt I get a blast of what I pick up as grapefruit, caramel, and patchouli. As it dries it becomes more and more sugary vanilla. Not pleasant at all. Its like Lancome wanted to jump on the band wagon of all the fruitchouli perfumes and create their own. But they failed imo because even though I dont think Coco Madomoselle or Miss Cherie Dior is for me... I can still say they are beautiful compositions. This perfume is a disaster. It smells cheap, the dry down is a sugary synthetic mess with nothing to give it a hint of originality.

Two thumbs way down. I so wish I didnt spray myself so generously. I could have given the same review with just one wrist sprayed. But at least I have something to look forward to... my next shower.

Better then flowerbomb!

I thought I was going to like this perfume because of the main notes "sweet" and "vanilla" but I don't like it very much. It's sweet, especially in the drydown, but the floral part of it is still present and that kills it for me (jasmine seems to make me sick, somehow). As a whole I'd say it's sweet floral scent, and a little bit mature -which I don't mean to say it's for older people, just that it's not a young sweet type of scent-.

I first smelled this at the Lancome counter in Macy's and really enjoyed the scent. I remember going home and loving the way it smelled on my skin. A few months later I finally decided to go ahead and purchase the perfume. I'm not sure if my memory of what it smelled like was wrong or if I was just in the mood for it at the time, but ever since it arrived I haven't really liked the frangrence. The thing that stands out the most to me is the sweetness. It really lingers on and on too. Sadly, I think this perfume has either ruined sweet scents for me or made me realize I don't care for sweet scents. It's going to take me a very long time to finish this perfume.

This was unexpected. I thought this would be more floral however this fragrance is a nod to Flowerbomb. It's not an exact dupe but has similar genetics. The perfume is sweet with patchouli thrown in for good measure. Not unique at all and on me this would be a winter scent. Update: The dry down is matronly I was hoping it wouldn't be but it is. Julia Roberts is young in my opinion and is the wrong person. The commercial evokes youth and class. This perfume is older mature.

Warning: Graphic Review! Please do not read if you are easily grossed out by bodily functions. This is a respectful and sincere review.

I am not fundamentally against sweet, mass-marketed fragrances. I am a huge fan of Sugar Lychee by Fresh, and though I'm not sure I would ever want to wear it, I am delighted by the crimson raspberry Jello scent of Escada's Cherry In The Air. That said, I still think that if you're gonna do a synthetic gourmand-floral fragrance, you should be mindful of any bitter chemical "aftertaste" that could send the whole composition down the tubes.

Even though I could smell it from across the room before I opened the bottle, I had high hopes for this one. For clarity's sake, I do not get sidetracked by bottles or titles when writing fragrance reviews and do my best to concentrate only on the juice itself, but in this instance, the bottle and the name were both begging the question: Is this in fact, what makes life beautiful? If not THE thing, then at least one of the things?

La Vie Est Belle by Lancome has a very sweet, ambiguously fruity and floral composition. The projection is out of this world, and the longevity is excellent. After application and giving it a few minutes to settle, I sniffed deeply into it, trying to penetrate the layers of fluffy pink sugar sweetness and slightly green, slightly powdery and somewhat medicinal CGI florals.

What I found underneath these fluffy layers was a disturbingly bitter flat-line of chemical aftertaste. It was like an even streak of ugly yellow road paint severing this fragrance right through the center of its fluffy pink heart.
...Then I had to drop a #2.

I had to use the bathroom NOT BECAUSE of the fragrance! It was mere coincidence, and I only even mention it because I feel it is relevant to this review. This forum is about good and bad scents, really, ALL the scents, and my seemingly ill-timed trip to the bathroom turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

I was super unhappy about having to scrub my hands with dish detergent after using the bathroom and starting this review over, but while I was sitting there, lamenting this inevitability, La Vie Est Belle still projecting it's chemical radiance in the direction of my face, something occurred to me.

This fragrance smells nothing at all like life. This is gonna sound ridiculous, but my own refuse smelled "fresh" compared to Lancome's chemical monstrosity co-mingling in the air. Next to the smell of fresh #2, La Vie Est Belle, is the most inorganic, lifeless, and unpalatable concoction of elements imaginable. Try it and see for yourself.

It's almost as if it were solely invented by a computer, for computers. It's as if someone made it with utter lack of regard for our natural chemistry, and instead invented a fragrance for something that didn't, doesn't, and never will smell like anything living. While I was sampling, I was actually slightly nervous about my cat getting near it.

Please don't get me wrong. I am not particularly enamored with the smell of poop, but AT LEAST it smells like what it's supposed to. What began as an inconvenient natural urge ended up serving as a reminder to me that life (and the beauty it's made of) do not include the realm of La Vie Est Belle. I never would have imagined I would have been forced to make this comparison, but now I am very grateful I did.

Hi

After I bought this and started to use it .. my hand always goes to this out of the 50 perfumes which I have in my wardrobe ..
This has been my signature now !!
I am in love with this elegant, classy beauty..

La Vie Est Belle, you really are carrying this happy spirit into your bottle ..

Reminds me a lot with the elegance & the classy level of Miss Dior Cherie ..

For class sweet ladies Only !

I got a tester of this which I am wearing today. It's a nice sweet scent, not too sweet imo. I can detect the pear, praline and vanilla really well with some floral notes lingering in the background. I guess it is quite long lasting since I put it on 4 hours ago and I can still smell it really well everytime I am moving. Sillage is just enough to let you know it is there. I don't think this would offend anyone.
So far I like it!

To be fair, its closer to Flowerbomb Extreme. And to be even fairer, its actually nicer than Flowerbomb, which to me came across as strong, sweet, and something a blonde college girl would wear in the winter with a turtle neck a la Legally Blonde, except not as "pink".

La Vie C'est Belle is much nicer...

Aha! That's what it is--it has a better patchouli, a better textured, plusher, stronger dry down, and it doesn't have this weird smell that Flowerbomb kinda gets some times... Hair sweat or something. You'll all think I'm bloody nuts but I can't quite put my finger on it :-/

I smelled this on a store, just a little sniff.. it seemed to me very VERY sweet.. and that's it... although, I must say the bottle is beautiful. I think i could give La vie est belle another opportunity some day, due to all the good reviews, but then I will prove it on my skin,.. maybe I wasn't on the mood for such a sweet feminine scent..

similar to coco mademoiselle in the dry down notes

Liked this for a few wears and fell completely out of love with it. It is just too heavy handed and chemical, even if it can hit some beautiful notes here and there. This is my experience with all Lancome fragrances, too chemical, too difficult to wear.

I tried this in Sephora the other day. I spritzed once on my wrist and left to walk around the mall.
In the mall, I could barely smell it. But there are candle shops, abercrombie, the food court...when I got outside to my car, the wind lifted to me a very pleasant smell. It was softly sweet, with a sprinkling of patchouli. It was very, very light. This quickly dried down to a warm, earthy close to my skin fragrance, and then it left all together. By the time I got home (about 3 hours after I spritzed), My boyfriend couldn't smell it at all.
I've read a lot of reviews saying this was a sillage bomb, so I thought maybe I had grabbed the wrong bottle when I had tested it. So I have tried it a few times on the skin, all with the same results.
This was a nice fragrance, but not really my cup of tea. It is in the same family as Flowerbomb and Jimmy Choo...just not as sweet.
I wouldn't purchase or even ask for it as a gift because the longevity sucks.
But don't let my review deter you from trying it. The longevity may be great on you!

I find it way too sweet, very fruity-syrupy like, and lacking in originality.

Vattenmelon explained this perfume perfectly. My mother just recieved this fragrance from a friend, and me being the girly-girl that I am, she let me keep it in my room for display and use, if I wanted. When I sprayed it on my wrists, I got a delicious rush of a sweet, flowery smell. After wearing it for a long time, I still got that same scent on my wrist. It is so simple, but it is the simplicity that I love about it. No, it is not a super-standout/unique scent, but it is just so girly and fragrant that any romantic female definitely should own it. It's lasting power is phenomanal, as my skin does not hold perfume very well, it has ben smelling the same for the past two hours. The packaging is adorabe, everything about it is wonderful. It smells a bit like Chanel Mademoiselle, but without the super- strongness. It is light, playful, and an overall beautiful fragrance. If this wern't my moms, this would be my signature scent by far.

a copy of flowerbomb by viktor&rolf was my first reaction when i smelled it in the store, maybe its a little lighter and has more notes of a specific flower, i love it though, veeery feminine.definition of feminine:)

I really didn't want to like this fragrance.

What can I say? IT IS DIVINE. I must have it, and soon.

It's sweet, but the patchouli makes it multifaceted and sophisticated. I love it. Lancome knocked it out of the ballpark with this one.

Such a beauty from Lancome!!! The smell is heavenly and almost eatable♥ don't test this in the hot times, i think you will be overwhelmed like i was, but in cold weather, spray this beauty and watch the magic as it will transform on your skin and lasts forever★
I admit it shares alot of similarity with Flowerbomb, but La Vie Est Belle has its own turn and twist that make it more unique. I think it should be called: La Vie Est Belle En Hiver or La Vie Est Belle A Minuit.....definatley a winter night perfume.love it.

sweet, flowery scent...its NOT overbearing....I just want to keep smelling my wrists when I wear this..

it DOES NOT smell flowery like: white diamonds, estee lauder beautiful, red door..those type of scents, as some people think flowery sweet may smell like that.

The pear is the strongest fruit note on me - well, I say strongest, but it is still pretty soft and doesn't leave me with a lasting impression. There is soft vanilla present through all of the fragrance too, which adds a creamy sweetness and warmth to the fragrance, combining with the light hints of chocolate. The patchouli is also quick to develop, so whilst everything is sweet, it's not cloyingly so.

The floral notes used are powdery and just provide a background for the iris. It's quite startling how, after around two hours, the fragrance suddenly changes from a soft gourmand to present the wearer with a rich iris note. I don't have much experience with iris in perfumes, so LA VIE EST BELLE is unique to me.

After another few hours the fragrance turns slightly nutty and even creamier as the praline and tonka notes develop fully. Whilst the iris note dies down, the combined powderiness of the floral notes remain and softly fade away with the base notes.


LA VIE EST BELLE is in a higher price bracket then a lot of it's smell-a-likes, but the superb longevity and the fact that the perfume is very easy to wear justify the price tag. I'll apply it in the morning and it'll last all day.

LA VIE EST BELLE is a sweet, uncomplicated fragrance, that comforts the wearer - a gourmand fragrance for grown-ups...

I'm sorry to say that I absolutely hated this one! I totally expected to like it, but one of the notes in it reminded me of Vick's Vapor Rub! I'm not kidding. It made the back of my throat itch too. Maybe I was just very sensitive to something in it. Could that be patchouli? I have never had a perfume with Patchouli in it, so maybe that was it. I hate to be a downer when everyone else seems to like it, but I'm just trying to be honest :-/

I received a sample of this with another purchase, and WOW I think it is gorgeous! It reminds me a little bit of Dior Miss Dior Cherie, only nicer, not as sharp and alcohol-like and more creamy. It also does smell a little bit like Flowerbomb. I used to really dislike Flowerbomb and was surprised people were comparing this to it, but then I just tried Flowerbomb again and actually really like it! That's when I noted that it does smell a little bit like La Vie Est Belle. I still do like Vie est Belle better though. It is a little more creamy, it lasts longer, and it doesn't give me a headache like Flowerbomb can. I think it is a very classy, elegant, timeless, soft yet noticeable, warm, sweet (but not sickeningly so), feminine, smooth, creamy, delicious fragrance! It also lasts a long time! I definitely want a full sized bottle! Great job Lancome, I say! :)

This is an absolutely beautiful gourmand fragrance!

It smells of juicy blackcurrants and pear dipped in syrup with patchouli, vanilla and tonka bean. A grown up gourmand, sweet yet classy. My friend said I smelt like yummy fruits and cream. Lasting power and sillage are excellent.

Overall, a beautiful, grown up gourmand. Suitable for all occasions and ages. Now all I have to do is make more room on my perfume shelf for this baby!

Now that's a fragrance that actually pays off. My mother suggested I should try this, because most perfumes I use don't last enough on me. First of all, it is really sweet and warm! To me it smells of black currant, patchouli and praline: the definition of gourmand fragrances! I didn't try enough on me to be sure about the sillage, but as far as longevity is concerned, this one is a winner!!! It lasted 24 hours (only sprayed once on my wrist) and it was absorbed by the elastic band I was wearing which, days after, still smells, and scented my hair as well when I used it!! Out-of-this-world-longevity! :)

Very strong sillage. Too strong. And really sweet on me. I enjoy sweet perfumes but this one was just too much. I only put one spray and my friend could smell me from several feet away. I actually washed it off. She said I smelled like a really sweet cupcake. And not in a good way! So disappointing.

I smelled this on a paper before sampling this, and the silage was INSANE. In a bad way. I felt like I was drowning in the fragrance--and I had only one spray on my wrists.
It was so bad that I walked into my house, and my friend sitting in a sofa twenty feet from the door told me I smelled strong. It's that enormous.
I couldn't judge much about the fragrance because it was so strong. I accidentally left the paper in the purse I was using, and when I used it again a week later, it still held its scent. I didn't like it...maybe it's just the memory of it being so strong.

Although I am not one for sweet, gormand scents, this scent immediately captivated me entirely, almost causing me to come so close to buying the biggest size and running, to put off buying my beloved Tresor for later.
It has a lovely, soft iris opening which instantly hooked me, moving toward s soft sweet Oriental by the time it makes it throughthe bottom notes.

Every time a open fragrantica and go through it and open Belle page to write down my review...i couldn't....
First, from my opinion its not floral fruity gourmand, might be just floral or floral fruity coz its a combination between sweet, powdery and white flowers in a good way, i got a lot of complains at work...Perfect for age average from 25 to 35

Finally receiveed my bottle today - what a stunning fragrance this is. The Iris/Orange Blossom combination is a nice change from Rose/Jasmine and the blackberry and pear are luscious. Staying power is simply amazing and the drydown is soft and powdery - the whole composition is beautiful.
Lancombe, please don't discontinue this one - I will be back for more!
Alexandrarae

My kinda fragrance. Girly, cuddly and sweet. It's a cake-like smell so it will turn boys heads too ;) I always get compliments wearing this

The first time I sprayed this on it smelled bitter to me just like prada candy but prada candy is also kind a dry vine to me...???
Then I gave it another try on Saturday and it smelled at first crispy fresh and then pleasant sweet/warm to me.Note that I like sweet to very sweet perfumes, so if you are more for the floral ones this is probably not for you.Because you don't smell the middle notes to long but the base notes well, which I love!!!! :)
And it doesn't smell like flowerbomb because that one is really a flowerbomb.And Oriens is a cold sweet one also different....

A salesperson @ Nordstrom suggested I try this, thank God I only sprayed some on paper strip and not on my skin.....Too sweet for my taste !!!!...... I don't smell any flowers in this, only a syrupy/cotton candy/toffee/vanilla nauseating soup....:-/ so disappointed by this one, I like Miracle and was expecting something similar from Lancome LVEB, but I must say it has nothing to rave about. Now i only hope that no one around me will have the brilliant idea to wear this, it's definitly a nausea/headache inducing kind of smell...

I received a sample in an ULTA catalog. When I smelled it, It didn't smell particularly bad, just something that I could get sick off of if I smelled it for too long.

i just receved it from.my ♡♡♡ its amazzzing i love it alooooot its mix of sweet & something like wine or beer ...flower bomb is more sweety .. omg im crazy about it

My first thoughts without reading reviews : YSL Manifesto. Yes, the same family, honey, vanilla, some pralines, and fruits. But it sets down very differently, at least on my body,
For me it's a good cheerful fragrance that takes me into a shop with candies, vanilla fudges, and some little red fruit gellies. I like it, but I'm not crazy about it, and when I will finish my 1.5 ml sample, I'm not going to buy it. But I would be happy to have it on my shelf.
Still, longevity is amazing + 8 hours on me

love it :) sweet and sexy

Nice enough but smells too much like Flowerbomb and Bijan B Exquisite. Not much else I can say....

I asked for this for Christmas and my husband did get it for me. I've tried very hard to love it, but I just don't. After it has been on for awhile, I can definitely smell the black current and I don't care for it. For me, this fragrance just doesn't evolve to that lovely flowery smell; I feel it just falls flat.

Initially I smelled it in magazine insert and was like"nice, smells like cotton candy". Around the same time I smelled Flowerbomb and thought both were quite simular. After further sampling, I realized that there definate differences.La Vie Est Belle comes on rather strong with note of orange blossom(which is rather spicy and floral and which I am not a fan of) but it moves through to the bottom notes pretty quicky and I get praline, with tonka bean and just a hint of patchouli. There is minimal touch of blackberries but its really hardly obvious. Together its overwhelmingly smells like cotton candy and vanilla which I like because its rather more sophisticated than your basic cotton candy smell.
Flowerbomb is missing the initial spicy floral note, heavier on patchoili and a bit more powdery.
So far I like La Vie Est Belle better, and lasting power is stellar-you won't knock anyone over with this scent but its definately noticable. I really love this scent and its one of my new favorites

longevity and sillage on max on this one, i really love this but it's more like a mom perfume imo

I haven't purchased a Lancome fragrance since my binge with Tresor ended in around 1996. This one, I fell hard for. I sampled it, couldn't get it out of my head, and wound up purchasing a big (beautiful) bottle. When sampling in Nordstrom & Sephora I saw some similarities to Flowerbomb others have mentioned, however, when I wear this I don't think of Flowerbomb at all. It has a distinct iris feel in the top-notes and overall it shares a very sweet vanilla-tonka tone with Prada Candy. La Vie Est Belle is much more beautiful though. It's very long lasting and more complex each time I wear it. This a "me" fragrance that I can really live in.

Interesting how many people liken this to Flowerbomb. I love Flowerbomb, but didn't think this was much like it. FB is very sweet, a bit like vanilla popcorn or bubblegum, and the scent really lingers. La Vie is a softer sweetness (on me, at least) and doesn't linger like FB. I like them both, but I personally think they smell markedly different.

This is a nice perfume. It smells better on skin than it does on paper.

La Vie Est Belle on paper: fruity-sweet..very sweet with patchouli: a sweet fruitchouli! Smells sweeter than Flowerbomb on paper.

La Vie Est Belle on skin: First notes are currant and pear for sure with hints of orange blossom. It has a sweetness and warmth. I can smell the vanilla but its not strong at all, its well balanced. The praline is noticeable but not overkill. I can smell a hint of patchouli. There is something at first that keeps it fresh almost a slight tart note. Prob the pear....I can't detect the jasmine, perhaps its that. As it sits on the skin its warmer and sweeter. The vanilla and praline are more noticeable. Its still more of a fruity sweet with hints of patchouli. On skin it is NOT as sweet as Flowerbomb.

I like it.

Edit: after 5 hours its faded into a very faint fruity scent, the patchouli is almost undetectable. In contrast, Flowerbomb on my other arm...sprayed at same time, has a stronger longevity..its still warm, floral sweet with a faint hint of patchouli.

Another very strong sweet gourmand. I have to agree with those who say: nauseous.

I have a coworker who wears that. Awful... Makes me nauseous everytime I get close to her. I only get candy and sugar and toffee and all of that in heavy doses. There are dozens of pleasant sugared fragrances out there, so please, think of your colleagues and stay away from this one

First spritz of this fragrance was all jasmine. 30 minutes later I get the vanilla, candy, powdery sweetness scent that seems all too familiar. I wish it had a bit of something peppery to give it a kick. Nice, but too sweet for me.

I received the sweetest mini of this as a gift from someone special. I am so surprised by the negative reviews! Wow! I love it. To me it is just a really sophisticated cotton candy. Sweetness meets patchouli....mmmm, just so warm and delicious! And the bottle is gorgeous, a nice plus.

Super sweet sugar scent with florals, but the dry down is a generic candy like Smarties. Did not last long n my skin...I wish the opening lasted longer.

nothing special. too sweet too girly

Just bought this parfume, it is incrediblly elegant, warm, it smells verry good from the first sniff till settles down, not too powerfull, not too subtle, a perfect balanced and beautifull perfume .....
For girls and women who love sweet but not heavy and sikly aroma

Lancôme,  La vie est belle 2012 by Oliver Polge, Dominique Ropion and Anne Phillip. The latest mainstream release representing the gourmand sweet fruitchouli  category. With three noted noses behind its release, 5000 claimed variations  and given a three year probation you would hope 'life is beautiful' with this latest from Lancôme.  Well I can say it is,  grown up and  elegant. Feeling over all polished in it's composition, reflected through the pretty glass bottle design. Heart notes praline and patchouli mix festively with vanilla. This represents all that is wonderfully sweet in life with the almond-like accords in the base pushing it well into a gourmand territory. 

this scent is sweet, sweet, and sweet. for me, it is dull. the scent doesn't change much from the top till the base. it kills my sweet tooth.

This one is very beautiful if applied in moderation. Sweet, warm, powdery and super feminine. Just the way i like it. Sillage and longevity is superb. Men at my work place always comment on how good I smell :) I think it is appropriate to wear at the office, just remember not to put on too much, otherwise it can easely become overpowering and sickenly sweet. Little goes long way, you know...

This is a very sensual and mature sweet fragrance. The smell develops on my skin over the first half an hour and it becomes rich and delectable, but not in the overpowering sense. It is warm like a caramelized sugar lollipop. The staying power is immense, I can smell it on my skin 20 hours after spraying it.

On another note, this scent is the combination of Flowerbomb and Fantasy. I have all three perfumes. I just sprayed Flowerbomb over Fantasy and it smells EXACTLY like La Vie Est Belle on my skin. But I'm not complaining, I love them all!

this fragrance suddenly got so overly popular that just makes me less attracted to it since i prefer to smell more original and not like every other girl. i think this fragrance is quiet overrated and not that unique. Not something i would expect from Lancome.

this is definitely a very sweet fragrance. Distinctive fruity notes, very soft faint floral notes and strong praline/vanilla. It actually gives me quiet a headache. i also dont find it sophisticated whatsoever. its more of a girly, very youthful, slightly immature scent. also i cant imagine Julia Roberts doing the ad for this!! not overly impressed...

this is a very special scent! feminine, sweet, (not sicky) and classy.
These are the words to describe "la vie est belle"
Lancome this time proved that she can produce some good stuff!
recommended for cold winter nights!

NB: LASTS FOREVER!

Quite possibly the best, most feminine perfume in the world... simply perfect... sweet, sexy, seductive, absolutely delicious. I love this perfume.

Forgot to mention it does remind a lot Flowerbomb, they have same drydown and very similar star so if you own Flowerbomb you don't really need Belle!

Absolutely one of Lancome's best! I love it, it totally my scent. This fragrance is very strong make sure you use light hand otherwise can become headache inducing and people with allergy may start sneezing around you. Last all day, on clothing it last until washed, my whole closed smells like it when i only used it on one sweater(wool sweater). I think it is great fall/winter scent because could be too heavy and sweet for hot humid weather like we have here in N.Y.

Can't understand why there's so much buzz about this scent- nothing unique about it, very sweet, on my skin it smells very much like Prada Candy! I expected something more from Lancome, especially as they worked so long on that perfume... Can't believe they made 5000 versions before releasing it, rather they just mixed Flowerbomb and Candy and tada- La vie est belle is ready! Also, I can hardly imagine Julia Roberts (that is in the middle of her 40s and very sophisticated at that!) would wear such a sticky sweet pefume!

fantastic smell,so delicate and long lasting
the powdery vanilla smell is my favourite ...it's very sexy

toooooo sweet... it makes me sick... it has nothing to do with the rest of Lancome perfumes... this one smells cheap!

Got a sample today while Christmas shopping and I wanted to try it for ages as I only red very overwhelmed reviews on blogs about that. And I am so dissappointed. On me it just smells cheap and nasty. I dont like it at all - it's like a cheap and sweet drugstore scent, kind of those that are sold in a glittery sparkling pink plastic bottle. From all descriptions I read so far I was sure I would absolutely love this and now I am so glad that I did not purchase it blindly. After some hours the remaining scent reminds me of faded Miss Dior Cherie Eau de Parfum.
I can imagine why so much people love this scent but it is absolutely not my cup of tea. On my skin I dont smell any pralines - what's there to smell just bites in my nose.

Yummy opening made from pear and blackcurrant, smells like chewing gum. I can really smell all 3 phases of the scent. 2nd phase smells still like chewing gum and milky iris and hints of patchouli. As I love the opening the drydown isn´t my taste. Very patchouli like and dry bitter pralines. I appreciate very good staying power and very good sillage. I can smell it on a long distance. Big plus is that this scent is quite recognizable in the masses of boring waters. I´m not a lover of patchouli so that´s the problem the scent makes me sick. Can be compared to V&R Flowerbomb but I don´t see so much similarities at least on my skin (have both on my wrists now). I think this is better to try than blind buy. Pretty scent at first but the drydown is unfortunately not for me.. :-)

I recently got a sample of La vie est belle and I am quite satisfied with it. It lasts a long time, but I guess samples/testers are generally longer lasting. It is sweet and warm, very girly but in a positive way. It is not so overwhelming, although it has very sweet notes to it (e.g. vanilla and patchouli). It is an ultimate sweet fragrance and I completely agree with the manufacturers' description - it resembles natural beauty and it is just very simple. This would make a great Christmas present, I believe, as it suits most of the girls (even if you don't make it your signature fragrance). It reminds me a bit of Flowerbomb, in some way reminds me of the Jimmy Choo perfume, too. Not very original, but a safe choice!

STAYING POWER
My husband bought me this gem One week ago. He said it smells better and softer than my signature perfume Flowerbomb. All I know is that I love it!

Let me tll you that the lasting power is out of this world! I put it on at 6 a,m. and the following morning at 8 a.m. I was still able to smell it on my wrist. This just tells me the the quality of the oils in this perfume are the top of the line.

Amazingly sticky sweet on me. Patchouli is very nice but stirilized. This smell like a cottln candy. In words: sweet, dreamy, girly and pink.

Initially this is very sweet at first spritz. I didn't think anything of it except it's too sweet for me and then I walked around and sprayed some other stuff, it got a little confusing. I think I sprayed different ones along my arms and shirt sleeves. I kept comming back to this after the drydown. It left a beautiful florale fruity smell. I love it!! I think this is a FB purchase for me. I will diffinately have to try again before committing.

First off, I totally agree that this smells very similar to flowerbomb. While it dissapoints others it is awesome news for me since I LOVE flowerbomb, and this is $30 dollars cheaper for the 50 ml bottle.
So great news for flowerbomb lovers in that there is a cheaper subsitute.
Just like flowerbomb this is warm, lovely, and has a candy floss sweetness. A hearty dose of patch and cotton candy. This is just a touch fruity-er than flowerbomb. Flowerbomb has more sweetness from orchid that la vie lacks but definetly makes up for in black currant cotton candyish smell. I would say that la vie is just a bit sweeter than flowerbomb.
A lot of you will probably find it unnecessary to have both flowerbomb and la vie in your possession, however I am estatic to have both. There are a few subtle differences as I've previously mentioned. So in short; you will probably like this if you like flowerbomb.

i first smelled in magazine insert and was like"damn, I love this"-it was vanilla sweet with some cotton candy. I have body spray from BBW called "Sweet on Paris"(limited edition) that I love and it reminded me of that.
I couldn't wait to test in the store-boy, was I dissapointed-it smelled just like Flowerbomb. Not that I have anything against Flowerbomb but I was hoping for something different. Hmm..I will go and test it again just to make sure because it smelled so different in a magazine

When I first spray this, I get strange plasticy odor. Then after while I get overload of blackcurrant which makes me nauseous. However, after the dry down, I get a nice powdery, vanilla scent. Not a fave, but I quite like dry down

It seems by the notes that this perfume should be a dream for me but this is not the case. The powdery smell was about to choke me. This perfume just doesn't lay on my skin nice. It is just a mess. I cant pick out the notes I love and I really wanted to love this one.

Like a perfect dream...

Sunday I went to a perfume and put some of this perfume on a paper and it in my coat pocket. On wednesday at night. (3 days later) I went back to wearing the same coat and put perfume as I ofter do, after some time of having left the house was to feel smell of perfume diferent that he had placed. I was very surprise when I discovered that the smell was different from the paper in his pocket. I was impressed because the smell of that sample was the stand out much more than the perfume she wore a few hours before.
Say that this is the best perfume ever.
I LOVE HIM AND WANT TO HAVE IT NOW....

The word that springs to mind when I smell this is "generic." It's a sweet, vanilla-type of perfume with a hint of some kind of fruit. The only thing I like about it is that it has a softness about it. It's not so blase like Angel and Lolita Lempicka. I think Jessica Simpson perfumes smell better, and that's pretty sad considering a company like Lancome ought to know how to make better perfume by now.

something similar to dry cocoa and something sweet and edible id like to own this eventually

@gerics81: Why would you rub your wrists together? Hell of a way to destroy a scent..

I was curious about the hype and wanted to smell this new fragrance. I stopped at Macy's on my way home and noticed all the sample bottles empty. Hmmm? it's that popular - now I really gotta get my hands on it and try it...I sprayed a small amount on my wrists and rubbed them together. I gave it time to settle and boy was I disappointed. It is too strong - husband and kids kept asking "What's that smell?? Did someone spray Raid??" YUP that's what it smells like to me. Sorry!

I really liked this scent at first sniff. Only downside is that it seems to have a hard time settling in to my skin, leaving that "perfumy" scent which i hate. I don't get how you could say that this one isn't offensive, because it is really strong and a tad bit dry. I don't like perfumes that smells to much like strong perfume if that makes sense. .

Definitely a nighttime scent. Wouldn't wear to school or office. If you want a similar scent, but a little bit softer try BBW Sensual Amber, Jimmy choo, or Flowerbomb.

Ever since this was released at my work I have been bugged by the sense I've experienced this scent before...

Flowerbomb? Nope.

It is the perfume replica of these sweets I used to love as a little girl. Warm, sugary and sweet without being sickly. It's incredibly feminine and soft yet powerful. Nothing sharp or aggressive about this scent whatsoever. It developed slowly on my skin (which I like. Who wants a completely different scent 1 hour after application?) into a deeper swirl of less pear and more patchouli, with the sweetness still prevailing.

I absolutely adore it and cannot wait to get my hands on a bottle of this for myself!

EDIT: I now a bottle of my own, I love it so much but will cherish it for special occasions.

this is the best perfume ever! and you know what I do not need anything else...

I was pretty confused after reading all the reviews and not being able to smell this scent for myself. Since there was no tester available, I made the leap of faith for the very first time in purchasing a perfume without trying it first. It was a leap worth taking and I love this perfume. It is a deep scent with many layers and is exceptionally high quality.

I have never smelled a perfume that changed so much over the hours of wearing it (in a good way). It has many different facets between hints of flowers, hints of fruit, hints of pachouli with the base being vanilla, which continues throughout. The sweetness of prailine and tonka bean just assist the vanilla scent but do not overpower the fragrance. Vanilla and Iris are definitely the main contributors to this scent. It is not a sickningly sweet scent- the vanilla that continues throughout is gentle and soft and the other notes balance the sweetness out, making it very well crafted. It is not full of "in your face" sweetness like many other perfumes that I have tried and I do not feel like I'm a walking candy factory, bakery or piece of fruit (as some reviews have suggested). The Iris gives a slightly cool tone which balances the warmth out beautifully. This scent blends with your skin to make it your own and does not sit heavily on the surface. It is not heavy yet it does not fade away easily either, like so many scents now days. The scent stays around and you can smell the multi-dimentional changes over the hours.

I feel like a woman with a beautiful warm sensual scent to complement my radiant smile... and yes this scent does make me smile. I have never had a perfume that actually brought a smile to my face before, but this one does. I feel free happy and beautiful when wearing it... and indeed the saying "Life Is Beautiful" really does describe this fragrance. The bottle too. The bottle itself and the box it comes in are stunning. All of the marketing is completely on track with what is in the bottle. Beautiful overall, truly beautiful.

Some have compared it to many other scents, but it really is different than most on the whole. Vanilla lovers will enjoy this scent. Certain aspects of the fragrance may remind you of other scents, but the scent as a whole is entirely different. Although there is some resemblence to Flowerbomb, I find this one less potent and it has less "in your face sweetness" than Flowebomb. The sweetness to this one is more gentle on the senses and I far prefer this over Flowerbomb. I think the main resemblence is the hint of praline. Although there is some resemblence which is noticable, La Vie Est Belle changes throughout the hours wearing it and is more multi-faceted. Some have said it is a lot like Angel. Yes, Angel lovers will like this one, but it is far more gentle on the senses than Angel as well. This one is not nearly as "in your face." Although I like Angel, it's not one I can wear often because it is so strong and I'm not always in the mood for that. This one is less strong and has less pachouli. It's more delicate and has more warmth to it and blends more with the skin rather than sitting on top of it. I have yet to quite understand the resemblence to Oriens, but maybe on different skin it smells different. Oriens is far more fruity. This one has only hints fruit.

I love perfumes and have tried many different perfumes from many different categories and have found it very hard to settle on a few that I really love. La Vie Est Belle stands out and I can envision this one staying in my perfume wardrobe for a very long time, as long as Lancome keeps making it. Thanks Lancome. La vie est belle!!

I love this perfume! And my boyfriend love it on my skin...:-)

this is definitely a very sweet scent. to me it smells like a mixture of vanilla and marshmallow and tonka bean and is so similar to prada candy. im surprised it wasnt on the list of comparable perfumes. i also detect a benzoin in this which prada candy also has. its sweet, girly, warm and pleasant but nothing new in my opinion.

Edit; I sprayed it on my wrist the other day since so many people rave about this lately. and i actually really like it now. the first time i smelled it i only noticed the vanilla and the tonka bean notes but now i also smell the fruity notes in it and the patchouli which gives it some more depth. i am thinking of purchasing it now...

It's a cute fragrance, nice and joyful yet sofisticated. I really like Lancome perfumes. Though i feel like i've smelt this before which isn't necessary a bad thing - not just very exiting.

Starts out like Coco Mademoiselle, dries down like Flowerbomb. Thats all I have to say..

Perfumes could be wearing any age who wants to feel alive and happy! Ageless..

I am 22 and this is perfect on my skin, warm, sexy, pretty ! Best for my all time and specially my July birthday :)

This perfume is an absolute stunner!! Note a lot of reviews say "suitable for young girls" - I am 70 and this will be my new Summer perfume. It is delicious, soft, sweet, beautiful florals, fantastic drydown and it LASTS ALL DAY! Could still smell it on my blouse the next morning.

This perfume is an absolute stunner!! Note a lot of reviews say "suitable for young girls" - I am 70 and this will be my new Summer perfume. It is delicious, soft, sweet, beautiful florals, fantastic drydown and it LASTS ALL DAY! Could still smell it on my blouse the next morning.

This perfume is an absolute stunner!! Note a lot of reviews say "suitable for young girls" - I am 70 and this will be my new Summer perfume. It is delicious, soft, sweet, beautiful florals, fantastic drydown and it LASTS ALL DAY! Could still smell it on my blouse the next morning.

This perfume is an absolute stunner!! Note a lot of reviews say "suitable for young girls" - I am 70 and this will be my new Summer perfume. It is delicious, soft, sweet, beautiful florals, fantastic drydown and it LASTS ALL DAY! Could still smell it on my blouse the next morning.

It's a rich scent but kind of common. After the fruity top notes wear down, there is a lasting Tonka bean and Vanilla smoothness.
For some reason, I get the idea of a raspberry chocolate after inhaling it, even though It doesn't even have those notes.
It's a bit sickly sweet. Not my kind of perfume.

Smells good, long-lasting. It's very strong and smells very sweet. I smelled it once and had to get it! I haven't actually smelled Flowerbomb to compare, but it's very sweet, but has a twinge of something earthy, which I imagine is the Patchouli, though I don't have any other perfumes with this note to compare! I really enjoy wearing this and it smells very lady-like without smelling like an old woman. :)

I have not tried it yet, but when I see that it's simmilar to Oriens Van Cleef and Arpels, and to Flowerbomb - really? how? Oriens and Flowerbomb are completely different perfumes and as I love Oriens, I dislike Flowerbomb, Loverdose and any other overloaded with sugar scents.
The bottle and colour itself doesn't suit to sugary type fume - but I want to try it. If it's next flowerbomb, I will be very disappointed.

This fragrance is simply amazing, to me this is sensory perfection! I usually purchase 30ml bottles, but with this, I had to get the 75ml! LOVE it!!!

Love it, smells just like flowerbomb.

smelled this today at sephora and 1st sniff i was completely blown away. this smells divine. it was soooo yummy and happy smelling. i believe this is what heaven smells like. sooooo joyous!!!!!

Sweet bomb! Very vulgar...this perfume smell like a Playboy for woman or can can

Finally a perfume that has sillage and longevity on my fragrance eating skin! I love it, my husband loves it, I get loads of compliments from other women on it, what's not to like?

My husband got this for my birthday because he thought it smelled "incredible." I'd have to agree with him. It's creamy sweet...bordering on saccharine, but it mellows out and I can't stop smelling myself. Though I wouldn't pick it out for myself, I think I will keep buying it because it's the first perfume my husband actually loves, and I am constantly bombarding his poor nose with many.

This perfume is almost an exact copy of Loverdose from Diesel. The same sweetnest with a floral twist. Honestly, I'm glad about that, because I had Loversose before and was sad when I finished it.

This perfume is fantastic. But hmmm, haven’t I smelled it before?? Oh yeah, Flowerbomb! Seriously, this smells A LOT like Flowerbomb. Funny how this frag is categorized as a floral fruity gourmand and Flowerbomb is categorized as an oriental floral. They are soooo similar!

Okay, so what’s different about them? Well I find La Vie Est Belle to be slightly more fruity upfront, and a bit richer. Also, the sillage/projection/lasting power is superior (almost too strong, if you ask me!). On the drydown, La Vie Est Belle has a nice soft, rich vanilla that is clearly absent with Flowerbomb.

So basically, La Vie is the full fat, gourmand, rich version, and Flowerbomb is the light, tea-laden, laylike, fat-free version. Both are absolutely amazing in my opinion, but as for the question of owning both? That’s a toss up. I have already owned Flowerbomb for many years and although I used to wear it to death, I don’t wear it as much anymore and so I think I would indeed consider buying La Vie Est Belle. I LOVE the vanilla in it. Just delicious.

I've never tried Flowerbomb on my skin before, so I cannot compare. The opening does smell similar to Flowerbomb, but I find the pear note odd in LVEB. 20 minutes later, it dries down to straight up syrup on my skin. The extreme sweetness reminds me of Vera Wang Princess. Let me just add the scent is a warm delicious sweetness (like a hot pancake with maple syrup) whereas Princess is cloying and gives me a headache. My only gripe is that this perfume is linear and not very unique. However, it's a very strong perfume-- I used a teeny tiny spray from a sample and I think I might have used too much.

It smells nice! Specially in its middle notes, but this perfume is VERY VERY STRONG. Better to use alone in a desert island, maybe in the north pole. It is absolutely impolite to use it in restaurants, concerts, office, or any other public place. Using this strong perfume is about lack of respect for the other human beings in the room. Really, if you consider yourself a polite person, do not use it.

The smell wonderful! This month is my number one, a very nice change from the Hypnotic Poison, which is always used. Very long-lasting, many days clothes and a coat stand still clogged, everything smelled them all the time.
At the time of autumn and winter would highly recommend. caramels, vanilla and even a note of elegant long holding scent.

This is basically a mature sweet floral scent!
That is the reason why Julia Roberts is the face for the campaigne. Its intended for a mature ladies group.

Squirted this onto my sleeve whilst shopping.... THREE DAYS later I can still smell it, VERY long lasting and absolutely moreish !! I neeeeeeeeed this in my life =/

Okay strong for my personal liking. its kinda like Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb if you want a change from your favourite flowerbomb you found your next best fragrance. First up I smell jasmine sambac and orange bloosum . Its a extremly ladylike, warm, muture lancome smell. Its the only way to put it.

Captivating. I gave this a spray on the wrist while I shopped and couldn't stop smelling it. I noticed later in the day I could still smell it. I have a lot of perfume, I didn't need anymore but I couldn't stop thinking about this one. Everytime I went into a store that carried Lancome, I had to give a spray. I finally broke down and bought some and I'm not sorry. I'm not good at identifying individual components of perfumes, my reactions are purely emotional. I do in general like scents that lean toward the sweet side.

I have a sample of this. Today I try it for the first time on my skin. I liked how it smelled on the blotter. I will update this today.

So..upon initial spray it's disgusting. Yep that's the word . It made me gag, first time ever for me when smelling a perfume. I try to keep my arm as far as possible from my nose and wait for the development of the fragrance. Maybe it gets better latter. At this stage however...it's horrifying for me. Black currant+ pear +iris don't get along well.

25 minutes after the initial spray:
Well, this is getting better, now that the weird combination from the beginning faded away. From a distance it smells quite inviting. Still not 100% comfortable smelling it up close . It's sweet vanilla patchouli. It does remind of Flower Bomb, but is not nearly as smooth and refined (in the way a very sweet vanilla perfume can be refined...). No caramel yet for me. One thing...this is very strong , just one spray out of a sample is basically filling the space around me.

3 hours after initial spray:
At this stage the perfume is totally different from the nasty thing in the beginning. Now it's a delightful praline-vanilla-patchouli which is just perfect in the current weather conditions (5 degrees celsius , foggy) and very holiday like. Sillage is still enormous .

So, all in all , a good fragrance (especially if you can get over the nasty combination of top notes), but nothing groundbreaking. There are better options in the same family.

I'm wearing this for the second time and I must admit that the first time I wore it, it didn't do too much for me. However this time it's different. Maybe the weather needed to be colder. The first spray is a very strong burst of fruits. Yes, it is strong, but this doesn't last long and then we get the heart which is fruity flowery too me. It's simply lovely and lasts for a long time. I'm not sure but I think I'm into the drydown and I smell Tonka bean and vanilla, but not an awful lot of patchouli. It's really quite pleasant though and stays on the skin. I didn't get any compliments, so I'm not sure about projection. All in all it's quite a nice scent but nothing really stunning. I dont think I would buy a full bottle, so I'll finish my sample and just enjoy that. It can at times get a bit cloying, but I haven't felt any nausea yet.

This smells like Angel Violet!!! Almost identical!

I am not a fan of the berry/pear top note - it does not fit the concoction IMO. I like the sweetness otherwise, and it lasts long without being too overpowering. Not especially classy or elegant, but warm and wintery. Like.

A customer walked into the shop today after just trying this perfume in the previous shop, and like the creepy sales assistant i am i had to ask her what perfume she had on... (you smell nice =D) awkwardddd hahaha anyway this perfume is stunning, very head turning and it is deffo on my xmas list !!

Extremely rich, by my standard, and sweet sugary pretty floral. As if Willy Wonka had teamed up with Lancôme to create this. Fruits are heavy. Having patchouli doesn't help at all either. Not for the mass. The bottle is gorgeous however but a bit unnecessary to make it this heavy. I like it but not for me.

Note: If life were so (unrealistically) sweet like this, I guess I'd be smiling like Julia too. Perfect smile to represent "La Vie Est Belle" :)

I thik it´s extremely sweet, is not for me

A very pretty, feminine scent & I loved it instantly. It is very strong, so only a few sprays lasted all day on me. I had a tester of this and prada candy - I couldn't decide which to get as I loved them both (for different reasons) however, my husband liked candy much better on me, so that's what I bought today! Will definitely be putting this on my Xmas list though : )

this is very very sweet and it has nothing with flowerbomb,it is diffrent.is good but very strong,so two sprays are good

Some perfumes that smell great during cold weather do not smell good in hot weather. La Vie Est Belle is a cold weather fragrance that smells better in cold weather. I sampled this during hot weather and disliked it. Somehow hot weather makes it smell syrupy sick. Recently, I sampled it again because of all the reviews stating that it smells like Flowerbomb, which is one of my favorites. The drydown smells very similar to Flowerbomb, however, La Vie Est Belle is more powdery and not as rich as Flowerbomb.

EDIT: This is a very "temperamental" perfume. Some days it smells good on me, other days it smells off key. The sales lady at Nordstrom told me that what I eat, etc., could influence my fragrance. I know for sure that body temperature affects this perfume.

Does this remind anyone else of Fancy by Jessica Simpson? A lovely scent, for sure, but I wear Fancy and this seems eerily similar! The almond and praline also are reminiscent of Hanae Morai. Pretty and feminine, yes, but unoriginal.

Try it today, and smell like lots of other sweet perfumes I smell before, so I'm not impressed at all.
Don't like it.

This is overly sweet. Just too much of everything! Too much vanilla, too much praline, too much blackcurrant. It's sweet in a cotton candy way. Not for me, but for the super sweet fragrance lovers, give it a try, it may suit you.
Edit: I tested again and it has changed on me.. The opening is pure mango! And then it reminds me of old classic women's eau de toilette fruity and flowery. Old fashioned..

This is too sweet but nice. It has EXTREME lasting power and sillage. But the bottle looks irritating to my eyes

Edit :
The drydown is a bit masculine on my skin

Sprayed the sample on my wrist. Left the store. Today Over 5 people stopped me and asked me what I was wearing! They said it smelled so good! To me it smells similar to Fan di Fendi. On my skin! I'm sure it's different on everyone. May buy a small size for now. It is sweet but pleasant! Nice for fall! I like prada candy though too not sure which one I would pick for a fall sweet fragrance if I had to choose between the two!!

it is very good perfume ( smells almost like loverdose, but less intoxicating), smells of warm raspberry (raspberry not in the notes, but all composition reminds me raspberry very much) . I love this sort of perfumes, sweet, cosy and rich, very nice for winter. But i think that bottle design does not suit the smell, because it makes you think you will get something light and summery but smell is quite sweet and heavy (!!i like it though!!), smell for the winter, so bottle i think looks a bit boring , it should of been more passion in the bottle as well as Julia Roberts which i like as an actress does not suit the image of this perfume. Because image that u get from the advert is something innocent and sterile, the smell is sweet and a sexy. It should of been red/violet/seductive image for this perfume.

The best ever!!!!!!!!!! better then flowerbomb, wow!
have both the 75 ml on the aiport yesterday and I am so so happy! feel beautiful and mega sexy! hope people don't like it because want smell the best, love it!

unsophisticated strong vanilla fragrance. so sweet...i can almost feel gaining weight just by sniffing it. i was looking for the iris note but goes unnoticeable. it closely resembles a vanilla-peach Avon bubble bath i had.

one more perfume from this house that is sickly sweet and unoriginal.... heavy, cloying, you name it... saddening..

The pear is the strongest fruit note on me - well, I say strongest, but it is still pretty soft and doesn't leave me with a lasting impression. There is soft vanilla present through all of the fragrance too, with adds a creamy sweetness and warmth to the fragrance. The patchouli is also quick to develop, so whilst everything is sweet, it's not cloyingly so.

The floral notes used are powdery and just provide a background for the iris. It's quite startling how, after around two hours, the fragrance suddenly changes from a soft gourmand to present the wearer with a rich iris note. I don't have much experience with iris in perfumes, so LA VIE EST BELLE is unique to me.

After another few hours the fragrance turns slightly nutty and even creamier as the rest of the base notes develop. Whilst the iris note dies down, the combined powderiness of the floral notes remain and softly fade away with the base notes after around nine hours on my skin.



LA VIE EST BELLE is in a higher price bracket, but the superb longevity and the fact that the perfume is very easy to wear justify the price tag. I'll apply it in the morning and it'll last all day.

LA VIE EST BELLE reminds me vaguely of Flowerbomb, so if you like that fragrance then you'll love this.

Mamma mia, to roll? Such a beautiful bottle, and such content is terrible. Flowerbomb and Loverdose in one, on the wrist generally issued Escada Magnetism, and cost so blow up on a new plagiarism? This is not "life is beautiful" - a life in depression, jam sweets. For high school students! So it turns out in a children's song, "My Lancome like a bulldog and a little on the dog ..."

La Vie Est Belle whispers to me tenderly. This is a scent for a loving mother, a true friend or a sweet sister. I would love to give it as a gift to a woman I love and I will!

When I tried this on the tester strip it was the fruityness and orange that were the dominant notes. However, on the skin, it is is the caramel and vanilla in the dry down that are the most memorable notes. It reminds me of several other fragrances, initailly Ccoc Mademoiselle, then Jimmy Choo, Flowerbomb, and Oriens. It is long lasting, sweet, edible and warm, a great autumn day scent, but not especially special.

If joyful innocence has a scent, it is definitely LVEB by Lancome!

This is a lovely take on the ever popular fruity floral olfactory group. I'm not an expert at telling the notes apart, but from the moment I tried it on, it is quite literally a feast on my olfactory senses. Never before had I tried something that evolves so much on my skin! Not just that, it become more and more beautiful with each passing moment! At first the floral notes domintes, but it eventually settles to a delicious scent which smells like hazelnut chocolate truffle to me. The moment in between is the most beautiful. It makes it unique in way that the scent become neither sickly sweet like some popular celebrity perfumes, or overbearingly complex and bizzare like some classics such as Chanel no 5 or Lancome's own Tresor. I believe this balanced structure is what is missing in most modern fragrances these days. It gives the fragrance a sense of youthful exuberance with a touch of understated maturity.

Uniqueness is certainly not this fragrance's forte, but I'm not holding it against it. I'm taking a live and let live stance as far as this is concerned and enjoyed this for what it is: a well made fragrance that is easy to wear at any time and place. Another plus is the bottle which is simplistic and elegant. I just love the organza ribbon tied on the neck of the bottle! I can already tell that this is going to be an old favorite of mine. Congrats Lancome for coming out with this! My life is definitely more beautiful with this delightful fragrance!

edit: Been using this for a week and hardly a day goes by without somebody asking me what I'm wearing! 4 or 5 people per day as a matter of fact! No, I'm not exaggerating. This one is a sure complement getter! It lasts forever and ever too! I sprayed it in the morning and I could still get whifs of it late in the afternoon. When I wear it on my clothes sometimes it fills up my closet long after I took my clothes off and hang it on the rack! Amazing, simply amazing and worth all the money I spent on it! I got more than a dozen fragrances in my dresser and usually I would wear a different one each day, but since I got LVEB I can't help reaching out for it every time before I stepped out of my house! It's such a joy to wear! I will definitely get myself the biggest bottle once mine runs out!

Yummy candy floss! Would be perfect for the winter. Can't wait!

Very Sweet. I tried this in store last week. I really liked the top notes but the base was way too sweet for me.

EDIT: Ahhh Praline. My worst enemy. I absolutely love this perfume on others and on paper but when its been on my skin for more than twenty minutes it turns into a praline monster. Now I know why I thought it was too sweet for me. Sad really because I think it's gorgeous on everyone else!

I invested in the biggest bottle the perfume counter had of this and I love it. The first time I wore it out I sprayed the way I usually do which are four sprays, (each side of the neck and each wrist) but it became too overwhelmingly strong. So now I just spray one wrist, pat that liquid on to the other, and then pat both wrists on to each side of the neck. Did that today at 9am. Its 5:30p.m. and the scent is still there, and my boyfriend said it smelled sweet so, thats good :)

Putting on just one spray each time Im gonna use this will definetly make my bottle last forever, and the money well spent.

Only got a sample of this but getting many compliments. It lasts on my skin and has good sillage which is a big bonus. Will invest in a full size bottle

Am I the only one to feel the base of this fragrance similar to Gucci Rush?

am a man n am in love with this perfume!
this is what every lady should smell like :)

i love love love la vie est belle. I think it definitely is a youthful fragrance, however because of the powderyness that lingers beneath its sweet gourmand top notes it could even be worn by more mature women. It really does smell lovely.

Un sosie mal fait de flowerbomb.
Très sucré sur ma peau.
Pas fait pour moi....

I smelled this today at the mall and me being a Chanel fragrance fanatic... I immediately saw the resemblance between La Vie est belle and Coco Mademoiselle. Although it has that sophistication and sillage that most Chanel perfumes do, this one seemed to have a je ne se quoi about it, I would say it's more subtle like most Lancome pefumes. Nonetheless, it's a beautiful fragrance, very sweet, soft and powdery towards the end.

Very sweet as in dessert-sweet but woody. Must be the praline. It is what sweetens the jasmine. The praline also brings with it some vanilla. I agree that this is a floral-fruity gourmand. It is not what I would call fresh (as in green). It is heavy and thick but sweet, not smoky. This smells like a grown-up version of so many $20 celebrity frags. This is nice and wouldn't turn down as a gift but not on my to-buy list.

Update: Have retested this several times since my orig review. Have since changed my Rating from 3 to 2. This fume seems more suited to those in their twenties.

Sillage: 1-2 feet
Longevity: more than 6 hours
Rating: 2/5

So sticky, so cloying

Tried this recently and was underwhelmed. It's another generic fruity floral that smells like so many others today. Nothing new, big launch, big publicity and meh...smells like a hundred other fruity foody florals.

I long for the day when a mainstream perfume is launched and it actually makes me sit up and say "hey, this is different!" I guess I'm still waiting.

Edit- I tries this again more recently- it dawned on me what it was- blackcurrant and caramel. Too foodie for my taste!

Definitely didnt expect anything like this, in a good way - it made me smile when i first tried it on :) Lovely sweet vanilla, day fragrance, perfect for winter. I will for sure buy a bottle of this one! :)

Big surprise from Lancome - ce n'est pas le style du Lancome.
Premiere fois - tres-tres sucree, mais pas comme une gateau.
Deuxieme fois - un patchouli doux...
Enfin - la fragrance reste assez forte mais semble comme une mer du passion en hiver devant le feu. Incredible !
La fragrance = 4,4/5
La presentation = 4,8/5 (tres racee, tres chic, tres parisienne)

When I first tried this, I liked it - it is very similar to Flowerbomb which I love. But after it's dried, it smells like Eden, by Cacharel which I find horribly cloying.

On the up side - it lasts very well, because I can't seem to wash it off! Not bad, but not great!

I gave it a try today and not surprisingly, a great fit for today's mass consumption, will surely convince a young crowd.Why is it so hard to create a perfume that would have a true own signature , something that would leave a real print in the perfume world like so many classics we use to get before and not another cheap sugary smell? Profit and more profit because taking any risk in regards to composing something more breakthrough will endanger the figures planned for gain and Mrs Roberts was surely not cheap to afford.Nothing against her as she is truly beautiful but please just a simple model with no photoshopping and an interesting smell......

So cloying, so sweet. Nothing special really.

It couldn't be more original an unique .... !!!

Well yes....unique as Flowerbomb !!!!!!!!!!!!!

ridiculous !!!


pass

One of my coworkers wore this in the office and everyone kept wondering where the cotton candy was? They were going nuts trying to figure out where the smell was coming from. Poor girl put her jacket on to mask the scent she was so embarrassed.

I thought it smelled yummy - reminds you of flower bomb, but not the same. But it was putting out HUGE cotton candy effect....maybe it was the pralines sugar smell doing that.....

I don't think the other folks hated the smell - it was just making them crazy trying to figure it out - and they were getting hungry too!

I had not read about this one perfume, so I had no prejudice at all when I tried it... and yes, FB came straight to my senses, although maybe it is a little more mature than FB.
As to why would Lancome copy a famous perfume (that is in the market for many years now), well for the same reason Hollywood brings about sequel after sequel after prequel: it's a safe bet.
I like much better FB but I must say, I would not wear FB at the office, but yes, I would wear this one.

All love for this!

My first thought after spraying this on = Flowerbomb & Coco Mademoiselle got together, had a baby. Ok so as with some kids one parent has more swing in the genetic pool here (can you guess?). But it has both parents in there. There is also something giving it a slight musky vibe which thankfully is just barely there.

The praline holds its own and gives it a nice twist. I am a fan of sweet things so this is not too much for me. In fact it isn't nearly as sweet as I thought it may be based on reviews. I only used one spray and it's a good amount. It smells really good, lasting power is good but it definitely softens as time goes on. It is a FAR better deal than Flowerbomb which simply fades away, and for me even though I like FB, much more wearable thanks to the CM vibe.

Wow, not quite sure what to make of this one! On a paper strip it was fruity/flowery sweet praline. Sprayed it on my wrist - and it quickly dried down to something very familiar... Now I'm not an expert when it comes to different notes, especially regarding flowers - but this fragrance to me is like a mix between Chanel Allure edp and E.Arden Sunflowers. I am guessing it must be the jasmine and orange blossoms as all of them have this in common - I must be especially sensitive to it, haha. The drydown feels flowery with a light citrus touch, and a sweet vanilla base. A few hours later it has softened a lot - and I am now quite taken with the warm patchouli/vanilla/tonka bean base, although I do still detect some jasmine, but it's very soft and not overpowering, like before.
All in all - an interesting perfume, however, not unique.

This is my second review and this time its based on my own bottle.
I got it as a gift from my friend from Paris. Still havent changed my mind about it- its still sweet and sugary and very similar to Can Can and Flowerbomb but I like wearing it. It has that blackcurrant note and pear that I cant find in Flowerbomb and it lasts longer on me that FB.
It is very similar at the opening but the drydown is different- I like LVEB better at the drydown is sweet caramel with iris and pear on my skin. Very nice winter perfume. I know there are lots of similarities to Flowerbomb but to me there are few notes that are different and the price- much cheaper from FB where I live so I found my substitute.

Overall even though LVEB is nothing we haven't smelled before and maybe nothing too original- I still like it and I feel nice and cozy wearing it .

This seems to be very successful according to the enthusiastic reviews, so I'm going against the currant here. I find La vie est belle cloying and disturbing to the point to be nausea-inducing. As for the similarities with Flowerbomb (which I don't mind) and with Oriens (which I love), a part from the fact that all three are gourmand fragrances, they are not similar and LVEB does not hold a candle to either of them.

Much too sweet, cloying. Nothing unique about it. Smells like any other juice out there...

loves it!

I was curious about this one, because Lancome usually surprises me very pleasantly, with uncommon scents.
Not this time.
The name: "La Vie Est Belle" made me think of "Dolce Vita" by Christian Dior.
The scent reminded me of "Flowerbomb" by Victor & Rolf.
Despite that, as the name hints, it is the kind of perfume that evokes happy feelings. Sweet and fruity, too loud, it's quite perfect for a partying night and it's going to last for the whole after party day too!

"Dolce Vita" and "La Vie Est Belle" are both movie titles:
one Italian by Federico Fellini, the other French by Roger Pierre.
There is an other film, one of my favorites, titled "La vita è bella" by Roberto Benigni, Italian. All have almost, the same meaning.

here we go! dominique ropion signature! woody-patchouli with sweet red fruity notes. the structure of flowerbomb and euphoria. not as sweet fruity as flowerbomb, not as ambery woody as euphoria. well still recognasible characters of both. it seems they are both doing well in the market:)

Sweet and cloying, like an inferior Flowerbomb. I could imagine teenage girls liking this, which is a bit at odds with the adverts starring Julia Roberts. This is not a chic perfume for a grown woman, it smells far too much like candy. Oh, and it lasts forever and has blaring sillage so if you do wear it, a light touch is advised.

I like the smell of this one, but I do not understand why a respected perfume house would copy (almost) exactly the smell off Flowerbomb (which I own and love).. It really is a rip off. I didn't expected that from Lancome.. It's not a classy move at all..

I was so eager to test this one especially that for every day during maybe he last couple of weeks, each time I log in to Fragrantica, which I do many times a day, I would find one or two reviews for La vie est belle on the right side section of the page....

Once I finally did, I found La vie est belle a very ordinary patchouli sweet fragrance, nothing really special; a fuss about nothing....

However, I must say that it has a good sillage and longevity but dries down to a bit masculine scent.

Very similar to Flowerbomb. Sweet, long lasting, gourmand. It's a nice scent, but nothing revolutionary.

Heavenly caramel sweetness that I could not resist. I got the big bottle and am sooooo enjoying it..

Got it today, absolutely sexy and feminine,reminds me of Miss Dior cheire 2005 version but more sophisticated and stronger , added to my FAV list

Very nice, sweet fragrance, reminds me of my favourites-Flowerbomb & D&G No 10

Flower Bomb or Meow by Katy Perry? Hummm...something in between!

Smells lovely just like Rihanna 'Rebe'l Fleur' perfume.Long lasting and delightful.

This was just a sweet, sticky mess with no discernible over- or undertones on my skin. Did detect some flowers right at the beginning but no, this was not for me. Way too much vanilla.


edit: also, there's something that reminds me of fruit-scented kiddy eraser..

I'm on the fence between liking and disliking this.. Not sure yet though I've sampled it twice during the past month. From one end, I like the sweetness but there is somehow a synthetic note that keeps coming up - could it be the iris? Besides, the dry down is so similar to Fancy by Jessica Simpson so I figure why pay the premium price for LVEB anyway? Still unsure..

I love it!
It's so sweet,but not too sugary,powdery-wonderful iris,patchouli,woody and pralinenotes.
Deep,warm,feminine and optimistic!And so longlasting.Perfectly for cold,dark days.
La Vie est belle-really do,when I put this on my hair:)

Hi Finally I got this !

Sparkling, young, sweet and ELEGANT ..

It opens with orange blossoms, sour black current and patchouli then you are directly face to face with the dry down of sweet pears and pralines.

It smells nicer and last longer on clothes than the skin !
lasting power & sillage are so pleasant ..

Note: Mix it with Coco Mademoiselle .. It will smell amazing ..

My gf bought this one and loves it. I't smells a bit flower-like, but I can't find almost any of the other notes besides but the STRONG burned sugar smell. I have smelled a lot of fragnances, but this one stands really out in a really negative way.

It's very very special.

I tried the sample and i was disappointed.First it captured me with the iris and pautchoulie but later on just to strong on my skin'it gave me a slide headache.

Got a free sample of this when I bought another perfume and was so pleased cos I've been wanting to try it. This opens with a fresh fruity blackcurrant note which is lovely. Then I get really strong patchouli. When that starts to fade a little I get the sweet juicy pear, iris, orange blossom and jasmine notes, making it smell like an average floral-fruity concoction. Gradually, the vanilla and tonka start to come through, finally settling on the most gorgeous praline note I have EVER smelled.

I love the fact that I can identify every note in this perfume (a first me!) and being a lover of sweet gourmand perfumes I really wanted to make this my new signature scent, but there's something just not quite right about it. It smells just a little bit too "mature" on me, not like old lady perfume or anything; it's just not right on me. I think it's the patchouli, which always seems to smell weird on my skin.

So disappointed cos I LOVE that praline note. Will keep trying my little sample bottle and maybe it'll grow on me (here's hoping!)

Update - Kept trying this over the last week and it really has grown on me. I love the way it develops over the day. Lasting power is incredible, over 12 hours; and sillage is fantastic. Wore it to work and everyone could smell it when I walked past, got loads of compliments. So glad I stuck with this, ordered a full size bottle last night :-)

I find this perfume to be beautiful. It is delicate but the projection is suprising for a soft fragrance. When I think of soft willowy pink fragrances, this immediately comes to mind. A very feminine fragrance without being typical. Lancome produces such quality products. I have read reviews that were not as complimentary, but as with all people beauty is always a matter of perspective and taste. Luckily, there are many choices in the fragrance market, so that if this is not your cuppa, there are numerous options befitting your particular olafactory preference. Although if you like a delicate, soft, feminine fragrance that does not fade away within the hour, please at least test this one. I hope that it will be a happy surprise.

This one is just so bland. Your typical cheap-smelling blend of burnt sugar and floral notes, sickly sweet and boring. The flowers are mainly what ruins it for me - it's as if they conflict with the sugary notes.

People are comparing this to Flowerbomb, but I don't see it - with its smokey tea notes, Flowerbomb is ten times more complex and intriguing than this. I'll even take Prada Candy over La Vie est Belle; at least Prada Candy isn't trying to be anything other than sweet and candylike. I expected more from Lancome.

it would have been much nicer if all the notes weren't completely drowned in a bucket of patchouli.
it's strong and lasts a long time, a bomb in a delicate and pretty bottle that could have suggested a pretty pink scent...

I tested this while out shopping because I really loved the notes listed here. I'm shocked to say I hated it. I expected a sweet gouramand type of scent but to me it smelled like old lady cheap toilette water (literaly)!

I don't like this one...it is way too sweet for my taste

Got a sample of this for my mother at Sephora today, but I must admit this little carmel delight smelled pretty heavenly to me as well, and (as a straight man) am pretty sure I could pull this one off myself as it doesn't neccesarily smell "feminine" or "floral" in any traditional sense, just heavenly... and delicious!

I was about to buy the Prada Candy until I smelled this and instantly changed my mind. This is like an amped up Prada Candy. Candy on steroids, or a sugar high if you will. ;)

This is exactly what I was expecting from Candy and everything it's not. It's sweet, fudgey, praline, sugary (dare I say buttery caramel) and very STRONG. I might have a bad nose or my body chemistry might be off but the florals weren't very noticable to me. It wasn't until reading the notes that I paid attention and still they were very faint. This is more of a pure sugar/candy scent to me with the exception for the drydown which transforms to a sweet powder with hints of vanilla.

This lasts for hours and one small spritz on clothes or paper can last for days. In other words it's the ultimate gourmand, if you like it that is, otherwise I imagine the incredible potency of this perfume would prove to be a nightmare.

I tested this frangrance yesterday and i loved it!it is so sweet and so elegant!it lasted all day on me!i have to admit that it reminds me of "flowerbomb" by victor & rolf but i prefair this one!

I received this as a gift yesterday and I like it alot, It gives the feeling of a strong independent but still sweet and feminine mature woman.

Tonka bean. Simple overload of tonka bean. The tonka bean oozing pink liquid .

Talking about "immature" crowd as a target audience for LVEB.
My 17 years old has been having a sample of LVEB in her bathroom for about a month already.
She uses Prada Amber or Tahitian Gardenia or Lilac by Pacifica.
These are her choices, not mine. Ok, she used LVEB one morning, she thinks it's nice, caramel(praline) part is good but one really has to wait for it.

Again, to celebrate life and happiness I would use Dior's Miss Dior Le Parfume by Francois Demachy, BTW, one of the best women's fragrances in the mall right now, or Dior's Dolce Vita of 90s just to go with the theme.
To demonstrate that everything is good and happy in my life I will use Dolce & Gabbana's Light Blue or Sicily or in fact any beautiful, optimistic and tasteful perfume that is not introverted.

What I am trying to say is: I personally would just steer clear from gourmands if I want to make people around me happy. Simply because
"Gourmands" are capable of creating controversy to the point of unhappiness, discomfort and sickness. This happened to me again and again: with Lolita Lempica, Guerlain's Shalimar Initial, La Petite Robe Noir, and list of gourmand smelling fragrances goes on...
thanks god, never tried celebrities' "gourmands" except Lolita.
How about just keeping our dessert on the table, on a nice little plate.

A beautiful and successful woman for the campaign, a nice bottle for the package, and an awfull scent to wear unfortunately...a roll of cotton candy and a harsh breeze of burnt marshmallow together with flower scents; and the reason is a total disappointment for me...even though I don't like it either, Jimmy Choo is better if you are in for sweet florals with woody base notes

2nd review on paper: La Vie est Belle is piercing a little bit the sheath of my pleasure. I have the stripe in front of me close to the monitor and any time I move I smell this BOMB whafting sugary-sugar in my nose and... I quite like it!
This is not a perfume that I would feel like mine, or signature or something that I can like to wear just everyday. Good for winter daytime, not as elegant enough for grand soirèe.
It feels like eating sweets and fine pastries on tears-day. Very PMS for women, it probably gives an impression of happy, easy, not-dangerous doll that will "never" stick a knife in your back.
The stripe is banging my head from please-me-strong to killing-me-stronger. Yet, I'm not so willing to remove the stripe, not right now, maybe later... feed me sugar in the meantime and I will forget all the ugliness around. It's a distracting perfume, like a strategy on a purpose. Feed sugar and people will quite down for bit until the effect will finish.
Not an original strategy, more or less the same since '60s in food industry and lately become a global trend in perfumery. No more luscious radiant sandalwood: too endagered (too expensive?)
some reviewers mentioned an over the top lady, yes, like someone even too happy to be true, non serene happy but rather hysterical happy on sugar moods.
One of those people you wouldn't like to have around, apparently uplifting, actually tiring and energy-drawing, like someone who is in constant search of anybody's attention and look for it with smiles and coaxing, wheedling interesting people.
It's not probably a case that a similar famous scent with oversweet and monster sillage is worn by a very immature old-enough fashionable but childish brained girl in my aftermaths. And tricky/false, too.
I expect her ny day popping in smelling like LVEB.
Once again I believe that Monsieur Dominique Ropion is genius behind any "strong" featured perfume. He rides a trend and makes out the best item of the trend. Shalimar Parfum Initial smells thousands better than this and more elegant, but it sticks to flagship Guerlain's armour-like elegance. LVEB is a crazy work of addictive smells.

Julia Roberts is so right for this scary ad that she looks wrong. Perfect.

This is cross between clean 'n soft white floral mostly jasmine and earthy evening wear pathcouli. Quite similar to Flowerbomb. The scent is definitely for nights out, clubbing, going out mall shopping,etc. Hangs around for 4-5 hours utmost.

why these kind of sweet and creamy candy scent is sooo popular today?? sweet and sweeter.....!!!!such a headache!

Just tried it in a shop, like it so far. And it reminds me of Mont Blanc Femme Indviduelle.

i got it just before and i think its just amazing. it makes me feel feminine and elegant. it doesnt have any similarities with dior cherie or any other ordinary sweet fragrance. At the first time ive smelled, i fall in love with it. According to me, it can be used in every seasons, especially at nights. Additionally, it is more long lasting on me than flowerbomb.

for me idid not try flowere for bomb ever but iused black xsfor her and ifound la vie is copy from black xs same sweetness and stay about 4 hours on skin black xs s
stays hall day on my clothes and when ithink it gone ifound something sweet awake me and lees in price cause
old perfume

La Vie est Belle is very addictive, i was constantly smelling myself for hours! (lots of patchuli and praline), at first, when i just sprayed it on my skin it was kind of Coco Mademoiselle but more subtle and "younger" smelling, then, after 30 minutes it starts smelling much sweeter, a little bit like flowerbomb but more complex and sophisticated, not as girly-teenage-sweet, you can actually smell the 3 phases of the perfume, my sister who knows nothing about perfumes told me, wow now it smells like a completely different perfume (she didn't like the opening but loved the drydown) very interesting.. wouldn't wear it now tho, too much, maybe in november..sillage is amazing, lasting power i found it to be average as i applied it on my skin( not hair or clothes)

If you look at the campaign poster featuring a heavily foto-shopped Julia Roberts with this crazed insane smile: "OMG, is this the weed I smoked or is the world just so wonderful, wONDerful ....omg....I can't stop grinning ....I wanna stop now.....help me... I can't stop" .... and now imagine THATS how people will perceive you when you are wearing this!

Here are the Pros: it has INSANE sillage! In that way it differs from the 100s of generic juices, esp. YSL's latest Manifesto, which is comparable on behalf of the fruit/vanilla combination. You can smell La Vie through a room, nay, through a banquet hall or an airport... A bulldozer of a scent - no kidding. I agree with the other reviewers - it is not like flowerbomb because there is simply much less flower to it - more bomb :D of sweetness - it is a more refined composition and seems to have less synthetics in it. It stays forever and ever...I came back from the store and got back to work on my research, I swear this keeps me as alert as a coffee right now.

CONS: Have you ever met a woman that you'd say is completely over the top? I mean not the goofy loveable but the "if she goes on I'm gonna call an ambulance" kind? Imagine a woman who just can't stop going on about her fabulous life and fabulous friends, her fabulous husband and adoooorable kids and her awesome career...and omg have you seen her fabulous skin and her gorgeous teeth and she is going to wet herself with happiness any minite now....and now she is going to give you this fabulous piece of advice how you can get as happy as her fabulous self? Here it is: "I have discovered that I can be happy and I cultivated that gift" (this is what Julia Roberts said in an interview about the new scent) And inside you get surer and surer that she is either on some sort of medication or completely insane..... and you are sure you'd rather spend the rest of your life on a rugged island than listen to her for another second? yupp..... LVEB is just that kind of over the top and lacks in any form of controversy, edge, reverie, honesty, genuine character, wit what have you...honestly, I am glad I am at home now and nobody will think this is my choice of fragrance...will probably have to shower twice to get rid of it too, and I will let this genie out of its tester again when my concentration fails and I need the fortissimo blast of a whole department store to get it back. Don't wear it unless you want to convince people you work in one :) ... the dry down is an undistinguishable sweetness....unfit for summer ...unless you liver on McMurdoch

LVEB sounds as an honest effort of a very gifted perfumer to incorporate sweet, really sweet gourmand in his creation, based on persistent demand of sweetness on the women's perfume market. But if the sweet gourmand is not this perfumer's thing then no matter how ingenious some of the aspects of this sweetness he(she) will come up to, this perfumer would have to rely on others to define where to stop, to determine a balance of this fragrance. And it's difficult to find that balance when it's not really your thing at the first place, probably , if it would be up to him(her) there would not be gourmands at all.
So, LVEB fragrance seems as a great compromise, where a lot of nice ideas go unrestrained, untamed.
My test card finally after 2 weeks start having an acceptable strength of sweetness, the one that I finally enjoy without feeling sick.

It does not have a very good longevity on my skin and it's much more flat on my skin as compared to paper.
It's one of those fragrances that are outperforming on the paper strip but are average on skin.

If I owned a cute little cafe/bakery I'd waft this perfume around the front door and I'm sure I'd have record customers. Its irresistible in a i-know-im-on-a-diet-but-pass-me-another-doughnut kind of way. One of the best sweet frags ive come across! I would love to walk past someone who smelled this good, however I personally can't take sweet smells on me for more than 10 mins without getting a headache! I actually tested this on my ankle (bit weird but I was at home, not in the store lol!! I had no space left and I thought if I didn't like it I wouldn't notice it) but man this stuff is strong..couldn't wash it off... But I've discovered that if sillage is what your after ladies and gents - spray your ankles lol!!

Charming scent, simple, beautiful, long lasting. I had Miracle Forever, they are very similar indeed.

La vie est Belle is surprisingly sweet and long lasting.
Nothing like what I expected. Seems to be a distant cousin of Hypnose.

La petite Robe Noir Guelain has somewhat similar dry down, may be simplier one.
La petite Robe Noir Guelain is stiil more watery or transparent compare to LVEB, shorter life on a paper test card.

I've taken the time to read all the reviews after having purhased this yesterday, wondering why I wasn't aware of this fragrance before then! My saleslady is definitely falling down on the job! I agree with itsallgood-this is the fragrance I've been searching for! I am another site that refers to your HG perfume. It took me a month or so to figure out what that was! For those of you who don't know-and I don't mean to insult anyone's intelligence-it refers to your "Holy Grail" fragrance. You know-the ONE you've known existed somewhere-and I've found just that in this lovely and extremely feminine creation. I don't know as much about fragrance as a lot of the members of this site, but I do know what I think smells good and LVEB smells so much more than good! I had sampled at least a dozen or so fragrances and was getting nowhere-I was about to leave the store empty handed, always a depressing thing to do when I asked if Lancome had anything new out. OMG-I was not prepared for this! I sprayed a wee bit onto the paper and my eyes almost rolled to the back of my head LOL! Where had this been all my life? It was everything I love and more! Pralines were my mother's special holiday candy she so lovingly prepared every Thanksgiving and Christmas. And I adore vanilla and patchouli together. I'm not a huge floral fan-but this has just enough to make this more than a simple gourmand. I bought a small bottle, got my gift with purchase and happily headed home. I wasn't prepared to smell so luscious all evening. My son remarked that I smelled good enough to eat (eek!) and my husband, the perfume hater-didn't even ask me how much I had spent, only that he thought I could stop buying perfume every other week when I had found this one that he would love to smell on me every day! This was huge! To make a long story short, I do own Miss Dior Cherie and Flowerbomb and like them both, but they pale in comparison to LVEB. I do agree it needs to be used lightly-but what a difference for me. My aging skin eats perfume oil for a snack and the previous mentioned fragrances disappear on me within a few hours. You will definitely get your money's worth with this one. It has wonderful longevity-which is great but only if you love it. LVEB lingers and lingers and definitely is hard to wash off. But who would want to wash off such a pretty fragrance? I understand why a lot of you fragrance experts out there might not like this. It definitely makes a statement and is very sweet. But to me it personifies what I like to think I am-a young in spirit, happy, independent and enthusiastic woman. This fragrance is definitely "me" . I feel it be worn by any woman of any age-the only requirement is that you love life!

There is something very naive about this perfume (I don't know if it just the name or the smell as well) and generic.
The impressive revelation in the press release that it was selected among a few thousand other candidates, proves to me that its creators and brand are aware of that, as well. :-)

Three monster-perfumers put together. The result? Probably they faught all the time, then they came to a quick fix and put it in a nice marketing daytime dress.
I tested La vie est belle. I don't like the name. It sounds phoney for a perfume.
The bottle is beautiful.
The scent... well, it is much in the line of sweetness and over-sweetness. Too sweet for my tastes, but this is just a matter of tastes. It's not cloying anyway.
If I wanted a perfume of this kind I would rather go for Guerlain Parfum Initial. I see many similarities between the two.
Most people compare LVEB with Flowerbomb and Miss Dior Cherie. I can see that, but IMO the similarities are all about the sticky sweetness combined with floral notes.
If I was given a bottle for free I would probably wear LVEB and I would be complimented. I don't think that I will buy my own.
I will try it again anyway.

This is gorgeous its a must have elegant perfume for your collection and the bottle is pretty. Its notes are sweet, devine vanilla and pear its dreamy and soft. I have a spare new bottle of body lotion if anyone would like to pair up with there perfume.

I got a sample of this new perfume from Dillard's a while ago on my lunch hour. When I first sprayed on just a little bit on my hand I liked the chocolatey, praliney notes and the flowers, but I don't get iris, I get more jasmine, and a combo that almost smells like Bulgarian rose. Anyway, while I rather like the notes of the perfume, particularly the vanilla and chocolate, I will never wear it even at home. It is overpowering and I am not over-stating. One little spray and everyone in my office could smell it when I returned to work. This thing has a mile long sillage. I went to the bathroom to try to wash it off- not possible. Even after trying to wash it off I could still smell this fragrance on my skin the next morning. I don't know why Lancome would deliberately make such an overwhelming scent- it's just too much. I wish they would re-issue it in a less overwhelming version.

I reckon it is a very Mugler-esque perfume.. It feels like a more "friendly" Womanity. Which it is not a bad thing at all!

This is another headache inducing one for me I'm afraid. I really liked the opening fruity notes (which I knew wouldn't last) but the drydown is a powerful synthetic flowery jam. Glad it was just the tester bottle.

This smells sweet and edible, vanilla and praline at the forefront, with an added dose of patchouli to mix it up. I smell no flowers. To me, this is mainly an evening scent, as it's fairly deep and a bit dark and mysterious. However, worn lightly it can be suitable for day.

I seriously don't know why they picked Julia Roberts as the face of this fragrance! Should be Nina Dobrev or someone young (Its very young, innocent and sweet). Same goes for Miracle which is also a very youthful scent but Uma Thurman endorses it as a womanly smell.
The patchouli, vanilla and jasmine make this smell like flowerbomb but this smells a little more syrupy? Idk it might be the black currant making it smell this way.
It's very nice, inoffensive, great gift for a young girl aged 16-30 or in her young 30s :)

I had to buy this after using the sample vial a few times. At this point, I want to wear it every day to work.

Yes, it's like Flower Bomb (big surprise considering the frags' sharing one of the designers), but LVEB's sweetness has a bit of salt in it (the praline, I guess). This makes me like it better than Flower Bomb.

La Vie Est Belle seriously? More suitable,La Vie Est Malade after trying it,I feel like having high blood sugar!EXTREMELY sweet,bubblegum(a sickening one),syrupy perfume. Berries,praline and LOTS of vanilla on my skin.Suitable for a 10 year old girl or a teenage girl,not for a woman! Burn sugar,add artificial fruity scents and you have La vie est Belle!The worst of all is the AMAZING lasting power.It literally choked me,I kept washing and washing but it was still there going on STRONG!Please Lancome don't release matching body products,that would be a nightmare!

Sweeter than sweet. It's sweeter than sugar or chocolate or anything edible for that matter. Or maybe you pour double portion of honey on your banana split, add some praline, top it up with sugared almonds then maybe you get close to its sweetness. It's rich and abundant, and.. oh, did I mention? - SWEET! Although, this is a scent with presence and balance (or at least this is what I would call it).

So, since it started off like a basket filled with Christmas sweets I didn't hope too much of it from the very beginning, but somewhere in the middle or towards the end it turned into something sophisticated and rather nice for a while. It seemed like a true floral beauty for half an hour or so. But then.. the base emerged, and for my surprise this is strangely watery and peppery at the same time.

Conclusion? I'm still curious to sniff it for a couple of times, just to get better understanding, but I guess that's gonna be it. Based on the current impression alone I'd say it's way too much for me.

ok finally did a full body test on this (that is so important when buying a fragrance). I no longer like this. It started off sweet and nice but then there is something else there and maybe a little spice, but whatever i am smelling these things don't mix well together. I can't wait to shower and get this off me, I even have a headache because the lasting power is so good that I can't seem to stop smelling this, it just keeps coming off me every few seconds. I might need to pop a Goody's Powder cause the headache wont go away. I am so glad I no longer like this as I would like to keep my wish list as small as possible.

VERY sweet, gourmand, pearlicious. although it is a young fragrance, i love it. then again i love fairly sweet smells. does not smell synthetic on me at all. i want to eat my arm. cant stop smelling it!! reminds me more of vera wang princess than the likes of flowerbomb. almost caramel on my skin, which must be the praline & vanilla. actually quite warm on me. I will be getting the big bottle. yummy and delicious <3

Very sweet yet very classic ! i love it but its not my type of perfume and more of an older women or teens over 17 years old .

Very generic, it is a pass for me. The synthetic note in it is not helping either

Sorry for dominating the conversation here (promise, it's the last time I do that) just wanted to add something.
Maybe to end the mentioning of the Victor&Rolf's Flowerbomb next to La Vie est Belle.
These two perfumes are very different, their structure and ingredients.
I own Flowerbomb since it was launched, very prominent and pleasant chypre part, floral.
Nothing to do with LVEB.

Ok,

I am not crazy woot, woot this reminds me of flowerbomb which I love and already have

Definitely i am not going to wear this perfume alone. Perhaps, because of noted by other reviewers linearity ( another question what is linear fragrance our days?).
But I would not mind to have a spot of this very potent sweet creation somewhere on
me, may be on clothes, to soften my other main fragrance, that is usually colder, less approachable such as Chloe by Chloe, for example.
When applying directly to my skin, I uncomfortably start feeling my heart beating slower.
Also, some cyanide note, cherry, almond are more prominent on my skin, gives me a very slight headache.
I am not sure if the sweetness of LVEB is such a typical gourmand thing. Perhaps, I have not smelled enough of gourmands.

It reminds me of Princess by Vera Wang. I`m over 30, so I don`t wear Princess anymore... La Vie Est Belle is gorgeous, just perfect for me. It is a gourmand scent, sophisticated and lovely. I love this perfume and I desire it so bad!!!

I love it because it smells like Sweet Darling Kylie Minogue which I love. It's sweet, floral and yummy. Gorgeous bottle and beautiful advert.
But, I totally agree with marinaw90 : very very nice but I would rather spend my money on something less expensive.

It's sweet, generic and similar to so many. Just a typical "smells like a department store perfume hall" scent. Okay smelling, but I would rather spend my money on something less generic.

I can't identify all the notes they list, my nose isn't that sophisticated. It just smells good!! Love it. Got complimented the first time I used it. Lasts a long time, too

i'm chocked over all the bad reviews, i think this perfume is just beautiful! Indeed it's similiar to flowerbomb but i personally think this is better. I don't like flowerbomb because i think it's too candyish. And this one is also sweet but also is much stronger on the patchouli which makes this more "mature". And the staying power is better than good i only used one spray today and now after 8 hours i can still smell it.I really like this perfume and it's perfect for the fall. This will definitely be my next purchase :)

personally, I don t like this fragrance.. it seems like yet smelled and smelled.. I think it s not originality in this. it s very hard to find something really new today! sorry!

I don't like this fragrance. It's sticky sweet and heavy on my skin. It was bothering me all the time I was wearing it so I was really happy when I could wash it down. And I must say that this doesn't happen to me very often.

I caught a sniff of this one today, and I must say it's quite lovely. The iris and the white flowers are clearly detectable within the first minutes. As time goes by, the notes of praline and vanilla shine through, and we end up smelling like sweet candy. The drydown reminds me Jessica Simpson Fancy, it's the same kind gourmand vanilla base, with extra patchouli background.

Love Love Love! Yes, Life is beatiful and so is this fragrance! For me this may truly be happiness in a bottle. Mind you, I'm a diehard fan of Miss Dior Cherie, and also Coco Mademoiselle so I guess it stands to reason that I would love it. This is by far my favorite fragrance these days, from the first scent of iris, to the yummy praline and hint of patchouli, right down to the remnants of vanilla left on my jacket the following day, I am sold totally on this one! Way to go Lancome!!! Great job!

I wear perfume to work everyday and never receive compliments on it. Chloe, Stella, Forbidden Euphoria, Daisy, J'Adore and Hot Couture are among my favorites. The day I wore La Vie Est Belle, I received several compliments. I will purchase this one.

Sugar in a bottle. PASS

To quote cleo cupcake - hot sweet mess.

Another hot sweet mess - what are they thinking?
How laughable that the TV ad shows Julia Roberts breaking the glittering puppet strings that hold everyone else and going her own way.
This is yet another anonymous fruit cocktail of overbearing sweetness lost among the current tidal wave of dumb, simple, banal teenage syrup. We should all be insulted that they think we will spend out hard earned money on this.

It is a lovley smell,but almost identical with Lancome Miracle Forever, the same aroma. I agree the Miss Dior Chérie similarity too, but this one is not epic, not as caracteristic as the MDC. Sweet, feminine, likeable, but not outstandig.
After a few day I really grew to like it! It's a sweet mass,like a perfumery, but after all, I LOVE "sweet hot mass" :-)

Lovely fragrance,but it's just a lancome version of miss dior cherie,It's also similar to flowerbomb but not as sweet!

I have recently received a sample of La Vie est Belle from my local Lancome. I did not spray it on my skin but instead sprayed the card and left it standing to dry on the kitchen table to be able to follow it until it evaporates completely.
The very first note that is not 100% pleasant
( somewhat licorice, slightly nauseating in a distinct way) to me was similar to the note that is there at the opening of the Shalimar Parfum Initial. Iris Pallida and Jasmine Sumbac are two common ingredients for both La Vie Est Belle and Shalimar Parfum Initial.
I still can not tell if Iris's roots are responsible for this first note or something else that’s hiding in the gourmand (praline)
part of LVEB (can it possibly be an almond or cherry) or certain combination of iris and one or more ingredients in both perfumes. But enough of Shalimar Parfum Initial.

Next day I caught myself on having a dejavu, I vividly remembered spraying Miss Cherie of Dior's at the local store. I completely forgot that I have LVEB sample on the kitchen table. It felt as I would have Dior's Miss Dior Cherie in my kitchen although I did not. I wondered why. Miss Dior is a chypre type, LVEB is not exactly a chypre.
The next day comforting yummy creamy sweetness in a rich intense way was all that was left on the test card and it's is still there past 5 days. I always felt that it it the incense is what brings me back to smell this test card again and again.
As to my skin it's probably going to be a very different longevity, because my dry skin tends to absorb oils way to quickly.
Several times although my heart was filled with gratitude to creators of the perfume for that lasting gourmand part of the perfume that made me feel so cosy and warm.

I simply love this, for the same reason I love Estee Lauder's Pleasures Delight. :)
Such lovely ingrediences (black currant, caramel, patchouli, pear) together in a same bottle create a gourmand, strong feminine scent.
Everything is beautiful in this scent, including the model, Julia Roberts whose smile matches with the scent's message: La vie est belle, tres belle. :)

I'm impressed, but then I'm a lover of Miss Dior (Cherie) and Coco Mme. I particularly like what this fragrance does after about 5 hours! Certainly will want to own this one!

One more scent that i was so exited about and couldn't wait to test it , moreover 2 of the noses who have been working on this are Olivier Polge and Dominique Ropion , they made Liberté ( Cacharel) Pure Poison ( Dior) , Amarige (Givenchy) , Kenzo Jungle ... So many scents that i love ...
When i saw the bottle available at Sephora, i immedialty grabbed the tester and sprayed it on the test stripe , closed my eyes ,and smelled .
My reaction was : Whaaaat ? This is IT ? This scent is such a disapointment , after Magnifique , Miracle and Hypnose , Lancôme never stoped disapointing me . Is it the house that made Poème , Trésor and "O" really ?
La Vie est Belle is just dead boring, much ado about nothing !
Many people compare it to Flowerbomb ( which i yet dislike ), but to me it is not even getting close to it . Flowerbomb is annoying because of all the fuss around it , and it's sticky sweet side is not for everyone, but at least it has character , La Vie est Belle does not have any at all .
I won't cry when it is discontinued ; soon i think .
La Vie est Belle ? Pas vraiment ... :-/

I smelt it yesterday on my wrist and I didn't like the opening: too generic. There may be a similarity with Flowerbomb but it is short-lived in my opinion.
When the Iris note popped up, it reminded me a little of Prada Infusion d'Iris. And I think this is the original side of this perfume. Iris in a sweet, creamy and sweet background. Though I am not a fan of sweet fragrances, I quite like it.. It is probably the kind of fashionable scent meant to please a majority of people. Nice but nothing new.
Longetivity and sillage are impressive. It lasted all day on my skin, and even after I had a shower.
Edit: I wore a sample. I find it too sirupy finally and a bit nauseating. I prefer Flowerbomb.

I DONT think this smells cheap...it just needs to be sprayed on lightly and during cooler weather and for the right occasion..Burberry brit...is also sweet but that has a musky funky manly drydown..this is sexy femme sweet...love!

This smells very cheap. It is also very young for Lancome. One would expect this to be at the Clinique counter. I was expecting a modern take on Miracle, which I used a few bottles of back in the day.

I usually love Lancome perfumes but this one is an abomination.
The mixture of fruit and praline was so artificial that it reminded of the fake fragrances you buy for little girls.
If you are above 12 years old, this fragrance is not for you.

I know many say this is just another Flowerbomb but its really not.Although, it starts off similar these two ships end up different.This fragrance ends with Iris there is no Iris in Flowerbomb.And you will find the powdered vanilla Iris blended with patch.But, to me this essentially an Iris scent.Its more natural expensive ingredients that makes it linger but not shout.The bottle is a work of art.3 of the best perfumers in the world made this and I think it is amazing.I especially love the smile on the bottle.

Chanel coco mademoiselle, no ifs no buts no coconuts.

SMELLS SOOOOO DAMN GOOD!!! I am a guy, and usually can't stand the way female fragrances smell, but this one is a surprise! It's been a long time since I've seen something as refreshing and beautiful!!

This fragrance reminds me of a wealthy, sophisticated, but feminine, charismatic and a happy woman! Someone who is warm, kind, nice, giving, yet lives in a huge mention, has 10 cars and owes three companies. Just saying! :D This perfume really does take you to someone like that!

And I think Julia Roberts is a perfect face for this fragrance! She is a confident, smart, sophisticated woman, yet joyful, happy and warm!

LOVE the packaging, the bottle and the smell is just so amazing!! It takes you to a floral garden where there is a lady in a light, silky dress, taking a walk with a sun umbrella in her hand. She sees you and her face lights up with a bright smile!

Get this for your girlfriend, or your mom or your sister or any woman you think highly of!!! Totally worth it!!!

Exact replica of Miss Dior Cherie, seems like with all the fragrances lancome has you would stick with classic scents (sense)! Is it just a money making venture now? Don't you have enough? We won't forget you lancome, but I do understand that you have to stay relevant for the times, if you were first Dior might have picked your scent, I guess it's just business and marketing. Carry on Lancome,I'm just saying!

it's oh so sweet, too sweet for my taste
nothing special about it
and i would argue if this scent is the essence of beautiful life

smells simply like a super sweet candy mixture, made of these powdery sweets and fruity hard candies.

there is one thing i like about it,though - the bottle.
it's really simple and pretty, very feminine.
the packaging of la vie est belle is very cute too - it's a powdery pink box with glitter.

a bliss for candy lovers, too sweet to wear, but nice to look at.

This perfume really is a floral fruity gourmand quite well balanced, in which the gourmand character, although obvious, is subttler than in most other current gourmand scents. It is not creative though, just a concession to current trend, quite well achieved. Lancôme took it, in my opinion, a step higher, if one compares it to other gourmand scents so fashionable these days. Not being at all fond of caramel or praline gourmand scents, this is not a scent I, personally, like wearing, although it is far from being as cloying and slckeningly sweet as most of the other alike scents. In my opinion, nevertheless, still too sweet and cloying and one of the if not the worst Lancome perfume.

this is pure bliss ..in a long time i didn't smell something so nice ..sweet.. sexy.. simple ..clean..young..yet feminine juicy..amazing...a timeless classic ..i am sure it will be..let alone the beautiful classy sophisticated bottle..its a treasure on its own..
its fresh yet sensual ..mellow ..full ..yet not overpowering ..i feel its got grapefruit ..as it dries down ..it envelops your senses..its velvety ..the sweetness mellows down to pure seduction.. a passionate.. romantic.. loyal.. independent.. pure.. perfume ..it reminds me of fine old french perfumes.. with a modern sensual twist..
i am not a floral lover ,but they made a beautiful connotation in this one..a must have..

rating 4.7 out of 5

This juice is just lovely. It has so many interesting facets that come out on different days, I like it best when the iris powder comes into play. The slightly juicy beginning is soft, and the spicy pralines delicious, sometimes it goes a little too sweet in that direction but otherwise it's a well behaved yet still commanding fragrance with a good vanilla bean and patchouli base. Seems to work best sprayed directly rather than a walk through. Yes there are similarities to Flowerbomb but at least this one doesn't turn into scent of fine cigar like Flowerbomb tends to on some folks.

I tried this at a department store today, and I liked it. I like the sweet floral, I like the fruity notes.

It's nice, but as other commenters have said, it's very strong. I'll likely spray it onto a cotton ball and barely dab it between my breasts (it's too strong for wrists and other pulsepoints--for me, anyway).

Oddly enough, I did not get a headache: I usually do from Lancome products.

gaga97, if you love it (and it isn't illegal, immoral of fattening) then it's appropriate : )

Beautiful all the way through!

I REALLY like this scent! Starts with fruity, juicy and fresh sweetness and turns more floral on the way. Base is BEAUTIFUL, soft and rounded with praline kicking in.
I sprayed once on my whrist 7 hours (!) a go and it`s still very noticeable. My friend kept saying me while shopping "You smell so good!" And I definately agree!
Gorgeous scent! Very feminine, sweet, sophisticated and joyfull. Remainds me of Julia, so goog pick for add! Life is beautiful is great name for the scent too.
Definately thumbs up!

OMG !!! i love this perfume ! but i'm just 15 years old ! is it inapropiate for my age ???

La Vie est Belle is a well thought-out project from the every point of view. I like the bottle, the marketing campaign, Julia Roberts as a face. And the scent itself... It's a reflection of 2010's in the perfumery. Nothing new, but the best elements of the best ideas. From the first sniff La Vie est Belle seemed to me a lighter copy of Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb. But then I tried it again, and a wonderful iris note finally appeared. Iris is quite prominent here and it makes the whole composition noble and expensive. In the dry down the fragrance reminded more of Shalimar Parfum Initial or Dior Homme than of Flowerbomb. I'm sure La Vie est Belle will be the most popular launch of 2012, it is modern, trendy and sophisticated simultaneously.

Let me begin by stating how impressed I am by the sillage and longevity of this scent. Really excellent quality; only two spritzes needed. Having said that, I was really kind of disappointed with the initial blast and first couple of hours. All I could really sense in the beginning was an overwhelming pear and iris combination. It was hyper feminine then, and a bit sharp and stifling. As it wore on it definitely picked up some praline sweetness, but still the iris/pear did not calm for me. Then suddenly, at about five hours in, it was an elegant and refined iris patchouli blend. Truthfully, to my nose, it went from smelling like Parfums de Coeur Vampire to smelling like Shalimar Parfum Initial.
I'd definitely recommend this one for iris lovers, but I'd say to get through the first few hours you must also have a distinct liking for pear notes.

Yes, I do see the Flowerbomb similarities. So much so that if you have one, I don't think you need the other.
The opening is quite overwhelming, it's strongly floral and sweet. It smells a lot like Flowerbomb here however once it dries down it does change track. It becomes a velvety blackcurrant, jasmine and tonka blend that is gently fruity and floral. This stage is lady-like but modern and very pretty. Towards the end it smells like Flowerbomb again. The middle stage I like, I would prefer if the whole fragrance smelled like that from top to bottom as then I feel it would suit that elegant and feminine bottle. Instead it's more of a loud and sugary floral. Not bad, but not what I wanted from it.

I got to smell this today while I was out and about. I like it and I agree that it is sweet; I get quite a bit of praline out of the scent. To me, this smells like a cross between Flowerbomb and Miss Dior Cherie. It's like they combined the powdery vanilla of Flowerbomb with the buttery popcorn aroma of Cherie. I think those who miss the popcorn note in the new Cherie would like La vie est belle. If I didn't already have the two aforementioned frags, I would purchase this in a heartbeat because it's sweetness is right up my alley. Very nice job Lancome!

this smells like buttery sweet popcorn mixed with cliche feminine perfumeyness to me. i dont mind a sweet perfume now and again but this kind of smells like a prissy well-dressed woman in pink on line at the concession stand of a movie theatre. i prefer Betsey Johnson's scent which is also praline driven but WAY more delicious, fun and sultry.

Very similar to Flowerbomb Intense version (purple bottle)....

I Love it.
This perfume is so elegant and sexy.
It's similar to COCO MADEMOISELLE and
little bit different and has more sweet note.
But I like the name means " LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL."

It kinda smells like Flowerbomb to me too but it definitely isn't Flowerbomb. I like it. I won't be needing a bottle though. Oh well. : )

UPDATE 8/30/12: Ok it is pretty Flowerbomby. Haha! There really is SOMETHING a little different about it though. I've fallen more and more for it and I definitely want a bottle. The 1 or 1.7 oz though for sure. : )

Soft, sweet, cozy, feminine, lovely. I do see why people say it smells like flowerbomb, but this one is just way more beautifull to me. Flowerbomb is like a slep in your face sometimes, this is soft. Really beautifull and long lasting.

I randomly tested this in Ulta yesterday and didn't expect anything, really, but I actually love this. I've been trying to break away from my usual gourmand scents, but this is so delicious that it has skyrocketed to the top of my "I NEED THIS" list. The praline and vanilla notes are the most dominant on my skin, but it doesn't smell cheap or typical. I hadn't even noticed the similarities to Flowerbomb until I saw them mentioned here. Yes, they are related, but LVEB is not a dupe at all. They share the same sweetness, but Flowerbomb is a little sharper in my opinion. LVEB is cozy, sweet, and warm, and I can't wait to get a bottle for the fall. Also, it lasts forever. I sprayed this on one wrist and the new Gaga scent on the other, and the latter faded within the hour while the former was going strong after five.
Overall, this is definitely recommended for gourmand lovers and would be a safe blind-buy.

about 15 minutes into this, it went into a "cough syrup and sour wood" stage. Smelled horrid on me, but delicious on my friend, who applied to her wrist at the same time.

I have a piece of paper on my commode since 6 days...and I still can smell the fragrance. Surprisingly, it shows more similarity with Flowerbomb on the paper than on my skin. Jasmine and patch are dominating in the fragrance the whole time, and although I would it more prefer without the pear I'll give him further chances on my skin.

I really like this....to me it's a softer fruity version of Jimmy Choo!

2nd look/smell!?!.......When I sprayed this morning, I got more of what I'd call a "sweet" version of Coco Mademoiselle. I'm not complaining since out of all Chanel perfumes CM is definitely my favorite! This Lancome fragrance is almost the PERFECT combination of CM and Flowerbomb. I own both but would grab Flowerbomb on more occasions than the CM, there's just something in the CM that becomes too much for me after a while, but I really love what Lancome created even if it was by combining several top selling fragrances to get this outcome. Bottom line, I REALLY like this one!!!!!

I tested this yesterday. This is very long lasting, strong scent! I wore it around 6 pm and this morning still had it on.

So, good for those who love it. To me this is a version of a Flowerbomb I don't like. It isn't as warm as Flowerbomb and it just stays so very strong, that I can smell it every second.

This far, too strong for me.

After reading all these glorifying reviews below, I begin to wonder if we speak about the same fragrance;) the Lancome counter manager in the store I work in sprays this one a few times a day and the smell is literally suffocating! it smells as if someone filled air with pepper and some other nasty spices-unbearable I must say, but this is only my impression. I cannot stand this fragrance haha!;P nothing 'belle' about it-je suis tres desolee:( xx

Smells similar to coco mademoiselle, but frutier. It's soft elegant a bit powdery and long lasting.