Lancôme is the type of company that usually launches great fragrances, which become a sales success, every five years or so. And they all mark generations! We have, for example, Trésor (1990), Poême (1995), Miracle (2000), Hypnose (2005), among others.
In 2012, it was La Vie Est Belle's turn. The creative concept explores a fragrance capable of making any woman happy and everything was thought to convey that effect, including the bottle. Its project was started in 1949 by Armand Petitjean, founder of Lancôme, and represents a crystal smile. It took more than a year for the effect to be achieved, creating the impression of a smile.
The fragrance was the first iris-gourmand ever made by the brand and featured the work of three big names in the industry: Anne Flipo, Olivier Polge, and Dominique Ropion. According to the Lancôme communication area, the palette has 63 ingredients (half of them of natural origin) and it took more than 5,000 tests - in fact, 5,521 - until final approval.
La Vie Est Belle Eau de Parfum (in the box, L'Eau de Parfum) has a vibrant composition, which was created to reinterpret the luminosity of the magnolia. And there is a detail that is poorly publicized on the market: the note of Iris Pallida of Florence is present in all stages of evolution, so it is considered a transversal note, although it has been listed in the body of the fragrance. Other important (and very confusing) information is due to the note of cassis (Black Currant), which appears in most Brazilian and North American texts, but changes in some official pages of the brand, such as the United Kingdom and Australia, which list Blackberries. As a critic, I could not leave this aspect out of the analysis, reinforcing the immense amount of communication failures that I find in the industry.
That being said, I will stick to what is on both pages, which list pears and blackberries (at the exit), followed by an iris concrete and absolutes of Sambac jasmine and of orange blossom (in the heart), on a base of patchouli essence. And going through all the fragrance, another transversal note, called Accord of delicacies, which would be the combination of vanilla and praline and gives the gourmand effect.
La Vie Est Belle combined a well-produced campaign (bringing an actress with a broad smile and public empathy) with a highly accepted fragrance that became a benchmark in the industry. Before that, only one other attracted so much attention from the female audience and the competition: Flowerbomb (2005 / Viktor & Rolf) which, by the way, brought the touch of two equal perfumers involved in its process. Coincidence?
On the skin, La Vie Est Belle is exuberant, in all possible meanings: abundant, rich, filling, etc. It has a little bit of everything and at the same time, nothing in exaggeration. From the moment it touches the skin, it's sweet, sensual, warm, slightly dry and powdery, it's floral, it's gourmand... it's amazing! For these and other reasons, women who have always complained of sweet fragrances have surrendered to their charms, as well as those who do not like fragrances that are too floral or powdery. It is a floral-gourmand, which has vitality and exudes femininity, without pulling into an exclusive age group.
In my perception, it looks like a dessert in which slices of pear and petals of jasmine were crystallized and watered with a caramel syrup. Then, an iris powder was gently sprinkled on the dish and, next to it, a kind of tea made with the leaves and roots of patchouli was served, to accompany and give the necessary contrast.
There is still a lot of comparison to the Flowerbomb fragrance. But I, in particular, feel that the latter has more floral content. The biggest connection comes from the patchouli note, but I still think that one is more open and oriental, while the other is denser and gourmand.
It's no wonder that La Vie Est Belle has become one of the most copied fragrances in every corner of the world, involving companies that make inspired perfumes and, of course, the most famous brands that will never admit the true intention. In less than a decade, it has generated more than 15 flankers, including limited editions.
You may not even like La Vie Est Belle, but you must admit its role in world perfumery. After all, we need to respect a winner when we come across one!
