Lancôme
Lancôme
112 votes
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
The bergamot and raspberry ignite with immediate pop, tart and citric, whilst pink pepper crackles across the top with a subtle spice. Within moments, the sweetness you've been warned about begins creeping in at the edges, though the pepper maintains enough aggression to keep things from turning jammy.
The florals gradually eclipse the fruity introduction as the composition settles into its true character. Rosa centifolia blooms with a dewy, slightly soapy quality whilst ylang ylang lends a creamy, almost buttery undertone; together they create something powdery and cosmetic, almost like smelling a luxury makeup compact.
The patchouli becomes slightly more apparent, though never assertive, grounding the persistent gourmand sweetness that dominates the later stages. What remains is soft, warm, and vaguely ambiguous—a creamy, powdery sweetness that blurs into skin, lasting with gentle persistence rather than projection.
Oui La Vie est Belle announces itself as a peculiar beast—a gourmand fragrance that refuses the expected saccharine trap. The opening assault of raspberry and bergamot establishes immediate brightness, but this isn't a cheerful fruity cologne. The pink pepper cuts through with a peppery bite that prevents the composition from collapsing into mere sweetness. What's genuinely intriguing here is the tension between the fragrance's declared unisex positioning and its decidedly feminine heart: rosa centifolia and ylang ylang create a creamy, almost indolic floral mass that borders on powdery.
The genius—and occasional misstep—lies in how patchouli grounds what could have been a cloying confection. Rather than the earthy restraint one might hope for, the patchouli emerges somewhat muted, serving more as a structural anchor than a transformative counterpoint. Instead, the gourmand base notes drift in with an ambiguous sweetness; there's no identifiable caramel or vanilla, just a diffuse gourmand impression that hovers between almond, honey, and something vaguely creamy.
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Lancôme
4.0/5 (74)