La Vie Est Belle is a women’s eau de parfum from Lancôme, released in 2012 and kept to the same composition since. Lancôme redesigned the bottle in 2022 so it can be refilled. 

Blackcurrant and pear open it. The heart is jasmine, iris and orange tree blossom, and the iris is sourced from France. Underneath sit patchouli from Bali, tonka beans, vanilla and praline.

This fragrance is fruity and floral, and the top and heart back that up. The base tells a different story. Three of its four notes (tonka beans, vanilla and praline) are sweet, edible-smelling materials, which is what makes a base gourmand. Base notes are the ones that stay longest, so the fruity floral label covers roughly the first two hours and the sugar covers the rest of the day. Patchouli is the only dry, earthy note down there. It stops the sweetness from going flat. If you want fruit and flowers without a dessert finish, look elsewhere.