9 Perfumes Like La Vie Est Belle

  • By: Nathan Cherry
  • Time to read: 7 min.

Lancôme’s La Vie Est Belle took the women’s perfume market by storm when it was released in 2012. 

With sweet gourmand notes like praline, pear, vanilla, and tonka beans, combined with classically feminine floral staples like iris, jasmine, and orange blossom, it’s easy to see why it was (and still is) so popular. 

But it was released in 2012. As much as I don’t want to think about it, that was a long time ago. The perfume market has changed a lot since La Vie Est Belles release, and there are loads of new fragrances out there. 

But say you really, really like La Vie Est Belle, have gone through a bottle or two (or three, or four) over the years. You want to change things up, but you’d still like to have something that gives you that same sweet, fruitchouli, gourmand La Vie Est Belle vibe. 

Fear not. 

There are a number of La Vie Est Belle alternatives out there for all budgets. From the designer realm with fragrances like YSL’s Black Opium and Jean Paul Gaultier’s Scandal, to more exotic (and expensive) niche brands like Montale and Nishané , there’s loads of options to choose from. 

Here’s 9 of my top picks. 

1.  La Vie Est Belle flankers

If you want an alternative to La Vie Est Belle, why not take a look at the other fragrances in the La Vie Est Belle line? To date, Lancôme has released 24 (24!) flankers to the original La Vie Est Belle

Many of these 24 are limited editions, but there have been a bevy of new fragrances which are riffs on the La Vie Est Belle theme.

Take La Vie Est Belle Soleil Cristal, a summery take on La Vie Est Belle which adds tropical ylang-ylang and coconut, or La Vie Est Belle En Rose, which adds two varieties of rose, peony, lily-of-the-valley and red berries to the mix.

You can get La Vie Est Belle Soleil Cristal here (FragranceX) and La Vie Est Belle En Rose here (FragranceX).

2. Viktor&Rolf Flowerbomb

Flowerbomb by Viktor & Rolf for Women, Eau de Parfum, Orchid, 3.4 Ounce Spray

A new-age feminine designer classic in its own right, Viktor&Rolf’s Flowerbomb burst onto the scene in its characteristic grenade-shaped flacon in 2005, 8 years before La Vie Est Belle. Flowerbomb might be more about the flowers, but there’s still boatloads of yummy vanilla sweetness, just like in La Vie Est Belle, as well as a tea note that adds a green tinge and amped up patchouli. 

For lovers of La Vie Est Belle there’s a lot to love in Flowerbomb, but it has its own unique twists that makes it well worth seeking out.

You can get it here (FragranceX), here (Maxaroma) or here (Amazon).

3. Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium

Another staple of women’s perfumery of the 2010s, Black Opium is YSL’s lavish, and more conspicuously gourmand, take on La Vie Est Belles sweet fruitchouli theme. 

Classic feminine floral notes of jasmine and orange blossom (also featured in La Vie Est Belle) are fused with a rich, enticing chord of vanilla, patchouli, bitter almonds, licorice, and coffee and sweetened with pear, resulting in an addictive blend that is sure to turn heads. 

Deeper and darker than La Vie Est Belle while still maintaining its floral sweetness, Black Opium is the perfect next step for La Vie Est Belle fanatics looking for a sexy night-out perfume. 

You can get it here (FragranceX), here (Maxaroma) or here (Amazon).

4. Jean Paul Gaultier Scandal

Jean Paul Gaultier Scandal for Women Eau de Parfum New in Box Launched in 2017, 2.7 Fluid Ounce

Another sweet but sassy floral gourmand, Jean Paul Gaultier’s Scandal is sure to please lovers of La Vie Est Belle looking for something even more scrumptious, with a little dash of JPG’s practiced panache. 

Scandal’s main draw is its sticky-sweet honey accord, drizzled over succulent peaches and blood oranges, and buttressed with caramel, licorice, and a fragrant bouquet of classic white florals – jasmine, orange blossom, and creamy gardenia. 

Scandal brings that floral sweetness that La Vie Est Belle aficionados crave, while throwing in a dash of sticky, scandalous sexiness that makes it stand apart. 

You can get it here (FragranceX) or here (Amazon).

5. Lancôme La Nuit Trésor

Maybe you’re a Lancôme purist and want something along the same lines of La Vie Est Belle from the same brand. 

La Nuit Trésor might be just what you’ve been looking for. 

La Nuit Trésor is simultaneously fruitier and darker than La Vie Est Belle, and offers a slightly more “grown up” take on the genre. 

The fruity sweetness of strawberry, passionfruit, lychee, pear, tangerine, and bergamot is mingled with opulent florals (vanilla orchid and dark rose, instead of La Vie Est Belles lighter and fresher jasmine and orange blossom) on a rich base of praline, patchouli, papyrus, vanilla, licorice, and incense. 

Personally, I enjoy La Nuit Trésor a lot more than La Vie Est Belle. It has a lot of the over-the-top sweetness that makes La Vie Est Belle so popular, but the dark, syrupy rose and smoky backdrop give La Nuit Trésor an edge that La Vie Est Belle doesn’t have. 

For fans of La Vie Est Belle looking for a little bit darker and sexier take on the DNA from Lancôme, you can’t go wrong with La Nuit Trésor

You can get it here (FragranceX).

6. Tom Ford Velvet Orchid

A sultry and markedly more flowery take on the theme of La Vie Est Belle, Tom Ford’s Velvet Orchid is all about heady florals, sweet, sticky honey, and rich woods and resins. 

Hyacinth, narcissus, rose, heliotrope, magnolia, and orange blossom are drizzled with rum-infused honey, and a deep base of vanilla, suede, sandalwood, myrrh, peru balsam, and suede adds richness, sweetness, and complexity. 

If you’re looking for a deeper, darker, more complex and more floral variation on the theme of La Vie Est Belle, Velvet Orchid may be just what you’re looking for.

You can get it here (FragranceX), here (Maxaroma) or here (Amazon).

7. Arabian Oud Madawi

Madawi by Arabian Oud | Eau De Parfum EDP Spray | 90 ml (3.0oz) for Women

Rich and fruity, Madawi (which means “bright” in Arabic) by Saudi perfume brand Arabian Oud is exactly what you need if you’re looking for a more opulent version of the La Vie Est Belle fruitchouli DNA. 

Notes of exotic apple and pineapple blossom mingle with rose, juicy peach, musk, patchouli, and a dash of the brand’s signature oud wood, creating an elegant blend with a Middle Eastern flair. And, because it’s Arabian Oud, it’ll last on your skin and clothes for days. The luxe black and gold bottle ain’t nothing to scoff at either. 

Elegant, glamorous, and sensual, Madawi is the perfect fragrance for lovers of La Vie Est Belle looking for a perfume with an enticing Middle Eastern touch. You’ll feel like a sheikha, guaranteed. 

You can get it here (Amazon).

8. Montale Sweet Flowers

Montale is a Parisian niche perfume brand known for making long-lasting fragrances, and Sweet Flowers is no exception. 

Sweet Flowers has all of the trademark floral sweetness of La Vie Est Belle, combining jasmine, tuberose, and violet with juicy peach, zingy ginger, creamy vanilla, and a big dollop of cotton candy. Who doesn’t want to smell good enough to eat? 

And because it’s a Montale perfume, it will last and project all day. 

Montale’s Sweet Flowers could very well be worth a try if you’re looking for a more floral take on La Vie Est Belle with cotton candy and all day lasting power.

 You can get it here (FragranceX).

9. Nishané Hundred Silent Ways

Hundred Silent Ways by Nishane Extrait De Parfum Spray (Unisex) 3.4 oz Women

Hundred Silent Ways by Turkish niche perfume brand Nishané is a beautiful fragrance in the same vein as La Vie Est Belle and perfect for those looking for a slightly classier take on its DNA. 

Instead of going for La Vie Est Belle’s characteristic jasmine-rose-orange blossom combo, Hundred Silent Ways dials up the creaminess with a blend of tuberose, gardenia, jasmine, and powdery orris root. This bouquet of white flowers is sweetened with peach and mandarin orange, and it all rests on a rich base of creamy vanilla, sandalwood, and vetiver. 

Hundred Silent Ways is the perfect perfume to satisfy your sweet (but not too sweet) tooth, and though it has that La Vie Est Belle vibe, it brings a heightened elegance to the formula that will be sure to please those looking for a more “grown up” perfume. 

You can get it here (FragranceX) or here (Maxaroma).

The Final Word

As you can see, there are a number of La Vie Est Belle alternatives on the market for a whole range of price points. 

This list is really just scratching the surface. If anything proves La Vie Est Belle’s enduring popularity, it’s the host of imitations and variations on the same theme being produced by nearly every designer perfume house. 

La Vie Est Belle helped set the tone for female perfumes in the 2010s and 2020s: sweet and flowery. Some can’t take the sweetness, but others can’t get enough of it. 

No matter where you stand, it’s clear that La Vie Est Belle and fragrances like it are, for the moment, here to stay.