Following a nefarious example set by Lancôme La Vie est Belle, perfume copywriters have assumed the role of social philosophers. “We live only once,” proclaims the press release for Givenchy’s Live Irrésistible, but I’m not sure why I’d fritter away my time on earth in the company of their fragrance.
Like many of the recent LVMH perfumes (Givenchy is controlled by the conglomerate), Live Irrésistible seems like a focus group driven creation, where the each component is augmented to be likable. Desperate to please, Live Irrésistible heaps together everything that women are thought to like–a sweet, juicy top note, clean florals, and sweet amber drydown accented with cotton candy, all tinted pink. The result should at least be cute, but somehow it ends up as dowdy and bland.
This is not what I expected, because the fragrance is signed by Dominique Ropion, a perfumer of exceptional skill and imagination. At the very least, the fragrance should have been polished. But clearly talent is not enough to battle against Givenchy’s perfumery by the numbers, where the only thing that matters are the sales figures. Live Irrésistible sputters before it even takes off with its fizzy pineapple top notes. By the time it moved into the acrylic roses and dry amber, you forget what the start was all about. The musky gourmand finish where you notice vanilla, caramel and soft woods is pleasant enough, but you can get the same experience in better perfumes.
For instance, you can consider Cacharel Amor Amor, a brilliant fruity floral by Ropion and Laurent Bruyère. Kenzo Flower releases very good summer flankers in the same bright and sweet style as Live Irrésistible, but invariably much more interesting. See by Chloé, Moschino Glamour, Avon Tomorrow, and Lalique by Lalique are other options. Alternatively, you can just go straight to the source from which Givenchy looked for inspiration: La Vie est Belle.
Givenchy Live Irrésistible includes notes of pineapple, roses, and amber. Available at Sephora and most Givenchy counters.
129 Comments
Kat: I love the ‘ nefarious example’ opening! And may I add that the name isn’t really a winner either? It’s a linguistic chimera that doesn’t drop easily off the tongue. I suppose ‘La Vie est Irrésistible’ made the legal department nervous but why not drop the accent and call it ‘Live Irresistible’? Ah, I see they’ve already produced ‘Very Irrésistible’ so this is a repeat offense. February 1, 2016 at 8:03am
Vanie: I always found those “bilingual” perfume names to be quite weird choices too… February 1, 2016 at 8:15am
Victoria: Tom Ford also does this a lot with his perfume names. February 1, 2016 at 8:30am
Victoria: It doesn’t even make sense. It feels like they’re going after any random word combination as long as it’s not yet claimed by anyone else and includes “Irrésistible.”
I didn’t expect a masterpiece, but I thought that it might be a fun, breezy fruity floral. February 1, 2016 at 8:23am
Austenfan: Probably one of the best uses of the word ‘nefarious’ which I had to look up to make sure I had indeed understood it’s meaning.
There are some great sweet mainstream fragrances. My first thought were the Lolita’s.
Was the original ever a crowd pleaser? February 1, 2016 at 8:13am
Victoria: The original Irrésistible sold quite well, and while it also smelled too close to a shampoo, at least it wasn’t completely stripped of character. The flankers to it, however, have outdone themselves in blandness. Which is why they have to release several flankers a year. I don’t remember the exact number, but at one point Irrésistible had more flankers to its name than most other big launches. Since there are so many excellent fruity florals on the market, I always wonder why would one bother.
Lolita Lempicka is still one of my favorites. I love Amor Amor too. Now, that’s an excellent fruity floral. February 1, 2016 at 8:27am
Scented Salon: Amor Amor is an easy to love perfume. It is not too complex but seems to continue to be a favorite. It is an oldie but goodie. February 1, 2016 at 1:29pm
Victoria: The orange top notes are ingenious! They make my mouth water. February 1, 2016 at 1:58pm
Maja: Funny you said original fragrance reminded of shampoo…I remember asking my daughter to wear Amor Amor,when she is in my company. It reminded me of a clean hair smelling of cigarettes smoke and perfume from last night…I would get a headache. My daughter loved it. I am currently reading Gods and KIngs by Dana Thomas – Rise and fall of John Galliano and Alexander McQueen….it full of LVMH maneuver and manipulation of perceptions on many levels. February 6, 2016 at 12:10am
Victoria: I put this book on my reading list, but I didn’t get to it yet. Are you liking it so far?
Yes, the fruity notes can remind very easily of shampoo, and Amor Amor is very fruity. February 6, 2016 at 10:15am
Maja: Yes, I really like this book, it does not disappoint. Ms.Thomas, journalist herself, has done her part really well: research and time line, thread of the story from the beginning to the end- I would like to guess- I’m at the half point. Having too much to do and commuting to my home,I have opted for audio book, audible.com.
It is a part of Amazon. I am so impressed, try it- you will not be disappointed. First book I read( listened) was The woman I wanted to be, by Diane Von Furstenburg- narrated by Ms.Furstenburg herself. Magical.
I’ll keep you posted.
I meant Very Irresistible had a strong scent of a shampoo, so I agree.
But Amor Amor is very close to my heart. I also love Noa… Back in time I loved LouLou.
Greetings from South Texas. February 6, 2016 at 10:55am
Victoria: Ah, I see what you mean now. I misunderstood your comment.
Will definitely give the book a try! February 8, 2016 at 5:12am
bregje: I use a shampoo called Rahua(bit expensive though) and it smells like sandalwood. mmm February 8, 2016 at 6:46pm
Victoria: Is Rahua the brand? February 9, 2016 at 1:22pm
bregje: Yes.
But i was mistaken.The scent isn’t sandalwood but Palo Santo wood.
The first time i used it i kept looking around because i smelled this wonderful woodscent but didn’t know it was the shampoo 🙂
I have a bed made of teak that has a similar although much lighter fragrance.
There’s also a voluminous variant that smells of lavender and lemongrass.But my hair is quite dry so i prefer the original.
Off course there’s a beautiful marketing story attached to it claiming amazone indians use the oil of palo santo to wash their hair etc,etc.
I don’t know if that’s all true but i like what it does for my hair 😉 February 9, 2016 at 11:45pm
Victoria: I will look for it. Most shampoos are either fruity or floral, so I like anything scented with woods. February 10, 2016 at 11:08am
Austenfan: Thank you for the detailed info. Do you know whether the Lempicka’s do well?
I haven’t tried Amor Amor in a long time, but by and large Cacharel has done a decent job, I think, and their stuff is very affordable. They did some great advertising in the past as well.
I like Quel Amour for a fruity floral, it has such a distinctive character. February 1, 2016 at 9:13am
Victoria: Lolita Lempicka was always aiming for a more creative and niche approach, so in that vein it was quite successful. It still remains one of the most popular perfumes, and I smell it in Paris at least couple of times a day.
Quel Amour is fantastic. It has loads of geranium essence which gives a metallic, sharp edge to its roses. February 1, 2016 at 1:44pm
sparris: It’s a shame the bottle looks so nice-not that I’d ever consider buying a scent just for the packaging-but they could have filled it with something so much better. February 1, 2016 at 8:17am
Victoria: I like it more than the original packaging. The textured glass design looks interesting. February 1, 2016 at 8:29am
Jackie: I agree: that textured glass is almost “irresistible” to touch and the pink juice is very attractive! Too bad about what’s inside. Thanks for the warning.
But just to try to open myself up to fruity florals a bit, I’ve put Amor Amor on my list. 🙂 February 1, 2016 at 1:35pm
Jackie: It’s the fruity floral takeover that turned me away from perfume for a decade or so. I thought that’s all there WAS!!! And then I stumbled upon SL Chergui and, that same night, Victoria’s review of it, and that was it, down the hole I tumbled! Thank you, Victoria! 🙂 February 1, 2016 at 1:49pm
Victoria: I also really like Noa. Actually, Cacharel overall is a wonderful, quirky brand. February 1, 2016 at 2:02pm
Alicia: Yes, Noa is an old love of mine. Funny, I never thought of it as a fruity floral, although I notice nuances of fruits. I think of Noa as a woody-musky floral. Now, Amor Amor is delightful, and obviously a fruity floral, which I discovered and enjoyed last year. Two of my favorite fruity scents have been for quite a while Prescriptive Calyx, and L’Artisan Mure et Musk. February 1, 2016 at 8:16pm
Victoria: We’re talking about Noa L’Eau, a fruity floral flanker to the original. It has some of the musky woods of Noa, but it’s fresher, brighter and fizzier. February 2, 2016 at 12:26pm
Scented Salon: It’s ironic because their Very Irresistible for men was very original: it had an awesome coffee note. February 1, 2016 at 2:02pm
Victoria: I liked it very much, and I didn’t understand why they offered such a boring fragrance to women. February 1, 2016 at 2:02pm
Scented Salon: Exactly. The men’s version is discontinued but still available online sometimes. February 1, 2016 at 2:15pm
cookie queen: Ugh. In every way. ? February 1, 2016 at 9:22am
Victoria: Disappointing, for sure. February 1, 2016 at 1:45pm
Scented Salon: They should have called it Very Resistible. February 1, 2016 at 2:15pm
Patricia: Oh dear. I’ve tried La Vie Est Belle in duty-free shops and quickly exited for a scrub down with liquid soap in the ladies room, so this would not tempt me in any case. But thank you for a good laugh or two! February 1, 2016 at 9:35am
Victoria: La Vie est Belle at least has more character, and for better or worse, is quite memorable. I don’t dislike it as much as some other people, but I smell it so much around here that I probably just got used to it. It definitely stands out. February 1, 2016 at 1:46pm
Jackie: Ditto for me. A scrubber. (I find coconut oil works well for stubborn scents!) February 1, 2016 at 1:54pm
limegreen: You usually have something that’s a pick-me-up for Mondays (especially dreary foggy Mondays), and while this is not the usual kind of refreshing, it made me chuckle. So thanks for the good laugh, Victoria!
It is disappointing though, because I look out for Ropion’s work.
Such a contrast to Malle’s new release, Monsieur. I just read a rave review, that it’s about patchouli but not what you expect, especially with rum! February 1, 2016 at 9:43am
Scented Salon: I can’t buy anything new right now but your rum and patchouli reference made me curious. Maybe I will sample this one as I love a boozy note and patchouli is not bad. February 1, 2016 at 1:33pm
Victoria: My pleasure! We need all the help we can get on these winter Mondays, so at least Live Irresistible was good for something. 🙂
Monsieur sounds very interesting, and I admire Bruno Jovanovic’s work. February 1, 2016 at 1:47pm
spe: Ropion is my favorite living perfumer.
I’ve never been able to wear the Irresistible line and I do very poorly with any Lancome fragrance: Magic, Miracle, Tresor – forget it. They smell very cheap on me. They don’t develop on me. I’ve complimented others wearing them, however.
Which one smells like shampoo, please? The original? Was it just called “Irresistible”? Would you please tell me what color is the bottle? It’s all so confusing. Thank you!
La Vie Est Belle repulses me. There is a sweet woody note that I simply cannot abide. One woman in the office wears it. I know I’m anosmic to some musks and I’m sure this is the source of my reaction. February 1, 2016 at 10:48am
Victoria: I need a spreadsheet to keep track of all the launches on the Irresistible brand! The original was called Very Irrésistible, and it was fronted by Liv Tyler. That was the most memorable thing about it.
You’re probably sensitive to the dry woody base of La Vie est Belle. I also find the drydown high-pitched and persistent. February 1, 2016 at 1:51pm
Clair: The name is just…awkward. “Acrylic rose”, what an astute observation. Exactly how I would define many department store perfumes. Florals which have been neutralized, scrubbed clean, and glossed over with polish…often accompanied by a lingering whiff of polish remover, and finally, followed up with an unrelated sugary Amber/vanilla/wood or musk dry down. I don’t understand their popularity, especially with so many beautiful and nuanced alternatives. Disappointing to associate this with Dominique Ropion. February 1, 2016 at 11:31am
Victoria: I think that they’re launched and then they disappear, because people don’t tend to repurchase them. Everything about these launches is about the sales within the first few months/season. If it doesn’t do well, it’s removed and another similar thing is put into place. The industry in turn blames itself and the consumers (who supposedly like this sort of thing, an arguable proposition), but nobody is risking to make a big change. February 1, 2016 at 1:53pm
Hildegerd: Won’t even bother try it after this review. I am in a non buy after Paris Alaia and Rose Oud from Yves Rocher, which I both love. February 1, 2016 at 12:11pm
Scented Salon: This Rose Oud is something I want to try but I am on a no buy period too. Can you describe the smell? February 1, 2016 at 1:35pm
Hildegerd: I bought the 15ml bottle to begin with and on me it is a rich and dark rose that is a little scanky, then the oud joins in. It is the cummine note I suppose that makes it a little dirty. Neither the rose and the oud dominates and in the dry down there is some soily patchouly and leather going on.
Totally 50ml FB worthy for me.
On me this scent is no sweet at all and I love it, on my friend it became an ordinary rose/amber scent. Chemistry is really everything..
It is actually the opposite to Paris Alaia that becomes rather “intellectual and cold” on my skin. Love that effect too. Can not wait until the summer hits Norway. February 1, 2016 at 1:51pm
Scented Salon: I’ll put it on my list for the future then. Hope it lasts and projects. I haven’t seen it on the US Yves Rocher website anyway. February 1, 2016 at 2:04pm
Hildegerd: The sillage is moderate and it stayes about 8-10 hours on my skin.
On my friend it turned into a skin scent after about 4 hours and lingers 4 hours more, but she appreciates that, it is me that yearns for monster sillage all the day long. 😉 February 1, 2016 at 2:07pm
Scented Salon: I need monster sillage too but if the price is the same as the other YR launches, I will get it regardless. February 1, 2016 at 2:29pm
Hildegerd: Here the full bottle is full priced (60$) now, but I planed to buy the little bottle first to try it out anyway, so now I can wait until the huge bottle hits the 30$ + free shipping that their scents usually are priced.
Will happen in a couple of months, I am sure. 😀 February 1, 2016 at 3:19pm
Victoria: Yves Rocher’s Rose Oud sounds interesting to me too. February 1, 2016 at 1:54pm
Hildegerd: I dare you to buy the 15 ml bottle and try for yourselves. 😀
Anyway, it is one the best rose/oud combinations I have tried. February 1, 2016 at 1:58pm
Scented Salon: The Rose Oud combination is my favorite. Yves Rocher is a lovely brand. February 1, 2016 at 2:05pm
Victoria: Your descriptions are very tempting. February 2, 2016 at 12:07pm
Hildegerd: Cool. February 2, 2016 at 2:31pm
Aurora: Love your one star reviews, and this one is so funny, Victoria, you probably read quite a few pretentious press releases. Like you I deplore the lack of diversity and I totally agree that there are very nice fruity florals currently on the market and as I’ve often said I’m a fan of Noa l’Eau, which I find a stellar flanker to the lovely Noa. And I’m going to wear some Hermes tonight to snub LVMH. February 1, 2016 at 1:15pm
Cornelia Blimber: I agree, ”fritter my time on earth away in the company of their fragrance”…very funny.
I wonder why Ropion (maestro Ropion I should say) made this perfume…after all, he has to maintain a reputation. February 1, 2016 at 1:33pm
Scented Salon: That was my favorite line as well. I will apply some Evening Rose to counter this weak effort. February 1, 2016 at 1:36pm
Cornelia Blimber: Your negative reviews are funny without being malicious or cynical.Just funny! that’s brilliant. February 1, 2016 at 1:52pm
Jackie: I agree! Victoria has a way of being light and positive even with “negative” reviews.
That’s what keeps us coming back, Victoria! February 1, 2016 at 1:56pm
Victoria: 🙂 February 2, 2016 at 12:07pm
Victoria: Thank you! Of course, it’s always easier to write about my favorite things, but there is room for all kinds of opinions. February 2, 2016 at 12:05pm
Victoria: Any perfumer would be pleased to work with Givenchy, and Irresistible is Ropion’s perfume brand. Then again, one has to be realistic–when you work for a brand, their desires come first. You have little choice over the way they might direct the creation. If one is not happy with that state of things, one can’t work as a perfumer for a big corporation like IFF, Givaudan, etc. February 1, 2016 at 2:01pm
Alicia: Yes, Victoria, one has to be realistic. And reality in mass cultures always means that in Art vs. Marketing, Art never wins. For Art one neads creativity which reaches towards originality, and often one also needs time.For Marketing all of them are negatives. No committee has ever created a masterpiece. A team could, not a committee. How many books of poetry are sold compared to the cheap romances offered everywhere, from supermarkets to airports? I am sorry for Ropion. He knows materials very well, and better than most must feel the denigration of an acrylic rose. Marketing has once again won. February 1, 2016 at 3:20pm
Alicia: Today I am wearing YSL Nu, which I like so much that I have an extra bottle unopened, waiting for future winters. It is radiant, dark and original. Indeed it was a recipe for market failure. Of course it was discontinued. If Mitsouko were created these days, it would absolutely fail. February 1, 2016 at 5:04pm
Cornelia Blimber: Is it such a pleasure to work with Givenchy? The age of great perfumes by Givenchy is over.
And even in the limits of marketing, could a perfumer like Ropion not do something better?
Now I am curious to smell it…maybe it is not that bad.
La Vie Est Belle smells good on the right person, I have a pupil wearing it happily, and she gets many complments on it.
But sadly, i fear Alicia is right. Marketing is almighty nowadays.
B February 2, 2016 at 5:33am
Victoria: A perfume with Givenchy looks good on one’s professional CV. From the outside we may decry the lack of originality in Givenchy’s fragrances, but it’s still a brand with a reputation and most perfumers would dream to work with them. February 2, 2016 at 12:36pm
Alicia: How funny, Cornelia…I have just the same reaction as you. I am tempted to try La Vie Est Belle at least to know what so many people enjoy, and what we are talking about.I may order a sample, and then give it to the young woman who cleans my house, and adores fruity florals. She also delighted in all the Irresistible collection I once bought in an airport, only to find thin, synthetic roses. But Victoria is right, Givenchy as a name brand carries a weight. I bought that collection because of it, which also made me try Dahlia Noire, which has much more powder that I can stand, but my girl liked it. For me Givenchy means Ysatis and Givenchy III, a superb chypre. Mais ou sont les neiges de jadis? February 2, 2016 at 1:46pm
Victoria: Le De is another beautiful Givenchy perfume, and among masculines, there are also some interesting things like Pi. February 2, 2016 at 4:05pm
Alicia: Yes, Le de was very elegant. Is it still alive? Haven’t seen it for quite a while. I also liked L’interdit, but my last vintage has turned and is unwearable.
As you mentioned above, in the present situation time is a problem. In all likelihood the time from brief to production is shorten, but not less lamentable, very likely the time for maceration is just too short. This is a concern, because not enough maceration will seriously affect longevity.I am increasingly disappointed with the very short duration of some new fragrances I like, and disappear all too fast. February 2, 2016 at 4:42pm
Victoria: I even liked the reissued L’Interdit in the end, although at first I found it disappointing, because it was very different from the original.
The lack of maceration is definitely a problem for harmony and longevity. Oils need to marry before they are stabilized. This step, unfortunately, is often skipped. February 3, 2016 at 4:24am
Karen (A): Is it a good fragrance for girls? I am looking for a gift for a pre-teen, so when you said your girl liked it (daughter or niece I assumed) I wondered if it is ok for a younger perfumista in the making.
And it’s good that you can pass on fragrances that don’t work for you to someone who they do work on! February 5, 2016 at 6:57am
Alicia: Karen, my “girl” is 26 years old, so I can be of no use here. She has a little daughter of about three, and last Christmas I gave her Bulgari, Petits et Mamans, a perfume which contains no alcohol. I don’t know what the baby thinks, but the mother likes it very much. I have never smelled it. February 5, 2016 at 1:41pm
Victoria: I thought that YSL brought it out in their collection along with M7 and some other discontinued perfumes. It’s slightly changed, but it’s still close enough to the original. February 2, 2016 at 12:24pm
Alicia: Thank you, Victoria. I didn’t know. February 2, 2016 at 1:11pm
Victoria: Of course, there are always pockets of creativity and individuals who are willing to take chances, like Thierry Mugler and his creative team with Angel, Hermes with Terre d’Hermes and more recently, Alaia. But by and large, the current pattern of launches works against the truly original works, because there is not enough time. February 2, 2016 at 12:19pm
Victoria: I love a good fruity floral, but despite the vast selection, the choices of something interesting, original and well-made are surprisingly few in that genre. So when I find something like Noa L’Eau, which I also love, or See by Chloe or Amor Amor, I’m doubly pleased.
Hermes’s Eau de Pamplemousse Rose is a terrific fruity-citrusy cologne with floral notes. Which Hermes are you wearing tonight? February 1, 2016 at 1:57pm
Aurora: It’s Caleche tonight, I feel lucky to have it both in Parfum de Toilette and EDT. So glad you approve of Noa l’Eau, it’s my ‘elegant fruity’. February 1, 2016 at 3:34pm
Aurora: And you make me long to try Eau de Pamplemousse Rose, it’s going on my list for summer. February 1, 2016 at 4:11pm
Alicia: Aurora, I hope you enjoy EdPR as much as I did this past summer. February 1, 2016 at 5:08pm
Aurora: Thank you very much, Alicia. I’ll definitely try it come summer. I already have Eau d’Orange Verte which I enjoy a lot. February 2, 2016 at 5:44am
Victoria: Or YSL’s In Love Again, which is a similar idea. February 2, 2016 at 12:22pm
Victoria: I have a soft spot for Cacharel, and I like how they manage to keep their spirit and produce likable, pretty perfumes.
Caleche, on the other hand, is gorgeous. February 2, 2016 at 12:21pm
spe: Victoria,
Are you familiar with Trueste by Tiffany, a long-ago fruity floral?
I’m wondering what you – or any of the BdJ readers familiar with the fragrance- think of it.
It would be nice to find a “serious” fruity floral.
Thank you! February 1, 2016 at 4:30pm
Victoria: I’m not, but I remember the eponymous Tiffany perfume. It was an intimidatingly elegant floral, as I recall.
Hermes Amazone might qualify as a serious fruity floral, and its new formulation is very good. February 2, 2016 at 12:23pm
solanace: This is so funny, yes, La Vie est Belle set an awful trend! February 1, 2016 at 1:33pm
Victoria: It sure did! February 1, 2016 at 1:59pm
Jackie: Speaking of new releases, Victoria (or anyone), have you tried any of Atelier’s new Oriental collection?
Bit off topic, I know, but I’m excited! I came across the whole collection yesterday and brought home samples of Encens Jinhae and Tobacco Nuit. 🙂
A little something to cleanse the palate perhaps? February 1, 2016 at 1:55pm
Scented Salon: No, I have not tried those but want to: they sound promising and this brand really does have good fragrances. Can you describe some? February 1, 2016 at 2:37pm
Jackie: I’m sorry, I can’t as I seem to have misplaced my samples! I sprayed the Poivre Electrique on in store and was intoxicated but couldn’t describe it now, but I can list the notes (from their website): bitter orange from Tunisia, black pepper from Vietnam, pink pepper from China, incense from Samarkand, pimento leaf from Jamaica, Turkish rose absolue, myrrh from Africa, sandalwood from New Caledonia, cedarwood from Virginia. Wow! What a heavenly combination. Can’t wait to get back to retry that one! The others sound (to me) just as interesting! February 1, 2016 at 3:12pm
Jackie: They are all on Atelier’s website under “Collection Orient.” They’re in one of our Sephoras here that carries a few “niche” lines. February 1, 2016 at 3:15pm
Jackie: Scented Salon, I found my samples: it wasn’t the Tobacco Nuit I brought home with the Encens; it was Mimosa Indigo! And it is love at first sniff!
The reason I grabbed that one was because of Victoria’s article on mimosa and cassie the other day; it’s not a note I’m familiar with but now I recognize it, and this one is ahmazing! Not sure what Victoria would think, but I (a neophyte) love it: it’s definitely got that powdery/almondy (and, to me, a bit buttery) mimosa note (they list it as an “indigo mimosa from India,” but there’s also a definite white leather, a hint of lilac, cut by a bergamot and mandarin citrus. These are the notes listed that I pick up. I put it on last night and it was still there this morning, the mimosa and leather still there! Amazing lasting power.
Oh, and now that I’ve sprayed it on again this morning, I’m definitely getting the vanilla too! I love it!!!
Gorgeous updraft sillage!
That’s probably more than you were asking for, but I think this is a real winner and might have to buy a FB! 🙂 February 2, 2016 at 12:28pm
Victoria: I haven’t yet. I haven’t even tried a bunch of their previous releases. February 2, 2016 at 12:07pm
Jackie: So many perfumes, so little time.
I sprayed the Encens Jinhae sample on my other wrist yesterday, and it was very promising (lemon, incense, cherry blossom, Turkish rose, nutmeg, my favourite kind of thing), but I was so overtaken by the mimosa, that I decided to try the incense another day. 🙂
I would love (some day) to hear what you think of some of these, Victoria. I want the whole series! February 2, 2016 at 12:34pm
Victoria: Well, you definitely had at Mimosa Indigo! 🙂 February 2, 2016 at 12:36pm
Jackie: 🙂 February 2, 2016 at 12:57pm
bregje: Love that name Mimosa Indigo.
I definitely want to try it.
Thanks for mentioning it,jackie! February 2, 2016 at 7:49pm
Surbhi: I loathe fruity perfume to a degree that I can’t describe. It makes me nauseous even if others are wearing it around me. Lucky me that I work in a team where I am the only woman so I don’t have to smell it.
I am in awe of ripion’s work and thankfully this one is fruity so I will never smell this and won’t question his work. February 1, 2016 at 2:00pm
Victoria: Then you aren’t their target audience anyway! February 2, 2016 at 12:08pm
spe: Surbhi,
You and I have similar experiences toward fruit notes in perfume. The recent, non-citrus notes literally nauseate me.
These fragrances in no way smell “clean” to my nose.
They smell cloying and suffocating.
It must be something we are either hypersensitive to – or perhaps we are anosmic to the notes that are “buffering” the fruit notes in these fragrances: musks.
Anyway, you are not alone in your suffering.
spe February 2, 2016 at 1:44pm
Karen (A): Dowdy and bland, cause that’s what I want in my perfume! Oh wait…….maybe I will just stick with the gorgeous, stunning, intoxicating and elegant ones. February 1, 2016 at 2:28pm
Jackie: LOL! February 1, 2016 at 3:12pm
Victoria: Since we live only once, there is no point in boring oneself.
That being said, I have my fair share of very simple, low-key perfumes. Of course, simple also need not be boring. February 2, 2016 at 12:12pm
Karen (A): Yup, simple can equal just right. Stella – a simple, affordable, beautiful rose. Perfect when I want a rose, without lots of complications or dark notes. Avon’s Haiku – a simple, easy cherry blossom that is lovely (and affordable). February 2, 2016 at 1:18pm
Victoria: Stella is one of my favorites too. I also love Bath and Body Works Cotton Blossom, a pastel version of Rochas Tocade. February 2, 2016 at 4:02pm
bregje: I really dislike the phrase ‘You only live once’.
Everybody says it nowadays,incl. my friends and somehow it always triggers my irritation-button ;).
I guess people who believe in reincarnation can’t wear this fragrance 🙂 . February 2, 2016 at 7:56pm
Victoria: It’s just a platitude. Making it a centerpiece of your marketing campaign turns the whole thing silly. February 3, 2016 at 4:26am
Ann: And in such a fun flask! Tsk tsk tsk… February 1, 2016 at 3:25pm
Victoria: It does look nice. February 2, 2016 at 12:20pm
mj: I love the “I’m not sure why I’d fritter away my time on earth in the company of their fragrance.”
I’m with you here, I run from this type of scents. Everytime I go to El Corte Inglés perfumery dpt, I get assaulted with a “Vie est Belle” sprayer-lady. Booring scent! February 1, 2016 at 3:46pm
Victoria: It’s omnipresent. I get a sample every time I buy something from Ici Paris XL, our Sephora-type store. February 2, 2016 at 12:21pm
Danaki: Bland?!?
I got a sample of this when I bought some lipstick from Givenchy last year, when I tried it on I gagged. Eurgh… February 1, 2016 at 5:00pm
Victoria: Ha! February 2, 2016 at 12:23pm
marymary: I find these focus group scents are useful to keep in the office drawer for a midafternoon pick me up. I figure they won’t upset anyone. I buy them when they hit the discounters. February 1, 2016 at 5:08pm
Alicia: Perhaps you are prudent. As for me I have for years wore Chanel for work (university professor), and I am unaware of having offended anyone. Lately I have been wearing Sycomore and Bois des Isles for class, and a couple of male students dared to express how much they like their scent. February 1, 2016 at 5:21pm
marymary: Oh, I wear all kinds of perfume to work but I don’t keep the ones I love in the office. I wouldn’t want them stolen, or left behind if I ever got walked off the premises! February 2, 2016 at 4:26am
Karen (A): If you want to have some of your favorites, you could make up some small samples/decants. A plain bottle, as opposed to a nice travel atomizer, might prove less tempting. Once I’m done with samples, a wash in alcohol removes any residue of the original scent. February 2, 2016 at 5:50am
Alicia: Yes, Karen. I have never kept perfume bottles in my office. I carry a small travel atomizer in my purse with whatever I am wearing that day. February 2, 2016 at 1:20pm
Victoria: Almost all of the big launches are market tested, but some are more so than others. February 2, 2016 at 12:25pm
laraffinee: For me, acquisition by LVMH is the kiss of death for any perfume or perfume house. I think they are responsible for the “dumbing down” of perfume and certainly have done their part in contributing to the waves and waves of cheap scents that have become the norm. Guerlain quality plummeted after they were bought by them. I have come to avoid anything that is made by that group. February 2, 2016 at 1:49pm
Victoria: They have questionable practices all around, and a number of reformulations were done simply to cut costs. February 2, 2016 at 4:07pm
laraffinee: Definitely. Even an untrained nose can tell. I think they used the excuse of EU laws to create junk and then blame it on the EU laws. Chanel has maintained quality within the EU laws so that is a crock on nonsense and a cheap excuse. Shame on Guerlain and LVMH. February 2, 2016 at 5:05pm
Victoria: Guerlain has not done such a bad job with their reformulations, though, mostly because Thierry Wasser defended the originals whenever he could, even offering to discontinue one of his own creations (Iris Ganache) to keep the line in balance. Dior, on the other hand, is disappointing. February 3, 2016 at 4:26am
kpaint: Even before reading this, Luca Turin’s review of “Very Irresistible Happy 10 Years” (I put this in quotation marks to indicate that, yes, this really is the name of a perfume) on style.com/arabia.
He remarks: “Including masculines, Givenchy has produced no fewer than 27 flankers on the shaky premise of the original VI. This self-congratulating confection is a bit like a party held in 1358 to celebrate 10 years of the Black Death: few people, forced smiles, no music.”
This had me laughing for days.
I’ve never smelled any version of VI, but my complaint with this one is the name. In English it should be “Live Irresistibly,” but even then it wouldn’t make much sense. Is “Live Irrésistible” something grammatically correct (and meaningful?) in French? February 4, 2016 at 11:26pm
Victoria: I missed Very Irresistible Happy 10 Years, but my word, the name alone is ridiculous.
Live Irrésistible doesn’t make more sense in French either. February 5, 2016 at 5:23am
kpaint: Speaking of things that don’t make sense, I’d meant to say, “Even before reading this, I immediately thought of Luca Turin’s review…”
27 flankers, though, wow. (Does this one make it 28?) That’s got to be some kind of record. February 5, 2016 at 11:48am
Victoria: Gotcha!
I bet VI has the most flankers, although Eternity is another perfume that has so many offspring, it can establish its own perfume family. February 5, 2016 at 3:38pm
Aisha: I didn’t even have to read this to know to pass on this fragrance. I really do not like La Vie est Belle. At all. 🙁 February 6, 2016 at 8:57pm
Victoria: Then it won’t appeal to you at all! February 8, 2016 at 5:17am
Sandra: Yet another bottle distilled from the pink vat of mediocrity! February 11, 2016 at 1:30pm
Victoria: Not their finest, to be sure. February 11, 2016 at 2:08pm