Lancôme's La Vie Est Belle

Lancome have released a brand new fragrance that pushes the boundaries of scent like never undertaken by the brand before. La Vie Est Belle has been created by three French masters of perfumery using just 63 ingredients - it took 5521 versions and three years to create. The scent has a base of Iris, but also includes notes of Jasmine and Orange Blossom to lighten the notes and create a striking floral impression on skin. I was sent a little sample of this which unfortunately leaked completely into my bag, but the good news is my bag smelt very nice indeed! The face of the fragrance is Julia Roberts and they've created this little film as an introduction. I'm not going to lie... I don't really get it at all. She's got sparkly puppet strings attached to her wrist and the fragrance allows her to break free. I'm pretty sure if this was really possible Pinocchio would've had a much simpler solution to the 'real boy' problem.

The way they describe the fragrance makes my head hurt a little, but have a go... "Their olfactory manifesto: to create the first ever feminine iris. Daring to break through traditional codes to invent a new kind of olfactory language. Drawing on the original art of perfumery, they opted for the strength of simplicity. No pre-manufactured base, nothing but pure, not recomposed ingredients. A “quintessential” fragrance free of the superfluous, whose narrative is composed of just 63 ingredients, allowing each to be fully expressed. A richly simple balance blending the rare nobility of Iris, the stirring depth of patchouli and the child-like delights of a gourmand accord. Ingredients were selected one by one among perfumery’s most noble natural raw materials for their exceptional qualities, before being refined, sublimated or densified - whilst preserving their soul - by perfumery’s cutting-edge technologies." If that's made you as baffled as me, have a go at watching the 'behind the scenes' instead.

 La Vie Est Belle is available nationwide now for £55.00 (from Harrods)