Lancome Perfumes

Lancôme has been a fragrance house since 1935, founded by Armand Petitjean with the goal of putting French perfumery on the same global stage as the biggest American beauty brands of the time. The name itself comes from a French château surrounded by roses, which is why a rose still appears on every Lancôme product to this day. But it took the brand nearly eighty years to create the single fragrance that would define it more than any other.

La Vie Est Belle: Three Years, 5,000 Versions

La Vie Est Belle, meaning "life is beautiful," launched in 2012 after perfumers Anne Flipo and Dominique Ropion spent three years and approximately 5,000 trial versions getting it right. The result is a floral gourmand built around iris, jasmine and orange blossom up top, with praline, patchouli and vanilla settling underneath, sweet and warm without tipping into heavy. The bet paid off in a way few fragrance launches ever do, it's held the number one spot in Europe for over a decade straight and consistently ranks among the top five best selling perfumes in the world.

A Bottle Inspired By A Smile

The bottle's curved silhouette, nicknamed "le sourire de cristal," the crystal smile, is based on an original Lancôme design from 1949. It's a small detail, but it captures something real about the brand's whole approach: La Vie Est Belle isn't just a scent, it's built around an entire idea of joy and self-determined happiness, and every part of the packaging reinforces that.

Buying Lancôme Perfumes In Kenya

House Of Essence carries the Lancôme range with nationwide delivery across Kenya, pay on delivery available in Nairobi, and M-Pesa or card payment everywhere else. La Vie Est Belle is the obvious starting point, and one of the most universally loved fragrances on the market for good reason. Browse the collection above, or check our Women's Perfumes range for more options.