Coco Mademoiselle vs La Vie Est Belle Comparison

Coco Mademoiselle by Chanel and Lancome’s La Vie est Belle are and have been two of the most popular women’s fragrances on the market. There’s not a whole lot of overlap between them in terms of how they smell, but because of their versatility and great aromas, it can often come down to them when choosing a daily wear scent. In this post, I am going to give my head to head comparison. From how each smells, to their performance, and ultimately which is the better buy.

Tale of the Tape: Mademoiselle vs. La Vie Est Belle

Coco Mademoiselle

Notes include: jasmine, rose, orange, patchouli, vetiver

Click here to try: Coco Mademoiselle

La Vie Est Belle

Notes include: patchouli, vanilla, blackberry, iris, pear, tonka bean, praline, and more

Click here to try: Lancome La Vie Est Belle Eau de Parfum Spray, 1.7 Ounce

Read my Review: La Vie Est Belle

Opening

The start of La Vie est Belle is more about its fruity notes. Blueberry and pear are present at first, giving it sparkling, somewhat juicy, and tart aroma. This is then followed by an earthy patchouli note and the powdery nature of the iris.

Coco Mademoiselle begins as a blend of fruity and floral. The citrus notes are present, but supported by ylang-ylang, rose, jasmine, and the neroli note. There is also an underlying patchouli note present, but it doesn’t feel as strong to my nose.

Which is better? I do like the Lancome fragrance, but comparatively, it has more of a tart and sour aroma that can be more off-putting. Not bad, but just doesn’t come across as pleasing as the Chanel.

I enjoy the citrus notes and how balanced that Mademoiselle is. It takes this category.

Edge: Mademoiselle

Projection

Having tested out both of these perfumes, I can say that they are both quite strong in their presentation. Either one of them could be over-sprayed and have the ability to fill a room. Neither is elite, but are well above average.

Honestly, I don’t really notice a difference here.

Edge: Push

Longevity

In terms of how long each of these perfumes lasts on the skin, they have the ability to go over 10 hours each.

However, Coco Mademoiselle will consistently last over 10 hours. La Vie est Bell can. Though, it may also just hit 8 hours. I’d say 8-11 is its range, depending on the climate.

The Chanel? 10, as a baseline and can go for a few hours beyond that.

Edge: Mademoiselle

Versatility

These two fragrance each has extremely good versatility. They can be worn in a wide variety of situations from formal to more casual events. Each has also proven itself to be well-liked and generally won’t offend.

The only slight distinction I’d make, is that Coco Mademoiselle can hold up better in the heat. Neither of these is a summertime wear predominantly, but the Chanel can venture into these months, more easily.

Edge: Mademoiselle (slightly)

Overall Scent

La Vie Est Belle is a really great performer. The opening can be too much for some people, but it really settles down into a nice gourmand fragrance. There is the later inclusion of vanilla and praline, which flank the patchouli, and fruit notes perfectly. Not to mention, the iris powdery note.

There is a reason that it has become such a popular fragrance over the years. Really, there’s not too much to complain about.

However, I think that Coco Mademoiselle not only smells better, but also has the better performance overall. The citrus opening is great, as is the floral/vanilla/musky ending. It is well blended and a great perfume overall.

If it’s a choice based solely on scent and performance, the more expensive scent wins here. If price is a major concern, La Vie est Belle is still good enough to warrant a purchase.

Winner: Coco Mademoiselle

Best Men's Colognes

Best Men’s Colognes started back in 2013, as a way to share my learning experiences with different fragrances, as I dove head first into the hobby. Since then, I have written hundreds of reviews and other pages about perfumes and colognes.