Today I'm going to review for you the second perfume I bought via work, and I have to tell you that it is a beauty! Before I started work I had never heard of Viktor & Rolf, let alone Flowerbomb, so this was a completely new fragrance to me. The bottle caught my eye on one of my first days there, I gave it a quick spray and I fell in love instantly. There have been many other perfumes that swayed my affections, but I came back to this one every time. Read on to find out more about this fragrance!

Viktor & Rolf do something quite unusual each year, regarding La Vie En Rose. Where most companies release completely new versions of their fragrances every summer, Viktor & Rolf release this fragrance under the same name each year. Since its debut in 2009, every summer they have released La Vie En Rose with a slightly different colour scheme and, some argue, slightly different fragrance composition. I actually own the 2012 version, where the bottle is hot pink compared to 2013's, which is pale pink and luminescent. The actual shape and design of the bottle has remained unchanged over the last few years; appropriately based on a hand grenade, complete with a mock "pin". Scent wise, in comparison to 2013's version, they smell identical. There may be slight differences but I simply cannot detect them! However I am assured that pre-2011's versions smell quite different.


What's the difference between this and the original Flowerbomb, you might ask? Well, in essence they are quite similar but La Vie En Rose has been given a sparkling, fruity twist for the summer. The original and this version share the same top notes of bergamot and green tea, but La Vie En Rose has the addition of pink pepper and mandarin. The heart notes are actually very different, with the original having jasmine, freesia, rose and orchids and this version having lily of the valley, rose, sugared almond, raspberry and red forest berries. Finally, both fragrances share a base note of patchouli, but the original also has musk and La Vie En Rose has cashmere and amber. The fruity heart notes in La Vie En Rose are very noticeable when applied, and is therefore a much lighter and fresher fragrance than its original counterpart.


Despite only being released in an Eau de Toilette rather than an Eau de Parfum, this lasts surprisingly well by my standards! If the floral base note of patchouli had been removed I think the lasting power of this would definitely have been weakened. It manages a good hour before losing its "sparkle" and wearing down to the base notes, where it then smells a lot more similar to the original. If you're looking for a fragrance that needs little topping up throughout the day, or to wear in the evening, then this is not for you. This is definitely a light, daytime perfume and isn't particularly suited for a night on the town. However, as this is sold and marketed as a summer fragrance, I believe that the longevity and strength isn't such an issue. Summer is meant to be about being more carefree and being "as fresh as a daisy" so to speak and this perfume lends itself to that perfectly!

Final verdict: If you're a fan of the original Flowerbomb than you must give this a try. This would make a lovely addition to anyone's collection, to remind you of summer time and to bring you some sunshine when the UK's weather doesn't bring you any!

La Vie En Rose is a 50ml Eau de Toilette spray, and the 2013 edition can be bought from Debenhams for £49.50. The 2012 edition can be found at Mobile Fragrance for £45 (excluding P+P).