Elle L'Aime is a timeless, universal and utterly feminine fragrance, a hymn to conquering love. — Harrods
Yadda, yadda, yadda. If I had a dime for every new timeless, universal and utterly feminine fragrance, I'd be at Harrods right now, buying one or two or ten of them. Plus, I tried Lolita Lempicka's new Elle L'Aime very briefly on a blotter at Neiman Marcus right after it launched, and the fresh citrus-y top notes struck me as pretty much business as usual. So when I finally got a sample, I let it languish while I tried other, more potentially interesting fragrances.
Oops. Elle L'Aime is more fun than you'd think from a quick sniff of the top notes. Which are, by the way, pretty much on skin what they are on paper: standard issue fresh citrus, perfectly pleasant, but nothing to get excited about.
But the dry down is perfect, assuming you think a cross between fizzy lemon-lime soda and echoes of Bath & Body Works — old, original formula! before it got so FRESH — Coconut Lime Verbena sounds perfect. You know who you are, and if that sounds disgusting you might as well stop reading now. Those of you who are still with me will find Elle L'Aime to be a playful rendition of a tropical beachy floral, pale but lively, with a warmish, sweet-but-not-too-sweet woody base. I've seen it classified as a floriental and a white floral, so take your pick, but really, tropical beachy ought to be its own fragrance family, right? And it's not overdone; it's cheering in cold weather, but you won't feel like you're wearing suntan oil.
Verdict: Like. I don't adore it enough to buy a bottle — why can't everyone do 10 ml purse sprays, please? — but I'm going to see if I can collect a few more samples to cheer me up in February. If you're an old school fan of Coconut Lime Verbena, do give it a shot, although I hope nobody missed the word "echoes" — it's not a dupe.
I have to say that I usually love the Lolita Lempicka bottle designs but this one is not doing it for me, although the smaller size is more visually appealing to me than the larger.
Lolita Lempicka Elle L'Aime was developed by perfumers Christine Nagel and Serge Majoullier. The notes include bergamot, neroli, lime, coconut, jasmine, ylang-ylang, vanilla, sandalwood and myrrh. It is available in 40 and 80 ml Eau de Parfum.
Happy holidays everyone!
I don’t know if I’d reach for this during the colder months here unless all the snow was really getting to me, but it sounds perfect for summer.
Robin, does it feel at all like my beloved and long gone Eclix? I’m hoarding the last 15ml or so in my bottle while I try to find a passable replacement.
Gosh I wish they’d bring back Eclix! I’ve long since run out. Enjoy your remaining drops.
And no, not really. I think of Eclix as a gourmand comfort scent. This is way more beachy / fun. None of the osmanthus or cocoa, etc.
Another way to put it, this is fun, but don’t think perfumistas are ever going to ever be desperately rationing out their last 10 ml of Elle L’Aime.
I quite like the bottle actually, still having the same fairy-tale-esque magical fantasy feel design (and the sturdy spray is a plus. I would imagine many people accidentally snapped their apple stems in a hurry or consecutive spraying)
The juice though, is a little too sparkly-soda for me. For me personally I would prefer more pina-colada than fizzy verbena 😛
The apple bottle is a pain to use, it’s true, and the testers are nearly always broken.
It is sparkly-soda, it’s true!
Hmm-mm. When I tried it, I didn’t like it because it’s a white floral. I don’t like coconut scents either. Beachy is my favourite category so I’m going to give this one another try and let it dry down but I distinctly remember not liking it. I collect the apple bottles and recently bought the L’Eau Jolie which is more to my taste, both for the juice and the bottle. This new L’Aime bottle, while marginally attractive, just does not do it for me in the romantic and imaginative way the apples do.
I do think it’s far nicer in the dry down than the top notes…but if you don’t like coconut/beachy, I’d say it’s not a likely love for you. It’s pretty darned coconut-ish.
Huh. I’ll give it a sniff I guess. I did just get some Coconut Lime Breeze at BBW-mostly cause it was free-haven’t sniffed the verbena though. Fizzy kinda is a bit of a put off though.
Ya, those stems are a pain. I blind bought Midnight Couture cause of the black apple, black leaves..but didn’t love the scent. Didn’t keep it. I realized that I won’t keep a scent if I just like the bottle. I need to like the juice.
I don’t think they make the CLV any more except as hand soap, and they had freshened it up quite a bit before it went, anyway. I didn’t like it as well.
Ohhh I am still crying after Azuree Soleil and I did ration the last 10 ml of the 6th and last bottle… could this fragrance be a replacement?
I’ve seen the flacon somewhere before – Clinique perhaps?
Speaking of beachy – Robin, did you try the new Ananas Fizz? Is it the same as the old?
No, not really a replacement. There was something perfect about Azuree Soleil (and I don’t mind Bronze Goddess as much as you do) — I could wear it every day for two weeks on a vacation and not get tired of it. I would never wear this every day for even a week. It’s more like a fun, fizzy alternative.
And no…still have not drained my original bottle of Ananas Fizz! And occurs to me now that I have not worn it in ages, hope it has not turned.
PS Bronze Goddess is NOT a replacement of Azuree Soleil. It is a cheap-smelling imitation.
Just have to speak up for my beloved Bronze Goddess, which is one of my favorite summer scents (to me at least it doesn’t smell cheap at all).
I like Bronze Goddess too 🙂
Sounds interesting enough! I’d buy this if it was heavily reduced at StrawberryNET – which is usually how I buy a lot of scents. Its worked well so far – except for when I bought Poupee by Rochas. BAD IDEA
Yeah, I want to find the 40 ml at TJ Maxx. And ack, had forgotten all about Rochas Poupee! And probably so has Rochas 🙂
Years later, but I found a 40ml at TJ Maxx for $19.99. I googled the name since I knew it sounded familiar, and here I am. My mom loved CLV but I can’t stand most coconut, and HATED that soap!
Ah, not bad at all! Of course I wrote that before I vowed not to buy anything larger than 30 ml. Still, it’s tempting, thanks.
Thanks for reviewing this. I’ll look for it the next time I’m at Nordstrom. I did like the old Coconut Lime Verbena. I’ve never sniffed a LL perfume — it seems like LL’s stuff often features anise/black licorice, which I do not like.
Their bottles are usually pretty IMO, but this one is mighty ugly, IMO. Perhaps it looks better in person.
They do love licorice at LL, but L de Lolita Lempicka and Si Lolita were also both licorice-free!
Actually, I remember now … I did try Si Lolita. It smelled like peanuts to me. I just checked Fragrantica, and I see that one person there noticed peanuts, too, so I’m not imagining things 🙂
I don’t care for Si Lolita, but I LOVE L de LL! It’s a delicious gourmand with citrus, cinnamon, almond, and patchouli. Yummo. Underrated.
I think that one was more popular w/ perfumistas. Great bottle, too.
Si did not work for me either. Can’t remember if peanuts or not though 🙂
And, yes, if everyone did 10 ml purse sprays, they would make more money and make more perfumistas happy. Sigh …
You would think!
I’m really impressed with Lolita Lempicka as a house. All the scents I’ve tried have been distinctive, and nothing ever smells like it was just tossed off to make a buck. Add in the gorgeous bottles and the fact that you can get them practically for free at TJ Maxx, and I’m a fan!
This does sound really fun and I like “fizzy” a lot.
Then do give it a shot, esp. if you like the house. I would not mind finding this one practically free at TJ Maxx…