Elle L'Aime Lolita Lempicka 2013

"Elle l'aime" is a fragrance which is simple (a lime-coconut-combo) and serene. Its main chord is emphatically gourmand and reminds me of delicious French desserts. But the sweetness is never overpowering, because underneath the heart there is a beautiful interlacing of quiet woody notes and vanilla. Okay, the composition is not very original, but quite enchanting. Age doesn't seem to matter with it, young folks can wear it as well as more mature individuals like myself, but you have to like coconut and sweet lemon to enjoy this new "Lolita"-scent. Very good staying-power and beautiful flacon included.

I blind bought Elle L'Aimes on a whim because it was so cheap on ebay (14€/40ml) and I noticed that I didn't have any summery coconut fragrances, even though I enjoy those. That was 6 years ago.
I've been using it ever since and my bottle is getting low, which is saying a lot, as I don't empty perfumes often. This unassuming cheapie is still one of the best tropicals I have ever smelled and might be my favorite ylang-ylang scent.

The first spray is very refreshing with citrus, especially lime, and a bit of neroli. Coconut and ylang ylang slowly come out of the background.
Soon this becomes a creamy, balmy, fresh but warm mix of white and yellow florals, vanilla and coconut. Dreamy and tropical. Ylang ylang is very prominent to my nose. It's a modern, sweet interpretation of the flower, not like the classic ylang you find in vintage fragrances. The coconut and lime mix adds a lively, happy cocktail vibe.
Everything is very smooth without any hints of sharpness.
Projection and longevity are good without being overwhelming. The final drydown is mostly a coconut skinscent.

I love to wear this in the summer. It's fine in the cold, but it really blooms on warm skin. I took small decants of this on every summer holiday I had in the last years, so now I have a lot of happy memories with the fragrance, too.

I bought this at a yard sale and the purveyor accused me of wanting to smell like a cheap hooker. While I’m not opposed to charging for a good time, I can confidently say that I wouldn’t be cheap, either. Regardless, I enjoy wearing this.

Mayhaps cheaper can even be better when it comes to sporting florals like ylang-ylang, which already has such a synthetic, soapy quality. It feels like I can spray with abandon and not take myself too seriously. The coconut and lime are present in their own supportive and flagrant way as well, as if the three are out on a balmy night together, looking for fun and a dime.

Elle L'aime is such a lovely fragrance. I had no idea what to expect going into it. I hadn't looked at any of the notes or reviews, I just blind bought a sample to try out because the bottle in the photo looked nice. I honestly thought it was going to be one of those granny, old timey fragrances that I hate and would want to scrub off but it's not that at all.

It's for sure heavy on the white florals, but when I want a pretty, feminine, and delicate fragrance I tend to gravitate to the white floral fragrances. There's a bubblegum sweetness in the beginning that I think might be from the ylang ylang but it's not cloying in any way. Everything is softened by the jasmine and a smooth creaminess. I'm guessing the coconut mixed with the jasmine is what is giving it the creamy quality, perhaps even the vanilla as well. In the beginning and mid way, I got a boozy note, like a coconut rum but that dissipated after dry down. I didn't immediately smell the lime in the beginning, but as this dried down the lime sort of encompassed all the other notes within it. Not in an overwhelming way where the lime is all you can smell, but more like if the lime were a person it would be holding the other notes in its palm and holding them out to you.

Elle L'aime feels like a mature, tropical gourmand instead of the often high school/early 20's scents that are more tropical, or summer leaning. It smells more expensive than it is. It's definitely feminine, powdery and soft. Beautiful for late spring or summer, but I could see this being worn into early fall. I can't see it holding up in cold weather though. It's not a strong fragrance, for sure leans more on the delicate side so it does seem safe for work or working close to people. Sillage is within arm's length if not a little closer than that but not quite a skin scent either.

Overall this is a beautiful scent that I didn't expect to like as much as I do. However, if you're not a fan of tropical scents or white florals, you probably won't like this much if at all.

(Originally posted elsewhere on 04/06/21)

Sometimes I really wish I could claim that I am a quite reasonable person. Because one would actually expect that. I have diligently completed my studies, show up at work on time every day, and am considered conscientious, reliable, etc. So far, everything is good.

Unfortunately, there is also this other side of me. And that is this "Oh, come on..." side. Need some examples?

I’m on my way home, it’s raining. But instead of opening the umbrella that I have ready in my handbag, I just think "Oh, come on...", tilt my head back a little, stand still for a few seconds, enjoy the rain on my face, and then continue walking. Once I get home, I realize, of course, that the idea was suboptimal, as I should have immediately changed out of my wet clothes, but whatever.

I had a long workday, and the next one probably won’t be any better. So I should go home, cook something healthy, and go to bed early. But then again this "Oh, come on..." - and I end up at a friend’s place with a glass of wine. And peanuts. And a second glass of wine. And chocolate. And too late to bed. The next day, though tired, I go to work grinning.

Last weekend was the same. Injured my foot, doctor ordered strict couch rest. That’s just moved to a picnic blanket in the park because I can’t miss the concert there. And where I sit around doesn’t matter. Then there’s the music. And again this loud voice in my head "Oh, come on...." - and I’m already standing by the stage. And yes, I dance. It doesn’t feel intelligent, but it feels incredibly good.

So also in the morning before my perfumes. It’s a warm day, I have colleagues. So something fresh and light. So Mr. Li’s garden. Hmm, no, not today. Then the grapefruit. No, not in the mood for that either.

Suddenly the two notorious little figures appear on my shoulders, the devil starts the conversation:

- Oh, there’s that fancy dessert. Coconut and a bit of lemon. And above all soooo sweet. And soooo fluffy.

The angel is still reasonable and counters:

- Uh no, I can’t do that. It smells like vacation.

- Hey, vacation isn’t a bad thing.

- Sorry, I may have understated it a bit. It smells like the South Seas combined with a raid on a candy store.

- Well, it’s not overpowering, so it’s not that bad...

- No, it just has way too much teenage flair. It fits when you’re walking around in a mini skirt, wearing a beach dress, or even just lying by the lake in a bikini.

- Oh, come on....

And plop, the angel disappears. That’s just fine with me, because even if I smell a bit inappropriate, I have an incredible amount of fun all day. And my colleagues? They may have to endure a not-so-fresh scent, but they definitely get to see a broader smile and a satisfied grin - and I hope that’s much more to their liking than a fresh grapefruit or whatever scent.