Best Lancome perfumes for women

Start with La Vie Est Belle Eau de Parfum — Lancôme's signature women's scent and the safest blind buy: sweet iris, patchouli and praline, warm and crowd-pleasing, and the most reviewed of the bunch.

• Idôle — a cleaner, fresher floral (rose, jasmine) for daytime and warm weather; the lightest of the classics.
• La Nuit Trésor — richer and more evening: vanilla, praline and rose, for someone who likes a scent that lingers.
• Poème — soft, powdery and romantic, a good pick for anyone who prefers vintage-style florals.
• Trésor La Nuit L'Eau — a lighter, fruitier take on the Trésor line if the original feels heavy.
• La Vie Est Belle L'Elixir / Vanille Nude — for gourmand lovers who want extra sweetness and depth.

If it's a gift, the original La Vie Est Belle is the one most people recognise.