Lancôme

Tonie Ong

Articles on Lancôme

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Luxury doesn’t always have to be about what you wear. It’s not defined exclusively by fine clothing and high-quality accessories. At times, it’s what you smell, look, and feel like. Being your best self is a luxury in itself, and there are certain things to help you with that. One of the most favored is a good parfum. Your scent can make as big of an impact as your outfit, making fragrances in the same level of luxury as high fashion clothing. Your scent makes you a lot more identifiable as well. In many of today’s luxury labels, none have sold as high-quality scents quite like Lancôme.

Lancôme is one of the most luxurious cosmetics labels in the world of luxury today. Their world-famous scents and scene-stealing makeup are used by some of the most famous celebrities today. Their quality is almost unequaled, as well as their unique marketing. Available in almost every part of the world, Lancôme is in a league of its own. Their name already defines luxury for a lot of people, and having just a bottle of perfume from them makes one feel upscale already. Such is the effect of the brand and their indelible legacy.

From five fragrances to a worldwide sensation

lancôme

In 1935, Guillaume d’Ornano and his business partner Armand Petitjean founded Lancôme. The company was named by d’Ornano’s wife, Elisabeth, after a forest of Lancome the heart of La Brenne, France. They debuted at the 1935 World’s Fair in Brussels, offering a selection five fragrances. A year later, in 1936, Petitjean debuted Nutrix, a skin-repair cream and one of the first of its kind. Both products received tremendous success, and Lancôme became a go-to cosmetics brand for the rich and famous of the time. They then released a full-blown makeup line in the late 1930’s, expanding their clientele to reach the middle-class consumer audience.

In 1964, the company was acquired by L’Oreal, itself a personal care company. Lancôme became L’Oreal’s top brand in their luxury cosmetics division, bringing about billions in revenue year after year. Because of their power in the luxury goods and retail businesses, the company soon became a marketing giant, particularly in the 1980’s and 90’s. During that time, their ad campaigns in both print and TV gave birth to fashion superstars the world knew as supermodels. Their commercialism reached it strength during this time, which also became the most financially-lucrative era in their history. Today, while the marketing hype has died down, the prestige of Lancôme is still there.

Fragrances

Lancome Perfumes
Lancôme Perfumes display in Geneva, Switzerland. Photo: Grzegorz Czapski

Lancôme boasts an array of items that have since become iconic products in the cosmetics world. In 1935, Lancôme had the launching of its first selection of fragrances in Brussels during the World’s Fair. Initially, they introduced five fragrances, including Conquete, Bocages, Tropiques, Kypre, and Tendre Nuit. After which, a series of successful perfume products came to be and one of the most prominent is the “La Vies Est Belle” perfume. This wintery scent contains floral notes of praline and blackcurrant.

The Tresor is also noteworthy, with its ultimate scent infused with peach and leather and incorporated with spiced, honeyed tones and sensuous rose. It was made from the a combination of intimate and velvety scent of peach and highlighted with leather tone, amber, musk, sandalwood and a spark of vanilla. The introduction of Tresor in the market was overwhelming successful that it introduced other Tresor varieties, like the Tresor in Love and Tresor Midnight Rose.

Tresor in Love will give you floral and fruity scents, more like a youthful version of the original Tresor. The scent is accentuated with white-musk jasmine, cedar wood, and pear-nectarine. The overall impact of this scent is light, free and sweet making the bearer alluring and youthful, all at the same time. The Tresor Midnight Rose, on the other hand, is a more feminine version from the Tresor series. It is a combination of blackcurrant, pink pepper, jasmine and peony. The scent is also elevated by tangy raspberry to create a sweet and sexy scent.

Lancôme is not afraid to collaborate with perfumers and artists across the industry. Throughout the years, the French label has worked with the likes of Jacques Cavallier, Maurice Roucel, and Sophia Grojsman, among many others. Many of these perfumers have worked with other French brands as well, such as Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, and Chanel

Skin care

Lancome Skincare

Lancôme has released skin care products that became a world wide craze. After years of research and study, the brand introduced a collection of luxury cleansers, creams, and serums that will suit every skin care needs. Lancôme ensures that it keeps up with the technology to consistently innovate its skin care formulas through its excellent research team.

Its groundbreaking product, Visionnaire Advanced Skin Corrector was introduced in 2001. This serum aims to recreate beautiful skin through its unique LR 2412 molecule. The formula is continuously being improved and developed to provide maximum effectiveness and skin perfection. The Lancôme Advance Genifique, on the other hand, is applicable to all age group. This dropper will nourish, hydrate and preserve skin for a radiant and youthful look. Another cutting-edge product under the brand is Lancôme DreamTone. This will give you dark spot-free skin as it targets different skin pigmentation issues.

The Lancôme skin care line comes in different price range, like the Lancôme Absolue L’Extrait which will cost you $360 for a petite bottle. This product is equipped with glycerin, mineral oils and cocoa butter oil – all ingrediates aim to improve and moiturize the skin. On a more affordable price scale, Lancôme introduced the  Tonique Confort, a 6.7 ounces toner bottle that costs $25 and will give you the same benefit  of moisturizing and purifying the skin coupled with honey and sweet almond extract.

Make-up

Lancome Makeup
Lancôme makeup display in Meppen, Germany. Photo: StudioPortoSabbia

Inspired to help women all over the world radiate with beauty, Lancôme also has a collection of make-up products that are worth considering.

The flagship line, Hypnôse, is a series of mascaras including Comprising Doll Eyes, Precious Cells, Drama and Custom-Wear, all to enhance lashes and give definite curls and volume for a brighter and defined eyes. Hypnôse mascara helps make eye pop out even more with their black tones, absolutely necessary for women who love to have that defined, feisty eye look.

For lipsticks, Lancôme has the Rouge Absolute—a creamy and vibrant lipstick which is being used by highly acclaimed make up artists across the globe. This lipstick has a long lasting effect and comes in different shades to complement various skin tones. What’s more, is that Lancôme is also famous for its powder, as well as cream and liquid foundations that are best picked by a lot of make up artists. The teint foundation series, like Lancôme Miracle Air De Teint SPF 15 and Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra 24H SPF 15, will give every woman that perfect makeup base with just the right level of radiance, moisture and shine.

In order to innovate its makeup line, Lancôme has partnered with prominent makeup artists, some have even worked as the brand’s artistic directors. These include Fred Farrugia and Aaron de Mey. Aside from their artistic directorship, they’ve also become makeup ambassadors for the label as well.

Faces through the years

Julia Roberts In Pavoni For Lancome

In the fashion industry, Lancôme is also known for helping bring forth a slew of models to become superstars in their own right. Their marketing plays a huge role in the company’s position as top cosmetics company in the world, and with that comes a beautiful and beloved face to display their products. One of their most famous spokesmodels was actress and model Isabella Rossellini, who fronted the brand’s ad campaigns during the 80’s and 90’s. In the early 2000’s, Canadian-Ukrainian model Daria Werbowy became their face. Werbowy even shared the limelight with iconic cartoon character Betty Boop for a TV and print ad campaign for their mascara line. In terms of Hollywood celebrities, the likes of Kate Winslet, Lupita Nyong’o, Penelope Cruz, and Julia Roberts have all lent their famous faces and names, becoming Lancôme ambassadresses.

For many, Lancôme is the epitome of luxury cosmetics. Their high profile products are as desired and demanded as some of the fashions of world’s leading brands. With just one swoosh of a mascara or a sprint of a perfume, anyone can feel the luxury Lancôme products provide.

Lancome Boutique in Elements Shopping Mall. Hong Kong.
Lancome Boutique in Elements Shopping Mall, Hong Kong. Photo: Sorbis

Best Websites to Shop for Lancôme


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