In 2025, Lancôme, the flagship brand of L’Oréal’s luxury division, will celebrate its 90th anniversary. Since its founding in 1935, the brand has established itself as a symbol of elegance, luxury, and happiness for women around the world. More than just a cosmetics company, Lancôme’s journey is a testament to the extraordinary combination of heritage, scientific innovation and a resolutely optimistic vision of beauty. Let’s take a look back at nine decades of a dazzling success story, from its bold beginnings to its status as a global icon.
Armand Petitjean, at the forefront of the dream
The story of Lancôme begins with a visionary named Armand Petitjean. Formerly the right-hand man of François Coty, this great perfumer resigned upon the death of his mentor with a clear ambition: to create a prestigious French brand capable of rivaling the rise of American beauty giants.
The name “Lancôme” was chosen in homage to the Château de Lancosme (Indre) with its emblematic rose, enhanced by its unique circumflex accent. It was at the famous 1935 Brussels World’s Fair that Armand Petitjean launched his brand with astonishing audacity, introducing not one, but five fragrances: Tropiques, Tendres Nuits, Kypre, Bocages, and Conquête. This massive launch immediately made a lasting impression.
Vintage poster for Kypre perfume by Lancôme
As the founder proclaimed at the time: “Women come to Lancôme to feel more beautiful, they leave happier.”
The following year, in 1936, Lancôme made another big splash in the skincare field with Nutrix, its first cream. An instant best-seller, this nourishing skincare cream was praised for its universal formula for dry and sensitive skin, which already embodied the House’s commitment to scientific innovation in the service of the skin. Convinced of the holistic nature of beauty, ranging from skincare to lifestyle, Armand Petitjean laid the foundations for what would become the archetype of French luxury. In 1942, he even founded the École Lancôme to train “technicians,” ambassadors responsible for spreading his expertise and philosophy throughout the world.
First iconic products
The post-war period marked the international rise of Lancôme. Driven by a thirst for excellence, Armand Petitjean continued to invest heavily in research. It was during this prosperous period that several products were created that would become pillars of the industry.
Launched in the 1940s, L’Absolu Rouge lipstick, with its silky texture, quickly became a true symbol of glamour and femininity, thanks to its palette of irresistible reds and pinks, constantly reinventing itself to keep up with the times.
The brand’s first premium skincare line, Absolue, was launched in the 1960s, embodying the pinnacle of its expertise in regeneration and luxury. Developed with Rose Absolue, a revolutionary biotechnology derived from the Lancôme rose, Absolue has established itself as a benchmark in the field of high-end anti-aging creams.
The rose, the ultimate symbol of beauty, became the undisputed emblem of the House in 1964, inspired by Armand Petitjean’s passion for the flower he cultivated in his rose garden in Ville-d’Avray (Ile-de-France). By the late 1950s, Lancôme products were already being distributed in around 100 countries, fulfilling its founder’s vision of spreading French elegance.
Between stars and new technologies
In 1964, Lancôme was acquired by the L’Oréal group. Although this change of ownership marked the end of the Petitjean era (he died in 1970), it was in fact a springboard for unprecedented expansion and modernization. As part of the group’s Luxury division, Lancôme benefited from scientific innovation and distribution power that propelled it to the top of the global beauty industry.
Under the aegis of its new parent company, Lancôme gave birth to new icons of modern perfumery: Trésor in 1990, a cult fragrance that sealed the link between Lancôme and cinema, embodied by a legendary muse, Isabella Rossellini. Finally, La Vie est Belle in 2012, a floral and gourmand fragrance with Julia Roberts as its ambassador, has established itself as one of the best-selling fragrances in France and around the world. Its uniquely designed bottle, created by Armand Petitjean in 1949, features a delicate curve resembling a woman’s smile, encapsulating the brand’s manifesto that beauty goes beyond mere appearance; it is a source of happiness, confidence, and self-expression.
Lancôme has always stood out for its choice of muses—iconic and inspiring women such as Isabella Rossellini, Kate Winslet, Penélope Cruz, Zendaya, Julia Roberts, and more recently Aya Nakamura and Olivia Rodrigo—who embody the many facets of modern femininity, cementing its status as a global brand associated with luxury and authenticity.
Always at the crossroads of heritage and cutting-edge technology, in 2004 the House unveiled a new essential for the makeup bag: Hypnôse Mascara. Its spectacular volumizing effect and intense black pigments made the product a cult favorite. In 2009, Lancôme distinguished itself as a pioneer in Beauty Tech. That year, the Advanced Génifique serum quickly became a global phenomenon and a symbol of Lancôme’s expertise in biotechnology, acting on the skin’s microbiome. Its expertise, enriched by in-depth data analysis, led to the launch last September of HAPTA, the world’s first makeup applicator to stabilize movements: a revolution for people with reduced mobility.
In addition to “Tech for Good,” the House has adopted a “Sense of Place” or raison d’être, a sustainability platform called “Grow our Future.” In 2020, Lancôme completed its fourth pillar by purchasing and completely renovating the Domaine de la Rose in Grasse, the cradle of modern perfumery. The building was repainted pink, a shade reminiscent of the Centifolia rose, picked between late April and early June. Fragile and rare, it blooms for only one day. This estate is dedicated to preserving, celebrating, and passing on the natural and cultural expertise of perfumery, while helping to promote the expertise of Grasse, classified as intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO.
90 years of heritage and rarity
To celebrate its 90th anniversary, Lancôme has launched a campaign imbued with renewal, hope, and joy. Directed by Neels Castillon and produced by Prodigious, the film features Chinese actress Ni Ni, another ambassador for the brand, in the snowy landscapes of the Altai Mountains in China, where a rose—the eternal symbol of Lancôme—blooms in the heart of winter. Accompanied by poetic visuals by Chuang Xu, this creation, designed by Publicis Luxe, was unveiled on December 26, 2024, and will run until the end of the Chinese New Year celebrations on January 29.
The highlight of these celebrations is the launch of the ultra-luxurious “Les Exceptionnels” collection, a series of very limited edition art objects that boldly reinvent three of the House’s greatest bestsellers.
The La Vie Est Belle bottle is reborn under the hands of Lalique‘s master glassmakers in a hand-blown crystal bottle of exceptional purity, set on a ceramic base decorated with the Rose Agora motif in shiny gold. Limited to only 30 numbered 200 ml bottles, this masterpiece is priced at €7,200.
L’Absolu Rouge lipstick has undergone an equally spectacular transformation thanks to Ateliers Gohard, master gilders of French monuments. Each case is embellished with 23.5-carat gold leaf, identical to that used at the Palace of Versailles, and reveals three refillable shades in an exceptional box. Limited to 90 pieces, this complete set is available for €3,000.
The lid of the Advanced Génifique cream is embellished with precise goldsmithing work or laser-engraved crystal finishes, and 23.5-carat gold leaf applied by the Ateliers Gohard.
L’Absolu Rouge is also available in a capsule collection of four iconic shades celebrating four emblematic years: “1935 Rose De France,” a timeless nude pink symbolizing the heritage imagined by Armand Petitjean; “1990 Rouge Absolu,” an intense brown-red reflecting the audacity of the 90s and the launch of the legendary lipstick; “2025 Paris Rose,” an exclusive shade capturing 90 years of heritage; and “2115 Purple Rose,” a vision of the future. Each lipstick thus becomes a fragment of history, an ode to timeless femininity.
The celebration would not be complete without the 2025 Advent calendar, designed by artist Safia Ouares. Presented as a luxury train speeding towards magic, the “Lancôme Express” hides 24 wonders, including five full-size products. Inside, you’ll find an assortment of La Vie est Belle and Idôle fragrances, the cult Génifique Ultimate serum, Hypnôse Drama mascara, and Rénergie and Absolue skincare products.
Lancôme also surprised with an unexpected collaboration: a limited edition Monopoly board game in the brand’s colors. Produced in only 10,000 copies and sold exclusively in 25 duty-free stores in the Asia-Pacific region, this game celebrates the joint anniversary of Lancôme and Monopoly, both born in 1935. Players can land on squares labeled “L’Absolu Rouge,” “Teint Idôle,” or “Domaine de la Rose,” a playful nod to the world of beauty.
With these exceptional creations and bold collaborations, Lancôme proves that 90 years of history are just a new beginning. Between heritage and contemporary innovation, the French House continues to embody the elegance, creativity, and joie de vivre that has made beauty shine since 1935. An anniversary celebrated with the excellence that characterizes the brand’s iconic rose.
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Featured photo: “Lancôme Express” holiday campaign for its 90th anniversary, 2025 © Lancôme
