Lancôme has been a major beauty empire for more than half a century. Learn more about this revolutionary beauty line below:

How it all began

Lancôme has been making women beautiful for over 60 years.

The year it all began was 1935. While vacationing in the French countryside, Armand Petitjean happened upon a charming castle ruin- Le Chateau de Lancôme. He was inspired by the delicate, fragrant roses, which grew among the weathered stones. The rose encapsulated the feminine beauty of a woman. M. Petitjean chose the rose as the symbol of his new company, Lancôme. A perfumery, which would bring the same beauty into the lives of all women.

He orchestrated Lancôme's first appearance with great skill. In 1935, he launched five new fragrances simultaneously, presenting them to the world at the June opening of the Universal Exhibition in Brussels. Lancôme was the center of attraction. The fragrances were Tendre Nuit, Bocages, Conquete, Kypre and Tropiques. Lancôme was the center of attraction, capturing not only a prize but the admiration of thousands from all over the world. Building upon this success, M. Petitjean soon expanded beyond his perfume line to offer a complete range of products, including makeup and skincare.

During the years that followed, Lancôme continued to establish its prestigious reputation throughout the world and came to the United States in the 1950's, answering a growing need for superior-quality products. "France has a word for beauty: Lancôme."

Lancôme Today

Today, more than ever, Lancôme is dedicated to maintaining exacting quality standards and developing the new concepts in beauty, which have trademarked its products for over 60 years. Its management methods and modern laboratories have created new generations of spectacularly effective beauty products, while the company's international outlook has been rewarded with the establishment of Lancôme in over 163 countries, on every continent.

Armand Petitjean's fondest ambition was to win worldwide fame for Lancôme and his country. The French perception of elegance and beauty is still at the heart of the brand's identity today. The spirit of innovation has been amplified and perfected, thanks to the extraordinary capacities of the Lancôme skincare laboratories.

The sprit of creativity is fully expressed through Lancôme's renowned makeup range. The spirit of Petitjean's original concept, of Lancôme as a great perfume-house, is demonstrated in all its subtle glory with successes such as Attraction, Trésor, and Miracle.

Armand Petitjean himself could have chosen such a description for his dream, a dream that has today become a global reality. With the dawn of the new millennium, Lancôme has become what he dreamed it could be.

To learn more about Lancôme’s beauty line, visit their website at www.lancome.com, where most of this information was obtained from.