Lancôme launched with five perfumes on the same day. The house opened in 1935 and took all five, Tendre Nuit, Bocages, Conquête, Kypre and Tropiques, straight to the World's Fair in Brussels.
The founder was Armand Petitjean, who had worked under François Coty before setting up on his own with his partner Guillaume d'Ornano. The name came from the ruins of the Château de Lancosme in central France, and the roses around it gave the brand its golden rose emblem.
The five debut scents all won medals at the fair. That launch set the tone. Lancome grew fast as a French luxury name in perfume and, soon after, skincare and makeup.
The independence did not last. L'Oréal bought Lancome in 1964 and still owns it, which turned a boutique perfume house into a global beauty giant sold in almost every airport on earth.
The modern era is built on one launch. La Vie Est Belle arrived in 2012, a sweet iris, praline and vanilla scent fronted by Julia Roberts. It became one of the best-selling women's fragrances in the world and the anchor of the whole brand.
Here is the honest bit. La Vie Est Belle is a genuinely well-made scent, but it is also everywhere, backed by one of the biggest advertising budgets in beauty. A full bottle sits around £70 to £100, and a fair slice of that is the campaign, not the oils.
You can get that praline-and-vanilla signature for less. Our Pure Bliss, our take on La Vie Est Belle, and Valencia, our take on Oud Bouquet, are UK-made sprays at 35% concentration. See the full Lancome collection.
