Lancome began in 1935, and was founded by Armand Petitjean in France. It was a fragrance house, which was common for the area, and its goal was to create a beauty brand that would symbolize French elegance in a marketable way. From the beginning, Lancome was focused on delivering its products to the world stage.
Lancome’s symbol is a single rose, which is based on the rose gardens in the area where the company was founded. It takes its name from Le Chateau de Lancosme, a ruined castle.
Lancome launched its first fragrance at the 1935 World’s Fair, which took place in Brussels. Tendre was only the first of five, with Nuit, Bocages, Conquete, Kypre and Tropiques following shortly after. Petitjean soon moved from fragrance to skin care, launching an all-purpose repair cream which he sold beginning in 1936. As the demand for his products grew, he began looking into other avenues to expand the business.
Lancome is most famous for its eyeliner “Hypnose,” which contains the proprietary ingredient known as “LR 2412.” The product improves skin textures, reduces pore size and blurs fine lines to improve skin tone. It has hired several actresses to promote its products, even utilizing Clive Owen as the spokesman for their men’s skincare line.
Lancome eventually branched out into make-up, cosmetics and skincare products. Lancome was its own company until 1964, when it was acquired by L’oreal. Lancome is now part of L’oreal’s luxury products, and it has become a worldwide brand celebrated for its elegance and style. In 2010, the brand celebrated 75 years in business.
About the Author: Samuel Phineas Upham is an investor at a family office/ hedgefund, where he focuses on special situation illiquid investing. Before this position, Phin Upham was working at Morgan Stanley in the Media and Telecom group. You may contact Phin on his Samuel Phineas Upham website or Facebook.
