Passport Beauty - Travel and the History of Lancôme

The power of travel to delight and inspire is undeniable. In fact, it was travel itself that gave rise to one man’s vision, inspiring him to embark on an adventure that 85 years later is still known across the world as Lancôme. That man’s name is Armand Petitjean, and he began Lancôme with a dream and a journey.

So today, if you’re feeling that same sense of wanderlust, we invite you to grab your passport and take a trip through space and time to learn how travel has inspired Lancôme. You’ll also need your boarding pass where you’ll find essential information about our journey from the home of Lancôme in Paris to Happiness, just on the horizon!

You’ll be traveling in the name of Rose, the symbol of Lancôme chosen for Armand Petitjean’s passion for this flower and garden where he grew them. We’ll take off at 19H35, the same time as the year Lancôme was founded and our flight date, 30/05, also happens to be the birthday of our founder. Pink85, our flight number, celebrates 85 years of Lancôme in the brand’s official color, pink!

We’ll also be departing from Gate 5 in hommage to Lancôme's first five fragrances. After traveling and doing business in South America, Armand Petitjean felt inspired to create his own fragrance house. In 1935 along with George Delahomme, he created Tropiques, Conquête, Tendres Nuits, Kypre, & Bocages — all with travel as their common theme. These scents to embody inspiration from and for women across the world, embodying the five continents.

Of these, Tropiques, was known to be Armand Petitjean's favorite fragrance. It was designed as a travel companion for women with a taste for the exotic. The bold fragrance Conquête expressed Petitjean’s desire for his scents to conquer the world. Bocages was inspired by the women of Norther Europe from Scandinavia to Germany, while Kypre took on eastern inspirations. Lastly, Tendres Nuits was a celestial light a floral fragrance that captured the essence of warm summer nights spent abroad.

Soon, these five fragrances would take Armand Petitjean even further, as Lancôme grew into a full fledge beauty brand ready to take its place on the global stage. 85 years since our founder created his first fragrances, travel is still at the heart of Lancôme’s product creation. We continue dream and design for women all around the world to feel beautiful and spread happiness, and are honoured to welcome you on this journey with us for many years to come!

Soon, these five fragrances would take Armand Petitjean and George Delahomme even further, to Brussels and beyond where they won world’s most prestigious awards in scents by creating the best perfumes for women. In time, as American beauty brands rose to prominence, Petitjean kept his sight set on the horizon and grew Lancôme to join them on the global stage of beauty.