LANCÔME LES EXCEPTIONNELS

Launch: May 2025

LES EXCEPTIONNELS

The masters of luxury French savoir-faire

LANCÔME UNVEILS "LES EXCEPTIONNELS": A LANDMARK COLLECTION CELEBRATING 90 YEARS OF PIONEERING BEAUTY

Lancôme, the epitome of French elegance and beauty innovations, marks its 90^th anniversary with a groundbreaking collection: "Les Exceptionnels." More than a mere product launch, this is a curated experience, an homage to heritage, a celebration of artistry, and a bold declaration of the future of beauty. Lancôme has partnered with three of France's most esteemed maisons – Lalique, Bernardaud, and Ateliers Gohard – to reimagine three iconic products as exquisite objets d’art. Designed to be refillable, so they can be treasured endlessly, these are timeless pieces for today and always.

Underlining their preciousness, no more than 90* pieces have been made of each of these limited Lancôme editions, making them true collector’s items. Alongside this, each design is individually hand-crafted, so no two pieces are the same, each standing as a unique objet d’art.

Experience an expression of Lancôme at its most refined and discover a collection that’s endlessly exceptional.

LA VIE EST BELLE EAU DE PARFUM: A LALIQUE CRYSTAL MASTERPIECE, CAPTURING THE ESSENCE OF HAPPINESS

A dancing icon, captured in crystal. The iconic La vie est belle bottle undergoes a metamorphosis in the hands of Lalique. Hand-blown in crystal at the maison’s Alsace glassworks, the bottle is a study in delicate asymmetry. Resting on a pristine white ceramic base, adorned with Lancôme’s signature rose agora pattern in gleaming gold, the bottle evokes a precious jewel. When lifted, the curved base allows it to “dance” on any surface, a playful embodiment of the joy that La vie est belle represents. The bottle's signature crystal smile is reinterpreted as a dynamic curve, while the pleated gold ribbon wings, a symbol of effortless elegance, appear suspended in perpetual motion.

Founded in 1888, Lalique is known for its breathtaking crystal creations. Crafted in the house’s glassworks in Alsace ateliers in France, a Lalique crystal La vie est belle can take up to 30 intricate steps to produce, with the house’s artisans drawing on centuries-old techniques that include the heated crystal being blown into unique shapes, then then cooled, sanded and polished. The famous satin polished finish of the crystal which generates contrasts of light and shadow, is Lalique’s signature.

Made in an edition of 30 pieces, each one of them with engraved numbers, the 200ml La vie est belle Lalique bottle is a creation to treasure as a precious, perpetually elegant expression of happiness.

THE PURITY OF PORCELAIN, THE GLEAM OF GOLD - ABSOLUE LONGETIVITY THE SOFT CREAM

Absolue Longevity The Soft Cream is emblematic of Lancôme as a house that’s shaping the future of skincare.

Now, in Les Exceptionnels, Lancôme nods to the very first incarnation of Absolue skin cream, which debuted in 1965 with a jar crafted in ceramic. Reimagining this icon for today, and to symbolize the preciousness of this cream for Lancôme’s 90^th year, the house has partnered with Bernardaud, the renowned porcelain maker based in Limoges, France, to craft an exquisite reinvention of the porcelain jar for Absolue Longevity The Soft Cream. Founded in 1863, Bernardaud - which encompasses Ancienne Manufacture Royale de Limoges, known for creating tableware for French kings - is synonymous with France’s storied heritage in porcelain.

An intricate feat of design, the jar is hand-crafted around a pure white porcelain vessel that holds the cream, and which can be refilled. This is set within a second, outer porcelain layer, adorned with a textured brushed gold finish. The lid, meanwhile, is imagined as a golden gua sha – which can be used to bring a sensorial effect to the cream’s application – and is inscribed with Lancôme’s rose agora pattern.

Infused with Lancôme’s exclusive, patented ingredient Absolue PDRN™, Absolue Longevity The Soft Cream unlocks skin cells’ longevity, reversing 5 years of aging in just one month.

Encased in a white wood and gold-toned metal presentation box, only 90 pieces of this rare edition of Absolue Longevity The Soft Cream have been created.

GOLD BECOMES BOLD - THE L'ABSOLU ROUGE SET WRAPPED IN VERSAILLE GOLD

A lipstick becomes a sculptural icon. When Armand Petitjean founded Lancôme in 1935, he sought to reimagine lipstick as a jewel for women, crafting Lancôme’s faceted lipstick cases as covetable treasures. Now, with Les Exceptionnels, the lipstick once again becomes a jewel-like object, captured as the L’Absolu Rouge Set, adorned in Versailles gold.

Gold leaf experts Ateliers Gohard have dressed L’Absolu Rouge in opulent 23.5 carat gold – the very same material that the artisans at Ateliers Gohard used to create the sumptuous gilt finishes on France’s Palace of Versailles.

L’Absolu Rouge design is hand-crafted in an elegant sculptural shape, and textured with sleek lines, with the iconic Lancôme rose agora pattern set at the top of the case. A tactile click of the ceramic rose agora push button opens the case, while the lipstick bullet within is etched with the rose agora pattern, too, celebrating 90 years of Lancôme’s exploration of the rose, as both an ingredient and a symbol of the house.

Ateliers Gohard has more than 60 years of history in crafting gold leaf designs. Based in Paris, the house is renowned for having restored the gold leaf finishes on iconic landmarks spanning Palace of Versailles, but also the Invalides Paris Dome, The flame of the Statue of Liberty in New York and the archangel of Mont Saint Michel.

This unique interpretation of L’Absolu Rouge – in an edition of just 90 pieces – is presented alongside three new L’Absolu Rogue refill shades that can be set into the gold case. A white lipstick case in which to carry the precious lipstick is also part of the set, adorned with the rose agora design.

The set is captured in a white wood and gold metal cylindrical coffret, whose lid lifts to reveal the gleaming lipsticks within.

FROM 1935 TO 2115: LANCÔME REIMAGINES L'ABSOLU ROUGE

A striking new lipstick collection, to celebrate a Lancôme that’s 90 years young.

In another facet of Lancôme’s 90th anniversary celebrations, L’Absolu Rouge is reimagined in four captivating new shades, each symbolic of Lancôme’s most definitive years. Indeed, when Armand Petitjean founded Lancôme in 1935, he conceived of lipstick as something that went beyond a cosmetic, representing a true jewel for women to treasure, that brings an endless delight.

Captured in a precious, gold metal case, L’Exceptionnel Absolu cap is designed to be compatible with all L’Absolu Rouge lipstick bases, making it a keepsake jewel. As for the shades, these four new lipstick colors have been developed with AI to pay tribute to Lancôme’s storied heritage, while spotlighting an innovative new formulation that nods to Lancôme’s future.

The four new shades are:

Shade 1935, Rose de France, a blush rose tone for L’Absolu Rouge Drama Matte, inspired by the birth of Lancôme’s legacy, when founder Armand Petitjean established the house in 1935.

Shade 1990, Rouge Absolu, whose name nods to the year that the L’Absolu Rouge range was born. In a celebration of the bold lip looks of the nineties, L’Absolu Rouge Drama Matte is imagined in this captivating, reddish-brown tone.

Shade 2025, Paris Rose, is a hushed rose L’Absolu Rouge Drama Matte shade that’s emblematic of Lancôme’s 90^th anniversary year, and the rose as an eternal symbol of Lancôme.

And looking to Lancôme’s future, shade 2115 is a purple-rose balm - an entirely new formulation for the house - which turns into a pH-activated pink shade on the lips. This revolutionary shade creates a personalized lipstick color to suit every skin tone.

A sleek, white leather case is included as a gift with this collectible limited- edition lipstick, with this elevated design perfect for carrying L’Exceptionnel Absolu, wherever life takes you.

A SHARED LEGACY OF CRAFTMANSHIP: LANCÔME AND MONNAIE DE PARIS EXCLUSIVE COLLECTION

To honor Lancôme’s 90 year-long legacy, the house is thrilled to unveil an exclusive collection of commemorative coins, meticulously crafted by the prestigious Monnaie de Paris, France’s oldest institution.

Both Lancôme and the Monnaie de Paris, esteemed members of the Comité Colbert, are renowned for their unwavering commitment to excellence, craftsmanship, and quintessential French savoir-faire. This shared heritage finds perfect expression in this unique collaboration, resulting in pieces that are both exquisite and symbolic.

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About Lancôme

Lancôme was founded in 1935 by perfumer Armand Petitjean. For 90 years, the brand has been celebrating women’s beauty in its myriad facets and expressions, offering them the best cosmetic innovations in terms of quality, science and effectiveness. Over the decades, Lancôme has embodied French spirit and elegance, spreading its vision through notable innovations that have cemented its position as the first luxury beauty brand.

About Lalique

Founded in 1888 by visionary artist René Lalique, Lalique is a symbol of audacity, elegance, and artistic excellence. As one of the most prestigious French crystal glass houses, Lalique is synonymous with masterful craftsmanship, timeless design, and unparalleled savoir-faire. With an instantly recognizable aesthetic, Lalique transforms everyday moments into extraordinary experiences. From decorative objects to interior design, jewelry, perfumes, art, and hospitality, every creation embodies a refined lifestyle. Lalique collaborates with renowned artists and designers, including Zaha Hadid, Damien Hirst, Anish Kapoor, Yves Klein, Arik Levy, Terry Rodgers, and James Turrell, to craft extraordinary pieces that unite innovation and tradition. These exclusive partnerships bring bold artistic visions to life through Lalique’s exceptional craftsmanship. Since 1922, each work of art is handcrafted in Lalique’s historic Alsace manufacture, ensuring a legacy of excellence.

Press Contacts

UK - SIMON+SIMON COMMUNICATIONS
Sonia SANSON DUBAN | sonia@simonplussimon.com
Lucie RISACHER | lucie@simonplussimon.com
Melissa BYRNE | melissa@simonplussimon.com

USA - THE CONSULTANCY PR
Jacob MCLEAN | Lalique@tcpr.co

INTERNATIONAL - LALIQUE
Elle STEINBRECHER | elle.steinbrecher@lalique-group.com
Vân BOUCHET | vbouchet@lalique.fr
Cerise GUISEZ | cguisez@lalique.fr