Lancôme

Lancôme was founded in 1935 in Paris by Armand Petitjean, a former L'Oréal executive who left the company to launch his own luxury beauty house with five fragrances at the 1935 Brussels World's Fair. The brand was acquired by L'Oréal in 1964 and has been the flagship of L'Oréal Luxe's prestige division ever since, alongside YSL, Giorgio Armani, and Prada Beauty.

The Teint Idole Ultra Wear Foundation, Lash Idôle mascara, Juicy Tubes lip gloss, and Hypnôse mascara are the franchise heroes, alongside the iconic Génifique skincare line. Lash Idôle in particular became a major dupe target in the early 2020s — L'Oréal Paris Telescopic Mascara is the most-cited drugstore alternative, leveraging the same R&D infrastructure across the L'Oréal Group portfolio at a fraction of the price. Lancôme sits firmly at the luxury tier (~$30+ products) and is one of the most-recognized prestige beauty brands at Sephora, Ulta, and global department stores.