Ô de Lancôme was released in 1969, signed by Robert Gonnon, a perfumer at Firmenich. Lancôme wanted a frank Eau de Toilette, as tonic as the colognes worn by men, without giving up anything of its femininity. Lemon, bergamot and mandarin open the composition, basil and rosemary green it, and oakmoss gives it its chypre base. Beneath its fresh water appearance, this is a green chypre, from which an entire lineage of feminine perfumes of the seventies descends.
Ô de Lancôme is a chypre presented as a cologne. Whoever chooses it for its citrus freshness alone is mistaken about the fragrance: what dominates is oakmoss, bitter green, an earthy note. A summer water for chypre lovers, not a neutral water.
Olfastory’s review
What one expects, what one finds
The advertising image long sold a clear water, green water reflections, girls in white swimsuits. The fragrance is more serious than that. Its citrus freshness is vivid but brief, and the rest belongs to the chypre.
Critics disagree on its merit
French critics consider it a classic to return to, judged unique for its earthy note. American critics are more lukewarm and find it flat once the opening has passed, less convincing than Eau de Guerlain or Cristalle.
Who it suits
It will suit whoever loves the green chypres of the seventies and seeks a clear reading of the genre, wearable in summer. It will suit less whoever expects a simple citrus water without any background.