Fashion

Lancôme’s refillable Idôle fragrance is groundbreaking, and here’s why


As a storied French brand recognised the world over, Lancôme knows a thing or two about launching a new fragrance. But when it came to creating its latest scent, Idôle, the brand decided to turn the entire process on its head and do something entirely new.

Idôle was created by three female perfumers working together to create a truly multi-faceted fragrance between them, an ode to the women of today’s world. Shyamala Maisondieu, Nadège Le Garlantezec and Adriana Medina developed a sparkling chypre scent centred upon the rose that Lancôme is so associated with, this time infused with modernity.

To conjure up a scent that represents the rose in its natural state – fresh, tender and beguiling – it is incorporated in the form of both rose absolute and rose water, with jasmine to bring out the floral heart, and base notes of cedar, vanilla and patchouli to recall the clean, fresh smell of just-washed linen. It’s a fragrance of contrasts: both sensual and pure; powerful and intimate; confident and refined. Just like its ambassador, actor and activist Zendaya.

And then there’s the bottle. Forget about the overly intricate, fragile bottles of old. Architect, industrial designer and artistic director Chafik Gasmi created one of the slimmest bottles in the world for Lancôme, a geometric feat of design measuring just 15mm thick. And rather than being destined for life on a shelf, it has been created specifically to fit into your fast-paced lifestyle. Just like the mobile phone from which it takes its inspiration, Idôle’s unique bottle design and ideal proportions mean that it is entirely portable, comfortable to handle and instinctive to use. It can be slipped into a pocket, laid flat on a surface and held comfortably in the palm of your hand. A concave ‘halo’ at its centre only increases its tactile appeal.

Most groundbreaking of all is Idôle’s focus on sustainability. Another innovative feat of Gasmi’s design is that all sizes of Idôle are refillable, with 200 refill stations at selected stores across the UK and Ireland. Again it echoes the mobile phone – it can literally be recharged. When you reach your last spritz, simply take it to one of these stores – find your closest here – to refill your bottle at a discounted price, saving on the cost to both you and the planet. Because not only is your Idôle a timeless object to keep and cherish, it’s part of a bigger picture.

For the same reason, Lancôme is shining the spotlight on sustainably sourced ingredients, using L’Oréal’s Solidarity Sourcing programme to ensure transparency and traceability in its supply chains. Even the rose – essential to the very heart of Idôle – is itself the subject of a development project supported by Lancôme, which aims to improve the positive impact of the supply chain on a social, economic and environmental scale. It’s all about the best possible ingredients – the hand-harvested roses that give Idôle its sweetness and the jasmine which renders it so intoxicating – sourced through practices that support, celebrate and protect the natural resources and the people who produce them. It’s fragrance without compromise – a fragrance for the woman of now.





READ SOURCE

Leave a Reply

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this site, you accept our use of cookies.