Lancôme’s Eaux de Senteur 70°, introduced in the mid-1940s, were a luxurious line of scented body and toilet lotions built around the poetic concept of the four seasons. The idea was to capture the mood, atmosphere, and sensory character of each season in fragrance form, allowing wearers to choose based on personal preference rather than the calendar. The original lineup debuted with three compositions—Grâces du Printemps (Spring’s Graces), Joyeux Été (Joyful Summer), and Bel Automne (Beautiful Autumn)—with Fêtes de l’Hiver (Winter’s Festivities) joining later to complete the seasonal cycle.
- 1947 - Bel Automne (Cologne) (still sold in 1962)
- 1947 - Joyeux Ete (Cologne) (still sold in 1962)
- 1952 - Graces du Printemps (Cologne) (still sold in 1962)
- 1959 - Fetes de l'Hiver (Cologne) (still sold in 1965)
Lancôme formulated these fragrances in a special concentration they called Eau de Senteur—literally “scented water.” This strength sat between eau de toilette and perfume, making it more concentrated and longer-lasting than typical toilet waters, yet still light enough for generous, everyday application. The versatility of this format reflected a postwar shift toward more casual and personal fragrance rituals: it could be worn by women or men, applied directly to the skin after bathing, or used to perfume linens and handkerchiefs.
Each scent was designed as an olfactory portrait of its season. Grâces du Printemps combined fresh green mosses and herbs with the spicy sparkle of carnation and the brightness of citrus, evoking the renewal of spring. Joyeux Été embraced summer’s warmth, marrying oakmoss and musk with lush floral notes of rose and jasmine for a sunlit, expansive character. Bel Automne conveyed autumn’s richness with a resinous base touched by the sweetness of mosses, creating an impression of golden light and earthy depth. Together, the Eaux de Senteur offered a year-round fragrance wardrobe that celebrated nature’s changing moods.
Presentation:
The presentation was a work of art in itself. The packaging was designed and hand-painted by Georges Delhomme, an esteemed artist and frequent collaborator with Lancôme. Each version featured a graceful female figure personifying her respective season, surrounded by settings and color palettes meant to evoke the atmosphere of that time of year.
The bottle design was equally evocative. Its stopper rose elegantly from an oval carnette—a sort of plinth—like a fountain’s jet bursting from a basin and arcing gently back into it. This imagery was framed within simple decorative elements that suggested the gentle curves of garden arches or the inviting depth of a pergola, lending a serene architectural element to the composition. At the base, a wide gilded metal label served as a pedestal for the bottle, grounding the design in both opulence and refinement. Each bottle came housed in a protective case stamped with Lancôme’s signature rose emblem.
Sizes:
The Eaux de Senteur were available in four sizes to suit different needs or preferences:
1 liter / 32 oz
- (Ref. 8445) Grâces du Printemps
- (Ref. 8545) Joyeux Été
- (Ref. 8645) Bel Automne
- (Ref. 8745) Fêtes de l’Hiver
1/2 liter / 16 oz
- (Ref. 8444) Grâces du Printemps
- (Ref. 8544) Joyeux Été
- (Ref. 8644) Bel Automne
- (Ref. 8744) Fêtes de l’Hiver
1/4 liter / 8 oz
- (Ref. 8443) Grâces du Printemps
- (Ref. 8543) Joyeux Été
- (Ref. 8643) Bel Automne
- (Ref. 8743) Fêtes de l’Hiver
1/8 liter / 4 oz
- (Ref. 8442) Grâces du Printemps
- (Ref. 8542) Joyeux Été
- (Ref. 8642) Bel Automne
- (Ref. 8742) Fêtes de l’Hiver
Together, these scented lotions embodied Lancôme’s postwar ideal of beauty—elevated, sensory, and artfully rooted in the natural world.
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