Trésor by Lancôme was relaunched in 1990, a name chosen deliberately to echo its earlier incarnation from 1942. The French word trésor (pronounced tray-zor) translates to “treasure” in English—a word rich with meaning and emotion. It conjures images of precious keepsakes, hidden jewels, and the deep value of something cherished. To wear a fragrance called Trésor was to carry with you not just a scent, but a sense of intimacy, romance, and timeless worth. The choice to reuse the name nearly half a century later reflects Lancôme’s desire to link past and present, to underscore continuity while presenting something fresh and modern.
The early 1990s were a fascinating period in perfumery. The excesses of the 1980s—with its powerful, shoulder-pad perfumes like Dior Poison and Giorgio Beverly Hills—were beginning to give way to something softer, more intimate, and more emotional. Fashion was in transition: opulence remained, but minimalism was stirring, as seen in the pared-down lines of Calvin Klein and the growing influence of sleek European couture. Against this backdrop, Trésor emerged as a romantic alternative, a fragrance that promised warmth, closeness, and tenderness rather than bold provocation. To women of the time, the name Trésor would have resonated as an expression of love, a bottled keepsake of emotion, a personal “treasure” meant to be both worn and remembered.
Sophia Grojsman of IFF composed the 1990 Trésor as a floral oriental, a category that bridged lush romance with soft sensuality. The opening is luminous with rose, muguet, lilac, and apricot blossom, immediately striking a chord of freshness and tenderness. As the fragrance evolves, heliotrope and iris bring powdery softness, while the drydown reveals a glowing base of sandalwood, ambergris, and musk. Lancôme made innovative use of aroma chemicals to give Trésor its unforgettable signature. IFF’s Galaxolide—a powerful yet silky musk—brought long-lasting radiance, connecting it to the sensual musk profiles of Jovan’s famous line. Iso E Super, another IFF innovation, lent a modern woody-amber note, airy yet persistent, later becoming a cornerstone of scents like Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue and Terre d’Hermès. These elements allowed Trésor to feel both luminous and enveloping, natural yet unmistakably modern.
In the wider landscape of perfumery, Trésor stood apart. It was not another heavy statement perfume of the 1980s, nor did it anticipate the aquatic, sheer fragrances that would dominate later in the 1990s. Instead, it carved its own niche: a fragrance of tenderness and intimacy, a scent that enveloped rather than announced. At its heart, Trésor embodied its name—it was a “treasure” of emotion, a keepsake for the skin, and a symbol of enduring romance at the dawn of a new decade.
A Tale of Two Scents:
Lancôme’s Trésor has the rare distinction of being born twice—first in 1942, then reimagined nearly fifty years later in 1990. The word trésor itself (pronounced tray-zor) means “treasure” in French, and it evokes images of rare jewels, cherished keepsakes, and emotional riches. The choice to revive this name was no coincidence. Lancôme sought to draw upon its heritage, reaffirming the timelessness of love and romance while reshaping the idea of what a “treasure” could mean to women of two different generations.
The original 1942 Trésor belonged to a world at war. Perfume in this context was a form of resilience, beauty clung to in the face of hardship. Fashion was shaped by rationing and practicality, yet perfume carried the weight of glamour, nostalgia, and escape. A fragrance called Trésor during this period was more than a luxury; it was symbolic of something precious worth protecting—an intimate reminder of love, memory, and hope at a time when the world was uncertain. For women of the 1940s, Trésor would have felt like a lifeline to femininity, romance, and beauty amid austerity.
By contrast, the 1990 relaunch spoke to an entirely different world. The late 1980s had been dominated by power perfumes—bold, dramatic creations that matched the era’s excess of shoulder pads, metallic fabrics, and exuberant living. But as the 1990s dawned, fashion and perfumery shifted. Minimalism, softness, and intimacy were beginning to take hold. Into this atmosphere came Sophia Grojsman’s reinterpretation of Trésor, a fragrance that was at once tender, luminous, and emotionally resonant. This new Trésor was no longer about survival or escape—it was about closeness, warmth, and treasuring life’s intimate moments.
Grojsman’s composition, created at IFF, built on a floral oriental structure with remarkable modernity. The opening shimmered with rose, muguet, lilac, and apricot blossom—a tender bouquet that immediately evoked light and love. The heart unfolded with heliotrope and iris, powdery and soft, before settling into a base of sandalwood, ambergris, and musk. The inclusion of innovative aroma chemicals was pivotal: Galaxolide lent a silky, long-lasting muskiness, while Iso E Super added a radiant, woody-amber transparency that made the fragrance both enveloping and luminous.
Placed against its contemporaries, Trésor did not follow the bombast of the 1980s nor the aquatic trend that would soon dominate the decade. Instead, it forged its own path, embodying tenderness and quiet power. For women of the early 1990s, the name Trésor resonated as something deeply personal—a bottled treasure, a symbol of love and memory to be worn close to the skin.
The story of Trésor across 1942 and 1990 illustrates how a single word can hold different meanings in different eras. In wartime, it was a reminder of beauty worth preserving. In the modern age, it became an intimate declaration of love and emotional richness. Both, however, remained true to the essence of the word itself: a treasure—timeless, cherished, and enduring.
The Face of Tresor:
Actress and model Isabella Rossellini served as Lancôme's spokesperson for nine years before being selected as the “face” of Trésor. Parfums Lancôme stated that Rossellini was the inspiration for the newly created perfume. The actress helped choose the fragrance and design the packaging. Rossellini accepted a multi-million dollar contract with Lancôme to represent the fragrance for seven years, appearing in numerous promotional tours and magazine advertisements. Rossellini would also receive 5% royalties, the industry average, on the sale of Trésor, which was expected to do more than $30 million at the wholesale level in its first year..
Rossellini visited parts of the United States and Canada on behalf of Cosmair as part of a promotional tour for the Trésor fragrance and its newly introduced bath line products, Les Trésors de Bain. She appeared at cosmetics counters of upscale department stores, such as Macy's, Bullock’s, Filene’s, Marshall Field’s and Eaton’s, offering autographs to thank the thousands of beauty and film fans who purchased the fragrance. Rossellini signed autographs of Lancôme promotional materials and bottles of the perfume.
Rossellini said of Trésor “the trace it leaves is very womanly...with a green note that is modern.”
After her contract with Lancôme was up in 1996, Rossellini went on to work with another beauty company, Coty, Inc as vice president and launched her own fragrance, Manifesto.
Fragrance Composition:
- Top notes: pineapple, lilac, peach, apricot blossom, lily-of-the-valley, bergamot, rose, Hedione
- Middle notes: raspberry, iris, jasmine, heliotrope, Bulgarian rose, beta ionone, damascones
- Base notes: orris, apricot, sandalwood, ambergris, musk, Iso E Super, Galaxolide, Pentalide, vanilla
Scent Profile:
Bottle:
- Trésor by Lancôme Eau Parfumee: launched in 1990
- Trésor by Lancôme Eau de Toilette: launched in 1990
- Trésor by Lancôme Eau Fraicheur: launched in 1990
- Parfum and Eau de Parfum (splash & atomizers)
Flankers & Limited Edition Fragrances:
- Top notes are bergamot and peach
- Middle notes are damask rose, violet, sandalwood, heliotrope and Egyptian jasmine
- Base notes are milk, musk, patchouli, vanilla, tonka bean and nutmeg.
- Top notes are lily-of-the-valley, peach, pineapple, lilac, rose, bergamot and apricot blossom
- Middle notes are heliotrope, rose, violet, iris and jasmine
- Base notes are apricot, amber, peach, vanilla, sandalwood and musk.
