Flacon Coloquint (1947)

The Flacon Coloquint was an elegant and practical bottle design used by Lancôme for their Eaux des Senteurs. Crafted from frosted glass, the form resembled a double gourd—a smaller rounded section perched atop a larger bulbous base—creating a graceful, organic silhouette. The frosted surface gave the glass a soft, velvety appearance, diffusing light and imparting a cool, tactile quality that enhanced its visual appeal. The gentle curves of the double gourd shape not only echoed natural forms but also conveyed a sense of balance and proportion, making it both decorative and functional.

The bottle was fitted with a Pollopas (urea formaldehyde) plastic screw cap, a modern material choice for the time. Pollopas, a lightweight and durable early plastic, allowed for a secure closure that resisted breakage and provided a practical alternative to more fragile glass or heavier metal fittings. This combination of frosted glass and advanced closure technology reflected the mid-20th century’s blending of traditional artistry with contemporary manufacturing innovations, making the Flacon Coloquint both a beautiful and forward-looking presentation for Lancôme’s Eaux des Senteurs.

Dumb Bell Bottles:

Lancôme’s Eaux de Senteur were also offered in a distinctive clear glass bottle whose form was reminiscent of a dumbbell. The design consisted of a smaller sphere stacked atop three narrow rings, which in turn rested upon a larger sphere, creating a harmonious yet modern silhouette. This new presentation was a contemporary reinterpretation of the earlier Flacon Coloquint—a double-gourd–shaped frosted glass bottle fitted with a Pollopas plastic screw cap. The Flacon Coloquint had served as the original container for the Eaux de Senteur, embodying a softer, more traditional elegance.

The updated form may have been devised with practicality in mind, its tiered, ringed structure potentially offering a more secure grip during use. Several factors could have influenced the decision to replace the earlier model: the cost of producing the frosted double-gourd design may have been prohibitively high, the form itself could have proven fragile or unreliable in handling, or the specific manufacturing techniques required for its production may no longer have been available. Whatever the reason, the new bottle retained a sculptural quality while reflecting a streamlined, modern sensibility, aligning with evolving tastes and functional considerations of the time.