La Goutte d'Eau (1952)

In 1952, Lancôme unveiled an exquisite miniature perfume presentation known as La Goutte d’Eau—French for “the teardrop.” Designed by Georges Delhomme, who served as Lancôme’s artistic director and frequently collaborated with master glassmakers, this elegant flacon was most likely produced by Verreries de Bresle, the renowned glassworks responsible for the majority of Lancôme’s bottle production during the mid-20th century.

The Goutte d’Eau flacon was conceived to hold extrait de parfum—the most concentrated form of fragrance—specifically for Lancôme’s celebrated perfumes: Magie, Peut-Être, and Trésor. Each bottle contained 1/5 fluid ounce (just over 0.25 oz) of perfume. The shape was inspired by antique Venetian glass jewelry, which often featured softly rounded, fluid silhouettes and exquisite craftsmanship. The result was a refined, teardrop-shaped crystal flacon, its clear surface carefully polished to a glossy brilliance.

The bottle itself is a study in minimalist luxury. Measuring approximately 3 3/4 inches in length and 1 5/8 inches wide, the form is both elegant and ergonomic—perfectly sized to rest in the palm of one’s hand. It is crowned with a gilded brass screw cap, finely engraved with Lancôme and the name of the specific perfume it contained. The cap is fitted with a small loop through which a silk ribbon is threaded. This clever detail allowed the bottle to be worn as a pendant on a necklace, clipped to a brooch or chatelaine, or—per Lancôme’s own advertising—tucked discreetly into a handbag for refined, portable luxury.

The American Perfumer and Essential Oil Review, 1953:

"LANCOME's latest fragrance entry is Tresor, in a teardrop purse flacon, which may be worn pinned to a lapel or suspended from a belt like a chatelaine , and in a diamond- faceted de luxe flacon in amaranth satin-covered box."

Marketed as both an object of beauty and practicality, the Goutte d’Eau was priced at $9 in 1953, the equivalent of roughly $108.73 in 2025 when adjusted for inflation. It was positioned as a thoughtful gift or indulgence, reflecting a time when perfume was cherished as both sensory pleasure and decorative art. Today, these bottles are highly sought after by collectors not only for their rarity but for their embodiment of 1950s elegance, French craftsmanship, and Lancôme’s enduring dedication to marrying perfume with artistry.