Reviews of Ô de Lancôme (1969)
by Lancôme

O de Lancome

Notes: lemon, mandarin, jasmine, honeysuckle, sandalwood, wild rosemary (from lancome-usa.com)

O de Lancome is immediately refreshing, with a burst of lemon, lime, bergamot, and green notes which have grassy, slightly bitter overtones. The citrus phase of OdL is mercilessly short, and on skin, plays itself out within 20 minutes. During this time, oakmoss, galbanum and orris come to the front, giving a more earthy feel to the composition. The moss and orris are a bit grungy at first, and along with the galbanum, are probably are the main contributors to the bitterness detected earlier. In the heart, there are some faint florals, and to my nose smells a bit like dried rose petals mixed into orris root powder. The late development is dominated by the moss and orris which give a bit of a leathery impression. The deep drydown is mostly a slightly sweet amber musk. OdL is classically beautiful citrus-green chypre which is very light, but wonderfully orchestrated. The bright citrus start is not so long as to be irritating, and is perfect for a quick lift. The mellow heart and base are a soothing counterpoint to the citrus "punch", and brings the pitch down gently into a cloud of diaphanous green powder. Lovely.

I LOVE that Alitalia stocked its trans-Atlantic flights with this way back when. I read somewhere else that O de Lancome has been a perenniel bestseller in Parisian apothecaries for like years--which I have to hope is true, feeling the way I do about Paris and French style. Yes, this is a daytime scent suitable for anywhere at all. It is one of the very few scents, other than soap, that I feel I can get away with at the office. The citrus is subtle yet present, the aromatics distinguish it, and the vetiver-like drydown is dignified. I have worn this off and on for decades and while I may give it a rest now and then I always come back to it and it never disappoints me. I'd have to say this might be my longest running fragrance that I continue to wear and enjoy.

Pleasantly surprised to see this is unisex. I bought this for my wife cuase I thought it was for women only. Upon testing it a few times, I came to the conclusion that I can wear it as well.
The labdanum sticks out in the drydown, giving this that 70s aura, but it is well contrasted with the lemony opening. I would still say this is for older folks...35 or even 40 plus. Works best in the summer, not bad in the winter. Thumbs up becuase of the unisex nature, which was somewhat rare in the 70s.

One of my all time favorites, the classic that is always there. Very unprepossessing, a rather straight forward citrus, but with a certain je ne sais quoi, a subtle sexiness below the surfuce. Every time I wear it my husband tells me: ”You smell wonderful – what is that?” So it isn’t as obvious and easy to recognize as you might think…

This fragrance was in all of the lavatories on an Alitalia 747 flight to Rome in March, 1975. All of the woman (and men, too) were refreshing themselves with it. To this very day, I find this fragrance to be very pleasant and so European. It's clean, light, and reminds me so much of summer in the Mediteranean countries. I think that this fragrance is also ideal for a career woman to wear to the office. It's never "overbearing". Ladies, try it !

O pour Homme is green, fresh, a bit floral but not sweet. It develops a grassy character. This is a light chypre. Some have called it cold, harsh, sharp – I don’t find it so frosty. It is cool and quiet. It may have rosemary and vetiver in it. I don’t detect any ginger. Nothing extraordinary here, but it is pleasing.

I usually do not care for Lancome, but I like this scent. It's very....French. I'm not exactly sure what it is that conjurs "Frenchness" for me....perhaps the fact that it was given to me by a Parisienne who, on that same day, taught me how to make Coq Au Vin from scratch. But even though it's a French memory, without it, it still reminds me of something a French woman would surely wear: sophisticated, sexy and very feminine while being fresh & fun...it takes you with ease from day to night. Just close your eyes....ah...summer in Paris ....

I still remebember the day my father and i bought her this fragance for mothers day about 12 years ago. I didnt know that this was a unisex fragance, but now that you tell me i think im borrowing a little bit from her.

A personal favorite as unisex scents go -- it's crisp, fun, and very wearable all around. Doesn't last too long, though, so be forewarned.

I used to sneak some of my Mom's occasionally, not knowing that I was by no means the only guy to do so. Still haven't met but one other guy who occasionally wears Shalimar, though.

This is the ultimate summer scent. It is very fresh and gallic in a chic kind of way. I love the subtle blend of lemon and herbs(basil?)This is perfect for innocent young things.

Ô is a slightly forgotten unisex classic. Standard formula eau cologne, this time in the hands of Lancôme. No surprises here, the blend we know so well, tons of citrus set against green herbs, mostly basil in this case. Basically another well done Eau to chose from the hundreds.

Remember mom and dad sharing the bottle when I was a kid, I off course "borrowed" some from time to time.