Lenthéric

Lenthéric is a French fragrance and beauty house founded by Guillaume Lenthéric, a hairdresser who established a salon at 245 Rue Saint-Honoré in Paris in 1875. The business expanded beyond hairdressing into millinery, cosmetics and perfumes, with fragrances initially prepared for selected customers. Its early Parisian salon became the base for a wider network that included Deauville, Monte Carlo, Nice, Baden-Baden and London.

The company changed ownership several times. It was acquired by Velsch & Holtz in 1910, became associated with Bristol-Myers Squibb during the mid-20th century, and was later acquired by the British American Tobacco group in 1965. SmithKline Beecham purchased it in 1985, and the Lenthéric name was subsequently licensed and transferred through further owners. Among its historically significant perfumes, Tweed is documented as a 1933 launch and is associated with a chypre style. The brand's catalogue also includes fragrances such as Shanghai, introduced in 1916, and Miracle, introduced in 1924. Lenthéric is now chiefly encountered as a heritage fragrance name and through accessible, mass-market perfumes rather than as a contemporary prestige niche house.