100 Years of Orange Gelée®

Vintage tube labeled "Bain de Soleil Antoine" (sunscreen).

Celebrating 100 Years Of One of The World’s Oldest and Most Iconic Sunscreens

Orange Gelée® traces its origins to 1926, when hairstylist to the stars Monsieur Antoine first trademarked his orange-tinted sun gel as a way to achieve the bronzed, holiday-maker look fashionable at the time. For generations, it captivated sun seekers worldwide with its iconic look, feel, and transportive fragrance — embodying the allure and glamour of the French Riviera.

Discontinued in 2019 to the dismay of devotees, Orange Gelée® was meticulously reimagined by Vacation® in 2024 as part of the Orange Gelée® Revival Project. Today, Vacation® honors a century of this icon with “100 Years of Gelée.”

A Month of Anniversary Celebrations

April 16 — May 16

Celebrating 100 years of Orange Gelée® with a series of product launches, parties and promotions

THURSDAY, APRIL 16

100th Anniversary 
Fragrance Collection on Sale

Five clear Vacation® Gelée rollerball fragrances (Vanille, Minerale, Originale, Tropiques, Azure) with copper caps, on an orange background.

Month-long 20% Off Gelée
Anniversary Sale 
Commences on Vacation.inc

SUNDAY, APRIL 26 - MAY 2

“Gelée Week”at Target
(Details to be announced soon!)

THURSDAY, APRIL 30

Gelée By Vacation®
30ml Eau de Toilette on Sale

A clear glass perfume bottle with a decorative stopper stands next to an orange box.

THURSDAY, MAY 07

100th Birthday Party at
The Hollywood Roosevelt

The Roosevelt Hotel at night, with a prominent neon sign on its roof.

1926

Sepia-toned portrait of a man in a tweed jacket and patterned scarf, hand to his temple, looking directly forward.

Inspired by the popular sun-bronzed look of his famous clientele, French hairdresser Monsieur Antoine trademarks his orange-tinted tanning gel — “Antoine de Paris”

An Icon is Born

1930s – 1950s

Four women in 1920s swimsuits smile and hold hands on a beach.

As leisure culture continued to flourish, the popular tanning gel arrived stateside under the name "Antoine's Bain de Soleil" (meaning "Antoine's Sunbath")

1960s – 1980s

A tan-skinned woman with dark hair, bare shoulders, a pearl earring, and a golden cuff, looks directly at the viewer.

A beige tube of Bain de Soleil Orange Gelée Sunfilter SPF 4 with orange gel squeezed out of the top.

Movie stars, musicians and jet-setters alike made French Riviera elegance a defining look of the era. In the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, the name "Orange Gelée" was formally introduced — along with an SPF 4 rating

1990s – 2000s

Woman in a white bikini lies on an orange flower float in blue water. Text: "ORANGE. It's the color of daydreams." An orange "RAIN" tube is visible.

Orange tube of Bain de Soleil Orange Gelée Sunscreen SPF 15.

Orange Gelée® grows a global following, reaching peak frenzy with its iconic "For the St. Tropez Tan" tagline as higher SPF levels are introduced and its popularity continues to soar

2019

Orange Gelée® was discontinued much to the dismay of devotees worldwide

2023

Vacation® Sunscreen ad for 'The Orange Gelée Revival Project,' showing a squeezed tube of orange gel and several product jars.

Vacation® launched the Orange Gelée® Revival Project. Alongside original Gelée fans, the beloved formula was meticulously revisited and updated to meet modern skincare standards — culminating in the award-winning Vacation® Orange Gelée® Sunscreen Gel and Spray Oil

2024