Vintage French Classics: Rochas, Givenchy, Cacharel

Note: For general tips on dating packaging (barcodes, EMB codes) and storage, see our Vintage Perfume Collector's Handbook.

This guide consolidates identification tips for four iconic vintage French classics: Rochas, Givenchy, Cacharel, and Lancôme. While each has unique systems, they share common industry milestones (EMB codes in 1979, barcodes in 1990, Green Dot in 1992).

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1. Rochas

Renowned for Femme, Madame Rochas, and Eau de Rochas.

Batch Code Decoding

• 1980 – 1994 (3 Digits): The last digit indicates the year.
  • Example: ...4 = 1984 or 1994. (Check for barcode/Green Dot to distinguish).
• 1995 – 2005 (Complex Format): Typically 4 digits (e.g., 01N6).
  • Format: [Facility][Month][Year]
  • Month: 1-9 (Jan-Sept), O=Oct, N=Nov, D=Dec.
  • Year: Last digit (5 = 1995 or 2005).
  • Example: 01N6 = November 1996.
• Since 2006 (P&G): Standard 4-digit code. First digit = Year.

Other Clues

• Address: "33, Rue Francois 1er" (Pre-2007) vs. "17 Rue de Miromesnil" (Post-2007).

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2. Givenchy

Home of L'Interdit, Ysatis, Amarige, and Gentleman.

Batch Code Decoding

• Pre-2002 (The First Digit): The first digit indicates the year.
  • Example: 6... = 1986 or 1996.
  • Tip: Use the EMB code (post-1979) and Barcode (post-1990) to determine the decade.
• 2002 – 2007 (LVMH Era 1): 4 digits. First digit is year. Letters A through M used.
• Since 2008 (LVMH Era 2): 4 digits. First digit is year. Letters N through Z used.

Notable Clues

• "Made in USA": Many vintage bottles (70s/80s) were blended in the US ("Parfums Givenchy Inc, New York"). These often vary slightly from French versions.
• "Beauvex": This word appearing on the box usually points to the 1993–2002 period.

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3. Cacharel

Famous for Anaïs Anaïs, Loulou, and Cacharel pour Homme.

Batch Code Decoding (The Letter System)

Cacharel used a sequential letter system for the second character (usually starting with 'U').

Year	Code (starts with)	Year	Code (starts with)
1982	UA	1993	UM
1983	UB	1994	UN
1984	UC	1995	UP
1985	UD	1996	UR
1986	UE	1997	US
1987	UF	1998	UT
1988	UG	1999	UU
1989	UH	2000	UV
1990	UJ	2001	UW
1991	UK	2002	UX
1992	UL	2003	UY

Other Clues

• Address:
  • 14 Rue Royale = 1978 – 1991.
  • 16 Place Vendome = Since 1992.
• The "Cartouche": The oval logo surrounding the brand name was removed in 2002/2003.

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4. Lancôme

The house of Trésor, Magie Noire, and Climat.

The "Copyright" Trick

Lancôme is unique: most boxes since 1978 print the Copyright Year (e.g., "(c) 1982 Lancome"). This is often the release year or package design year, serving as a great baseline.

Batch Code Decoding (Second Letter)

Similar to Cacharel (both L'Oreal owned), look at the second letter.

Year	Code (e.g., CA..)	Year	Code (e.g., CM..)
1982	CA	1993	CM / UM
1983	CB	1994	CN / UN
1984	CC	1995	CP / UP
1985	CD	1996	CR / UR
1986	CE	1997	CS / US
1987	CF	1998	CT / UT
1988	CG	1999	CU / UU
1989	CH	2000	UV
1990	CJ	2001	UW
1991	CK	2002	UX
1992	CL	2003	UY

Note: In 2004, the cycle reset to UA. In 2008, it switched to 38xxxx codes (38E = 2008).

Notable Clues

• Climat: Pre-1980 boxes have no EMB code.
• Tresor: Launched in 1990 (Batch CJ or CK).
• Magie Noire: Look for the orange/black sun design (vintage) vs. plain black cap (modern).