Sunday, 29 March 2015
Monday, 23 March 2015
Sunday, 15 March 2015
Wednesday, 11 March 2015
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PROBLEM: as many perfume lovers know, there are apparently TWO different four-digits Chanel batchcodes, in contrast each other. What's the correct one?
SOLUTION: We should have some fresh-factory perfumes to check.... and luckily we got a few "Bleu de Chanel" for verifying it.
Chanel batchcodes aren't easy to understand because are monthly-based, i.e, the batch change with "months", instead of "years".
So we could have (it's only an example) "00" for March, "01" for April, "02" for May, etc. At "99", the cycle restarts: it needs roughly 9 years to complete.
For a complete list of Chanel batch codes, see HERE
The biggest issue is that apparently (I told *apparently*...) Chanel affirmed to have restarted the cycle on January 2000 (NEW batch code). So , "01" = January 2000, "02" = February 2000, "03" = March 2000, "04" = April 2000 etc.
On the contrary, according the old classical batch code, started in the 1970s, January 2000 should be "05" ; February 2000 = "06" , etc.
Putting it side-by-side:
DATE CLASSICAL code - NEW code
January 2000 05 01
February 2000 06 02
March 2000 07 03
April 2000 08 04
May 2000 09 05
June 2000 10 06
as you can see there is a difference of 4 (four) months.
(anyway, for vintage purposes it's not so important: just four months are not a dramatic difference)
However, I wanted to solve this issue, so asked my friend Alessandra (sales assistant) to call me at the arriving of "Bleu de Chanel EdP" new stocks. Why "Bleu de Chanel EdP"? Because it was launched in late 2014, so it's a recent fragrance.
She finally phoned me and I arrived a few day later, to check the batchcodes.
Please note: all pictures shot on Saturday, March 7th, 2015
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| Chanel Bleu, Eau de Parfum 100ml, batch 8302, and: |
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Chanel Bleu, Eau de Parfum, Tester 100 ml batch 8301 |
According the classical batch code: 83xx = "July 2006" or "November 2014"
According the new batch code: 83xx = "November 2006" or "March 2015"
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Chanel Bleu After Shave 100 ml According the classical batch code: 84xx = "August 2006" or "December 2014"batch 8401 According the new batch code: 84xx = "December 2006" or "April 2015" |
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| Chanel Bleu, Eau de Parfum 50 ml batch 8501 According the classical batch code: 85xx = "September 2006" or "January 2015" According the new batch code: 85xx = "January 2007" or "May 2015" |
CONCLUSIONS
According the new stocks arrived in shops at the beginning of March, 2015, the "new" batch code started in January 2000 appears to be un-realistic. New Blue de Chanel EdP bottles (arrived in stores on March 7, 2015) can't be batched "April, 2015" or even "May, 2015".
So -until further proofs- the old, classical Chanel code appear to be the correct one.
Monday, 9 March 2015
Tuesday, 3 March 2015
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This is second and last part, and you will find:
-Kouros Party in Paris (February 20th, 1981)
-Flankers (1986-2014)
-Body Line
-Special Bottles
-Gift Sets & Accessories
-Miniatures
-Advertising
-Miscellaneous
the first part is HERE
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The KOUROS Party
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On February 20th, 1981, a great party was held in Paris for the launch of "KOUROS". World famous dancer Rudolph Nureyev performed three ballets at the "Opera Comique" for the invited guests, then a dinner at "Maxim's" followed.
The party for "the most expensive male scent ever produced" (as for 1981) had a cost of nearly 200.000 dollars.
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| Yves Saint Laurent and Zizi Jeanmaire during the KOUROS Gala in Paris (Feb. 20, 1981) |
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| From Getty Images Archives: Zizi Jeanmaire and Yves Saint Laurent attending at the Opera |
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Yves Saint Laurent, Zizi Jeanmaire, and Rudolf Nureyev at the Opera. |
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| From Getty Images Archives: Zizi Jeanmaire, Yves Saint Laurent, Yvette Chauvire and Rudolf Nueyev |
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| From Getty Images Archives: Zizi Jeanmaire and Yves Saint Laurent congratulating with Rudolf Nureyev |
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| (from Getty Image Archives) |
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| Rudolf Nureyev (left), Zizi Jeanmaire, Yves Saint Laurent, and Paloma Picasso (right) at Maxim's Note the factice bottles on the right (rhmiller.com) |
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| Yves Saint Laurent and Bob Miller (Charles of the Ritz) (rhmiller.com) |
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| From Corbis Archives: Zizi Jeanmaire, Rudolf Nureyev, and Yves Saint Laurent |
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| From Getty Images Archives. |
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| Yves Saint Laurent with two friends and Paloma Picasso (right) |
What the press said....
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| (from Basenotes) "Kouros debut lacked sweet smell of success...." |
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Flankers
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During years, Kouros had several "flankers" (i.e. different versions, or special editions).
In 1986, at the beginning of "Parfums Corp." Era, Yves Saint Laurent launched the first flanker. A gentle, refined, more "classy" and less "brutal" version of Kouros, naming it "Eau de Sport" (and later simply "Sport").
Then, in 1993, a second flanker arrived, named "Fraicheur", a lighter, more citric and elegant version. Both are very rare and hard to find nowadays, gaining a "cult" status.
Anyway, there are major complaints about a lot of the following versions (appeared since 2002) because appear very similar to each other.
In details:
"Eau de Sport", or
"Eau Sport" (1986-1993)
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| picture by Ericrico, (from Basenotes) |
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| picture by Ericrico, (from Basenotes) |
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| picture by Ericrico, (from Basenotes) |
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| picture by Ericrico, (from Basenotes) |
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pictures from Parfumo.net (above and below) |
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| Kouros Eau de Sport, Batch 8068, year 1988 interesting picture, because the box is an old-type "Charles of the Ritz" Era (used until 1986) |
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Early "Eau de Sport" bottle |
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| A late bottle (year 1992), simply renamed "Kouros Sport" |
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| batch PA23241PP = equivalent to 2324 = year 1992 You can see the "Parfums Corp." label here |
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| from the web, unknown author |
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| Early (1988, on right) and late (1992, on left) Kouros Eau de Sport bottles (www.uneasynostalgia.com, by Jason Newton) |
Fraicheur (first box, 1993-1998)
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| from the web, unknown author |
(photos by Jason Newton
from www.uneasynostalgia.com)
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| note the label "Parfums Corp." |
Fraicheur (second box, 1999-2001)
(same fragrance, different packaging)
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| thanks to MDCLX, Basenotes.net |
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Eau d'Ete (2002)
-------------------------------
Cologne Sport (2003)
---------------------------------------
Eau d'Ete Cologne Sport Summer Fragrance (2004)
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| Bottled in a sort of "dive suit" instead of a traditional box. |
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| Thanks to Andrew "The Cologne Guy" on Basenotes.net, flankers years 2003 (right) and 2004 (left) |
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Eau d'Ete Summer Fragrance (2005)
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Eau d'Ete (2006)
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Tattoo (2007)
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"Tonique Energizing EDT" (2008)
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| Thanks to Andrew "The Cologne Guy" on Basenotes.net, left to right: flankers years 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 |
-------------------------------------------------------
"Tonique Energizing EDT" (2010)
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"Tonique Energizing EDT" (2013)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
"Tonique Energizing EDT" (2014)
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| Thanks to Rivegauche, from Parfumo.net. |
-------------------------------------------------------------
"Kouros Silver" (2015)
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BODY LINE
-------------------
Three different body lines were launched: "Formule Sport" (1986), "Formule Soin" (1987), and "En Plein Air" (1991).
KOUROS Formule Sport (1986)
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| Cooling Body Lotion |
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| Tinted Face Emulsion |
-------------------------------------------------------
KOUROS Formule Soin (1987)
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| Shaving foam |
-----------------------------------------------------
KOUROS En Plein Air (1991)
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| Soothing balm (from Basenotes.net) |
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| Face moisturizer |
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SPECIAL BOTTLES
-----------------------------------------
Sometimes a few "special bottles" appears on popular auction sites.
A few of these "rare" bottle are fakes
Still waiting to get authentic bottles for a photo shoot.
Traveller Edition
during year 2002 YSL edited a limited edition
2x25 ml "Travel spray bottles".
It's probably the rarest twin-bottle ever.
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GIFT SETS
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| 100ml Spray + Shower Gel (Sanofi, 1990s) |
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| 100ml Spray + Deo Stick (PPR-Gucci, 2000s) |
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| 100ml Spray + Shover Gel (L'Oreal, 2010s) |
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ACCESSORIES
------------------------
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| Shaving Foam |
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| Hair and Body Wash |
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| Deodorant stick |
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| Roll-on deodorant |
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| Cologne Sport Face Care (year 2003) |
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| Perfumed Deodorant Spray |
---------------------------
MINIATURES
---------------------------
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| 5 ml - 0.17 oz. |
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| 15 ml / 0.5 oz. |
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| 15ml / 0.5 oz mini |
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| 15ml. / 0.5 oz Cologne Sport (year 2003) |
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ADVERTISING
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| YEARS 1981-1982 |
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| YEARS 1983-1984 |
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| YEAR 1985 |
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| YEAR 1986 |
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| YEARS 1986-1988 |
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| YEAR 1986 |
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| YEARS 1986-1987 |
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| YEAR 1987 |
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| YEAR 1992 |
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| YEAR 1996 |
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| YEAR 1995-1999 |
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| YEAR 2001 |
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YEAR 2002 |
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| YEAR 2006 |
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| YEAR 2008 |
Adverisement after year 2005
--------------------------------
MISCELLANEOUS
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KOUROS Racing Team
Sauber Mercedes C8 (year 1986)
Sauber Mercedes C9 (year 1987)
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| C8, year 1986 |
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| C9, year 1987 |
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| Poster |
| Kouros Racing Team, year 1986: Pescarolo-Nielsen. |
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| Advertisement year 1986 |
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| Volkswagen KOUROS, Paris-Dakar, year 1987, pilot H.Auriol |
FACTICES
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| Factice giant bottle, for exposition only. |
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| SAMPLE |
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| KOUROS Watch |
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| Sticker Year 1987 |
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| Kouros Bag / Sac de Voyage |
-S1Q!Wk~$(KGrHqIOKkQEuY0ddCCRBLw3Z839Pg~~_35.JPG)
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| A marvelous Artwork: seven KOUROS bottles set inside a mirror |
(first part here)
(I am grateful to all my friends and buddies from Fragrantica and Basenotes
for helping me with a lot of useful insights)
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