How to recognize ROCHAS perfumes.

Famous French fashion designer Marcel Rochas established his fashion house in 1925, followed by his own Perfume factory a few years later. His first perfumes were Air Jeune, Audace and Avenue Matignon (1936), then his most famous scent arrived: "Femme", created by Edmond Roudnitska, launched in 1944. 


Then:
"MOUSSELINE" (1946),
"LA ROSE" (1949)
"MOUSTACHE"(1949)
"MADAME ROCHAS" (1960, original formula)
"MONSIEUR ROCHAS" (1969)
"EAU de ROCHAS" (1970)
"AUDACE" (1973, new formula)
"MYSTERE" (1978)
"MACASSAR" (1980)
"LUMIERE" (1984, original formula) 
"BYZANCE" (1987)
"MADAME ROCHAS" (1989, new formula)
"FEMME" (1989, new formula)
"GLOBE" (1990)
"EAU de ROCHAS pour HOMME" (1993)
"TOCADE" (1994, original formula)
"BYZANTINE" (1995)
"FLEUR D'EAU" (1996)
"TOCADILLY" (1997)
"ALCHIMIE" (1998)
"ROCHAS MAN" (1999)
"LUMIERE" (2000, new formula)
"AQUAMAN" (2001)
"ABSOLU" (2002)
"AQUAWOMAN" (2002)
"LUI" (2003)
"POUPEE" (2004)
"REFLETS D'EAU" (2005)
"DESIR de ROCHAS" (2007)
"SOLEIL de ROCHAS" (2008)
"EAU SENSUELLE" (2009)
"EAU FRAICHE" (2010)
"FEMME" (2013, third formula)
"MADAME ROCHAS" (2013, third formula)
"TOCADE" (2013, new formula)

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HOW TO RECOGNIZE 
ROCHAS PERFUMES

(please note: this is a free, personal interpretation, without any official support) 
First of all, remember the "generic clues":
Since 1979: EMB code on the box of all french perfumes
Since 1990: Barcode on the box
Since 1992: GreenDot on the box
Since 2005: "long list of ingredients" on the box of all european perfumes.

Then, keep in mind the Address on the box:
before 2007: "33, Rue Francois 1er, Paris"
after 2007:  "17 Rue de Miromesnil, Paris"

And now the Batch Codes:
1980-1994: 
3 digits batch code (last number indicates "the year")

1995-2005: 
4 (or more) digits: first two numbers indicates the production facility (01,02,03,04,05);
the second-to-last number indicates the month;
and the last number indicates the year) 

IMPORTANT: the second-to-last number indicates the month, so you find 1= January, 2= February 3=March, etc ..... and 9 = September and finally 0 = October. 
Then letters "N" for November and "D" for December.

Example: "0123" = 01 is "facility code", 2 is "February", 3 is "year 2003".
Example: "0598" = 05 is "facility code", 9 is "September", 8 is "year 1998"  
Example: "0300" = 03 is facility code, 0 is "October", 0 is "Year 2000"
Example: "01N3" = 01 is facility code, N is "November", 3 is "Year 2003"
Example: "02D1" = 02 is facility code, D is "December", 1 is "year 2001" 
(Please note a few numbers and letters could occur at the start/end of the batch code: you should able to "detect" the importnt digits, discarding the useless ones)


since 2006 : 
classic 4-digits "Procter&Gamble" batch code (first number indicates the year, following three are the day of the year: 000 to 365)
Example: 7001 = 2007, January 1st.
Example: 9365 = 2009, December 31st.

Monsieur Rochas
upper box without EMB code ( before 1979 )
lower box with EMB code ( after 1979 )

from Ebay, "Femme"
with EMB code (= after 1980), and without barcode (= before 1990)
batch 054 : last digit indicates the year, so 
= year 1984

Byzance, launched in 1987
 with EMB code (=after 1980), without barcode (= before 1990)
batch 529 = year 1989

Globe (launched in 1991)
batch 151 = year 1991

Byzance (with Barcode on the box)
batch 183 = year 1993

Tocade, launched in 1994
with Barcode and Greendot
batch 404 = year 1994

(from Ebay) Byzantine, launched in 1995
batch 0105 = October 1995 

Eau de Rochas pour Homme,
batch 01N6 = November 1996

(from Ebay) Fleurs d'Eau
batch 01D8 = December 1998

Moustache,
batch 0299 = September 1999

ATTENTION HERE !!

(from Ebay) Lumiere 
batch  0240 O = year 2000
(the last letter is an additional "O", not the number "zero")

(from ebay) "Byzance", with barcode and Greendot, 
Batch 0140  = year 2000

ATTENTION HERE !

(from Ebay) Byzance,
batch "0311 O"  (the last digit is the letter "O", not the number "zero") 
= year 2001 

(from Ebay) Rochas Man, 
batch 0151 T = year 2001

Alchimie
batch "0152 O" = year 2002

ATTENTION HERE !

Rochas Lui, launched in 2003,
batch "0153 TT" = May 2003

(from Ebay) Byzance 
batch "02N5 O" = November 2005

from Ebay, Byzance with long list of ingredients
and address "Rue Francois 1er" = years 2005-2007

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Since 2006 = classical Procter&Gamble 

4-digits code

(from ebay) Eau de Rochas,

 address "Rue de Miromesnil" (since 2008)

batch 1328 = Year 2011

Eau de Rochas, address "Rue de Miromesnil" (since 2008)
batch 2095 = year 2012

For others batch codes (Guerlain, Chanel, 

Dior, Armani, Yves Saint Laurent, etc.)  

see this page

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DIOR Homme, Homme Intense, and Homme Parfum: BlindTests Year 2014.

...and finally, after so many requests, here it is: the "Year 2014 Review" of almost all Dior Homme classic versions and batches (including DH, DHI, and new DHP).

Recap: from its launch until year 2013, there were no apparent changes on DH.
However, there was a noticeable difference in DHI during years 2011 and 2012. In 2013 DHI was "restored" to a large extent to its original aspect.

In this quick review we'll examine many "year 2014" batches of DH, DHI and the "new" DHP. 
( for explanations about Dior batch-codes, see here )
( for previous articles about DH and DHI: see here )
Many thanks to Gianni Ambrosio and Laura A., for providing bottles.

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DIOR HOMME
1 bottle year 2005
1 bottle year 2013
6 bottles year 2014

Batch 5H02, year 2005,
one of the first bottles produced, a sort of "golden standard"

Batch 3X01 = 2013, October

Batch 4N01 = 2014, January

Batch 4S04 = 2014, May

Batch 4T02 = 2014, June

Batch 4U01 = 2014, July

Batch 4W01 = 2014, September

Batch 4X01 = 2014, October

RESULTS

All six "year 2014" batches are similar each other. There is no difference between "Year 2014" and the "Year 2013" sample.

Most interesting (see below at the end of the page), is the fact that there isn't any valuable difference between the first bottle produced in 2005 and the last one.

(Please note I'm perfectly aware many people claim "new is better than old" and/or "old is better than new". In this case, I honestly affirm "old and new are pretty the same", at least about DH) 

BLIND TEST : DIOR HOMME 

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DIOR HOMME INTENSE

1 bottle year 2007
1 bottle year 2013
8 bottles year 2014

Batch 3X05 = 2013, October

Batch 4P01 = 2014, February

Batch 4Q01 = 2014, March

Batch 4S01 = 2014, May

Batch 4T01= 2014, June

Batch 4U01 = 2014, July

Batch 4V02 = 2014, August

Batch 4X02 = 2014, October

Batch 4Y01 = 2014, November

RESULTS

All "Year 2014" DHI bottles are similar each other. No apparent reformulation happened during this year, even with the year 2013 sample.
The most interesting fact is the comparation between the first bottle produced in 2007, and the last one in 2014 (see at the end of the page): first batches appear to be *slightly* better than most recent ones.

BLIND TEST:
Dior Homme Intense.

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DIOR HOMME PARFUM

Here is the big news. During year 2014 Dior launched another Homme version, namely a "Parfum" edition ("Dior Homme Parfum")

Putting it side-by-side with DH Intense, the most interesting element is that DHParfum is NOT a stronger version of DH Intense. 

When you put side-by-side DH and DHI you can say DHI is the "more concentrated" version of DH, and it's basically correct.

In the case of DHParfum, you are smelling a different scent.

DH Parfum is NOT a "more concentrated" version of DHI. Since first sniffing you can say the difference: DHParfum seems "DHI with strong woody/leathery notes". 

More correctly you could define DHParfum as a "flanker" (or "an alternate version") of DHI.

Personally, I prefer DHI over DHParfum because wood and leather don't "blend" perfectly with a vanilla-iris-cocoa background. 

Anyway I heartily recommend not to "blind-buy" DH Parfum, since it's very expensive. Try it before buying: it may happen you prefer DHParfum over DH Intense, or its contrary.

DH Parfum, batch 4U01 = 2014, July 

Confrontation between DHParfum (left)
and DH Intense (right)

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a final note....

THE FIRST AND THE LAST

The Golden Standard: due to a technical mistake,
first bottles of DHI were launched without the words
"vaporisateur spray" on the front of the box (year 2007)

What about a confrontation side-by-side between the first and the last bottle produced? Is any difference noticeable? 
Here is Dior Homme Intense. A sample dated Year 2014 aside with a sample of the Golden Standard (batch 7J02) produced in 2007.
And yes, a small difference is noticeable. First bottle appears slightly richer, deeper and more "intense" than the last one. It seems as there was a slow, very slow decay during the years.
Obviously it's noticeable only when you put the two samples side-by-side.  Interestingly, it's hard to notice differences when you smell "intermediate" samples from years 2013 and 2014.  I can't explain this fact, maybe it's a "ageing", or "watering down" the scent, or "cheaping" the ingredients. 
If intentional, it's a long, slow, smooth process, to not to make it immediately recognizable.
Anyway, differences are easier to notice when you smell "the first and the last". 

Confrontation between DHI samples Year 2014 (upper) and the
"Golden Standard" (year 2007, lower).. Small differences occurred.

About Dior Homme: thankfully, there isn't any difference in Dior Homme. The sample from Year 2005 and the one from Year 2014 smell exactly the same. I would say, if you buy Dior Homme, pick any bottle you find. All bottles are fine.

Confrontation between DH year 2005 (upper)
and year 2014 (lower)

(article ended on December 23rd, 2014)

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LIDG & LIDGE: Year 2014 Review.

Year 2014 was a turmoil for many perfumes. One of the most disputed was the higly appraised LIDGE by Guerlain, and its "brother" LIDG. Therefore, in this test we sampled different batches to verify if any reformulation(s) occurred.

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LIDGE 

About L'Instant De Guerlain Extreme (LIDGE, EdP), we at "Raiders" already challenged the topic here ( "How to recognize Guerlain batch codes" , see here ). 
Briefly, there was no apparent reformulation between 2009 and 2013. 
However, during 2014, LIDGE bottles underwent a few changes, for example the removing of the "dark glass rim" around the bottle, and almost immediately a lot of voices raised to claim a "reformulation".  
So, we collected five different bottles and I did a "blind" (plus a "progressive smelling") test. 
Here we have the first LIDGE bottle (dated year 2005), others two from 2012 and 2013 respectively, and finally a couple from 2014 (with "dark" and "transparent" rim), see pictures below:

The classic "LIDGE" box and bottle.
Note the "dark glass rim" around the bottle 

LIDGE batch 5H01, year 2005;
it was the first bottle produced.

LIDGE batch 2T01, year 2012

LIDGE at the end of year 2013, still with the "dark rim".

LIDGE batch 4N01, early year 2014
one of the last bottles with the "dark rim"

And finally, LIDGE batch 4T01.
You can notice the absence of the "dark rim",
substituted with usual transparent glass

New LIDGE bottle, year 2014.
Note the "transparent glass rim" all around the bottle,
 and the new inscription "Eau de Parfum" on the front.

What about "reformulation"? Well, a reformulation definitely occurred. 
The old "dark rim" bottles are different from the new "transparent rim" ones. But, and this is the most important thing, differences appear only in the top notes. Intrestingly, longevity and sillage remain the same.
New, "transparent rim" bottles have a blast of citrus and other spices in the opening, while the main cocoa note is very light, in the background (similar to what happens in LIDG). But after a few minutes, the cocoa emerges at full force (similarly to the old "dark-rim" LIDGE), and it remains steadily for more than 8 hours on skin (and even more on clothes) 
To verify this assessment, the technique of "progressive smelling" has been used (see here) .
In a nutshell (see picture below), spray the scent on your elbow (point 1); wait five minutes then spray it again on the forearm (point 2); wait -again- five minutes and spray it on the back of your hand (point 3). 
Now you can smell several times you arm in reverse order: 3-2-1 and you can have an idea, in just seconds, about the evolution of that scent, because: 
Point 3 is the most recent, 
Point 2 is the intermediate, 
Point 1 is the most aged.
Using both arms, you can study and "compare" different scents or batches in the same moment. Similarly you could use paper strips or even fabric, for a more complete test.

What's the results of these tests? Well, there are differences between old and new LIDGE, but apart the opening, the scent is the same.
The opening is more citrusy in the new LIDGE, and more "cocoa-centered" in the old version. 
However, the two version smell very similar in the heart-notes, and absolutely identical in the base-notes. 
Sillage and Longevity are the same, too. 
As a personal note, I prefer the old ("dark rim") LIDGE: I liked the immediate blast of cocoa, instead of waiting for it 15 mins. 
Apart from these considerations, I feel comfortable about year 2014 LIDGE, since the scent was not ruined or heavily changed. 

LIDGE blind test on paper
Years 2005-2014

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LIDG

Since its first apparition in 2004,  L'Instant de Guerlain pour Homme (LIDG, EdT) was an immediate favorite due to its unusual, highly-contrast, "gourmandish" accord between citrus and cocoa, an accord furtherly enhanced by LIDGE. However, Many prefer LIDG over LIDGE due to its more balanced ingredients. What happened after 10 years?
For this test we collected four bottle since year 2007. 

LIDG batch 7M01, year 2007

LIDG batch 9Y01, year 2009

LIDG batch 3U01, year 2013

LIDG batch 4S01, year 2014

LIDG blind test
years 2007-2014

Nothing much to say, in this case: all test performed on paper, skin and fabric show no differences, at any stage.
Unlike LIDGE, it seems there were no changes, so any bottle produced since 2007 appear to contain the same, non-reformulated scent. 

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Picture of the day (Dec.15th, 2014)

A nice afternoon at Gianni's House. Vintage "Jicky" and "Eau du Coq" (both minis).

Jicky was created in 1889. It is a classical fragrance and, despite the age, it is timeless and still very modern. According to the legend, the perfume was named after a girl Aime Guerlain was in love with when he was a student in England. It is more likely, though, that this perfume is named after his uncle Jacques Guerlain’s nick – Jicky. This was one of the first perfumes created with addition of synthetic materials (the first was Fougere Royale Houbigant, 1882). The top notes contain lavender and citrus (bergamot, lemon and mandarin), which perfectly match the cold, metallic orris and rose shaded by vetiver. The cold top and middle notes are an elegant counterbalance to the warm base created of patchouli, vanilla, amber and musk.

Eau du Coq, is a citrus aromatic fragrance for men.
"Eau de Cologne du Coq" was launched in 1894. The nose behind this fragrance is Aime Guerlain. Top notes are orange, citruses, neroli, bergamot and lemon; middle notes are patchouli, lavender and jasmine; base notes are sandalwood and oakmoss (from Fragrantica)

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Picture of the Day: "Baglietto" (1987)

"BAGLIETTO: The last delivery".

During 1987, now-disappeared company R.P Denis launched "BAGLIETTO", a new Eau de Toilette for Men, inspired by famous nautical shipyards with the same name. Unusually, it was not an "aquatic" scent as you could think, but a very "fresh and green" one. Almost completely forgotten in our days, it was a well crafted scent, elegant, refined, characterized by a high sillage. You can say it,  a "gentle powerhouse".
Starting with pleasant herbal, citrusy notes, "Baglietto" had an amazing evolution, shifting almost completely direction, ending with dry, woody echoes.
In a nutshell, "Baglietto" was strong and delicate at the same time, moving from herbs to woods, as a sort of "landscape traveller".
It was on production for a few years only, before R.P. Denis ceased operations in 1989. Difficult to find nowadays, but it could be worthy if you love strong fresh, herbal scents.

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