Guerlain Perfumes: Decoding Labels

Decoding Labels

Dating vintage Guerlain bottles can often be aided by examining their authorized-distribution and resale-price labels, which changed in color, wording, typography, borders, and coded numerals or letters over the years. These labels were primarily used to identify merchandise sold through Guerlain-approved dealers, enforce the company’s established retail prices, and help distinguish legitimate products within its distribution network. Bottles intended for foreign markets may also carry separate export-related stickers identifying the country of origin, alcoholic strength, importer or distributor, trademark registration, or customs information. Because Guerlain sometimes used older bottles, labels, and packaging during transitional periods, no single label should be treated as conclusive. When considered alongside the flacon design, stopper, base markings, fragrance label, box, wrapping paper, and tax or duty stamps, however, these details can provide valuable evidence for establishing an approximate date and identifying the market for which a bottle was prepared.

1930s-1940s:

From the 1930s, throughout the Second World War, and into the late 1940s, Guerlain bottles were often distinguished by red-and-blue labels bearing Roman numerals printed along the right-hand side. The labels referred specifically to sales in Paris, the French provinces, and Belgium, suggesting that they served not merely as export or identification labels but also as notices regulating where Guerlain merchandise could be sold and the minimum price at which it could be offered. The Roman numerals may help distinguish different label issues or administrative categories and can therefore provide useful supporting evidence when dating a vintage bottle.

The French inscription reads: “Cette marchandise ne peut être vendue à Paris que dans les magasins de Guerlain; en province et en Belgique, elle ne peut être vendue au-dessous du prix de ses magasins de Paris.” This translates as: “This merchandise may be sold in Paris only in Guerlain’s own shops; in the French provinces and in Belgium, it may not be sold below the price charged in its Paris shops.” In effect, Guerlain reserved the sale of these products within Paris for its own boutiques, while authorized retailers elsewhere in France and Belgium were prohibited from undercutting the prices established by the Paris stores. Thus, the red-and-blue label acted as a statement of controlled distribution and price protection, as well as an additional indication that the product belonged to Guerlain’s authorized commercial network.

During this same period, the red-and-blue sales labels were often accompanied by smaller labels printed in blue, white, and red—the colors of the French flag—bearing the wording “Guerlain, Fabrication Française. Reg. U.S. Pat. Off.” The phrase Fabrication Française means “French manufacture” or “Made in France,” emphasizing the product’s French origin, while Reg. U.S. Pat. Off. indicated that the Guerlain name or trademark was registered with the United States Patent Office. Such labels were particularly relevant to bottles prepared for the American market, helping to identify their origin, protect the Guerlain trademark, and reassure buyers of their authenticity.

The tricolor “Guerlain—Fabrication Française—Reg. U.S. Pat. Off.” label combined several functions. U.S. customs law, particularly the Tariff Act of 1930, generally required imported merchandise—or, in some circumstances, its immediate container—to identify its country of origin in English. Thus, a separate “France” or “Made in France” marking may have fulfilled the legal requirement; the French phrase Fabrication Française alone did not necessarily satisfy the English-language rule. The words “Reg. U.S. Pat. Off.” were not compulsory labeling information. They were an optional notice that the Guerlain trademark had been federally registered, helping protect the name against imitation and informing American purchasers that it was a legally recognized mark. 19 U.S.C. § 1304 establishes the country-of-origin marking requirement, while the USPTO’s trademark guidance explains the use of registration notices.

Other bottles may carry a label reading “91° Alcoolique,” which denotes the alcoholic strength of the perfume preparation—approximately 91 degrees Gay-Lussac, or about 91 percent alcohol by volume—not a temperature or proof measurement.

Likewise, “91° Alcoolique” was probably not required by U.S. cosmetic-labeling law. It is a French declaration of alcoholic strength—approximately 91 percent alcohol by volume under the Gay-Lussac system—and was more closely associated with French fiscal, manufacturing, or export documentation. After the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act of 1938, cosmetics sold in the United States were subject to rules against false or misleading labeling, but the law did not generally require perfume bottles to declare their percentage of alcohol. Therefore, these Guerlain labels are best understood as a combination of customs identification, trademark protection, French regulatory or excise information, and commercial authentication—not as a single standardized set of labels mandated in its entirety by American law.

These supplementary labels are valuable dating clues because their wording, typography, colors, placement, and regulatory information reflect the legal and commercial requirements of a particular period and destination. When considered together with the bottle, box, base markings, and other labels, they can help establish whether a Guerlain fragrance was packaged for export and narrow its approximate date.

World War II Export Labels (1940-1945):

During the Second World War, Guerlain used a modified version of its red-and-blue label on bottles prepared for export. The inscription read: “Ce produit ne peut être vendu que par les dépositaires agréés par Guerlain. En aucun cas, il ne peut être vendu au-dessous du prix imposé par Guerlain et pratiqué dans ses magasins de Paris.” This translates as: “This product may be sold only by dealers authorized by Guerlain. Under no circumstances may it be sold below the price established by Guerlain and charged in its Paris shops.” The notice identified the bottle as merchandise intended for Guerlain’s approved distribution network and warned retailers against discounting it below the company’s official Paris price. It therefore functioned as a statement of authorized sale and resale-price control, while also lending the product an additional appearance of authenticity.

The wartime export label can be distinguished from earlier examples by several changes in its printed codes and markings. Instead of the Roman numerals formerly appearing in the lower-right corner, these labels were marked “Made in France,” providing an English-language declaration of origin appropriate for foreign markets. At the lower-left corner, the earlier Arabic numeral was replaced by one or more letters. These letters were probably internal administrative, production, distribution, or label-series codes, although their precise meaning should not be assumed without surviving Guerlain records. Taken together—the revised wording, the addition of “Made in France,” and the substitution of letters for the earlier numerical code—these details can help identify a bottle as belonging to the wartime export period, especially when corroborated by its flacon, stopper, box, address, and other markings.

Example:

Collector’s Note: Guerlain’s blue wrapping paper and packaging, used from 1914 through 1949, was discontinued in 1949 and replaced beginning in 1950 by the white packaging commonly known among collectors as the “Coffee Bean” design.

An important exception occurred between 1939 and 1945, when wartime shortages and restrictions made Guerlain’s customary luxury presentation cases difficult to produce. During this period, certain extraits were supplied in simple blue-and-white boxes known as présentations de guerre, or “wartime presentations.” These boxes were marked: “Conditionnement provisoire dû au manque d’écrin—la qualité et la quantité du parfum sont rigoureusement identiques à celles de notre présentation normale.” This translates as: “Temporary packaging due to the shortage of presentation cases—the quality and quantity of the perfume are strictly identical to those of our regular presentation.” The notice reassured customers that only the outer packaging had been simplified; the fragrance itself and the amount contained in the bottle remained unchanged. Original wartime boxes are therefore especially useful for dating Guerlain bottles, although a simplified box should always be assessed together with the bottle, labels, stopper, and other construction details.

From 1950-1956:

From approximately 1950 until 1955–1956, Guerlain continued to use its characteristic red-and-blue distribution labels, printed with the notice: “Ce produit ne peut être vendu que par les dépositaires agréés par Guerlain. En aucun cas, il ne peut être vendu au-dessous du prix imposé par Guerlain et pratiqué dans ses magasins de Paris.” This translates as: “This product may be sold only by dealers authorized by Guerlain. Under no circumstances may it be sold below the price established by Guerlain and charged in its Paris shops.” The wording confirmed that the product belonged to Guerlain’s authorized retail network and was subject to the company’s established pricing policy. Unlike the earlier labels, it made no reference to Belgium, indicating that the former geographically specific wording had been replaced by a broader statement governing authorized dealers.

The placement and form of the codes also changed during this period. Arabic numerals now appeared in the lower-right corner, while Roman numerals occupied the lower-left corner—a reversal or reorganization of the numerical system found on earlier versions. These characters may have identified a particular printing, administrative series, distribution category, or price classification, although their exact purpose cannot be established without contemporary Guerlain documentation. Nevertheless, their type and position provide useful visual clues for dating bottles from the first half of the 1950s.

Collector’s Note: Guerlain’s so-called “Coffee Bean” design on a white background was used from approximately 1950 through 1966, making it an important indicator for dating mid-century presentations. During this period, yellow labels—distinct from the regulatory and distribution labels applied to export bottles—may be found on the fronts of the boxes, replacing the blue box labels associated with earlier packaging. The transition was not immediate or perfectly uniform: stocks of older blue wrapping paper and packaging left over from the wartime and pre-1950 period were sometimes used after the Coffee Bean design had been introduced. Consequently, an early-1950s bottle may occasionally appear in older-style blue packaging, or display a mixture of old and new packaging elements. Such transitional combinations should not automatically be regarded as mismatched; instead, the box, bottle, labels, stopper, and other markings should be evaluated together when establishing an approximate date.

As in previous periods, the principal red-and-blue label was often accompanied by a smaller blue, white, and red sticker recalling the colors of the French flag. It was printed “Guerlain—Fabrication Française—Reg. U.S. Pat. Off.” Fabrication Française means “French manufacture,” emphasizing the perfume’s French origin, while Reg. U.S. Pat. Off. indicated that the Guerlain trademark was registered with the United States Patent Office. A separate label may also bear the notation “90° Alcoolique,” identifying an alcoholic strength of approximately 90 percent alcohol by volume under the Gay-Lussac system. Together, the principal distribution notice, its paired numerical codes, the tricolor trademark label, and the alcohol-strength declaration form a useful group of characteristics for identifying Guerlain bottles dating from about 1950 to 1955–1956.

Examples:

From 1956-Early 1960s:

From approximately 1956 until the beginning of the 1960s, Guerlain replaced its familiar red-and-blue labels with monochrome labels printed in individual shades of blue, orange, red, or black. Despite this visual change, the labels retained the established notice: “Ce produit ne peut être vendu que par les dépositaires agréés par Guerlain. En aucun cas, il ne peut être vendu au-dessous du prix imposé par Guerlain et pratiqué dans ses magasins de Paris.” This translates as: “This product may be sold only by dealers authorized by Guerlain. Under no circumstances may it be sold below the price established by Guerlain and charged in its Paris shops.” The wording continued to identify the product as part of Guerlain’s authorized distribution network and to prohibit retailers from selling it below the company’s official Paris price.

The system of printed codes was also revised. Arabic numerals appeared in both lower corners, replacing the combination of Arabic and Roman numerals found on the preceding labels. A notable new feature was the wording “Parfumerie Guerlain à Paris,” meaning “Guerlain Perfumery in Paris,” repeated continuously around the border. This decorative inscription created a proprietary frame around the central text and made the label more difficult to imitate, allowing it to function as an additional mark of identity and authenticity. The monochrome color, paired Arabic numerals, and repeated border wording are therefore useful characteristics for dating bottles to the late 1950s or very early 1960s.

During this same period, these distribution labels were often accompanied by a separate sticker reading “88° Alcoolique.” This notation declared an alcoholic strength of approximately 88 percent alcohol by volume according to the Gay-Lussac scale. Compared with the 90° labels frequently encountered during the preceding period, the lower figure may indicate a change in the alcohol used, the fragrance preparation, manufacturing specifications, or regulatory classification; it should not necessarily be interpreted as a change in perfume concentration. When found together, the monochrome distribution label, its repeated Parfumerie Guerlain à Paris border, the paired Arabic numerals, and the 88° Alcoolique sticker provide a valuable combination of clues for dating a vintage Guerlain bottle.

Example:

Last blue paper package

During this transitional period, Guerlain introduced new monochrome stickers that retained Roman numerals, rather than Arabic numerals, in the lower-left corner. The company’s frequent revisions to the colors, typography, wording, borders, and numerical codes of its export labels may have helped distinguish genuine merchandise within its authorized distribution network and discourage counterfeiting, although the codes’ precise purpose cannot be confirmed without contemporary Guerlain records.

Early Monochrome sticker with roman numbers

Collector’s Note: From approximately 1950 to 1967, Guerlain adopted a distinctive box style for fragrances blended and bottled in the United States using perfume essences imported from France. The empty bottles were likewise supplied by French glass manufacturers and then filled domestically for the American market. These presentations featured an overall solid-white background with a large, colored medallion on the front, printed with the fragrance name and concentration. The medallions were color-coded to identify the individual scent—for example, Shalimar was distinguished by a red medallion—making this packaging a valuable clue for recognizing and dating American-filled Guerlain products.

From 1960-1967:

From the beginning of the 1960s until approximately 1967, Guerlain continued to use monochrome stickers, but revised the wording of its authorized-sales notice. The labels read: “Ce produit ne peut être vendu que par les dépositaires agréés par Guerlain. En aucun cas, il ne peut être vendu au-dessous du prix imposé par Guerlain. Conformément à la législation en vigueur.” This translates as: “This product may be sold only by dealers authorized by Guerlain. Under no circumstances may it be sold below the price established by Guerlain, in accordance with the legislation currently in force.” Unlike the preceding version, the notice no longer referred to prices charged in Guerlain’s Paris shops. Instead, it explicitly stated that the company’s authorized distribution and pricing arrangements conformed to the laws then in effect.

Arabic numerals were printed in both the lower-left and lower-right corners, continuing the paired numerical system seen on some late-1950s labels. These numbers may have represented internal label series, price classifications, distribution codes, or administrative references, although their precise meanings remain uncertain. The combination of monochrome printing, revised legally qualified wording, and Arabic numerals in both lower corners provides a useful set of characteristics for identifying Guerlain bottles dating from the early 1960s through about 1967.

Example:

From 1967 to 1976:

From approximately 1967 until 1976, Guerlain continued to use monochrome authorized-distribution and resale-price labels bearing the notice: “Ce produit ne peut être vendu que par les dépositaires agréés par Guerlain. En aucun cas, il ne peut être vendu au-dessous du prix imposé par Guerlain. Conformément à la législation en vigueur.” This translates as: “This product may be sold only by dealers authorized by Guerlain. Under no circumstances may it be sold below the price established by Guerlain, in accordance with the legislation currently in force.” The wording affirmed that the product belonged to Guerlain’s approved retail network and remained subject to the company’s established pricing policy.

The principal change during this period appears in the codes printed along the bottom of the label. In the lower-left corner, a letter—such as A or B—was now printed alongside Arabic numerals, while additional Arabic numerals continued to appear in the lower-right corner. These alphanumeric combinations may have identified a label series, price category, distribution channel, market, or administrative classification, although their precise purpose remains uncertain without contemporary Guerlain records. The presence of a letter beside the lower-left numerical code is therefore an especially helpful characteristic for distinguishing labels used from about 1967 to 1976 from those of the preceding period.

Example:

Collector’s Note: Although Guerlain’s black-and-white “zig-zag” boxes are printed with “Guerlain, 1967,” this date should not automatically be interpreted as the year in which the individual box was manufactured or the packaging entered general use. During 1967, Guerlain was still using the white American-market boxes with colored fragrance medallions, as well as remaining stocks of the white “Coffee Bean” packaging. The 1967 designation on the zig-zag boxes instead refers to the year in which the packaging design was registered or claimed as Guerlain’s protected design. Consequently, the printed date establishes a legal reference point for the graphic design rather than conclusively dating the box or its accompanying bottle to 1967.

From 1975-1976:

From approximately 1975–1976, Guerlain’s monochrome authorized-distribution labels carried a newly abbreviated notice: « Ce produit ne peut être vendu que par les dépositaires agréés par la société Guerlain, conformément à ses conditions générales de vente. » This translates as: “This product may be sold only by dealers authorized by the Guerlain company, in accordance with its general conditions of sale.” The revised text omitted the earlier explicit prohibition against selling below Guerlain’s prescribed price, instead referring more broadly to the company’s general terms of sale. The coding system remained similar to that of the preceding period, with a combination of letters and Arabic numerals printed in the lower-left corner and Arabic numerals in the lower-right corner. These features can help identify labels dating from this transitional period, although the codes’ precise administrative meaning remains uncertain.

Collector's Note: As reported in France Actuelle, Guerlain, Inc. opened new laboratories and a production facility in Somers, New York, in 1971. At this American unit, fragrance essences imported from France were compounded, bottled, packaged, and prepared for domestic distribution. Consequently, packaging or labels bearing “Guerlain, Inc., Somers, NY 10589” should generally be dated no earlier than 1971. The Somers address continued to appear for many years afterward, however, so it provides an earliest possible date rather than an exact production year and must be considered alongside the bottle, box, label style, and other markings.

Since 1976:

From 1976 onward, Guerlain continued to use the monochrome authorized-distribution label bearing the notice: « Ce produit ne peut être vendu que par les dépositaires agréés par la société Guerlain, conformément à ses conditions générales de vente. » This translates as: “This product may be sold only by dealers authorized by the Guerlain company, in accordance with its general conditions of sale.” The wording remained essentially the same as that introduced during the 1975–1976 transitional period, but the information printed along the bottom of the label changed.

A batch code now appeared in the lower-right corner, while the alcoholic strength—such as “83° Al”—was printed on the lower-left side. The notation 83° Al indicates an alcoholic strength of approximately 83 percent alcohol by volume under the Gay-Lussac system; it does not identify the perfume’s concentration as parfum, eau de toilette, or eau de cologne. Because Guerlain’s batch-code sequence repeats every ten years, the code alone cannot establish an exact production date. It must be interpreted alongside the bottle, packaging, address, label design, barcode, ingredients, and other period-specific details. For help interpreting these markings, please consult my separate guide to decoding Guerlain batch codes.