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Vintage Avon recommendations?

post #1 of 16
3/18/10 at 8:20pm
Thread Starter 
I sometimes come across old Avon fragrances, but know very little about them. Which are worth looking for? I generally prefer green and floral chypres and would prefer to avoid the bad stuff, if possible. Any suggestions?
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post #2 of 16
3/18/10 at 8:21pm
ahhhh...

RARE RUBIESSSS
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post #3 of 16
3/18/10 at 8:47pm
Avon's Diane Von Furstenberg Forest Lily was nice
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post #4 of 16
3/18/10 at 8:58pm
Topaze is a beautiful floral chypre, Occur is a soft aldehydic floral, and Timeless is a leathery chypre (my least favorite of the three but some people find a similarity to Miss Dior...which I suppose I can sort of see, but I doubt it would measure up in a side-by-side test.) Topaze and Occur are two of my favorites - I give them both 5-Stars, but some of that could be for nostalgia....not too much though. I really think they're beautiful and wear them often. I can't recall Sonnet, Moonwind and Charisma enough to say what they're like, but I do remember that I thought they were nice, too (it's been a long time since I've sniffed those.) Oh, Mesmerize is a soft and sweet oriental that reminds me very much of Samsara!

To tell the truth, I see so many disparaging remarks about Avon fragrances, but I just don't understand it. At worst some of their fragrances can be derivative, or maybe uninspiring, but I've yet to come across a real stinker - nothing offensive, ever. Oh, Ariane is another nice one, a soft and airy floral chypre.
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post #5 of 16
3/18/10 at 9:02pm
Timeless?
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post #6 of 16
3/18/10 at 9:11pm
I've got a bottle of Rare Sapphires, which I obtained it in a large lot that I bought. I should try it again. If I remember to do it, I'll post back here.
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post #7 of 16
3/19/10 at 6:44pm
How about Candid? I think they actually market some "old" scents as retro scents. Be warned that this is very floral.
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post #8 of 16
3/20/10 at 1:52am
Quote:
Originally Posted by w3pearl View Post

ahhhh...

RARE RUBIESSSS

Oh yes. I still have half a bottle left, and it's used sparingly.
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post #9 of 16
3/20/10 at 4:25am
Fantasque by Louis Feraud is a wonderfully bold, floral chypre. I recently bought an old bottle and it smelled true to what I remember. When it came out in the 80s, it was pricey for Avon, and I think it probably used very good quality ingredients. Anyone missing oakmoss in today's scents should track down some of this old stock. I also enjoyed Foxfire, a lovely green floral, possibly a chypre, but very soft and sensuous.
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post #10 of 16
3/20/10 at 4:29am
Perchance you will come across these two: Here's My Heart and To a Wild Rose
I have recently acquired the latter from The Vermont Country Store and was terribly disappointed as it certainly did not approach the original.
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post #11 of 16
3/20/10 at 4:51am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bigsly View Post

I've got a bottle of Rare Sapphires, which I obtained it in a large lot that I bought. I should try it again. If I remember to do it, I'll post back here.

Rare Sapphires is nice. I find it to be mostly gardenia and prominent cedarwood, which is a pretty unusual combination. I used to enjoy wearing it and should dig out my old bottle.
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post #12 of 16
3/20/10 at 4:52am
Avon used to have something called "Far Away". Is it discontinued too? (Hope not.)
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post #13 of 16
3/20/10 at 7:42am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Madame du Barry View Post

Avon used to have something called "Far Away". Is it discontinued too? (Hope not.)

It's still in production, and they have a new (maybe limited, not sure) edition called Far Away Dreams. I was never a huge fan of the original, but something about this one makes me want to try it.
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post #14 of 16
3/20/10 at 8:15am
just saw a bottle of Rare Rubies on E Bay for $70 Buy it now option if anyone is interested.


Edited to add: Far Away is widely available on E-bay

the Avon /Christian LaCrox collaboration Absynthe is a nice herbal green scent, IMO
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post #15 of 16
3/20/10 at 8:53am
Don't know how vintage this is, but I know is discontinued in my country. Surrender for Her is the name of the perfume.
It's so good that I could drink it
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post #16 of 16
3/20/10 at 11:52am
Thread Starter 
Wow! Thanks so much to all of you who have responded. Who knew Avon had so many winners??? But I'm no perfume snob so I'll seek them out; many can be found for very little money on Ebay so if I get a stinker it won't be the end of the world. The search starts... now!
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