Odyssey by Avon

What was the first perfume you ever knew? In my case, it was Odyssey by Avon, a ‘feminine’ fragrance born in 1980. This scent was my aunt’s favourite. I remember the cap was silver, the letters were blue, and the bottle was frosted. I recall everyone getting ready at my grandparents’ house on Sundays to go to church, while my aunts primped in front of the dressing table with Aquanet hairspray, my uncle styled his hair with Jockey Club pomade, and my grandmother and great-grandmother wore their Avon perfumes, Maja and Elegante. My aforementioned aunt would spray this on her clothes, and the room would fill with that scent. I was about four or five years old and I loved that smell so much, plus the bottle was very eye-catching. I think with my clumsy boyish hands, I broke my poor aunt about two bottles, and my mum always ended up paying for them xP. (I’m thinking of gifting her one of the vintage versions now that I’m 31). A year ago, I bought the current version sold by Avon, with that horrendous square bottle and black cap, and thought it would transport me back to that era, but it didn’t. The current formulation is a chemical, synthetic, deformed version of what it was in the 90s, with a smell closer to a floor cleaner than a perfume, and it didn’t remind me of anything. So I set about finding one from the 90s. I came across someone on Marketplace selling a 1995 batch, and I didn’t hesitate for a moment. As soon as it arrived home, I sprayed it on my hand, and that picture of when my grandparents were still alive, and my family wasn’t shattered by their deaths, came back to my mind for a few seconds. 😭 Setting nostalgia aside, here’s the description: it’s a floral, herbal, and musky scent. The neroli and aldehyde notes are potent in the opening, just as I remember, capable of filling a room. It smells clean, fresh, like someone freshly bathed. Now I understand why Essencial Oud Pimienta by Natura Masculino and Essencial Único Masculino by Natura remind me of it so much; they don’t resemble each other at all, but that accord of Vetiver, Musk, and Sandalwood is present. I swear there’s a note of Patchouli and Iris, because it smells slightly of makeup, similar to the iris in Valentino Uomo Intense (which also has nothing to do with the scent). It’s worth adding that perhaps the ‘chemical’ smell I sense is the substitute used today for the Lily of the Valley note, which according to IFRA is now classified as poisonous. The longevity and projection of my 1995 batch are much better than the current version, of course. This perfume was the recent culprit that got me a cake: I needed a birthday cake for a friend, the bakery was just closing when I arrived. I told the manager please sell me a cake, and despite seeing her look like she had no friends, she reopened and sold it to me. Before I left, she said: ‘I’d like to know what perfume you’re using because it smells so good.’ And I replied: ‘Odyssey by Avon, 90s version.’ 😎. This perfume, despite being 28 years old, still brings compliments. And nowadays, according to current perfume trends, it smells quite unisex to my mind. I’m happy to have it in my collection. 😍😍😍😍😍 Greetings and thanks for reading.

A delicious, classic, very floral aroma. I don’t perceive it as powdery as some claim; to my nose, it’s like smelling a very caring soap 🤑. The price is a laugh! An excellent option to smell good all day, because even that lasts a barbarity on the skin!

Bravo to Avon for keeping the classics! What a treat to find a scent faithful to the 50s, 60s, and 70s. Timeless, the musk makes it cosy and warm for cold days. I sense it clean, with subtle notes of mimosa, magnolia, and lily of the valley. To my nose, there’s plenty of aldehyde that makes it powdery, empowering, and executive, followed by ylang-ylang, rose, jasmine, perhaps a touch of dusty lemon or bergamot, and a barely perceptible sandalwood. It reminds me of Guerlain’s Shalimar and a classic Chanel No. 5. I recommend it wholeheartedly.

One of my favourite Avon scents. Very 80s style but still smells great. Talc and flowers. A scent no other perfume has. Good trail and longevity. Ideal for daily use, after a bath, or going out shopping to smell clean. It’s just that type of fragrance.

A floral aroma. Economical and with a pleasant, soft yet elegant scent. It’s well worth it for an executive or office environment. It’s subtle but noticeable. For a catalogue fragrance, it has medium longevity and trail. If you like florals, buy it.

Opening with full-strength alcohol and very oriental, but once it settles, it smells like talc and baby powder. Not bad, but I wouldn’t buy it again.