To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
pwu082speagoessenda – :
My chemistry matches the opening notes exactly of Bird of Paradise on my left wrist with (vintage) Estee Lauder Youth Dew on my right wrist, just as an Avon customer, a retired Air Force nurse, told me in the earliest 70’s. I agreed then and I still agree with her pronouncement forty eight years later. I smell incense and some spices. One hour later, the Bird of Paradise scent is beginning to fade and a grassy green note is emerging, while the Youth Dew will remain on my wrist another three to four hours. My small bottle of BoP rollon “perfume” is over 30 years old and as true to scent as I remember.
lazyan.kar – :
Found this in a thrift/antique shop and I brought it mainly because of the cool bottle design. It does have that old fashioned incense feel to it….The sent is beautiful along the oriental lines of Cinnabar, Tabu, Youth Dew, Obsession, etc. which I have to reaaaaally be in the nostalgic mood to wear (and usually during winter because I live in humid, hot, South Texas ’tis “why”.)
kbjamesi4 – :
I own the cologne in the urny-looking bottle, the cologne decanter (the bird bottle) and the perfume concentre. I went to town with this perfume because it has all the notes that I love, and because the reviews were (mostly) so positive. It as an opportunity to experiment with different concentrations, and to try to finally get past my snobby bias that perfumes are longer-lasting, more potent, and therefore, better (more desirable) than colognes. I should know better, given the fact that I grew up in the sixties and seventies, and came of age in the 80’s when shoulder pads were big, hair was bigger, and colognes were…COLOGNES.
On me, Bird of Paradise is a green oriental. I enjoy the perfume concentre the most because the smokey note is more apparent, although not by any means overwhelming. I do not get incense, but I do get spice – cinnamon and pepper, and sandalwood. I also get a beautiful powdery note – iris?? – that balances out the green crispness. BofP is a linear scent and while it seems like a contradiction, it is fairly light (green/oriental makes me think ‘heavy’). Neither sweet nor syrupy, it sits close to my skin and last about 6 hours.
I wish I could help more with identifying the notes. Overall, this is a beautiful fragrance.
afujbvko – :
I would have to say this is one of my all time favorites. Yes, very churchy, inscense, smokey, deep, mystic, warm. Love it
Unwibrenani – :
Another of my favorite Avon classics
This was a beautiful adornment of a fragrance. I had the mirror shaped To A Wild Rose perfume along with this one. Bird of Paradise came in the bottle as pictured in this page. It was a decorative large glass sculptured bird with a lot of room for the fragrance and it lasted for years. In fact I still have mine. The scent can be described as both a chypre and an Oriental. It’s an evening musk. The animalic notes are prominent and that would make sense. She’s a bird. There’s a bit of leather and musk, incense and smoky notes which give it a deep rich smoky sultry air. This smelled so marvelous. When applied with a light touch it was powdery. When sprayed liberally it became a real incense.
The notes of white flowers namely a jasmine and gardenia were in there as well. Not very flowery but a kind of slightly soapy white floral scent. The jasmine was gorgeous. It gave the fragrance a Shalimar style. The jasmine was fragrant for a while before it turned green with what they call green notes but they were distinct galbanum, oak moss and patchouli. These herbal green notes are common in Orientals and chypres. This is a green oak moss scent that smells like burnt grass in a good way. Lots of moss and woodsy notes of which a sandalwood and dark cedar is detectable. Woodsy dry down.
In today’s perfume industry, this is terribly old fashioned and old lady ish. But why would eBay sell some of the vintage bottles then? It has a demographic and people do want to bring this into their home. They are vintage collectibles and they smell great. I love how this smells on me. I wear this to Synagogue. I also wear this to candlelit dinners. A classy mature sophisticated and absolutely gorgeous Oriental woody musk. If you can get your hands on it especially the bird bottle go for it. You will love it. So much to love from the opening top notes of white floral jasmine, to the progressive middle notes of galbanum patchouli oak moss and dry down base notes of incense and musk. Glorious!!
An Avon masterpiece.
assamba – :
Another vintage Avon jewel! I got this in the “Treasure Turtle” bottle, which is actually what sold me on the purchase. The scent is as wonderful as the bottle is adorable: like someone set a bouquet of flowers and a bowl of potpourri on fire, and with a heavy dose of “Avonade” in the drydown. Bird of Paradise is a great scent for lovers of smoke/incense and vintage fragrances. A very memorable perfume!
TRACCINNY – :
This was literally the first perfume bottle I remember looking at! I’m overdosing on nostalgia!
The large peacock glass bottle with the gold head and tail was a work of art. My mother proudly displayed the bottle in the family room by the fireplace and the mantelpiece. The liquid is an amber gold color. The bottle is a work of art and after mother used it she kept the bottle as a decorative piece to bring some art into the home. We were poor and lived in Tennessee in the 60’s. The Avon lady would come to the house once a month. Sometimes my mother didn’t buy a thing except the cheapest cold cream for her face. But when she purchased this fragrance, it changed everything. Suddenly everyone would stop and stare at the bottle. It was such a beautiful luxurious ornament.
Fragrantica lists the notes as being floral notes, green notes, woods and smoke. At the time I smelled it on my mother back in 1969 and 1970, I could never have guessed what it was I was smelling. It smelled like a very aromatic cologne. I always thought it smelled of incense or flowers-and-incense.
It was a very strong scent, and the aroma could fill the room if the wearer bathed in it. My mother wore this to Church on Sundays. The fragrance would linger for the entire day and the next day. My younger brothers and sisters were always afraid they were going to drop the bottle and spill the liquid and then we’d get it!
The bottle is still selling as a decorative piece and the perfume itself can be purchased in separate bottles. This scent is linear and yet very complex. It’s been compared to Cinnabar but I have not experienced Cinnabar so I can’t make any comparisons. This is a deep woodsy scent with a few white flowers like gardenia, jasmine and rose, but it’s not sweet. It’s smoky, deep, rich, and opulent. I would even classify it as an Oriental. There’s more going on than meets the nose. Fleeting florals of white flowers and roses, amber, smoke, incense, woods and patchouli.
In today’s context the fragrance is an old lady Church fragrance but it can be very romantic and mysterious if you wear it outside Church. People will wonder what it is they’re smelling and ask you about it. It’s gorgeous and very beautiful. I have one bottle that I’m still using up. I love to wear this.
For My Mother
fnemo – :
My ex-husband loved this fragrance. He always asked me to wear it. I wasn’t a huge fan of it myself, but of all the Avon fragrances at that time (80’s), it was the best imo. It is similar to cinnabar as someone else mentioned. Not fruity or too flowery. I haven’t thought about it in 30+ years! Might have to check it out again.
9/1/2016 UPDATE: I snagged a vintage bottle w/box really cheap on ebay today. Happy to add it to my ever growing collection.
sara911 – :
To my nose, this is a dupe for Cinnabar by Estee Lauder. And I love Cinnabar!
canoptikuz – :
Wow, this one was added? GOOD JOB, Fragrantica team! <3 <3 <3
vadimximiz – :
To me, Bird of Paradise has some fruity notes, in addition to the notes mentioned in the description. I get a very nice, slightly sweet, fresh tropical fruit, possibly mango or pineapple (it is light so I am not 100% sure of which fruit).
The floral notes are also of the “tropical” variety,combined with a “leaves after a rainstorm” accord, a slight hint of smoke, and a powdery sandalwood.
I own a “French Telephone” Avon bottle, with Bird of Paradise EDP in the clear phone handset and bath oil in the bottom part of the phone, and a red glass cardinal bottle with Bird of Paradise cologne splash.
The longevity is pretty good (especially with the EDP), while sillage is more of a “skin scent”.
The cologne splash would make a pleasant aftershave for men.
This is a lovely summer perfume!