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.
kscsq – :
One of the great Avons. The first thing I notice are soft, dry woody notes. Is there cinnamon in this? My nose is picking it up. The heart is cool, green and floral. The drydown is warm and ambery with a touch of vanilla. This is somewhat reminiscent of Norell but less sweet. The one it really reminds me of is vintage L’Air du Temps. As good as the current smells, the original formulation was incomparable. This is the closest to it I’ve ever encountered. Like most of the great Avons Charisma doesn’t have a lot of sillage or longevity. Perhaps this is best for those quiet, intimate moments when you want to be close and capture someone’s heart.
aziks – :
To me this has a clean soapy smell
82yurik82 – :
That’s a COSMIC civet – so soft, agreeable, charming and approachable. Like a very good looking , but sympathetic woman with no arrogance whatsoever. I want more bottles of it NOW! After the fragrance opens with this silky civet-cloud, you can see the brightness of sunny day in which rich aromas of rose and carnation are main soloists. Warm solid base, not outdated at all, – musk, ylang and styrax, a bit of coriander and tonka, – so round and good-looking, my little treasure in a shape of old gramophone!
Melxy220Unlogrere – :
I have a vintage “perfume oil”. Immediately on application, I got a pretty typical vintage-y aldehyde… all soapy powder and old-fashioned grooming products. BUT THEN… my, but this one has a surprisingly nice drydown! The powder is still there, but now feels darker and more oriental, with plenty of that mellow, warm animalic-and-mossy thing that I adore in perfumes from this era. And, a wild card- orange! As in, freshly peeled, juicy, squirt-you-in-the-eye orange. This adds a bright, sweet/zesty aspect to all that dark, powdery moodiness. Very unique! And, my little bottle is adorable. I wish I could post a pic here. I was ready for a scrubber, but nope… this one gets shelf space!
silaev55 – :
This is from a vintage 70’s rep demonstrator. It seems very fresh and has not gone “off” as far as I can tell.
The strong spice mix gives me a slight impression of youth dew but less dense with very little (if any) oakmoss or cloves. The aldehydes start out strong but calm down nicely and help an otherwise heavy fragrance become more sparkly and a bit fresher. It’s peachy, floral, and spicy before going balsamic, darker vanillery with lots of civet. I also get hints of sandalwood and musk.
Call me crazy but do I smell violets in this?
I must admit that the aldehydes are hard for me at first but Charisma wouldn’t have the sparkling personality throughout the middle notes without them!
I like this a lot and although it’s a little green for my taste I wear it well and wouldn’t change a thing!
Too bad you can’t get it anymore and even if you could it would be highly reformulated!
movredi – :
I’ve only recently gotten into buying vintage Avon scents. I don’t love all of them, but a few are absolutely stunning. Charisma is one of those.
Charisma is warm and spicy. Perfect for fall or winter. I get a lot of aldehydes in the opening, but they aren’t as cold here as in some perfumes. The opening is kind of peachy and smoky too.
Later, I smell carnation and orris root, with a hint of ylang ylang, which fades into sandalwood.
After that comes oakmoss and civet. I thought that was it (because some Avon fragrances just don’t last very long), but a little while later, I smelled rose, going from fresh to slightly powdery.
The drydown has more civet than musk, which I prefer. Some of the Avons go really musky on me at the end–though not in a bad way (my husband loves it).
rusch11 – :
I have owned several of the newer versions of Avon classics, including Cotillion and Charisma. Both of these were pleasant fragrances, but neither rocked my world. Of course I realize that the re-issues may have been not quite as rich or interesting as the originals, but I’ve never smelled the originals.
Cotillion struck me as typical for 1940s-1950s perfumes, with a soft powderiness on top of vanillic base. Pleasant, but it’s usually just not my thing unless there are also intriguing green accents. Charisma smelled more to me like a men’s fougere. It was pleasing, but just a tad too masculine for me in spite of the mild sweet floral heart.
ded0011 – :
Charisma…how I love thee! I recently bought a new bottle; new formulation. It isn’t as good as the original, but it’s still beautiful. It has become more of a soapy floral than it used to be. The musk and civet have pretty much disappeared. I do miss it! The one I bought is the clear red bottle shown in the pictures.
demon1 – :
Calyx93, I just found my 45 year old bottle that my mom gave me in high school. It’s a snail, and I’e lwleftft it in it’s box.
It’s still wonderful!
SPIRITmen – :
I wore this long ago and I agree it is very nice. You have to wonder why Avon would discontinue a scent this good. I guess you can only carry just so many different kinds and this sort of scent isn’t of the vanilla/fruit type that rules the mainstream market.
BraiRus – :
I love Charisma. It reminds me of three fragrances I also like. It is like a mix of the three: in the top notes, l’air du temps, in the middle notes, Anais anais and in the trail notes, Joy. I love the way it is green, powdery, clean and dirty at once. The lily of the valley, sandalwood and civet notes are amazing. A true fragrance! I am lucky to be able to find it in Brazil!
lay – :
wow! this is incredible! i’ve had the red pressurized cylinder of the cologne for some time now, but it’s always been too light and fleeting – and deteriorated – for me to really appreciate it.
last week in an antiques mall, i found a small bird-shaped vial of pure parfum concentration in a small, velveteen lined box – and it’s amazing, really. i also bought its twin with occur! parfum. both were definitely quite old.
this beautiful aldehydic opening that’d make no. 5 blush and has a depth that the cologne mist wasn’t giving me. a lush, green civety presence that reminds me of K de Krizia EDP – from there the myriad florals open in a narcotic blur and it just lingers forever in this delicious, musk-laden manner forever. well worth the $6.00 i paid! it’s only 1/4 fluid ounce, but with its strength, it’s all i’ll ever need.
the occur! is fascinating too – but that’s another review 😉
avon perfumes really were of high quality at one point – this is real proof.
barbrinelzo – :
I remember this from the ’60’s, one that my mom owned. It had a fruity topnote..must be the peach listed that was delicious with the florals and basenotes. I tried an ebay splash-on but it seems to have lost it’s punch. The original didn’t seem as deep, mysterious, sophisticated, and sensual as Occur to me but I think I’ll try another concentration and year to see if I can relive my memory of it. I dont’ think it’s like Coco or Tabu but maybe has the same “vibe”, a little lighter and fruitier with the peach and neroli.
номбер 1987 – :
Uso este perfume desde hace más de 30 años. Puedo decir categóricamente que es un perfume “afrodisíaco”. No existe ningún hombre al que le desagrade. Es absolutamente sexy y atrayente. Muy atractivo y cálido.
Dan1386 – :
Charisma begins heavy on the civet, wrapped in deep musky overtones of bergamot. This is a fragrance of mystery, for people who are willing to go out on dares, ladies who wear trench coats with beautiful lingerie underneath and killer heels. This is a black eyeliner, false eyelashes, red lipstick, pull out all the stops perfume. Just when you think Charisma has melted away, she will come back to haunt you with delightful fumes. This frag will surprise you.
Charisma sits low and stays closer to the skin for a reason. For when the other person takes your arm and begins to sniff your wrist, go a little higher, sniff the crook of your elbow, you’ll see a difference in their eyes. This is not a child’s perfume. If Charisma was developed at the turn of the 1900’s, Mata Hari would have chosen it.
Luckily today, it’s available at flea markets/thrift stores/Ebay etc., and if it’s been properly preserved, you can enjoy the delights of it and use it lavishly. When Avon first introduced their perfumes they used quality ingredients. Their perfumes that we now call vintage are absolutely beautiful fragrances and should be explored.
I have a splash and don’t get the aldehydes stinging my eyes in the initial outburst. I do appreciate the hyacinth dancing around with Lily-of-the-Valley, Jasmine, Orris Root and Ylang-Ylang. These flowers dance a waltz, they don’t overpower. They’re refined. Charisma has such a glorius mix of notes, blended so perfectly, it is a hidden vintage treasure for noses that appreciate the true glamour of perfume before regulations have interfered and reformulations have changed the mixes.
Charisma has been likened to Coco, but I just cannot appreciate the similarities within the two. If anything, I’d compare it to Tabu, but Tabu is for bad girls, Charisma is for both good and bad girls wanting the same effect. It’s not strong in it’s sillage, but it’s strong in it’s effect. It’s a hidden power perfume. An elegant perfume that still boils down to a delicious scent that will be appreciated.
Sometimes a fragrance needs to be discovered on your body and not discovered in the airspace around you. Charisma fills this need.
Bios814 – :
Oh. My. Gawd. This smells like the classiest floral soap I have ever smelled. My mom was trying to recall what this smells like so I bought an old bottle–a late 90’s version that comes in a phallic shaped opaque red bottle with a gold rim on the cap.
It smells so clean and very soapy. It reminds me of a white baby soap. It smells like 10 times its price. If my 60 ml bottle runs out, I’d go mental.
Longevity is very good—6 hours or so. It doesn’t change much from beginning to end but I love it.
I am pressing my mother to tell me the names of other Avon fragrances that were hits back then.
RVR777 – :
OMG! Who knew?
I have had this sitting around in the little Pierrot and Pierette bottles for over 30 years. They were given to me as a gift, stayed around for decorative purposes, and got relegated to a closet. I’ve been doing some spring cleaning, and was deciding whether to give these to the thrift shop or keep them. I decided I’m keeping them until they are empty.
One of the reviewers was right. It is reminiscent of Coco minus the oriental spices. Slightly soapy, green, floral…nice staying power. What a nice surprise.
Amomentestata – :
Vintage blind buy. 1973.
I was so stunned to get something which was purely sold as the (rather ugly) bottle buy with a side mention that it still had a fair amount of content for a pittance that I really expected it to be off. It’s only ODC after all.
40 years old!
I had a sniff, popped it on a pulse and took little notice.
That should have been the big clue but I had a really stress mess day.
This just lived, melded, melted, wafted gently through with me. All day. It’s now gone midnight and still with me. I have only just checked out the notes ( no thought or time to test and analyse) and it ticks pretty much every box for my favourite scents and in retrospect I’d say holds true in balance and bridge throughout.
It’s like an understated cashmere elegant sweater which just fits perfectly.
The perfume fairy is smiling on me because I bought a few other blind guess bottles which as they arrived turn out to be another of this and another on the way. I’d seen this flagged up as a sought after lost vintage and see it goes for much more. Don’t you just love it when that happens?
Fageaddigoled – :
The Golden Age of Avon Fragrance!
To appreciate this Avon era completely, DO watch the Youtube posting entitled “The Joy of Living With Fragrance (Avon)”! The first half shows the source of perfumery ingredients, with lovely images of lavender fields and such. The second half? Glamour………
A gorgeously coiffed 60’s woman enjoys all the Avon fragrances ~ one for each mood and moment. What a trip back in time!
I took such a trip yesterday, courtesy of a fabulous Fragrantica member. She sent me a full 6 oz edc of Charisma, perfectly preserved in an Avonshire bottle! ( For those of you who don’t know, Avon offered several fragrances in variously shaped, reusable vases. This blue and white pattern is known as Avonshire…. )
If I had a nose, I could properly detail each glorious note. Alas, I don’t. The only fragrance comparison that comes to mind is Liz Taylor’s Passion. Give Passion an added dose of powder and replace the castoreum and gardenia with gentle jasmine. THAT is what I smell! And if you care to compare notes, they share about 10 in common.
While the overall impression of Passion is strength, Charisma takes a softened, ladylike approach – suiting my chemistry perfectly! Slightly soapy, nicely powdered, and warmly floral. Sillage is much lighter than Passion, but longevity is about the same. Rather good for a mere cologne, don’t you think?
No doubt about it….. Christmas came early this year! HIGHLY recommended.
niocris – :
I bought a little bottle of the Oil perfume, today from a lady at a flea market.
Of course, it went a bit off but I can still smell all of the top notes!
Very chic. Soft, slightly sweet and quite musky.
I love to find older perfumes because I believe that some get better with age.
I also believe that perfume smelled damn fine, in the past.
Now, most of the perfumes I sample on the market are fruity or ceder-like with white musk and a bit of vanilla. I’m tired of the scents, today…
RackMaync – :
Je me souviens de ce parfum que ma mere portait au début des années 1970.C’est dommage qu’Avon a arreté ses meilleurs parfums!!!
lex2674 – :
I found my old bottle and sprayed it on. At first I didn’t like it, but after it dried down a little I got a clean, lightly floral scent. I agree: the old perfumes need to come back! I loved my grandma’s Persian Wood.
Айболит6700 – :
Going through my forgotten perfumes, I came across my original roller of Charisma. What a beauty Avon produced in the day. Cost was not an issue and the ingredients were not cheap. Indeed, this could have easily been released by Chanel.
Yes, Avon gets a bad wrap, especially after 2000. There was once a time it was pure quality. The 1960s was that time. Charisma has real ingredients that grabbed people’s attention. The roller holds down the aldehydes and lets this luscious spring bouquet shine though-pure old school floral. But wait, lots of civet and sandalwood peek through this red velvet curtain, making it pretty sexy.
Honestly, the only thing I can compare it to is Coco from 1984. Add cloves and swap a few flowers and its Coco. There is a Chanel connection after all! Its waxy, rosey, dusty sexiness has only one comparison-Coco! As they are both now lost, Charisma pops up on e-bay. Its still potent. Younger noses might wrinkle at both of them. However if you miss original Coco, try Charisma. I think you will agree.
Mirror – :
I second the motion about Avon needing to bring back the old perfumes that were higher quality and actualy had a lasting scent. Persian wood, especially. And does anyone else remember Cotillion?
fahr – :
Bought it at least 3 dollar for a dozen roller-size and then discontinued. Dont know how hard to find but I give it all to my granmom. Seems like Ebay-expensively price! 🙂 .
I still remember how strongly smell of it that i dislike, it’s overwhelming of soaply scent and aldehydes, maybe cause of my body chemistry cant connect to it!
Dean – :
I owned a small cream perfume jar of this back in 1997, when I was 12, my first fragrance along with Sweet Honesty. I loved this stuff, I remembered it being very warm, a silky floral scent with bitter-sweet woods enriched with amber and creamy musk. Elegant and comforting. It made me feel so grown up back then 🙂
I have never tried the liquid version of Charisma though, but I liked the body talc as well. I don’t think I would have liked the EDT formulation, judging from the notes it probably would have been too strong and over-powering for me, but the lovely cream just goes straight into the wonderful heart and cozy drydown. I wish I could find it again.
Rid – :
I use to love this fragrance. I was going through my older stash of perfumes and ran across a small bottle of this one again. It does still smell similar to the actual fragrance, but over the years it has lost a significant amount of it’s strength. I do wish Avon would do a big campaign for the Holidays and bring back some of the wonderful older fragrances. If Avon would make affordable bottles of the older scents, a lot of us older women would buy so many of them just for the memories, Persian Wood, Topaz, Bird of Paradise, Charisma, Here’s My Heart, just to name a few of the great ones.
engextgexopay – :
Maybe this is the least complex of all the Avon vintages I know, and also the soapiest, but I simply love it!
EDIT: Talking of soapy Avon fragrances… When is Tasha going to be included in this database? It used to be one of my Avon favourites, and maybe it was Charisma’s closest cousin.
RE-EDIT: Thank you, Fragrantica! 🙂
Fesenko50 – :
This is a really odd scent to me, at first I thought it was absolutely vile but as I’ve found, often the bit sitting in the spray degenerates so it’s not a good idea to judge the fragrance at first spray.
The version I have is a Christmas box set of 15mls EDT with a box of talc (both unused) probably from the 1990’s judging by the pack. It’s a fresh and spicy affair which kind of works well at a distance in a soapy powdery way but there is an undertone to it that I just cannot like, I’m not sure what it is, but I shall be swapping it forthwith….:(
I should note that the drydown is in fact quite pleasant and reminds me a little of a Chanel.
qTolikaq – :
I had this scent for many years before it was discontinued and I loved it. I have heard that Avon brings back this scent for special sales, but I have yet to see it happen and I have been an Avon Rep. for many years. This was a true giant back in it’s peak. I do not find old bottles of perfume maintain their perfection so I do not seek them out. If Avon brings this one back, I will buy a couple bottles.
siosay – :
Not sure what to think of this one. I tried a bottle from the early to late 90’s, which I think was shortly before it was discontinued. Then I also came across a true vintage version from the late 60’s or early 70’s. I don’t know if I’m imagining it, but the two smelled slightly different. Both had a strong aldehydic soapy scent, but the newer one seemed fresher and soapier. Although the older one seemed slightly more complex, there was a note in there that didn’t quite agree with me. Possibly some woody or musky note, I can’t quite put my finger on it. Was this my imagination, or was it reformulated at some point? Or maybe the older version changed with age? Does anyone know? Anyway, having said all that, this fragance starts off sharp and strong, and then dissipates into basically nothing in an hour. It does smell truly vintage, which isn’t a bad thing. I’m on the fence with this one.
Update: Got my hands on another bottle and tried it. It smells lovely! Both bottles were from the 70’s, and the only difference I could see is that one was a spray and one was a decanter, with the decanter winning hands down. It’s got a clean, spicy scent, if that makes sense. I have made up my mind, and can say I really like this one. I’m truly starting to appreciate Avon vintages.