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elf2010 – :
I preferred knock you in the face perfumes then, but I wasn’t too interested in Rapture when I first sniffed it around 1965. Then a full bottle for 25 cents at a yard sale caught my attention. I picked up the moss note and I was smitten. It does smell like Mitsouko early in its development, which is a pleasant surprise for me. I was surprised by the longevity. While not a strong scent, it is powdery with my chemistry, ten hours later, I could detect the moss note in the crook of my elbows. I’m looking at the fragrance with new respect.
talex8 – :
Circa 1963 Rapture perfume is amazing! I obtained a dram bottle on EBay that had been stored in its original box. The bottle is cylindrical, about the size of a lipstick tube, clear glass with small rings/ ridges with a bright brass screw-top.
This is the real deal. I now get why Rapture was so beloved. Lovely floral notes (I smell lots of roses) with oakmoss and myrrh and other woody undertones. Really rich and beautiful fragrance much like Guerlain’s Ode or Lanvin’s Arpege. Guessing Rapture might fall in the floral chypre catagory. The 1964 cologne version I reviewed previously only smelled like oakmoss and reminded me of Mitsouko. The perfume is so much nicer and of a much better quality.
Just a note of caution. I also bought two other, newer, vintage drams of Avon perfume (Elusive and Brocade) which had also been stored in their original boxes. I am guessing these were from around 1969- 1970. These came in round sun-shaped bottles with round screwtops (also shaped like a sun or flower). Sadly, neither smelled particularly good right out of the bottle. I suspect that Avon’s perfume quality was a little better in the early 60’s.
rick1967 – :
UPDATE/addendum to the post below- So I have been wearing the 1964 Rapture cologne and it is luscious! Very oakmossy and Mitsouko-like with something besides peach maybe it is myrhh. Wow!
….. earlier part
My Rapture cologne is a Mitsouko (Guerlain) wannabe. I smell lots and lots of oak moss. Think there may be some myrrh in there, too. That said, Avon’s attempt to copy Guerlain may have created a more durable vintage fragrance since oak moss makes colognes and perfumes more stable over the long haul.
I have a .5 ounce “snowflake” bottle of Rapture cologne (circa 1964). The pattern on the lucite “snowflake” topper is actually interlocking “A”s. This bottle design also appears to be a copy of Guerlain’s Shalimar bottle. The Avon bottle has a short round little base, wide “belly” of cologne, and the screw top cap with the lucite topper instead of Guerlain’s bat-shaped bottle with the fan/shell-shaped glass Shalimar stopper. The Avon bottle also has a little gold triangular label with the name of the fragrance which also is similar to the label on Shalimar flacons or Guerlain amphora flacons.
The quality of the cologne is a little iffy. I bought several fragrances in this same style bottle (circa 1964). Smell-wise, Rapture appears to have held up better than the others. My bottle was also in its original box. To test it, I sprinkled a few drops on a slip of acid-free resume paper rather than my skin because I wanted to get a better idea of the actual fragrance. I may attempt to wear it on a day when I am staying home. I don’t feel as confident about wearing it out as vintage Guerlain.
ChiMaoDun – :
Rapture is a classic but not timeless. It definitely smells “vintage” which for me is a plus .For those put off by this that vibe fades a bit after wearing.
This is a ultrafeminine wood scent with equal amounts of powder.After wearing for about 15 minutes the wood fades some and the powder becomes more predominate. Floral notes are in the background, but faintly.
Vovan-1924 – :
Rapture is proving to be one of my favorites of the vintage Avons. This juice is soooooo good!
Rapture is very powdery. It has the clean-powdery scent similar to Avon’s Moonwind but Rapture is not cold & metallic like Moonwind. Rapture is the scent of lovely spring flowers blanketing a little field, surrounded with beautiful trees & deep woods draped with moss, an afternoon stolen in the woods.
Upon opening, seems like delicious orange blossom & bergamot make the entrance with notes of jasmine, carnation, sandalwood, rosewood & a touch of musk, maybe civet.
The powdery quality really comes out in the heart & continues through the most amazing woods. These are soft feminine woods—nothing masculine about this one. It is ultra fresh, just showered powdery soft florals that have been dancing around softly yet brightly. There is a creamy quality that peeps in & out.
I have the cologne & the perfume. The cologne lasts about 4-5 hours on me & the perfume lasts 12 hours. Moderate sillage. Gorgeous drydown. This one is a true Avon classic & one of the softest chypres without any bitterness or bite. I would say it has a “brightness” to the florals. Very, very nice!!!
Sergey(PS) – :
Is there anything that is still in production which smells like this?
My grandmother always smelled like this. Beautiful, clean, and timeless.
eon694intitytek – :
Main under note is myrrh
TaupSlalaSola – :
Rapture was my other grandmothers favorite home delivered perfume. America was such a different place back then. Avon was only available from your local Avon Lady. She would show up at your door, well dressed with a large case of cosmetics/perfumes.
My babysitter wore this. She used to rat her blond hair and spray hairspray in front of me. She was a total “bee bop girl”, playing records and dancing around. I always asked her for that alluring bottle of Rapture. In fact, the bottle haunts my earliest perfume bottle memory. I was sure it was a genie bottle.
Last year I sampled some and being a vintage fan was impressed. My bottle was opened with some of the notes a little wobbly. There are some aldehydes up front. I picked up some patcholi and oakmoss. I would say its more of a chypre than anything. The florals are delicate rose, iris and lilac? It gets powdery. The bottom notes are totally strange. Musk? Amber? Perhaps there is less going on. The nose only knows the real composition. Avon took all of the credit in the day.
Its worth hunting some down if you are a vintage fans/historians like myself. Do not expect this 50 year old antique to have any modern appeal. Its dry, powdery and a bit dusty. Yes, I can still hear my grandmother’s laughter sniffing it and she has been gone 35 years.