Black Suede
Avon (1980)

Mmm....this is musky! My synesthesia is setting off shades of periwinkle and the lightest purples in my mind. Black Suede reminds me of the fuzzy, gauzy musks of that old chestnut Royal Copenhagen, without the assisted living facility back note. It has this almost cosmetic, creamy powderiness in the heart that does remind me somewhat of orris, and this, with violet ionones, makes it quite appealing to my nose during this stage.

This is another one where that plush, sweet Avonade does the heavy lifting, and I approve of that. This is wonderful to wear as pleasant 'white noise", much like the auditory white noise is used to help someone relax and settle in. No fuss, no muss, just laidback muskiness to accompany me. It's also worth noting that the bottle I have is a pressurized atomizer, so its likely from no later than the early 80s. Thankfully, in spite of the iso-butane nonsense, it still smells great. 

I have a couple of special Holiday miniature bottles of this fragrance. One from 1988, the other 1992. Both are unused, and since they are small and with plain but nice bottles and boxes, and both older than me, (if they were actually produced the year copyrighted on them) I don't want to test them. Smelling them right from the bottle they are just that typical, generic aftershave type scent, except maybe a little better smelling.
The box though, is actually in quite worse shape for the 1988 one. Both are otherwise unused.

I have a bias going into Black Suede; a nose I trust considers this a fave which colors my approach to wearing this from the get-go. Thanks to BN I have received an education on Avon and I understand it's place in perfume history.

Black Suede to me is a 20th century amber glow. Reviewers mention it's smoothness and that it has 'no sharp edges'. Having smelled this and surpassing double digit wears I can concur that the description is apt. It is a smooth linear scent and shares the nutmeg, moss, and amber notes that remind me of Bijan for Men(1981) which came out the next year. Indeed it has no rough edges or sharp corners. I do think that anyone asked to blind sniff this and guess the decade will guess 1980s. That puts it somewhere between dated and classic depending on your perspective. It's pronounced warmth and 'glow' make it easily suitable for cooler seasons, but it isn't totally counter-indicated for spring/summer although it is definitely not a 'beach friendly' fragrance. If not oversprayed it is elegant enough for formal and office although I would go easy on the trigger as too much would turn it into a repellent smell and you may notice people intentionally avoiding your scent cloud.

For me this has been a 'grower' and as I wear it more I like it more and more. It is classic Avon and I can understand it being a comfort scent for some. Having appeased my curiosity as to what this smells like I find it appealing as a classic amber and give it thumbs up.

Old school. Nothing rocket-sciencey here, but still excellent. Black Suede has a drugstore scent cedar-nutmeg-amber vibe that just says comfort and quality. Pair the cologne with the shower gel and you're all set, especially for a cozy romantic night at home. Black Suede is like soul food. Probably better for the mature crowd, but also for the younger set wanting to try something retro and a bit outside their range. If you're not a fan of amber, this may not be for you. But at under $20, a decent blind buy.

Avon Black Suede EDT (2012 formulation) -

Other than Old Spice, Avon Black Suede is by far the safest reach in my wardrobe. With no sharp edges, Black Suede bends itself into more of a warm "aura" around you instead of marching through a particular set of distinct note pyramid phases.

With that said, I wouldn't go for more than 3 sprays as it performs great for a budget EDT. I scored mine new in box for $15, which is an awesome value for the quality presented here.

Ultimately, there is a good reason this one has been in production for decades. If it aint broke, don't fix it.


3 stars

One reason I think that someone would not like Black Suede by Avon is because it's a smooth blend...it has no veriable 'edge' to label it.Cedarwood,amber,lemon,nutmeg,lavender,and musk...that's it among the notes.

Strangely when I spray this it fools me for a second because I initially detect lemon with the amber and nutmeg.The lemon 'ghost note' dissapears as the cedarwood surfaces right out though.The amber in this isn't heavy and seems to be scrubbed by the lavender rendering the cedar lightly soapy and the sharp edges smoothened on the amber keeping it calm.The nutmeg is branched to the smooth/clean amber granting a little sweetness to it's spice without being cloying.The nutmeg branches out and also latches on to the returning lemon note creating a 'spiced lemon'.I'm going to quote this similarity to Aramis per a thumb-down reviewer and say it reminds me of something older that Aramis copied... Dunhill for Men(1934).Light hints of musk accent the fragrance a little.

It's a 3 spray enjoyment for me but fair projection and 6 hours of enjoyment.For an amber and spice fragrance this is only mildly warm so I'll give it props for being able to work all 4 seasons of the year.As a conservative scent it's not the most interesting thing I have.But it is comfortable to wear in anything casual or formal because it's smoothly blended.