Hawaiian White Ginger
Avon (1965)

I just got this today at an antique store, and it is such a find. First, the bottle: a little rotund pig, with a jadeite-green bakelite lid, AND a little cloth flower. Very vintage bottle and the scent is gentle, and a bit tropical, with a bit of an herb bite. I cannot believe how good some of the vintage Avons seem to be to my nose. And this little pig is adorable.

I bought or was given a little pot of the cream form in the early '70s, and loved how it smelled in the pot. But on me it went very strong and, after an hour or two, somehow sour. I don't think it was the fragrance itself; I think it was the cream base Avon used in those days, reacting badly with my skin, because another Avon cream perfume did a somewhat similar trick. But I don't know for certain.

I got hooked on this perfume by my grandmother back in the seventies. She wore both the cream and the spray. I happened to run across an AVON representative when they did a "revival" of discontinued" /classic perfumes. Got myself a jar of the cream with the classic blue flower top and two bottles of the cologne. Really wish they would revive it again I am almost out.

l had a solid stick of this as a child, & recently got a bottle of the cologne mist from ebay; the same vintage, with the brightly-coloured paisley-style packaging. The top notes may have turned a bit, as the opening is slightly stale & "perfumey", or this may simply be the difference between the solid & the cologne. After a few moments a slightly green ginger-lily emerges, but at this stage it's still a little cloying. Then after ten minutes or so, it settles into the creamy-sweet tropical floral that l remember, & l can't stop sniffing my wrist. lt continues in this vein for a good 6-7 hours, not bad for a "cologne", & stays fairly close to the skin. lt's a little bit like Songes without the pencil shavings! l'm not sure l'll wear this often, but it's a pleasant trip down memory lane for me.

I wore this in the 60's - it's always been special to "My Love" and myself. He was able to buy some several years ago - I'm almost out. I wish they would bring it back.

I had this in junior high, so I can only go by the memory, but I liked it then, it smelled like rain--not the way fragrances that smell like rain smell like rain now. More like a downpour on a tropical island than a mist in the fog. But fresh. I'd love to see it again.