Legacy for Men
Avon (1988)

Ann Gottlieb apparently got her start right here with this very scent for Avon. Granted, it's unsurprising given the fact that many outside perfumers since the 80's have worked for the house, who decided to stop staffing their own after the end of the 70's and contract out like designer houses, it's just seldom do we know a nose behind a scent from Avon since they never publish it, the perfumer themselves often has to come forward if we're to know, and they seldom do. Avon had finally attempted to conquer the "powerhouse" masculine style with their house-labeled wares since 1987's Signet, and continued here with Legacy. The powerhouse style is something 1980's designers had employed since the beginning of the decade, but Avon has always been several steps behind even when they try to participate in a popular style (instead of making scents completely out of time as per their norm in the 80's), so again, this is unsurprising. The macho combination of bitter florals, bergamot, virile woods, and animalics was par for the course at the beginning of the decade, but by 1988, Legacy would feel out of pace with the skanky rose fougères and honeyed floral powerhouses that were becoming the last gasp of the genre before aquatics reshaped the landscape. Perhaps then, Legacy is a fitting name, since it does establish a sentiment of being a testament to past glories, and this kind of thing wasn't outdated by the end of the 80's to be sure, with powerhouses lingering on well into the 90's for guys not "down with the freshness", with Legacy itself receiving a spray cologne reissue in the early 90's (alongside other Avon masculines not available in spray initially).

Avon Legacy opens with bergamot, and seems to borrow the artemisia and clary sage from Kouros by Yves Saint Laurent (1981) for it's top, but switches out coriander for a nutmeg note, drawing comparisons also to Bijan for Men (1981). Legacy's "Class of '81" emulation ends there however, and it is no retread like some Avon masculines had become by the 80's, with Ann Gottlieb evidently being more clever than that by introducing some dry green elements like galbanum, vetiver, cedar, leather, and a smidge of dry patchouli in the middle. There's nothing honeyed or sweet about Legacy, and the patchouli is very minor, drawing some brief comparisons to Giorgio Beverly Hills for Men (1984), and the leather being an ever-so-slight tang. Legacy does employ styrax in the base, but it's not the rich benzoin side that Giorgio uses, but instead the more animalic side of it, which is coupled with sandalwood, civet, oakmoss, and a bit of tonka. Legacy is it's own creature, a Frankenstein's Monster of early 80's powerhouse ideas even, that hits with a cloud of white florals with stiff cedar before mulling in animalics, creamy sandalwood and buttery oakmoss. It's a job well-done for Gottlieb, with the only true failing here being the eau de cologne strength that Avon was still insistant to use for it's masculines (it's pure parfums and "Ultra-Colognes" used for women were right mightily strong by comparison). You'll have to really over-apply Legacy to make it sing the same battlecry as a designer powerhouse from the same era, but it smells so good you won't mind. Even still, it cracks like a civeted whip if sprayed heavily enough, so be careful if you're in respectable company.

Legacy came a few different ways (like most Avon masculines), including cologne splash, aftershave, deodorant, talc, soap, and eventually a spray EdC in a round of "pill bottle" re-issues a few years later. You can even find it sometimes paired with a scarf if interested in something collectable to wear alongside the cologne, but those packages are probably all but extinct. All products have a distinct soaring bird logo, reminiscent of a hood ornament, and the tag line "Legacy.. the fragrance that captures the spirit of an era..." on the packaging. It's most fascinating to see Gottlieb work with these materials as she's much more known for her decidedly delicate and sensible modern compositions, usually in collaboration with other perfumers, but here she is getting her hands dirty with an old Avon take on the alpha male trope. I regret this not being made in eau de toilette form, because it's a shame to waste so much vintage product in a sitting, but I guess they were still scared of guys rolling around in their product, which we ironically have to do anyway just to get a respectable trail going. I can't recommend this as a run-out-and-buy full bottle purchase, but if you can capture a mini to sniff, you'll find that Avon was very well capable of producing something that wasn't "safe", just in their own special way. Probably the best thing for men outside Black Suede (1980) and Cordovan (1982) to come out of the house from this decade. Legacy is not by any means a timeless classic, and because it's comparatively weak as an 80's period power fragrance, it's not even something I'd recommend vintage hounds or fans of the genre unless they're specifically okay with the quirks and shortcomings of Avon fragrances. Legacy is such an odd cornucopia of powerhouse influences that it doesn't really compare to anything, which is it's biggest draw, if nothing else.

Avon Legacy is very pleasant; soft and satisfying.

Not a powerhouse but a comforting pleasure.

I didn't think of Giorgio Beverly Hills when I

smelled it but after reading atrac's review,

above, I see what he means; it's mellow and

powdery.

It stayed close to the skin but lasted 7 hours

at least.

This reminds me a lot of Giorgio Beverly Hills for Men, just with the longevity and projection of an Avon fragrance. It's not exact, but pretty close and easily one of the better knock-offs of GBH (not that there have been that many).

Wow! This is a great find! I took a chance and got this vintage, partially used cologne and it paid off.

It stays close to the skin but what a unique animal/musk-type with light woods thrown in!

I love smelling the liquid in the bottle before applying it, it smells sweet. Then the initial application is a great aroma turning dirty but immediately mellows out and as mentioned earlier stays close and not loud at all.

So if you're going through your local Craigslist or thrift store and see Avon's Legacy........grab it!

Cheers!