Unforgettable
Avon (1960)

Unforgettable by Avon (1960) is an aldehyde leather chypre that nipped at the heels of things like Bandit by Piguet (1944), Miss Dior by Christian Dior (1947) or Cabochard de Grès by Parfums Grès (1959) just the year before. Unforgettable isn't as stridently "leather" as most of them; but it does have the same key components, so whoever made this at the Avon perfume labs was paying attention. In place of that committed leather vector, we see a more typically-Avon assembly of florals, to keep things as expected for the usual Avon customer of the time, used to things being generically "pretty" at best. This works in Unforgettable's favor, being more floral than the typical leather chypre of the period, rounder and softer, more sensual almost by accident. My mother wore this one quite a bit, alongside her other favorites, Avon Bird of Paradise (1969) and Avon Charisma (1970). I personally find Unforgetttable quite unisex, as I do most leathers from this period.

The opening is the full aliphatic "golden" aldehyde treatment, like Chanel No. 5 (1921), and most other "big" perfumes for women. This of course makes Unforgettable feel really "adult" compared to some of the sweeter, more powdery, quietly-musky things making the catalog rounds of the day. The aldehydes give way to orange oil and carnation, with a healthy geranium to "rose" it up too, alongside muguet, iris, and freesia, all common players in the Avon ensemble at the time. Patchouli, cedar, cistus, oakmoss, and tons of sour pyralone make that classic tannery leather accord vintage enthusiasts all know and love, making Unforgettable feel like a bastard child of perfumer Bernard Chant or Germaine Cellier, unloved and adopted by Avon out of foster care. The original pink bottle graphics and pretty filigreed gilding really belies what Unforgettable is all about, sadly. Performance is bazonkers, so don't worry there.

I don't need to tell you what happens next, as Revlon eventually released its own fragrance called Revlon Unforgettable (1990). They secured rights to the Nat King Cole song, which was just a year away from being covered by his daughter, Natalie Cole; when it was, they secured the rights to that too, and Revlon plastered commercials with both versions of the song all over television, and radio. Revlon so completely sealed out the 30-years-older Avon fragrance of the same name, that Avon just never bothered to re-issue it again after a brief reappearance in the late 80's alongside Bird of Paradise (my mom owned the re-issue pair around that time as well). Some of the DNA I feel also made its way into the men's aldehyde leather chypre Clint! by Avon (1976), which may inform its own similarity to Aramis by Estée Lauder (1965) Thumbs up

I just adored unforgettable back in the day. It lasted all day and I received so many compliments on it.

I absoulutely adored Unforgettable.The scent was so pretty and had its pwn identity. I always felt feminine,and gorgeous. Its such ashame that Avon has become so,so, boring now.2010.

I detect powdery notes, some patchouli. Also citrusy notes in the opening. Reminds me of Coco Mademoiselle in a vintagey sort of way.

Here's another one that is no longer available. This is soft and powdery. I still have some of this and its really nice. This is good if you dont want your fragrance to enter the room before you do.