Unspoken
Avon (1975)

Avon's take on the aldehydic floral is one that bites with galbanum and cuts through with hyacinth, sending a serious message with quotations of flower, fruit, and wood orbiting through, and a honeyed layer that stops it short of being brutal. With (almost) contemporaries like Calandre, Esteé, Rive Gauche, Moon Drops, it CAN hold a candle to them, and may say "don't fuck with me, fellas!" the loudest! Its growl does begin to be more of a purr a few hours in, but it's a delicious buttery sandalwood coquetting with one hell of a moss heap.

Unspoken actually does say a lot, but perhaps it's the wearer who is speechless.

Avon moved into green floral chypres like so many did in the 70's, beginning in earnest with Charisma (1970), then progressed through Moonwind (1971), Emprise (1974), and then this, Unspoken (1975). By mid-decade, chypres for women had become brutally sharp bergamot and oakmoss monsters peppered with white florals, and sometimes leather, but they had to compete against the over-the-top musk bombs and soapy herbal fougères of the era, so they too became inadvertently masculine as a result. Nobody at the time really perceived them as such, but after a few decades, looking back on most of the surviving examples will yield bitter, green, assertive results that are far more unisex now than anything else, especially in light of what actually passes as intentionally unisex in the 21st century. Unspoken runs in the same lane as Chanel Cristalle (1974), but is even more extreme and almost psychotically bone dry. Unspoken uses similar blanche citrus and floral development but has a fatter oakmoss bottom, a powdery incense note, drier fruit notes, and a small hint of leather. If Cristalle casts a cold unfeeling gaze, then Unspoken has the eyes of murderous intent. Something this stiff pulled off on such a budget inadvertently makes it feel even more extreme, as there is greater note separation and less ingredients to blend down any of the exposed seams, so expect Unspoken to test even ardent chypre lovers.

The opening of Unspoken is rakish, and a bit startling, with bergamot, galbanum, aldehydes, and hyacinth pulling a cat claw across the face. I'm reminded of Estée Super-Cologne (1968) and Revlon Moon Drops (1970) a bit by the stark aggression, but they eventually soften while this does not. Extremely dessicated peach and raspberry notes zing about, but it's not registering as "fruity" when this dry, and just diversifies the tartness overall instead. Jasmine, rose, ylang-ylang, and a soapy iris note play tug-of-war in the middle, with jasmine providing some sensuality while iris makes it proper, and the rose/ylang just being stuck in the middle. It all grays into oakmoss, cedar, and incense anyway, with sandalwood and musk just rounding the edges slightly, letting a mild leather ghost note appear late in the wear. Unspoken is warmer than Cristalle for sure, and beats up your nose with its rough edges before settling down for an 8+ hour wear. This stuff is humorless and all business, so regardless of gender, Unspoken is definitely an office scent. I'd say Unspoken is also a rare year-rounder in its class, as its warmth gives Unspoken winter strength, but the dry, piercing nature will also cut through humid hot air like a javelin. Regardless of when you wear Unspoken, people will notice, and you'll garner looks of all kinds, most of them alarming or concerned. Oh what fun!

Heteronormative guys won't really dig the hyacinth in the opening, but if they survive it, a steroid-infused version of the old powdery Victorian barbershop floral style awaits, so fans of Caswell-Massey Jockey Club (1840) or Penhaligon's Hammam Bouquet (1872) might dig Unspoken's dry down. Women who love this era of perfume will see Unspoken as the heartless, unfeeling polar opposite to the sunny disposition of Revlon's Charlie (1973), and might find favor with Unspoken when they want their presence felt, but wish to otherwise be left alone, like the colorful spots on a poisonous frog. Cristalle is still classier and better-executed (I mean come on, it's Henri Robert's final work), but I am mildly impressed how Avon was able to churn out something competitive in so little time, as they're usually 5 years behind the cutting-edge minimum unless they create a happy accident like Cotillion (1934), or Occur! (1962), or the previous year's Timeless (1974), which actually presages a movement in the industry. Unspoken is another "ultra-cologne" that never survived the 70's but also never caught on, so it shouldn't be hard to seek out for the curious. My only real complaint is how Avon basically ripped off the bottle design of Estée Lauder Alliage Sport Spray (1972) with Unspoken's packaging, but alas, if you're looking for a totally unforgiving chypre accord, this little cheapo wonder has your number. Use with caution, or use when alone. Thumbs up!

Not real flowery, I don't know the notes, but its a nice fragrance, and has staying power.