Wild Country Musk
Avon

Avon Wild Country Musk (1988) seems like something that should be pretty cut and dried on paper, with all signs pointing to it being pretty much like the classic "western" barbershop fougère Avon Wild Country (1967), but with the knobs on the musk amplifier "turned to 11". In practice, this is anything but the truth, and Wild Country Musk shares only the slightest bit of DNA with the original, plus not even having the same type of musk at its core. This isn't to say Avon Wild Country Musk is a disappointment, it's just not the fragrance it sells itself as, and whether or not you end up liking it has more to do with how you feel about classic musk fragrances from the 1970's than whether or not you like barbershop smells. Some may even argue that deep vintage Wild Country with those rich nitromusks is ironically muskier than the musk flanker due to this complete replacement of the musk profile, but compared to the drier and powderier iteration available by the time this rolled out, I can see how this might feel like it succeeds at what it sets out to do, and evidently it was well-liked enough to live on in other markets long after Avon pulled the plug on this in the US where it launched. My review is from a 1988 generic "pill bottle" 3oz sprayer, although I do wish for this line to have integrated spray heads into the original splash bottle.

The first thing you notice when splashing or spraying on Wild Country Musk is that familiar parched bergamot and dry lavender/anise/basil profile which opens the original, showing promise of what's on the label. However, this opening is really the only part of Wild Country Musk that bears any resemblance to Wild Country proper. The sage and carnation of the original's heart also seem to remain, but there's a sweetness here that reminds me of powdery vanilla, something that turns up in Avon Undeniable for Men (1991) in greater quantity. The musk quickly shows its face, but it isn't that slightly animalic ambery sweet tonkin-type musk of the old Wild Country or even what's in Avon Musk for Men (1983), and instead is more like that "oh I'm wearing a musk" kind of profile you find in Jovan, Alyssa Ashley, Coty, and Revlon products of the period that all self-present as musk. Even Avon's own Night Magic (1981) had this type of powdery soft musk. Wear time is a quiet 8 hours and projection is surprisingly low for a musk, but this wears best as a polite winter weather casual option, or if you're snuggling at home with a sweetheart. I wouldn't take Wild Country Musk to the office even with such modest sillage, because this kind of scent will make you a target for "cologne guy" jokes galore; tell'em Ron Burgundy sent (and scent) ya.

Avon Wild Country Musk feels more like a rushed job of trying to put a musk out in the style of other popular drugstore musks from the 70's and 80's, since their original aromatic resinous take on musk from earlier in the decade this launched didn't seem to make any waves. Slapping some top notes from their most popular men's release at the time seemed like a good idea, but they only really roll out the red carpet for what is effectively a different fragrance once they take their paychecks and leave. I really need to hit home that this is more like a Jovan Musk for Men (1973) than Wild Country, although the bits of sage and lavender that remain do make this feel just a tiny bit more fougère-like than the mostly amber-powered Jovan, in case the spicy oriental bits of the Jovan bothered you. Original bottles were brown with a metal badge and gold cap, then when it moved to being a Latin American market exclusive, got a makeover into an admittedly cooler all-black bottle with red badge and graphics. If these powdery musks are your bag, check this out, but otherwise stick with the OG. I like Avon Wild Country Musk and do not regret my purchase, but concede that I was hoping for a bit more from a musk flanker to an already-musky scent. Thumbs up.

This is an obnoxious musk. Fresh, clean and open but I don't seem to like this. I like a sweet musk. This is definitely closer to "real" musk.