Little Red Dress. Avon

Perfumer: Sonia Constant

Top Notes: Citruses, raspberry, plum
Heart Notes: Jasmine, rose
Base Notes: Musk, sandalwood, amber

Avon launched several ‘dress’ scents (Little Black Dress, Gold, Lace and Sequence) and Red Dress is one of the most beloved in the line-up.

Firstly, it has perfumer par excellence behind it, Sonia Constant. Constant is the spirit nose behind many luxury brands including (Flower Bomb) Viktor and Rolf, Fragonard, Burberry, Coach, Guerlain, and the newest Narcisco Rodriguez Musc de Rose, among countless others. For a berry/fruity perfume, this one floats with just amount of jasmine and rose to lighten it and keep it from becoming a syrupy ‘gourmand’. The wood notes and musk balance the berries. If I were to describe it I would say, wearing this is like being in a forest of wild raspberries, a touch of moss and deep, warm but oddly cool ‘woods’. It’s like a dewy forest that is fresh and green (is it the citrus that does that?) but surprisingly approachable for the floral and fruit notes. This is a great daytime perfume because it’s feminine without being office-inappropriate but due to its longevity – impressive – it’s not a bad end-of-day, cinq-a-sept fragrance that makes the transition from office to cocktail party or early evening violin quartet concert, complete with nibbles and wine on an summer’s evening. This is a particularly feminine perfume and while it’s sweet, it’s not cloying. For the price and the nose behind it, it’s another one of those Avon best-kept-secret ‘steals’.