Elusive

I absolutely adore this scent. I (blind) bought a bottle at a flea market this summer, on the recommendation by the (crotchety and enigmatic) booth seller of it having been her favorite in the 70s. It was a 1994 edition to celebrate what must have been the 25th anniversary. The lavender filigree design had me sold. It turned out to be a GREAT buy for me. I get green lilac (or maybe some heliotrope, wisteria, a bit of iris? powdery purple but not violet.) And a strong incense/smoke. Then it dries with some muskiness, powderiness, and mild mossy notes. Overall, Elusive is pretty linear. Starts as a pale purple smokey floral, and ends that way. You can find this scent easily and affordably on auction sites and second hand shops in many different iterations--Avon sold popular scents in numerous & varied collectible shaped cologne bottles for gift-giving. I have backups in the form of a perfume oil, perfume roll on, and a few of the colognes in fun shapes. I also scored a bottle of vintage Yardley Khadine, as it's noted for its similarities. I don't think they're very similar other than having a chypre structure and similar marketing/ad copy. I own many chypres and none smell very similar to Elusive except other Avon chypres. Elusive has a true "smoke" note that is appealing and unique.

Oh my gosh...this fragrance is beautiful! It makes me wish that I could transport myself back to the year 1969! I've always had an affinity with the hippie era and the flower children. Of course, anything purple and paisley is right up my alley! I love the original design of the bottle...the colors, and the beautiful paisley cap! I purchased a bottle of this on eBay, and it doesn't smell bad at all (considering that it's about 50 years old)! I think that some of the notes have withered slightly, but the smell is not unpleasant at all--though I am not brave enough to wear it outside my home. Elusive reminds me of ET's Passion, but Elusive is softer and more feminine. And, of course, it doesn't have that leather note. But there is some similarity there. I like Passion, but I like Elusive much more. Elusive is soft, delicate, and feminine. It is sweet, powdery, and smokey. I wish Avon would bring this one back, but it should stick to the original formula.

I still love Elusive. It is an elegant light spicy scent, IMO. I would not hesitate to wear it anywhere I wouldn't dare wear jeans (designer or otherwise). I just bought a full 1/4 oz of PERFUME in a teeny bottle shaped like a bird or dove. The owner says his mother sold Avon in 60's and 70's, and when she passed, recently, he discovered cartons of Avon in a backyard storage shed which for decades had sheltered the bottles' contents in the searing heat of south Texas. Every perfume bottle I sniffed was still true to the scents as I remember them. Maybe a bit "thinner" version of the original, but definitely vintage Avon. I have fond memories of vintage Avon perfumes.

Just received a vintage 1/2 oz perfume version in a retro crystal teardrop bottle. This is classic....almost chypre...oriental floral...in the same "vibe" (not clone/dupe) of scents like Chanel Coco,Sisley Eau de Soir and Dioressence. Just "type of". Projection/sillage is light to medium..but no matter..it is a classic beautiful scent. Albeit...traditional. Love! I may also get a small cologne spray to compare with the perfume version...... Edit: Received an Elusive Cologne Spray Mist today, and it is awesome. A chypre on my skin for sure. This can stand in line very easily with some of the big chypre classics....IMO.

This was MY perfume in the early 70s. I sprayed some on my middle daughter today and she said it reminded her of autumn leaves. Someone on a thread I started about Elusive once said they found it to be a 'woody chypre' and that's how it smells to me too. I've found that it smells completely different in warmth or cold. Wearing it outside in the winter, I smell more flowers and it smells sweeter. edit: Wearing Elusive for the first time in months today, and I'll be darned it if isn't spicy. How could I not have noticed that before? All I knew was, it smelled wonderful. A spicy-woody chypre. :)

I initially bought this to add the pretty pink vintage bottle to my collection, and in the process met another perfume to love! This is stunning, fairly soft but spicy, smoky beauty that smells wonderful right now as the temperatures are plummeting. I want to spritz a big sweater with it and pull it on over my head, and just enjoy it lingering in my hair. This is a perfume that smells like the bottle looks, from another time, almost otherworldly in its style of beauty.

I mean, truly, our friend Varanis Ridari covers Elusive with aplomb in his review on Basenotes, but I do want to add that there is a certain stream of heliotrope and something that reminds me of even wisteria blooms that runs through this civet-forward, amber-hued floral chypre. There is even a bit of a smoky effect here, perhaps from the usage of quinolines. Those who appreciate releases from Marlou Paris may very well find Elusive to be the (civet) cat's pajamas.

Found an apple shaped bottle of this perfume a couple years ago, and it became my daily wear all through high school. Opens up very strong and smoky (friend quoted it "hits you like smelling salts if it doesn't air out"), before mellowing out and eventually fading into lighter florals. Still one of my favorites, 9/10.

I have this in a cologne. The bottle is called a purse? It's shaped like a ladies evening bag, with gold metal shoulders, gold lid that resembles the clip type opening of a small purse and a metal chain. The chain is tarnishing, but the other metal parts are fine. I got this from my MIL, she purchased from Avon somewhere in the 70's. This smells like L'eau Air de Temp by Nina Ricci to me. It's a toss up between like and ok for me.

First time wearing this scent today. Starts spicy, then becomes a little soapy , and then more floral after dry down. If you like the 80s uni-sex scents, then give this one a spin .

All I get is the tiniest bit of spice and a whole lot of chypre. Wish it was woodier, smokier, and spicier.

The combination of smoke and sweet flowers in Elusive rubs me the wrong way. I wasn't expecting that. It smelled nice enough in the bottle, but the way it's developing on my skin is odd. It's taken on a sourness I don't like. This is happening less than half an hour after applying it. The spices stand out far more in the bottle; it liked it there. It might still be nice if I put it on clothing, a handkerchief, or something like that. It reminds me more of Mitsuoko than any other perfume I know, and that isn't my favorite. In fact, it's reminding me of the same aunts or friends of the family who wore that. I try not to let memories prejudice me against fragrances, but that and the weird way it's interacting with my skin has made it hard for me to like it.

I found a bottle of this buried in a thrift shop, my bottle is from 1972 and in a bottle Avon calls Royal Apple. The bottle I have is completely full and the scent, though I have never had the pleasure to experience until last weekend may be a bit thin from age it is lovely nonetheless. I decanted a bit into a spray bottle (the bottle I bought is a splash) and spritzed some on this morning. Five hours later, the scent is still present, the spicy/smoky notes are still there though getting a bit softer. I love this perfume, I'm so glad I snagged it when I saw it!

Avon used to put out some nice perfumes, and E. is one of them. Well named because it's spicy yet light, this fragrance doesn't beat the wearer into submission like some other spice perfumes do. Trending towards the masculine, E. is unisex enough for a man, and it's lovely on a woman. Sillage and lasting power are modest at best, this one's a skin scent and thus work safe.

very strong long lasting spicy oriental aroma which is in delicate small pink roll perfumed oil bottle. at this time - it's rare thing