Imari (Original) 1985

Finally, a day cool enough to wear my Imari again. I forget how much I do love this fragrance until I put it on and let it settle and develop; a sniff from the bottle does not do it justice. This fragrance does have a masculine vibe—which I love. It also comes across as a more “mature” scent, also just fine by me (I’m in my 30’s, for what that’s worth). As I revisit this fragrance, I realize that it in many ways exemplifies my favorite notes. Galbanum—I only recently realized that this is a common denominator in some of my favorite fragrances, and part of what gives that warm, strong, masculine sense. Bergamot—another favorite, another slightly masculine note; herbal-y, rich yet crisp. Sandalwood—almost a guarantee that I will adore a fragrance, this also gives warmth and depth. Musk—not a ‘white musk’ here, but also not a dirty or overly complex musk, either; well balanced. Yes, there is cedar here, but thankfully not too much....and yes, there is that strong, pinchy chemical note of aldehydes, but I’m OK with it here and don’t find it too overwhelming and think it provides balance. Amber—yes, I sense it’s there...but blended so well with the other warm notes, and not typical; this is not a vanilla-centric amber, but a spicy, earthy, golden amber. Orris root....not strong in this composition, not to my nose...but like the style of amber, I think the orris is giving an earthiness. The lily and tuberose...the vanilla and ylang-ylang....my nose doesn’t pick these notes up at all, unless to say they are there keeping the overall composition from being a completely masculine scent. I love how Imari develops on my skin. I love that it is complex yet well integrated; it is warm, rich and opulent without relying heavily on vanillic-amber. It is somehow spicy, without any spice-notes (it seems that cloves , ginger and cinnamon should be listed as notes...but they are not). It is somehow smoky, like hardwood or mesquite burning in the corner of a cozy room—but not overpowering, not tobacco-like, and without a true incense note. Imari is like a deep, dark, red Rioja—smoky, well oaked, rich, mature, smooth and multidimensional, with each sip, each sniff, bringing a new sensory gift.

I remember the mysterious red bottle my mother owned, & I was not allowed to play with! What a pretty bottle, curvy like a woman, daring in red. I think the scent is a good match as well. Rich, deep, and voluptuous, Imari is one of those classics that will give you a distinct halo, and the quality of this perfume is not lost. I believe I have purchased a vintage set. It smells exactly as I recall on my mother, & it is indeed very strong! Luckily for me, the galabdanum that's present in many chypres, greens & orientals gets along with my skin famously, so this rich composition sings for me! Please note, dear reader, That I am in the midst of a binge through the house of Amouage, so it is obvious to all that i love robust perfumes! just a personal preferance. This is my comfort "Oriental." When Amouage is too complex, or the AG Orientaistes Collection too heavy, this is the perfect scent to reach for, and it is reached for often! It brings to mind an oriental/green composition for me. Resins, smoke, a leather hint perhaps.. fiercly green galabdanum in a massive dose & beautiful Sandalwood give this perfume a sexy bottom! I would advise fellow resinous, exotic, and sensuous perfume lovers to fall into this huge success from the Avon line. I've heard the reformulation is lighter, more powdery & delicate, which I could definitely see suiting some. Ill stick with the old powerhouse that competes with Opium & Samsara thanks! And she does indeed hold her own. Here is Cinderella! Nobody knew this hidden beauty was coming to the ball! And oh, no.. The bitch wore RED!

So, l have had a hate-love (yes, in that order) relationship with Imari. About 10ish years ago, l was gifted a 1oz bottle (dated 2002) of Imari. When l first smelled it, l HATED this fragrance so much; it just smelled so masculine, harsh and l thought it just smelled like men’s deodorant from the 80’s 😖. I moved out of my parents’ house, and this fragrance literally sat on my dressing table, forgotten and abandoned for 10 years. I happened to visit, the other day, and came across Imari, again. I’ve recently renewed my love for Avon scents and own Far Away, Far Away Sensual Embrace, Candid, Sweet Honesty, Odyssey, Night Magic, Timeless, Rare Pearls, Rare Gold, Soft Peony Musk, the new version of Topaze, Haiku, and Imari Blossom, so l was curious about Imari. I took the lid off and smelled and l was still instantly reminded of harsh 80’s deo...BUT! ...l got up my curiosity and courage, sprayed some on my skin, and O. M. G!!!! This scent instantly changed into this feminine spicy, yet soapy and clean-turns-powdery (I also weirdly smell a little coconut *shrug* ) aroma that l absolutely couldn’t stop smelling! I then sprayed it all over my body, went to bed and slept like a bebby! I have absolutely no idea if my body chemistry changed, or if my olfactory senses have matured and changed to appreciate more complex fragrances, but I’m totally head-over-heels in love with Imari! I started loving Youth Dew, also, so l wonder if that opened my mind up to the possibility of loving Imari, too... 🤔

Vintage face powder, Elnette Hairpsray, Cigar smoke and spicy Incense in the best possible way. Wonderfully cheap and suprisingly sexy for a cheap cologne. This is really one of the few Avon scents that works with my chemistry. Layer with the body powder or skin softener for best effect it really enhances the powdery vintage feeling of this fragrance. For some reason this is a man magnet despite it's cheap as chips price tag and bad reputation; everytime I wear it I get compliments from men about the exotic smell. I first found this when I was 15 and I was in love with it. This even comes in a body spray which smells very true to the perfume and will only set you back a couple of dollars! I love this, it's very grounding for me to wear and makes me feel comforted and serene and I can wear it summer or winter without a headache unlike anything else I own. It's my go to whenever I cannot decide to wear, great for casual or work days and I even wear it to bed when relaxing. The icing on the cake is how easy this is for me to buy and how affordable it is. I am pretty sure that a lot of people know me from this scent, it may not be my most favourite or the most gorgeous scent I own but it has travelled the years with me and is still sitting in my perfume drawer 15 years on.

I love this perfume and think it is one of Avon's best. The newer version is softer than the original but the fragrance is still pretty much the same as the original, in fact, I prefer the modern version over the original which was much heavier and mature smelling. I wouldn't compare this to Chanel No. 5 as it is more woodsy than Chanel No. 5. CN5 is more of a floral. Also, the dry down of Imari is reminiscent of dried flowers pressed between the pages of old dusty books in an attic. This "old" smell is not offensive, it is elegant and comforting, at least to me. It reminds me of my Mom who wore this in the 80's when she sold Avon. I loved the way my Mom smelled when she wore this perfume. It was her signature fragrance for several years until she discovered Tresor. I really like Imari, but I'm not sure if I could wear it as my signature because It was my Mom's. I think it's one of those perfumes that you associate with the memory of someone who wore it because it has been around for about 30 years

The fragrance world is highly dominated today by the sweet fruity floral scents. With that reason I always make sure I pick a fragrance away from mainstream. One reason why I decided to get this fragrance was simply because reviewers claim it to be a 'cousin' of Chanel No.5 & Shalimar. At first spritz it honestly turned me off. For someone who isn't used to aldehyde the opening was right in your face. I decided to put it aside. I gave it another chance and the trick is to apply lightly and waiting for the aldehyde to settle/dry off which is about ten min. For someone who burns incense everyday like me, Imari captures the scent perfectly. A mature, bold and confident fragrance which is a classic. More importantly it evokes and wraps the person wearing this fragrance in an aura of COMPLETE EXOTICNESS. Apply it sparingly so that you wont get overwhelmed by the scent. Not a lot of people know that Avon makes very good, seductive fragrances. This is one.

I agree with reviewers below, thrifting ain't what it used to be, but I've had insanely good luck with perfumes. (My all-time greats being full size unused Cinnabar from 1978, in the box, $10 at Salvation Army, 4 oz Fragonard On the Rocks $3 at Volunteers of America, and a 2.5 oz Lancome Oui $.99 at Goodwill). Today I found Imari in the box, $4.99. a little more than I like to spend on an Avon at thrift, but I thought what the heck. Well I get home and open her up and I see that it's marked as 1985 first edition on the pretty red flacon. Lucky again! Smells great. I can see the inspiration from the late seventies ambers craze, but this holds its own. It actually reminds me a lot of Rive Gauche with a big dose of sandalwood. Be patient people; you never know when your lucky day will come. You just have to wait for thrift store employees that don't know what they're looking at to put it out on the floor! 🤣

I remember when Imari first came out in the mid 80's. It was not exactly an Opium clone, but was in the same type of fragrance category. The 80's incarnation was a bit spicier. I recently ordered a bottle before the bottle change (still in the opaque maroonish colored bottle) and it was a much weaker but still pretty good. So I ordered another bottle, and not only has the bottle changed, the fragrance is just about nonexistent. After the first few minutes you can hardly smell it, and after a couple of hours it is almost gone. And this is with layering the lotion and matching powder with it! Avon seems to have a bad habit of discontinuing or messing with their best fragrances. Soft musk is gone, Imari has been ruined, next thing you know Timeless will be watered down as well. And yet they keep adding to the overly floral sillage bomb line of Rare whatever.

This fragrance is incredibly evocative, conjuring up images of black night and mystery....who is that woman and what scent is circling around her? This is a heavy, but not overbearing fragrance,*perfect* for winter and cold-weather wear. Though, also incredibly sexy so it's very luxurious and acceptable for summer as well. I do love this fragrance. The color used in the packaging is somewhere between a deep cinnamon and some maroon-red. The fragrance is just as rich as the color. To me, this is a very mysterious fragrance; people know that they like what they smell on you, but cannot quite put their finger on what it is they're catching a waft of. The woman who wears this is confident, intelligent and in control, and doesn't give all of her secrets away at once....

Imari Seduction is my favorite perfume, and Imari Blossom has quickly become another favorite. I got a bottle of Imari in the mail today, deciding to give it a try after passing it up at the flea market after a whiff test. At first spray I thought I still didn't like it, then I let it settle on my skin. After about an hour, I caught notice of it while I was walking around the house, and I love it. It's feminine but dark without being overbearing with the musk. It's like an elegant sweater, cozy and mysterious. Another win from the Imari line.

I just came home with a 1 oz spray bottle of Imari from an antique mall in town. In the store, and without spraying, I would have sworn this was a chypre. I got home and sprayed a bit on the back of my hand and got just a split second of bergamot and aldehydes, and then within seconds a strong hit of fruit that was gone almost as fast. Then baby powder and incense. I like baby powder and love incense, so this is fine with me. I wish the opening would have hung in a bit longer, I was enjoying that fruity opening that disappeared so fast.

I love Imari - it reminds me quite a lot of Shalimar and, as others mentioned, a woodier version of Chanel No 5. On me, though, it's more of a floral oriental than a floral aldehyde. I have the Imari body wash, lotion, and dusting powder that I layer on with something like Shalimar, Opium, or Tabu; it blends nicely with any vintage perfume. Like a lot of the older Avon fragrances, this one is womanly and sophisticated. No Froot Loop scent here!

Imari is my signature scent. I have been wearing Imari since I was 18. People actually associate the scent with me. I love the spicy, floral notes that radiate from it. It lingers for days and just gets better. The new formulation was nothing in comparison to this. A good friend managed to find a seller who has a stash of old Imari so I think I shall be stocking up for life. I couldn't live without it.

I was skeptical about buying perfume from Avon because all of them I purchase give me a headache. I was pleasantly surprised with Imari. I got a deal that I got powder, lotion and the perfume for 10 bucks. My favorite way to wear it is after my bath at bed time mainly because my husband LOVES Imari. I even spray it on my pillow! PS This last at least over night on my skin.

Whats not to like? I actually ordered a bottle to see how 'horrible' it was! It was on sale and sounded like it was right up my alley - warm woody incense-y thing. I think it's just fine! I have Carons that I hate worse than this, I have sampled niche fragrances that are MUCH worse than this.I don't think its like Tabu at all.I like it! So there!

This smells different and unexpected, and quite unusual. I would describe it as aldehydes and incense. There's a soapy freshness mixed with smokey incense that is appealing to me. It's strong so it's easy to use too much but with a light application, it defintitely has an old school glamour about it.

Imari who does not have it....This came out the same yr my son was born and I recently acquired another bottle. I agree with drdonna when you layer it, that's when it has its charm. The shower gel and lotion are heavenly not costly but gosh you feel luxurious when you apply it!!!

Old school spicy-sweet smell with a most addictive aldehyde blast! Great on a cold, rainy or snowy night. It almost guarantees good dreams! I have always had it and I always will. Not particularly long lasting, but it is always on sale, so carry with and re-spray. I love it.

Imari is a very warm,spicy and cozy scent. I associate my greatest childhood memories with this scent. Does anyone know if the reformulated version smells the same as the original? I recently purchased one in hopes of enjoying the fragrant memories of the good old days.

this is truly my favorite fragrance for evening. it is very sophisticated. i don't care for the cologne spray, just the shower gel and body lotion. they are dynamite. and you can always pull out a little bottle of the lotion if things get too quiet!