Rare Rubies

An update: Does anybody know the note(s) that seems to last forever with Rare Rubies? It is so addictive....maybe the rose, I am not sure. I just am constantly sniffing myself or anywhere I sprayed like my shirt so magnetic in my opinion.It is a pleasure to breathe in deeply this scent. It's kind of sweet with another spice mixed in (maybe what is called the dry down). Any ideas are welcome. On one of the newer boxes 2012-2013 the notes on the box are: coriander, rose, and amber. That would be a change from the original up above. Hello all, I am new to this so bare with me :) I have never really been into perfume and/or fragrance until I stumbled across this gem (no pun intended) Rare Rubies By Avon at my local Goodwill. As well as being love at first sight; the bottle was soft misted glass with a red ruby fan at the top. It was love at first whiff/sniff. Yep, it's one of those ones that you keep sniffing yourself all day long and when it finally disappears, you spritz yourself again to start those magical, euphoric, inhalations. It lasts pretty long as well for an Avon fragrance from what I gather. Like some of the other commentators above; I agree that Avon should definitely bring the original Rare Rubies back, like as a permanent fixture not just a holiday tease! To me, this perfume is what the whole olfactory experience is about, sensuous, pleasurable, enjoyable. This perfume is so very opulent, spicy-sweet, oriental, and rich, I haven't found another Avon fragrance like it, let alone another fragrance like it. Asking everyone here, has anyone found something similar to this fragrance? I haven't tried Cinnabar yet, is it really like it? Any other ones like it? When I got home from the Goodwill that day, I was checking Avon.com to see if they still had Rare Rubies and to my dismay; it had been discontinued. Oh, Oh ((hand raised, squirming)) does anyone know the actual nose or noses behind this fragrance? I know Avon is the company which delivers this beaut, but I would love to know the actual fragrance designer/(s). It's such a rich, gorgeous smell, it leads me to believe that whomever created this fragrance would have other magnetic/magical/ euphoric masterpieces. I would be very grateful to know the nose ;) So eventually, I run out of this gem :( This is where I am gonna seem desperate, fair warning, and don't try this at home!....so I go to my kitchen, open up the seasonings cabinet and reach for Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Coriander, ginger, and fill up a little jar, then I go to my local dollar store and find a very ambery/musky dollar scent. I mix it all together and wait....I'm still waiting...hoping that over time it will go through a metamorphosis (a caterpillar to a butterfly) and end up smelling similar to Rare Rubies...and I still wait! Ever so oft, Avon will re-release it for the holidays. I had gotten a star decanter a couple years back, but something seemed missing from the notes. Now I am not too sure, maybe it's like a fine wine and its an elixir that gets better with age. Last weekend I was at a flea market and found Rare Rubies, again it's in a different type bottle and the notes do seem different, from that first experience at Goodwill. The notes are: African orange flower, ylang-ylang, coriander, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, amber, musk and sandalwood. On the box I have now, it reads; coriander, rose, and amber. Not too sure if it is absolutely the same. Avon, if you are reading this now, don't you think that enough people have requested that you bring this perfume back? I mean I think there is even a Facebook page dedicated to this perfume. It truly is a gem and yes it has a perfect name; Rare Rubies! If you are into an oh so spicy/sweet-oriental/oh wow effect perfumes than you would love this scent. MondeoGirl, hazel1812, NebraskaLoves, Lotofire, Christy2198, Lilahveil, RavynG, I feel you!

Could not resist the allure of the star-shaped bottle in my Avon catalog; ordered a $10 bottle and it arrived last night. The box is very festive (bold red and gold abstract starburst), the fluid is pale pink, and the glass bottle is nice—heavy, spanning my palm in size, with a carved pattern in the glass along the arms of the star and a gold twist cap. This is not a spray top perfume, but an old fashioned decanter; unfortunately, the bottle will not stand on its own, which makes me concerned about leakage. We’ll see how that goes. The perfume starts with a blast of....well....Avon. I don’t know how else to describe it; it’s a musky, aldehydic, bland alcoholic scent that I associated with most of Avon’s fragrances; and I enjoy many Avon scents. Fortunately, that fades rapidly and a mild, slightly spicy sandalwood musk appears. It is a powdery, understated fragrance, not as strong as I had anticipated—I saw the cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger and expected this to be a spicy diva. It’s not. It is musky and very powdery to my nose; it almost catches in the back of my throat, like a whiff of talcum powder taking my breath away. The musk is more of a white musk, and the sandalwood is demure. There is spice, but it’s not powerful or deep—it’s faded, like spices leftover from last Christmas in the back of the cupboard. It’s pleasant enough; I can’t imagine this fragrance offending anyone, nor does it inspire. I’m underwhelmed a little disappointed; it’s not the epitome of holiday cheer I had hoped it would be. If I need something understated, cozy and unassuming, this fragrance will work well; “like” but not “love”. Edit: Well, this is enough of a "like" to warrant re-wearing and some extra sniffing--I've walked past my dresser and caught a whiff of this that caught me pleasantly off guard. It does still start off oddly, but it warms up and seems to last for 6+ hours. It think this could make a nice every day perfume for chilly months. Edit x 2: So, I've worn this for 3 days in a row (a rare thing for me these days) and it is really growing on me. May have to amend my review to "love"!

I had the wonderful fortune of experiencing this after smelling on paper at a thrift shop; a full bottle of the fan shaped top perfume. At first spray, I was caught off guard by the "Avon Blast" but I knew within seconds I had struck Rare Rubies for certain. This fragrance smells highly expensive. It is classy, elegant, exotic, unique, sexy, warm, spicy, amber-y, mysteriously divine. I tried a bit on my arm after the paper test and without even waiting for the dry-down knew I had just experienced one of the finest oriental frags I have ever smelled. Four full bottles of EDP in boxes for $5.99. I bought two before closing and will be waiting at the door to wipe out the rest first thing in the morning... and they are not for resell. Avon created a masterpiece with Rare Rubies. An oriental fragrance lover's 'add to collection immediately and never run out.' It is absolutely beautiful in every way. Update - I made sure to haul out this morn to be there when the doors opened to grab the other bottles. As this masterful blend blooms and unfolds it only becomes more glorious. The cinnamon/cassia settles down and I detect a nice dose of fine myrrh (opoponax?) in deep amber along with other intriguing complexities. It is a true gem. My scent sensitive husband does not share my love for frags, especially my preference for unusual niche scents. Rare Rubies is hardly a niche frag, but is definitely far from ordinary. Extraordinarily opulent! Well done, Avon! Bring it back.

A very spicy cinnamon and nutmeg dominant fragrance with a lot of sandalwood and amber base swimming in Avon signature musk. I get a lot of ylang ylang as this develops. I can see why people think of Samsara when they smell this because of the big sandalwood and ylang presence in this perfume. So, if you love Samsara and want something somewhat similar this is a super inexpensive option. eBay has a lot of these for reasonable prices. If you love fragrances like Samsara, EL vintage Cinnabar (which is sooo expensive on eBay now). You will love Rare Rubies as well. This is such an elegant, sophisticated perfume. They don't make them like this anymore. I'm glad I picked this up a long with Rare Emeralds. Both of them are absolutely gorgeous and rich. They have a niche quality to them. If you put either of these fragrances in a niche bottle and charged hundreds of dollars no one would flinch. Avon had wonderful fragrances at wonderful prices and were light years ahead of their time. I plan building up my vintage Avon collection over the next few months. Great value for money. If you love cinnamon check this one out.

Rare Rubies is a people-pleaser perfume. There are certain fragrances I wear that evoke responses from the opposite sex. You can see it in their eyes. Their pupils dilate. They stare a little longer than they should. You can almost feel them inhaling you in. Rare Rubies is one of them. With spicy notes of ginger, coriander and nutmeg, warmed by cinnamon, feathered by musk, tempered by amber and surrounded by sandalwood, Rare Rubies envelops itself around a person. This perfume radiates outward generously and that's ok, because its scent is lanquidly sexual. There are hidden thoughts that sit with these fumes-akin to the librarian with glasses fantasy. Is Rare Rubies naughty or nice? You determine the outcome. This wonderful fragrance lasts for hours. Unfortunately, it's discontinued, but available on the secondary market,at flea markets and I do know some Avon dealers will track it down for their customers. Definitely worth trying.