Weekend

I just wanted to give a shout out to Varanis Ridari on Basenotes for renewing my appreciation for Avon. It was a staple in my household growing up, and my Mom and her Avon lady were tight. We'd even visit her at her own house at times, and I'd marvel at her collection of novelty bottles and stock when I was six, seven years old. The brand was everywhere, from Skin So Soft to their signature Bubble Bath, to myriad cosmetics and fragrances bought for the family around holidays. One bottle that I hadn't seen since one of our fateful visits to Mom's Avon lady bestie was Weekend, which I coveted then and now I own today. Weekend is an ode to the sacrament that is the working man's....weekend. Yes, a time for leisure, kicking back, having a cigar, throwing a few on the grill, and maybe even making a little whoopee if you were a good boy. What better way to complement one's rugged, noble masculinity than a few splashes of cologne. It begins with citrus, lavender, sage but there's a twist: a tobacco accord, supported with a clary sage and what seems to be the IFF Epicene Gamma base. Epicene Gamma is a clovey-peppery, spicy, and warm, used in such classics as Hermes Equipage through to Roger and Gallet Open and Cacharel Pour L'Homme. Here it is muscled up with those 70s musks, but not too much, we leave that to the flashy yuppies with their bold gold jewelry and wheatgrass. Here, have a burger and take in that clean, respectable man aura. I stress "aura," because, as with many Avons, while the "colognes" are rather EDT strength (but it's for MEN so no fancy-schmancy labels, please), they do hug the skin. But what a strong, burly man hug it is...