Charlie

Charlie! So misunderstood for so long and by so many! Many many moons ago, when Charlie came to be, it was frowned upon by many. Understandably. Especially in Europe. With an array of Fidji’s, Miss Dior’s, Madame Rochas, Ô de Lancôme, Rive Gauche’s, Diorella’s and Cristalle’s, there was no need for a ‘cheap’ drugstore perfume like Charlie. I came to know it by a small silver apple pendant with a creamy formula that my mother had and never used. It wasn’t her style but I immediately loved its bitterness. I came to find a while ago a cologne from the 70’s in its baby blue box. Pristine. A time capsule of all sorts. And Charlie has won me over again! Upon first sniff, I can see where Charlie took its inspiration; Estēe and Fidji, its European equivalent. While Fidji was always a bit softer, Estēe, like a good American fragrance, was louder. And Charlie too. But instead of the polished sofistication of the Lauder, Revlon gave us a more approachable version. A rougher around the edges perfume, that just like its ads, didn’t need anything else to feel complete. Charlie greets me with a hyacintine floral beauty, with soft echoes of tropical white flowers. Some jasmine, some tuberose/gardenia but without a heavy feel. Flowers drenched in sparkling aldehydes and soft citrus notes that elevate this fresh cologne to last and last. Just like the box states. But the green heart soon comes along. Charlie has spades of oakmoss and galbanum, what mostly shows on my skin, with a touch of spicy coriander. Vetiver and sandalwood, which I’m smelling as proper Mysore, add a deeper woody background but never shadowing the green verdancy. Charlie keeps its slight floral character throughout, but as a background voice. The theme here is green. Green meadows, a freshly mowed lawn, your back garden. Things that would appeal to the newly independent American woman who was starting to take the workplace by storm, was sufficiently self-sustained without a man and could juggle her career and personal life. Things were changing, and Charlie came to be an affordable high quality fragrance for the modern woman. It was fresh, it was new, but most importantly, it was within everyone’s reach and it lasted the entire day. I love it. I’ve always had a soft spot for it, and now that I can wear the cologne freely, I feel in heaven with every breath. Carefree and wild spirited while retaining a certain elegance that within today’s market, increases drastically, Charlie is as unisex as they come. Its marketing and launch captured a moment in time that marked a change, but today, Charlie shines on its own merits. Sillage and longevity outstanding! Mid 70’s, 235cc Eau de Cologne reviewed.

Like so many in my generation I grew up with this fragrance around me. It was never one my own mother wore, not her style. But you couldn't be born in the 70s or 80s and not be aware of this iconic scent. I used to snag it from my sister and she's the one who taught me how to wear it. I like it, I love it. EVEN though it gives me a headache. Go figure. Once the initial aldehydic, kind of soapy smelling (headache inducing) note drys off this is a great scent. When I'm going to wear it I spray it on almost right after my bath or shower ritual of that morning. Gives time for the heart notes to begin to shine through. (Seriously, whatever is up with my body chem., perfumes don't seem to last as long on me.) I tend to think of this more as an open space, outdoor scent. Works well into the evening. Jeans, slacks (it was the first perfume commercial to feature a woman wearing pants). Wear it when you want to be casual but noticed. And expect to not really like the scent on yourself while receiving compliments from friends and passersby. (Though I'm one who loves it on herself) I have worn it to church, one of the ladies was like "Oh my gosh! Are you wearing CHARLIE?! Where did you get it?" I wore it to the office yesterday and my boss loved it. It's an icon for a reason. And I do love my iconic scents. It does remind me a little bit of Chanel No. 5, probably because of the aldehydes, but the differences are important and of course Charlie is the drug store, accessible to all brand. It's complex and beautiful, bold and not to be bothered with discretion. In today's world where the trend is boring, single note perfumes, watered down... everything, with little or no character - Charlie is a stand out. I'm editing this to say that after a week of using the perfume again regularly - no headache at all. I guess I established a good relationship with her and Charlie is now my best friend. Also, I can hardly stop sniffing myself. On my skin, where most perfumes go to die or fade into nothingness, she is NOT giving up the ghost. Worn to the park this past weekend I found myself standing up-wind of a man who was there walking his dog. He waved and said I must be wearing some kind of lovely perfume because there weren't enough flowers in bloom for it to be anything else! He laughed when I told him it was Charlie. Then he said he guessed good taste never really went out of style. Why do people laugh or act surprised about Charlie? I think I'm going to make it my mission to educate people about this perfume.

There are several negative reviews on here about Charlie. I think this is one of the more mis-understood fragrances that are out there. Charlie was and still is one of those perfumes that never tried to win hearts, and that was the whole point. It was introduced during a time when women were really beginning to make the effort to come into their own as hardworking and perfectly capable. The women who wear Charlie do not need the approval of others the concern superficiality, in order to feel good about themselves. Charlie is loaded with alhehydes, masculine and feminine florals, woods, powder, metallic elements, and all those nasties that give high marks to self-assurance. It doesn't try to win you over by smelling like the dessert line at the local country kitchen. It doesn't seek your approval by smelling like some niche concoction with a bazillion, perfectly blended notes. It does not attempt to seduce you with a romantic, victorian garden of tuberose, gardenia, and the like. It doesn't have to. For Charlie, it's the fragrance that is being worn by a woman who doesn't give a hoot what you think about her...or her perfume. This woman wears it for herself, because she likes it, and that's all you need to know. If you suggest to a Charlie wearing woman at the office that her perfume is not your favorite, she will respond with, "Good for you. Now, where is that report I asked you for?" Something that women were not able to do prior to its' introduction. This fragrance was a milestone. This fragrance is (to my nose) a powerful, slightly masculine, bright, edgy, green, aldehydic floral with a mineral and soft wood drydown. In my opinion, it smells like a green field of timothy hay, with one's nose to the ground, near the claybed. It is confidant and unique. It is a signature scent. It is not cheaply made. Every accord and note is included with purpose. I love it! And, for a fragrance that has such a bad reputation for stinkery...I certainly, as the sky is blue, recieve my fair share of compliments. I don't know a woman who did not own a bottle of this by 1980. That has got to say something. No, it's not accessible for the tender nosed. It does not smell like candy, pink flowers, babies, or sweet spices. It's an acquired taste, with a personality of its own. It is a challenging fragrance for many. But, if you ever liked it once, chances are you will like it forever. I know I do, and will continue to.

In 1974, my dad was a sales rep for Revlon in Southern California. I was just 6 but I remember him bringing home samples. I don't think my mom ever wore it but my grandma did. I loved how she smelled and have vague but fond memories of going into her bathroom and smelling Charlie. Once I hit my teens, I wore Charlie a lot. It seemed so earthy, warm and cozy. And it worked with my body chemistry like no other fragrance. Even when I dealt with weekly migraines as a young mom, on the days I didn't have a headache I would do a quick spritz before I ran out the door, kids in tow. It has probably been 20 years since I smelled Charlie. When I started collecting fragrances two years ago, I tried to find Charlie. I was sad when I found out it wasn't in circulation anymore but did purchase Charlie Blue because of how similar it was supposed to be. I was disappointed but I kept it and use it in late winter/early spring. It's nice but it's not MY Charlie. Recently, a friend said that she saw vintage Charlie on Ebay so I bought a bottle thinking that it was probably not my vintage Charlie. It arrived today and I am in heaven. The initial blast of aldehydes immediately brought up very old memories of my childhood. And while Blue is similar to the original it is like a less round version of the composition and definitely doesn't have the aldehydes. Charlie was supposed to be Revlon's less expensive version of no. 5. There are similarities but Charlie is more down to earth and relaxed. It's a vintage, aldehydic bomb/chypre/floral mess but it's fabulous. And it isn't linear. Once the heart notes fade, it turns into a sweet, musky skin scent. To my nose anyway It's, earthy, musky, a bit fizzy. It makes me think of walking through damp woods in November after a heavy rain where I'm wearing no. 5. Charlie is not an easy wear if you don't like vintage fragrances. I think it's unlikely to be a good option if you are under 40. You are unlikely to appreciate its carefree, earthy beauty. This has taken forever to finish this post because I keep smelling my wrist!

You will never get as many complements on how good you smell wearing anything else! Every person who does not like “Charlie”, will always like it on someone else, always! Every time I wear this, I hear the same thing...“Oh my, you smell so good, what are you wearing?”. And then I hear the same answer after telling them it’s “Charlie”...”Really? It never smells that good on me”! The reason People don’t like “Charlie” at first is because we’re so use to people walking around in todays world wearing their “J-lo’s” and their “Britney Spears” or their “Pure Vanilla spray” from “The body shop” that we’re bombarded with the same smelling perfumes everyday and they all smell the same ..that when you wear something like "Charlie”, EVERYONE smells what you’re wearing and it always makes a person become strangely attracted to the scent, that they HAVE to know what you’re wearing because it’s such a different smell that stands out, and has an immediate attack on the senses because it’s so rare! The best thing is that it has not changed from day one...even big names like “Estee Lauder’s Beautiful” has changed and “CK’s Obsession”! All of the big names have changed their signature scents over the years to adapt to the times of todays scents, but “Charlie” has always stayed the same. It fills the room as you enter and people love it! BIG TIP-When you try the sample perfume of Charlie at the store...DON’T! Hide the tester and tell a staff member you can not find the tester...they usually open a new box to be the new tester! That way, you can smell the real scent! Testers have been sitting out for years and have gone funky, so when you smell them, it’s always a toxic mix of floor cleaners and poisons ha ha ha! So please open a new box to smell any perfume, so that you really get to smell the true scent of a perfume like “Charlie”! Even though "Charlie" is a toilette...it's a strong toilette, which is a good thing! So for those with dry skin types, this can last up to 6 hours and for those with moist skin types, this can last up to 3 hours, maybe 4!