I have a confession to make. I love Avon. I know, I know, it’s probably not the most fashionable thing to say and I realise there are some people who would have feelings quite opposed to this, but I am very fond of the brand. For me, it’s all about nostalgia.
I remember the local Avon lady when I was a little girl. She had bright red lipstick, blue eye shadow and was the height of glamour to my innocent eyes. My Mum would buy items from the catalogue and sometimes we’d even get Avon birthday and Christmas presents. I always loved the perfumes and although my sisters and I never got those, I would often sneak a spray from Mum’s collection on her dressing table.
Later, when I had kids of my own, I would get the catalogue from my local Avon lady. In fact, I became an Avon lady myself at one point! My baby sons loved Avon too – especially the catalogues. There would always be Avon catalogues on their bookshelf. Why? For the “scratch’n’sniff” perfume of course.
Over the years, Avon’s range changed quite a lot. Back in the 70s and 80s they had a delightful range of solid perfumes. They would come in beautiful novelty shapes like a leaf, a shell, an owl, a turtle, a piano, and I even remember a guitar. Some of them were brooches, some were lockets, rings or just pretty ornaments that could be displayed on your vanity. You can still find these vintage designs from second-hand dealers and often they will come with the solid perfume still inside. The perfume amount ranges from barely there to practically untouched, but one thing remains constant: the enduring scent.
One of my favourite Vintage Avon Solid Perfume rings from my private collection.
Now bear in mind that some of these vintage solid perfumes are from the 60s, so how can these perfumes remain useable* after 50 years? The main reason is their composition. Solid perfumes have a high concentration of fragrance infused into a wax base and they don’t contain water or alcohol. This means that they don’t spoil and they don’t evaporate. In fact, solid perfumes have many advantages over the common Eau de Toilette (EDT) spray.
To make it easier to compare, I’ve compiled a list of some of the key advantages of Wilderness Lab Solid Perfumes.
(Bear in mind that I’m generalizing with the EDT features as there are so many different brands out there. I’ve tried to list the features that are most commonly found in the mass-produced retail market. As always, check ingredients as well as the brand’s practices before you make a decision.)
Let’s take a look at these ten features of Wilderness Lab Solid Perfume Balms in more detail:
1. Does not contain alcohol, only soothing, moisturising and anti-inflammatory ingredients
Our solid perfume balms contain just three ingredients (besides the fragrance): plant-derived Candelilla wax, Jojoba oil and vitamin E. These are skin-loving ingredients that can moisturise, soothe and protect the skin. We’ve carefully formulated the balm to absorb quickly into the skin, while carrying the fragrance with integrity.
2. Does NOT contain preservatives
There’s nothing inherently wrong with preservatives. They serve a very valuable purpose which I wrote about here. The high water content in EDTs calls for stronger preservatives and that can include Parabens which are the subject of some controversy around health concerns.
3. Very portable: Small and light and won’t leak
Need to ship the perfect gift to somebody special? Want to carry your perfume with you in your handbag? Don’t have much room in your bathroom? Our Solid Perfume Balms are the solution!
4. Applies like a balm directly on to skin. Does not create an aerosol.
Have you ever walked through the perfume section of a department store and had to dodge the ladies spraying perfume samples? Maybe you’ve found yourself coughing or sneezing after. Breathing in perfume is not a good idea. It can irritate your sensitive lungs and even trigger asthma attacks. Our Solid Perfume Balms do not end up in the air, only on your skin.
5. Scent lasts a long time, usually all day unless washed off
Often you will spray on some EDT in the morning and it’s gone by lunch. So you re-apply. It’s gone again by dinner. You re-apply before that evening out. How quickly will you be going through that bottle? Our Solid Perfume Balms will stay where they are applied and last all day long, sometimes into the next day. You decide when you want to wash it off, and if you would like more scent then it’s easy to reapply on the go and you’ll be using much less.
6. High concentration of fragrance (15%)
Fragrance is expensive. Some components in particular, like Rose oil, are extremely expensive (about $900 for 100ml). EDT fragrance concentration is about 3% and large, mass produced EDT brands will use the minimum amount in order to make the largest profit. We use five times this amount in order to give you the richest, longest lasting perfume.
7. Very affordable, a fraction of the cost of EDT.
There’s a reason you see perfume ads at the front of fashion magazines, and why the entrance to a department store is all about perfume. Large brands have BIG marketing budgets with celebrity endorsements and expensive packaging. We don’t. We just give you the best premium perfume for your money. We use minimal packaging and an extremely low budget to give you exactly what you want.
8. 100% vegan
Believe it or not, there are still companies that are using fragrances derived from animals. These include various anal secretions, honey, milk, and even fossilized urine. Our fragrances are 100% vegan and our balms do not contain beeswax, lanolin, or any other animal products.
9. Not tested on animals
Again, there are still companies that are testing perfumes on animals. We’re not one of them. Find out which ones are and make your decision as to whether you want to keep rewarding them with your money.
10. Does not contain phthalates
Phthalates are chemicals used in alcohol-based perfumes that help the scent last longer on the skin. There are a wide range of health issues associated with their use including : cancer, human reproductive and developmental toxicity, endocrine disruption, birth defects & respiratory problems. (https://www.safecosmetics.org/get-the-facts/chemicals-of-concern/phthalates/) There are no phthalates in Wilderness Lab products.
So there you have it. There are many reasons to enjoy our Solid Perfume Balms, but I’m not saying to give up all your EDTs right now. I’m not even saying give up EDTs at all. If you enjoy them, and have your favourite brand, then please carry on. Our Solid Perfume Balms can be a great addition to your Perfume wardrobe and there’s always room for more of the beautiful things in life, right?
Incidentally, I no longer purchase from Avon. They pulled out of Australia a couple of years ago, so the Avon Lady is a thing of the past. Still, I’ll always love them. After all, they were the start of my life-long addiction to perfume.
*For safety reasons, I’m not recommending that you actually use a 50 year old perfume. By “useable”, I mean it appears and smells absolutely fine as if it was just bought yesterday.