I was reading about men who become Avon Ladies once they enter the retirement years. "It's something to do, and it's fun." Said Mr. Burl Smeed, an Avon Lady in Quantico, Virginia. "Those FBI guys buy a lot of products," Smeed said. "It's a sort of legacy left by the old boss." Smeed went on to explain that J. Edgar Hoover was known for using Avon lotions, cosmetics and scents around the office. He was also an over-the-top Avon collectible collector. My first experience with Avon did not come until I was in high school. As a youngster, I never lived in a neighborhood safe enough for an Avon lady to go door to door in, so I assumed she was just another funky urban myth.
A friend invited me to her apartment after school, and I met her mother, who was an actual Avon Lady! She immediately began hard-selling me on eye shadows, blushers, and lipsticks. I was all "Yes, I like this!" so she brought out a glass wiener dog and sprayed some perfume on me. She was so friendly that I settled in and let her give me a makeover. She gave me iced tea and fussed over me until she discovered that I only had twenty cents and a subway token. I left painted and scented and was never invited back.
I heard that when the Berlin Wall fell, some Avon Ladies were standing there, waiting to offer products to the East Germans. "Was? Ein Glas dachshund? Oh... es hat Parfüm innen! " (The sweet smell of freedom.)
The Occur! bottle in the photo, is the only Avon bottle I have ~ it's an older bottle, and I liked the look of it. Apparently Occur was one of those powerhouse scents, a chypre floral with aldehydes, coriander, gardenia, patchouli, jasmine, vetiver, lily of the valley, rose, honey, leather, clove, amber, vanilla, musk, oakmoss and much more.
