FRAGRANCE | Black Suede EDC by Avon: Still as good as ever

I haven't seen an Avon brochure in ages but I'll always remember the joy of flipping through its pages, rubbing my wrist against peel-off scent samples, and checking out whatever deals they were offering for the month. The men's fragrance section was where I would often linger, and where Black Suede was a constant. I've always liked how it smelled and I've worn it as far back as my high school days. It's been years, however, since I last bought a bottle and I'm glad that it's still around. On a whim, I got one. Now it's time to get myself reacquainted with this guy. 

The bottle, most notably the cap, has changed. The plastic looks cheap but I must remind myself that this is a cheap fragrance to begin with. I'm sure the juice has been reformulated but thankfully, it still smells as good as ever. Musk is what I immediately get although it's miles away from any musk-heavy Areej Le Doré creation that I've tried. Its inherent animalic qualities have been thoroughly cleaned up, like cattle that's been hosed down, lathered, rinsed, and then blow-dried. Cloves lend it a bright, fragrant do-over while an ambery sweetness further cements its overall pleasant character. 

The amber is light and it even feels like there's a hint of citrus in the opening. The scent remains fresh and clean all throughout even with its underlying musky flavor. In hindsight, even Khiel's Original Musk feels fresh and clean to me, and that one is way muskier than this Avon oldie. Before long, Black Suede takes on a mildly powdery turn, reinforcing its fresh and clean feel. It also turns a bit soapy later on—the sort of creamy kind but without really going on full creamy—before coyly revealing a mild, woody base. Despite the name, I'm not getting any leather or suede at all. But that's okay, as I'm perfectly fine with how it is. 

Being an eau de cologne, I really wasn't expecting much in terms of performance, only to be surprised that this wasn't no wimp at all. Projection is respectable. It never gets too stuffy even when oversprayed and the scent lasts for several hours. A little heat can jolt it back to life and I'm happy to catch random whiffs of it even late into the afternoon. Black Suede has since spawned several flankers although I've only tried Black Suede Intense. While that one is also good (I still need to write about it soon) I still prefer the OG. Maybe I simply have a soft spot for it, perhaps it's nostalgia, but either way, Avon's Black Suede deserves some attention. However which way fragrance snobs look at it, for me it's a classic.