(Extra)ordinary (Avon: Extraordinary, Eau de Parfum)

Member Name: lillamarta

Product:	Avon: Extraordinary, Eau de Parfum
Date:	14/05/09 (184 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Nice, interesting blend of contrasting notes

Disadvantages: Poor staying power, linear, lack of drydown

Launched: 2005
Group: oriental floral

:: INTRODUCTION ::

I came across Extraordinary when looking for rare / discontinued coffee or chocolate-themed scents to add to my collection. I was more intrigued when I found positive reviews about it. Conversely, discontinuation of a scent is often a sign of excellence as it mostly means the fragrance is too special for the mass market.

:: THE PACKAGING ::

The bottle is fairly nice but isn't groundbreaking or sophisticated. Its clear bottle is adorned with golden drawings at the back though they aren't very noticeable as the perfume itself has a peachy colour . The bottle cap looks a bit cheapish to me, a plastic golden coloured rectangle.

:: THE FRAGRANCE ::

Top notes: pepper, raspberry, grapefruit, tangerine

Extraordinary opens with a pleasant burst of a sweet and fresh slightly spicy citrus smell indeed different from what I expect from Avon. A few seconds later I'm met with a kick of gourmand and unusual note, the bitter chocolate. Mixed with the citrus, the result is a mouthwatering, fizzy coffee-ish note that mellows down to a sweet and toffee apple type scent and stays sweet and delicately spiced for a reasonable half an hour.

Middle notes: magnolia, ginger, orchid, dark chocolate, lotus

In this phase Extraordinary's creamier, heavier floral elements start to shine and mingle with the the fresh and sweet notes of the top notes adding depth and an unmistakeable, sweet oriental feel to the fragrance. The most noticeable scent to me nose here is orchid. I find orchid to be a bit of a 'joker' scent in an oriental, when cannot think of anything else, we can always rely on this not totally floral but rather a generic and warm, scent - a mixture of creamy, exotic notes accentuated with vanilla. However, I tend to get bored of it quickly if there are not other influences present in the composition or the orchid overpowers everything else. Yes, Extraordinary smells mostly of vanilla-chocolate orchid with a tiny hint of the previous sparkling freshness still lingering. This phase is quite long-lasting, about 4 hours on me.

Base notes: sandalwood, patchouli, musk, vanilla

After the fairly straightforward and linear middle notes I was looking forward to a nice, oriental drydown with some spicy and woody accords thrown in. Unfortunately, I got none of that. I waited and waited. Another hour and still nothing. The middle notes were fading and there was nothing to replace them. I've been wearing Extraordinary for a week now and it invariably stops developing any further. I occassionally get a hint of spicy woodiness not even worthy mentioning as it can only be discerned very close to the skin until about 6 - 7 hours later when the last notes evaporate.

:: CONCLUSION ::

In a nutshell, Extraordinary isn't extraordinary however it does succeed in creating (in Avon's terms) an unusual blend of contrasting bittersweet elements though the actual composition and the total lack of final notes leave a lot be desired. To sum up, despite the lovely start and the interesting intervowen citrus - chocolate - vanilla accord, it lacks depth and staying power, so is nothing more than just another watered down floral oriental of today from a company who go through their fragrance editions like people do with their lingerie. Maybe bringing out a decent, well-balanced and long-lasting fragrance is not in their marketing plans.

:: PRICE / WHERE TO BUY ::

Extraordinary has been discontinued but is still available on Ebay. I bought my 50ml bottle for £4.99 + postage.

Thanks for reading.
©powered by lillybee also posted on dooyoo.co.uk / Ciao US

Summary: A lovely start and a disappointing finish