The Revlon Perfume Guide: Intimate, Charlie & the Golden Age of American Fragrance
What Is Revlon Perfume?
Revlon is the American cosmetics house founded in New York in 1932 by brothers Charles and Joseph Revson with chemist Charles Lachman — the "L" in the name. From the 1950s it was also a major American fragrance house, launching Intimate (1955), a sultry floral chypre, and Charlie (1973), the aldehydic floral that changed how perfume was marketed to women. Both long discontinued, vintage Revlon is now a sought-after, affordable niche.
The Story: Intimate (1955) and Charlie (1973)
Intimate arrived in 1955, in the golden era of the floral-animalic chypre: crystalline aldehydes and bergamot over a deep mossy, musky base. Charlie followed in February 1973 — unusually early for a fragrance — because Revlon sold it as an everyday scent for the independent working woman. Named after Charles Revson, composed by Francis Camail and fronted by Shelley Hack as "the Charlie Girl", Charlie became one of the world's best-selling perfumes, lifting Revlon's sales from $506 million to $606 million in a year.
Top Revlon Perfumes Every Vintage Collector Should Know
- Revlon Intimate Parfum (1955) — The original extrait: sparkling aldehydes and bergamot over a mossy, musky, faintly animalic chypre. 1950s glamour.
- Revlon Intimate Eau de Toilette — The lighter, wearable edition of the 1955 classic; 108ml suits everyday use.
- Revlon Charlie Eau de Cologne (1973) — The icon: bright aldehydic floral with a warm woody-mossy drydown; the giant 470ml splash is a spectacular collector's piece.
- Revlon Charlie Miniature (1973) — An 8ml mini that lets new collectors sample the original at a gentle price.
Other Revlon classics — including Ciara (1973), the opulent oriental chypre by Harry Cutler for Ultima II — surface from time to time; check the collection regularly.
How to Authenticate Vintage Revlon Perfume
- Labels: genuine Revlon labels carry a crisp, evenly spaced logotype; blurry printing is a red flag.
- Glass: vintage Revlon bottles are heavy, quality glass — fakes feel light and thin.
- Concentrations: Intimate came as parfum and EDT; Charlie as parfum, EDT and eau de cologne. A "parfum" at EDT prices is suspect.
- Your nose: real Intimate dries down deep, mossy and powdery; Charlie turns warm and woody-musky. Flat or soapy juice means trouble.
- The seller: ask for label and batch-code photos; buy from a specialist with verifiable history.
Frequently Asked Questions About Revlon Perfume
Is Revlon Charlie perfume discontinued?
The original 1973 Charlie is no longer made in its classic form — authentic vintage Charlie now lives almost entirely in the vintage market.
What does Revlon Intimate smell like?
An aldehydic floral chypre with an adult character: a sparkling, slightly soapy opening over a deep floral heart, drying to moss, musk and subtle animal warmth — glamorous and powdery, far closer to 1950s French chypres than any modern fruity floral.
Why is Charlie considered an important feminist fragrance?
Launched in February 1973, Charlie was among the first perfumes marketed to the independent working woman; ads starring Shelley Hack in trousers broke perfume-advertising conventions and made Charlie an emblem of the women's liberation era.
Where can I buy authentic vintage Revlon perfume?
TrendyGround specializes in genuine vintage and discontinued fragrances, backed by more than 15 years of eBay selling history. Our Revlon selection includes Intimate parfum and EDT plus collector-size Charlie bottles — all checked and guaranteed authentic.
Own a piece of American perfume history.
Shop the Revlon Collection →Revlon — In Stock Now
Authenticated and date-checked by hand. Discontinued bottles sell out — each one is a single piece.
