Katrina Rosales
Cotillion is a perfume by Avon, a company founded in New York in 1886 by book salesman David H. McConnell. The perfume was launched in 1934 and is an oriental floral fragrance for women. It features notes of carnation, light rose, myrrh, sandalwood, cassia, and cloves. The packaging is light pink with a white lid, although there was a dramatic colour change to the design in the late 1960s, incorporating blue, aqua, lilac, and white. While Cotillion seems to have been discontinued, it is still sought after by collectors, with some purchasing vintage bottles from eBay and Etsy.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Avon |
| Year of Launch | 1934 |
| Perfumer | David H. McConnell |
| Fragrance Type | Oriental Floral |
| Fragrance Notes | Carnation, rose, myrrh, sandalwood, cassia, cloves, sweet orange blossom, jasmine, spanish moss, tobacco, musk, oakmoss, amber, vanilla, cinnamon |
| Discontinued | Yes |
| Packaging | Light pink with a white lid, later changed to blue, aqua, lilac, and white |
| Target Audience | Women |
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What You'll Learn
- The perfume was launched in 1934 and discontinued in the 1980s
- It was an oriental floral fragrance with notes of carnation, rose, sandalwood, and musk
- The name 'Cotillion' refers to a social dance for debutantes
- The packaging was light pink with a white lid, changing to a mix of blue, aqua, lilac, and white in the late 1960s
- Reviews are mixed, with some praising its vintage charm and others finding it generic
The perfume was launched in 1934 and discontinued in the 1980s
The Cotillion perfume by Avon was launched in 1934. It was a fragrance for women, with a sweet floral opening, a bit of vanilla, and oriental notes. The name was inspired by the social dance that was brought to America from France in 1772. It became a popular concept for young ladies to be debutantes at a Cotillion ball, and the name of the perfume suggested gentility, innocence, youth, and beauty.
The perfume was released in a large gift set with embroidered effect bouquet packaging, along with bath oils, creams, and satin-lined perfume boxes. The light pink packaging was extremely feminine, with a white lid. The early magazine ads from Avon in 1940 mentioned "Avon's gay Cotillion fragrance has exciting newness". By the 1960s, the marketing tone had shifted to describe it as "a fragrance classic by Avon, an elegant scent that keeps the promise made by the enchanting pearly pink packaging".
The perfume was seemingly discontinued in the 1980s, as it is very hard to find Cotillion products after the 1970s. The last modern find was the 50th-anniversary box, which came out around 1984. The trademark for the scent was kept active until at least 2006, when it finally lapsed.
The perfume is described as having a graceful, fragile elegance that is bright-eyed, lovely, passionate, and unsustainable. It is a timeless fragrance that is a critique and homage to a classic.
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It was an oriental floral fragrance with notes of carnation, rose, sandalwood, and musk
Cotillion, an oriental floral fragrance by Avon, was launched in 1934. The perfume had notes of carnation, rose, sandalwood, and musk. It was likely a common fragrance for mothers in the 1950s and 1960s.
The earliest original bottles of Cotillion were released by a different company, as Avon was still known as The California Perfume Company at the time. The perfume was likely popular among middle-class homemakers, as the name "Cotillion" evoked high-society dress and decorum.
By the 1960s, Avon's marketing for Cotillion had shifted from emphasizing its ""exciting newness" to calling it a "fragrance classic." The packaging also underwent a dramatic colour change during this time, moving away from the light pink of the early bottles to incorporate more modern colours like blue, aqua, lilac, and white.
It is difficult to find Cotillion products after the 1970s, suggesting that its popularity waned. The last mention of the perfume seems to be in the 1980s, when Avon released a 50th-anniversary box for the fragrance.
While it is no longer in production, Cotillion by Avon remains a timeless and elegant fragrance with a unique blend of oriental floral notes.
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The name 'Cotillion' refers to a social dance for debutantes
The name Cotillion refers to a social dance that was popular in 18th-century Europe and North America. It was originally danced by four couples in a square formation and was a courtly version of an English country dance. The dance was introduced to England by 1766 and to the United States by 1772. It was considered a precursor to the quadrille and, in the United States, the square dance.
The cotillion was a high-society dance, often attended by debutantes and madams alike. Debutantes are young women who are making their formal entrance into society, usually between the ages of 16 and 21. They typically wear pure-white formal full-length ball gowns with long white gloves to their debutante balls.
The cotillion dance was often the finale of a ball, with participants performing a series of geometric figures and changes such as the "Great Ring," a simple circle dance. The dance was so elaborate that it was sometimes performed by trained and rehearsed dancers. It fell out of favour in the 19th century but re-emerged in a new style with fewer changes, becoming barely distinguishable from the quadrille.
Today, cotillion is also used to refer to a season of etiquette classes for middle-school-aged children, teaching them manners and polite habits. The classes culminate in a final dinner dance where the students showcase their learned skills, including table manners, conversation etiquette, and dance moves such as the waltz.
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The packaging was light pink with a white lid, changing to a mix of blue, aqua, lilac, and white in the late 1960s
The packaging for Cotillion perfume, a fragrance for women by Avon, has evolved over time. Initially, the perfume was packaged in light pink packaging with a white lid, shaped like a "dot of cream on top". This colour scheme was in line with the scent's description as a ""flowery light" fragrance and was considered ""enchanting" in marketing materials.
In the late 1960s, however, the design underwent a dramatic colour change. The new packaging featured a mix of blue, aqua, lilac, and white. This colour combination was used for the 'perfumed pair' gift set, which created a trendy swirling pattern by combining the main colours of each brand.
The early 1960s advertising for Cotillion perfume highlighted the product's new packaging, which included a large gift set with an embroidered effect bouquet on the front, bath oils, creams, and a satin-lined box. The perfume bottle itself was described as a "rocker" bottle, suggesting an unusual shape.
The light pink packaging with the white lid seems to have been more closely associated with the earlier years of the perfume's release, dating back to the 1930s and remaining popular in the 1950s and 1960s. By the 1970s, Cotillion products became harder to find, and the perfume seems to have lost some of its popularity.
While the exact timeframe for each packaging design is unclear, it appears that the light pink and white design was followed by the more colourful mix of blue, aqua, lilac, and white in the late 1960s, reflecting a shift in marketing and the evolving tastes of consumers.
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Reviews are mixed, with some praising its vintage charm and others finding it generic
Reviews for Cotillion perfume are mixed, with some praising its vintage charm and others finding it generic. The perfume was launched in 1934 by Avon, known then as the California Perfume Company.
One review describes Cotillion as "warm, cozy, [and] very classic," but also notes that it is a "scent out of time unless you're into history." The reviewer goes on to praise the quality of the natural materials used in the perfume, which they say would be "absolutely to die for" in today's synthetic-dominated market.
Another reviewer, writing for Perfume Charm, highlights the vintage charm of the fragrance, quoting an early advertisement that describes Cotillion as having "exciting newness." They also note the elegant packaging, which featured light pink and white colours, as well as the "flowery light" scent of the perfume itself.
On the other hand, some reviewers find the perfume generic. One reviewer on Fragrantica writes that the perfume "smells as generic as the notes listed," and that it reminds them of other fragrances like Zen by Shiseido. This reviewer also expresses dislike for the name and the idea behind the fragrance, which is connected to young women attending cotillion balls as debutantes.
Another review on Fragrantica mentions that while Cotillion is not a "badly aged" perfume, it is not really their style. They describe the scent as creamy, earthy, with some white floral notes and musk. This reviewer also notes that Cotillion is a cheaper alternative to similar, more expensive perfumes.
According to one source, Cotillion was likely a popular perfume for mothers in the 1950s and 1960s. The same source observes a shift in Avon's marketing tone between 1940 and 1960, suggesting that the company was more focused on keeping up with trends than preserving its legacy.
While it is unclear if Cotillion is still in production, the perfume appears to have been discontinued at some point, as one source mentions that it is hard to find Cotillion products after the 1970s. However, Avon, the company that produced Cotillion, is still in business today, offering a range of products beyond just perfumes.
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Frequently asked questions
No, Cotillion perfume by Avon was discontinued after the 1980s. The trademark was kept active until at least 2006.
Cotillion is described as a warm, cozy, and classic scent with a sweet floral opening, a bit of vanilla, and oriental notes of sandalwood, amber, and musk.
Cotillion was first released in 1934.
