The Cool Scents of 1973: Charlie, Sweet Earth, and Musk Oil

Admittedly, 1973 was a pivotal year for me. It was the year I turned 18, graduated from high school, got my first part-time job, and started college. So things from that year particularly stand out, especially poignant fragrances. Perfumes took an original, more natural turn that year. Gone were the scents that your mother wore, you wanted to smell young and fresh. These three scents were very popular in 1973, and I remember wearing all of them…

I remember this coming out and just glombing onto it. ‘A most original fragrance’, Charlie perfume by Revlon was a gorgeous, sexy-young smell. The ads always featured a lanky model in a pantsuit, striding confidently down the street. It was a fun, kicky, and decidedly modern fragrance and I LOVED IT!

Another unique 1973 scent was the Coty Sweet Earth Fragrances. They came in a compact, in solid form so you could carry it with you. The scents were a decidedly ‘natural’ bent: Clover, Gingergrass, Hay. The fresh scent scents of a newly mown meadow. In another, rare flowers: Tuberose, Jasmine, and Mimosa. These definitely had a ‘green’ scent that perfumes in the 70s were turning to.

Musk oil was huge, HUGE, in 1973. The Animal Kingdom by Jovan was probably the most popular brand, debuting ‘The Hunting Kit’ for today’s woman. It had a ‘fragrance arsenal’ of allure your man with Musk Oil, excite him with Civet Oil, and bring him to his knees with Ambergris Oil. Definitely no beating around the bush with what its intention was! I liked these fragrances, but in very small doses. A little definitely went a long way. The problem was that most people wore too much of it and it stifled everyone around them. Exercising prudence when using musk oil is key!

~Marilyn