Avon
The beauty company for women
Avon Products was founded in 1886 when New York book salesman David H. McConnell discovered that the perfume samples he offered as incentives outsold his books. He pivoted to cosmetics and built a direct-selling empire named after Stratford-upon-Avon. Generations of Avon representatives — predominantly women — carried affordable fragrance into households far from department stores, making Avon one of the world's largest beauty companies by volume. The fragrance catalog reaches from mid-century aldehydic classics like Topaze (1959) and the herbal fougère Wild Country (1967) through the long-running oriental sub-lines Imari and Far Away. Contemporary releases trend toward fruity florals and light freshies, formulated by external contractors at houses such as IFF and Givaudan. Following Natura &Co's acquisition in 2020, the brand has accelerated its sustainability commitments without materially altering its accessible, everyday character.
DNA over time
Each column is an era. Each colored band shows that family’s share of accord weight across every perfume the house released in that window. Bigger band = the house leaned harder on that family.
