The 1980s were a difficult decade for Revlon, especially as they were approaching the ten year anniversary of Charlie with no new masterpiece in sight. Enter Scoundrel with the slogan "Seize the moment". Launched in 1980, the first three years of its life went largely unnoticed, but then the reigning "bitch" of prime time television swept in and changed its future forever, well at least until 1986.
With Dynasty about to finish its nine series reign over prime-time television, Joan Collins decided the time was right to launch her first fragrance. No stranger to perfume promotion, Joan had been the face of Revlon's Scoundrel from 1983-1986, but this time she was very firmly in charge. Under the name of "The Design House of Joan Collins", but actually produced by Parlux Fragrances Ltd, the first perfume in a planned line was Spectacular. At the time of the launch Joan was very open about the fact that she wanted an independent income and, alongside other "Design House" ventures, Spectacular came with very high expectations.
I don't want it and I don't need it, but I MUST have it. That is the way my mind works when I see a discontinued perfume; the thrill of finding an old master, a classic, a rarity. However, if you tell me that the perfume is from the 1980s then it becomes a fight to the death. What is it about this decade that makes us lose all sense and spend a fortune bidding on a bottle of perfume that could end up smelling like gin?
Well, those ten years saw an incredible output of fragrances with what seemed liked a release nearly every week, so it was impossible to keep up with each one. So many slipped under the radar that a search on eBay turns up the most eclectic mix. Forget the big companies, forget even the infamous Giorgio of Beverley Hills, the eighties saw the birth of the celebrity fragrance.
