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1980s Perfumes & Colognes

Popular Perfumes of the 1980s

  • Calvin Klein Obsession
  • Christian Dior Poison
  • Giorgio Beverly Hills
  • Estee Lauder Beautiful
  • Elizabeth Arden Red Door
  • Cacharel Anais Anais
  • Givenchy Ysatis
  • Guy Laroche Fidji
  • Revlon Charlie Red
  • Coty Exclamation
  • Love's Baby Soft (both 1970s and 1980s)
  • Revlon Electric Youth by Debbie Gibson

Popular Cologne in the 1980s

Michael Jackson in the 1980s representing 80s perfumes and colognes from Surrender to Chance


  • Fabege Brut
  • Guy Laroche Drakkar Noir
  • Ralph Lauren Polo
  • Davidoff Cool Water
  • Calvin Klein Obsession for Men
  • Giorgio Beverly Hills for Men
  • Bijan for Men
  • Yves Saint Laurent Kouros
  • Paco Rabanne Pour Homme
  • Pierre Cardin Pour Monsieur
  • Aramis by Aramis
  • Antonio Puig Quorum
  • Jovan Oleg Cassini

Illustrated women with 80s clothes and 80s perfume from Surrender to Chance

1980s Perfume and Cologne Fragrances

Nothing was understated about the 1980s, and the fragrances showed that. They announced the wearer long before you could see them. The 1980s were a decade that demanded excess, and people flaunted their newfound wealth. Consumerism and the acquisition of possessions and wealth characterize this period.

Fashions were big and bold, and fragrances were bigger and bolder. Many of them were so powerful they were impossible to ignore. The fragrance industry doubled in size during the 1980s. 462 new fragrances were launched in the 80s (281 women, 181 men) in comparison to just 197 in the 70s, 77 in the 60s, and 36 in the 50s.

Designer scents were the thing in the 80s. Loud, powerful, and potent perfumes were the kind of scents that the 80’s power bitches would have been wearing. Imagine Dallas, Falcon Crest, Knots Landing, Falcon Crest and The Colbys for inspiration. Joan Collins was even the face of Revlon Scoundrel.

The 1980s are also the decade that Giorgio was launched and became an immediate smash. This is a powerhouse floral 80s perfume so strong that some restaurants refused to seat customers wearing it. Giorgio was only the beginning of the last decade when perfumes could replace personality or act as a mask.

These “big” perfumes included Calvin Klein Obsession, YSL Opium, and Dior Poison for women. Guy Laroche Drakkar Noir, Calvin Klein Obsession for Him, and Pierre Cardin Pour Monsieur were the top choices for men. Their names caused controversy, and their ads were decadent. Picture blatant, erotic advertising that made their 80s perfume even more popular.

The advertising campaigns for perfume in the 80s mirrored the decade’s ethos of excess and flamboyance. Major perfume houses embraced dramatic marketing strategies to command attention, featuring high-fashion models and glamorous settings.

These campaigns for 80s cologne reflected the cultural obsession for luxury and indulgence. They were perfect for the big, bold, juicy notes of all the most popular perfumes of the 80s.

The latter part of the 80s also witnessed a shift in how consumers perceive fragrances overall. The early part of the decade was dominated by heavy, assertive scents. However, perfumistas also had a growing awareness of the need for balance. This led to some 80s fragrances that were lighter, and more nuanced, which paved the way for the latest trends of the 1990s.

The 1980s perfume marked a defining era in the world of fragrances. 1980s perfumes feature bold, unapologetic scents and equally bold marketing strategies. The legacy of 80s perfume lives on in the way it transformed the fragrance industry. These scents still make a huge statement to this day.

Something interesting to note:

When Andy Warhol died in 1987, his long-time friend, Paige Powell, tossed a bottle of Estee Lauder Beautiful into the hole. Andy liked to wear a fragrance for three months and then catalog them to remember certain periods in his life by the scent.

What's Going on in the World in the 1980s

Perfume Advertising in the 1980s

 

1980s Retro Fragrances

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