Affordable and playful? Don’t mind if I do. Avon are messing about in the lab again and having serendipitous results, thanks to perfumers Adriana Medina and Amélie Jacquin. You may recall Avon Perfect Nonsense Bamboozle Cocktail, Choco Tuberose, Ginger Blaze and Peppery Peaches, which I reviewed earlier this year. Well, make way for Avon Perfect Nonsense Banana Oud.

According to On The Scent Magazine, bananas are the new rhubarb. The Fragrant Firmament is waking up to the idea of fun and playfulness. Avon, always on trend (and inexpensive) have launched their contribution, a blend of banana and (checks notes) um…oud. Oud is all sophistication and mystery, and bananas, well, they remind me of Nesquik milkshake, which was my favourite drink for years until I discovered wine.

So how much banana do you need to make oud laugh? And how much oud do you need to get banana into the VIP lounge? Well, in this case, it’s more banana than oud, and in places, it’s more floral than both. Check out my verdict.

Perfect Nonsense Banana Oud is balmy, tropical and fresh. It goes without saying that there’s banana in it, but the fruity, milky opening soars into a bouquet of ylang ylang (which always smells banana-y to me anyway) and bountiful white florals. Orange blossom and gardenia make this a feminine flutter of a scent before getting all serious with cedar, patchouli, and yes, oud, in the lasting finale. It’s an interesting and enjoyable scent to wear, going through clear phases on my skin. The final base lasts hours. It segues into a woody floral with a playful hint of almost bubble gum, but no, it’s banana again, with a pleasingly nostalgic Nesquik nuance.

I’m excited by Avon Perfect Nonsense Banana Oud. It kind of does what it says it will, and then it wanders off around the party and picks up a bunch of colourful friends. It’s high time perfume got playful, and Avon has nailed it to the wall like beautiful bunting that you didn’t think would “go” but absolutely does. Watch this space for Perfect Nonsense Figgy Matcha!

Where to buy it

Avon Perfect Nonsense Banana Oud is exclusively from the Avon brochure or from their website.  Prices are currently £15 for 50ml of eau de parfum.

Disclosure

I was sent my bottle by the Avon team, for which many thanks. My opinion and my decision to review it are both my own, as always