The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
The Be On Trend name is the brief in two words, not a manifesto, just honesty. Avon released it in 2016 alongside Be Daring, Be Fun, and Be Romantic, building a collection that spoke in first names rather than poetry. The opening bursts with crisp bergamot and lively mandarin, clean citrus that doesn't overstay its welcome before yielding to something warmer underneath. As the top notes soften, a subtle grain note emerges, warm and slightly nutty, threading through the composition like steam rising from a pot of jasmine-scented rice. The florals never overpower, keeping the overall feel light and approachable rather than heavy or sweet.
What makes Be On Trend worth knowing isn't the bergamot or mandarin, those open cleanly, then vanish. It's the rice basmati. Basmati rice is cooked, aromatic, faintly nutty. In a fragrance, that translates to something warm and slightly savory sitting beneath the florals, like stepping into a kitchen where jasmine is steeping alongside grains. The basmati note lingers beneath the surface, giving the composition an unexpected edible quality that sets it apart from more traditional oriental florals.
The evolution
The citrus opens crisp, bergamot bright, mandarin quick and zesty. Within minutes, jasmine takes over, but not the heady indolic jasmine of night fragrances. This jasmine is soft, almost green, threading through something warm and grainy underneath. That's the basmati asserting itself. The drydown is where Be On Trend earns its name: cashmere wood and amber settle close to the skin, intimate rather than announcing, warm without weight. The transition from citrus brightness to warm basmati and finally to soft cashmere feels natural, each stage blending smoothly into the next. The overall effect is a fragrance that stays close to the wearer, sharing itself only with those in immediate proximity.
Cultural impact
Avon's Be collection brought together several fragrance personalities, each with a distinct character. Be On Trend stood out through its use of rice basmati, a warm, grain-like note that brought something different to the fragrance landscape. Rather than following typical oriental floral conventions, the basmati created a subtle savory warmth that felt more unexpected than traditional sweet florals. The overall effect was a fragrance that felt personal and close rather than projecting.
