Shelley in an artwork of the Charlie perfume ad.
Shelley was THE ultimate Charlie Girl.
Shelley will forever be remembered as THE quintessential Charlie Girl (who became Charlie's 5th Angel, of course). Her image of the independent, bright, chic and confident woman was the perfect embodiment of the ideals of the Revlon brand. There were other Charlie models prior to her, but it was only Shelley's commercials and ads (from 1976 on) that were successful. Why? During one of Shelley's radio interviews, as discovered from answers to a call-in question, it turned out that women weren't intimidated by her and that men found her approachable. And her influence was far-reaching. Women all over the world wanted to be Charlie Girls; so much so that six months after Shelley began endorsing it, in 1977, Charlie became the #1 fragrance in the world (the first American-made international bestseller) and Revlon sales figures passed the $1Billion mark.
Just some of the many, many, many
Charlie perfume and cosmetic ads
Shelley appeared in from 1976 to 1982
And Shelley's influence wasn't relegated to one particular segment of women. In fact, it transcended the color barrier. Caucasian, Asian, African... women looked up to that image of her as an independent, liberated and happy-about-it woman. The image she created was so powerful that even the young Oprah Winfrey aspired to become a Charlie Girl herself. "I wanted to stride like her with confidence. I wanted to be this fabulous," Oprah admitted in 2008 when she had Shelley as a guest in her iconic daytime TV talk show. "I was lucky," Shelley told Oprah, "There were two things I was in that were about making women feel a little more empowered," referring to Revlon Charlie and Charlie's Angels.
Perfume Quotes in TV Shows
Pose S02E04 (Never Knew Love Like This Before)
https://borntobeunicorn.com/2019/07/11/pose-s02e04-never-knew-love-like-this-before/
Shelley's Charlie Girl persona was so unforgettable that any reference to the 1970s and early 1980s wouldn't be complete without a mention of the Revlon Charlie brand. Her image has been so ingrained in the minds of those who lived through the era that it is always brought up or alluded to (much like the poster of Farrah Fawcett and mega-hit TV series Charlie's Angels) when any reference to that time is made. Charlie perfume (and the Charlie advertising campaign) is as iconic as a can of Coca-Cola or a bar of Snickers. So much so that an episode of Pose mentioned the legendary brand. In season 2 episode 4 "Never Knew Love Like This Before," Candy's dialogue with her mother went like this:
- Candy: I can't believe you showed up.
- Vivica (Candy's mom): Baby. Why did it take me so long to see you?
- Candy: You refused to. Ma, how many times you catch me wearing your Revlon Charlie? Or trying on your wigs?
Watch the scene on YouTube at:
Candy's Parents Finally See Their DAUGHTER!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZYupB7eLuY
Candy's Parents Finally See Their DAUGHTER!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZYupB7eLuY
There were African-American Charlie perfume girls too,
like Naomi Sims in 1975 and Darnella Thomas in 1979.