1973 saw the introduction of the Charlie fragrance, tailor-made by Revlon for the modern, working woman. In 1976, after a string of other models, Shelley signed a ground-breaking exclusive modeling contract with Revlon. She was hand-picked to represent the Revlon Charlie brand, as she was the embodiment the brand's ideal – gorgeous, sexy and young. Renowned hair stylist and makeup artist Rick Gillette recalls, "Shelley Hack was really the perfect girl for Charlie. I remember when Revlon creative director David Leddick had Steen Svensson shoot the first presentation with her that got her the contract." And Shelley became a sort of poster girl for the modern, gorgeous, sexy, young woman in charge of her own life; and everyone wanted to be a Charlie Girl. Shelley told Playboy magazine, "Once, on a promotional tour, I was talking with a guy at a radio station and he wanted to know why my Charlie perfume commercials for Revlon were so successful. I suggested we make it the call-in question, because I was curious myself." Shelley found out, "I was their idea of a modern, liberated but not threatening woman." Rick Gillette recalls, "I can't tell you how many of these ads we shot for Revlon from Central Park to San Francisco and Paris the list grew and grew for years." For almost seven years (1976 to 1982), Shelley was the image model of Revlon Charlie; so much so that Shelley and Revlon Charlie became synonymous.
