REVIEW: Expressions by Reese Witherspoon

EXPRESSIONS COLLECTION by REECE WITHERSPOON

From left: Live Without Regrets, Laugh Often and Love To The Fullest

Following the success of her first fragrance, In Bloom, Avon's Global Ambassador Reese Witherspoon brings three new fragrances to the Avon table, all created to capture life's richest moments in a bottle.

"Celebrating love, laughter and living without

regrets, the Expressions Collection evokes

the moments that make life feel amazing."

Reese Witherspoon

The first two scents, Live Without Regrets (pink) and Laugh Often (yellow) were available from brochure 6 of the 2011 campaign (pages 6-9), while the final scent, Love To The Fullest (green), was available from brochure 7 (pages 160-161).

In the brochure, Live Without Regrets is described as "an expressive blend of bold gardenia and sparkling bergamot".

Reese Witherspoon explains it as so:

"Life is rich with

opportunity, so we

have to be bold.

Live Without Regrets

celebrates the idea

of living every day

to the fullest."

Laugh Often is "a joyful fragrance with bright citrus and playful florals".

Reese says:

I can't imagine a life without

laughter.  It lifts our spirits, and sets

us free.  Laugh Often was inspired

by that feeling of joyous abandon."

Finally, Love To The Fullest is "a sensual scent mixing velvety florals with rich sandstone".

Reese's final words of wisdom are:

"Love To The Fullest captures the

heart-fluttering feeling of love.

You have to let your guard down

and give into it."

Some very pretty words, along with some cute-looking bottles.  So what are they actually like?  Well, I tried all of them, and I'll give you my verdict on them all!

Live Without Regrets

On the side of it's baby pink box, Avon describes this product as "modern and optimistic".  Optimism from the off!  It then continued to describe it as "a bouquet of wet gardenia flower and sparkling bergamot is enhanced with radiant sun-bleached amber".  Personally, I didn't even know that amber had a scent, let alone a different one sun-bleached(!) but I suppose it will never surprise me what actually smells these days (Black Diamond scented washing powder?  Seriously?!).

Simple and uncluttered, the box does not attempt to pull you towards it so much as it lets the name do the talking for it.  As a celebrity fragrance, it seems to dare you not to try it!  Anyhow, inside the box, the bottle is a cute ball shape, filled with a translucent pink liquid, with scripted writing around it and a simple silver top.  It's quaint, but not over the top.  However, I was surprised at how strong the smell of it was!  Without even spraying a drop I could already smell the flowers emanating from this little bottle of £12 optimism.  And it was pretty.  Like real flowers.  So, on I sprayed.

At first the scent came over as truly overpowering.  I really thought I was going to choke on it, it was so strong!  Thankfully, after a few moments, the scent settled onto my skin, and it was lovely.  Light and delicate, the flowers combine together so well, and it made me think of running through wide open spaces filled with wildflowers.  This is odd for me, as I am not normally a flowery scent kind of girl - as I have touched on before most of them smell truly awful on me!  But this is a subtle kind of floral - it's tantalising and sweet, but not overpowering to the nose, and it's a very cute-type fragrance.  It does have a sophisticated tang to it in the undertones of the scent, giving a modern yet playful perfume that I would most probably be well suited as a springtime scent.  A single spray is enough for long-lasting fragrance, but I do not recommend rubbing your arms together too much as this degrades the smell quicker.  A spritz on clothes is usually a good idea to give off a subtle scent without being too overpowering.  I would most definitely recommend this perfume and rate it a 5/5.

Laugh Often

The box a rich yellow, Avon describes Laugh Often as "fun and joyful.  A spontaneous burst if bright mandarin wrapped in green and white tea leaves and playful pink peony."  As a lover of fruity scents, I had high hopes for this perfume, and while I had already been wowed by Live Without Regrets, I was hoping to be well and truly swept off my feet by Laugh Often.

With the same box design (though in a different colour) and bottle style, the only noticeable differences in the appearance of the two perfumes was the text (it obviously said different things) and the colour of the contents.  Laugh Often has a clear yellow colour similar to clear apple juice - the kind you give to children who hate having bits in their drinks (of this, I am guilty!).  I also noted that when I removed the bottle from the box there was no smell as there was from Live Without Regrets.  I thought that perhaps this meant that this would not be as strong, but I was wrong.  It would appear that my box of Live Without Regrets may have had a spillage during filling!

Again, the smell settled, but this fragrance was a juicy tropical burst that made me think of exotic foreign holidays, and California, though I have never been!  And again it felt light on the skin, but this time it was less of a delicate smell, with strong citrus notes that left all other scents fighting to make their presence felt.  I could in no way smell the tea or the peony unless I tried really hard to distinguish them, but even then, their essence was faint.  This scent is fun, bright and sunny, a typical Summer smell that wouldn't be out of place on a bikini-clad beach sunbather.  However, I found the overwhelming mandarin was a little too much for me to wear in any enclosed space, which was a bit of a disappointment.  This happy, feel-good smell is one I would probably use only when going somewhere outdoors, but then again, in the sunshine, this would be a perfect mood-transformer anyway!  One spray is more than enough for my skin, though I did find that spraying it onto skin first and then adding clothes while it was still drying helped me to make the smell less potent.  I do like it, but I'm not sure I could handle it all the time, so I'm going to have to give this perfume a 4/5.

Love To The Fullest

Okay, now, this one I really wasn't sure about.  Why?  Because my Mum actually tried it before I did, and it smelt like cucumber on her!  Honestly, it made her smell like a salad, so I was a little hesitant to try it myself.  However, the cuteness of the pale green box and the translucent green contents won me over to trying it, and I'm really glad I did.  It smells completely different on me, which is why I will never judge a perfume based on my Mother again!  (Sorry Mum!)

The box describes this perfume as "sensual and sexy.  A seductive blend of succulent black cherry and evening primrose coupled with a luxurious creamy sandstone accord".  After having wondered for ages what on Earth sandstone actually smelt like, considering it's a type of sedimentary rock, I discovered that Love To The Fullest is by far the most mature smelling of the three fragrances.  It to me is like the beautiful mother of two fun-loving daughters; fun and playful, but at the same time, sexy and experienced.

The black cherry scent hit me first, followed by the delicious undertones, and it was a truly sensual scent that completely won me over in seconds.  Not as potent as the other two perfumes, Love To The Fullest nonetheless has the delicate balance of scent and lightness perfectly combined, making it a great evening scent; especially an evening with your significant other.  If he, or she as the case may be, doesn't go nuts over this smell, I would be very surprised!  It's seductive and gentle, but fun and playful all rolled into one -  a perfect little black dress accompaniment!  It's only flaw is that it doesn't seem to last as long as the other two scents.  I have thought that it may be due to the fact that it is a less aggressive assault on the nasal passages - my nose simply got used to it quicker than the other two.  I have yet to test this theory in practice though, so I will let you know if my thoughts are correct!  This scent definitely does it for me, and receives a 5/5!

Score

Well, I'm at a bad place now, as I have two favourites that I really can't choose between.  All three perfumes smell lovely, and have their virtues as different types of scent, but I don't know which of them I would choose as my favourite.  Right at this moment in time I am more inclined towards Love To The Fullest, but I always seem to change my mind!  My best advice would be for you to try them out and pick one for yourself!  After all, you know your scent better than anyone!

As a collection though, definitely a 5/5!

Sidenote: Yes, I am aware that the photos are wonky.  I was in a bit of a rush when I took them as I was supposed to be going out!   :-)

When Pockets are Tight, Avon is Here to Help!

Perfumes and fragrences are expensive, especially if you're the kind of person who loves Clinique or Estee Lauder.  With New Year soon to be arriving upon us, and pursestrings tightened after Christmas, it may seem that you'll have to forget getting something new to try.

Well.... not true!

Avon has a whole host of fine fragrences and Celebrity scents to choose from, and if you like any of the smells below, we have a perfect match :-)

Women's Fragrence

If you like...                                  You should try...
Lacoste Love of Pink                      U by Ungaro for Her
Dolce and Gabbana Light Blue         Jet Femme
Estee Lauder Pure White Linen        Little White Dress
Clinique Happy                               Just Play for Her
Yardley Honeysuckle                      Timeless
Body Shop Aqua Lily                      Simple Elements

 Men's Fragrence

If you like...                                  You should try...
Hugo Boss Soul                              U by Ungaro for Him
Calvin Klein Man                              Black Suede
Dolce and Gabbana Light Blue          Jet Homme
      por Homme
Clinique Happy for Men                    Just Play
Adidas Team Force                          Pro Sport

Some Things to Mull Over...

I guess this is a haul post...  I don't know :-)

Anyway, here's a few things I got from Avon recently that I am completely in love with right now!

First up is the Glimmerstick Diamonds Eyeliner.  I already had this in Smokey Diamond, which is a grey with glitter, but when I saw five more colours available in C15, I just had to have them!  Sadly, I didn't have enough money at the time to buy them all, so I only got two: Twilight Sparkle (blue) and Sugar Plum (purple).

My skin looks awful in the picture above at the moment, I'm suffering from dry skin on my hands because of the cold!  I've also battered and bruised my hands throughout the moving process, so please forgive me!
As you can see, they both have a gorgeous glitter in them, making them perfect for spicing up any look.  Having said that, I love pretty much anything glittery or sparkly, haha!

I also bought myself a demo of Skin So Soft Mineral Gems Glamorous Gold, which is a dry oil body spray with... you guessed it, real gold sparkles in!

I haven't had a chance to try this yet, but seeing as I am about to jump in the shower, I will give it a go afterwards :-)

Then I bought a demo of Secret Fantasy, which is a new perfume coming out in C17 (I think!).

As you can see, the bottle is this adorable deep pink with a cute little key charm on it.  The charm also doubles as a lock for the spray, which is pretty handy!  I love this smell, but I haven't quite decided what it actually smells of yet, so I will keep you posted.

And finally, I was sent a special gift for selling £30 worth of Lotus Shield stuff, which was very nice of Avon!  My gift included: Anew Clinical Eye Lift (All Ages), Superextend Mascara in black and Glazewear Sparkle lip gloss in Sugar Cane.

Now I am always up for trying free stuff, so I gave them all a go, and I have to say I was very surprised that I actually liked the eye lift!  I found that it did brighten up my eyes quite a bit, but I don't know much about sagging or crows feet, as I'm lucky enough not to have any yet!  I also loved the mascara, as it really lengthened my lashes with no trouble at all.  At first, I wasn't sure about the gloss, because I prefer my pinks to be sheer and the colour looked terribly opaque in the tube.  It was also very bright, and as I am not a natural fan of the pink colour anyway, I was tempted to give it away.  However, I tried it and I'm glad I did.  The colour is very sheer, it's almost more of a sheen than a tint, and I love the glamorous sparkles.  It's a very wearable gloss after all, so don't be put off by the brightness of it!

WIN WIN WIN!

Yes, as the title suggests, this campaign (and next for that matter!) is all about winning!

To celebrate Avon's collaboration with 80s fashion house Herve Leger, you have already been offered the chance (from me) to buy this glamorous new designer fragrance before it's official release date, along with a free gift set thrown in for good measure (I still have two of these left by the way - first come first served!).

Now, Avon are offering the opportunity to win big prizes in conjunction with Herve Leger's release of the Femme and Homme fragrances in campaigns 15 and 16 respectively.

Pictured: Herve Leger Femme with Campaign 15's brochure and promotional bookmark.

WIN UP TO £5,000 CASH

When you order a full sized Herve Leger Femme or Herve Leger Homme fragrance from Brochures 15 or 16, you will have the opportunity to enter Avon's amazing prize draw to be in with a chance of winning a first place prize of £5,000 cash, one of ninety other cash prizes or one of 3,000 Avon beauty products.

Just visit http://herve.avonpromotions.com to answer a simple question about your Herve Leger fragrance.  All correct entries will be entered into a prize draw with a chance of winning one of the amazing prizes mentioned above!  Remember - you'll only get one chance to enter, so make sure you have your Herve Leger purchase and Representative's name to hand when answering the question.

T&Cs apply.  See www.avon.uk.com for full details.  Only one entry for Herve Leger Femme and one for Herve Leger Homme is permitted per customer.

If you do purchase a bottle of Herve Leger Femme or Homme, you will receive a slip with my full details on.  This is because for business reasons I have to sign up to Avon with my full name - I prefer not to use it in everyday situations, but you will need it to enter this prize draw.  Have this to hand, along with your fragrance, when you visit http://herve.avonpromotions.com.

Good luck to everyone! :-)

Herve Leger Special Offer - Amendment

Don't worry, you can still buy Herve Leger before anyone else for £20, it's just that now you get an awful lot more for your money!  You will now receive a free gift of a Herve Leger Gift Set, including a shower gel, a body lotion and an EDP Purse Spray, as well as your full size perfume!

(Please excuse the carpet!  Packaging is silver.)

Bargain!

Remember: this offer is only available to the first ten people to register their interest!

Want to try first?
I now have samples available for Herve Leger, so send me an e-mail or text if you'd like to try it out :)

Special Announcement

Following the success of collaborations with fashion houses Christian Lacroix and Ungaro, Avon have announced an exciting new partnership with the designer of the iconic 'bandage dress'.

Yep, you got it: the very glamorous Herve Leger - a worldwide phenomenon in the 1980s that pioneered the body-con look, which has now returned to the catwalks for 2010/11.

Herve Leger's Chief Designer, Max Aria, has collaborated with Avon to expand the Designer Perfume collection to include the "Herve Leger" EDP Spray, described as a fragrance that "captures the iconic sensuality and style of Herve Leger, which evokes the innately seductive side of women" (Max Aria, Hello Tomorrow Campaign 15, 2010).

And here's the really good news!

You can get your hands on this new designer fragrance for £20 (50ml, price correct at time of blogging), which is great value for a luxury fragrance!  You will be able to buy this from Campaign 15's brochure, when the women's fragrance will be officially launched.  A men's version will be launched in C16.

Can't wait that long?

Ten lucky people will have the opportunity to buy Herve Leger before the official release.  This means that you will have your very own full-size Herve Leger perfume up to six weeks before anyone else!  This is a first-come-first-served offer, so register your interest quickly for a chance to buy your perfume before anybody else!

To register your interest, e-mail me or call/text.  Remember, only the first ten people to register will have access to this opportunity, so act fast!

Review: U for Her by Ungaro (Perfume)

The only reason I am blogging on this now, when in retrospect, U is an older Avon name, is because I am soon to get the new U by Ungaro Fever perfume sample, which really excites me!  Now I'm not actually a massive fan of perfume because most mainstream high end perfumes smell terrible on me.  Especially the flowery scents!  However, I bought perfume from Avon before I became a rep and never had any troubles with it.  My favourites were Dream Life (now discontinued), Celebre and U.  Dream Life I won't ever touch on as it's not available anymore, though I did love it, and Celebre I will save for another time as that's even older than U!  But as I will be reviewing the Fever sample, I thought I'd at least write down something to compare it to.

I haven't actually bought a U bottle in about three years because when I bought my last lot I accidentally ordered two bottles instead of one, and I still had some left in my last bottle too!  I don't go through a lot of perfume because I am a sparce spritzer; I don't like my scent to be too strong.  So, I'm not sure what the full packaging looks like now, but the bottle is still the same shape as far as I'm aware.  As you can see below, mine came in a reflective pink, embossed box with silver detail, which is really cute and girly (not normally my style, but I forgive it because I love the perfume itself!).

The bottle is a lovely sweeping, curvy shape, mimiking the curves of a woman's body.  It is a very feminine

bottle shape, and it's girly quality is enhaced by the pink perfume within.  On the back of the bottle there is a very faint pink U symbol pattern detail, which adds a nice touch to the bottle when it is emptying.  I actually find the shape to be very ergonomic, it's comfortable to hold while spritzing and isn't awkward to manouvre in any way.

U is classified as a floral scent, which surprised me a little because I can't normally wear florals - they usually end up smelling awful on me!  However, U is different.  It's not massively sweet, but is sweet enought that it doesn't have a bitter tang to it, and it feels very light and fresh to wear.  When used sparingly, it has a sophisticated, sensual scent to it, and I would definately recommend using sparingly.  Seriously, with this, a little does go a long way - I find that for me, one spray is usually enough for work, two for a night out, when held 3/4 of an arm's length from the body.  You honestly don't need more than that, which makes this great value too!  Also, holding the bottle at that distance from the body gives a more even coverage of perfume, which is good for the 'passing scent' effect.  I don't particularly like random people I don't really know smelling my neck either, so having a bit lightly on your shoulder combats this creepiness!  The perfume itself has nine notes in total, including bergamot, lotus flower, and creamy sandlewood, giving a chic and alluring perfume that is difficult to hate.

I am aware that this scent, as with all scents, may not be for everyone, but so far in America, it has a total rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars, with 22 out of 24 reviewers saying they would recommend it to a friend.  That's a very good rating!

I love this perfume, and would recommend it any day of the week :)

Want to try U by Ungaro but not sure about buying a full bottle?

No problem!  Just ask me for a FREE sample!

I will also soon be sampling U by Ungaro Fever, so if you have previously tried and loved the original U, you can ask me for a free sample of the new fragrance to try for yourself!

Also available: U for Him by Ungaro