Ravishing Rubies for Luscious Lips...

A few weeks back, I tested Avon's Ultra Colour Rich Rubies Lipstick.  Why has it taken so long for me to write up about it?  Well, to be fair, I suddenly found myself with a whole lot of new stuff to demo, so I figured that I'd try everything at once and then write up about it all later.
As it turns out, that was a terrible idea, but hey, it gave me an excuse to demo everything all over again!

So anyway, Avon is no stranger to the sparkly lipstick.  UCR Rubies is the fourth gem-enriched lipstick that I am personally aware of, with the first three being 24K Gold, Brilliance (pearls), and Rose Gold.  Avon is a lover of glitter and sparkle, and usually, with the release of a gem-enriched lipstick comes the release of a sparkly make-up item.  For 24K Gold, there was an entire 24K Gold collection, including an extension of the quad palettes when they released Golden Twilight and Golden Sapphire; with the release of Rose Gold came Limited Edition Rose Gold nail polishes, and when Brilliance was released, we were treated to the return of Twilight Sparkle and Sparkling Silver Glimmerstick Diamonds, as well as two new shades (Golden Diamond and Brown Glow) and two new nail polishes.

But when Rubies was released, this didn't happen.  It could, perhaps, have had something to do with the release of not one, but two new ranges in the brochure before, Arctic Goddess and Dazzling Diva, both of which featured sparkly make-up items.  But whatever the reason, in C1 2013, Rubies made its appearance as a stand-alone lipstick with nothing matching to compliment it.  For this reason, I was a little disappointed, as I would happily have invested in some eyeshadows with rubies (I feel that Avon is missing out when they fail to include red as a colour in their eye make-up palettes).  Despite this, I bought all six of them to try, as they were going cheap as demonstration products go.  And so, into my collection I welcomed Noble Nude, Majestic Mauve, Radiant Ruby, Princely Plum, Fuchsia Fame and Imperial Pink, as seen below.

Now, it has to be noted, that when these arrived, they actually look a lot darker than in this picture.  I'm guessing that when you have an army of professional photographers at your disposal, you can use all the fancy lighting you want to make your products look pretty.  But all the same, I quite liked the darkness of them.  I am really into statement lip colours that give you a complete pop - a pout worth looking at, and what better way to do that than with a fairly neutral eye and bold, rich lips?

When I opened the, rather sexy, black and red tube, I was surprised to find that the lipstick had a faint fruity smell to it; a soft and refreshing fruit, perhaps peach or something like that?  I can't be too sure, sadly, but it is a very nice smell all the same.  The colours were deep and vivid, with tiny tiny flecks of pinky-red sparkle that you can only see under direct light.  The whole effect is subtle and glamorous - there's none of this over-the-top glitter effect that can sometimes come across in sparkle lipsticks.  The colour of the lipstick compliments the red sparkle perfectly; there is no sense that either one is going to outshine the other, and while the richness of the colours may come across quite intimidating, there is also something energetic and spirited about them.  They seem to inspire a sense of boldness, and while normally I wouldn't be seen in the daylight wearing something as deep as Princely Plum, I actually went to the shop wearing it.  And do you know what?  I didn't care one little bit!

I love this lipstick.  While at first the formula felt a little bit gritty, that soon eased out and went on smoothly.  The lipstick is soft, silky and light; you barely notice you're wearing it.  There's no heavy residue, and my lips felt moisturised, though there is no claim to moisturisation in the advertising.  The effect of the rubies was soft and subtle, giving me a sparkly, shiny pout with no in-your-face, overkill glitz which can sometimes ruin an otherwise perfect look.  The result was sexy and seductive; something I do not often feel, and many people commented on how nice my lipstick was!  What made it all better, was the fact that the lipstick was pretty robust.  I spent four hours at a party wearing Fuchsia Fame (a fabulous party colour), and I knocked back quite a few drinks in that time, yet my lipstick still looked bright and kissable.  After that I went to the after-party, and when the colour finally did fade, it left behind traces of the ruby sparkle, which on its own was also a nice effect - I did not retouch my lipstick all night (seven hours) because of this.  The fruity smell is also ever so slightly present when the lipstick is on, though there is no noticeable taste to the product.  While for me transfer was minimal, I have yet to see how well this lipstick holds up in more mouth-active situations, such as kissing or eating, though I am hoping for good results as I would hate to have to consider that this lipstick has a negative side.

Soft and subtle, yet bold and daring. These traits are what make this lipstick truly fabulous.  I would recommend them to anyone and everyone.  There is a colour to suit all, so if you're not one for the bold bright statements, Noble Nude is there to help.  If you want something that is sultry and sensuous, I recommend Princely Plum, and if you just want something cute and girly, Imperial Pink is your colour.  I have yet to try out Majestic Mauve and Radiant Ruby, but I see Ruby as a vibrant, sexy colour, perfect for a hot night out, and Mauve as the colour you'd wear on a romantic night with your significant other.

Now, at £8.50, these are in line with most other Avon lipstick prices, so you are probably not going to fork out any more than usual for one.  Having said that, there are cheaper lipsticks out there, which has the potential to make some people think twice.  Please don't.  They are well worth the money!

All-in-all, this one's a slam dunk for me.  I don't have a bad word to say about it, which makes a nice change, as I am incredibly fussy when it comes to lipsticks.  A top-notch five out of five stars!

Want to try it out or fancy looking at more of Avon's lipstick choices?

Go to my Online Brochure or speak to your Independent Representative.  Alternatively, you can buy online at avonshop.co.uk.

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!   :-)

REVIEW: SuperEnchant Mascara

SUPERENCHANT MASCARA

Avon's SuperEnchant Mascara saw its introduction to the public in Brochure 7 of the 2011 campaigns.  The mascara formula is made up of 100% naturally derived mineral pigments, and features a Botanical Extracts and Royal Jelly to give beautifully conditioned lashes that are full and soft to the touch*.  Claiming to make your lashes look up to 44% longer** and have 400% more volume*** with a brand new hourglass-shaped brush, SuperEnchant seemed a little too good to be true, so I had to try it out for myself!

Okay, so, I got my demo mascara, and to be honest, when I first saw the brush, I was a little bit unconvinced.  It was such a weird shape, and I wasn't really sure what the point was to it.  Sure enough, on first use, I proceeded to smear a mass of black across my eyeshadow with one of the fat ends of the brush.  Not clever, and not pretty.  The shape took a lot of getting used to, and even now, I'm still not 100% convinced it works that well for me, but truth be told, if you're patient with it (which I generally am not!), it does work really well.  I've also noticed that the shape helps to slightly curl your lashes, as well as surround them for coverage, so teaming this mascara with an eyelash curler is probably the way forward.  In short, it's a strange shape, but you'll get used to it.

Now for the formula.  I myself have delicate, but long, lashes that are blonde at the tips and dark at the roots.  I have to really avoid touching my eyes because my lashes are so delicate they come out if I so much as think about rubbing my eyes if they get itchy!  After fighting with the brush for a bit, I did notice that the mascara coated my lashes well, if it was a little clumpy in places.  I later discovered that leaving this mascara for too long makes it more sticky, which I suppose is down to the mineral and jelly formula used to make it condition your lashes.  Giving it a good shake before using it usually helps, but you really need to remove as much as of the excess mascara as you can before even trying to put it on, which can be a bit annoying if you're in a hurry.  Some mascaras can feel stiff when you touch your lashes, but this one doesn't, it feels just like touching your lashes normally, which is a nice sensation, especially if your significant other is a fan of the 'butterfly kiss'.

While the first time round I didn't really notice any significant lengthening of my lashes, I did notice that they appeared fuller than normal, which is a good thing.  When I actually took the time to do the mascara properly, I did notice a slight lengthening effect, so I guess this mascara is probably best used when you have a lot of time on your hands to really do it properly.  The mascara isn't heavy, and with 100% natural pigments, I feel safe in the knowledge that it's not going to burn my eyelids off with constant use!

As for the conditioning effect, I have to be honest, I haven't really noticed any difference.  My lashes are still as delicate as ever, though I think I may have a reason for this.  I have only been using SuperEnchant every so often, when I have the time to really take care of my lashes, or when I need a really full look for photographs and the like.  As such, the conditioning effect is probably a cumulative one, taking effect when used pretty much constantly.  As I just don't have the patience for a slow-use mascara most of the time, I have been using  my SuperShock mascara because the flat, short bristles are better for me to do my mascara quickly and efficiently.

Verdict:
A good mascara - light, soft and it definitely helps to add volume, length and curl, but it's a high maintenance mascara, which doesn't suit my rush-rush approach to life.  It's well worth having in your make-up bag for a dramatic evening look, but I suggest not making it your only mascara.

Score: 4/5


* Consumer Study, 147 people
**  In Vitro Volume Test Study
***  Clinical Study, 21 people
Details in Avon's 2011 Brochure 07, pages 24-27

Review: Avon Naturals Room and Linen Spray - Black Cherry and Nutmeg

I've used room sprays before, and recently I have been relying on a Glade Sense and Spray to keep my living room fresh, but when I noticed an offer in Avon's brochure, I couldn't resist trying the Room and Linen Spray.

Not wanting anything too girly for the sake of my boyfriend, I went for the Black Cherry and Nutmeg fragrance.  When it arrived, I wanted to try it immediately.  My Sense and Spray had long died over Christmas, and I couldn't be bothered trekking out to get a refill while it was snowing, so spray I did.  The smell was lovely, and filled with room with a fragrance that was not too heavy nor overpowering.  It was refreshing, and didn't make me want to choke like most room sprays do.  The cherry and nutmeg scents were delicious and light, with the nutmeg merely a complimentary addition, as opposed to a main one.  The cherry is true to it's regular fruit smell, and forms the main component of the spray's smell.

After reading that it was also good to spray on linens and suchlike, I had the idea of using it to fragrance some fake flowers I had made over Christmas.  I love the fresh scent of newly cut flowers, but what I don't like is the mess left when they die and pollen gets everywhere.  So, these fake flowers got a blast of the spray too, and the effect is a rather lovely effect, if a tad unusual for the shape of the flower!

I would recommend the Room and Linen sprays to anyone, and am going to try other smells myself :-)

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