How Many Shopping Days Left?!?

OK, don’t panic… It’s 56, counting today.

Where has the time gone? Seriously. It’s been too long since my last post and I didn’t even realize it. I think I’ve spent too many hours engrossed in the latest Avon catalogs, mesmerized by the cool Christmas stuff.

Anyway, if you’re one of those like my sweet sister-in-law who plans early and shops early then laughs at the rest of us in a panic, or if you WANT to be like her, then it’s time to get serious. And I’m here to help you. :) Heck, you don’t even have to get dressed or drive anywhere to shop with me. I’ll come to you or you can shop my e-store.

So I think I’ll help you with your list this year. And by “I” I mean “me and Avon.
In this edition of the blog, I’ll give you ideas for the compulsive decorator on your list. She might even be you. :)

This year Avon has the cutest version of an Advent calendar that I’ve seen in a long time. This Count Down to Christmas House lights up and each day you open a new door or window to discover a new Christmas scene. It also plays 8 different Christmas songs. And it has an on/off switch so you can keep the house lighted up without the music.

One of my other favorite pieces is called Winter Wonderland Centerpiece. I thinks it’s so adorable but I’ll give you the description right out of the book:

“Avon exclusive. A classic holiday scene with cascading colored lights and moving parts. Santa's tree rotates, skaters skate and train goes through the tunnel! LED and fiber-optic lights change from red, to yellow, to blue. Plays "We Wish You a Merry Christmas". 3-way switch controls lights, music and moving parts.”

You can also find a beautiful hand-painted ceramic Nativity set this season. Currently you can get the Holy Family set or the Shepherd Boy with his Flock. Each is a 3-piece set. And soon there will be a set of the Three Wise Men or you'll have the option to buy the 9-piece collection. To be notified when the Wise Men or the collection will be available, register here.

Among other things, Avon also has an array of ridiculously cute tree ornaments. One of my favorites is the Dazzling Heels Ornament Set. Any woman who loves her shoes will love this set.

I think that’s it for now. I don’t want to overwhelm anyone right off the bat. You can see all of these products and so many more in my e-store – YourAvon.com/JerrieFoss.

Until next time…

Crackle Nails Are Here!

I know, you’re thinking, “What in the world does that mean?” What it means is that Avon now has the hottest trend in nail polishing.
It’s called Mosaic Effects and it’s currently on sale for $3.99. If you don’t know, it’s sort of like a top coat of polish that you put over a colorful base coat and it gives you this really cool effect. I can’t wait to try it out.

There are also some excellent bargains to be had in the ">Extra Lasting and Smooth Mineral lines. Right now you can buy particular products of either brand and get another one (of equal or lesser value) half off. You can mix and match to your heart’s content. Also in the “excellent value” category is the Glazeware Lip Gloss. Those are 2 for $5. I am not a lip gloss person but I really like Glazeware. I wrote about it here.

OK, I’m a little embarrassed about this next part but I’ll tell you anyway. I have several customers who swear by Glimmersticks Eyeliner and up until now I have never tried it. But let me tell you, that was a mistake! This eyeliner is fabulous. It stays in place all day and even all night when you’ve been too lazy, um I mean busy, to remove your eye makeup. Seriously, I looked in the mirror the next morning and the eyeliner was perfect. I won’t go into what the rest of my eye makeup looked like. There could be children reading. Regular Glimmersticks Eyeliner is on sale right now for $2.99, regularly $7.

And now that the kids are finally back in school it’s time to think about – what else? – Christmas! It’s just around the corner you know and Avon is the place to find stocking stuffers galore. Right now Avon Naturals Shower Gels (5 oz. each) are on sale for (can you believe it??) $1.25 each. Heck, for that price plus the Avon Care Silicone Glove Hand Cream for 99 cents, you can afford to bring gifts for the whole office or for all your kids’ teachers this holiday season.

That’s all I have for today. You can find any of these items plus tons more excellent products in my e-store.

Until next time…

What. A. Deal!

I’m a bargain shopper. If I get a killer deal on something I want to spread the word. “This blouse? $4 at Old Navy. Oh, those shorts? Got two for $12.”

Well, I was perusing my current Avon book and came across this deal that I absolutely HAVE to share. I do. Or I’ll burst!

Avon’s Anew Solar Advance sunscreen is on sale in this book – buy 1 get 2 free. Yes! Not 1 free; 2 free. That’s a bargain especially if you live in a state where sunscreen is necessary all year long.

I posted about the Solar Advance when it first came out here, and some more here. But the gist of it is that I have found that this product doesn’t just protect you from the sun. It really does work to repair your skin. It’s quite remarkable, really.

When it first came out earlier this year, there was the one for your face with SPF 45 and one for your body with SPF 30. And Avon now offers a mist version with SPF 28.

You can shop for that bargain and a lot of others at my e-store.

Oh, and if your house is like my house, the kids are counting down the days until you bring out the Halloween decorations. Well, this catalog also has some super cute home decorations like "We Got the Treats Pete". And if you, or your daughter, like to trend your jewelry with the holidays then you don’t want to miss these earrings

or this watch

.
And I’m thinking my son would kill for this spider web umbrella.

Until next time…

I Love Happy Discoveries =)

And I made not one, but two happy discoveries in the last couple of weeks!

The first one has to do with Skin So Soft Original lotion. For years and years I’ve heard about how it wards of mosquitoes, etc., but I’d never tried it myself. (Avon never claimed it worked as a mosquito repellent but some folks who used it swore by it, including my sister who lives in Florida and my sister-in-law who lives here in California.)

So last week we did a little family campout in the local mountains. My husband and his brother went up on Thursday and I followed on Friday afternoon after our son got out of school. By the time my son and I got there, my husband was uncharacteristically dressed in long pants and a long-sleeved shirt.

As soon as we stepped out of the car he said, “You want to change your clothes. Now.” Then he showed me a multitude of bug bites he’d gotten the night before from what we now think were mosquitoes and black flies. There were at least a dozen on his legs and more on his arms.

Now, he’d used Avon’s Bug Guard sunscreen in the morning and spent the day hiking. He didn’t reapply it at night because A) he didn’t need sunscreen at night and B) he assumed he was still covered from the morning application.

So my son and I immediately put on our long pants and long-sleeved shirts and I applied a layer of the Skin So Soft Original lotion to both of our exposed bits of skin. And my husband used it, too. That night, I didn’t get one bite and my husband didn’t get any more.

The next morning, the boys went fishing and I put my son in long sleeves, sunscreen and SSS Original. When we got home, he did not have a single bite on him.
I wore short sleeves and shorts with the SSS Original and ended up with one bite on my arm and one on my leg. That’s it. So now I have anecdotal evidence that it does work.

My suggestion is that you buy a few of the little travel size SSS Original and stash them in your purse. You never know when you’ll be out later than you think at that baseball or soccer game or a concert in the park.

The other happy discovery has to do with these cute (non-Avon) shoes and this magical product: Foot Works Anti-Rub Blister Stick. I bought those shoes and decided they looked best sans socks. So I put them on and took myself off to the grocery store only to
discover that they rubbed my heels and made hot spots on them. Ouch.

I’d seen the Anti-Rub Stick in the catalog so I ordered myself a couple. As soon as they came I put the product on my heels and put on my shoes. And Oh. My. Goodness. No rubbing. At all. I cannot tell you how excited I am to have a product that will make band-aids or mole skin on my heels a thing of the past. Bring on those fall boots! Those strappy sexy heels! I can take it! And so can my heels.

If you, or your kids or anyone in your family, has ever suffered from new shoe syndrome, I suggest you also stash one of these in your purse for emergencies.

As I think about it, with all this stuff you’re going to stash in your purse, you might need a bigger one. But not to worry! Avon has some really cute purses to choose from. You can find in my e-store. :)

Until next time…

Summer, Summer, Having a Blast...

Well, summer’s in full swing to be sure. After sitting around not doing much for several weeks, I’m now trying to cram all kinds of things into just a few weeks before my son heads back to school.

Just since July 4th we’ve had a chance to visit with family from out of town a couple of days, taken a couple of trips to the beach and want to plan a couple of more, we’ve got swimming lessons and are working on planning a camping trip. There are also movies to be seen and who know what else will come up!

And since I’m sure everyone else is just as busy, right now I’ve got just a few things to share with you.

First, in the current campaign Avon is offering the “Summer Swag Bag.” It’s a super cute and colorful tote and inside that tote are some of Avon’s most popular summer products: Advance Techniques Frizz Control Lotus Shield Treatment ($12); Anew Solar Advance Mini Sunscreen Face Lotion, SPF 45 ($7.50); Nail Experts UV Gloss Guard Top Coat ($6.50); Glazewear Lip Gloss, clear, SPF 15 ($6); and Haiku Eau de Parfum Spray, purse size ($10).

You can buy the Swag Bag for just $19.99 with select $10 purchase. I know what you’re thinking. “What 3 products can I select from to get this bag?” But guess what? There’s a huge list of qualifying purchases which you can see right here. For the most part if you just buy your Avon basics, you can probably qualify for the Swag Bag.

The next thing I want to tell you about is the new “Rep Rave” feature in the Avon catalogs. (You can also see them
in the e-store, just put “rep rave” in the search box.) The Rep Rave is when Avon representatives tell you about four of their favorite products. This campaign it’s a woman named Veruska and you get read her Avon story and see her favorite products. But the best part is that Avon then offers all of those products together for a really great deal.

For example, Veruska’s favorites are Anew Reversalist Day Cream ($32), True Colors Eye Shadow Quad in Caribbean Sunset ($9), Moisture Therapy Intensive Treatment Body Lotion, SPF 15 ($9), and Far Away Eau de Parfum spray ($23). You can buy the bundle (exactly as is, there is no switching the eye shadow color or fragrance, etc.) for just $35. It’s still an awesome bargain even if you break up the set and make gifts of the products you can’t use.

Now, talking about the start of school being just around the corner… Do you know a teen or young adult who is battling acne? Wouldn’t it be great to get those
breakouts under control before they head back to class? Well the answer may just lie in Avon’s Clearskin Professional Acne Treatment System. It includes just three easy steps to taking care of problem skin. Step 1 – cleanse, step 2 – tone, step 3 – treat. It’s as simple as that. And you can get the 3-step Clearskin Professional kit for just $24.99.

Finally, I don’t know about you but I’m kind of picky about the body moisturizer that I use. In the past I’ve had a hard time finding one that I liked. I’ve now tried two different body lotions from Avon’s Moisture Therapy line and I like them both even though they are different.

The first one I tried was the
38608">Vitamin Treatment Body Lotion. It claims to be “Non-greasy moisture that lasts 24 hours.” Well, I didn’t really time how long it lasted but it went on nicely, kept my skin supple and didn’t have a strong fragrance. It was a thinner lotion which I don’t normally like because they seem to be mostly water but this one really worked well.

After that I started trying an improved version of the Moisture Therapy Intensive Treatment Body Lotion. The improvement is that it now has a sunscreen SPF 15 (see the Rep Raves section again) which isn’t a lot of sun protection but it’s good for incidental sun exposure, such as walking to and from your car and so on. This lotion is much thicker than the other one I tried and it takes a minute but it does absorb right into the skin without leaving that sunscreen smell or feeling. I like this one very much, too.

So I think that’s it for this installment.

Until next time…

The Scent of Summer

So you know how sometimes you can just be walking down the street or through the mall and suddenly you smell something that sends you back to… somewhere? Grandma’s kitchen, mom’s wardrobe, summer camp, that place you stayed by the lake that time.

Summer has so many different scent memories for me. My bathing suit from an over-chlorinated pool, Sea & Ski sun screen, coconut scented tanning oil, jasmine growing like crazy, the fresh peaches we could pick off a tree in our backyard, the smell of barbecues from all over the neighborhood lighting up just before dinner time.

But I digress. The reason I’m thinking about these special summertime smells is because A) it’s the first day of summer, and B) Avon has just introduced three new
fragrances to lighten up your summery wardrobe. You cannot wear any of these three fun, flirty “Scentini” fragrances without feeling instantly cooler and lighter.

There’s Plum Twist, Citrus Chill and Rose Fizz. Each one smells pretty much like you think it will only a bit lighter and more fun! Avon calls them, “Fruity fragrance cocktails.” And here’s a tip I picked up some time ago – in the summer keep your fragrances in the refrigerator for a cool refreshing mist when you reapply.

You can check them out at my estore and see that they’re on an introductory special of $9.99 each.

Other things I think about in the summer time are sun protection and how to not look like the pasty Irishwoman I am.

I told you a while back that Avon had introduced a new line of sunscreen called Anew Solar Advance which includes an SPF 30 for the body and an SPF 45
for the face. I mentioned that I was going to try the SPF 45 on my décolletage because that skin has been so damaged over the years that it now has the appearance of turkey jerky. Well, I used the Solar Advance on it every day that I might potentially be exposed to the sun and you know what? That skin looks so much better. So. Much. Solar Advance actually did improve the texture of my skin! Even my husband mentioned how much better it looks. It’s still reddish but the texture is unbelievably improved. I’ve even heard anecdotal stories of women who use it on their face in place of their daily moisturizer and they’ve noticed that brown spots on their faces have disappeared.

Avon also still offers its Bug Guard line of sunscreens, too. I wrote about all of the products here.
But right now they’re all on sale for half price so I’d say it’s time to stock up. You can check them out in my e-store as well.

Finally, these days I try to avoid anything more than incidental sun exposure. You should see me at the beach, covered up like a mummy. But I still want to have some color on my legs when I wear shorts and skirts. I’ve found the answer to my dilemma in Avon’s Skin So Soft Absolute Glow Gel. I’ve been using it for several weeks now and I’m really liking it. My legs have enough color to look natural for me; which is to say that they’re no longer pasty but look a tiny bit sun kissed.

The Absolute Glow Gel goes on clear, spreads nicely and does not have a strong smell (which I found to be the case with another brand I tried last year). And it doesn’t take a long time to dry so you can get dressed pretty quickly after putting it on. The directions say to use it in place of your everyday moisturizer. It’s here in my e-store.

Until next time…

Something to think about.

There are so many reasons to love Avon’s Anew skincare line and today I’ll give you three more.

1) The 2-week starter kit in all lines (Rejuvenate, Reversalist, Ultimate and Platinum) is on sale. The starter kits include cleanser, daytime moisturizer, nighttime moisturizer and eye treatment for $25!

2) If you buy one of these starter kits, you’ll get a coupon for $10 off a full-sized product in one of the next 2 campaigns. So when you’ve tried these products and decide that you can’t live without this regimen (and you know you will) you’ll get a discount to continue on your road to fabulous skin. :)

3) If you’re already a dedicated Anew user and you’re heading off on vacation, this trial size kit is perfect to take with you. Instead of lugging along all of your full-sized products, you can pack this dainty little kit. Each container should also meet the FAA size requirements to go in your carry-on bag.

So, if you’d like to get in on this deal, you can shop my e-store under Anew products or you can contact me and I’ll get you squared away. If you are unsure of which line is best for you, you can take the skincare quiz here at my e-store.

Until next time…

Tiny Tillia, Adorable Clothes for Adorable Babies

If you know someone who is expecting a baby, or if you are expecting one yourself, then you’ll want to hear this!

In April Avon launched Tiny Tillia by Avon, a line of oh-so-cute children’s merchandise, which was started in 2006 by Tiffany Lerman, the daughter of Jackie Collins. Yes, that Jackie Collins. (*Note: I realize that article about her is from 1997 but I still found it interesting.)

The line features adorable clothes for baby as well as blankets, accessories, and bath products that are pediatrician tested, hypoallergenic, and suitable for sensitive skin. There is also nursery décor and a totally cute cast of characters, like Duncan Dog and Ben Giraffe, who are featured in toys and books. And many of the baby items can be personalized, too.

And since the mom who created this line couldn’t leave out the moms, there is also a line of skin care products for her and some pretty cool looking diaper bags.

Also, they’ve arranged the site so that mothers-to-be can set up a gift registry and their friends and families can shop from it.


You can check my Tiny Tillia e-store for yourself. If for some reason this does not come up to my e-store (you should see my name near the top right corner), you can click on "find a representative" and type in my last name, Foss, then choose California as your state. A handful of names will pop up and you can select me, Jerrie.

Everything on the site is still new to me but if you have questions I’ll do my best to answer them.

A couple of things you might want to know about shopping Tiny Tillia. First, you can shop my e-store and just place a regular online order and have it shipped straight to you. Second, if you opt to have me place the order I can do so at any time.
Unlike my regular Avon store I don’t have specific ordering dates. I placed an order for a customer on Monday and I received notification that it shipped on Tuesday (personalized items will take longer). The last thing is, even if you have me place your order shipping charges will apply. However, based on my own experience, I think they’re pretty reasonable.

So go peruse the site. By the time you’re done you’ll be wracking your brain trying to think who you can order something for. That random woman who works three floors down in your building will be thrilled to get a Tiny Tillia gift just because you had to buy something. :)

Until next time…

Taking the Guess Work Out of Buying Foundation

In my makeup routine I don’t use foundation unless I’m getting dressed up. For everyday wear I use a tinted moisturizer. I find that I like the sheer coverage that just helps even out my skin tone.

I also dislike buying foundation because when I run out I have a hard time finding the one I just used. Probably because I don’t use it very often and it takes me a while to go through a bottle, it seems like when I want to buy exactly what I just used up it’s been discontinued. Or they’ve changed the bottle and I don’t know what it looks like. Or I don’t know if my color was Sandy Beige or Softly Neutral. And you know how it is when your makeup has been sitting in your makeup drawer for a while – the name of the brand has rubbed off, the little itty bitty sticker that has the name or number of the shade is long gone... (Which, by the way, is an advantage of shopping Avon with me. I can tell you exactly what you bought, even if it was six months ago. =))

Anyway, I always end up at the drug store staring at a the 50 brands of foundation, each with 75 shades, and have to take a wild eyed guess as to which one is the one for me. And, inevitably, I choose wrong. And rather than trudge back to the store to try to return it and get the right one I end up with yet another bottle of wrong makeup sitting in my drawer. (Oh! Another advantage of shopping Avon with me – we have a 100% money back guarantee even if your product has been used. I mean, how else do you know if you like it if you don’t use it, right?)

So, the point of this little tirade is that I just bought and tried Avon’s IDEAL

SHADE Custom Shade Foundation Lotion SPF 15. I love it! Love. It. First, there are only three shades to choose from: Light, Medium and Medium Deep. I chose the medium because with summer coming, I will get some color on my face. It’s a little weird at first. It comes out of the tube white and will then change to the color that is right for you. How awesome is that?!? No standing in the makeup aisle guessing!

So I put it on two different ways. First, the way I do with my regular foundation, using a damp makeup sponge to move it around and even out the application. The next time I did it the way I do my tinted moisturizer, putting some on my hands, rubbing them together and then rubbing them on my face (sophisticated, huh?). I’m not sure one way is better than the other except that you probably use less product doing it carefully with a sponge.

In the end, it totally came to a color that looked natural for me!

This foundation is sheer, much like the tinted moisturizer and I like that. But if you’re trying to get more coverage, then another one of Avon’s foundations is probably better for you. The Custom Shade Foundation is more matte than the tinted moisturizer so I didn’t need to use any powder to dampen any shininess.

Also, as I said in my last post, I’ve been trying Avon’s new Anew Solar Advance Sunscreen Face Lotion SPF 45 on my décolletage to see if it can help improve the texture of that skin which has been abused like crazy over the years.

Well, I’ve used it 3 or 4 times now and I have to say that the skin in that area is softer. It’s in such bad shape, though, that I’m not expecting miracles. But the sunscreen does have a nice fragrance and isn’t sticky or oily or anything else that you don’t want your sunscreen to be.

Oh, and just a reminder that Mother’s Day is just around the corner. May 8th, to be exact.

Until next time…

CUE BEATLES MUSIC: “Here comes the sun. Here comes the sun. And I say it’s alright…”

Sun, sun, sun here it comes. Are you ready?

Among other things it’s time to stock up on sunscreen and naturally Avon is here to help. =)

Avon offers a variety of sunscreen options including a brand new line of sun protection (available soon) called
Anew Solar Advance which has received the Active Seal of Recommendation from the Skin Cancer Foundation. Anew Solar Advance claims to “…not only protect skin’s DNA with broad-spectrum sunscreen, but is also designed to repair skin cell sun damage.” Sounds awesome!

Like all Anew products the SPF 45 for the face and the SPF 30 for the body claim to visibly improve the texture of the skin, etc. I have not had a chance to try it yet but I’m going to. Here’s my plan: The skin on my chest, my décolletage, has the look and texture of beef jerky (maybe turkey jerky given my skin tone) due to years of abuse and neglect on my part. So I’m going to try the Solar Advance for the face and see if it can make any sort of a difference. I’ll let you know how it goes.

Now for those of you who are looking for some sun protection as well as a shield
against those nasty biting buggies, Avon’s standby Skin So Soft line of sunscreen and bug protection is available as well. My husband’s job often requires him to be out in the sun for long periods for time so I gave him SKIN SO SOFT Bug Guard Plus IR3535® EXPEDITION™ SPF 30 Pump Spray to use at one of his events. He said that he put it on in the morning and didn’t get burned all day. Plus he liked the non-sticky feel of it.

However, if you’re like me you don’t know much about what makes a good bug repellent and what makes a bad one. So I did a little research for us (love the Internet!). I found much of my information here, here and here.

For many years, starting in the 1940s when it was developed by the US military, DEET was the standard in bug repellent and could be safely used in various concentrations. It was introduced to the public in the 1950s. However, DEET is also very hard on plastics, leather, and synthetic fabrics like polyester and rayon so it can eat through things like watch crystals and sun glasses. Also, it has a very strong odor.

Since 1998 people in Australia and Europe have used a product called Picaridin and in 2005 it was approved for use in the U.S. Picaridin is derived from pepper and is the bug repellent that is in Avon’s Skin So Soft Bug Guard. Studies indicate that it is as effective as DEET without the damage or the smell.

In Avon’s sun screens that include Bug Guard they use a repellent called IR3535 (Catchy, isn’t it?). It’s another product that’s been widely used in Europe for 20 years and has been available in the States since 1999. Reports seem to be that it is effective in repelling bugs though it is not as long-lasting as Picaridin or DEET.

Finally, contrary to popular belief, Avon never did market its Skin So Soft Oil as an insect repellent. However, the product did garner a lot of media attention some years ago when consumers reported it as being effective as a mosquito repellent.

Below is a little chart that I borrowed from some information I had from Avon. Hopefully you’ll find it helpful. (Click on the photo and it should get bigger.)





Until next time…

Party Time!

Last Saturday a really cool group of ladies got together for a Pedi-Party. I know you’re wondering, “What is a Pedi-Party? What’s it all about?”


Well, it was an opportunity for me to show some delightfully fun people how to get their feet ready for sandal season at home, using some of Avon’s wonderful Foot Works products. I also got to show them some of Avon’s other products and answer questions for them and let them know about some of the terrific deals that Avon has to offer. But mostly it was about friends being together and sharing laughs.

We started off with a warm foot soak using Restorative Milky Foot Soak with Epsom Salt. Then they used a file to work away some of the calluses that have built up over the winter and then did a little exfoliation with Foot Works Thermal Exfoliating Scrub.
After rinsing and drying, it was time to massage in some Foot Works Deep Moisture Cream. After that everyone painted her toes with a variety of colors and then added some fun flower decals.

The recurring statement at the end of the party was, “My feet feel so soft!”
And they looked totally cute, too.

If you have a group of friends you’d like to get together with and have a Pedi-Party, just let me know!

Until next time…

What a Deal!

In the current Avon catalog (campaign 8) there is an incredible deal being offered by the company in honor of its 125-year commitment to women. When I saw it, I just had to share.


With any $10 purchase, you can buy this awesome 6-piece Celebration Collection for just $25. It’s a $125 value. OK, the Anew Luminosity Pro Brightening Serum alone is normally $54. So, just $25!

(If you want to read about what Luminosity Pro Serum will do for you, check it out here at my e-store.)

In this bundle you get the Luminosity Brightening Serum, Anew Clinical Eye Lift ($28), Advance Techniques Frizz Control Lotus Shield Anti-Frizz Treatment ($12), Ultra Color Rich Lipstick in Cozy Mauve ($7), Glimmersticks Eye Liner in Blackest Black ($6), Outspoken by Fergie Eau de Perfume Spray ($10), and a limited edition 125th Anniversary cosmetic bag ($10).

So if you’re like me and been wanting to try some of these products, especially the Luminosity or the Eye Lift, there is no better time. I can’t wait because pretty soon I’ll be able to fill you in on my experience with both of those products. Or, if you want, you can fill me in! Let me know how you like them and I’ll let the internet know. =)

One way you can make that $10 purchase is to start your de-frizzing regimen with

Advance Techniques Frizz Control Lotus Shield Anti-Frizz shampoo and conditioner. They’re $6 each. That way, when you get your Lotus Shield Treatment in your bundle, you’ll be all set to fight the frizz. By the way, the Lotus Shield Treatment is an award winner. It won the Cosmopolitan Beauty Award in 2010 as well as the Latina Beauty Award.


And speaking of award winners, the Anew Clinical Eye Lift has won a couple of prizes for itself.

Also, we’ve just found out that just in time for summer Avon will introduce a new sun screen in the Anew line. There will be an SPF 45 for your face and an SPF 30 for your body. I’ll give you more details when I have them.

Until next time…

Step in Time

You may or may not know that in 2005 Avon partnered with Curves, the workout company for women. They got together to create fitness products to be sold exclusively through Avon. You can check them out here. There are shoes, workout clothes, after workout clothes, and various trimming and slimming accessories.

All of that is to say that I bought myself one of these babies
– Curves Step and Distance Pedometer. I was quite excited to get it and try it out since I’m generally
a fan of gadgets. It doesn’t tell you on the web site, but there’s quite a lot you can do with this little pedometer. You can set it up for running or walking. You can create a goal of distance or steps and it will tell you what percentage of your goal you made.

Now, I’m easy/lazy. I just set it up to tell me how far I’ve walked. And let me tell you it was a disappointment. Not the pedometer. My walks.

See, I was sure I was walking our cute puppy Belle at least 2 miles every day. Turns out our regular route is closer to a mile and three-quarters and some of my alternate walks are more like a mile and a half. Thanks pedometer. Now I find myself thinking of which street I can walk up and then down to pad my numbers. But in the end it’s better for me to make that extra effort and to drain some more of that puppy energy out of Belle. =)

(Sorry about the gratuitous picture of a cute puppy.)

Until next time…

Spring is Springing

Wow, it’s been how long since I’ve posted here?? Sorry about that. I will try to do better from now on.

Anyway, I can’t believe that Spring is nearly here. I don’t know about you but my feet are nowhere near “Sandal Ready.” After months of being safely tucked away in my warm socks and a good pair of sneakers and sometimes even rain shoes, my toes are ready to make a break for it! The want to wiggle in the soft green grass, sink into warm sand, get themselves a pedicure!

This year, however, I’m going to try to get them in shape on my own. I’m going to
start with Avon’s Foot Works Lavender collection. It features an Overnight Treatment Cream, a Clay Mask which also works to exfoliate the skin, and Comfort Foot Soak – which sounds good just typing those words. Avon has a special in the current campaign where you get all of that (includes 2 of the Clay Mask) and a bottle of Nailwear Pro Nail Enamel in Midnight Plum for just $10. That’s way less than going to a salon for a pedicure!

I also know that given my Irish heritage, after a long winter my skin is the approximate color of paste. However, I also know that a lot of sun exposure is not good for me and I slather on sunscreen in copious amounts.

For those of us of any skin tone who would like a bit more color than we currently
have but don’t want to offer our hides to the sun gods, Avon does make a self-tanner. I have not tried the SKIN SO SOFT Satin Glow Absolute Glow Gel yet but my lovely niece Sarah has. She reports that it works great and doesn’t have a strong fragrance, which was a problem in other brands that I’ve tried.

If you’re going to try Avon’s Satin Glow Gel, or any other self-tanner for that matter, I’ll share with you the tricks for even application of such products that I learned when I sold cosmetics in a department store about a hundred years ago.

1. In the shower, exfoliate your skin with a scrub, a loofah or even just a washcloth.

2. Immediately after your shower, apply a moisturizer and let it dry for about 20 minutes. This will prevent any dry areas on your skin from soaking up more of the tanner which is what can create that patchy look.

3. Apply the tanner. Start out with smaller amounts because you can always add more but you can’t take it away. I usually apply a second coat after about 30 minutes. The first time I use a product, I don't apply a second coat until the next day when it's had a chance to develop completely.

On the topic of sunscreen, my husband, who's a photographer and spends pretty much all day out in the elements, used the SKIN SO SOFT Bug Guard Plus SPF 30 Pump Spray last week in Florida. He said it worked great and his morning application kept him from burning all day.

Until next time…

A breakthrough!

After just 5 weeks of my new skincare routine, I’ve had a breakthrough. I actually felt confident enough in the appearance of my skin to go out of the house without
makeup on my face! Granted, I just took my son to school but it’s something. And I did put on some mascara and a little lip tint but on the rest of my face I wore only my Anew Reveralist Day Cream (SPF 25) and eye cream.

You see, since the beginning of the school year I’ve had this dilemma because after I take my son to school I come home and do a nice long, brisk walk with our dog. So I’ve always felt that it was dumb to put on my tinted moisturizer, do my running around and then come home and wash my face after exercising and start all over. But I lacked the confidence to do otherwise.

So the other day I really looked at my skin and felt like I could totally go out, at least for those errands, without covering my skin. And I really owe it all to my Anew Reversalist skincare.

A couple product updates: A couple of weeks ago I started trying Avon’s
Solutions Vibes Wake Up Eye Roller. And I have to say I’m liking it. I’m still now quite sure where the vibrations play into it, but I do like the de-puffing gel, itself. I’m still seeing some dark circles under my eyes but it’s more to do with my allergies, which have been in full force since the beginning of the year. I don’t think even Max Factor himself could do anything about the dark rings under my eyes.

The other product I was using is the Get A Tint Tinted Moisturizer Lotion SPF 15 out of the Mark.
catalog. And while I think it’s a great product, I believe it’s meant for someone with, um, dewier skin than I now have. Basically, my skin is no longer the mass producer of oil that it once was and I don’t need to worry about oil-free products. But if you're younger and are concerned about oiliness, the Get a Tint could work great for you. Avon does offer tinted moisturizer called, IDEAL SHADE Tinted Moisturizer SPF 15 which I’ll try.

Until next time…

Oh. My. God.

Last night we watched this show on BBC America called “Super Botox Me”. All I could think the whole time was, “Thank God for my Avon Anew products.” Truthfully.

In the spirit of investigative journalism, 39-year-old British lifestyle journalist Kate Spicer sets off to check out the latest in cosmetic procedures to, in her case, try to reverse the aging process.

She started out having a “before” picture taken by a professional fashion photographer. In the picture she’s sitting on a stool with her elbows on her knees, head in her hands and not smiling. Not doing anything to try to look better. It reminded me of that episode of Sex and the City where Carrie is supposed to do a shoot for a magazine to highlight being 30 and fabulous but she shows up to the set hung over and they shoot her anyway. It was that bad.

And then, just in case she’s not feeling bad enough, they bring in a 16-year-old model to compare her to. I totally wanted to cry foul! on that one. I mean, you can’t compare any 39 year old skin to 16 year old skin.

I say that Spicer is trying to reverse the aging process because the truth is she does look like about 40 miles of bad road. She admits to several years of hard living, including drinking and smoking. However, I really felt like if she’s just tried some kind of skincare regimen it would have helped her a lot.

It’s probably because of my own recent success with the Anew products, but it seemed like everything she was unhappy with on her face could have been helped with less pain (to both her body and her wallet) with some kind of skincare product..



At the beginning of the program she really didn’t want to have Botox injections but was doing it as part of the investigation. However, as the show went on and she saw almost instant results, she wanted to try more and more. At one point, while she’s paying for a $2,400 treatment, she mentioned that she was glad she wasn’t footing the bill.

By the end of the show she had totally drunk the Kool-Aid. She was a convert to the world of sticking toxins in your skin and it sounded like she’d be getting more treatments as needed. It’s as though she became addicted to the compliments she was getting about her looks. But I had to wonder, how much of it will she get when it’s on her dime?

Anyway, I just decided to share this because while watching the show, I was literally picturing Avon products in my head that would have helped her less painfully than her treatments. Maybe I should send her a catalog.

Until next time…

Funny Valentine

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and I was all set to write about the great gifts available from my Avon e-store until I started perusing the catalog and came across these babies! For all of my friends who love to bake, this is right up your alley.

Personally, I love to bake but don’t have the patience to do more than pour something from a box and add eggs and water. So I suppose it’s more accurate to say that I don’t really love to bake so much as I love to eat what comes out of the oven when I do bake. However, I do know some people who are quite talented bakers and I’m sure they could make some tasty and beautiful treats for their Valentines.


And this, Debbie Meyer Cupcake Genius™ , really is genius! Now it seems there’s an easy way for anybody to make cupcakes with hidden creamy deliciousness!

For those of you who’d like to order something from Avon for your special Valentine, this is the time to do it. The order I place on Friday, January 28, will be the last one for items to arrive in time. If you go to my e-store and find something you like, let me know and I’ll check the availability of that item.

Until next time…