Sunday, January 27, 2013

Avon Jewelry Review.

I know, I know, so far I have done mostly Avon reviews but hey, I use a lot of their products and they are available in almost all the countries. Plus it's a company that you can't really see the actual product before you buy it so it's good to have some reviews on them. :D

Hehe, ok that was my excuse :D now let's get to the review. So the campain 2 of this year had a lot of girly, heart-y valentine-y stuff, so I order basically some of their jewelry.
A few years ago that I had ordered some jewelry from Avon I remember they were quite nice but this wasn't the case now.

Before I start posting pictures I have to say that they are quite a disappointment because in reality they are different than in the brochure.
First of all, all of them they look bigger in the brochure and much more chic looking. In reality most of the stuff I got look kinda cheap.

So I will start with the smallest disappointment, but still....disappointment.


SET KATRINA
It is a set of a necklace of a blue stone attached to a gold colored chain and similar earrings.
It's normal price is around 12-13 euro but with the purchase of a perfume for men you can buy it with 3 or 4 euro. 

This is how it looks in the brochure:



This is how it actually looks like:



As you can see it's way smaller (which it didn't bother in for the specific set) but the stone is different, it looks dirty and it's barely has a green color to it.


SET ARCHINA
The second set that I got was my biggest disappointment. It looked very VERY nice on the brochure but in real life it looks very cheap and bad. It's a set of a necklace of a heart with clear rhinestones on it in silver color and heart earrings with small rhinestones on them.  I am not sure about it's normal price but I got it around 6 euro, i think.

This is how it looked: 
It looks gorgeous doesn't it?


This is how it actually looks like:


The rhinestones on the bracelet look badly placed and that they will soon fall off the necklace not to mention that it looks totally fake. I know it's not a lot of money to expect something spectacular but I think that it's still not ok to expect something nice from the picture they provide and then recieve something bad looking.


HEART BRACELET:
The last thing I got is a bracelet of silvered colored metal beads and a small heart charm (in gold color - in the brochure). I think it's actual price is around 5 euro but I got it around 3 with the purchase of a face cleanser.


This is what it looks like in the brochure:



This is how it actually looks like:

It looks very very cheap, the charm has a copper color which is a minus because they don't mention in the brochure that they will send it in another color.


Overall, I usually like Avon products but I do not recommend you to get jewelry (these specific pieces, at least). 

I don't know if they will last long but in time i will let you know....

Monday, January 14, 2013

Avon Perfect Kiss Lipsticks Review and Swatches



This is the new lipstick line by Avon that we will be able to purchase from the campain no.3 (in Romania, at least). As a representative I had the chance to pre-order up to 4 lipsticks for promotion purposes.

General Information:
So I did order 4 lipsticks just to see if what are they about and if I should actually suggest them to my friends. Being a pinky gal I ordered the Fuchsia Flirt, Pink Wink, Lovey Dovey Pink and Pink Prance.
The first and positive thing I have to say generally about these lipstick is that they smell amazing! They have some sort of cocoa/ coconut smell.
Also they feel very moisturizing and they don't dry the lips at all.
On the negative side, they are no where close to the colors shown in the brochure (as you shall see). They are more on the sheer side and they have lots and lots of shimmer/glitter (on the brochure they appear thicker/richer colors) not to mention the tones are different. For example the pink prance is almost like a white-ish , silver pink but you shall see the swatches (I manage to make some proper ones).

Photos - Swatches:

 Pink Prance



Fuchsia Flirt


Lovey Dovey Pink


Pink Wink

The Pink Prance and the Lovey Dovey Pink look alike and so does the Fuchsia Flirt with the Wink Pink but in the swatches you will see that they are different. When I opened them and I saw the lipstick bullets I was very happy to see the 2 hot pinks, I thought that they would be super intense but they are not exactly what I expected.


L->R Pink Prance, Fuchsia Flirt, Lovey Dovey Pink, Wink Pink.

If you click on  the picture to appear bigger you will notice that Fuchsia Pink is sheer-er and way more glittery than Wink Pink, the second tends more to a pink red. Pink Prance and Lovey Dovey Pink look alike in the swatches as well (darn cameras :P) but in real like Pink Prance is a lot more shimmery than Lovey Dovey Pink. Even though they colors were not what I expected I still like these lipsticks a lot because they feel moisturizing and they don't dry my lips at all. The staying power of them in my opinion is acceptable for a  lipstick that doesn't promise to be on the lips 24 hours. I mean you will have to re-apply after you eat or drink. One downside is that because most of them have a lot of glitter when you eat dring etc the glitter will probably transfer on your face, which is something expected from lipsticks with glitter.

I took some closer pictures so that you can actually see how shimmery the colors are and the differences between the colors.


Pink Prance and Fuchsia Flirt - More shimmery colors


Lovey Dovey Pink and Wink Pink

Pros:
Very pretty colors
*Quite shimmery - If you like that
Delicious smell but not overwhelming
Moisturizing
They don't dry out the lips

Cons:
The colors on the brochure are not helpful, you better ask your representative to show you some samples 
*Quite shimmery - If you don't like that
The glitter might transfer on your face but not anything TOO extreme, you are not gonna look like Edward in sunlight in any case so it's a minor con.


- Are you satisfied by the products?
- As lipsticks yes, because what I want from lipsticks is to wear them and not dry my lips out. So I am quite happy with them..

- Would you recommend them to others?
- Of course, they are awesome! :D

- Will you repurchase them?
- If I run out of them sure but I will definatelly purchase some other shades, red this time.

Feel free to leave a comment and ask me anything, I will be happy to help.

Take care, lots of hugs!!!



Sunday, January 13, 2013

Garnier BB Cream Miracle Skin Perfector - In Light



I avoid wearing foundation just because my skin gets irritated very easily and I end up feeling like my face is burning so I decided to try a BB cream (anyway I don't want a lot of coverage). The specific one if I am correct it has SPF 15 and it claims to be a tinted moisturizer/ sun protection/ primer/ illuminator. I got the one in light. (I couldn't make a proper swatch and be able to make it appear on camera so I used a swatch from the internet.)



This is pretty much how it looks like. Now, I am not tanned or anything but I am not vampire pale either. I would say I am a tiny bit on the pale side but not extremely, even so the light was a biiiiit dark for me but not very noticable.

I can't say I am disappointed but I can't say that my mind was blown away either. I mean, it just claims to be too much than it actually is. At the beginning my skin feels nice but then at around mid-day I feel my skin a bit dry but that can be due to the fact that my skin is very sensitive and a bit eczematic at the cheek area but it didn't give me a burning feeling. It didn't cause me any breaking out either. But I think I have to use an extra moisturizer before this to keep my skin in good condition.

It gives a very light coverage so if you are looking for a full coverage you will obviously have to use a foundation on top.

Basically if your skin doesn't have a lot of needs (in moisturizing, or coverage) then this product is appropriate for you. I will probably use it only in the summer when my skin doesn't feel miserable. But it still has a low spf so again I will have to use another product under it.

Pros:
- It's quite cheap (around 5 euro)
- Easy to find (even in supermarkets)
- It didn't cause me any skin problem
- It has a pleasant smell (citrus like)
- It has spf so in the winter you skip a step

Cons:
- It's in a tube and after using half of it it's hard to squeez the product out.
- It has waaaay too few shades. So not appropriate for women with pale skin or for dark skin.
- It will never replace a foundation, if you need coverage.
- It will never replace a heavy moisturizer if your skin has such need.

- Are you satisfied by the product?
- It depends. As a moisturizer it's not the bomb. As a very light covering product it is ok.

- Would you recommend it to others?
- If it's appropriate for their skin, yes.

- Will you repurchase it?
- Maybe, but probably in the summer that I don't want to wear foundation.


That's it for now, stay tuned for my future revews. I got a tone of Avon products the other day and I am planning to review them and put my own swatches, I promise!

Always take care of yourselves! Hugs and kisses!

Saturday, January 12, 2013

Avon Natural's, Cranberry & Honey, Replenishing Conditioner

So I smelled on the brochure this and I was charmed by the divine smell and I decided to get it. I usually don't get conditioners randomly because I like to use cone free conditioners and my hair is quite curly and hard to be tamed but I just couldn't resist the smell.

When I got it and smelt it in real life it was even better. BUT!
This conditioner is really bad, at least for my hair :( It leaves my hair pretty greasy and even the same day that I wash it they look unwashed which is weird because i NEVER encountered this before and i have used a million conditioners.

It doesn't even help the hair to be more manageable or anything it's just overall not a good product, for me. My hair is prone to be oily on the roots so maybe with this conditioner the situation gets worse. Maybe you will have a better experience.

Pros:
- AMAZING smell.
- Very low price

Cons:
- Leaves hair greasy
- Doesn't work that well.

- Would you recommend this product to others?
- Honestly, no! I usually love Avon products but this one was disappointing.

- Will you repurchase it?
- No, not really. I don't even know if I will use it until it ends.


Take care!!!

P.S. I haven't forgotten about the Garnier BB cream review it's just very hard to make a proper swatch and make it appear properly on the camera but i will write it :)


Thursday, January 3, 2013

Avon Solutions - Complete Balance - Day Cream and Night Gel

I used to be one of the people that when looking through an Avon brochure, I was passing the skin care section.
BUT,
since I have all the time issues finding products, appropriate for my skin, I thought I should try it.

My skin is very very sensitive, dehydrated but also ache prone (on the chin area). In the winter it my cheek area gets very dry, to the point that I feel like my skin is pulling and having a mild feeling of burning and I also get small red spots on the cheeks. On the summer it's not that bad but still my skin doesn't feel so smooth. So after searching on the internet I thought the "Complete Balance" series would be the most appropriate for me.

I was lucky enough to find an offer "order 2 for 5 euro" so I got both the day and the night product. But let's take it slow.



Complete Balance Day Oil Free Mattifier Spf15
First, I will tell you about the day cream. The brochure claims that this cream matifies the T zone while at the same time moisturizes efficiently the rest of the face. And it does indeed. This cream hydrates my face well enough to not get red spots or the burning feeling on my cheeks anymore, which is great. Plus I noticed that any type of face makeup applies much nicer on my face. My skin feels smoother only after a few weeks of using it. It also has SPF 15 so it gives some sun protection.



Complete Balance Night Oil Free Gel

The night product is a gel. The products promises that after you apply it in the night time, the next morning your face will be matt but also hydrating. I have to say that I was a bit afraid that being a mattifying product it would probably not be as hydrating but it gives a beautiful hydration. I have no complains, I think both products help my skin a lot. 


Pros: 
- Both products do what they promise.
- They feel light, not greasy but hydrating at the same time.
- Make the skin smoother.
- Only small amount is needed to be applied.
- The specific products are quite reasonable priced even when not in an offer (around 5 euros each).

Cons: 
- Both products are in jars which may be practical (you can use the product till the last drop) but it's not hygienic as dipping your fingers again and again even washed well leads to some bacteria.
- You have to be or know an Avon representative to be able to purchase it.

Are you satisfied by these products?
Absolutely!

Will you repurchase them again?
For sure!

Stay tuned for my future review on Garnier's BB cream :) 
Be happy and take care of yourselves! :*