Avon's Anew Clinical Advanced Dermabrasion System

I got this in my last (rather large!) Avon order as a free gift for spending over £25. It normally retails on the site for something like £15 (the site seems to be misbehaving right now so I can't check for you!) so it was a pretty good product to get for free. 

Avon say that this is the first at-home micro-dermabrasion to offer multiple-strength polishing in one revolutionary packaging.

It works quite simply, there are two different products with different sizes of.. urm, scrubby bits (micro-crystals!) in, the white side has much smaller bits in, whilst the grey side has chunkier bits in. You use it a couple of times a week for 8 weeks, and every 2 weeks you change the ratio of the product, so for the first 2 weeks you just use the product from the white side by selecting "1" on the click round top for weeks 3-4 you select "2" and you get mostly product from the white side, with a little bit from the grey side, weeks 4-6 you get slightly more from the grey side than the white side and weeks 6-8 you just get product from the grey side. 

Avon say that for each level the dermabrasion kit offers different benefits:

Level 1 -it visibly improves skin texture by smoothing rough, flaky skin and unclogging pores.

Level 2 -dullness diminishes as fine lines begin to disappear. Skin appears renewed and refined.

Level 3-pores begin to shrink and become less noticeable. Dramatically evens out skin tone to reveal a younger, glowing complexion.

Level 4- dark spots, discolouration and excessive pigmentation fade as deep wrinkles are reduced.

Whilst I'm not an age where I'm worrying about fine lines and wrinkles ;) I do experience flaky patches of skin on my face, general dullness, and uneven skin tone so I'm hoping to see some benefits from this! 

I will of course be updating you either at the end of the 8 weeks or half way through, I'm not sure yet!

Have you tried dermabrasion? What did you think? 

Rachel xx

Avon's Liiv Botanicals Vital Day Cream...

... With SPF 20. 

Moisturiser obsessive I am and being so ridiculously pale I've been wanting a moisturiser I can use in the morning that also has SPF. 

My main issue with day moisturisers so far has been that even ones that claim to be absorbed quickly take ages to absorb properly and well enough for me to put primer on top within the next half hour. FINALLY I've found one that sinks in faster!

Avon's Liiv Botanicals Vital Day Cream can be used under make-up with no problem at all, in fact I can put primer on top of it straight after I've put it on if I wanted to, it doesn't roll off, it doesn't feel sticky, it just feels light and delicate whilst still moisturising adequately for a day cream. 

The box says...

"Formulated with Plant Essence Technology which captures active plant extracts. Dye free. Preservative free. Fragrance Free"

I don't think it's totally fragrance free, it smells vaguely cucumber-y, which I don't have a problem with, in fact it's quite a nice fresh fragrance! 

The packaging is BIZARRE though. It came with the outer box, then a plastic tub (with a bit cut out of the bottom..) that looked like the "official" packaging and another plastic pot (that's thinner plastic, and has the name of the moisturiser and the SPF on it too) that came with a plastic peel off lid on it... Odd! I don't know if it's so that they can use the same outside packaging for all of their products though or something. Anyway, peeled the lid off the bendy plastic pot and then dropped that into the "outer" plastic pod. 

This was £4.50 from Avon, down from the £7 that they say it usually retails for. 

Great value for a really great product!

Rachel xx

Fergie's Outspoken perfume review

I'm not really much of a perfume girl, when I find one I like, I stick with it and it's only if I reaally like one that I'll buy it... And even then I normally put it on a birthday/christmas list if it's over £20 ;) It's just not something I can really get excited about! Not like a new top, or new make up, you spritz it once and that's it, you can't even smell it after half an hour or so!

I got a decent sized sample- enough to wear for a few days- from Avon of Fergie's new perfume, and it was commented on a number of times by friends. Despite being keen on it and actually deciding that I'd buy it it wasn't until Avon sent an email through offering a free body lotion and body spray with the perfume and my bargain alarm bells started ringing that I actually got on and ordered it! 

The perfume (plus free lotion and spray) cost me £14, it's a relatively generous 50ml bottle size and the body lotion contains a huge 150ml of product! 

The blurby bit on the Avon site says: "Say it like you mean it with this bold blend of iced berries, feminine absolute and daring black leather. Floral, fruity." It's definitely a heavier scent, and I'm not going to try and describe it, but I really like it!

The packaging's pretty too, especially the black glossy detailing around the main design.

Can't predict whether I'll be repurchasing, but I'd definitely recommend this if you're into slightly heavier, sweeter scents.

Available from Avon for £14, including a free Body lotion and spray!

Are you a perfume girl? Favourite perfume of the moment?

Rachel xx

Avon's Skin So Soft signature silk nourishing body cream

The moisturiser with the longest name ever ;)

This was a nightmare to get hold of.. Avon sent me a luminous pearl body wash instead of it in my original order and after battling with their customer service department- who didn't seem to understand what I was asking!- I sent it back requesting, by name, the moisturiser that I had ordered first time round. A few days later the SAME BODYWASH turns up with a note from the person who dealt with it. I was not amused to say the least ;)

Anyway, it's here now! (though after all that I still have to send back the bodywash, for the second time, you'd think for the £2 it costs, and the hassle of sending it back... twice.. They'd have just let me keep it?!)

I didn't hold out much hope for this, recently I've been having trouble finding decent body moisturisers that don't "roll" off- do you know what I mean? You put it on, and you touch your hand to your skin 10 minutes later and end up with a hand of little bits of moisturiser.. Ergh.- I've recently bought the new vaseline sheer infusions moisturiser- no moisture, rolls off!- and Palmers body lotion, unscented- no moisture, rolls off!- and  really didn't expect any better from a £2 Avon body moisturiser.

No rolling off! Yay! The scent's not too strong though it's not great (my favourite moisturiser is the FCUK daily body lotion, the green one? But it's SO strongly scented and it makes me sneeze!) as I'm not too keen on it, but you could get away with wearing perfume as well a little later on. It feels a little plasticky in the pot so who knows what on earth it's got in it, it's not too thick or thin though and it rubs in easily and doesn't leave a greasy residue.

I have Keratosis Pilaris on my arms and legs, which makes them bumpy and only certain moisturisers can help tackle that. I'm really impressed with the SSS moisturiser with how it's smoothing these bumps down and will continue with it every night- solves the scent problem!

Avon's Skin So Soft signature silk nourishing body cream is available from your Avon rep. or online it's currently £4, and there's also a 2 for £6 mix and match offer on which you can take advantage of with this moisturiser :)

Rach xx