NOTD: Rimmel Lycra Pro - Celebrity Bash

Hey ladies!

With winter approaching I've been on the hunt for some decent, cheap, dark-coloured nail varnishes! I picked up two by Rimmel London; One's their Lycra Pro nail varnish in 391 Celebrity Bash and the other is 60 Seconds in 600 Deliciously Dark, which is a really deep, dark plum shade... Perfect for autumn! I can't wait to try it :)

Today, I opted for the redder shade (Celebrity Bash) as I was feeling vampy! These particular nail varnishes (Lycra Pro) come with an oversized brush, which is really useful, and only require one coat! Fabulous! It's perfect for a night out and leaves a lovely, gloss finish.

What colours have you been wearing on your nails lately?

Love,

Style by Sophia

xo

Top 10 Avon Products

Hi girls!

As some of you may know, I spent my summer vacation working as an Avon Representative in my hometown. Their current Ambassador is the lovely Reese Witherspoon (seen above) and the brand are currently in the midst of a massive image overhaul as 'the company that best understands the product, service and self-fulfilment needs of women globally.' If you take 5 minutes to flick through one of their brochures, you'll find that their prices beat that of high-street brands like Rimmel, No7 and L'oreal and are arguably of the same or better quality.

I absolutely loved working for Avon; There's a real sense of community within the company (especially as the reps are mainly women) and the discount was pretty good as well! In terms of payment, Avon Reps work solely on commission, and I built a solid customer base so I was lucky enough to receive 25% commission on their products i.e. if a customer spent £10 on Avon products, I would earn £2.50! (the rest goes to the company/your Sales Leader). However, being the spender I am, I tended to splash my earnings on discounted Avon products rather than pocketing the cash! It meant I had a real understanding of all the different product ranges to report back to my customers and it saved me a lot of money in Boots!

Here's my top 10 Avon products so far... I've been accumulating pics to do this post for a while, so excuse the mis-matched duvets!

(in no particular order)

1. Planet Spa Mediterranean Olive Oil Conditioning Hair Mask

This is a lush intensive hair masque! It seriously makes your locks feel so glossy! When you apply it, you can just feel how luxurious it is because the consistency is so thick and creamy. It's one of my fave intensive hair masques, other than L'oreal nutri-gloss and Aussie 3 minute miracle and is a real treat for dull hair!

2. Avon Care Sheer Lip Gloss with Jojoba Oil

I tended to wear this lip gloss more in the summer :) I bought it for about 2 quid and it's such a bargain!
It leaves a lovely glossy, natural sheen (seen above) that's perfect if you're looking for something in between a gloss and a balm. However in the winter, I'd suggest something a bit more intensive, like Carmex!

3. True Colour Blush in Earthern Rose

This isn't really a blush - I suppose it's like a honey coloured blush but I see it more as a bronzer. In the daytime, I usually use Benefit Hoola but I prefer this sometimes as it's a bit lighter. It's a really natural looking bronzer, simply apply it to your cheekbones, temples and along the bridge of your nose (or whenever the sun hits you really) for a natural-looking chiselled, bronzed look.

Here's me rocking Earthern Rose! (above)

I've also tried True Colour Blush in Russett but I found it to be too pigmented. Perhaps I'm using the incorrect brush but it just a bit too much for me at the moment. I'm still on the hunt for the perfect daytime blush (other than expensive Benefit Benetint) so please feel free to suggest some in the comment box at the end!

4. SuperExtend Mascara in Brown/Black

This is one of Avon's newer products; it's similar in brush shape to Maxfactor Masterpiece Max which is my go-to mascara of all time!

I chose to purchase it in Black/Brown because I had loads of chunky black mascaras e.g. Benefit Bad Gal but I had few I could actually wear in the day for a really natural look. Here's me wearing SuperExtend (above).

Here's Reese Witherspoon wearing it and a picture of the brush shape! :)

5. Planet Spa African Shea Foot & Elbow Cream with AHA

I don't know about you but, being the hedonist I am, I love nothing more than a good pamper! As a special treat I lather my feet in this cream before I go to bed (which, by the way, I've never used on my elbows) and pop on a pair of cotton socks. I struggle a bit with calluses and rough heels, but in the morning, my feet are lovely and soft! Also, it smells of Popcorn... Lush :)

6. Plump Pout Lip Gloss (Honey Shades) in Pink Nectar

I don't exactly suffer from thin lips, but I always want them to look a bit plumper on a night out! I've tried a few, like Soap & Glory Sexy Mother Pucker as well as a 2true one, but nothing works like this beauty! It's a shame I don't have a photo, but this gloss leave your lips looking really sexy; pink and plump! I ordered it in bulk when it was on offer because I loved it so much! Oh, and it makes your lips tingle... ;)

7. True Colour Eyeshadow Quad in Mocha Latte

Just like the rest of the world, Urban Decay's Naked palette is on my Christmas list this year! However, other than having a few less shades, this palette is actually a pretty good dupe! The colours are exactly what I'm looking for in a daytime smokey eye; a cream shade, a taupe shade to use as a base, a golden bronze to highlight, and a darker brown to shade!

I use it in my daytime face regime (see above) along with brown mascara and brown liquid eyeliner. I don't like to look too 'done-up' during the day... That's for the evenings! :) I actually prefer these shades to some of the more natural looking ones in my Sleek Storm palette. They last all day as well! One of my fave purchases, would 100% recommend it to anyone looking for a natural eye palette!

8. MagiX Face Perfector

I was actually recommended this product by fellow beauty blogger & friend, Lauren Thomas aka Beauty Queen who used it quite a few months ago. It seemed like one of Avon's cult products so I had to have it! It definitely works as a make-up primer; it evens out your pores, removes any oil and is perfect for applying make-up on to. It literally makes your skin feel silky soft! You've got to try it to believe it!

I've also heard top reviews about Avon's MagiX illuminator concealer. I heard that Gok Wan recommended it as the 2nd best concealer behind the YSL Touche Eclat on his Fashion Fix show! When I run out of my expensive Touche Eclat, I shall definitely be trying out the MagiX version instead :)

9. Clearskin Professional Deep Pore Cleansing Scrub

Avon's Clearskin range is brilliant value for money! They've always got offers on (like 3 for £5) and their products are fab for young, spot-prone skin like my own. I picked up this Professional deep cleansing scrub as it's essentially part of a set of 3, and I already had step 2 so I thought it only made sense to buy step 1! I think it's really important to regularly exfoliate your face (at least twice a week - I try to remember to do it on Wednesdays and Saturdays!) and this scrub is perfect for opening your pores and really making your skin feel like it's had a thorough, deep clean. Rather than washing it off straight away, I prefer to leave it on for a few minutes and use it as a face mask, as I like the tingly feeling you get from it... Weird I know :) Love it!

10. Skin So Soft Airbrush Spray in Fair

I've never really found the perfect high street fake tan for my skin! I prefer to have a natural-looking tan than one that's obviously fake so I'm always looking for ones for fair skin. One of my past faves was Garnier's mist for fair skin but at £7 a bottle I can only really afford to buy it when it's on offer! Other than that, I use Garnier's Summer Body lotion for fair skin which I lurve! I thought I'd try Avon's version of the mist, and I have to say it worked really well on my skin!

You apply it like the Garnier mist, but this time you rub it in! As you can tell from the picture above, it really enhances my natural skin colour and I loved the outcome! Unfortunately it wasn't in my latest brochure but if I see it again I'll definitely be re-purchasing! It's only like £1 a bottle... Such a bargain!

There's loads more products I love from Avon, including the Cream-To-Powder foundation, Lotus Shield hair serum and double-ended kajal stick! I'd definitely recommend giving Avon a go; you can find your local rep on their website or simply order online! I've found a rep here at uni and I'm a regular customer for her now, along with all of my housemates! There's nothing like flicking through a brochure and receiving your little bag of Avon goodies at the end :)

Alternatively, if you're looking to become self-employed, or save a few pennies for Christmas and have some time on your hands/a handful of beauty-addict friends, perhaps think about becoming a Rep! It's never too late to join, there's no interview process or anything like that, and as I mentioned earlier the discounts are a real perk! I hope I've inspired you :)

What Avon products can you not live without?

Love,

Style by Sophia

xo

ps. Follow Avon on Twitter (@Avon_UK) or join the Facebook group and show your support to the Avon reps out there!