When I was younger, I remember browsing through Avon catalogues and choosing items that caught my eye. I devoured the pages dedicated to teens and even then, the number of items I actually wanted for myself were overwhelming. My absolute favorite was the Simply Pretty clear mascara that I used in my early high school years. It felt like an induction into womanhood and the world of makeup. I absolutely loved it.
Fast forward a decade later and I found myself face to face with the same items I used to love so dearly back in the day at the recent Avon City event held at the SMX Convention Center last May 18, 2017. As you may well know, Avon is a direct selling company—the number one in the country, mind you—hence the catalogues and the Avon ladies through which you religiously ordered. The premise of the recent event was to highlight some of the best brands that have been consistent market toppers in intimates, fragrances, lotions, and more. The event was completely experiential and products that were featured in the different booths were up for grabs. Guests were given freebies of the bestsellers from each booth.
The event really felt like going through a very pink, very feminine city complete with a city tour. The press tour began with what Avon is best known for—intimates. At the “Loungerie”—love the play on words—guests got to choose their favorite bras from the newest Intimate Apparel line and get properly checked for size. Apparently a lot of women still wear the wrong bra size because no one has helped them accurately determine what size fits best.
After a trip to the Loungerie, we went to the Be Arcade station with a “bus” gondola of the bestselling Avon Fragrances, the Be Spritz line. Of course, we all tried to smell most—if not all—of the scents. We even got bottles of some of the brand’s other bestsellers.
After that we headed to the Personal Care and Color Theater where different promo combinations of the best selling lotion, the Skin So Soft Hand & Body Lotion, and the Avon True Color Perfectly Matte Lipstick were offered. We swatched way too many shades that, of course, I ended up with lipstick on my dress. Story of my beauty addict life.
We then headed to the Home & Kids sections where we got to see a glimpse of Pokemon inspired bags and school paraphernalia. Trust me, if I was still in school, I’d buy those. Full disclosure: I used to wear this Pikachu skirt when I was nine. It even got stuck in an escalator in Universal Studios. True story.
The next stop was my favorite, the gorgeous Jewelry Chocolaterie that showcased the cutest offerings of the Avon Jewelry & Accessories brand with dainty necklaces, earrings, rings, and watches.
The Avon Accessories Cake Shop wasn’t so bad either as bag after bag was mounted on the wall with a mountain of cupcakes right by it. I couldn’t decide which made me happier— the food or the items.
After lugging around cupcakes and stuffing our faces with cotton candy and popcorn, we headed to the Avon Skin Care Juice Bar to “detox” alongside some of the most nourishing beauty products of Avon Naturals. I was really happy to see that they have a wide range of masks and I’ve been wanting to get on that mask bandwagon. I got the Soothing and Moisturizing masks to start.
Our last stop was the Simply Pretty Picnic Park with throwbacks from my youth. Glitter roll-on eyeshadow products, two-toned lipsticks, and my absolute favorite, the clear mascara were featured. I’m so tempted to just get clear mascara again to avoid black under-eyes after a few minutes under the sun.
The fun event was actually for the “Avon ladies”—the women behind the powerhouse brand that we know today. We got the first tour and we did see a horde of excited guests (and when I say horde I mean 1,500 women) making their way through the different booths and activities. I personally think it’s great that they’ve created such a wonderful event with lots of treats for the women who work hard to sell the products to the public. They put so much value in making their sales force feel loved and for them to actually get to know the products that they sell intimately. I loved witnessing that. And of course, I loved trying out the stuff for myself too. ‘Til the next!
