I’m writing this with a photograph of me and my mother open on the laptop. I can’t remember the year, but I think I’m around twenty, so let’s say 1988. We’re both posing with our fingers touching our cheeks. We’re in the family kitchen, the setting for many of our jokes and games. In the photo we’re mock ‘advertising’ some sort of beauty product. She has such graceful beauty. I’m pulling a daft face that bears no resemblance to a beauty model as I squeeze in beside her.
Over the years we tried countless beauty products. Looking back, the number of tubs and tubes was borderline ridiculous, but it was also fun and strangely bonding. This is what mothers and daughters do, right? Face packs, serums, toners, pore strips, day creams, night creams. One brand made it possible for us to indulge in all this
without breaking the bank. Avon. Almost every street had an Avon lady and we loved her visits. One week we would order from the glossy booklet left by the front door, with cash exchanged for a paper bag of products the following week. To me, Avon is closely tied to my mother-daughter memories.
So when I decided to write a tribute to her this Mother’s Day, there was no question about the brand to revisit. It had to be Avon. I chose to re-trial two products we both loved. Anew Skin Renewal Power Plumping Shots and Anew Platinum Lift & Tighten Dual Eye System. Power Plumping Shots first arrived on the scene in 2020 and contain Avon’s breakthrough technology Protinol™, an ingredient clinically proven to restore Collagen 1 and Collagen 3. At the time Avon said customers were loving it, and they were right. Launched during lockdown, we ordered a box to share because we both wanted the promise of instant ‘Botox in a bottle’ results in seven days. We loved the glowy, plump, moisturised results and became repeat customers from then on.
Trying them again now feels different. I’m older and my skin has changed significantly during menopause. These days I’m something of a multi-source collagen enthusiast. I’ve had Sculptra treatments and take a collagen supplement, so I’m not starting from the same place at all. But this revisit isn’t really about results. It’s about nostalgia.
I snapped the vials open and applied them each night after cleansing my face, neck and décolletage, before finishing with a bedtime moisturiser. After seven days my findings were impressive. I had bouncy skin and no need to use a serum or oil under my moisturiser. I also noticed an improvement in the appearance of my marionette lines after just four days. The shots are designed for occasional use; Avon suggests once a month. I may follow that recommendation to build on these results, though they would also be ideal in the week leading up to a special event.
The Platinum Lift & Tighten Dual Eye System was another long-time favourite. 2020 must have been quite the year for Protinol™, as it was added to the original Lift & Firm eye system from years earlier. It was the eye product we always returned to, especially when Mum bought them as little treats or stocking fillers. They were often sitting on our dressing tables. The Dual Eye System contains two products in one. A gel for the eyelids with
caffeine and a cream for the under-eye area. Again, I’m approaching this revisit slightly differently. The skin around my eyes is changing with time and I now rely more on massage and facial exercises to lift and firm my eyelids and brows.
Just as I remembered, the gel feels tightening on my lids and gives that wide-awake sensation I enjoy in the mornings. My eyelids definitely feel more lifted. The under- eye cream, I’m not quite sure about yet. The area feels moisturised but not noticeably firmer so far. This is only after a little over a week, so I’ll continue using it
and see how I feel when I reach the bottom of the jar.
Accessibility to both products is slightly questionable, as each includes somewhat fiddly elements: the ampoules need to be snapped open and the dual gel-and-cream lid only fits back on one way. Mum would have found this difficult in recent years, and customers with visual impairments or arthritis might feel the same. However, Avon is certified cruelty-free through the Leaping Bunny programme. The Good Shopping Guide Ethical Comparison ratings table gives Avon a score of 46 out of 100, with approved animal welfare standards, though it scores lower for not being vegan or organic. Since its beginnings, Avon has also focused on empowering women through entrepreneurship and community support, partnering with the National Domestic Abuse Helpline, Refuge and Women’s Aid to stand against violence against women and signposting support helplines on its website.
Winning products, even after all this time. I originally revisited them for nostalgic reasons but I’m genuinely impressed with the results and will likely buy them again. Writing this also brought back vivid memories of Mum. Her voice, her expressions, and the little rituals we shared. And of course, her beauty. Thanks Mum for creating a product monster. It’s all down to you.
