I spent my 20s pregnant, breastfeeding, overweight & frustrated by my overall appearance. I didn't seem to mind that I looked, well, like hell. Now in my 30s I'm determined to discover the new "me". I've lost weight, firmed up, & want to turn heads again. So far so good but something's still missing ... what could it be? Aha! Color! Yes, color, that little thing that finishes off a woman's appearance. Problem is, no one ever taught me what to look for in make up & how to PUT IT ON! So I'm fumbling along searching for the right colors to put on my face. Sure I've done mascara all along - that's easy. And I've also done powder & blush. But now I'm moving on to lipstick. Whoa!

I started out wearing the stuff to church; can't get too dissed by the church crowd. Now I want to get really crazy & use lipstick everyday. I began my lipstick journey with Revlon & L'Oreal. They looked good & felt good on my lips but disappeared within a couple of hours. Recently I was handed an Avon catalog & took a look inside. The first page contained some really neat shades of Ultra Color Rich Renewable Lipstick. It turns out it wasn't their regular selections of Ultra Rich, but a summer collection instead. I bought 2 tubes since it was on sale for just $2.49 each ... Tropical Punch & Frozen Rose. (I had also done a bit of research on epinions before going ahead with the purchase.)

Frozen Rose is a "neutral" shade & it's a pretty rosey/mauve color. It's a lot like the one in the picture epinions uses. To me it seems to actually be a bit lighter on my lips than in the tube. It's a subtle shade - you can tell you're wearing it but it doesn't jump out at those around you screaming, "Hey, look at these lips!". I really like the Frozen Rose.

Tropical Punch is a "cool" shade & it's a bit more wild than my tastes. The color is a pretty dark pink but when it gets on your lips it really draws attention. I noticed my boys staring at me when they first saw me with this on. It was amusing because I knew what they were staring at but waited for their comments. Finally one of them said, "Your lips look pretty, Mommy". Whew! Passed the first test. I actually debated whether or not to remove this stuff before leaving the house. Finally I worked up the nerve to face the world, really pink lips & all. I kind of figured it would wear off in a couple hours like the other brands I had been wearing. Well, it didn't! It lasted through lunch, through the afternoon, & through a snack. Then I forgot I had the lipstick on & went to work out ... & I work out HARD. Guess what? I was still wearing the Tropical Punch Ultra Color Rich Renewable lipstick from Avon AFTER my post-workout shower! It was now 8PM. Food, time, sweat, a shower ... nothing took this stuff off my lips!

I was hoping for the same results with the Frozen Rose. Unfortunately that color didn't seem to cling to my lips as long as the Tropical Punch. It did last longer than my previous brands but nowhere as long as the Tropical Punch, darn it.

So what effect did the lipsticks from Avon have on my lips? I first noticed that the Avon brand felt drier than the others. It wasn't bad, just different. The other brands made my lips feel moist but not Avon's. Once the color was off my lips I didn't have any lasting feelings of dryness. I also noticed that smiling with this lipstick showed off some lines in my lips that I never realized were there (I do not have dry skin or lips!). The lipstick seemed to clump together in these fine lines. This was most noticeable with the Tropical Punch. Again, nothing terribly noticeable but worth mentioning.

Avon's Ultra Color Rich Renewable lipstick comes in a .13 ounce (3.6 gram) tube. I've read other reviews that complain about the shape of the tube. I won't comment because, well, do you REALLY care about the shape of the tube?! I know I don't but maybe it's because I'm a lipstick newbie.

So, FOR THE PRICE, I'm happy with my purchase. My skin can handle the slight dry feeling this lipstick gives while wearing it. It lasts longer than other brands I've tried. It's size is average for lipsticks.

I don't think it's the best in lipsticks but, then again, I'm the lipstick newbie!



Recommended: Yes