You got a nice white dress and a party on your confirmation...

Avon's Chic in White, Sensuality by liiv botanicals, & Vitality by liiv botanicals

In response to my failed attempts to do a drugstore series in honor of Sookie Stackhouse, a very helpful reader gave me a little pile of Avon samples, which I can equally see Sookie wearing if one of the waitresses at Merlotte’s was selling it. So this week, I’ll doing a series of posts reviewing some of your Avon-related options.

First off, trying two liiv botanicals scents, Sensuality and Vitality. The liiv botanicals are touted as ”pure natural fragrance oils. Avon describes each as follows:

Vitality by liiv botanicals: Delight in the natural essence of this invigorating blend of succulent citrus and cucumber with a warm floral heart and breath of fresh woods.

Sensuality by liiv botanicals: Arouse the senses! Tantalizing notes of water lily, the exotic florals of jasmine, and the soothing calm of vanilla.

Both remind me of fruit in the same way that pixie sticks taste like fruit. That’s not a knock; I like pixie sticks, always have. But it may not be an experience I particularly enjoy in a fragrance. Vitality has little hints of green and a tiny citrus edge on application, but pretty quickly descends primary into light, sweet, soft, and powdery. The most interesting part about it was the dryness of the opening, which I couldn’t quite put my finger on. Sensuality also opens up a bit dry, with a salty tang and hint of vanilla. Again this burns out pretty quick as it descends into the same light, sweet, soft, and powdery experience.

The real difference between the two is that while Vitality is a very mildly aquatic powdery scent, Sensuality tends toward a very mildly gourmand powdery scent. All in all, not unpleasant, but not particularly impressive either, especially given the weak lasting powder (disappeared in less than two hours). Perhaps a nice first fragrance for a little girl, though. I kept picturing girls in communion dresses, white gloves, and shiny white patent leather shoes as I sniffed it.

Speaking of white, let’s also talk about Chic in White for a second. Chic in White is, according to Avon, supposed to be “fresh citrus [that] flirts with floral bouquets and sensuous white woods.” I have no idea where the description comes from. On me, Chic in White is a less sweet, less rich, less spunky incense oriental than Lorenzo Villoresi’s Alamut. It’s a definite pass for me, but for someone who doesn’t like the bold strength of Alamut, you might like Chic in White.

...You got a brand new soul and a cross of gold,
but Virginia they didn't give you quite enough information.
You didn't count on me
when you were counting on your rosary...
- "Only the Good Die Young," Billy Joel

Chic in White, Sensuality by liiv botanicals, and Vitality by liiv botanicals are all available for purchase direct from Avon.