Hopelessly Heather

I got through all of last Monday’s challenges in the studs from Avon’s Western Wing Earring Duo!

I previously reviewed the other pair of earrings in this duo and loved how they looked, but found them a little on the heavy side; however, these not only weren’t heavy, but they were a surprise winner–and this is exactly why I post selfies of me wearing the pieces (and follow up with my written review, so you don’t just base your opinion on a single photo).

Let me walk you through a little story about this collection (that has another surprise piece I went gaga over).  I have a strong aversion to western styled items.  Occasionally, I’ll try to incorporate a bit of western flair into my look, and I just can’t pull it off.  When I saw this collection in the demo book, I audibly groaned, while sneering and rolling my eyes–could 2020 get any worse than for fashion to trend towards western wear?!  I mean, come on.

Resigned, I figured I’d pick up the earrings and see how it went.  I did not have high expectations.  Hell, I fully expected to detest them.  So, they finally arrived, and I couldn’t bring myself to crack open the boxes–every time I saw the word “western” on the boxes, I just pushed them aside and chose, well, anything else.

Finally, I had to overcome my aversion and at least crack open the boxes–even if it meant adding shoulder slumps to the likely groans, sneers, and eye rolls.  I figured I’d open the less offensive duo first, so I was beyond surprised when my gag reflex didn’t immediately kick in at first sight.  As a matter of fact, I was…dare I say it–intrigued.  I thought I might be able to work with these.  They definitely had a western flavor, but they also incorporated other elements that I really liked.

I wear a lot of studs, but few of them are visually “special.”  In the box, these studs weren’t offensive, but they also didn’t look like anything special.  So, I demoed the hoops first, and figured I’d only demo the studs if I was running out of pieces.  After finding the hoops heavy, I was a little bummed, but then the statement earrings rocked my socks off and lit me on fire!

And, so I broke these babies out of their box and, once they were firmly in my lobes, ended up positively falling in love with them!  The white milky stones are really interesting and the metal patterns around it look more vintage than western.  The only “western” touch is the burnished metal, but even that feels somewhat modern since stainless steel is such a popular finish now.

I never would have guessed that I would be giving such a positive review for these pieces, but they are well deserved–if you are on the fence about getting them, hopefully my review will sway you towards the “must have” category.

Last Friday, I rocked Avon’s Striped Side Tie Ruched Top (got it on clearance–no longer available), and gave y’all a sneak peek of the upcoming Cashmere Lipcream in Satin Soft Crimson that arrived in my swag bag from last weekend’s Avon Visionaries eConvention—I was ready to get the party STARTED!!

I already knew I loved the top, because I’d bought the army green one and wore it a bunch last winter, so when I saw the black and white version on clearance in my size, I had to have it.  No regrets.  I mean, look at it!  Its cut is flattering, the side-tie ensures that it’s not a run-of-the-mill boring 3/4-length sleeved tee, and the classic black and white stripes are always a win.  Slam dunk!

The lippie comes in a super cool case that has a button to open it–I love pushing buttons!  (Don’t judge–it’s the simple things in life…)  I have no idea how much it will retail for, or even when it’s being released, but I was a bit disappointed in the size of the lipstick itself–it’s a whole lot smaller than I expected based on the size of the case.  Strike number one (and if it’s on the expensive side, I’ll be skipping this line altogether based solely on that).  The shade they sent me looks like a gorgeous brick red in the tube, but went on more on the orange side.  Luckily, I know how to make any lipstick shade work, so that was easily remedied, but it was still a bummer that the color didn’t render true on my lips.  Strike two (but, admittedly, a baby strike).  Finally, the name of the line made me believe the formulation would be smooth and creamy.  It wasn’t.  Instead, it was somewhat hard and did not glide across my lips when applying.  Strike three, but at least I got this as a freebie and didn’t lay down cash out of my pocket for it.  Silver linings…

Last Saturday, I got into the holiday groove for the Avon Visionaries holiday happy hour before the big reveal of the holiday line during their virtual eConvention!  Pictured: Avon’s Blue Criss Cross Back Knit Dress, Iconic Pearly Ribbon Brooch, Pearly Grey Necklace, and sparkly clear glass studs from the Pearly Earring Variety Pack (no longer available).

This dress is super soft, comfy, flattering, and toasty!  The dress was created with a tiny, tight knit, and is so luxuriously soft, it feels like cashmere.  The gorgeous dusty grey-blue is a beautiful neutral that accessories in just about any other color would work with it.  It’s got a slight a-line flare, so it doesn’t cling, plus the criss-cross detail on the back is ridiculously cute.   Of course, because it’s a slight a-line, there is no defined waist, which is good…and bad.  Being a bustier gal, a-lines tend to fall straight down from my bust line and end up looking like tents.  As a result, I created a “soft” waistline by using the retro brooch to gather some of the excess material and nip in one side of the dress.  Problem solved!  I also busted out my Ferragamo sparkly bow headband and Ferragamo silver princess shoes to bring a little more holiday glamour to the overall look.

 

<—– Check out the super cute criss-cross detail on the back of the dress!!

 

The vintage-inspired brooch is a beautiful silvertone girly bow with pearl-like stones, so I opted to wear a simple and elegant collar of silver-grey pearls, and completed the look with basic clear glass studs.

Brooches are such flexible accessories–you can wear them on hats, lapels, scarves, handbags…the possibilities are endless!  While brooches aren’t worn as often nowadays, I still love them and think they add a touch of class when used in an ensemble.  This one didn’t disappoint, and did its job perfectly!

I am a huge pearl fan, and this necklace gives me tingles! Design-wise, it’s just a classic strand of pearls, but the silvery grey finish makes them pop and shine, and the shorter strand makes them hang at a collar/choker length–and y’all know I’m all about that!  Yup, I’m in love!

Because I had so much going on everywhere else, I scaled way back with the earrings, and these were just what the doctor ordered–basic, but far from plain.  They certainly don’t wow, but they add a tiny bit of sparkle to keep with the theme.

Holiday glamour look achieved!

Those are all of the past week’s selfies! What was your favorite and how would you have worn it?!

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