Hopelessly Heather

Settle in for a longer than usual read–there are a ton of selfies in this post!!

Vegas vacay vibes…in Avon’s Goldtone Filigree Pendant Necklace and Earring Set and High-Low Printed Top (no longer available). A few weeks ago, I finally took a vacation with the hubs to Vegas…and kicked it off in style!

The top is a very flattering cut and pattern. The sleeves can be left unbuttoned at a 3/4-ish length or rolled/scrunched up and buttoned at a 1/2-ish length. The split neck is fairly deep, which I was a bit uncomfortable with, but it’s nothing a safety pin or a tack stitch couldn’t fix. The material is textured, and doesn’t breathe in the heat, which wasn’t ideal for Vegas, but kept me comfortable otherwise.

The necklace and earring set has a very traditional Victorian appearance to it. It’s looks very feminine and like metallic lace, with lots of sparkly bits at nearly every juncture. It’s also lightweight, so it doesn’t drag down my earlobes or make it feel like I’m lugging around something hefty on my neck.
Overall, they were all good choices for traveling–they were comfortable and looked great!

Heal thyself in Avon’s Rose Quartz Healing Stone Pendant Necklace (no longer available) and Rose Quartz Drop Earrings!

The pendant is heavy, but oh, so beautiful! Rose quartz is said to calm, comfort, reassure, and promote love–if that’s the case, this pendant isn’t messing around in the shallow end of the kiddie pool. The only thing I would change about the necklace is the chain, so I could make the pendant hang a couple of inches higher. Aside from that, the necklace is absolutely perfect.

The earrings are super lightweight, and much smaller in scope than the necklace’s pendant, which is a lovely visual relief while still holding their own. Simple, but certainly sweet.

The hints of baby pink were lovely against my mostly black outfit without being jarring or shocking–definitely the perfect accessories for the day!

Hood [b]rat…in Avon’s Hooded Cardigan with Pockets (sold out) and Pretty Pearly Hoop Earrings!

This cardigan is awesome!!! It’s lightweight, but still heavy enough to keep the chill at bay. It’s an open front, but roomy enough to pull the extra material across to bundle up, plus there’s the hood and pockets!!! I’m fairly certain the sleeves unbutton and unroll, but they were still a bit long on me even rolled and buttoned up–probably because I have really narrow shoulders and the shoulders of the jacket don’t sit on my shoulders at all. This casual jacket has become my new favorite piece–it’s trendy, adorable, neutral, and flexible…what’s not to love?!

These earrings are so dang pretty! I love the clear CZ stone on the wire earpiece–it’s a really lovely touch. They are a medium weight, and a little bit on the large side, but with the right outfit, they aren’t too much. I intentionally opted to skip wearing a necklace so they could carry the show solo–and they did the job perfectly!

Be iconic…in Avon’s Rose Crackle CZ Stud Earrings and Iconic Avon Pendant Necklace (sold out)! The necklace reminds me of mid-century semi-frosted glass that was super popular back then, and was considered fancy–everything about it screams vintage, and I am positively delighted by it! I wasn’t terribly crazy about it when I ordered it as a demo several months ago, having only seen photos of it, but I’m really glad I bought it anyway…even if it did take me months to crack open the box! The earrings were supposed to be a rose color, but they ended up being more of a milky off-white, so I never got around to featuring them until I was putting together all my outfits to pack for my Vegas trip and I opened every single box of unworn jewelry so that I could see it all laid out in front of me and put the right pieces with the right outfits–and these two pieces worked perfectly together! My laziness finally paid off!! ::snort::

Taste the rainbow in Avon’s Rainbow Necklace (sold out), Pink Pastel Drop Earrings, and True Color Multi-Finish Eyeshadow Quad in Mocha Latte (sold out)! Originally when I purchased the necklace, I anticipated wearing it with a solid color outfit so it wouldn’t clash, and then the universe stepped in to bring me this printed gauzy swimsuit coverup thing in my last thredUP box (if you aren’t familiar with it, click the link and check it out, I friggin’ love it!! the link gives you $10 off your first order too!), and all the stars aligned to make this outfit SING! I was stunned that every single one of the colors in the necklace were represented in the coverup, and the two pieces together really make you notice both of them! The earrings weren’t anything extra special on their own, but I thought that wearing these danglies in this instance brought some visual balance without taking away from the star players. The eyeshadow palette is packed with lovely neutrals that has transitioned into another “daily” palette I reach for. While Avon has discontinued this line of palettes, they have recently released a new line of quad palettes, one of which will be featured later in this blog post. Overall, I couldn’t have planned this entire look out any better, and I was really thrilled with it!

Classic black and white in Avon’s Pearly Layered Necklace, Sterling Silver Pave Split Hoop, and Peplum with Lace Trim Dress (no longer available)! Just before the COVID lockdown (AKA the great pause) happened last year, Avon released a gorgeous fashion line that included this dress, along with a lacy shift dress that will be featured later in this post. Since I only legitimately have “dressed up” about a handful of times, many of which were in inappropriate weather, this has been sitting in a pile of clothing pieces to be worn for over a year–and I picked the ultimate time to debut it! Before diving into my review of the pieces, I want to share a quick story.

The first “fancy” date night dinner in Vegas with the hubs required us to walk through the swanky Venetian hotel to ultimately be seated canal-side to dine. While walking through the restaurant, the hubs was continually commenting that I was being stared at by dozens of people of all sexes. For those of you who don’t already know, my hubs is no slouch when it comes to fashion–he’s a hardcore high-end designer whore and looks impeccable in a suit. When we go out dressed to the nines, he’s on high alert to watch for (mostly) non-vocalized reactions from passerby that support his fashion choices–and this time, it was me that was getting all the appreciative looks. It’s also a good thing he tells me these things because I’m generally oblivious in crowds–it’s way too much input for my senses. If someone doesn’t say something directly to me, I put on blinders and assume everyone around me is operating similarly. I guess there’s something to be said about wearing classic black and white!

The dress was purchased when I was about ten pounds heavier, so it was a little bit roomier on my than I’d have preferred, but it is a positively stunning dress! The peekaboo lace top/neckline, the tiered skirt, and the perfect length all make this dress one of my new fancy faves! I’m sad that I didn’t get a chance to wear this while the fashion line was still being sold. though it’s possible the dress may not have sold out and will be re-sold on clearance in the future–don’t hold your breath though…it’s been an awful long time.

I didn’t skimp in the jewelry pieces that I paired with the fancy dress either! I double-looped the long layered necklace around my neck to make a bigger statement and punch it up to EXTRA, but kept it classically simple with the gorgeous earrings. When I purchase demo jewelry pieces, I often have a vague idea how I’d like to style/use it but, until I unbox it, I’m rarely 100% certain I can make it work, so I was overjoyed that I was able to loop the necklace around my neck twice, and it had the most perfect background stage to set it off…my mental plan couldn’t have been executed any more smoothly! The necklace is such a showstopper piece, I opted for a smaller scale set of earrings, but they still managed to hold their own ground! Classic with a modern twist, the hoops are open-ended on the backside, and act more like a huggie for those of us with fatter lobes. Looking back at all the photos, I think this was my most favorite ensemble overall during our Vegas vacation. What’s funny is that when I finished getting dressed, I thought I looked good, but didn’t have that “DAYUM” reaction when I checked myself out in the mirror, but reviewing the photos after the fact, I definitely think I see what those strangers saw–a pre-COVID fashionista finally coming out of her cocoon and getting back her swagger a little…it’s definitely been a long time coming!

Fly by, butterfly…in Avon’s Butterfly Enamel Critters Necklace (no longer available)! What a stinkin’ cute set this is!! The necklace pendant is larger than I anticipated and, being enamel, it was heftier than I thought it would be. While you can’t tell in the photos, none of the butterflies are “flat”–they all are bent up to appear more 3-D in person…a really lovely detail! The earrings are smaller in scale than the necklace pendant, which I was grateful for, otherwise my earlobes would have complained having to carry around the weight! I again paired soft pink accessories with a black and white outfit, which is quickly becoming one of my favorite color combos…it has an innocent sweetness to it. If this set were still available, I’d urge you to snag one for those young girls in your life–it’s a perfect set for them!

Do your neutrals shimmer? Avon’s do with their Tie-Waist Printed Dress and Shimmer Neutrals Mother-of-Pearl Drop Earrings! I originally purchased this dress to wear to work (and it totally will serve well as a work dress!), but I really wanted to debut lots of fashion pieces while on vacation when I had the time to dress up, accessorize, take and post-process photos, and get them posted to social media, and I didn’t have enough “new” fancy pieces to wear out to all of our date nights, so this one got packed. The dress is stretchy, y’all!! And the side-tie at the waist can be loosened or tightened to fit your body best. It’s a very flattering cut with a navy-colored pattern, modest neckline, 3/4 length sleeves, and demure length–in other words, a perfect work dress, to which I simply added red shoes to punch the va-va-vavoom factor up to date night level!

While these earrings are beautiful, they are heavy. They are so heavy, that they pulled the entire wire loop down so that the CZ stone that should have been placed directly on my lobe ended up being dragged down to the bottom of my lobe like it was a sad little stone watching the floor. ::whomp, whomp:: I also wasn’t the biggest fan of the cheap-looking plastic grey bead that was used in the design, but that detail is missed at a distance. Sadly, because of the above points, this pair likely will not be worn by me gain.

How divine…in Avon’s Light Blue Divine Necklace and Earring Giftset (no longer available)! I am embarrassed to admit this, but this jewelry set has been sitting on my “unworn” shelf for years (since 2016!). Part of the reason is because the earrings were missing in the set altogether, and I didn’t initially crack the box open until after the exchange period had expired. The other part is that I also bought the same set in pink, which did come with earrings, and I’d already featured it, so it seemed like overkill to feature the same set in different colors. Well, even several years later, I’m still ticked that I’m missing the earrings from this set, but I finally forgave it enough to trot the necklace out solo–and I’m so glad I did! It really is a beautiful piece in a stunning color. The wavy band of CZ stones give this pendant such great movement that it keeps it from being a typical boring chunky emerald-cut piece. I fell in love with this set’s design all over again…five years later!

Go big! In Avon’s Silvertone Big Link Necklace (no longer available) and Huggie Earring Set (no longer available). While you can’t see it in the photos, I wore a black jumpsuit that I’d received in my latest thredUP box (see the link above for more details) for another fancy date night dinner with the hubs in Vegas. I generally stay away from jumpsuits because (1) they are a giant pain to deal with when you need to use the restroom, and (2) I’m short (a mighty 5’1″, for those of you who are wondering)–and jumpsuits usually make me appear shorter and squat…not usually a look I aim for. So, when I received it in my box, I audibly rolled my eyes (along with the swimsuit coverup thingy that they sent me), but had originally made a vow to myself a year ago when I started receiving these boxes to try on everything the stylist sends me…and I’ve been so surprised to fall in love with many pieces I’d mentally written off as duds straight out of the box! That said, because the jumpsuit was a solid black, I really needed something with a serious “I mean business” presence–and these pieces really fit the bill! Alone in the box, they were intimidating–both are largely scaled, and the necklace is ridiculously heavy (it would not surprise me if it weighed in at a solid pound). However, amongst the sea of black jumpsuit, they both came to life and found their places in my heart! While I doubt these will be worn with any regularity in the future, I will certainly be reaching for them when I need something that screams “go big, or go home!”

It’s all smoke and mirrors…in Avon’s Sterling Silver Smoky Quartz Pendant Necklace (no longer available)! While I like the opaque-ish brown stone in general, this necklace only elicited a “meh” reaction from me. Aside from the color, there is really nothing special about it, and the color is a neutral that doesn’t have much to say. It was a decent piece to wear with a casual daytime outfit, but I don’t think I’ll be reaching for it again. Ho, hum.

Modern chic…in Avon’s Metallic Lace Shift Dress (no longer available), Modern Chic Layered Necklace, and Sterling Silver Created Opal Earrings (no longer available)! Here’s the other gorgeous “fancy” dress I purchased pre-COVID, and it is everything! LOOK AT IT. Just, wow. A fully lined (except for the shoulders–and that actually stays in place, unlike some other dresses I own in which the liner twists or rides up–ACK!) and fitted lace dress that screams MONEY! Can you believe this gorgeous thing is a reasonably priced frock from Avon?! I mean…well, I’m dumbfounded. They really knocked themselves out with the dresses in this line! I’m glad I never tried on this dress until now, because at ten pounds heavier, it wouldn’t have fit, but it absolutely fit like a damned dream for our last date night dinner on vacation! This is another one that will get a replay in the future!

I originally had planned to wear this long layered necklace all down, but it got lost against the heavy lace, so I prayed that I’d be able to double-loop it around my neck like I’d done with the pearly necklace a few nights prior, and it worked! Not only did it work, but it created a layered choker look to boot–THANK YOU, UNIVERSE! In hindsight, the necklace was too delicate a piece to wear with such a bold patterned dress, but my poor styling decisions during packing didn’t take away any of my excitement for the piece overall. It is just BEYOND! And the absolutely adorable opal studs were ideal for this outfit. I’m calling this look another total win.

Living linear in Avon’s Silvertone Everyday Linear Earrings (no longer available)! I even traveled back home in style with these really cool earrings! Though impossible to get a good photo of them while worn (they reflect everything), don’t let my poor photography skills stand in the way of your appreciation for these beauties. They have all the things going for them: simple, elegant, lightweight, modern, interesting–you name it, they tick the box. As soon as I stuck these in my ears, they earned their place in my favorites jewelry box!

Symmetry/asymmetry…in Avon’s Asymmetrical Cold Shoulder Top! This graphic goodness is a modern take on the traditional tunic. While I’d have preferred the top to have a little bit more structure to the body of it (nothing that my digging a decorative pin out of my jewelry box couldn’t fix), it is otherwise a fantastic piece! The solid black strap on the shoulder is wide enough to cover a bra strap (even the wide ones), but not so wide that it destroys the look of the design. The vertical stripes in varying widths has a slimming effect, with half-length sleeves to contain heavier upper arms (like mine), and a lovely length that hits just below the hips. The material immediately reminded me of nearly every swimsuit I’ve ever owned, so be prepared for some hardcore visceral reactions to the flashbacks!

Ready for a dust up…in Avon’s Mixed Media Duster Cardigan (sold out), Sterling Silver Statement CZ Necklace (no longer available), Sterling Silver Pearl Drop Earrings, and Silvertone Crystal Anklet Set! The blue of this duster cardi is so vibrant, it pops against whatever neutral is around it. Since it’s at a lighter weight than a traditional cardigan, it’s ideal for those cooler evenings and crisper mornings in summer. The back has a gauzy see-through panel in the same shade beginning at the waistline and going down to the bottom hem–it’s an interesting design (and probably makes for a more interesting show for others), just make sure to pay attention to your backside before leaving the house!

The necklace is a typical, pretty, round CZ stone surrounded by a halo band of CZ stones formed into a cushion cut shape. It’s bright, and it brings the bling, but I was so much more enamored with the earrings and anklets that I barely even paid much attention to the necklace. The earrings are such a simple design, I didn’t expect to love them as much as I did–the design managed to make these pearl earrings look delicate! Wut the wut?! Yup, instant fave. I haven’t worn an anklet in years, possible even more than a decade, so I wasn’t sure I’d even wear the set despite ordering it as a demo, but I did…and I loved it! I opted to “layer” them by cinching them up at different lengths on their chains, and I really fell in love with the layered anklet look! It’s adorable, and adds a little surprise in an area that rarely offers up any kind of surprise.

It’s a three-ring circus up in here…in Avon’s Ring Detail Top! What a fun top this is! It’s kind of a high-low circle top with butterfly sleeves and a beautiful gold ring detail that serves as a kind of built in necklace! It’s my understanding that olive green is allegedly considered a new neutral, but I’m also well aware that many folks do not look good in it near their face. Luckily, I am not one of those people. ::grin:: The cut and design of this top is really flattering–its flowy-ness keeps from drawing any attention to whatever problem areas you may have. My only minor complaint is that the rings are a bit on the heavy side and they are designed fairly low on the cleavage line, which is out of my comfort zone. Since the rings are so heavy and gravity is a real thing, the top kept pulling down even lower in the front and I had to keep shifting it back up into place…and don’t even talk to me about what kind of show I was giving if I leaned forward/down without holding the rings to my chest at the same time. Despite those two little issues, this is a really terrific top, and I certainly plan on wearing it again!

It’s gettin’ hot in here…in Avon’s Sleeveless Cutout Neckline Top, the long danglies from their Summer Multi Earring Pack, fmg Glimmer Eyeshadow Quad in Darling, and fmg Colors of LOVE Lip Shine in Sunset Sail! This is another top win in Avon’s column! The seafoam hued top is cut in a flattering way, actually has some shape to it through the bust line, and hits a little below the hipline. The cutouts around the round neckline are a really cool detail that draws the eye. But the material is what’s really up! It’s not that thin material that feels cheap and unloved–this is a heavier material that ensures your darker colored bras won’t show through the fabric when your lighter ones are all needing to be washed rather than worn. I busted this one out just in time for our current heat wave, and it was PERFECT!

I opted for the coral colored long danglies from the earring pack because I didn’t want my makeup choices to be the only pops of color against the light-hued top, plus I felt like they kind of matched the eye palette I chose. The earrings themselves are really fun, plus they are obviously made out of real coral since the two earrings are not identical. The eye palette is absolutely beautiful! Not only are they colors I didn’t already have, but I also never would have thought to put them all together! In the end, I opted out of using the shimmery purple in the quad because I felt like it would kick me over the line into the “too much” category. The shades are super pigmented and layer on in a hurry, which was a glorious surprise! I am beyond pleased that the quads got their own glow-up moment–it was well-deserved, and Avon did them justice! (I’m also breathing a huge sigh of relief that they were released right after the other line was discontinued, without there being a long desert of time without any quad offering at all.) The lippie is a lovely shimmery pink, which I tend to shy away from –I usually go for mattes and shines, but skip the shimmers–so I was delighted to apply it and instantly love it! The formula is really creamy and terrifically pigmented, so it glided on in a hurry and only needed one coat. All said and done, this was a really fun summer look!

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

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