Avon Surreal Eau de Toilette

Avon produces a wide range of perfumes, many becoming sought-after classics. There are some that fall short of the mark and just smell cheap and strongly chemical. It's hard to know what you will end up with when you are buying from Avon as you are relying on the book or website to give a good impression of the product. This perfume has been discontinued, but can be found on eBay for around £10 including postage fees. The original RRP was £12.

It comes in a lovely coloured glass bottle, with a curvy plastic lid. The bottle is cute and colourful and stands out on a shelf or dressing table. The perfume itself is visible through the bottle which is good for allowing you to see how much you have left. This is only available in 50mls, and if you are lucky you may still be able to track down the accompanying perfumed talcum powder, body lotion and shower gel.

My initial impression is that the scent is fresh, fruity, and floral. It does smell very strongly of chemicals until the perfume settles onto your skin and the scent adjusts, this can take a few minutes so be patient! I usually apply by 'misting', this is where you spray the perfume into the air and then let it fall onto your body and clothes so you get an even distribution. It does not have much strength so I then apply a spritz to my wrists and spread that over my neck as well. First of all the scent is exotic, with sweet berries and rich red amber. As the top notes fade off it becomes a little more subtle and the tropical floral notes come through. I find that the scent does not last all day and fades after several hours of wearing. I think it's subtle enough to wear at the office, but it would need re-applying if you want the scent to be noticeable.

I would definitely class this as a daytime perfume as it's not dramatic enough to stand out as part of an evening look. In my opinion it would be most appropriate for teens-20's girls as it doesn't have that sophisticated, sexy, classy edge that best suits a woman. It's an average perfume and I although it has a nice scent I don't feel like it's strong enough and it doesn't make me stand out or accentuate my individuality. Worth tracking down if you're a fan of Avon's perfumes or a collector, but otherwise not worth the effort.

Summary: An average fragrance good for everyday wear