Avon offer a huge range of cosmetic products via the internet or through one of their reps. They also have a varied range of fragrances for men and women including celebrity endorsed fragrances.

~Secret Fantasy~

Avon offer two fragrances in the Secret Fantasy collection - the original Secret Fantasy and Secret Fantasy Star. Today I will be discussing the original.

Secret Fantasy is presented in Eau de toilette format with no matching body products available to layer the scent. Avon describe Secret Fantasy as :

'A sweet blend of innocent red fruits and feminine jasmine, with an intense heart of velvety white musk and warm sandalwood.'

~Design~

The bottle holding the Secret Fantasy scent is pretty simplistic in design. It is curvy and bright pink in colour. The bottle has 'Secret Fantasy' printed on the front and comes with a little chain which has a key charm on it. This can be placed around the neck of the bottle or removed if you want to use it for some other purpose. The bottle is presented in a purple box when it arrives from Avon.

~Price and Availability~

A 50ml bottle can be purchased from the Avon website www.avonshop.co.uk or from your local rep. It retails at £11.00 but is currently on offer at just £4.99 on the website.

~My Thoughts~

Whilst my heart lies with more expensive fragrances such as Chanel and Gucci, I like to keep my collection varied with some cheap and cheerful fragrances. Recently, I was browsing the Avon book and spotted Secret Fantasy reduced to just £5.00. I liked the description of this fragrance so I ordered a bottle from my rep.

I find the bottle design to be rather cheap and tacky. The little charm is pretty though and secures neatly around the neck of the bottle and stops the fragrance from spraying out in my bag. There is no other lid. The fragrance sprays evenly from the bottle and I would recommend only spraying a small amount at a time as it is quite sharp and has a strong alcohol type opening.

Secret Fantasy EDT is quite a young yet feminine scent. It is a little basic but works fine for using as a quick scent refresher during the day. It is light enough for Summer use. It is no where near as special as premium fragrances in terms of appeal but I do like it. The opening accord is vibrant and ultimately a blend of sweet, mouthwatering fruits. Whilst Avon have not specified which 'red fruits' are blended together, I can definitely detect raspberry as the prominent scent - it is sharp without being too harsh. The sweetness makes me think of blackcurrant though I am aware this is not a red fruit - it just smells like this to me!

The vibrancy of the top notes disappear far too quickly and only a hint of delicate sweetness remains on the skin as the heart starts to seep through. Unlike the evident nature of the top notes, the heart is somewhat mild and very light against my skin. There is nothing particularly special about the heart combo - it is subtle, feminine and understated. The jasmine lacks its usual depth and is very relaxed rather than sensual. All I can grasp from the heart is a subtle jasmine with a tinge of powdery sweetness.

After 2-3hours, Secret Fantasy dries down to reveal a delicate base note which sits very close to the skin. Despite being noted as 'warm sandalwood', I wouldn't say the warmth of this fragrance note really shines through. All I can detect is a creamy, woody aroma laced with some musk. Nothing special - nothing different from other fragrances.

~Conclusion~

Secret Fantasy EDT is a lovely enough scent but it lacks strength and staying power as it is gone from my skin after 3-4hours. The overall scent reminds me of the combination of the 'Frosted Swirls' fragrances that Avon offered at Christmas time. This would make a nice gift for a teenager or young person in my opinion. I have went through my bottle really quickly as I constantly need to top up the scent. It is ok for a fiver but I wouldn't pay full price as it is nothing special in terms of fragrance and staying power.

3 stars

Thanks for reading :)