STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

Each product is different.  I LOVE Avon's kohl eyeliner pencils.  They've always been great (my mom has used them since the early 80's, and I use them now).  The eyeshadows are usually pretty good (or at least they have been in the past), and their lipstick colors are usually flattering.  As for skin care, people do like a number of products from the antiaging line.  I haven't tried any myself.  I think people often have good luck with their suncare products too.

You probably won't supply your entire beauty regimen from Avon, but smart choices in products can result in good buys.  I would hop on MakeupAlley and check reviews on Avon products that you are thinking of buying, and try to buy on sale.  They put stuff on sale often, and the price diff  is usually worth the wait.  

My grandma was my Avon lady - she sold Avon until she was in her 90s - so I am biased. Like any other brand, some products are awesome and some are so-so. You can't go wrong with nail stuff, lip balms/glosses, mascaras, loose powders. Avoid perfumes unless you enjoy choking to death or like the smell of old ladies. (If you're listening: sorry, Grandma.)

My one real complaint with Avon is that they reformulate and discontinue products/colors you love really rapidly. I got hooked on an amazing dark gray felt-tip liquid liner, but then poof, it was gone. I can't even figure out what they've replaced it with.

As a company Avon is very good. It's one of the biggest employers of women worldwide, it's one of the biggest women-run companies in the world, and is frequently ranked on lists of the best companies to work for. I appreciate that they don't test their products on animals (although they still purchase ingredients from companies that conduct animal tests so it's not 100% cool). But on the whole you can feel pretty good about buying Avon products, in my humble O.

BTW Avon and Estee Lauder have nothing to do with each other. They are two totally separate companies. If your friend is going to sell the product she should make sure she has her story correct.

My grandma has been dead for several years! She never made much money doing it, just sold to family - however she had five daughters and many granddaughters and a half dozen great-granddaughters, so it's a good-sized crowd.

I suggest she work through online friends if she's got a number of FB friends or is part of any groups (like this or gardening or whatever she's into). I have a friend in Alabama and I buy through her link even though I'm in California. Not everything is available online, but enough that my friend can make a few bucks.

Can you PM me your friend's info or link? My Alabama friend is no longer selling. :(