When I think of Avon, I think of blue eyeshadow and coral pink lipstick; of Abigail's Party and full-length kaftans; of my grandmother, in a pink lace bed jacket, her face thick with cold-cream, cup of tea in one hand, lipstick in the other. It is a brand from a pre-marketing, post-rationing age, when thrift was a necessity - not an embarrassing affliction to be overcome with the wave of a credit card and an unerring faith in the never-never.

Now that we find ourselves in a sort of financial time warp, where the past 30 years of prosperity may have been just a bizarre dream - like Bobby's death in Dallas, only without the hunky shower scene (please, God, not Alistair Darling naked on primetime TV) - Avon is celebrating its 50th anniversary. Far from being over-the-hill, it looks like a brand whose time has come.

Most impressive is its skincare range, Anew, which would not look out of place in Space NK. It offers some serious technology at some seriously silly prices. The Derma-Full Facial Filling Serum contains dermatologist- grade hyaluronic acid, one of the most effective (and proven) skin-plumping ingredients around. Most comparable products cost about £60, but this is £28, currently on offer at £18 as part of Avon's golden anniversary celebrations.

In make-up, the Avon Nailwear Pro Enamel performs like top-of-the-range polish, for a fraction of the price (£6). It features a professional brush and the formula has a great glide-on texture and excellent high-gloss staying power. Good colours too: lots of trendy deep reds and plums, plus the current catwalk craze, mauve.

Where Avon is at its best, it takes beauty trends (electric brights, the latest technology, how-to kits) and turns them out cheap and chic. The Eye Artist Eyeshadow trios, for example, are wittily packaged and come in four different colours: ideal for creating that elusive “smoky eye”, and just £5 each. Where it's less good is in the accessories and fragrance department, where it's harder to disguise cut corners. Nevertheless, for the canny shopper, there's a fantastic core range here.

avonshop.co.uk

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