Local Lifestyles

Nobody in the Bible ever baptized any children. Nobody was ever told to baptize children.”

Another key point is that baptism always involves immersion in water-full immersion, not sprinkling water on people’s heads from a fountain. The word baptism means to immerse. Christian baptism is a symbolic picture of the union of a believer in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. (Romans 6:5) Jesus was baptized, as an adult, not an infant, fully immersed in the Jordan River. (Matthew3:16)

The Bible is completely clear that baptism follows on the heels of faith. Infants do not have the capacity at this early age to repent or believe regardless of the best interest in their parents; First faith, then baptism. (Mark 16:16)

BY ANNA HESSEL PEOPLEANDPLACES.ANNA@GMAIL.COM @PRINCESSANNAH8

Happy 135th birthday, Avon! You have been empowering us with beauty for over a century plus three and a half decades. We all have Avon memories to share, some of us as Avon ladies, and others as customers. Some of my favorite Avon products have included Reese Witherspoon’s infinity bracelet, Pink Suede skin softener, Black Suede cologne for the husband, Amari perfume, Anew, and of course, Skin So Soft. As a teenager, I couldn’t live without my Sweet Honesty. My friend and Avon rep Diane (RIP) always included one of the tinsy lipstick samples with my order, perfect to fit in an evening bag. She had even recruited me to sell the brand.

Avon began as a perfume company in September of 1886, founded by door-to-door book salesman David H. McConnell, who hired the first company representative, Mrs. Albee. Avon’s publication Outlook magazine arrived in 1905 - the following year the company received its very first advertisement in “Good Housekeeping”. Originally known as the California Perfume Co., in 1909 it took up residence at 31 Park Place in New York City, opening in Montreal five years later. On January 28th, 1916, the organization we now know as Avon was incorporated.

For years, product development specialists worked on an item to emphasize the highly fashionable twin peaks of women’s upper lips, which was referred to as a “Cupid’s Bow.” Their first lipstick hit the market in 1919. Non-beauty products became available in 1926 with the first skin care collection; cleansing cream, astringent, skin food, and peach lotion. The four piece ensemble was entitled “Gertrude Recordon facial treatment”. The next year the company first began calling itself “Avon”, after the birthplace of Shakespeare.

During the Depression, on June 3rd, 1932, their description of products included toiletry items, perfumes, lipsticks, powder, and rouge compacts. Their hand cream debuted in 1933. October 6th, 1939, they made their name change official as

6 breast, 6 wings, 6 thighs, 6 drumsticks

12 breast, 12 wings, 12 thighs, 12 drumsticks

24 breast, 24 wings, 24 thighs, 24 drumsticks

“Avon Products, Inc.” The company manufactured items for the war effort until 1945. A year later, Avon began selling stock to the public. In 1947, they introduced a combination insect repellent and sun lotion, to the delight of beach babes everywhere. One of the first of several actresses to appear in Avon ads was Claudette Colbert, starting in 1948.

In 1950, manufacturing for Avon became nationwide, with one of their main facilities in Morton Grove, Illinois. 1954 brought us the iconic “Ding, Dong! Avon Calling” campaign, positioning Avon to become an original Fortune 500 company.

Topaz men’s cologne arrived on the scene in 1959, to be followed by other men’s fragrances packaged in fun shaped decanters. In 1961, Avon introduced their popular flagship product, “Skin So Soft”. A decade later, they began selling jewelry, becoming the largest distributor of costume jewelry in the nation within three years.

Avon’s “Shades of Beauty” for African-American women were introduced in 1975. In 1978, “Operation Smile” put over 20 million lipsticks on the mouths of women, costing only 35 cents apiece. The next year, Avon purchased Tiffany & Co., while simultaneously becoming the largest distributor in the world of costume jewelry, much to the delight of many of my friends. They then sold Tiffany & Co. five years later.

In 1985, with the introduction of BioAdvance, Avon introduced the first product using stabilized retinol. Half of Liz Claiborne was owned by Avon from 1985 to 1987, when they purchased Giorgio of Beverly Hills.

They were the first company to utilize vitamin C for anti-aging. Avon was also the first major cosmetic firm to end animal testing in 1989. In 1990, the Avon Foundation began working with such celebrities as Bon Jovi, Reese Witherspoon, Elizabeth Taylor, Diane Von Furstenberg, Fergie, and Salma Hayek. A year later, the “Four Ways to Be Beautiful” campaign was launched, and the year following Avon was the first cosmetic brand to use AHA, revolutionizing skin care. That same year they contributed over $800 million to the American Cancer Society. In 1993, examining the relationships and lives of women, Avon’s advertising theme was simply “Women Are Beautiful”.

The first company to launch an e-commerce website, Avon dared us to change our minds about them, releasing a representative Barbie doll and water-based lipsticks. Their “Let’s Talk” campaign in 2000 had the tennis phenomena, the Williams sisters as spokeswomen. The next year brought us “Beauty Starts from Within”, and in 2003, Avon Voices began a talent search for women and men alike. Reese Witherspoon became Avon’s first global ambassador and honorary chairperson of the Avon Foundation for Women. They then partnered with UNIFEM for International Women’s Day.

This year, the company donated 17 million pounds of products to” Feed the Children”, while “Skin So Soft” celebrates its own 60th birthday. Avon’s “Look How Good You Look Now” campaign empowered women everywhere. In 1999, they had its first female CEO, Andrea Yung, who was succeeded by their current president, Angela Cretu. Thank you, Avon, for over a century of empowerment, beauty, and style. Ms. Hessel is a member of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists

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