THE AVON HISTORY

It all started with the Ancient Egyptians who first wore paints as a method of protecting their skin from the sun. The skin painting later became a way of separating social classes. Little did they know what they had started.

Putting color on the face evolved over the years until it became a way of life for women of all ages, and a winning business venture for a man by the name of David McConnell. In the late eighteen hundreds, Mr. McConnell could be found going form door-to-door selling books in order to make a living. He gave his female customers samples of perfumes, and it was these samples that ended up changing his life forever. One day he finally realized that the women liked the perfume samples better than they liked his books. This realization inspired Mr. McConnell. And, in 1886, Mr. McConnell and his wife Lucy started the California Perfume Company. Th company's first product was called the Little Dot Perfume Set, and it contained five different fragrances.

Mr. McConnell and his wife found that they needed help to sell their perfume early in their venture, so they hired on Mrs. P.F.E. Albee as their first saleslady. Mrs. Albee had earlier helped Mr. McConnell in selling his books. Mrs. Albee went from door to door selling the Little Dot Perfume Set, and she signed up even more women as salesladies for the California Perfume Company.

Today, Avon Products, Incorporated manufactures and sells its complete line of cosmetics and perfumes, just like its founder did over a hundred years ago. In its growth, Avon Products has added on a line of jewelry, clothing, and deocrative items, as well as items that one can use around the house and in the auto as well. The company became incorporated in 1916 and later went public with its valuable stocks.

Among the top sellers of beauty products, Avon Products continues to increase its product lines, promote its products, and grow bigger every year. It also aids the economy by employing over forty thousand in its many offices across the world in 1999.