Sally Obermeder Avon Breast Cancer Crusade Interview

Avon Australia ambassador is proud to support the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade

Avon is delighted to announce the aspirational Sally Obermeder as the ambassador for Avon Australia. For the second year running, the much-loved media personality, businesswoman, author and mother is back by popular demand as ambassador for the Avon True and Luxe beauty brands and will also be supporting the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade.

Sally Obermeder is a natural fit for the iconic beauty brand, thanks to her effortless style, entrepreneurial spirit and ability to empower others. With her new book Super Green Simple + Lean launching in September, she has a busy year ahead.

The announcement comes at a particularly poignant time in Sally's life as she celebrates five years clear of cancer; in part thanks to life-saving research from the Avon funded Breast Cancer Trials. Avon works closely with Breast Cancer Trials to help raise money for vital, life-saving research. That work with Breast Cancer Trials and the subsequent research went into Sally's treatment plan when she was undertaking her cancer treatment.

Avon is the world's number one corporate fundraiser for the breast cancer cause, having donated over US $850 million. The Avon Breast Cancer Crusade works globally and locally to raise funds for, and increase awareness of, breast cancer. In Australia and New Zealand alone, Avon has donated more than $13.5 million* from the sales of their Breast Cancer Charity products. Sally is delighted to be back with the brand that has been such a huge supporter of the breast cancer cause, and empowering women for more than 130 years.

In her role as ambassador, Sally will be featured in upcoming Avon campaigns, including being the face of new product launches for Avon True and Luxe.

"Avon has been a big part of my life for a really long time. My mum used to always get the catalogue and I would trawl through the beauty pages, deciding what to spend my pocket money on," says Sally.

"I was thrilled to be named the ambassador for Avon Australia for the second year running. Not only am I a fan of the True and Luxe beauty ranges, but Avon has also done so much for breast cancer research and awareness, both for myself and so many others. I'm proud to be back with my Avon family, where I belong!" she added.

The Avon True Colour collection includes value-for-money, high quality makeup products designed to create looks that can be taken from day to night. True Colour Flawless foundation gives a light, breathable and even coverage to create the perfect canvas for radiant skin.

The Luxe cosmetic range brings a touch of luxury to the Avon portfolio. With lush colours and textures, the products are each infused with precious ingredients like black diamond powder, shimmering silk and sapphire extract.

The Avon Breast Cancer Crusade contributes more than $800 million to programs worldwide that support research and advance access to quality care for all women. This year, Avon is proud to have Australian media personality, Sally Obermeder as an Ambassador for the foundation. Being a breast cancer survivor herself, Sally is determined to help other women be inspired to live full, fabulous and healthy lives.

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Interview with Sally Obermeder

Question: How does it feel to be able to support the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade as an ambassador, for the second year?

Sally Obermeder: Avon's been a part of my life for a really long time, since my childhood in fact when I used to pore over my mother's catalogues deciding what I was going to spend my pocket money on! I was thrilled to be named the ambassador for another year. Not only am I a fan of the True and Luxe beauty ranges, but Avon has also done so much for breast cancer research and awareness, both for myself and so many others. So, I'm proud to be back with my Avon family, where I belong!


Question: What do you hope to achieve from this campaign?

Sally Obermeder: My ultimate goal is to have Breast Cancer be a thing of the past. I dream of a day where no lives will be lost to breast cancer, or any cancer for that matter. I know from speaking with oncologists that every step forward we make in research for any kind of cancer ultimately helps all cancers, so in that sense we are all in this together.

I hope people will join me in supporting the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade simply by buying one of their fantastic charity products. Funds raised support charities such as Breast Cancer Trials, who fund research to find a cure.


Question: Which of the Avon True and Luxe products are your favourite?

Sally Obermeder: I am a huge fan of the Avon True and Luxe beauty ranges. It's hard for me to choose my favourite products but if I had to pick I would go for a nude lipstick like Eau Naturale from the Avon True range as it's perfect for every day.

For a more intense look, I use the Luxe Smoky Eyeliner in black – it looks incredible and it goes on so smoothly, and it looks like I've made a huge effort even if in reality I put it on in the car park!


Question: How have you learnt to live your best life and live in the now?

Sally Obermeder: Although going through cancer was the most brutal and awful experience of my life, I'm actually quite grateful for having been through it because it has taught me how to live in the moment and it has given me a perspective and a new found outlook on life that I'm not sure I could have gotten any other way. It's given me incredible gratitude, but also strength, fortitude and a sense of resilience, which has come out of that experience. Cancer really makes you re-assess what's important to you and what you need to do to live your best life.
So to live my best life and to live in the now, I say no to a lot more things than I did before I was sick. I now realise that there are only a certain number of hours in a day and I make it a priority to spend as much time as I can with my family and my friends. I do things that make me happy, rather than doing things I feel obliged to do. When you're happy and doing things you want to do, it's so much easier to live your best and most fulfilling life.


Question: Are you able to share your best kept make-up and beauty secrets with us?

Sally Obermeder: Beauty to me is all about that balance between what's on the inside and what's on the outside. It's about you feeling as good as you can on the outside but also nurturing who you are on the inside and being your best version of yourself, but always also being kind. That's beautiful.

It's not really a secret because I literally tell everyone I know, but I'm obsessed with products that are multi-functional. I live such a busy life and between looking after the kids, being on live TV everyday and running SWIISH.com with my sister, Maha, I don't have a lot of time to do my makeup so anything that can save me time is my favourite beauty secret! Avon's True Colour Glimmerstick Brow Definer is one such product because I use it to fill in my pesky brows and the brown is also subtle enough to use as everyday eyeliner. A great nude lip gloss is also a game changer because it can easily do double duty as a cheek luminiser as well!


Question: Our office loves the Green Supreme Layered Smoothie from Super Green Simple and Lean - which is your current favourite and why?

Sally Obermeder: I LOOOVE our Neapolitan Layered Smoothie, which tastes just like ice cream. I have the biggest sweet tooth and it hits the sweet spot perfectly. It's a really good one for kids because it looks and tastes just like their favourite gelato but it's actually full of nutrients. This one is definitely Annabelle's favourite!


Question: Your Instagram (sallyobermeder) is one of our favourites; what advice do you have for others wanting to succeed on social media?

Sally Obermeder: From a business perspective digital channels are so important, because they are an easy and very cost effective, easy to advertise and the audience reach is huge. They will help your business to grow quickly and easily because never before have you been able to reach so many people at once.

For my personal account - my top tips are always be yourself and don't over analyse every single thing you post/want to post. Don't agonise over filters either!! Create content that you love. For me I like content that makes me feel something – whether it's laughter or compassion or just putting a smile on your face, I think that's great. I also reply to everyone who DMs me and I also answer any questions that people ask. It's time consuming I know, but I enjoy the connection and I also think it's important to take the time to acknowledge those who follow you.


Question: What's next, for you?
Sally Obermeder: Our Super Green Superfood Powder that we spent two years creating at SWIISH, has been an absolute bestseller. We are flooded every day with people's stories of how the powder has helped them feel amazing. We have had so many parents asking for a kids powder so we spent the last year working on the kids version, which will be out soon, so we are very excited about that!

Avon's Breast Cancer charity products are available to buy online from and from shop.avon.com.au
Representatives nationally (RRP from $3.99).


Interview by Brooke Hunter
Photos: Cybele Malinowski