Accounting Policies	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2012
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Accounting Policies	ACCOUNTING POLICIES Basis of Presentation We prepare our unaudited interim consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”). We consistently applied the accounting policies described in our 2011 Annual Report on Form 10-K (“2011 Form 10-K”) in preparing these unaudited financial statements. In our opinion, we made all adjustments of a normal recurring nature that are necessary for a fair statement of the results for the interim periods. Results for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of results for a full year. You should read these unaudited interim consolidated financial statements in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements contained in our 2011 Form 10-K. When used in these notes, the terms “Avon,” “Company,” “we” or “us” mean Avon Products, Inc. For interim consolidated financial statement purposes, our tax provision is determined using an estimate of our annual effective tax rate, adjusted for discrete items, if any, that are taken into account in the relevant period. We also provide for accruals under our various employee benefit plans for each quarter based on one quarter of the estimated annual expense. New Accounting Standards Implemented In May 2011, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2011-04, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Amendments to Achieve Common Fair Value Measurement and Disclosure Requirements in U.S. GAAP and IFRS. ASU 2011-04 provides a consistent definition of fair value and ensures that the fair value measurement and disclosure requirements are similar between U.S. GAAP and International Financial Reporting Standards. ASU 2011-04 changes certain fair value measurement principles and enhances the disclosure requirements particularly for level 3 fair value measurements. ASU 2011-04 is effective for Avon as of January 1, 2012 and did not have a significant impact on our financial statements. In June 2011, the FASB issued ASU 2011-05, Presentation of Comprehensive Income. ASU 2011-05 requires entities to present items of net income and other comprehensive income either in one continuous statement, referred to as the statement of comprehensive income, or in two separate, but consecutive, statements of net income and other comprehensive income. In addition, in December 2011, the FASB issued ASU 2011-12, Deferral of the Effective Date for Amendments to the Presentation of Reclassifications of Items Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income in Accounting Standards Update No. 2011-05. ASU 2011-12 defers the requirement to present components of reclassifications of comprehensive income on the statement of comprehensive income, with all other requirements of ASU 2011-05 unaffected. Both ASU 2011-05 and 2011-12 are effective as of January 1, 2012 for Avon and did not have a significant impact on our financial statements, other than presentation. In September 2011, the FASB issued ASU 2011-08, Testing Goodwill for Impairment. ASU 2011-08 provides entities with an option to perform a qualitative assessment to determine whether further impairment testing is necessary. ASU 2011-08 is effective for annual and interim goodwill impairment tests for Avon as of January 1, 2012 and will not have a significant impact on our financial statements. Out-of-Period Items During the first quarter of 2012, we recorded an out-of-period adjustment which decreased net income by approximately $14 before tax ($10 after tax) which related to 2011 and was associated with bad debt expense in our South Africa operations. We also identified and recorded other various out-of-period adjustments during the first quarter of 2012 (primarily related to cost of sales and selling, general and administrative expenses) that related to prior years. The net impact of these other items decreased net income for the first quarter of 2012 by approximately $3 before tax ($3 after tax). We evaluated the total out-of-period adjustments impacting the first quarter of 2012 of approximately $17 before tax ($13 after tax), both individually and in the aggregate, in relation to the current period, which is when they were corrected, as well as the period in which they originated and concluded that these adjustments are not material to both the consolidated quarterly and annual financial statements for all impacted periods. During the first quarter of 2011, the Company determined that the net after tax gain on sale of Avon Products Company Limited (“Avon Japan”), reported in our financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2010, should have been reported as a net after tax loss of $3, to correctly include all balances relating to Avon Japan that were previously included in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss (“AOCI”). In addition, in the first quarter of 2011 the Company released a liability relating to a previously owned health care business, which should have been released in a prior period, resulting in a $4 increase in net income. The results of these businesses were originally reported within discontinued operations upon disposition. The net impact of these two items decreased net income for the first quarter of 2011 by $9. We evaluated the total out-of-period adjustments impacting the first quarter of 2011 in relation to the period in which they were corrected, as well as the period in which they originated and concluded that these adjustments are immaterial to both the consolidated quarterly and annual financial statements for all impacted periods.

ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of Presentation

We prepare our unaudited interim consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”). We consistently applied the accounting policies described in our 2011 Annual Report on Form 10-K (“2011 Form 10-K”) in preparing these unaudited financial statements. In our opinion, we made all adjustments of a normal recurring nature that are necessary for a fair statement of the results for the interim periods. Results for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of results for a full year. You should read these unaudited interim consolidated financial statements in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements contained in our 2011 Form 10-K. When used in these notes, the terms “Avon,” “Company,” “we” or “us” mean Avon Products, Inc.

For interim consolidated financial statement purposes, our tax provision is determined using an estimate of our annual effective tax rate, adjusted for discrete items, if any, that are taken into account in the relevant period. We also provide for accruals under our various employee benefit plans for each quarter based on one quarter of the estimated annual expense.

New Accounting Standards Implemented

In May 2011, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2011-04, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Amendments to Achieve Common Fair Value Measurement and Disclosure Requirements in U.S. GAAP and IFRS. ASU 2011-04 provides a consistent definition of fair value and ensures that the fair value measurement and disclosure requirements are similar between U.S. GAAP and International Financial Reporting Standards. ASU 2011-04 changes certain fair value measurement principles and enhances the disclosure requirements particularly for level 3 fair value measurements. ASU 2011-04 is effective for Avon as of January 1, 2012 and did not have a significant impact on our financial statements.

In June 2011, the FASB issued ASU 2011-05, Presentation of Comprehensive Income. ASU 2011-05 requires entities to present items of net income and other comprehensive income either in one continuous statement, referred to as the statement of comprehensive income, or in two separate, but consecutive, statements of net income and other comprehensive income. In addition, in December 2011, the FASB issued ASU 2011-12, Deferral of the Effective Date for Amendments to the Presentation of Reclassifications of Items Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income in Accounting Standards Update No. 2011-05. ASU 2011-12 defers the requirement to present components of reclassifications of comprehensive income on the statement of comprehensive income, with all other requirements of ASU 2011-05 unaffected. Both ASU 2011-05 and 2011-12 are effective as of January 1, 2012 for Avon and did not have a significant impact on our financial statements, other than presentation.

In September 2011, the FASB issued ASU 2011-08, Testing Goodwill for Impairment. ASU 2011-08 provides entities with an option to perform a qualitative assessment to determine whether further impairment testing is necessary. ASU 2011-08 is effective for annual and interim goodwill impairment tests for Avon as of January 1, 2012 and will not have a significant impact on our financial statements.

Out-of-Period Items

During the first quarter of 2012, we recorded an out-of-period adjustment which decreased net income by approximately $14 before tax ($10 after tax) which related to 2011 and was associated with bad debt expense in our South Africa operations. We also identified and recorded other various out-of-period adjustments during the first quarter of 2012 (primarily related to cost of sales and selling, general and administrative expenses) that related to prior years. The net impact of these other items decreased net income for the first quarter of 2012 by approximately $3 before tax ($3 after tax). We evaluated the total out-of-period adjustments impacting the first quarter of 2012 of approximately $17 before tax ($13 after tax), both individually and in the aggregate, in relation to the current period, which is when they were corrected, as well as the period in which they originated and concluded that these adjustments are not material to both the consolidated quarterly and annual financial statements for all impacted periods.

During the first quarter of 2011, the Company determined that the net after tax gain on sale of Avon Products Company Limited (“Avon Japan”), reported in our financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2010, should have been reported as a net after tax loss of $3, to correctly include all balances relating to Avon Japan that were previously included in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss (“AOCI”). In addition, in the first quarter of 2011 the Company released a liability relating to a previously owned health care business, which should have been released in a prior period, resulting in a $4 increase in net income. The results of these businesses were originally reported within discontinued operations upon disposition. The net impact of these two items decreased net income for the first quarter of 2011 by $9. We evaluated the total out-of-period adjustments impacting the first quarter of 2011 in relation to the period in which they were corrected, as well as the period in which they originated and concluded that these adjustments are immaterial to both the consolidated quarterly and annual financial statements for all impacted periods.