Every once in a while, a company comes around that offers amazing products across the board. The quality can only inspire brand loyalty from customers. Mary Kay® is one of those brands, and I am excited to share my experiences with a number of their amazing products today!
I was lucky enough to receive a box filled with some of Mary Kay’s best selling products, as well as some of their brand new ones! I couldn’t wait to get my hands on them, and I quickly found myself incorporating each product into my daily makeup routine.
Let’s begin with the Mary Kay® TimeWise Microdermabrasion Set. It contains two products: the “refine” and the “replenish.” I must say: I haven’t used microdermabrasion products before, but I have been enjoying Mary Kay’s! The “refine” is applied after you wash your face; you gently scrub it on your face. The microscopic exfoliators energize and smooth the skin but aren’t overly rough. I can definitely sense how smooth my skin feels after applying it. The “replenish” is a serum applied after the “refine,” and it contains vitamins, antioxidants, and anti-irritants. The serum nourishes the newly soft, smooth skin. If you’re looking for a microdermabrasion system, I definitely can say I enjoy this one. I have relatively sensitive skin, and I have not experienced irritation after using it (one to two times a week).
Next up: mascara! Mascara is probably the one makeup item (aside from foundation) that I absolutely, 100% cannot live without. I am extremely picky when it comes to mascara, and I was excited to try out Mary Kay’s Lash Primer, Ultimate Mascara™, and Lash Love Mascara™.
The Mary Kay Lash Primer provides a great base for your eyelashes. It strengthens and helps condition them, and also allows them to lift and stay curled for longer. The primer goes on clear and is very lightweight!
The Mary Kay Ultimate Mascara™ in Black is Mary Kay’s most voluminous formula. The design of the brush really does lend to lengthening – the center of the brush is the widest part, and the bristles taper down on both ends. My thin and wispy lashes really take to this mascara for everyday wear; they look fluffy, soft, and long!
My favorite mascara product of the bunch is Mary Kay’s Lash Love™ Mascara in Black. Not only does this mascara give lashes volume but it also provides definition. The brush itself is flexible, which really allows you to reach each and every lash. This mascara is perfect for an evening out when you want your lashes to make a statement! Va-va-voom!
A girl can’t have too many lip glosses, can she? Mary Kay® NouriShine Plus™ Lip Gloss in Mango Tango and Café Au Lait were two great ones to try. As bright as the Mango Tango gloss (pictured on the left) appears in the tube, it only gives a slight mango red sheen to your lips when it is applied. It’s a nice little pop! I really love the Café Au Lait shade; it is a great neutral lip color, and I find myself carrying it around in my handbag with me every day to swipe on.
The Mary Kay Compact Mini is oh so convenient! It is a refillable magnetic compact that holds your beauty must-haves. You can customize the compact by filling it with three mineral eye colors and a Mary Kay Cheek Color; the magnets easily snap into place and stay put. There is also a hidden compartment on the bottom of the compact where you can store some mini-brushes! I’m all about convenience, and I really appreciate the design of this compact.
Mary Kay’s Mineral Cheek Color in Shy Blush is such a pretty shade of petal pink; I incorporate it into my makeup routine daily! The cheek color applies smoothly and evenly, providing just the right amount of flush for the cheeks in the daytime! It’s great for the gal who loves a natural look.
I was also fortunate enough to try out six different eye shadow colors: Mary Kay Mineral Eye Color in Golden Vanilla, Truffle, Lavender Fog, Midnight Star, Sweet Plum and Black Pearl. The long-lasting mineral-based eye shadows add a lovely pop of color for a night out. They’re easy to apply, and you can really build up the color if you want to make a statement with a bold look.
One of my favorite looks utilizing the Mary Kay products looks a little something like this:
I’m wearing the Mineral Cheek Color in Shy Blush, the Lash Love™ Mascara in Black, the NouriShine Plus™ Lip Gloss in Café Au Lait, and the Mineral Eye Color in Lavender Fog and Sweet Plum.
I layered the Lavender Fog across my lid and used a compact brush to apply Sweet Plum densely along my lash line (almost like a thick eyeliner). I love the pop of purple on my lids for a twist on the smoky eye, and paired with the soft colors of the other makeup products, I feel fresh and pretty!
After sampling such a great assortment of products from the line, I am officially a fan of Mary Kay’s beauty items! Definitely take the chance to check them out for yourself and pick up a few products!
And today I have a sweepstakes for a Mary Kay gift basket! To enter, answer the following prompt:
Tell us the greatest beauty tip you’ve learned for an opportunity to win a fabulous Mary Kay gift basket.
Rules:
No duplicate comments.
You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:
a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
b) Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: “#SweepstakesEntry”; and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post
c) Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.
This giveaway is open to US Residents age 19 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
The Official Rules are available here.
This sweepstakes runs from 12/5/12–12/31/12.
Be sure to visit the Mary Kay page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ reviews and find more chances to win!
I was provided with Mary Kay products to use and review, and was compensated for this post, however all opinions are my own.
The best beauty tip I have learned is to always wear sunscreen! It’s keeping my face looking nice and smooth. I also want to start wearing more hats in the summertime– to help keep the sun off my face, but also because dramatic sunhats are awesome.
Fun! I love Mary Kay! The best beauty tip I’ve received is…less is more. I’ve never worn a lot of makeup (only for dance competitions and recitals). And I think I look like a clown with too much makeup anyway!
The greatest beauty tip I’ve learned is to always remove your make-up before going to bed. I swear by that tip.
Eat healthy and drink your water. So easy! Then your natural beauty will shine through!
Don’t enter me–I sell Mary Kay! I just wanted to say that if your giveaway basket includes the Indulge Soothing Eye Gel, pop it in the fridge to really increase its effects on tired eyes!
Either do dramatic eyes or dramatic lips…not both. It’s a really good tip that I always use! I tend to do dramatic eyes with a nude lip, since I think bold lips look weird on me, though. 🙂
Eyeshadow primer is AMAZING! Also, don’t skimp on your base/foundation. It’s worth it to get the good stuff that matches your complexion perfectly. 🙂
The best beauty tip I ever got was to never put soap on your face. It dries out your skin. lebl9077@bellsouth.net
I tweeted! https://twitter.com/leblancpatti/status/278322447697199104
lebl9077@bellsouth.net
My favorite beauty tip is to use eye cream. It makes a difference in how tired you look!
I love that Café Au Lait shade! Greatest tip I learned was in case of emergency, your lipstick can also be used as blush.
Sunscreen and moisturizer! Nothing better for your face.
I learned about the clarisonic facial clener – I love it!
tweeted: https://twitter.com/KerryBishop/status/279781592602398721
line eyes half way under lashes
https://twitter.com/rjs682/status/280148709390557184
Use an eyelash curler and heat it up a little bit with a blow dryer to get the curl to stay!
Don’t leave the house without sunscreen.
My favorite beauty tip is to put a little white eyeliner along the inner corner of the eyes to make them appear bigger.
Thanks for the cool giveaway!
wildorchid985 @ gmail dot com
tweet–https://twitter.com/WildOrchid985/status/280745499726843904
The greatest beauty tip I’ve learned is to use mascara on upper lashes only to make your eyes look more awake!
One of the best tips I’ve gotten is to use mascara only on the upper lashes as you get older because it opens up your eyes.
I would LOVE to win this gift basket. The best tip I learned is to apply white eyeliner on your water line and white eyeshadow at the corners of your eyes. It makes your eyes appear bigger which is great for masking those late nights when I have to go to work early in the morning.
ooh, i love mary kayproducts so much! my best tips are to sleep enough, moisturize a lot, and always wash off your makeup before you go to bed!
start from the inside! if you hydrate enough, your skin will be clearer, and you wont need as much coverage on it!
https://twitter.com/BTHM1/status/281176094852411392
tweeted
The greatest beauty tip I’ve ever received is to wear sunscreen daily, all year round!
https://twitter.com/salviunum/status/281261000634822656
My best beauty tip (that I learned the hard way) is: don’t overpluck your eyebrows!
Tweet link: https://twitter.com/shala_darkstone/status/282278179010400256
The greatest beauty tip I’ve learned is put on a moisturizing mask before putter on makeup. Your skin will absorb the foundation much better.
Amy [at] utry [dot] it
tweeted:
https://twitter.com/uTry_it/status/284216008439390208
Amy [at] utry [dot] it
Always always take off your makeup before bed!
My best beauty tip is to emphasize your lips OR your eyes – not both. It will keep you from looking over made up.
https://twitter.com/LAMusing/status/285358015010447360
The best beauty tip I’ve ever learned is how to properly apply bronzer. We can’t all live in Florida! It’s nice to feel like I have a little glow without damaging my skin in a tanning bed!
twitter post! https://twitter.com/JKHNelson/status/285450964054446081
Keep up the great work Katie, you are definitely an inspiration!
You’re too sweet – thanks for the nice words Jen! 🙂
Over the years, the best advice that has helped me long term to to use the best moisturizer you can possibly afford – now that I’m older, I go for the best serum I can afford!
lotion can remove makeup in a pinch.
My best beauty tip is to use an under eye concealer because it really helps make your face look younger.
lisalmg25 at gmail dot com
I Tweeted: https://twitter.com/lisalmg/status/285593545631477760
lisalmg25 at gmail dot com
always moisturize at night and you complexion will clear up over a little time
Tweeted:
https://twitter.com/anashct3/status/285887410213101568
Thanks for the chance to win!
email: anashct1 [at] yahoo [dot] com
knowing ur skin type is important
https://twitter.com/purplelover04/status/285910539996127234
i tweeted here:
https://twitter.com/bellows22/status/285951875973537792
always take your makeup off before going to bed and
be sure to use moisturizer
Drink lots of water and always remove your makeup at the end of the night.
https://twitter.com/Latsyrc728/status/286115997335834624