Let me begin by saying, Influester, you have really outdone yourself! This was a great box that i know many people were excited about. Looking at the card that has all the prices of the products on them... honestly, i never would have given them a second chance. I am a 22 year old, living in Ohio. I have a car payment, a house payment and all the bills that come along with that. Not to mention, I do not know anyone that even wears Mary Kay, much less, sells it. Having said that, there are a few things in here, that i am going to feel no guilt about purchasing.
So let's do this!
First of all, let's talk about the Mineral Cheek Color in Shy Blush. This is a beautiful product that does not overpower your face or take away from your natural features. It has a gorgeous, almost golden sheen to it. I am not typically a blush person but this is a beautiful color that seamlessly blends into your natural skin tone. I am a pasty little ghosty and i end up looking way too red with blush but this is very nice. It has a smooth application and does not wear quickly. When you get right down to it, I would say that this is a great product to recommend to anyone. You won't regret this purchase.
Let's move on to the Bronzing Powder, shall we? This is also wonderful for if you have a bit of a lighter skin tone. It is nearly impossible for me to find bronzers that don't make me look like I smudged dirt all over my face. I eventually gave up on trying to contour this face on those fancy nights out (i never go out). The color is not overpowering, and is a long wear product. It does what I have always wanted out of a bronzer.... a "SUN KISSED GLOW"... not to make the wearer look like a fucking Oompa-Loompa. So, thank you Mary Kay for understanding what a bronzer is supposed to do and not what Jersey Shore has convinced the world of what it is supposed to do.
Next, we have the Eye Cream Color in Apricot Twist. Right off the bat, I noticed that the color payoff was not super great but I also think that this particular selection of products is about ENHANCING your natural beauty, not making it look like you've just stepped out of a bar fight. I'm quite partial to that look myself. This is a great summer color. This product also has a golden sheen to it which is great for all eye colors and skin tones. I am usually not a fan of the cream eye colors but this did not crease upon application and tho it seemed to wear off a bit later in the day, regardless of me priming my eyes, it was more than i would've expected from a cream shadow. Again, gorgeous color. I just personally refuse to pay $14 for a single cream shadow. I think that is a bit obnoxious but to each his own, I suppose.
Moving forward and away from the makeups for just a quick second. I received 2 brushes in this box. One was the Cream Eye Color/ Concealer brush. I'm not gonna lie, I used this to apply the cream shadow, once. I would much rather use my finger. It is a fantastic brush and i have been using it for the powder shadows and it works like a charm. i also received the blush brush. Both brushes are very soft and I have not had a single hair fall out. It also has a great color distribution. great brushes, if you dot mind paying a little more for them.
Okay, this is my favorite thing that came in the box. The Translucent Loose Powder. It is soooo light and soft! Amazing coverage and a gorgeous shimmer. There isn't much i can say beyond that aside from it being a wonderful product and i will more than likely purchase this after i use this up. I use it to set my foundation and i can see a bit of a lightness to it, so I am not totally sure how this would look on darker skin tones but i will check and do an update. I just love this product!
I don't know if you can tell, but i am just pulling these out of the box and reviewing whatever i grab. I'm so professional. Haha.
The next thing is the Lash Love Mascara. Umm.... it works. It is nothing special. i would never pay $15 for it. I use a NYX Doll Eye mascara that i am obsessed with and I think I only pay like, $9 for it. This is just too pricey for it's mediocre performance in my opinion. No clumps though.... so that's always good.
Lemme lead this one off by saying, I am EXTREMELY picky about my gel liners. This is the gel liner in jet black. It is not bad at all, it does fade a bit though. I don't know if this one dries out and becomes unusable quickly or anything because i haven't been opening and closing it much. That is a problem that i have with some of my old gels. Not bad. If you like Gels, I'm sure you'll really love this. It glides on and if you give it a minute to set after application, aside from slight fade, it stays put. Good stuff.
Last but not least we have the Nourishine Plus Lip Gloss in Mango Tango. I actually really like this stuff. Upon first application it is the slightest bit tacky but it then goes to a gentle glide and your lips feel very soft. You do have to reapply after eating and drinking, or making out, whatever, but this has a very nice pigmentation and leaves your lips soft. Very nice stuff and it lasts quite a while. Typically I wouldn't spend $14 on a lip gloss but I feel like this stuff would be one of those things that you would splurge on every month or so.
In all, I think that Mary Kay is a bit overpriced but they have exceptional products. I am the kind of person that will take a $2 eye shadow trio from walmart and apply it to look like the $24 trios at Sephora. I am a huge huge huge makeup enthusiast but I do believe that people are spending a bit too much on makeup these days just because of a name brand or even where it is being sold. It is trendy to spend $39 on a primer now a days and i don't agree with that. I think that companies should price according to the performance of their product but I know that will never happen and i would be lying if i said i didn't have a few of those "pretentious" products. When i spend a lot of money on makeup, it is because it is meeting or exceeding my expectations and is blowing the competition out of the water. With some of these Mary Kay products, I would have no problem making them a staple in my makeup bag. If you have the money to buy Mary Kay regularly, by all means, they are great products! If you're like me and pretty much have to spend your money as you make it, i would do some research on what you are looking for and try to find a cheaper alternative.
Thank you once again to Influenster, who sent me this wonderful box of Mary Kay Products complimentary for me to try and review. You guys are great and this is by far, The Best box yet!
