Mary Kay, Oh My! (Plus Sweepstakes!)

When I used to think of Mary Kay, I have to admit I conjured up ideas of pushy ladies wanting to host makeup parties and give free facials. Admittedly, I didn't have the best image in my head. I wasn't really familiar with much of their products, although I haven't ever heard anything bad about them. Let me just say - I totally have had the wrong picture in my mind!

I had since used a few more products since then, some of which I won in a blog giveaway. The mascara I used was fine enough but I didn't repurchase since I just buy most of my mascaras at the drugstore. I just didn't know enough about the brand to really form an opinion, and I have to admit, I should have given it more of a chance.

When BlogHer and Mary Kay sent me a loot of Mary Kay products to review, it seriously felt like Christmas! I couldn't believe I actually got selected to review such an extensive line of products, and I was so excited to give this brand another chance. Here's what I got:

Three lip glosses, a microdermabrasion set, a compact with six eyeshadows and one blush, three mascaras, and one lash primer.

Now that I've had about two months to use and get familiar with these products, I am happy to report that I have really enjoyed using them! Let's talk in detail.

THE SKINCARE: TIMEWISE MICRODERMABRASION SET

The two products in this set include the Refine and the Replenish. The Refine is the exfoliator, and I find it to be very exfoliating and one of the best I've tried. It does an amazing job and instantly smooths my skin. The Replenish is meant to be used afterward. It has a serum-like consistency and I noticed that in the morning, my face definitely looked brighter. Love this stuff!

THE EYES AND CHEEKS:

I received six eyeshadows and one blush. They are all able to be removed from the compact (they are magnetized on the back). I don't ever throw blush or eyeshadow in my purse, so I don't find it more convenient for "on the go", but could be convenient for traveling. The eyeshadows are Midnight Star, Sweet Plum, Black Pearl, Golden Vanilla, Lavender Fog, and Truffle. The coral blush is Shy and reminds me a lot of Nars Orgasm.

Here they are all swatched on my hand. I love the pigment in the shadows. The only one that probably isn't suited well for my skin tone is the Golden Vanilla. I have created some great eye looks with these. The blush doesn't have a lot of sparkle, but a great shimmer. It is quite beautiful.

THE LIPS: NOURISHINE PLUS LIP GLOSS

The lip glosses I received were such fun colors! Definitely something I probably wouldn't have picked for myself, but I'm glad I received these colors. I got Rock 'n Red (classic red), Cafe au Lait (neutral nude), and Mango Tango (orange red). The Nourishine Lip Gloss is extremely moisturizing while also being long-lasting. I have no idea how they do it.

As you can see, they are very pigmented! Those red colors have really given me a confidence to wear a red lip without much fuss. So easy to apply to get a polished, classic look. Love love love these!

THE LASHES

I received three mascaras and a lash primer. The mascaras are the Ultimate, Lash Love, and Lash Love Waterproof. I generally only use waterproof mascaras because I like their staying power, but I have really really enjoyed every single one of these mascaras. The Ultimate mascara has a classic bristly brush which coats perfectly, and the Lash Love mascaras have one of the rubbery type brushes. I find that I like the Lash Love a little more, and the waterproof one my absolute fave. Let's talk about the lash primer. Oh dear. Why have I not used a lash primer before? I'm telling you - the curl in my lashes lasted MUCH longer than without primer. This is monumental.

BOTTOM LINE:

I have really had a fantastic time trying these products out and have gained such an amazing respect for the Mary Kay brand. I feel like each of these products are very thought out for things that women look for in cosmetics. They are beautifully pigmented, high performing, and have sleek packaging. I will probably repurchase a few of the items and I definitely recommend every product in this post without reservation!

The great news is that you can win a Mary Kay gift basket to try out some of these great products for yourself. Just tell me the greatest beauty tip you've learned for an opportunity to win!

Here are the 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.