Beauty Launch: Mary Kay Cosmetics - Not Your Grandmother's Makeup Anymore!

Think you know Mary Kay? Well think again. We'll be honest - we were a little
skeptical about previewing the Fall/Winter 2009 beauty launch. Here is what Makeup Junkie writers, Donna and Mae, had to say of their experience with Mary Kay!

Having childhood memories of my mother’s pink Mary Kay train cases and the ever elusive pink Cadillac, I was not sure what Mary Kay had to offer to our generation. After previewing the new line up I was pleasantly surprised!

The lip glosses in new colours, Bronze Bliss and Fancy Nancy, go on light, sheer and is non-sticky. It also lasted through my morning coffee all the way until lunch. The Mary Kay Loose Eye Shadows in Lilac Lace, Cashmere, and Pink Organza are wonderful and highly pigmented. The really cool thing about this eye shadow is that it comes in a mascara-like package with a tapered sponge tip for application. I thought it was an interesting concept especially for those on the go. All you have to do is pull out the wand, swipe on your eyelids and blend with your fingers!

I love the cheek colour palettes. The Soft Sable blush was the perfect shade for my medium-beige skin. Silk Nectar is more suitable for ivory/beige skin tones. Both palettes come with three colours. I like being able to choose one colour or blending two or three colours together for a custom shade.

Also new to Mary Kay’s line up is the TimeWise® Replenishing Serum+C, (okay I have to admit aging is not my concern since I look ten years younger than my age). Although I cannot speak about having a younger appearance, I can say that after a few days of usage my skin does feel more resilient and revitalized after use.

Gift sets, Bella Belara in pink packaging and Belara in blue packaging, include a Fragrance Solid Compact that comes in a cute little case for traveling, a Shimmerific Body Powder to give your body that extra sparkle, and a Body Lotion which leaves your skin feeling luxurious.

Makeup artist, Diana Carreiro, shared with us her favourite Mary Kay products. She was extremely enthusiastic and made us wanting more!

One of Diana's must-haves was the Mary Kay Timewise Age-Fighting Lip Primer. Not only does she use it to prime her client's lips but to erase mistakes too! You know those little mascara-opps! we all make when applying our mascara? All you have to do is take a cotton swab, rub some primer on it and erase the mistake! The lip primer will carefully lift off the mascara without disrupting the eyeshadow below! Another fave of hers was the Mary Kay Crème Lipstick in Tanned. It is a pretty neutral color that looks great on any skin tone. It’s creamy and smooth but does not feel heavy. Mary Kay Eyesicles Eye Color is a cream to powder shadow packaged in a convenient squeeze tube. This is great for using as a base on the eyelids to give your shadow that extra "pop". It comes in Vanilla and Island Bronze.

President of Mary Kay Canada, Ray Patrick


The infamous Mary Kary Pink Cadillac! It has since been updated but nevertheless it is pink and very cute!

Mae, Heather, and Donna

After attending the preview, I have to say all my preconceived notions of Mary Kay have been dashed and put away. So much so that I'll be calling my nearest Mary Kay consultant!

Have you tried Mary Kay products? Love 'em? Hate 'em? Makeup Junkie wants to know!

For more information on Mary Kay products, their charitable foundations, or to become a Mary Kay representative visit www.marykay.ca!

by Donna Marie De Leon and Mae Amparo
Photos courtesy of Donna Marie De Leon

Beauty Review: M.A.C. Colour Craft

An artist lives in all makeup lovers. M.A.C.'s latest collection, Colour Craft, launched early July, invites you to bring out your inner artist. With Mineralize Eyeshadows in a pinwheel design of colours, Lipglasses with 3 shades combined for a marble-like finish, to Mineralize Skinfinishes and Blushes for a luminous effect, create your own masterpiece in a multitude of looks!

M.A.C. Mineralize Eyeshadow Quad in Assemblage ($23.50 CDN): A great quad for a smokey eye! The quad includes a white with silver pearl, deep grey, black with silver glitter and a warm yellow gold. The shadow has a beautiful velvet finish with shimmer. Don't feel like doing a smokey eye? Swipe on the white silver pearl on the lid and inner corner. With a slightly damp angled brush, dip into the black shadow and line your and wing it out for a flirty effect. For a sunkissed look, swipe the warm yellow gold across the lid and load on the mascara!

M.A.C. Mineralize Blush in Cheek Cheerful ($25 CDN): Perfect for enhancing a summer tan! Cheek Cheerful is a bronzy brown with yellow gold veining. The texture is much like my fave Mineralize Skinfinish but with more colour and a lot more shimmer. Use a light hand when applying to avoid looking oily! Otherwise, this blush will leave you glowing and flushed in all the right places!

Mineralize Skinfinish in Porcelain Pink ($32.50 CDN): It's no secret that I've been a fan of M.A.C.'s Mineralize Skinfinish line. I first fell in love with Shimpagne, the perfect highlighter. Porcelain Pink has been a round for a while and keeps being relaunched for good reason. This soft pinky-coral with gold veining is gorgeous! It's innocent, it's girly, it's the perfect blushing pink!

M.A.C. Marbleized Lipgloss in Nice Mix Up ($21.50 CDN): Add this gloss to your summer beauty stash! Nice Mix Up is a lovely burnt ginger shade that adds the right amount of colour. I've always been on the fence with M.A.C. glosses. These glosses feel smooth on the lips, but still found it to be a bit tacky. The up side about tacky glosses are that your lips stay glossier longer!

What do you think of M.A.C.'s Colour Craft collection? Makeup Junkie wants to know!

M.A.C. Colour Craft available now! Stay tuned for more upcoming M.A.C. launches and reviews!

www.maccosmetics.com

Beauty Launch: M.A.C. Studio Sculpt SPF 15 Foundation and Concealer

M.A.C. STUDIO SCULPT SPF 15 FOUNDATION Q&A WITH NICK GAVRELIS, VICE PRESIDENT, GLOBAL PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT, FACE AND PRO, M·A·C COSMETICS:

Q: Talk about the development process for Studio Sculpt Foundation SPF 15. What was the need you were filling? Was it due to demand from customers, makeup artists, or both?

It began about two and a half years ago. M·A·C artists all around the globe helped identify the need for a new kind of cream foundation. We wanted it to give a long-lasting, medium-coverage yet buildable finish, with long term hydrating benefits. We went into the lab aiming to create a formula with modern aspects, like a gel base, combined with a very luxurious, rich, creamy feel. It had to have the wear, flexibility and flawlessness that our makeup artists demanded, as well as the comfort, moisturization, smoothing and perfecting qualities that real women have been asking for.

Q: How many seasons did you test Studio Sculpt backstage?

The Spring/Summer 2009 Fashion Week that took place this past September and October was the third and final season of testing done by the M·A·C Pro Team. Their passionate feedback helped us adjust and ultimately perfect the formula. For example, we tweaked the way the product glides onto the skin, which ultimately improved the blending time customers experience when applying Studio Sculpt.

Q: What are the benefits of the antioxidants and SPF protection in Studio Sculpt? Does using this foundation provide enough benefits on its own, or does is help to add another layer of protection?

We added known antioxidants Vitamins C and E, which help to defend against free radical damage. Studio Sculpt also contains a combination of titanium dioxide, a physical sunscreen, and octinoxate, a gentle chemical sunscreen. Together they help offer broad-spectrum UVA and UVB protection. While this is sufficient for limited and incidental UV exposure, it’s important to combine with a higher SPF product whenever there’s a chance of additional sun exposure.

Q: What other ingredients in this product would you like to highlight?

Studio Sculpt is made with innovative plant-based extracts for a unique foundation that delivers long-wearing, color-true, comfortably weightless yet flawless coverage. Specifically, we employed sodium hyaluronate, yeast extracts and shea butter to boost moisture levels, plus extracts of Hyberlea Rhodopensis Leaf Extract, Beet Root and Tamarind Seed Extract, which help to improve skin’s hydration with continued use. Finally, we used a combination of soft focus powders that optically diffuse imperfections and give a more flawless finish. There is also Quercus Suber Bark Extract and Octyldodecyl PCA which, combined with a special new polymer, help to provide a more perfect, smoother, tighter looking complexion.

Q: What types of testing did you do on the formula other than backstage? Can you discuss what some of the results were?

In addition to the backstage testing throughout three Fashion Week seasons, we did a complete Global M·A·C Artist Test with a panel of 130 participants worldwide. The results proved to be very successful, rating above a 90% approval score in Asia, which is exceptionally unusual. We also took the formula through Safety, Claims Substantiation Testing; Consumer Sensory Testing provides a more perfect, tighter feeling and smoother looking complexion.

Q: Technologically speaking, why is this foundation an optimum choice for women, compared to other options?

Studio Sculpt Foundation has fused new advancements in technology with innovative plant-based extracts to create a ush, luxurious new cream-gel foundation that delivers comfortable, weightless and flawless coverage. Makeup artists nd women customers alike can easily achieve blendable medium coverage, with a luminous, satiny finish.

M·A·C STUDIO SCULPT FOUNDATION SPF 15
Q&A WITH GORDON ESPINET, VICE PRESIDENT GLOBAL MAKEUP ARTISTRY, M·A·C WORLDWIDE:

Q: How does this formula perform differently from other foundations in the M·A·C line?

Studio Sculpt is incredibly versatile, which makes it unique for many reasons, since its texture is silky and creamy, gliding effortlessly onto skin while providing a natural, velvety finish that’s both modern and natural. It can be blended with moisturizer for a more sheer finish that’s never streaky, or combined with concealer for more full coverage. Create a matte finish by applying powder afterwards, or use Studio Sculpt alone to emphasize skin’s natural sheen and highlights.

Q: Why was this product key for you and your team during fashion week? Has Studio Sculpt been used in any photo shoots?

We have anxiously wanted to offer a foundation that leaves skin looking well-hydrated and completely nourished, and can stand up to being used in various ways. Studio Sculpt can be sheered out or used with powder; it always looks flawless, which is a backstage dream. It is the perfect formula for both film and digital photography, in black and white or color. It’s extremely user-friendly, and the finish remains true and consistent in both color and texture.

Q: Is Studio Sculpt appropriate for HD TV use?

It’s absolutely perfect for High Definition television, because the texture is flawless and it helps skin read as real looking, not overly made up. More importantly, Studio Sculpt’s coverage can be easily manipulated into something very sheer, or layered to offer more coverage where necessary, while remaining even-toned and consistent in texture.

Q: What are some application techniques for the non-professional user?

Begin with a pea size amount on the back of your hand, and use any foundation brush to apply onto hydrated skin. Mix in a bit of your favorite moisturizer (try Strobe Cream or Strobe Liquid), which will create a sheer, luminous finish that makes skin appear to be candlelit. Use any M.A.C concealer over areas that need additional coverage.

Q: In your experience, what skin benefits have been shown with continued use?

Skin becomes more plump and hydrated, it give a youthful look.

Q: How does a medium-coverage foundation like this work well with today's makeup trends?

What’s most important is versatility in creating perfect-looking skin. It needs to appear fresh, flawless, and polished, but the products used to achieve this effect should be indiscernible to the naked eye. A medium coverage like what’s offered by Studio Sculpt allows you to sheer down the formula with various creams and mixing mediums to create glowing skin, but can also be layered with concealer to create a more opaque finish.

Q: Some people can be wary of a product labeled medium-coverage, so who would you say is the ideal person for this foundation? What are their needs?

Studio Sculpt is ideal for anyone wanting to look flawless, but without seeming like they are wearing anything. In essence, this formula is for everyone. It can be easily sheered down to create a light veil of coverage, mixed with luminescent products to create glowing effects or layered to conceal any imperfections. Studio Sculpt will make your complexion look perfect, whether you’re dealing with dehydrated skin, unwanted oily areas, fine lines or discoloration.

Q: You always say we can judge how well something will sell based on how many products are stolen by models backstage, where does Studio Sculpt rate on this scale?

By far, this was the product we most had to keep track of backstage. Makeup artists and models alike fell in love with this formula, and didn’t want to wait for it to be launched to get their hands on it. Studio Sculpt was definitely the number-one product that fell victim to “sticky fingers.”

Note: Due to a reader's ridiculous comment on this post I must state "Stay tuned for the review!". If you're a true follower of Makeup Junkie then you know we always post personal reviews. ;)

Stay Tuned: Holiday Sneak Peeks 2008!

Stay tuned this month for Holiday 2008 sneak peeks and reviews from the hottest brands including Smashbox, Stila, and Estee Lauder to name a few! With October being Think Pink month, there's a lot going on at Makeup Junkie but we know holiday shopping is just around the corner (yikes!)! Be sure to check back for Makeup Junkie's Must-Have Holiday Gift Guide!