DivaDebbi and Mary Kay

DivaDebbi  wearing Mary Kay Cosmetics
for a Conde Nast Holiday 2013 Promotion

My beauty life works in odd ways some times...I had never tried Mary Kay products, but I did take notice of a stand out ad campaign in December's Allure. The focus was Holiday makeup, created by makeup artist Mariela Bagnato and inspired by the fashionable Lindsay Calla, who is the featured muse in her blog Saucy Glossie.

The very next day, I received a reach out from Conde Nast (Allure's publisher) inquiring if I would be interested in receiving a complimentary box of products from Mary Kay.  

I would...

In return, I only had to promise to recreate the look of , The White-Hot Suit, which Lindsey interpreted as a, "sleek and sexy 1970's style; menswear-inspired but still feminine."

Can do...

The Mary Kay/Conde Nast goodie box I received

Products used to recreate the look

Nothing lights up my day like receiving a big box of beauty or skincare products.  This Mary Kay treasure trove surpassed my expectations; it was beautifully presented and loaded with full size products.

It turns out, I love a lot of them, particularly the eye products.  The quality of the mineral powder eye shadow is phenomenal and I cannot stop using Sweet Cream (lid) Chocolate Kiss (crease), my new fave Copper Glow (upper lid) and the perfect under brow highlighter Bleach Blonde, which is in a cream form, daily.

I'm a fan of lash primers--I like slapping on that first white coat with reckless abandon, making the second coat, Lash Love  mascara, a breeze to apply.

Nice...

Also impressive is Mary Kay Foundation Primer Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 15. The texture is a bit difficult to spread, but the results are worth it, my makeup applied flawlessly over it.

Shy Blush is a tawny peach, lighter than what I would normally use, but it did balance the strong eye that the liquid black eyeliner supplied.  I used the Mineral Bronzing Powder Desert Sun, to contour my cheek bones and add a touch of glow. A light dusting of Translucent Powder tamped out any shine and made me feel camera ready.

The absolute standout for me, was the Makeup Finishing Spray by Skindinavia for Mary Kay.  WOWzA!!! 3or 4 sprays in the morning and your makeup will last perfectly, all day. This is definitely a product I will be buying in the future.

The only place I wimped out was with my lip assignment.  I am happy to use TimeWise-Age Fighting Lip Primer--lovely, and Mary Kay's Lip Liner in Clear.  I have always wanted to try a clear lip liner and while it is probably meant to replace my Holy Grail, MAC's Soar, it won't...but it did help it stay in place brilliantly.

What I could not will myself to do, was follow through with red lips.  Two were provided, Mary Kay True Dimensions in Firecracker and Nourishine Plus Lip Gloss in Rock 'n' Red.

In the photo above, I have blotted nearly all of it off with a tissue and applied a bit of clear gloss.

Just not a fan...

That night, I easily removed my eye makeup with their Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover.  It is flat out fabulous.

All in all, I was very impressed with the quality and application of the products I tried.  After reviewing their website and accompanying catalog, I was a bit surprised to see that their skincare was considerably pricier than the makeup. However, if it's all as efficient as the TimeWise products I sampled, they are worth every penny.

Thank you Conde Nast and Mary Kay for choosing DivaDebbi to play in your playground.

The pleasure was all mine...

xox,
DD