Swatch sheet for the new Mary Kay True Dimensions lipsticks that are being introduced later this month. I'll probably get the 2 that are closest to Mary Kay's discontinued liquid lip color called Cherry Coffee.
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
More Inglot
Oops! I totally forgot I had this in my draft folder for awhile. I hit the Inglot counter at SF Macy's one day & they actually had everything I was thinking of getting in stock, which is a rarity. I guess that because they have to import it from Poland (via New York? need to check), they aren't always stocked up.
I'll post the shadow numbers later when I find my cheat sheet that I created while I put the pans into the palette, but I can tell you that the item on the left is their gel liner in matte black (no. 77). Definitely more pigmented than MAC's gel liner in Black Track, but it doesn't survive a 24 Lift class at 24 Hour Fitness as well as MAC. And I've tested it a few times!
Swatches on my arm in natural light next to a window, no flash.
A comparison pic with my first Inglot palette.
Based on a YouTube guru's first impression-type video where she gushed about this gloss, I got it. Unfortunately, the day after I got this, she posted a video saying that this gloss doesn't last & the duochrome finish doesn't translate from the tube (or back of hand swatch) to the lips. :P
I'll post the shadow numbers later when I find my cheat sheet that I created while I put the pans into the palette, but I can tell you that the item on the left is their gel liner in matte black (no. 77). Definitely more pigmented than MAC's gel liner in Black Track, but it doesn't survive a 24 Lift class at 24 Hour Fitness as well as MAC. And I've tested it a few times!
Swatches on my arm in natural light next to a window, no flash.
A comparison pic with my first Inglot palette.
Based on a YouTube guru's first impression-type video where she gushed about this gloss, I got it. Unfortunately, the day after I got this, she posted a video saying that this gloss doesn't last & the duochrome finish doesn't translate from the tube (or back of hand swatch) to the lips. :P
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Mary Kay 2012 Fall Holiday new products
I've been behind on both my knitting and make-up blogs, but real life gets busy when you have 2 kids.
I'm looking forward to getting a few of the 2012 Fall & Holiday items from Mary Kay. They'll make cute gifts for some of my family members and friends.
The gel liners (finally!) come with a retractable eye liner brush (synthetic bristles but rounded instead of straight across or angled :p) and apply matte, especially the black. The teal is quite pretty & not a color I have in other brands surprisingly.
Hopefully I will post more, especially in my knitting blog as I do have some finished items that I need to post.
I'm looking forward to getting a few of the 2012 Fall & Holiday items from Mary Kay. They'll make cute gifts for some of my family members and friends.
The gel liners (finally!) come with a retractable eye liner brush (synthetic bristles but rounded instead of straight across or angled :p) and apply matte, especially the black. The teal is quite pretty & not a color I have in other brands surprisingly.
Hopefully I will post more, especially in my knitting blog as I do have some finished items that I need to post.
Monday, June 25, 2012
Mary Kay Timewise Matte Foundation Swatches
I feel like I'm in between shades with my foundations, so I decided to do swatches on my lower cheek for comparison purposes.
Left to Right:
Beige 6 (which somehow photographed darker than the next one over), Beige 5, Beige 4, Beige 3, Beige 2, and Beige 1 (closest to my ear).
All are Timewise Matte Foundations in the Beige range. I don't have any Bronze testers, but I do have a few Ivory ones. I may add a pic of those in later. I just ran out of cheek space.
The recommendation on the Mary Kay website is Matte formula for oilier skin and the Luminous for drier skin types, but the formulas actually don't really vary between each other except that the Luminous foundations have tiny micro-glitters to impart the luminous 'glow.' My preference is not have tiny micro-glitters on my skin even though they're not as obvious as special-effects on sparkly movie vampires.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Mary Kay summer 2012 - new products
I'm looking forward to getting the new products, especially the new eyeshadows, the one new blush, and the lash & brow building serum. I got the MK Lash Primer from my Director and am currently testing it out. I'm also glad they're coming out with a waterproof version of the Lash Out Mascara.
I'll probably get the new SPF 50 sunscreen as well to have available. The active ingredient is avobenzone stabilized with octocrylene, IIRC.
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Inglot!
I had heard that San Francisco Macy's recently got an Inglot counter, but I didn't get to check it out until yesterday.
I've been aware of their US website for awhile based on beauty blogger
posts, youtube videos and online makeup forum chatter, but because some shades seemed so close together that I wanted to wait 'til I could see them in person rather than guess from the all the swatches online. I love their Freedom System and the ability to choose my own color combinations for the palette. Each 2.7 g eyeshadow square is $5 (US) and are paraben free. The 10-pan palette I got is $14.
Top row (left to right): Matte 330, Pearl 397, Pearl 409, Matte 327, and Matte 391
Bottom row: AMC Shine 14, Matte 375, AMC Shine 44, Pearl 408 (which photographed lighter in the palette), and Pearl 434.
The eyeshadows were swatched in the same order on my arm with no primer. I chose the colors so I could have a neutral every day colors and slightly more colorful options. I'm hoping that if I really like how they wear after a few times, that I can build up my Inglot eyeshadow color collection with a few of their orange and green shades. I'm also hoping to try their other color products later.
Not Inglot, but I had been meaning to do this comparison swatch for awhile. On the left if the infamous NARS Orgasm blush and on the right is Mary Kay's Shy Blush. A few beauty bloggers have mentioned the MK Shy Blush as a dupe for NARS O. They're close, but the NARS O is actually a bit more pigmented and not quite as shimmery as MK Shy Blush. I have to apply a lot more of the MK for the color to show, but I actually prefer to use it as a cheek highlighter so my cheek doesn't look so shimmery.
Top row (left to right): Matte 330, Pearl 397, Pearl 409, Matte 327, and Matte 391
Bottom row: AMC Shine 14, Matte 375, AMC Shine 44, Pearl 408 (which photographed lighter in the palette), and Pearl 434.
The eyeshadows were swatched in the same order on my arm with no primer. I chose the colors so I could have a neutral every day colors and slightly more colorful options. I'm hoping that if I really like how they wear after a few times, that I can build up my Inglot eyeshadow color collection with a few of their orange and green shades. I'm also hoping to try their other color products later.
Not Inglot, but I had been meaning to do this comparison swatch for awhile. On the left if the infamous NARS Orgasm blush and on the right is Mary Kay's Shy Blush. A few beauty bloggers have mentioned the MK Shy Blush as a dupe for NARS O. They're close, but the NARS O is actually a bit more pigmented and not quite as shimmery as MK Shy Blush. I have to apply a lot more of the MK for the color to show, but I actually prefer to use it as a cheek highlighter so my cheek doesn't look so shimmery.
Monday, March 5, 2012
Sneak Peek at Mary Kay Spring 2012
My director had most, but not all of the new spring color line in, so we got to swatch them on a "smear" sheet tonight.
The 2 limited edition (LE) eyeshadows come in a click pen, much like the old Stila eyeshadow pens to name a line that had the same delivery system. I'm looking forward to getting Rainforest since it's a duochrome brown & green shade that reminds me of MAC's Club eyeshadow. Pearl is a pretty gold color.
The 2 LE glosses come in squeeze tubes that have an outer layer for the clear and an inner one for the color. We had a little issue in getting the color out of the Shimmering Sand lip gloss tube, but what I could get looked like a muted sheer nude color which would be nice with smokier eyes. The Warm Coral lip gloss and the Lava nail polish are right in line for the "it" color for spring which is supposedly tangerine.
The spring LE nail polishes have a nice taller, almost hourglass shape design unlike the squatter design of the winter LE nail polish bottles.
We get to order these within a week, so I'll be adding some for my personal use and stock. As shown in the previous post, I've already have the new Botanical skin care items in stock. As always, contact your local Mary Kay consultant or myself at the link on the right sidebar.
The 2 limited edition (LE) eyeshadows come in a click pen, much like the old Stila eyeshadow pens to name a line that had the same delivery system. I'm looking forward to getting Rainforest since it's a duochrome brown & green shade that reminds me of MAC's Club eyeshadow. Pearl is a pretty gold color.
The 2 LE glosses come in squeeze tubes that have an outer layer for the clear and an inner one for the color. We had a little issue in getting the color out of the Shimmering Sand lip gloss tube, but what I could get looked like a muted sheer nude color which would be nice with smokier eyes. The Warm Coral lip gloss and the Lava nail polish are right in line for the "it" color for spring which is supposedly tangerine.
The spring LE nail polishes have a nice taller, almost hourglass shape design unlike the squatter design of the winter LE nail polish bottles.
We get to order these within a week, so I'll be adding some for my personal use and stock. As shown in the previous post, I've already have the new Botanical skin care items in stock. As always, contact your local Mary Kay consultant or myself at the link on the right sidebar.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Mary Kay Botanicals
Now available from Mary Kay here in the US is their new Botanicals line. These products will eventually replace their Classic line (except for the Blemish Control Toner 3) and possibly the Velocity line. The line comes in 3 skin type formulas - oily, normal, and dry. These products contain no mineral oil or silicone oils for those who are sensitive to those particular oils. Each formula does have different plant oils for each skin type.
Formula 1 is for dry skin types. I'm a combo skin type person, so I wouldn't use this formula personally.
Formula 2 is for normal skin types. I'll be giving these a test run later when I run out of my current Timewise skincare which is a combination of the Normal/Oily and Normal/Dry items. I may also switch my pre-teen to this line as she's not oily enough for the Velocity line, in my opinion.
I've included pics of the ingredients list of all the items for your reference because I'm too lazy to re-type them all out.
Hope the ingredient lists help all of you who currently use the Mary Kay Classic line and are contemplating a switch or for anyone contemplating switching from you current botanical line to Mary Kay's. As always, contact your local Mary Kay consultant or check out my Mary Kay page.
Formula 1 is for dry skin types. I'm a combo skin type person, so I wouldn't use this formula personally.
Formula 2 is for normal skin types. I'll be giving these a test run later when I run out of my current Timewise skincare which is a combination of the Normal/Oily and Normal/Dry items. I may also switch my pre-teen to this line as she's not oily enough for the Velocity line, in my opinion.
Formula 3 are for oily skin type.
I've included pics of the ingredients list of all the items for your reference because I'm too lazy to re-type them all out.
Hope the ingredient lists help all of you who currently use the Mary Kay Classic line and are contemplating a switch or for anyone contemplating switching from you current botanical line to Mary Kay's. As always, contact your local Mary Kay consultant or check out my Mary Kay page.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Maybelline Color Tattoos
I've been slowly collecting the Maybelline Color Tattoo cream eyeshadows when the drugstores have buy one get one half off sale. I have an uneven number however since I just picked one up with an Ulta coupon.
My Maybelline Color Tattoo collection before today consisted of (top row, left to right) Bold Gold, Tenacious Teal, Too Cool, (second row) Painted Purple, Audacious Asphalt, and Pomegranate Punk.
I've also been slowly collecting MAC paint pots over the years, so I decided to do a few comparison swatches to see how different or similar the are. First up are Painted Purple on top vs MAC Half Wild (limited edition - LE) on the bottom. Painted Purple is definitely much bluer than Half Wild. Of all the Maybelline Colors Tattoos, Painted Purple is the only one that is not shimmery/glittery.
Next up are MAC's Artifact (LE) vs Maybelline's Pomegranate Punk. I thought these would be the most similar, but actually Pomegranate Punk is browner and less burgundy. And of course, there's the shimmer.
The new Maybelline Color Tattoo I picked today is Edgy Emerald on the right. In the middle is MAC Rollickin (LE - sense a trend?) which is closer than I thought it would be and on the left is MAC Delft (LE) which I knew for sure wouldn't be that close.
I also started collection Mary Kay's cream eyeshadows, but compared to MAC and Maybelline, Mary Kay has the smallest selection with 5 colors. The first 2 I have are Iced Cocoa and Glacier Gray.
I wasn't sure that Maybelline Audacious Asphalt would be different enough from MK's Glacier Gray, but it definitely is. Asphalt is darker and much more shimmery/glittery.
I love my MAC paint pots so I was interested in trying more economical alternatives to see how they wear. Most of the time I wear the paint pots as a base as opposed to stand-alone eyeshadows, so I don't really plan to wear the Maybelline and MK any differently. I still consider the Maybelline and MK to be in a test phase for me. I would like to see how they hold up when the weather gets much warmer. For now both wear well as base and don't crease under my powder eyeshadows as the day wears on. This may or may not change when the temps go above 70F. The MK is creamier and less dry than the Maybellline and the Maybelline is definitely much more glittery. Unfortunately, neither offers a matte/cream finish that MAC offers with its permanent paint pot colors (Soft Ochre, Painterly, Groundwork). It will interesting to see if Maybelline will introduce more shades in neutral non-shimmery shades.
My Maybelline Color Tattoo collection before today consisted of (top row, left to right) Bold Gold, Tenacious Teal, Too Cool, (second row) Painted Purple, Audacious Asphalt, and Pomegranate Punk.
I've also been slowly collecting MAC paint pots over the years, so I decided to do a few comparison swatches to see how different or similar the are. First up are Painted Purple on top vs MAC Half Wild (limited edition - LE) on the bottom. Painted Purple is definitely much bluer than Half Wild. Of all the Maybelline Colors Tattoos, Painted Purple is the only one that is not shimmery/glittery.
Next up are MAC's Artifact (LE) vs Maybelline's Pomegranate Punk. I thought these would be the most similar, but actually Pomegranate Punk is browner and less burgundy. And of course, there's the shimmer.
The new Maybelline Color Tattoo I picked today is Edgy Emerald on the right. In the middle is MAC Rollickin (LE - sense a trend?) which is closer than I thought it would be and on the left is MAC Delft (LE) which I knew for sure wouldn't be that close.
I also started collection Mary Kay's cream eyeshadows, but compared to MAC and Maybelline, Mary Kay has the smallest selection with 5 colors. The first 2 I have are Iced Cocoa and Glacier Gray.
I wasn't sure that Maybelline Audacious Asphalt would be different enough from MK's Glacier Gray, but it definitely is. Asphalt is darker and much more shimmery/glittery.
I love my MAC paint pots so I was interested in trying more economical alternatives to see how they wear. Most of the time I wear the paint pots as a base as opposed to stand-alone eyeshadows, so I don't really plan to wear the Maybelline and MK any differently. I still consider the Maybelline and MK to be in a test phase for me. I would like to see how they hold up when the weather gets much warmer. For now both wear well as base and don't crease under my powder eyeshadows as the day wears on. This may or may not change when the temps go above 70F. The MK is creamier and less dry than the Maybellline and the Maybelline is definitely much more glittery. Unfortunately, neither offers a matte/cream finish that MAC offers with its permanent paint pot colors (Soft Ochre, Painterly, Groundwork). It will interesting to see if Maybelline will introduce more shades in neutral non-shimmery shades.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Revlon Lip Butters
So yeah, yet another blogger post about the Revlon Colorburst Lip Butters. It's been awhile since I've been a part of a makeup lemming rush and actually enjoyed it. A lot of times, I'll join in and realize the color isn't me or the texture is a no go. This time, it's different. I started collecting these since November 2011 and it's not difficult, especially when drugstores have buy one, get the second half off sales.
My collection so far from left to right:
Pink Truffle, Berry Smoothie, Sugar Plum, Brown Sugar, Red Velvet, and Fig Jam.
Same order swatched. My 2 go-to everyday colors are Sugar Plum and Pink Truffle with Sugar Plum being the "first" and oldest bought, so have been the most used. Pink Truffle actually pulls more warm on my lips. Although it's not obvious in the swatch pic, Brown Sugar has shimmer. And actually, I bought one more in Lollipop, a bright fuchsia, that my older daughter wanted. She only wears it around the house as it's a little too bright to be allowed to wear to school.
And this lemming rush won't stop either. I still need to pick up Peach Parfait as soon as I find one that's pristine and hasn't been tested, sometimes a drawback of buying makeup from a drugstore.
My collection so far from left to right:
Pink Truffle, Berry Smoothie, Sugar Plum, Brown Sugar, Red Velvet, and Fig Jam.
Same order swatched. My 2 go-to everyday colors are Sugar Plum and Pink Truffle with Sugar Plum being the "first" and oldest bought, so have been the most used. Pink Truffle actually pulls more warm on my lips. Although it's not obvious in the swatch pic, Brown Sugar has shimmer. And actually, I bought one more in Lollipop, a bright fuchsia, that my older daughter wanted. She only wears it around the house as it's a little too bright to be allowed to wear to school.
And this lemming rush won't stop either. I still need to pick up Peach Parfait as soon as I find one that's pristine and hasn't been tested, sometimes a drawback of buying makeup from a drugstore.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Mary Kay vs MAC eyeshadows
I've been looking online and there are hardly any comparison swatches of Mary Kay's (MK) mineral eyeshadows with their supposed MAC eyeshadow duplicates except for one youtube video for certain. So I decided to swatch what I have to see what I would get. All pics taken without flash next to a window. All the rectangular pans are Mary Kay, all circular pans & pots are MAC .
First up, MK Amber Glaze vs MAC Amber Lights. Of all the MK vs MAC shadows I've swatched, these two were the closest match and I would say they're pretty dead on.
MAC All That Glitters vs MK Honey Spice with MAC Naked Lunch thrown in for comparison. I've seen mentions online that MK Honey Spice is a dupe for MAC All That Glitters and I have to politely disagree. They're close, but not exact. I threw in Naked Lunch to see if I can find another MAC eyeshadow that MK Honey Spice would be a dupe of, but Naked Lunch is a little pinker and sheerer. It's possible that there's a limited edition MAC eyeshadow that MK Honey Spice is a dupe of, but I don't own it.
MK Midnight Star vs MAC Deep Truth - swatched just for the heck of it. Close, but MAC Deep Truth goes on blacker/darker.
MAC Rice Paper vs MK Moonstone vs MAC Shroom -The Moonstone/Rice Paper comparison has been made online, but again I disagree with this one. Rice Paper has always been on the subtle side of shimmer and is less yellow gold than Moonstone. Shroom is a little closer to Moonstone, but I was surprised Moonstone is frostier and less sheer.
MAC Satin Taupe vs MK Granite vs MAC Smoke & Diamonds (limited edition). MK Granite is a little lighter, grayer & beiger ("greige") than MAC Satin Taupe. MAC Satin Taupe has a definite plum undertone to it that Granite doesn't have.
MK Sweet Plum vs MAC Sketch - Again, this comparison has been made online and again I disagree. Sketch is much more intense/darker than Sweet Plum. Both are great shades, though Sketch requires a light hand and many layers with much blending for it to not be too much for me. YMMV, of course.
MAC Wedge vs MK Hazelnut with MAC Kid (now dc'd) and MAC Rich Flesh (limited edition) thrown in for comparison. Hazelnut is similar to Wedge and Kid, with it being closer to Kid, but not dead on.
Price Comparison (Prices in US dollars pulled from both websites as of the date of this post):
Mary Kay mineral eyeshadow pan (0.05 oz) - $6.50
Mary Kay compacts (mini, regular, pro) - $16, $18, $35
MAC eyeshadow pan (1.5 g/0.05 oz) - $11.50
MAC eyeshadow pot (1.5 g/0.05 oz) - $15
MAC eyeshadow palettes (2-pan, 4-pan, 15-pan) - $7, $7, $16
Product Disclaimer:
All MAC eyeshadows purchased in full retail with my own money over the course of several years. All Mary Kay eyeshadows except Moonstone were purchased with my own money at my Mary Kay Consultant discount rate. Moonstone was purchased in full retail with my own money prior to becoming an independent consultant for Mary Kay.
First up, MK Amber Glaze vs MAC Amber Lights. Of all the MK vs MAC shadows I've swatched, these two were the closest match and I would say they're pretty dead on.
MAC All That Glitters vs MK Honey Spice with MAC Naked Lunch thrown in for comparison. I've seen mentions online that MK Honey Spice is a dupe for MAC All That Glitters and I have to politely disagree. They're close, but not exact. I threw in Naked Lunch to see if I can find another MAC eyeshadow that MK Honey Spice would be a dupe of, but Naked Lunch is a little pinker and sheerer. It's possible that there's a limited edition MAC eyeshadow that MK Honey Spice is a dupe of, but I don't own it.
MK Midnight Star vs MAC Deep Truth - swatched just for the heck of it. Close, but MAC Deep Truth goes on blacker/darker.
MAC Rice Paper vs MK Moonstone vs MAC Shroom -The Moonstone/Rice Paper comparison has been made online, but again I disagree with this one. Rice Paper has always been on the subtle side of shimmer and is less yellow gold than Moonstone. Shroom is a little closer to Moonstone, but I was surprised Moonstone is frostier and less sheer.
MAC Satin Taupe vs MK Granite vs MAC Smoke & Diamonds (limited edition). MK Granite is a little lighter, grayer & beiger ("greige") than MAC Satin Taupe. MAC Satin Taupe has a definite plum undertone to it that Granite doesn't have.
MK Sweet Plum vs MAC Sketch - Again, this comparison has been made online and again I disagree. Sketch is much more intense/darker than Sweet Plum. Both are great shades, though Sketch requires a light hand and many layers with much blending for it to not be too much for me. YMMV, of course.
MAC Wedge vs MK Hazelnut with MAC Kid (now dc'd) and MAC Rich Flesh (limited edition) thrown in for comparison. Hazelnut is similar to Wedge and Kid, with it being closer to Kid, but not dead on.
Price Comparison (Prices in US dollars pulled from both websites as of the date of this post):
Mary Kay mineral eyeshadow pan (0.05 oz) - $6.50
Mary Kay compacts (mini, regular, pro) - $16, $18, $35
MAC eyeshadow pan (1.5 g/0.05 oz) - $11.50
MAC eyeshadow pot (1.5 g/0.05 oz) - $15
MAC eyeshadow palettes (2-pan, 4-pan, 15-pan) - $7, $7, $16
Product Disclaimer:
All MAC eyeshadows purchased in full retail with my own money over the course of several years. All Mary Kay eyeshadows except Moonstone were purchased with my own money at my Mary Kay Consultant discount rate. Moonstone was purchased in full retail with my own money prior to becoming an independent consultant for Mary Kay.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)