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

Home Remedies From Head to Toe

I went to the Eve Pearl (famous make up artist) website and found these awesome home remedies for everything!!! Check them out and check out her site. She has won Emmys for a reason =):

• Eye drops will remove redness not only from your eyes but also from red blemishes. Freeze a drop in a spoon, place frozen over blemish and hold, it will shrink swelling.
  
  
• Neosporin can help remove and heal acne overnight.
  
  
• Toothpaste (white paste) will help heal acne breakouts.
  
  
• Clay masks will draw out the black heads that tend to gather around the nose, by dehydrating the top layer of skin.
  
  
• Cuticle scissors work well to trim those little nose hairs.
  
  
• Fingers: Your most trusted tool. Can apply everything with them. (So, you don't have an excuse when you forget your kit). Concealer- the heat in your fingers will help melt a thick concealer into place (especially under the eyes). Can blend cream blushes. Apply lip balm or gloss on lips. Don't forget to clean your hands when going from one application/color to another.
  
  
• Dab a Q-tip into Jell-O cherry flavored powder and apply to lips. Let sit for five minutes and lick it off. Will give your lips a natural red coat.
  
  
• Toothbrush and Vaseline will exfoliate and plump up your lips.
  
  
• Eucerin lotion over lips provides soothing therapy and holds lip color.
  
  
• Try applying a yellow eye shadow as a primer on your lips. It will warm up and change any lip color.
  
  
• Vaseline added to any shadow can make a gel blush or lip stain.
  
  
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) - is a great makeup remover. Use a damp washcloth to remove the excess…it will clean and moisturize all in one.
  
  
• Parsley will help freshen your breath from the inside. Parsley contains chlorophyll, which is found in Certs and Clorets.
  
  
• Honey and baby oil combined and rubbed on the body will make it incredibly soft. Be sure to rinse it off before leaving the bath.
  
  
• Milk will add a smooth texture to the body; try adding some to your next bath.
  
  
• A quick weight loss tip: Take two garlic tablets and two papaya enzymes before every meal. You can lose up to 5 lbs in one week.
  
  
• Instead of shaving cream, use hair conditioner to shave your legs. It will leave them silky and smooth, as well as save you a moisturizing step.
  
  
• Rub sea salt over face and body. It will give an invigorating feeling.
  
  
• Gently rub baking soda (3/4 cup mixed with 1/4 cup water) for three minutes on face and rinse off. A great, inexpensive exfoliator.
  
  
• Adding about 1/2 box of baking soda to the bath will also soothe itching skin, irritation and a sunburn.
  
  
• Epsom salts will ease aching muscles and swelling.
  
  
• Lemon juice will whiten brittle fingernails.
  
  
• Orange slices added to your bath will provide a natural and easy aromatherapy.
  
  
• Fruit Jell-O will take away foot odor. Submerge your feet into a fragrantly colored bucket and enjoy.
  
  
• Lemon, lime, honey, & yogurt can lighten age and sun spots. Mix the juice from 1 lemon, 1 lime, 2 tablespoons of honey and 2 ounces of plain yogurt. Massage into desired spots at least once a week.
  
  
  • Lemons and powdered milk can act like an exfoliator and skin rejuvenator. Mix a paste with the juice of 2 lemons to 1 cup of powdered milk and the water necessary to get a thick paste. Let stand for 20 minutes, and then use the paste to gently massage off dead skin around the knees and elbows. The area will be naturally softened and bleached.
    
    
  • Caffeine is the main ingredient in those expensive cellulite creams. Your regular caffeinated coffee grounds (used from this morning) can be rubbed into those annoying cellulite areas. Since this can get a bit messy, try doing it in the bathtub or shower.
    
    
  • Herbal wraps are easy to make. Create your own, similar to the ones offered at the expensive spas, by using 1 cup corn oil, 1/2 cup grapefruit juice and 2 teaspoons of dried thyme. Combine the ingredients and work the mixture into the thigh, hip and butt areas. Cover the areas with a plastic wrap, locking in the heat from your body. To accelerate the results, lay a heating pad for several minutes over the desired areas.
    
    
  • Vitamins E, A or C capsules (in gel form) from your local drug store, can be used instead of the costly creams with these ingredients in them. Prick open the capsule and add it to your moisturizer. You’ll get all the benefits of the expensive creams without the extra chemicals or expense.
    
    
  • Hydrogen peroxide applied with a cotton ball makes a terrific astringent.
    
    
  • Pepto Bismol is a great face mask for sensitive skin. The same way it coats and soothes the stomach, it gently caresses the skin. Apply straight from the bottle with a cotton ball. Allow it to dry and rinse with cool water. It’s soothing and refreshing.
    
    
  • Vodka & Lemon tones up tired skin. (1/4 cup Vodka and juice from one lemon) Dab on face, neck and chest area with cotton. Not necessary to rinse off. It will evaporate with the air. The less rubbing, the better. Mix a bit extra (with some sugar) and have a cocktail.
    
    
• Hairspray sprayed eight inches from face with eyes and mouth closed will create sealer for your makeup.
  
  
• Baby wipes are a fast and inexpensive way to remove makeup. We use them for the celebrities on the set all the time.
  
  
• Mud Mask/Wrap: Kitty Litter (100% natural clay only), without additives or chemicals. Combine 1 tablespoon clay with water to create a muddy paste. Apply to face, let dry and slightly harden. Then rinse off with warm water and washcloth. It's easy and refreshing and will feel just like those expensive spa mud masks.
  
  
• Crush cucumbers into a pulp, and pat over face and neck. Good for oily skin and to unclog pores.
  
  
• Sweet almond oil will moisturize extra dry skin, help lashes grow and can remove makeup. Will also sooth sunburned skin.
  
  
• Lemon juice will dry up and help get rid of a pimple.
  
  
• Crisco oil will remove makeup and moisturize your skin. It can even be used to treat psoriasis and eczema.
  
  

Haul + PAC eyeshadow palette review

Hey again! Wow, I've sorta been busy lately so I've had to put this post off over and over. I'd also been hit with the exhaustion bug, even though I've been sleeping the right amount of hours lately. I guess it's sort of the stress? Oh well. Thankfully I have a long weekend this week. Today I had no classes, and I caught wind of a sale at SM North Edsa (for you ladies who can get there, sale is 20% off on all (sometimes on selected) items at the cosmetics department, but mallwide it's up to 50% off through July 31-Aug2) and my parents and I decided to hit the mall to see what was on sale.

I originally thought, oh hey I should try the Revlon foundation since I've been hearing so much good stuff about it, but..sigh. It wasn't on sale! :/ So I instead went around and decided to get backups for the stuff I usually use, and then a few items here and there. Here's my happy little haul:

L-R: cutlery container (for brushes, I have some coming in the mail from Makeup Masala :D the thing is fugly i know but its temporary until I can find a decent one), ELF eyelash curler spare, ELF clear mascara, Vo5 mousse for curly hair, Maybelline Eyestudio vivid and smooth eyeliner, Maybelline lip and eye makeup remover backup, Tea Tree oil from Zen Zest, Maybelline volum express cat eyes mascara backup (HG!!), Fashion 21 dip liner

My brushes in the new container they'd live in...it looks so empty right nowwww. DX

Oh! I have a bit of good news for ladies in the Philippines. ELF is bringing their Studio line in, and it should be here by late August or early September. Isn't that awesome? :D

So, anyway, I have a review for you all. I shoulda posted it a while ago but as I said things came up so...here it is now!

I have had this PAC perfect finish pearly eyeshadow palette (whew, mouthful!) in February 2009 to do my cousin's makeup for her prom. I couldn't find a good kind of red, until I dropped by PAC. I was hesitant too cause I knew them for their expensive prices and I wasn't aware back then that buying quality was better. Thankfully I had my friend with me and she convinced me to buy it (partly cause it was on sale and would come with a free bag :D). I am SO glad that I did. This palette, to be honest, started my full-blown addiction to makeup.

Packaging is matte, sturdy and sleek

Palette picture with flash -- pans are HUGE

Without flash

Finger swatches with flash, very accurate picture of the colors

Look at that. Very pigmented, right? Well look at this picture:

This is the picture of my fingers AFTER I swiped the swatches onto my arm. I grabbed a small amount of shadow from the palette. Just one-two swirls on the pan.

Flash on top, no flash on bottom. One swipe on arm. (Please ignore the eyeliner swatches)

The eyeshadows are so pigmented there is barely any difference between the side with no base (left) and the side with the base (right). For the record I used UDPP for these swatches.

I love so many things about this palette.

PROS

• Huge pans, very generous amount of eyeshadow (I would guess 7g-10g). A lot bigger than MAC eyeshadow pans
• Very very pigmented
• A little goes a long way
• Great texture, easy to blend -- Very blendable in fact
• Sleek packaging, seems very durable
• Long-wearing and doesn't fade
• Fair price 2000php (reg price) or a little over 40USD
• Very versatile - can be used as eyeshadow or eyeliner, can be applied wet or dry (although it is very pigmented even when dry)
• Great for bright looks, theater jobs, photoshoots etc
• Using the right brushes, very minimum fall out

CONS

• Slight smell in palette strong at first but goes away after some time (that or I grew to like it LOL)
• Can get messy sometimes
• Due to pan size, e/s can break a bit easily when dropped or accidentally scraped
• Not available worldwide (although I hear this is available in New York), and website is in Indonesian
• Color combinations can be difficult
• Can be difficult to remove because it is so pigmented
• Can be difficult to get correct or 'just right' amount of eyeshadow with the brush (texture of eyeshadow makes it stick to brushes really easily)
• It's supposed to be a 'pearl' finish palette but most are just shimmer. In fact it's a mix between VERY shimmery, slightly shimmery, and one matte shade (brown--slightly less pigmented than other shades too). To PAC's credit, the blue/green duochrome does have a pearl finish.

TIPS

• Take a very minimal amount on your brush and just build the color up to get desired shade
• Wear base to avoid creasing if your eyelids are very oily
• Have a good makeup remover handy
• Take care not to drop the palette

I will definitely repurchase this palette!

To be quite honest I love this palette so much that I use it every chance I have, even if I have my Coastal Scents 88 palette. It got me pretty much in love with the brand and I just wish they would come out with more colors (although perhaps they have more colors and they're just not available here) and get their site translated into English.

If you could get your hands on this palette and have some extra money on you I definitely suggest you get it, you'll be as satisfied as I am. PAC also has another palette (I think matte shades), and a blush palette. The prices can seem a bit steep sometimes [to people like me lol] but just wait for a sale, and it'll be very worth it. Check out their other products too, great value for money (but stay away from the lipstick if you tend to have chapped lips).

Their website: http://www.pacbeauty.com/
As far as I know, PAC is available in SM North Edsa and TriNoma.

Beauty Feature: Your Summer Beauty Makeover With Chick Advisor!

Check out a few of my summer beauty picks in a Chick Advisor beauty feature called, "Your Summer Beauty Makeover: Our Expert's Tips"! What are some of your must-haves in your beauty arsenal this summer? Makeup Junkie wants to know!

www.chickadvisor.com

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

Shar's Arabic Look Contest

Shar is holding a contest for reaching 100 followers. So yay, congratulations, Shar! I decided I'd join this contest (I'm supposed to be doing homework but gasp, not in the mood!) because it was a fun idea and to be honest I always missed chances to do an Arabic look. So I looked up Arabic looks online to see what I could learn about the general aesthetic, and I came up with a look.

First of all, here are the rules of the contest, taken from Shar's blog post:

Theme:
Create an Arabic Style Inspired Makeup. From what I noticed, when I google 'Arabic Style Makeup', They usually have flawless, porcelain-like skin, and really bright colors on the eyes yet it still looks smokey because of the heavy eyeliner on both the lashline and lower lashline.


Rules & Requirements:
·First of all you must be a member of blogger.
·You must be a follower of my blog.
·Post as an entry to your blog. Copy these rules onto your entry and link back to this post.
[To copy, highlight and then press ctrl+c, right click has been disabled]
·Take a picture of: Your face, one with your eyes opened and one closed. And a freestyle pose. ·Also include your inspirational photo, if any. Don't forget to list down and take a picture of the products you used.
·Send in your contest entry url as a comment to this post only [for organizational purposes].
All others will not be aknowledged, sorry!

Deadline:
August 15, 2009 11:59 PM Guam Time - That's about 3 weeks from now, so you have plenty of time.
Note: Guam time is advance a few hours from U.S.

Winner Selection:
There will be two winners, also open to international.
My boyfriend will help judge but the decision is still mine.
Your overall creativity, skills, techniques used as well as the ability to abide by the rules will be a factor in determining the winner. Props, Hair and Outfit is a plus : )

I really had fun doing this contest, even though my skin wasn't behaving really well. Which wasn't really good considering one of the things Shar mentioned was that Arabic people usually have "flawless, porcelain skin". LOL.

So, Shar required three pictures. One with my eyes open, one with them closed, and a 'freestyle' pose. It was hard picking just three pictures, but these are what I think are the best:

I forgot to fix the veil. x.x Sigh!

What I used:
Face Cinema Secrets Special Effects oil-free moisturizing lotion (as base), MAC studio fix powder foundation in NC35, Physician's Formula bronzer as contour, Ellana Minerals finishing powder in espresso con panna, Ellana Minerals concealers in awake and smile

Cheeks Unbranded blush

Lips Revlon Matte Lipstick in Mauve It Over

Eyes Art Deco eyeshadow base, ELF brightening eyeliner in Black (brows), Coastal Scents 88 palette, Elianto shimmering eyeshadow in white, Avon quad, Coastal Scents gel eyeliner, Kinepin false eyelashes
Well, that's all! Here's one last picture, just cause I wanted it in but couldn't make it part of the official pics.

Thank you again to Shar for holding this contest, I had loads of fun and I definitely did my best! :) I hope you all liked it. *heads off to read blogs*

Sponsored Post: L'Occitane en Provence Celebrates 20 Years of Shea Butter!

L'Occitane is celebrating over 20 years of Shea!

In the early 1880's, Olivier Baussan, founder of L'Occitane, made his first trip to Burkina Faso and discovered shea butter, its incredible benefits and story.

Far from Provence, in Burkina Faso, Africa, grows the sacred Shea tree. Only the local women are entrusted with the secrets of Shea Butter preparation, and only they can benefit from its trade – which is why it is called “Women’s Gold.” Through a long-standing partnership, L'Occitane is celebrating over 20 years of Shea!

The women of Burkina Faso harvest the Shea fruit, extract and dry the nuts, grind them to make a fine paste and transform the paste into Shea Butter – a universal and irreplaceable beauty care product. Shea Butter protects the skin against the sun as well as the hot winds carrying dust and fine sand that dry the skin. Thanks to precious Shea Butter, the women of this region protect, nourish and moisturize their skin. The women also traditionally protect newborns against harsh environmental elements by applying Shea Butter daily to their delicate skin.

L’OCCITANE’s Shea Butter range brings these same benefits to the face, hair and body in products that contain a high percentage of Shea Butter, which is particularly recommended for dry and very dry skin.

For more information visit www.loccitane.com.