Make Up - the Mary Kay Edition

As you know, I agreed to test some Mary Kay products and blog about the experience.

When I first received my little box of Mary Kay products, it contained the following: a Compact Mini (which one loads up with blush and eye-shadow); a Mineral Cheek Color; and  Mineral Eye Color Bundle (three shades that are supposed to work together to make your eyes look marvelous).  They look like fun, except for one minor detail - my eyes are blue.  They sent the Mineral Eye Color Bundle whose "expert shade choices were customized for" brown eyes; I talked to them, and since they really do want me to blog about the appropriate product, they also sent me one "customized for" blue eyes.  

(We interrupt this blog to comment on shipping practices.  I received a box from Mary Kay that looks like this (note the catalog for size comparison):

As you can see, the box in which my carefully customized eye shadow collection is packaged is not quite as tall as the box in which it was shipped:

And it's no where near as big as the box when laid flat therein:

This kind of thing makes me just a little nuts.  It costs more to ship that box than it would have to shipp a well padded envelope.  It costs more to make said box (and thus for them to buy said box).  In the end, that kind of shipping costs us all both economically and ecologically.  However, it did, indeed, ensure that the make up arrived in perfect condition.

Interruption over.)

Just for fun, I'll show you both shadow sets with my blue eyes.  We can judge for ourselves which looks better.

Here's what they have customized for blue eyes:

 

and here's what they have customized for brown eyes:

 Once again -- for blue eyes (and yes -- there are three colors on my eyelid):

and for brown eyes (still three colors):

Now me... I don't see that either one makes my eyes pop more than the other. 

Golf Pro likes the formulation for blue eyes, but I think that's because he's not a big fan of make up that looks like you're wearing make up.  I'm debating on which, if either, I'll be packing for my trip.

My thoughts on the Mary Kay make up in general....

I find that the Bare Minerals stuff goes on much more easily.  This claims to be "minerals' but doesn't have the easy flow of the other brand. Who knows whether I'd have loved it without the Bare Minerals to compare it to??

I find the difference in ease of application very noticeable with the blush.  Mary Kay's blush takes a LOT of roughing up to get onto your brush, and then seems not to spread as well as the Bare Minerals blush.  Mary Kay is $3.00 cheaper, but I think you get more with Bare Minerals (though I don't thin the amount you get from either is the same - one is hard packed and one is not, so it's really hard to tell).

With the eye shadows, I found it difficult -- okay, nigh onto impossible -- to get the intensity of color on my eyes that they show in the pictures on the prodcut box.  Perhaps I'm just too timid with the brushes.... but Bookworm, who is not at all timid about putting on make up, also seemed to have trouble getting enough on my eye to show the intense colors they show in the pictures.  Again, this may have been because one has to work hard to break the stuff loose from its densely packed presentation.  And again, I find it much eaier to spread the Bare Minerals eye shadows.  Here, however, the price differnce is more significant:   A set of three colors like the ones Mary Kay sent to me runs about $20.00; each individual minerals eye color is $6.50.  Meanwhile, over at Bare Minerals, the eye shadow pots are $13.00 each (the liquid stuff is more expensive).  Of course, the pots are loose eyeshadow powder, and the Mary Kay eye shadow is packed, so once again, it's hard to tell how much you really get.  -- and Mary Kay offers more color options.

 If money were no object, I think I'd go for Bare Minerals.  BUT.... I do like the presentation of the Mary Kay product - you may recall the mirrored compact, which holds a blush, three shadows, and the brushes.... (shown here with just the blush, as I've not yet chosen which shadow set to load it with).

 

Comments

[Walden121]

I agree with Golf Pro, the one meant for blue eyes draws more attention to the fact that your eyes are blue. Plus, the make your eyes look larger, more alert, but lighter colors will do that anyways.

[Alyse Middleton]

From my experience the BM blush and eye colors will last FOREVER!! You will never run out. ;) The small amount of powder it takes to get a good affect will mean you can use those for quite a long time.