Mary Kay at Play Lip & Cheek Sticks in Peach Pop and Razzleberry

New season = new, fun things from the Mary Kay At Play Collection. The At Play collection seems to be the younger, edgier side of Mary Kay. The Mary Kay Lip & Cheek Stick ($12 each, available May 16th) colourful duos for a "glowing blush and picture-perfect pout".

Peach Pop

Razzleberry

Mary Kay's colour game is on point. Both Peach Pop and Razzleberry are extremely pigmented and very, very flattering flushes on the cheeks and lips. The product is soft and creamy, easily workable into the skin and to sheer out on the lips. The blush/lipstick duo lasts 3 hours on the lips leaving a light stain and 5-6 hours on the cheeks. Pretty good but by no means amazing. 

The chubby stick packaging of the Mary Kay At Play Lip & Cheek Stick is great for covering large areas of the cheeks but not so great for precision application on the lips. To curb this issue, I prefer applying the stick with a brush or with fingers, which is an extra step that I'm often to lazy to take. Thus, I prefer the product on the cheeks. 

What do you think of the Mary Kay At Play Lip & Cheek Sticks? 

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Mary Kay At Play Baked Eye Trios in Out of the Blue, Neapolitan & Purple Eclipse

The Mary Kay At Play Baked Eye Trios ($14 each) are nothing new but May 16th, 2015, Mary Kay is putting out three new colour variations. I remember testing one of these out but I guess I never ended up reviewing them. All I have to say is they're AMAZING.

Out of the Blue // satin finish blue, shimmery warm brown, shimmery gold

Neapolitan // satin finish pearl, satin finish medium brown, shimmery finish light pink

Purple Eclipse // matte pastel pink, matte black, matte purple

The Mary Kay At Play Baked Eye Trios are three eyeshadows with varying finishes in each set. The shadows are ridiculously pigmented (all of them) with both neutral and slightly more "fun" colours like blues and purples. Out of the three, my favourite is a toss up between Out of the Blue and Neapolitan. I find Purple Eclipse to be unique but quite hard to wear.

There's some fallout but this is curbed with careful patting of a flat brush instead of using a bendy fluffy one. The shadows are soft, smooth, and blendable (aka *beauty blogger eyeshadow buzz words*). The shadows look fresh from first application to 7 hours later when worn with primer. I couldn't really ask for much more in terms of formulation. 

What do you think of the swatches? Which is your favourite? 

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Mary Kay At Play Shadow & Liner in Iced Lilac, Mint to Be, Rebel Rose & Caramellow

Ain’t nothing like a dual-ended eye product. 2-in-1 things always get me because the more portable and multi-tasking my makeup is… the better. New from Mary Kay At Play are the Shadow & Liners ($15 each). The Mary Kay At Play Shadow & Liners come in 4 shades – Mint to Be, Iced Lilac, Rebel Rose and Caramellow. They’re dual ended shadow and liner sticks that are meant to make eye makeup easier. 

Mary Kay says that these are ultra-creamy and smooth with rich colour payoff, smudge-proof, fade-proof, and buildable. For the most part, I would agree. All four eyeshadow shades are rich in colour with a pearlized finish. The shadows don’t crease or smudge on me throughout the entirety of a 8 hour work day. As for the eyeliners, they’re smooth, creamy and pigmented but for some reason transfer like crazy onto the wrong parts of my eyelid in less than an hour of wearing them. Furthermore, the eyeliners have no sharpening mechanism and get thicker at the base (I had a similar problem with The Body Shop Matte Kajals). 

Iced Lilac

Lilac Shadow/Purple Liner

Mint To Be 

Froggy Green Shadow/Forest Green Liner

Rebel Rose

Rose Shadow/Black Liner

Caramellow

Caramel Shadow/Brown Liner

The colours are super pretty! My favourite combo is Iced Lilac. Caramellow is the most wearable but I find the caramel-gold eyeshadow to be a bit too warm for my preferences. Unfortunately, the liner doesn’t work well with my lids but the cream eyeshadows are gorgeous!

What do you think of these shadows and liners? Which one is your favourite? 

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Mary Kay Mineral Cheek Duos in Spiced Poppy, Ripe Watermelon & Juicy Guava

Ain't nothing like a bright blush and a shimmery highlight in the heat of summer. In true summery fashion, Mary Kay has released three blush/highlighter duos. The new Mary Kay Mineral Cheek Duos ($20 each) are available in three vibrant shades - spiced poppy, ripe watermelon and juicy guava. Like all Mary Kay Mineral line products, they come in a handy magnetized and pre-depotted form. 

Mary Kay says that the blushes are all matte (yay!) and the highlighter is pearlized. Furthermore, the product is supposed to last all day and can be worn sheer for a natural glow or built to a bolder, brighter flush. 

Spiced Poppy

toasted orange with deep, shimmery highlighter

Ripe Watermelon 

summery pink with a pale pearl highlighter

Juicy Guava 

warm coral with soft, golden pearl highlighter

The blush colours are soooo pretty and are true to colour on the face compared to the pan.  The formulation is not as finely milled as I now expect my powder products to be (thanks a lot, Hourglass). Despite the lack of silky, soft smoothness, the product is easy to blend. A light dusting on the cheeks yields a soft flush but if you're not careful a heavier dusting will result in clown-like cheekiness. Lasting power is fair but not all day long. On my cheeks, the blush lasts 5-6 hours. 

As for the highlighters, I'm a little sad because they don't show up on my face. They're pigmented, yes, but the yellowy tones are very similar to that of my skin. Also, they're not shimmery or glittery, which means that the highlighter isn't strong enough to add a solid sheen to the face. Overall, yes to the blushes but meh to the highlights. 

What do you think of the colours of the Mary Kay Mineral Cheek Duos? 

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Feel-Good Gloss // Mary Kay Beauty That Counts NouriShine Plus Lip Gloss in Create Change and In Harmony

For every sale of the limited edition Beauty That Counts Mary Kay NouriShine Plus Lip Glosses, $1 will be donated to benefit the Mary Kay Ash Charitable Foundation for two purposes - firstly, to support the Look Good Feel Better program in efforts to improve the lives of women living with cancer and secondly, to help end violence against women by providing grants to shelters and community outreach programs

Create Change

In Harmony

The Mary Kay NouriShine Plus Lip Glosses in In Harmony and Create Change ($18 each, available May 16th) are swirled combinations of the NouriShine Plus Lip Glosses from Mary Kay's regular line. The Mary Kay NouriShine Plus Lip Gloss in Create Change is a combination of Cafe Au Lait and Cream & Sugar. The Mary Kay NouriShine Plus Lip Gloss in In Harmony is a combination of Pink Sateen and Berry Tart. 

I've already reviewed a few of the Mary Kay NouriShine Plus Lip Glosses (here) and a previous edition of the Beauty That Counts NouriShine Plus Lip Gloss in Celebrate (here). They're comfortable, very moisturizing, non-sticky and lightweight. Get a gloss and contribute to a great cause. 

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Mary Kay Endless Performance Creme-to-Powder Foundation

There's a first for everything and new to me is cream foundation. The Mary Kay Endless Performance Creme-to-Powder Foundation ($21) is the first cream foundation I've ever laid on my face. Mary Kay says that the Endless Performance Creme-to-Powder Foundation is a long-lasting, flawless coverage foundation that's non-comedogenic and suitable for all skin types. 

The range includes an impressive 16 different shades (5 ivory shades, 6 beige shades, and 5 bronze shades). Beige 1 is decent match for me but slightly too olive. To the touch, the cream foundation is quite thick. I found that when I used a dense brush to apply the product (Real Techniques Expert Face Brush) it ended up looking a little streaky when I tried to blend it out. Personally, I preferred using my fingertips and a damp sponge for a more even coverage. 

The coverage of the Mary Kay Endless Performance Creme-to-Powder Foundation is very full, as the thickness of the cream would suggest. The product dries down to a matte powder finish but doesn't feel particularly heavy on the skin. The high coverage makes the skin appear very perfected but leaning slightly towards the unnaturally cakey side. On my nose and t-zone, the foundation broke up after 4 hours. On the rest of my face, it stayed looking good for ~10 hours. 

Overall, I'm not a fan of this foundation. Firstly, I'm not a fan of such a heavy coverage. Secondly, I'd expect that something marketed as a cream to powder should be quite long-wearing, even on the oiliest areas of the skin. This may work better for you if your skin is less of an oil slick than my own. I'll be sticking to my liquid and powder foundations for now. 

Do you have a cream-to-powder foundation that you love? 

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Mary Kay Eyeliners in Black, Deep Brown & Steely

I love a good eyeliner and I'll be straight up and say that Mary Kay's best selling Eyeliner ($16) is pretty darn good. 

 Mary Kay Eyeliners in Black, Deep Brown and Steely 

Mary Kay Eyeliners in Deep Brown, Steely and Black

The liner is thin and kinda cute. There's even a little detachable sharpener inside the lid. As for the liner itself, the claims are (1) rich colour (2) 8+ hour wear (3) intense shades (4) fragrance-free and suitable for contact lens wearers and sensitive eyes. All true. Other than that, the liners are creamy, blendable, and set quickly. It's totally smudge-proof, water-proof - good if you like to watch sad Korean dramas and the like. 

Not much to say other than the fact that I'm impressed. It's a little pricey compared to eyeliners at the drugstore but it's worth it for a mid-priced eyeliner. 

Have you tried the Mary Kay Eyeliners? 

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Mary Kay True Dimensions Sheer Lipsticks in Subtly You, Arctic Apricot, Sparkling Rose & Posh Pink

Last year, I reviewed ten of the Mary Kay True Dimensions Lipsticks ($19). Now, Mary Kay has released 4 shades of its new Mary Kay True Dimensions Sheer Lipstick ($19). 

So what's different about the new sheer lipsticks? Well, they come in the same sleek, silver packaging that has a super cool clicking mechanism (see here). The slightly chemical/plastic scent is the same but unnoticeable after half an hour of wear. All four shades (Subtly You, Arctic Apricot, Sparkling Rose & Posh Pink) all have a subtle shimmer when swatched but it's totally unnoticeable on the lips. Compared to the regular formula, the lipsticks are not at all opaque and have the look of a tinted balm on the lips. The Mary Kay True Dimensions Sheer Lipsticks are impressively moisturizing. I applied Subtly You mid-morning and I could still feel the moisture on my lips by late afternoon. 

Heavily swatched - Arctic Apricot, Posh Pink, Sparkling Rose, Subtly You 

Subtly You (sheer brown)

Arctic Apricot (sheer red-orange)

Sparkling Rose (sheer pink-brown)

Posh Pink (sheer pink)

Overall, the Mary Kay True Dimensions Sheer Lipsticks are an excellent sheer lipstick. They're super hydrating and add a very natural tint of colour. Obviously, this is not the lipstick line for you if you like fully opaque mattes but for something a little more bold try the regular Mary Kay True Dimensions Lipsticks. 

Sheer or opaque, which do you prefer? 

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Mary Kay Paradise Calling Whipped Eye Colors in Tiki Hut & Seafoam // Spring 2015

...and these are the last makeup products but certainly not the least in the Mary Kay Paradise Calling collection for Spring 2015. The Mary Kay Paradise Calling Whipped Eye Colors ($18) in Tiki Hut and Seafoam are lightweight cream eyeshadows. Not quite as bright or bold as the Nail Lacquers or Lacquered Lip Shines but pretty easy on the eyes. 

Mary Kay Paradise Calling Whipped Eye Colors in Seafoam and Tiki Hut

The texture of the Mary Kay Paradise Calling Whipped Eye Colors is not different from that of the Lise Watier Ombre Souffle Supremes. The formula is soft and airy. It feels smooth to the touch and, put simply, a dream to blend over the eyelids. 

One swipe yields sheer yet buildable color. The whipped eye colors can be layered up to something a bit more vibrant without looking cakey or patchy. Seafoam is a light green with golden-green shimmer and Tiki Hut is a medium brown with bronze shimmer. I love the pearly finish for a sheer wash of colour. The product dries to a powder finish and lasts all day without creasing (I've been wearing it for the last 10 hours as I write this up). 

Seafoam

Tiki Hut 

Overall, a the whipped eye colors are a hit. The buildable feature of this cream eyeshadow makes for a one-product eyeshadow look, perfectly paired with any bold lip or blush combo. 

What do you think of the Paradise Calling Whipped Eye Colors? 

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Mary Kay Paradise Calling Lacquered Lip Shine in Exotic Orchid, Tropical Mandarin & Sun Baked // Spring 2015

More colour from Mary Kay's Paradise Calling collection. It's brights for the lips - the Mary Kay Paradise Calling Lacquered Lip Shines ($19 each). Time to indulge in some colour.

Mary Kay Paradise Calling Lacquered Lip Shine in Sun Baked, Exotic Orchid and Tropical Mandarin

I'd classify the Mary Kay Paradise Calling Lacquered Lip Shines as thick, ultra-vivid glosses. With the exception of the nude shade (Sun Baked), these are one-swipe wonders but look even better with two. The lip shine is thick and plush. It feels moisturizing on the lips and smooths over fine lines and dry areas. These don't claim to be long wearing, nor are they. Eating and drinking and touching your lips will have the product rubbing off. Since they're slightly sticky, these aren't particularly awesome for windy days. Picture Tropical Mandarin streaks all over your face. Not fun. 

Let's talk about Sun Baked, the nude shade. It's a nice tangent from the two brights but kind of blah for me. It's the blah blah black sheep of the bunch. It takes three coats to get opaque and the light pigment of the nude shade catches onto dry areas. 

Exotic Orchid

Tropical Mandarin 

Sun Baked

Overall, this is a pretty-to-look-at product. The colours are vivid and vibrant and warming to the face - the right colours for the warmer weather. However, they're not long-wearing or easy to wear if you like to eat pizza. 

On another note, the Exotic Orchid and Tropical Mandarin shades correspond to the Nail Lacquers. I love it when my tips and lips can matchy-matchy! 

What do you think of the Paradise Calling Lacquered Lip Shines? 

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Mary Kay Paradise Calling Nail Lacquers in Exotic Orchid, Tropical Mandarin & Lagoon // Spring 2015

The Mary Kay Paradise Calling Nail Lacquers ($10) are like a breath of fresh air. I'm saying buh-bye to the winter blahs and hello to the vibrant orchids, mandarins, and lagoons of paradise that are calling my name! 

I'm no stranger to the Mary Kay Nail Lacquers (see the Midnight Jewels collection here). It's a great formula. All three of Exotic Orchid, Tropical Mandarin and Lagoon are cream finish polishes. I'll keep it short by saying that they're super vibrant and fittingly opaque in one swift swipe. Furthermore, they dry down quite quickly and to a beautiful shine at that! 

Exotic Orchid

Tropical Mandarin

Lagoon

No negatives here. The only bad thing I could say is that if you're not into brights that these won't be for you. Other than that, these colours will have you warmed up like you're in paradise in no time. 

What do you think of the Mary Kay Paradise Calling Nail Lacquers? 

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Mary Kay Paradise Calling Spring 2015 Limited Edition Collection // Spring 2015

Get excited for Spring because Mary Kay's got the colours of paradise coming your way. Pops of orchid, turquoise, and mandarin have got me ready for the warmer weather. The Paradise Calling Limited Edition Collection for Spring 2015 is available as of February 16th (today!). Over the next few days, I'll be reviewing the lip, nail, and eye products in this collection! 

And even if you're not into the bright colours of paradise, at least you can appreciate the vibrant packaging: 

Here's what's included in the Paradise Calling collection: 

// lips - Mary Kay Lacquered Lip Shine ($19) in Exotic Orchid, Tropical Mandarin & Sun Baked

// nails - Mary Kay Nail Lacquer ($10) in Lagoon, Exotic Orchid & Tropical Mandarin

// eyes - Mary Kay Whipped Eye Color ($18) in Tiki Hut and Lagoon

// body - Mary Kay Moisturizing Spray Lotion ($18) 

Which Paradise Calling product is catching your eye? 

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Mary Kay NouriShine Plus Lip Gloss in Silver Moon, Golden, Sun Blossoms, Shock Tart, Pink Wink, Sparkle Berry & Berry Dazzle

Seven new shades of the Mary Kay NouriShine Plus Lip Gloss! See my previous review of the Mary Kay NouriShine Plus Lip Gloss ($18 CAD) here, just in time for the holidays! The Mary Kay NouriShine Plus formula boasts ultra-glossy shine, moisture, non-sticky, super-light, long-lasting packed with plant-derived vitamin E and vitamin C. While no product is everything that it claims, these glosses are, in fact, ultra-moisturizing and glossy, non-sticky and lightweight. While I don't think they're particularly long-wearing, it delivers on every other claim. 

BEHOLD, the swatches:

Silver Moon (clear with blue iridescence)

Golden (clear with gold glitter)

Sun Blossoms (nude peach cream)

Shock Tart (bright pink cream)

Pink Wink (fuchsia with shimmer)

Sparkle Berry (medium berry with shimmer)

Berry Dazzle (deep berry with shimmer)

While these glosses are quite lovely I do have one big, fat gripe. Why are there so many glitter-packed glosses? Only 2 of the 7 are cream finishes while the rest have some sort of chunky glitter or sparkly iridescence. That said, the glitter isn't gritty I just don't like the look of glitter all over my lips. Ignoring the glitter, these are great glosses. Plus, if you're into glitter, these are perfect for a bit of holiday sparkle. 

Have you tried the Mary Kay NouriShine Plus Lip Glosses? 

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