Showing posts with label make up. Show all posts
Showing posts with label make up. Show all posts

9.14.2010

30 Days of Me: Day 12 - Whatever tickles your fancy II

Another "Whatever Tickles Your Fancy" post in this meme... last Spring I posted what's "In my bag" and thought it would be fun to do an updated one since I've since cleaned out my purse and reorganized things since then.


Starting at the top  left and working across...

1. My Bag
It's black faux leather (I think) and hubby bought it for me from Target for my 25th birthday. I also have a little black and red ribbon attached to it that some students were passing out at Walmart days after the shooting on campus.

2. My Wallet
I got this at Gordman's a few months ago and I love it - it matches my bag and it's got a side for my cards and ID and checkbooks and then the other side zips and holds money among other things. I also store my portable 2g USB drive in here too.

3. Motorola Droid
I love my phone! I never saw the point or need in a smartphone until I got one and I just love it! It's basically a mini-computer as I can do pretty much anything I need to - check email, Facebook, Twitter, blog, read blogs, go on the internet, watch videos, listen to mp3s, etc.

4. Mace
I'm female, I sometimes run out to the store after dark or come home after dark if I've been out... could come in handy!

5. A pocket sized thing of Kleenex
I have allergies so these sometimes come in handy

6. A hairclip
Just in case I need to put my hair up for something, this is a temporary fix

7. Wipes
I got these from some restaurant and thought they might come in handy...

8. Tampons
I have no clue why I still have these in my bag - I haven't needed them for the last 4 months and I most likely won't need them for at least another 5-6 months if not longer... I keep forgetting to take them out! lol...

9. 5 React Gum
It's yummy and yeah... I always have a pack of gum on me

10. A reminder card for my next preggo appointment, some random business card, an NIU Huskie 2010 Football schedule, movie ticket to The Expendables

11. 2 pens, a mini-Maglite, and a Tide to Go stain remover pen

12. Pink and Black makeup pouch which houses items 13-17

13. Mary Kay small compact that holds 3 eye shadows, 1 blush, applicators and Garnetfrost lipstick

14. Mary Kay Satin Hands hand lotion

15. 3 Mary Kay Nourishine Lipglosses in Berry Sparkle, Sugar and Cream and Beach Bronze

16. Round Compact mirror with pouch

17. 2 bottles of Clear Eyes eyedrops - one is for contact lenses, the other is the Triple Action Relief

18. Pill container which I store my prenatal vitamins
I take them daily with dinner since they say to take with food and sometimes we go out to eat so I figured it'd be smart to keep some on me.


What's in your bag?

6.06.2010

It's that time again...

As promised, I said I would do another giveaway when I reached my 200th post.

Well readers, this past Flashback Friday was post #200!

Because I have one to giveaway, and in lieu of summer being here, I've decided to do a Fun in the Sun beauty and skincare giveaway!


What's included?
  • A Mary Kay Sun Travel Set, which includes a clear zippered pouch, 1 sample size bottle (1 fl. oz.) of the SPF 30 Sunscreen, 1 sample size bottle (1 fl. oz.) of the After-Sun Replenishing Gel, 1 sample size tube (.09 oz) of Nourishine Lipgloss in Beach Bronze (I wear this color often!), and 2 plastic refillable bottles for other liquids you may take while traveling.
  • A full size tube (.33 fl. oz) of Mary Kay Waterproof Mascara
  • A full size tube (.17 fl oz.) of Mary Kay Island Bronze Eyesicles
This is a $24 value, yours free just for winning!

Whether you're going somewhere warm like to the beach, or just to the local pool or even sunbathing in your backyard, this'll help kept you from getting burned while looking great!

I really LOVE Mary Kay's products and am excited to get to share some with you! The Eyesicles are a really neat product, as you can use it as a primer or just put it on and go, adding some bronze shimmer to your eyes; and I LOVE the lipglosses - especially that color! It's a brownish color no doubt, but it's not bold, it just adds a touch of color to your lips, I love it!

Sorry to the guys, as this is more of a girly giveaway, but still feel free to enter - the sunscreen and after-sun replenishing gel can come in handy if you plan on being outside at all this summer, plus there's 2 refillable travel bottles and the clear plastic zippered pouch to keep it all in - plus it's free and you can even give the beauty goodies to your wife or girlfriend or even your mom or sister! They'll love to try these products!

How can you enter to win? 6 ways -5 same as last time, plus a new option!
  • Follow my blog (if for some reason you aren't already!) via the "Follow" button at the top left column
  • Follow my blog via NetworkedBlogs on Facebook (see widget near the top of the left column)
  • Mention this giveaway on your blog
  • Follow me on Twitter
  • Tweet about this giveaway on Twitter
  • Ask me a question on Formspring (feel free to ask as many questions as you want, but only the first will count for this giveway)
A few rules:
  1. Winner MUST live in the USA, as I will be shipping this via flat-rate priority mail.
  2. Winner MUST be able to provide me (in private) with a legit mailing address
  3. If you make an entry, please leave me a comment or let me know some other way that you have done so, so that you can get credit for your entry
  4. Just commenting on this post DOES NOT automatically enter you in the giveaway - if you already follow my blog or Twitter and want to be included in this giveaway, let me know that by saying so. Even if you already follow, without letting me know you want to be entered I have no way of knowing to include you.
Winner will be chosen at random via the Random.org generator and announced on Monday afternoon, June 14th. All entries must be received by Noon (cst) that day.

Happy entering!!

4.23.2010

I'm having a Mary Kay Inventory Blowout Sale!

http://media.wwd.com/images/processed/Companies/m/portrait/02-tout/mary-kay.jpgSo the other day I mentioned I was thinking about quitting my Mary Kay business. Well, after talking it over with hubby, we both agreed that perhaps this isn't the best business for me. While I've seen it work wonders in the lives of various women, and I have NOTHING against the company (I love everything it stands for and the principles Mary Kay Ash founded it on) and LOVE the products, I just don't feel, after trying for a little over 6 months, that the whole direct sales business is really for me.

I do plan on continuing to use the products myself though, and fully intend on having a party every so often to get some of the great hostess benefits!

If you are interested in continuing to use and purchase Mary Kay products, I would like to direct you to a few friends and a fellow Mary Kay beauty consultants in my unit, Cherice (who I've known for a long time, as we both attended the same school for many years, in addition to going to the same church together for as long as I can recall!) and Leah (we connected a bit through our unit's events and I know she's got some big goals and dreams she's aspiring to reach in this business) - either of them would LOVE to help you with all your Mary Kay needs.

Since I am quitting my Mary Kay business, I do have quite a bit of on hand inventory that I am offering for 50% off the retail price (plus 8.25% sales tax). Below is a list of products I still have and will be selling through Monday on a first come, first serve basis, so if there is anything you see on the list that you want, let me know ASAP and I will set it aside, so long as you can pay me by the end of Monday! I can take credit cards over the internet, so if you're interested contact me and we can go over the total first. For those not in the Northern Illinois region (within an hour or so of Rockford), I can ship to you, however I will be charging an additional $4 to help with shipping costs. All orders of $40 or more (before tax) will receive a free gift!
 
Timewise Products
1 Timewise Miracle Set (Dry/Normal) - $45
1 Timewise Miracle Set (Combo/Oily) - $45
1 Timewise Miracle Trial Set (Dry/Normal) - $22
1 Timewise Miracle Trial Set (Combo/Oily) - $22
1 Timewise Replenishing Serum +C - $27.50
2 Timewise Firming Eye Cream - $15 each
1 Timewise Targeted Action Toning Lotion - $14
1 Timewise Targeted Action Eye Revitalizer - $17.50
1 Timewise Targeted Action Line Reducer - $20
3 Timewise 3-in-1 Cleanser Dry/Normal - $9 each
2 Timewise 3-in-1 Cleanser Combo/Oily - $9 each
2 Timewise Age-Fighting Moisturizer Dry/Normal - $11 each
2 Timewise Age-Fighting Moisturizer Combo/Oily - $11 each
1 Timewise Night Solution - $15
1 Timewise Even Complexion Essence - $17.50

Other Skincare Products
2 Oil Free Hydrating Gel - $15 each


Mineral Powder Foundation
  • 1 Mineral Powder Foundation (Ivory 1) - $9
  • 1 Mineral Powder Foundation (Ivory 2) - $9
Concealers
  • 1 Concealer (Ivory) - $5
    2 Concealer (Beige) - $5 each
    2 Concealer (Yellow) - $5 each
Medium Coverage Foundations:
  • 1 Medium Coverage Foundation – Ivory 100 - $7.50
  • 1 Medium Coverage Foundation – Ivory 104 - $7.50
  • 1 Medium Coverage Foundation – Ivory 200 - $7.50
  • 1 Medium Coverage Foundation – Ivory 204 - $7.50
  • 3 Medium Coverage Foundation – Beige 300 - $7.50 each
  • 1 Medium Coverage Foundation – Beige 304 - $7.50
  • 1 Medium Coverage Foundation – Beige 400 - $7.50
  • 1 Medium Coverage Foundation – Beige 404 - $7.50
  • 1 Medium Coverage Foundation – Bronze 500 - $7.50
  • 1 Medium Coverage Foundation – Bronze 607 - $7.50
  • 1 Medium Coverage Foundation – Bronze 708 - $7.50

Cheeks
3 Mineral Bronzing Powder (Sandstone) - $6 each
2 Mineral Highlighting Powder (Pink Porcelain) - $6 each
1 Mineral Cheek Color (Sunny Spice) - $5
1 Mineral Cheek Color (Pink Petals) - $5

Eye Products
2 Ultimate Mascara (Black) - $7.50 each
1 Waterproof Mascara (Black) - $5
1 Lash Lengthening Mascara (Black Brown) - $5
1 Eyescicles (Island Bronze) - $5
1 Eye Primer - $5
1 Eyeliner (Black) - $5 each
2 Eyeliner (Deep Brown) - $5 each

Mineral Eye Colors
  • 1 Mineral Eye Color – Amber Blaze - $3.25
  • 1 Mineral Eye Color – Blue Metal - $3.25
  • 1 Mineral Eye Color – Chocolate Kiss - $3.25
  • 1 Mineral Eye Color – Cinnabar - $3.25
  • 1 Mineral Eye Color – Dusty Lilac - $3.25
  • 1 Mineral Eye Color – Espresso - $3.25
  • 1 Mineral Eye Color – Granite - $3.25
  • 1 Mineral Eye Color – Hazelnut - $3.25
  • 1 Mineral Eye Color – Ivy Garden - $3.25
  • 1 Mineral Eye Color – Lemongrass - $3.25
  • 1 Mineral Eye Color – Navy - $3.25
  • 1 Mineral Eye Color – Precious Pink - $3.25
  • 1 Mineral Eye Color – Raisin - $3.25
  • 1 Mineral Eye Color – Silky Caramel - $3.25
  • 1 Mineral Eye Color – Spun Silk - $3.25
  • 1 Mineral Eye Color – Steel - $3.25
  • 1 Mineral Eye Color – Sweet Cream - $3.25
  • 1 Mineral Eye Color – Sweet Plum - $3.25
  • 1 Mineral Eye Color – Sweet Pink - $3.25
  • 1 Mineral Eye Color – Vintage Gold - $3.25

Lips
1 Satin Lips Set - $9
1 Crème Lipstick (Whipped Berries) - $6.50
1 Crème Lipstick (Frosted Rose) - $6.50
1 Crème Lipstick (Raisinberry) - $6.50
1 Lip Liner (Neutral) - $5
1 Lip Liner (Dusty Rose) - $5
1 Lip Liner (Chocolate) - $5
1 Tinted Lip Balm (Blush) - $6.50
1 Tinted Lip Balm (Natural) - $6.50
1 Tinted Lip Balm (Rose) - $6.50
1 Nourishine Lipgloss – Bronze Bliss - $6.50
1 Nourishine Lipgloss – Melon Sorbet - $6.50
1 Nourishine Lipgloss – Gold Rush - $6.50
1 Nourishine Lipgloss – Pink Diamonds - $6.50
1 Nourishine Lipgloss – Sugarberry - $6.50
1 Nourishine Lipgloss – Sweet Raisin - $6.50

Lotions
1 Body Lotion – Warm Amber - $7.50
1 Body Lotion – Simply Cotton - $7.50
1 Body Lotion – Honeysuckle - $7.50

Fragrances
1 Journey Eau de Parfum - $18
1 Eau de Toilette Spray – Warm Amber - $12.50
1 Eau de Toilette Spray – Simply Cotton - $12.50
1 Eau de Toilette Spray – Honeysuckle - $12.50

Extras
4 Mineral Foundation Brush - $5 each
1 Applicators (Cosmetic Sponges 2pk) - $1.25
1 Applicators (Eye Applicators 2pk) - $1.25
2 Applicators (Compact Powder Brush) - $2 each
1 Brush Collection - $24
1 Compact Pro (unfilled) - $17.50

Limited Edition Items
1 Lip Nectar Coconut - $7.50
1 Loose Eyeshadow – Pink Organza - $7
1 Loose Eyeshadow – Cashmere - $7
1 Romantic Notions Set – Soft Sable - $15
1 Peppermint Cream Lotion and Shower Gel set - $7.50

3.26.2010

At Home Foot Pampering

Why go and spend money at day spa for a facial, manicure and pedicure when you can do it at home for less?

Not too long ago I was cleaning out the basket that sits in our nightstand and came across a few bottles of trial-size stuff my dad had put in my Christmas stocking over the last few years. At first, I wrote one thing off as just being lotion, but when I looked closer I saw it was a thermal pedicure lotion. It says to moisten your feet, rub all over and focus on dry, rough areas, then rinse. It sounded interesting and have a few really rough spots on my heels so I pulled it out and figured I'd try it someday.

Well this weekend I'm going up to Madison with my unit for a Mary Kay Career Conference (my first company-wide event - I'm excited!). I decided, what better time to treat myself to a mini-pedicure than the night before I leave? I'm going to be staying with 5 or 6 other girls in a hotel suite so why not make sure my feet look cute since we're sort of having a slumber party our first night!

Now to be honest, I *hate* feet. I think feet are disgusting and ugly. I would say I have whatever the opposite of a foot fetish is, that's how much I don't like feet! I can't touch another person's foot or have their feet on me or my stuff - drives me nuts and grosses me out. I can however touch my feet though - for some reason my own feet don't bother me, but other people's... yuck! Please keep them to yourself, thanks! I can't understand people who have foot fetishes - grosses me out to try and even think about it or comprehend it! I actually knew a guy in college, when I lived in the dorms, who admitted to having a foot fetish. Thank God he didn't live on my floor, as from that point on, me and my best friend made sure our feet were covered when we were hanging around him, lol...

Anyways, in the picture here, you can see what I used for my At Home Pedicure:
  • Foot filing board
  • Toe nail clippers
  • Nail file
  • Cuticle Trimmer (I'm obsessed with trimming my cuticles and the surrounding skin)
  • Sapphire File
  • Olay Body Thermal Pedicure
  • Equate Skin Therapy Lotion
  • Pure Ice nail polish in metallic light blue ("Pussy Cat")

I really suggest trying the Olay stuff - my feet are feeling pretty good and the rough spots seem like some of it actually did come off this time too!

And you can use whatever nail polish you like of course - Pure Ice is a brand I've tried before and liked so I decided to try this color.

In Jr. High and High School I had *a bunch* of different nail polish colors - pinks, reds, blues, dark green, lime green, orange, black... crazy colors! I remember getting a lot of use out of the lime green one too!  Nowadays, I don't really paint my nails that often - I'll paint my toenails during the spring/summer months, since I'm usually wearing sandals then, but I rarely paint my fingernails unless I get in a mood to do so. I have a limited selection of colors.

Currently, I have a French manicure polish set, a dark blue by Jane, a couple bottles of black nail polish (I wore it a lot in high school and part of college), a metallic dark/neutral pink Petites nail polish, a simple bottle of red NYC nail polish, and now 2 bottles of Pure Ice - a metallic silver and a metallic light blue (called "Pussy Cat"). I tend to go for more metallic colors I've noticed, I think they look best, as they're not just a straight bland color.

I also tend to buy the same brands - NYC, Petites, and Pure Ice because you can get them all at Walmart for pretty cheap and they seem to last just as long as the expensive stuff you can get a beauty salon (I remember spending over $5 on OPI stuff back in Jr. High at Ulta). NYC is about $1, Petites is $1.50 and Pure Ice is $2 - those sound like decent prices on polish to me!

I think I'm going to do a little more pampering on myself tonight, using the Mary Kay Microdermabrasion set, but I thought I'd share about this fun, simple way to pamper your feet at home.

3.13.2010

In my bag...

I've seen a few of these posts around Blogland lately and decided it was fun, so I emptied my purse, took a picture and now to share!
Starting at the top and working down:

1. My purse
I actually got this one for my birthday last August, as my previous bag was made out of cloth and beginning to fall apart (there were holes on the outside corners and I knew it was only a matter of time before they went all the way through!). We were in Target, the night before my birthday and killing time after dinner before going to a movie. I had seen this bag there before and decided I would really like it (I'm a bit picky about bags, as I hate how most these days have the shoulder strap so short that your purse is up in your armpit when carrying it). I showed it to hubby and asked if we could get it for me for my birthday and he said sure. You can't really tell too well in this picture, but I have a little Red and Black ribbon pinned to the front of it. The week after the shooting at my aluma mater, students made stuff like this and I got this one from a girl who was passing them out in Walmart while I was on my break at the theater next door.

2. My Keys
I have a lot of keys - there's my car key, my set of apartment keys, our mailbox and storage keys, a key to my parent's house and a set of keys to the office I work in. I also have several keychains - a mini set of playing cards with aces on them that I bought at Spencer's at the mall, a mini set of dice I got at the Hard Rock Hotel in Vegas, a Las Vegas poker chip keychain, and a World of Warcraft keychain hubby had given me for Christmas one year.

3. My Checkbook
Yes, I do occasionally still write checks, very rarely though.

4. My pills
It's no surprise, I'm married and on "the pill." Financially and living space-wise it wouldn't be smart for us to be trying to have a kid yet. I keep these in my purse because sometimes I'm at work when I need to take them and if I'm at home, I can just walk over to my purse and get them.

5. Blue 2nd Generation 6g iPod Mini
Funny thing, I actually bought this one the week they discontinued making them and released the iPod Nano. I thought about getting the Nano, however they only came in 4g models which was the same price as the 6g mini and well, I had plenty of music and preferred to have the 2 extra g's. It's going on 5 years old, however, despite the minor crack on the screen, it still works and plays music just fine - why upgrade when you don't need to?

6. Gum
I currently have 2 packs of gum in my bag, however the Orbitz gum only has 1 piece left in it. The 5 Gum is pretty good as well. My dad actually got me started on both brands, buying me a pack for Christmas. This past Christmas he got me the Orbitz gum while Christmases prior he had gotten me 5 Gum. I like fruity, citrus flavored gums.

7. Mary Kay business card holder with cards
Kinda self-explanatory - I sell Mary Kay so it's important to keep cards on me - never know when someone might ask for one!

8. Maglite Mini
Never know when you might need a flashlight! This is a smaller version of the powerful Maglite and fits nicely into a purse.

9. Pens
I guess I have 3 pens in my purse right now. Seems like I can never find one when I need one though...

10. Wallet (back up to the top)
I've gone through several different wallets over the years, but I've had this one for the past few. It's got a zippered change/money pouch on the backside, and a snap enclosure with a slot for my IDs and cards on the front. It also has a loop that I attached various mini shopper cards to (Hilander, PetCo, PetSmart, and Borders).

11. Kleenex pack
Cuz sometimes you need a tissue.

12. Cellphone
I currently have the Motorola Krav. It's a flip phone with a touch screen and was a Verizon exclusive when we signed up last spring. I was iffy about getting a touchscreen cuz I wasn't sure if I would like it, and I loved that while this was a flip phone, it also had a touch screen so I could transition a bit easier since most phones these days all have touch screens. I like my phone for the most part, but plan on getting a Droid eventually because I would kind of like neat, helpful apps and the internet (I could get the internet on my phone now, but I don't have neat apps).

13. Mace
I'm a female, which automatically makes me prone to having an attacker. While our parking lot is right next to the building, there's still a good 30-50ft walk from my car to the front door and our street is a bit dark at night, despite the few streetlights nearby. I lost my old thing of mace I had in college and so my dad got me this one for Christmas this past year.

14. Black leather gloves
I live in Northern Illinois and the winter months get a bit nasty. I keep these in my bag because cleaning snow off your car and ice off your windshield without gloves just sucks and your hands are usually frozen by the time you get done. My mom got me a great pair of black leather gloves for Christmas a few years back. They fit great, however this past winter, I lost one of them in the parking lot during a snowstorm (must have fallen out) and never found it so this is my replacement pair we got at Walmart. They don't fit quite as great as my other pair, but they work.

15. Mini hairclip
I'm a girl, with long hair. Sometimes if I don't have a hair tie on me and need or want to put my hair up I can just use this little clippy

16. 2g USB Flashdrive
I started carrying one on me when I worked at the theater, as we didn't have internet there and sometimes would need to download the digital keys for our digital films at home and bring them into work with us to upload them to the projectors. Now working doing design work, it's come in handy for when I need to do something on my laptop and move it over to my work computer.

17. Tide On-the-Go Stain Remover Pen
Food happens, and so do messes and stains. This has come in handy a few times!

18. Kodak digital camera
I got this one for my birthday from my parents almost 2 years ago - the zoom on my previous camera had broken and so I needed a new one. I bought a slip cover for it as well (which it's sitting on top of)

19. Mary Kay compact
This holds 3 eyeshadows, a lipstick, a blush and applicators and is magnetic with a mirror.

20. Mary Kay Nourishine Lipgloss and Mary Kay Lipstick
This is my other lipstick I wear and my lipgloss I wear on more casual days/outings.

21. Mary Kay Ultimate Mascara and sample mascara wands
You never know when you might run into someone and is this one way to share a product with someone "on the go." Dip the sample wand in the mascara tube and let em try! (no, this is not the tube I use on my own lashes - I keep that one at home in a bathroom drawer) I was also carrying around the Satin Lips Lip Balm, as it's easy to just squeeze a bit on your finger and rub onto your lips (that's how I apply it anyway) but I keep forgetting to put it back in my bag - again, another way to share the product "on the go."

22. Eyedrops
I have 2 bottles of eyedrops - one for contact lenses and the other for just normal use. These come in handy come allergy season, when my eyes get itchy! While I use Opti-Free for my normal contact stuff, these bottles are both Cleareyes, and I found they really work well, especially when it comes to getting rid of redness and itchy eye.

23. Mary Kay Satin Hands Lotion
Sometimes my hands get dry (especially in Northern Illinois winters!) and this helps keep them moisturized for hours on end!

24. Mary Kay mirror
I actually got this during the bi-yearly auction we have with our fun currency system. It's cute and if I need a mirror and don't feel like pulling out my compact this works just fine.

25. Small make-up bag
Another item I got at our bi-yearly auction, this hold items 19-24 so they don't get scattered and lost in the rest of my bag.


What's in YOUR bag?

2.03.2010

These are a few of my favorite things...

Being a consultant with Mary Kay, I often get to try the products via samples or buying the product with a discount. I figured I would take this opportunity to just share some of my favorite Mary Kay products I've used so far!

Now I was never much of a make-up girl or even a girly girl, but some of this stuff is really neat!

Let's begin with a simple make-up must have: Mineral Foundation!
Now like I said, I was never much of a make-up girl - my first experience with make-up in Junior High involved liquid foundation and it worked TERRIBLE! No matter how much I applied or how I applied it or what I did I could not get rid of the typical make-up line. And being that I was in Junior High, of course kids would point it out and make fun of me. Needless to say, I stopped wearing the stuff after about a month and never wore make-up again aside from the occasional eye-shadow or concealer on zits for big events. It wasn't until about 6 months before my wedding in September 2008 that my mom and mother in law told me about mineral foundation. My mother in law had a spare BareMinerals set that she gave me to try and hey, mineral foundation works pretty well! By the time I ran out I had just started Mary Kay so I promptly made sure to get myself some of this! And I LOVE IT! Unlike liquid foundation, mineral foundation blends with the minerals in your skin to help give you a flawless look - no make-up line! Plus, it goes on quick so you don't need to spend a lot of time putting it on! Mineral foundation is a MUST HAVE for any woman - whether you wear a lot of make-up or just a little, wear make-up everyday or just for big occasions, DON'T BE WITHOUT THIS!

MUST HAVE for your Eyes: Eyesicles
Now this is a neat little product I have never seen anywhere else! Eyesicles works as both a primer and an eye shimmer. It adds just a bit of a light shimmer so that you can wear it without eyeshadow, but this creme to powder eye make-up also works as a primer so you can put other colors on top of it and it'll hold your eyeshadow in place! I often times just wear it for days when I'm going to work and want to look decent but don't feel like spending a lot of time on my make-up because I am just going to work. I'll take just a second, rub some of this stuff on top of my eyes and I'm good to go!

Winter MUST HAVE #1: Oil-Free Hydrating Gel
I LOVE this stuff! Now regardless of what skincare system you use, whether it be the Time-Wise Miracle Set, Proactive, Neutragena, or whatever, a little extra moisturizer in the winter is a must have - especially if your face is normally a little dry! Not only does it leave your skin feeling cool refreshed, but it also helps keep it moisturized for up to 10 hours, and has vitamin E, green tea extract as well as marine extract to keep your face feeling smooth! I've been using this stuff allllllllllll winter and it really has helped keep my face moist, as my skin tends to be dryer in the winter.

Winter MUST HAVE #2: Satin Lips Set
This lip balm and mask set is really neat! First, using your finger, you rub the lip mask all over your lips. It feels a little gritty, as it's a lip scrub that works to get rid of all that dry, dead skin and junk that's on your lips. Then using a wet towel, rub off the lip mask and apply some of the lip balm to help keep your lips nice and soft! 

MUST HAVE for your hands: Satin Hands Pampering Set
My mom LOVES this and about died until she got a set of her own for Christmas. This 3-step set is a really neat way to keep your hands feeling really soft! First, you use just a little bit of the cream and work it all over your hands, between your fingers, etc to help maintain your skin's natural moisture. Then, take 1-2 pumps worth of the hand smoothie scrub and rub that all over your hands and fingers to cleanse and exfoliate! Then rinse your hands off and dry them before applying just a little bit of the hand lotion for instant moisturization. The Satin Hands Pampering Set comes in either a Peach fragrance or a new fragrance-free version that keeps moisture for up to 24 hours! Once you try it, you'll love it!

Convenient MUST HAVE #1: The Mary Kay Compact
I LOVE this and was so excited when I got one! This neat little compact is magnetic, with a nice sized mirror and can be filled a number of different ways: you can use it as a foundation compact, an eyeshadow compact, a full look compact, or even an eyebrow compact! It also holds your applicators and either a lipstick, lipgloss or brow gel. And it's small enough that it fits nicely in your purse! In the one that I use, I have 3 eyeshadows and a blush, as well as a lipstick and my cheek and eye applicators. There's also a slightly bigger version called the Compact Pro which holds 3 times the eye shadows/foundations/blushes/etc, 2 lipglosses/lipsticks/brow gels, as well as a lip liner and an eye liner, in addition to your applicators! And unlike a lot of other compacts, these are magnetic, so they stay shut and your colors stay in place yet you can easily swap them out, so there's less mess!

Convenient MUST HAVE #2: Travel Roll-Up Bag
This bag is really neat and great for storage, organization and travel. It comes with 4 plastic zipper compartments that velcro onto the interior part so you can easily remove each section as needed. It also has a black swivel hook so you can keep it on the back of your bathroom door or a hook so it doesn't take up space elsewhere! And it holds A LOT - for the pampering parties, I have all my foundations and full sized skincare samples in this for easy carrying - it makes traveling a lot easier as everything is altogether in one place.

If you are interested in any of these products and would like to order some, please let me know or visit my site - I can easily hook you up and I ship anywhere in the US!

11.15.2009

Avon calling... too many times!

So recently, I decided to become an Independent Beauty Consultant with Mary Kay.

I was looking to make a little extra money cuz I figured anything is better than nothing and after looking into it more, I loved the philosophy the company is based on (The Golden Rule and the idea of God first, Family second, Career third). My husband seemed to like that when it came to Mary Kay, it is a consumable, unlike the jewelry I was considering selling, so that would mean I would always have people coming to me for reorders, plus, Mary Kay has a 90% buyback guarentee so if we decided it wasn't working out I could always return what I hadn't used and get 90% of what we paid for it back. I also liked that my unit's weekly meetings and get together was considered girl time too, as at times I get tired of being cooped up in the apartment when I'm not working 2 days a week at my day job.

Now a friend of mine was also considering signing up for Mary Kay after hearing all the benefits and rewards you can reap if you put the effort in, and asked on her Facebook if anyone would buy from her if she sold. Unfortunately, she didn't get a lot of good response and one girl even told her to sell Avon, citing Mary Kay ladies are crazy and pushy - I would beg to differ, just based off my own experiences.

Now true, I have heard stories of sales ladies from various companies who do get a bit pushy and annoying, but the only annoying experience with one I personally have had was with an Avon lady.

I got engaged at the beginning of January 2008 and shortly after I attended a local bridal expo with my mom and mother in law.

Now when you arrive at the expo, they have you fill out and sign a sheet with your phone number and email in order to qualify for any of the drawings they do throughout the expo. Without reading the fine print, I, like all the other soon to be brides, went ahead and filled out the form - who wouldn't want to get put in a drawing to win a free veil or honeymoon to the tropics?

Well, like most of the other soon to be brides, I didn't win any of the handful of drawings they did that afternoon.

A few weeks later, I got a voicemail from a lady who said she was an Avon rep and wanted to get together for a free facial and discuss my makeup for my wedding.

I wasn't interested, as my Matron of Honor did Mary Kay at the time and had already offered to do my makeup for me, so I didn't bother to call this Avon lady back and deleted her voicemail.

Then a week later, she called again and left me another voicemail, similar to the first.

Eventually she reached me one evening as I was driving home from work and was irritated that she was calling me YET AGAIN.

She told me who she was and why she was calling. She asked if I had makeup plans for my wedding yet and I informed her about my Matron of Honor being with Mary Kay and that she was already going to be doing my makeup for me. The lady then offered her free facial to me, but I told her I really didn't have the time and wasn't interested. She said if I changed my mind to please give her a call and I figured that was the end of it.

But it wasn't.

The next thing I knew, I was getting email offers from her EVERY OTHER WEEK. Luckily, I had them sent to an email account I wasn't checking regularly, but still...

I went to this bridal expo almost 2 years ago and it is the only place I can figure where she got my phone number and email address from, as I have never filled out anything for Avon before. TO THIS DAY I am STILL getting emails from this woman. I have NEVER bought anything from her, or from Avon for that matter, and I haven't even spoken to her since that one phone call back in February or March of 2008!!

Talk about annoying!

I finally figured out how to unsubscribe from her emails, as there was no "to unsubcribe from this mailing, click here" link on any of the emails (thank you gmail for implementing a block feature!)

So the lessons learned from this:
-Read the fine print before you sign up for anything at bridal expos (for example) as you never know who they will give your info to and how long that person will harass you for.
-And before you go defending one company over the other, you really can't say one company has crazy pushy ladies while another one is great because there will ALWAYS be someone who had a bad experience with the company you're saying is so great.

Do I think Mary Kay is great?
Sure I do - I wouldn't have signed up for it if I thought otherwise.

Will I tell you that no one is crazy or pushy there?
Well, to be honest, the only consultants I know and have encountered are the ones in my unit and some friends of mine who have sold it in the past. From my experiences, all the women I've met with Mary Kay are really friendly and aren't nearly as overly annoying or pushy as this one Avon lady I encountered was. Those of you that know me know that I'm not very pushy at all! And yet I'm doing just fine with my Mary Kay business.