Spring is here, and hopefully soon we will be having the weather to reflect that (it is currently still gloomy in Toronto). Until then, Mary Kay has a whole bunch of new items for the Spring season, some limited edition and some permanent, so let's take a look.
First off we have two new additions to the Mary Kay Clinical Solutions line. These are essentially super awesome actives in serum format. These these two new ones join the line up that already has
C Resveratrol Line-Reducer and
HA Ceramide Hydrator in its lineup.
Mary Kay Clinical Solutions Ferulic + Niacinamide Brightener is a concentration meant to help with hyperpigmentation, skin tone and texture. It's loaded with antioxidants to help with free radical damage.
It is safe to use with
Mary Kay Clinical Solutions Retinol 0.5 program, once you've completed the retinization process. It can also layered with the Clinical Solutions HA Ceramide Hydrator to boost it.
I really liked using this serum the last few weeks. My skin reacted really well to it, my darker spots cleared up faster while using it. My skin also got smoother, which was an issue I was having.
Mary Kay Clinical Solutions PHA+AHA Resurfacer is a hydroxy acid blend that helps exfoliate the skin and with skin cell turnover. It's best to use at night.
I personally have issues with my skin cell turnover, I end up with very clogged pores on both my face and body if I don't use an acid often. I found this one to be really effective and gentle. I used it at night after washing and toning and before my other serums and lotions. I had no tingle reaction to it, and I would definitely go get another bottle when this one runs out.
Next up are new limited edition
Duo Sticks. Previously there were blush and bronzer sticks just like this that where limited edition, this time we get 2 bronzer duo sticks as well as 1 Highlight Duo stick. Each bronzer features a cream shade on one side and shimmer on the other, while the highlight stick has two different shimmery highlights it.
Pearl & Gold is the highlight stick. One side is a Pearl white shade and the other Gold (seems obvious I know). The Pearl's shimmer has a pink-peach duo-chrome to it, while Gold has a light old-gold/taupe shade to its shimmer. While both sides are quite shimmery, the Pearl side definitely has a bit more chunk to its shimmer/glitter. When blended out the Pearl shades chunky glitters disperse nicely but that is really all that you are left seeing. I really think this side would be best used on the body as a highlight. The Gold ends up being much more even when spread out. While I really love this stick, I just don't wear that shimmery of highlights anymore, and probably wont be wearing it any time soon.
Bronze & Shimmer is the darker of the two Cream Bronzer Duos. The contour side/Bronze is a relatively deep shade that is has no shimmer in it at all. While the Shimmer side is a beautiful metallic bronzer shade that runs a bit copper with more red leaning tones in it. It also has copper toned shimmer in it. They pair together really well and are very easy to blend out.
Honey & Luster is the lighter of the two Cream Bronzer Duos. It is the one I will most likely be using since I am a paler person. The contour/Honey is just like the other one, it is without any shimmer. Luster is beautiful light bronze tone. It has gold reflecting shimmer in it. They go together very well as they are about the same depth in shade and not too different in colour.
All three of these sticks blend out well, don't feel greasy at all and look fantastic on the skin. As someone who learned to bronze and contour with cream instead of powder I really enjoy using them.
Mary Kay has always had some pretty nice hand products in its lineup, I personally cannot live without
Satin Hands Pampering Kit, which is why whenever they do a limited edition of hand creams I get excited. These purse friendly hand reams come in three options,
Mandarin & Rose ,
Mango & Orange Flower and
Wild Berry & Passionflower. All three smell amazing! I love how fresh and uplifting they are this time of year. They are 73 ml, so not too tiny but the right size to keep in your purse and not feel like you're going to run out after a day or two.
They contain Shea Butter, Sunflower Seed Oil, Safflower Oil, and Apricot Kernel Oil. All these ingredients make for a great feeling hand cream. I find the cream a bit thicker than the average hand creams, but not so thick that they become a problem to absorb into the skin. It is in my opinion, the perfect consistency for a hand cream.
They all smell fruity, but definitely not overwhelming. They all have a wonderful balance of fruity and floral, in fact they have full Top, Middle and Bottom notes for each one, making them far more complex then I would usually find in a lotion like this. Personally the Wildberry & Passion Flower is my favourite (and currently residing in my purse).
Fragrance Notes:
Mandarin & Rose
Top Notes: Juicy Cassis, Juicy Kumquat, Sparkling Mandarin
Middle Notes: Lush Orchid, Pink Honeysuckle, Jasmine Sambac, Turkish Rose
Bottom Notes: Smooth Sandalwood, Musk, Creamy Vanilla
Wild Berry & Passionflower
Top Notes: Sparkling Wild Berry, Fuzzy Peach Nectar, White Pineapple
Middle Notes: Water Lily, Pink Passionflower, Bright Pink Plumeria
Bottom Notes: Amber Crystals, Creamy Musk, Vanilla Orchid
Mango & Orange Flower
Top Notes: Pulpy Mango, Dragon Fruit, Sparkling Red Currant
Middle Notes: Orange Flower Water, White Orchid, Watery Cantaloupe
Bottom Notes: Coconut Husk, Vanilla, Solar Musk
Mary Kay's
Supreme Hydrating Lipstick is one of my favourite lipstick lines. They are rich in colour and silky on the lips all while keeping my lips hydrated. They literally feel like lip balms when they go on the lips, which is probably due to the Sunflower Oil and Vitamin E in it. I personally consider it a tinted lip balm because that is what they feel like.
Mary Kay has added two new shades to the line up
Think of Pink and
Very Raspberry. Both are very pretty shades that I think are easy to wear.
Think of Pink is a nice soft pink shade that is very sheer. While it show up very well (but still sheer) on my arm swatch, not much pops through on my lips, and that's ok. My one friend commented how pink it looked in the stick but how light it looked on my lips. I actually really like that, it lets your own lip shade shine though while adding the tone of pink to it. It makes pink very wearable for just about anyone.
Very Raspberry has more oomph to its colour. It is a great pinky-raspberry shade that can go on darker but can also be applied more sheer if you go lightly or blot your lips.
Overall, I adore everything in this Spring launch. If I were to suggest three things to get it would be, one of the hand creams for a Mother's Day gift, The Very Raspberry Lipstick because I think it looks good on everyone, and a Cream Bronzer Duo stick in your best shade because they are great.
The cases are really sleek with matte black outsides and magnetic closing caps. The bullets themselves have an angular design and are embossed with e.l.f. on them. Dust is prone to sticking to it, so it may not be the best loose in a purse. Over a very sleek and stylish design for a lipstick that cost me $7.
