Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder . . . and Mary Kay

Greetings, beautiful people! So, I learned an amazing thing this past week while I was visting friends in TN - Mary Kay makeup and skin-care products are AWESOME!  I recently visited my "pseudo sister," Laura, her husband, and their two boys (my "pseudo nephews"), in Sewanee, TN.  I refer to these people as "pseudo" family members because I have known Laura and her brother, Mike, since I was three years old.  I have known their younger brother, Daniel, for his entire 21 years of life.  Laura has two beautiful, angelic little boys, Jackson (almost 2) and Cooper (almost 2 months).  My husband and I made the trip down south to visit Laura, Nick and Jackson, and to meet baby Cooper (and visit the rest of the Forster clan, of course).

Laura has been selling Mary Kay products since this fall.  She had told me about her new business venture, but, although I wanted to provide more than just moral support, I refrained from any purchases because I assumed that I could not afford Mary Kay.  While we were down there, I asked Laura to do my makeup before we went out one night, and I explained to her what my "skin gripes" were.  Specifically, (the title of my blog is "Quite Frankly," so I am just being honest) my skin is always some shade of pink.  That shade of pink is difficult to cover without a lot of makeup (at least, it takes a lot of makeup that you can buy at Kroger).  I also need to shrink my pores to help get rid of my stubborn blackheads.  To top it all off, law school has left me with puffiness and dark circles under my eyes.  Armed with all of this information, Laura went to work.  I was WOWed by the outcome.

First of all, I wasn't able to immediately see the results of the skin-care products (obviously), but Laura is extremely knowledgeable about all of her products.  She explained the importance of skin care, and recommended the products necessary to solve my skin problems.  Next, she taught me how to properly apply makeup.  This is a skill that many people who are good at it take for granted.  I spent 15 years of my life playing soccer and rolling around in the mud, so I don't know the first thing about what most makeup products are for, and I definitely have no idea how to apply most of them.  Laura explained and demonstrated how to apply the makeup products that she was using.  Needless to say, at the end of the day, I ended up purchasing about 18 things.

I LOVED the results of my mini-makeover.  I looked like a new person!  The best part - it is way cheaper than I thought! I have been using Cover Girl (or comparable brands of) makeup since I started law school.  I just can't afford the department store makeup that I bought when my parents were giving me my "spending money."  I have done a little bit of research, and here is the breakdown:  the roll-on foundation that I used (Loreal) is about $13 at Kroger;  the foundation that I bought to take on my honeymoon from Macys (Chanel brand) was $54; the comparable liquid foundation that I purchased from Mary Kay - $20!!!!!!  The foundation that I used in TN was actually a mineral powder foundation, which costs $18.  I prefer the feeling of the mineral powder foundation because I don't like the feeling of makeup on my face, but I have never found a mineral powder foundation that actually covered the redness of my complexion.  That is, until now.  To continue with the price comparisons, I used to buy Chanel mascara as well - $30.  The mascara that I purchased from Mary Kay (which I LOVE, by the way) - $15.  Now, while I realize that Cover Girl mascara is closer to $7, I definitely feel like the Mary Kay mascara is worth the extra $8.  For one last comparison, I will mention the prices of moisturizer.  The moisturizer that I have been using for years (Lancome) costs $45 at Macys.  I do love that moisturizer, but Mary Kay's equally effective moisturizer - $22.

The moral of the story is . . . I have been completely sold on Mary Kay products.  The products are a bit more expensive than the brands that you can buy at Kroger, but the quality far surpasses that price differential.  It is worth the extra $5-10!  The quality is equal to (or better, I think) than the department store brands, but a fraction of the price.  Plus, you get an amazing consultant (like Laura!) who is extremely knowledgeable and who can recommend the right products.

I am waiting on half of my products to arrive, but when they do, I promise to keep my readers updated on the results.  If the skin-care products don't work, I will tell everyone honestly.  I have used all of the makeup products though, and I KNOW that they are amazing.

I will be hosting at least one Mary Kay party in the Charleston area in the coming months.  Laura will travel from TN to take orders, explain and recommend products, etc.  If anyone is interested, let me know, and I will try to get her up this way again!  Even if you can't make your way to a party, you can check out her Twitter and Facebook page and get advice/submit orders that way.

http://twitter.com/#!/lauraeknight
http://www.facebook.com/lauraeknight.MK

Here is a picture of her work! Be kind, any deficiencies are from my natural looks, not her makeup job! Also, my camera promptly died after this photo was taken, so I don't have any better ones.  I will post results photos at some point! :)