Raise your hands if you love lipsticks like me! I already have a case full of lipsticks, but I can't seem to stop buying them cos the colours are just so pretty :x My latest obsession has been these Mary Kay Gel Semi-Matte Lipsticks! Now, it can seem quite confusing to have a gel formulation lipstick, with a matte finish? Let's see how it holds up! Plus, I was so inspired by the colours that I decided to do 4 different looks with them, read till the end to see more :)
I'm sure most of you have heard of Mary Kay, a consultant brand, whereby they are famous for their beauty products. Introducing the New Mary Kay Gel Semi-Matte Lipstick where you can truly embrace an intense, stay-true long-lasting colour with lip-cushioning gel comfort. Using advanced "Cushion Matrix Technology", pigments are milled for 24 horus to get ultrafine silica microspheres that are embedded so that it retains colour on the surface of the lips. Formulated with a soft-focus effect with optical enhancers or diffusers, it is able to scatter light and blur the appearance of any minor imperfections so you get a flawless, smooth application. Ingredients such as sunflower oil and jojoba esters are found as well to condition the lips.
Whilst there are all these wonderful things in the lipstick formulation, the packaging itself is something you'd be proud to carry around or display too! Check out the sleek, black packaging with classic silver Mary Kay embellishment that makes the lipstick look so elegant! The lipstick names are all printed on the bottom of the bullet and also the bottom of the box it came in. I find that they each have such cute names!
There is even a clear-top window at the lid to make it easier to find your favourite semi-matte shades in a snap. Speaking of which, the lipstick is sort of magnetic so it snaps shut when you try to close it. The Mary Kay name is also printed on the silver part on the inside. The packaging actually reminds me of my Marc Jacobs lipstick!
Check out these trendy colours! There are 8 shades in this series that are perfect for any season or outfit! If you're curious about the "gel" aspect of the lipstick, you can actually tell that the lipstick bullet has a gel finish which looks shiny or plastic-ky even, but not to worry, it actually glides on so exceptionally, transforming the pigment surface to a gel-like fluidity. The base of this gel semi-matte lipstick is translucent, allowing for rich color saturation.
I received 4 lovely colours from Mary Kay and I'm so pleased with the choices because they cover everything from nudes to pinks to reds to berries. From the names, you can already kinda guess what the shades will be. As you can tell from the swatches, the colours of the lipsticks do look true to the tube, but how do they fare when worn on the lips?
Bashful You actually looks a lot more orange on my hand, but much pinker on the lips. Always Apricot is a sweet pink shade but I wouldn't say the name is completely apt as apricots are more orangey? :p Poppy Please is a lovely bright red with pink undertones that is perfect for any skin tone while Crushed Berry has a lovely plum hue that almost looks fuschia but is totally wearable on a daily basis. These are all applied in one layer, see how pigmented they are! As you can tell, the lipsticks have a semi-matte finish that doesn't settle completely into the lip lines, but still makes them look healthy and plump. I know that matte lipsticks are all the rage now but they can really dry out the lips. Thank goodness these semi-matte lipsticks have the moisturising ingredients in it that doesn't dry out the lips! However, I do tend to notice that the darker shades have a smoother application as compared to the lighter shades as those tend to emphasise the lip wrinkles more.
Bashful You
Since I love these lipsticks so much, I decided to do a few different looks with them. The first one is Bashful You which is great for a no make-up, make-up for everyday wear. All you need is simple eye-makeup, a light coat of mascara and sweet peach blusher in order to compliment the lips! Nude colours tend to be quite sheer on the lips, but this lipstick gives off such good colour pay-off in just one swipe, I was surprised!
Always Apricot
Whilst Always Apricot looks more red in the photo, I love that it's such a sweet pink on the lips. I was inspired to add some faux freckles for a cutesy look! Add some pink eyeshadow and blush, and you're good to go! This look is great for a girls' day out :D It is said that you should use a lip liner and lip brush to apply the lipsticks, but I find that the shape of it is already perfect for direct application on the lips, especially at the corners.
Poppy Please
I thought that I'd have to stay away from red lips for now due to my newly-dyed red hair, but I was surprised that this spicy red actually suits me quite well and even compliments the red hair! I think the secret is because of the pink undertone that doesn't clash with my hair that has slight maroon tones. I decided to pair the red lips with some gold eye makeup to make the lips really pop and it's a look that's perfect for prom or date night!
Crushed Berry
Fall is the perfect time to sport a dark lip! If you've been wanting to try out dark, bold lips but do not have the courage to, this Crushed Berry shade is for you. It's not too dark but still bad-ass enough to wear on a regular basis. Because the berry colour is so wearable, it's alright to pair with a strong eye-makeup for special occassions. Sometimes with dark lips, it tends to stain the lips or be too drying, but this Mary Kary Gel Semi-Matte Lipstick is so comfortable on the lips and easy to remove!
To sum it up, I love these elegant lipsticks with versatile shades that are great for every occassion. These lipsticks will be available from 1st August 2016 onwards. I also love that the shades cover almost every colour spectrum as I truly believe that every girl needs to own at least one of these shades in their collection (plus orange too)! These lipsticks are apparently long-wear, but I find that they do need reapplication after eating or drinking. You can finally say bye-bye to dry lips when sporting matte lips, just enjoy the comfort of wearing these lipsticks while looking great! I'd still advise you to wear a lip balm under the lighter shades as they tend to settle into lip lines though, but otherwise, the lipsticks make the lips so soft & supple!
What I love:
- Trendy, versatile shades for all occassions and outfits
- Semi-matte finish, but still looks vibrant
- Smooth application without leaving lips looking or feeling dry
- Classy packaging, love the transparent window on the lid to find colours easily
- Doesn't fade, feather or bleed
What I don't:
- Not as long-wearing as I'd hoped, reapplication needed after eating or drinking
- Lighter shades tends to settle into the lip lines more
You can learn more about the lipsticks here!
MARY KAY NEW GEL SEMI-MATTE LIPSTICK
Price: RM55.00
Volume: 3.6g
Where to Buy: Mary Kay website or contact Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant at 03-7711 7500 to purchase
Be The "You" You Were Meant To Be
Pic from Mary Kay
Speaking of which, Mary Kay has recently announced entries to the Mary Kay Asia Pacific 2016 Dream Beautiful Contest are now OPEN! This is the 4th year since its inception and this glamorous beauty contest is a regional makeover competition celebrating the making of Asia's next modeling star and makeup artist talent. Mary Kay believes in the numerous possibility of a woman and her dreams, encouraging you to Be The "You" You Were Meant To Be. Contestants will come from nine countries including Australia, China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Korea, Singapore, Philippines, New Zealand and Taiwan. Essentially, a Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultatnts enter the contest with her customer as a pair in the local contest, before representing their country in Hong Kong next year for a glamourous weeklong regional Grand Finale! Check out this video for more info!
Contest begins 1 July 2016 till March 2017. Contact your Independent Beauty Consultant at 03-7711 7500 to get a FREE makeover and join the contest or visit the website to find out more.
For more information, check out Mary Kay's:
Website | Dream Beautiful Website | Facebook | Instagram
Disclaimer: Even though the review was sponsored, it has not affected my opinion in anyway. All opinions on products and services are purely my own after trying it out personally.
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