Faking the Bronzed Glow
*This post contains PR samples Mary Kay recently sent me a few of their products to replicate a faux tan look their Global Makeup Artist, Luis Casco, created on Project Runway a few weeks ago, and since I was a complete virgin when it came to Mary Kay products, I thought it would also be a great opportunity to try out a few bits and document my foray into the brand.
I had the opportunity to try out Mary Kay's Translucent Powder, Bronzing Powders in Light-Medium and Medium-Dark, as well as their Mineral Cheek Color in Shy Blush.
After applying my usual base, I lightly dusted the Translucent Powder ($16) onto my t-zone to negate any shine that may tend to peek through throughout the day. It's light and finely-milled, and it blended in and looked completely invisible on the skin. It set my foundation well and provided a fair amount of oil-control, but definitely not enough for those with true oily skin, in my opinion. Unfortunately, I have yet to wear it while taking flash photography, so I cannot speak to whether or not it causes flashback, similarly to Make Up For Ever HD Powder.
I then took a large stippling brush and applied the Bronzing Powder in Medium-Dark ($18) in the classic 3 shape on both sides of my face (forehead, cheekbones, jawline) and used the Light-Medium shade to blur out the edges of the darker bronzer, as well as act as a golden highlight. Now, let me warn you, these bronzers are shimmery! Not a glitter-type of shimmer, but borderline frosty/metallic. Applying with a dense brush would likely bring out this finish even more, but I thought the stippling brush method diffused the product enough where it didn't seem too over the top. In terms of shades, Medium-Dark is best for skintones NC30 and darker, while Light-Medium would probably best suite NC20 and lighter; it's the awkward NC20-30 range that may find it more difficult choosing a shade. Light-Medium actually looks more like a dark highlighter to me than it does a bronzer.
Lastly, I applied the Mineral Cheek Color in Shy Blush ($12). It's a NARS Orgasm-type of shade (peachy-pink with golden shimmer), except Shy Blush is less red compared to Orgasm, the latter often leaving me looking like I might suffer from rosacea. Like the bronzers, Shy Blush's shimmer is borderline frosty, which may or may not be your cup of tea. The finish is almost wet looking, initially, which I actually didn't mind as I found it quite pretty, but as the day went on, I found the finish started emphasizing my pores a bit more than I'd like.
All of the powders feel silky smooth to the touch, blend easily with minimal effort, and have medium, buildable pigmentation.
I then took a large stippling brush and applied the Bronzing Powder in Medium-Dark ($18) in the classic 3 shape on both sides of my face (forehead, cheekbones, jawline) and used the Light-Medium shade to blur out the edges of the darker bronzer, as well as act as a golden highlight. Now, let me warn you, these bronzers are shimmery! Not a glitter-type of shimmer, but borderline frosty/metallic. Applying with a dense brush would likely bring out this finish even more, but I thought the stippling brush method diffused the product enough where it didn't seem too over the top. In terms of shades, Medium-Dark is best for skintones NC30 and darker, while Light-Medium would probably best suite NC20 and lighter; it's the awkward NC20-30 range that may find it more difficult choosing a shade. Light-Medium actually looks more like a dark highlighter to me than it does a bronzer.
Lastly, I applied the Mineral Cheek Color in Shy Blush ($12). It's a NARS Orgasm-type of shade (peachy-pink with golden shimmer), except Shy Blush is less red compared to Orgasm, the latter often leaving me looking like I might suffer from rosacea. Like the bronzers, Shy Blush's shimmer is borderline frosty, which may or may not be your cup of tea. The finish is almost wet looking, initially, which I actually didn't mind as I found it quite pretty, but as the day went on, I found the finish started emphasizing my pores a bit more than I'd like.
All of the powders feel silky smooth to the touch, blend easily with minimal effort, and have medium, buildable pigmentation.
Have you tried Mary Kay? Any must-have products I should try?
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Disclosure: These products were sent to me for consideration for a review. I am not affiliated with the company, nor am I getting paid for this post. The opinions expressed in this post are based solely on my own experience with the products.
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