Mineral Powder Foundation

Another day, another reason to show everyone your fabulosity!!!!

I know you have all been waiting with bated breath... what IS she going to tell us about NEXT?!?!?! I know.. it's okay, the wait is over!

Everyone knows that minerals are all the rage right now, you can hardly go a day without seeing a commercial for minerals - Bare Minerals ($60+ ... and is multiple time consuming steps - ew), Neutrogena, Maybelline, L'Oreal (drugstore = cheap crappy ingredients!!!!), Department store brands - don't even get me started! You do realize that Lancome is owned by L'Oreal!? So you are paying 50 bucks for the same foundation that you can buy at Walgreens for 9 bucks. Sounds like a solid investment. At $18 for the mineral powder and a one-time $10 investment in the specially designed brush Mary Kay has one of the best (if not the best) deals in the industry if you want a quality product (aka not the drugstore)
So even though its the rage a lot of you are probably wondering why you should be using minerals as opposed to your normal stuff - what makes it better? Well for starters you are essentially paying for a greater quantity of makeup - in the same size packaging. You are like... say WHAT??! I know, but the biggest difference between regular makeup and mineral makeup is that the binders, fillers, fragrances, synthetic dyes and preservatives that pollute regular makeup have been removed. Binders are going to be products that keep all the seperate chemical compounds in the makeup from separating and fillers are ingredients that add bulk to the cosmetic without any appreciable value to the consumer. And yes, you thought preservatives were just for food - NOT!

Now, the term "mineral" or "all natural" (which by the way - no makeup is all natural unless you do it yourself from all natural ingredients - all cosmetics companies have to use pharmaceutical grade ingredients which means they have been processed and purified = GOOD THING) is not regulated by the government, so the consumer should be wary here - what is good for the goose may NOT be good for the gander. There are some ingredients you should definitely be on the look out for:

• Bismuth Oxychloride - a pearlizing compound that will give you a luminous glow... along with righteous skin irritationt (can cause itching, rashes and CYSTIC ACNE)- EWW! Guess which products have this??? If you want to know scroll over this: Bare Minerals, Almay, Au Courant, Bobbi Brown, Covergirl, Estee Lauder, Elizabeth Arden, Urban Decay.... just to name a few.
  
• Imidazolidinyl Urea/Diazolidinyl Urea - first of all.... UREA = urine... yeaaaaah it's the main component of your pee. So, gross. Not only that but these preservatives cause skin irritation and decomposes into formaldehyde (you know.. that stuff they embalm dead things in). Does it sound like something you want on your skin? Are YOU dead??? Noooooo or you wouldn't be a loyal reader now would you? So who are the offenders in this case? Laura Mercier, Maybelline, L'Oreal, Merle Norman, Artistry by Amway (ew anyways), Avon, Stila (highlight to see names)
  

This is by no means a complete list, and I will be adding to it over the coming months for those of you who are interested, but I thought I would include those for the time being.

Now some of the other benefits of mineral products (besides the fact that they are missing the binders that clog up the regular makeup styles) is that they often contain vitamins (in this case vitamins A, C, and E (often found in the ingredients label under the name tocopherol or tocopherol acetate), Titanium Dioxide (a natural sunscreen), Mica (light reflecting mineral) and a whole host of minerals that absorb oil and keep your skin looking fresh all day long.

The Mary Kay Mineral Powder Foundation is tested for skin irritancy, non-comedogenic (wont give you zits), oil and fragrance free (part of why it doesn't cause skin irritation) and has buildable coverage. Buildable coverage means that depending on what look I am going for I can have a basic sheer coverage or by applying multiple light layers I can achieve a full coverage look.

Look people - this product works. I have been using it since February and even used it for my wedding. The coverage is great - sheer when I want it and more when I need it. It also photographs really amazingly - you know that luminous flawless look that models have in the magazines... well let me just give you an anecdote. I was on my way to watch my husband's band play a show and I brought our new HD camcorder (the hubs is a electronics fan needless to say) and so in my narcicism and boredom I turned the camera on myself and watched myself through the viewscreen. Let me tell you - my skin was AWeSOMe!!! I'm hooked.

So long story short I give this product my seal of approval and recommend it to everyone that I meet. It's so easy to apply, looks like your own skin except better.

Who needs stinking photoshop? Not you!!!

Laters,

miss fabulosity

TimeWise 3-in-1 Cleanser

HELLO fabulous people!

Time for my first product review, and I think it is best to start with the basics... YOUR SKIN! Seriously you cannot reach your full potential in fabulosity if you don't take care of the largest organ of your body! So, that being said here is the run down of the TimeWise 3-in-1 Cleanser:
This cleanser is suitable for sensitive skin, it is oil- and fragrance-free and non-comedogenic (doesn't cause blackheads!!! tres important people). It is called a 3-in-1 cleanser because it cleanses, exfoliates (with the use of little beads in the cleanser) and freshens (or acts like a toner if you haven't heard of a freshener!). It is part of a system that Mary Kay calls the "Miracle Set" that collectively contains a patented formula that has been PROVEN to make you look younger, or keep you looking young to begin with!

Ok so enough with the marketing, I know you want to know how the product really works! I have been using this cleanser (in conjunction with the rest of the Miracle Set) since February of this year, and I have to confess something to you. I used to use BAR SOAP on my face... I know... gross. But the first time I got this cleanser on my face, I cannot even tell you how soft my face felt! I'm still fairly wrinkle-free, soooo I cannot personally attest to the age-reversing properties of the set, however my day job is a background in biology can tell you that there are TONS of really good things about this from an anti-aging standpoint.

• that patent thing they are talking about - well it actually is a combination of ingredients that work together to stimulate something called "corneum protease" which causes your skin to renew itself - this is a good thing because as we age our skin cells replace themselves at a slower and slower rate, so encouraging skin cells to turn over faster means your skin will stay looking fresh and young!
• Thermus thermophilus ferment - gross sounding name for a REALLY cool ingredient! This is actually the protiens that are produced by a bacteria that lives around deep-sea vents in the ocean that are really, and I mean really, HOT. These protiens remove free-radicals (which are nasty little compounds that cause your cells to break down - think about what hydrogen pyroxide does to cuts...) but the really cool part is that these protiens actually work better the warmer they are... so your warm water when you wash your face is actually making them work harder and get rid of even more free radicals - a very good thing!
• The remainder of the ingredients are either botanical astringents (sage, grapefruit extract, hops, witch hazel, etc.), emollients (moisturizers) or things that keep the ingredients from separating and making a hot mess.
  

So basically, this is a really awesome cleanser, and I HIGHLY recommend it. And at $18 its less expensive than most department store brands (most range from , plus you get the benefit of a highly trained beauty consultant who provides you with the ultimate in customer service. It comes in three formulas - combination/oily and normal/dry and a cleansing bar. The combo/oily formula is more of a gel while the normal/dry is a creamier more moisturizing formula. The cleansing bar is best for oily skin and men and it comes with a soap dish - very convenient!!

SO - what are you waiting for??? Time to be fabulous - so start with your SKIN. More to come soon!!!

miss fabulosity

Welcome

Hello MK Lovers and the uninitiated alike ~

Bookmark this site now because it is going to be your new favorite place to visit for all things makeup and skincare! PINKfabulosity is going to tell you everything you need to know to look and feel your best all year long. I'm a biologist but that's just my day job. You can call me miss fabulosity! I love makeup for the sheer sake of itself - the beauty, the artistry, the FUN - and because no great work of art can be done on a crappy canvas (hello - did picasso do his art on cardboard boxes... NO) as a result of this love of makeup I have also become well versed in the world of taking care of the SKIN you put it on!

I will be telling you about the fabulositious products from Mary Kay (which is my favorite brand - no questions) and how to use them. I will also be telling you how to look FIERCE and not like a hot mess (noo tramps here). Plus I can give you insider information on just what is this Mary Kay thing - trust me your consultant should be your new best friend!!!!

So stick around, get out your lipstick and make sure you check back EVERY DAY so you can be just as FABULOSITIOUS as I am!

Laters

miss fabulosity