Mary Kay's Resurgence, Fab Lip Balms & New Serum

During this recession, two factors are driving sales for Mary Kay - no longer "your dotty aunt's makeup company." Some women are looking for ways to work from home and make some extra money, and others are looking for less expensive, but effective beauty products. Those two factors, along with the introduction of some great new products, are converging to boost Mary Kay sales. Why not jump on the bandwagon?

A friend of mine, Suzanne Porter-Kuchay, sent me some samples of Mary Kay Tinted Lip Balm Sunscreen SPF 15 ($13). I love them! I think I need every color, and at $13, I can afford every color.

The balm, in a slender lipstick tube, is an innovative product - enriched with botanical ingredients, such as shea butter and jojoba oil, and the antioxidant power of Vitamins A and C and green tea extract. It's like using three products in one: moisturizer, color, and UVA and UVB protection. This is my kind of lip balm!

I started with Blush, a nice natural pink-peach. It has no discernible fragrance or taste (great!), and it applies easily and evenly. The color is well-pigmented, so in addition to a balm, the product really does color the lips like a lipstick. That's really nice! I am so impressed. Rose is utterly gorgeous and is featured in one of the Makeup Artist Looks for Summer, Luminous Finish. Make sure to get a Mary Kay catalog. Curl up one evening and shop! I did, and it was surprisingly fun. Of course, there's certainly a Mary Kay party nearby for social gals who love to group-shop or those who need to see before they buy.

I'm very interested in trying a brand new anti-aging product, Timewise Replenishing Serum +C ($55). Mary Kay has test data to show that the serum lifts and firms the skin, and with the ingredients the company has used, this is probably true. The antioxidant-rich serum is formulated with botanicals known for high levels of Vitamin C and ingredients that enhance the production of new collagen and help keep existing collagen from breaking down. It also contains ingredients known to support the elasticity of the skin (anyone losing elasticity will know that if you sleep on a cotton pillowcase fold by accident, the fold in your skin will take hours to disappear).

Here's what's in the new serum.

Pomegranate – Often referred to as a “superfruit” because of the large number of vitamins it contains, this fruit has a high level of vitamin C, along with other vitamins and antioxidants. It has been used for centuries to help reduce the effects of oxidative stress. If you look, you'll see pomegranate being used in more and more products today.

Kakadu Plum extract – Derived from the Kakadu plum, a fruit reported to have one of the highest concentrations of vitamin C. For example, the amount of vitamin C in 3 ½ ounces of Kakadu plum is 3000 mg, while the same amount of orange contains just 50 mg.

Camu Camu extract – The fruit of the camu camu tree is known to have the second highest level of vitamin C of any fruit. The tree grows in the rainforests of South America.

Acerola Cherry extract – Especially rich in vitamins C and A, this fruit has been shown to have powerful antioxidant benefits.

Black Currant Berry extract – These berries contain high levels of vitamin C and other vitamins and minerals.

Argan seed extract – A botanical extract derived from the argan tree, which grows only in Africa. Groves of argan trees provide the last barrier against the desert. Argan is also showing up in new products, including Kiehl's.

After a two-week test, the majority of participants experienced lifted, more resilient, younger, and enhanced skin.

The serum comes in four weekly vials designed to keep the product fresh, important for a product with high levels of vitamin C. My advice? Keep the unused vials in a cool, dark place to keep the product stable. How to apply? Apply three pumps to face and throat in the morning and evening after cleansing, toning, and/or exfoliating and before moisturizer. Each vial should last one week. I haven't gotten my hands on this serum yet, but I will and report back.

In the meantime, I am loving my lip balm samples and can't wait to get my hands on a more permanent supply.

If you click on the links in this posting, you will go to Suzanne's Mary Kay site. You can also reach her at spkuchay@marykay.com.

Photos courtesy of Mary Kay.