mark Glow Baby Glow Hook Up Lip Gloss

mark's Glow Baby Glow Hook Up Lip Gloss ($12 for two glosses) is a bargain! Right now, there's a special offer. You will receive a free mark hook-up connector with the purchase of any two shades. Why not start with m.powerment Peach and m.powerment Gold?

Lauren Conrad and her makeup artist Amy Nadine worked closely with mark to create these shades for m.powerment by mark. The shades, not available elsewhere, were used in the makeup looks worn by the models during Lauren's runway show.

If you purchase the m.powerment shades, 100% of the proceeds ($5.31 each) will be donated to m.powerment by mark, a philanthropic initiative committed to breaking the cycle of dating abuse and partner violence. I think of the tragedy of Yeardley Love, brutally murdered by another University of Virginia lacrosse player this year, and I know it's the right time for m.powerment. A Domestic Violence Resource Guide will be sent with each purchase.

Glow Baby Glow has a super-reflective finish (check! see photo), created by pearlized micro-particles that capture and reflect light from every angle to give your lips a luxe, glam finish. Beyond its glistening shine, Glow Baby Glow offers sheer color and minty freshness all in one, leaving behind a gloss that feels great on the lips and provides the softening we all expect from a nice lip gloss. This gloss sticks around without being tacky.

My photo was taken in full sun and adds more a little more shine to the swatches at right than they have. You can see the pretty, ripe peach color at top and the all-purpose gold below. These are very sheer shades. I had to paint them on fairly heavily with their doe-foot applicators to get enough even pigment on my arm to show you the colors. Unless you layer them, as I did, the colors are sheer.

mark has plenty of other Hook Up Colors if these don't suit you. Check them out at this link. mark is Avon's little sister and always offers great value for your hard-earned dollars. You can find a local representative at this mark link or shop online.

Photo at top and lip gloss courtesy of mark

Jessica Szohr's Mark Look at the Piranha 3D Premiere

Normally, I don't write about mark, but I buy mark makeup now and then, and I'm impressed with the price to quality ratio of this incredibly affordable makeup line. I know you gals love an occasional "affordable beauty" feature, so here's one that interested me.

Recently, mark's Celebrity Makeup Artist Mai Quynh shared her expert tips for creating Gossip Girl's Jessica Szohr's gorgeous makeup look for the premiere of Piranha 3D. Since I'm not a big movie theater fan, I missed the news of Jessica's red carpet look. Luckily, a PR friend shared it with me so that I could share it with you.

The film was a remake of the 1978 comedy-horror Piranha. In the film, Jessica played Kelly Driscoll, a hot young townie caught up in the excitement of coeds who have descended upon the area for spring break. From what I understand, the movie is an R-rated blood-n-babes extravaganza - probably not my kind of film. Makeup, however, is right up my alley!

Here is the skinny from Mai Quynh herself on how she created Jessica's sulty look. She used a lot of products, but you could use a few of the mark products to fill in what you already have and be ready for the red carpet yourself! As for the sexy, strapless red dress? You're own your own.

“For Jessica’s face, I started by applying mark Calm & Composed Super-Soothing Moisturizer to create a nice canvas. Next, I applied mark Face Xpert Flawless Touch Makeup in Golden with the mark Foundation Brush to even out her skin tone. Then, I used the mark Concealer Brush to dab on mark Good Riddance Hook Up Concealer in Medium/Deep around her nose and under her eyes and blended into the rest of her skin to create a smooth finish. Next, I set her foundation with mark Powder Buff Natural Skin Foundation in Golden using the mark Powder Brush. After the powder set, I dusted on mark Bronze Pro Bronzing Powder in Bronze Pro using the mark Angled Contour Face Brush to create a healthy glow. I finished her face by lightly brushing mark Good Glowing Mosaic Blush Custom Color Palette in Hush Baby onto the apples of her cheeks.” There's something to be said for those cheekbones! The right makeup application can give all of us cheekbones to die for.

“For her eyes, I used the mark Flat Eyeliner Brush to apply mark Keep It Going Longwear Eyeliner & Shadow in Surreal (bronze color) along her upper and lower lash line, blending upwards onto her lid. I then used the mark All Over Eye Shadow Brush to dust mark I-Mark Custom Pick Eye Shadow in Plum Velvet to her eyelid, from the lash line to her crease to really make her eyes pop. To finish, I carefully rimmed her eyes twice with mark No Place to Run Eyeliner in Jet Set followed by two coats of mark Lash Splash Hook Up Waterproof Mascara in Black.”

“For her lips, I used mark Lipclick Full Color Lipstick in Bare Hug. This nude shade is universally flattering and really looks great on all skin tones.”

As I'm sure you know, mark is a trendy line developed by Avon for younger women (well, younger than me). We know Avon rivals some of the best brands in the business, and mark is Avon's "little sister." The "age thing" doesn't matter to me. If I like a color, I'll buy it. That's why you can find mark in my "makeup pileup."

You can find mark at this link online. There is a representative locator at this link.

Photo courtesy of mark