photo courtesy of Latina Bloggers Connect Mary Kay nourishine plus lip gloss in Rock n’ Red
Before I share my Tips & Tricks on hosting a fun and fabulous Mary Kay party – I thought I’d share a little backstory on how I fell in love with Mary Kay products. {updated 5/27/15}
I can’t tell you how often people tell me: You look really tired. As if I didn’t know. As if I didn’t look in the mirror every day. As if my tube of under eye concealer goes untouched. As if the exhaustion is fighting its way through my make up.
But truth be told – I look tired, because I am tired. I don’t get much sleep.
Related: Self-Care Saturday: A Little Makeup Goes a Long Way
Even though, I go through the motions of applying under eye concealer, pressed powder, blush and painting on my eyebrows. On a good day – curling my lashes and applying mascara. I stop there.
And while I am a lover of lipgloss. I don’t take the two extra seconds to put it on. I apply clear lip balm to keep my lips from chapping. But lipgloss, lipstick? Not really.
And my reasons are silly. Usually, I just forget. Or I think, it will just come off while drinking my coffee. I’ll have to reapply it when I get to work or after lunch. I think – what’s the point? Or – who am I trying to impress? As if looking in the mirror and impressing myself is not reason enough to make the effort.
But it’s amazing what a little lipstick can do?
While attending the 2012 LATISM Top Blogueras Retreat, we were all pampered by the fabulous ladies of Mary Kay. And we all walked out with a sweet swag bag.
I’ll be honest, I’ve never used Mary Kay in my life. But once I tried on their Rock n’ Red lip gloss – I was hooked.
Related: Besame Cosmetics: Vintage Beauty Products Inspired by the Golden Age
One of my favorite things to do with girlfriends is go out after work or to brunch, enjoy a good meal and a few drinks, and then head to the nearest department to peruse the cosmetic counters. I’ve always loved makeup. I’m a product junkie and lip gloss is my weakness.
These days, quality time with girlfriends is few and far between. We’re moms, we work, we all have busy schedules. After the success of Norrin’s party, I thought it be fun to host a ladies night in and bring the cosmetics to us.
Related: Get Organized Month: Makeup Organization/Storage
I’ve never thrown or attended a Mary Kay party before but I love Mary Kay and I knew an amazing Mary Kay Beauty Consultant. I was excited and also nervous about hosting a Mary Kay party. But it turned out to be such huge a success – we laughed the entire time! And Myrna (my Mary Kay Beauty Consultant) said it was one of the best parties she’s ever worked.
Tips To Throw A Mary Kay Party
“I don’t wear/like makeup.” Someone you invite is bound to throw this at you. Mary Kay is so much more than makeup. It’s skin care and lotion. Even for the woman who swears they don’t wear makeup – they will feel so fabulous and inspired, they’ll walk away with a little something. I didn’t order make-up this time, but I did purchase the Satin Lips and Satin Hands sets.
Keep it simple. You don’t need to cook a full meal. Just have some things to pick on: cheese, crackers, veggies and dip. Your guests will be too busy getting glam to eat.
Let people bring stuff. Most likely your friends will ask what they can bring – don’t refuse their offer! I asked each of my guests to bring their drink of choice.
What you will need to throw a Mary Kay Party
A table large enough for your guests to sit around and/or snack trays. Myrna started the party with doing a full skin consultation and we each were given a makeup mirror and product samples to pamper our skin. (see photo below)
Small hand/face towels. At some point, your guests will need to wash and rinse their face. Paper towels will also be fine.
Lighting is important. Make sure the room is well lit or that your guest have access to a bathroom mirror. This is especially critical when choosing foundations.
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Being able to reconnect with friends while pampering ourselves with fabulous products is always a fun time. It was also great to see my friends transform during the evening. I’m not talking about the makeup – I’m talking about the attitude. They were happier and a little more confident.
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Will a smear of lip gloss take away the exhaustion I feel on a daily basis? Probably not. But if I can look in the mirror and feel a little bit brighter and a little less worn out – that’s good enough for me. And taking the few extra minutes to apply a some lip gloss is well worth the effort.
Mary Kay parties are such a fun girlfriend activity! I think they are always a good time.
Nice blog, by the way. I just found my way here, and will definitely be back!
Bethany @ Puzzled No Longer
This was so helpful!! I was wondering if you had any ideas on how to do a party on facebook. Some of my girls are wanting to do this and I am not sure where to begin. My email is sweeteliteunitmanager@gmail.com
This helped with the finger food idea. I wasn't sure. And the bit on extra hand towels, thanks!