Product review: sheer blush lipstick

If your skin is light/pale, this is a must have. It's what it sounds like; a sheer blush color, with shimmer. The usual long wearing, moisture laden creamy formula. It's the only nude-ish lipstick besides Shell I've ever tried that looks classy rather than giving me "porn star" lips. It's pale and yet it makes a statement. Wear this with smoky eyes for a great classic look.

Photo Shoot w/ Mary Kay Makeup

This is a photo of our Miranda, I am posting it with her permission.... her message to me is below... please note this is NOT retouched. Now how awesome is both Miranda's skill with makeup and the products?

Makeup is all MK. I did a natural look. Photo is not retouched. You may post if you wish. :)
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Questions from one of our new readers

Received this great compliment (thank you) and some questions from one of our newer followers. First I wanted to share her email and I will answer each question individually in their own posts to help out anyone with the same questions and a big Thank you to you for sharing!

From the "busy bee"
I have been reading up on the www.balancedmarykay.blogspot.com site. I just want to applaud what you are all doing, especially welcoming pros and cons, good and bad. I have a friend that is a consultant who just started up and I am also interested in becoming one in the near future. I had a few personal questions and I hope you don’t mind me emailing. I don’t have a profile set up for the site, so I will have to figure that out soon so I can contribute my 2 cents(if I have any).
I wanted to start my business as more of a hobby. I would eventually like to spend more time, but currently I am a full-time student(19 credit hrs this semester!), mother of a 4 and 5 yr old, working part-time, and also married. My husband is getting ready for a year-long assignment (active duty Air Force) in July so I will be an “almost” single parent for a year. Can you tell me if I would still be able to consider my business as a “business” and claim expenses, etc? I wasn’t sure since I would probably only spend a few hrs a week and have about 2-3 parties a month. I didn’t know what all the rules were and wanted to do my homework before I got started. I haven’t signed up yet and I am planning to in a few months. I am continuing to try the products because I want to make sure I love them before I sell themJ.
I also had another question. My step mother-in-law currently purchases MK from another consultant. I would never want to steal another consultant’s clients but she had offered to use me as a consultant when I start up. I did not offer any type of discount or anything to entice her to switch consultants. I already feel bad for the offer because I wouldn’t do that to anyone! On the other hand, I would understand if I had a client who started buying from their relative, but I would never expect it. What are your thoughts?
I think I’ve wrote more than enough to keep you busy. I apologize for the length and I appreciate your time. I’ve read on a few of the older blogs and how you started off and you are an inspiration! I’m not sure how far I want to go with MK but at least I know that the possibilities are endless. Before I found this blog, I almost reconsidered. I actually was thinking about it so much that I couldn’t sleep and at 4 am I got out of bed and started to look for information. I am so happy I found you and just want to say thanks again. Take care and have a great weekend!

Product review

Intense Moisturizing Cream

Just what the doctor ordered when the air is dry (or your skin is just naturally dry). It is thick, silky, and smooth. Chock full of moisture but not the slightest bit greasy. Skin feels dewy after application. A little, as always, goes a long way.

Something else I've noticed: Though I'm oversensitive to the MK products designed for the eye area, I'm not sensitive to the serum that goes with the microderm set. I can moisturize my eyelids and under-eyes with it. If you are sensitive, try it and see what you think.

Besides, you DO microderm, don't you? ;) You really must. Makes your skin baby soft and your makeup goes on so smooth.

From one of our Readers

First, I would like to say I love the way you explain what you feel about what you have acheived with your MK opportunity. Next, I love the reason for your question, you are concerned about helping others avoid bad situations. I would just like to applaud you for that style of thinking. I would love to share my opinion on some of this and will but I will be attending Leadership Conference in San Diego this week and must get things in order to leave and have things on the homefront run smoothly while I am away. So if I have free time while I am away I will continue and if I am just having too much fun and learning too much, I will pick up this thread upon my return.

tunisha said...
I have been a consultant with Mary Kay since August of 2007 and I have gotten out of my business what I've put into it. I thank you who had negative experiences for sharing because I am ready to move up in the Mary Kay ranks at this point in my career and I NEVER wanted to be "the pushy Mary Kay lady." Reading your experiences helps me with my approach as a genuine and honest recruiter, so I know I'm on the right track. There are definitely consultants and directors out there that are less than honest and ethical in their approaches to booking and recruiting, but I wouldn't generalize that group as the norm. There are many women, who I personally know, who make a living with Mary Kay and then some, women who make a good part time supplemental income, and woman who have a lot of product just sitting around. My question to the women who's case is the latter is "how did you end up in that situation?" so that I can be sure to help my recruits avoid that. Thank you for sharing.

What are the rules about selling online?

The only website we can use to sell online is the marykay.com website. From there websites we can link that but must be extremely careful with what we put with the link. Because I don't want to take a chance on not stating something accurately, if you are a consultant, I strongly suggest visiting www.marykayintouch.com and go to Legalease - everything is covered in there on what we can and can not do.

As far as other forms of advertising, newspapers, etc... the Company has tons of Company approved Ad slicks we can use. We can not creat our own (with a few self made ones I have seen, I am glad the Company is strict about this because what one person may think loks professional may not the same for someone else. A few years ago before we could order the great looking facial boxes from MK Connections I saw a self made one in a store and was embarrassed for the consultant, it looked like a first grade art class project. It is not the image, I would want to portray. I realize that a big complain on pt is always "we can advertise out business, but that isn't true at all. We just must use the Company approved ad slicks.

I will also like to add that advertising can be expensive and contrary to what everyone thinks, just because you run an ad in the paper doesn't mean your phone will start ringing off the hook, it doesn't... The absolute best form of advertising is - referals from your satisfied clients and believe me, when your clients are happy, they talk and their friends call.

If you can't find the answers you are looking for on intouch, a quick call to the Mary Kay Legal Department will get you the answers that you need. They are great to work with and very helpful. So protect yourself and your business... when in doubt - double check.

Things To Do!!

All Consultants, make sure you take your Year End Inventory. If you have any orders not received, make sure you add those items to your inventory, also if you have any product out on loan, etc.... Once you have taken it, have two copies, one for 2009 ending inventory and one for 2010 beginning inventory.

If you have a software tracking program, make sure your check what your system shows versus what you have on the shelf and make any necessary adjustments! Check out your sales and expenses for the year! Did you do what you wanted to?