When a good friend called me one evening to tell me that she had become a Mary Kay consultant, my stomach dropped a little. I just knew that she was about to invite me to one of those awful parties where you sit around rubbing various gunks and creams all over your face, and end up buying something you don't need or want just to be polite. And she did. And being a good friend, of course I went.
To Mary Kay's credit, they've come a long way since I was a teenager being reluctantly dragged along with my mother to a party that some friend or other of hers was hosting. Gone are the days of pink as far as the eye can see and products that cater primarily to the grandmotherly set. In fact, I left my friend's Mary Kay party with more than the one obligatory purchase, and none that I had made merely to be polite. Among the several items that wow'ed me was their Mary Kay Oil Mattifier.
~* What Is It? *~
I have combination skin, which pretty much amounts to very dry cheeks with a forehead and nose equivalent to an oil slick. I could scrub my face all morning long and still be oily by lunchtime. Many of you, I'm sure, will feel my pain.
To combat my shiny complexion, I typically wear a light foundation topped off with pressed powder to help absorb some of the oil. This usually works for, oh, twenty minutes or so before I'm glowing again - and not in that cheery maternal way, either. And so, I was particularly drawn to the Oil Mattifier by it's promise of "instantly absorbing oil and controlling shine for at least eight hours."
This product is packaged in a .6 fl. oz. tube which retails for $15. It is oil-free, fragrance-free and non-comedogenic, and is safe for sensitive skin.
~* How to Use *~
This product has a twist-off cap at the bottom of the small inverted tube. Simply squeeze a small amount of the clear gel onto your finger or a makeup sponge and apply to the oily areas of your face, typically the T-zone (forehead and nose.) Application is very easy as the gel is surprisingly lightweight and smooth - rather like a foundation base in consistency. It dries quickly to an invisible finish, the only hint being a complete lack of shine.
While I nearly always apply Oil Mattifier before my foundation, it can be easily applied on top of your makeup as well for touchups throughout the day.
~* Wait - Touchups? *~
Okay, so the careful reader has caught me saying that Oil Mattifer will nix the shine for up to eight hours and that you can reapply it during the day without smudging your makeup. So what's up with that?
Well, simply put, Oil Mattifier has just never held out for a full eight hours for me. Sure, it absorbs oil and keeps me shine-free for much, much longer than usual, but all day? Not even close. Back before I became a full-time mom and ergo stopped caring what I look like on a day-to-day basis, I usually applied Oil Mattifer before leaving home in the morning and again just after lunchtime - if looking nice for an evening event was required, one more hit of this product before heading out kept me reasonably matte looking all day. So, three applications as opposed to one or two - but such a small amount is used each time, that one tube still lasted me for about four months.
~* Overall *~
I loved that this product was truly fragrance-free, as the packaging had stated, and that the tube was slim enough to toss in my purse for midday touchups. And of course, I very much enjoyed not having to whip the pressed powder compact out every ten minutes to soak up the fresh round of oil. Although I no longer use Oil Mattifier on a daily basis, it remains a staple in my makeup arsenal, perfect for special occasions when I don't want to have to constantly touch up my makeup. Used so sparingly, I fully expect my current tube to last me a good long time - but when it's gone, this is one product I won't hesitate to replace.
~* Contact Information *~
To find a Mary Kay representative in your area (if you don't know one or two or ten already), visit Mary Kay online at www.marykay.com or call 1-800-MARY-KAY (1-800-627-9529). Mary Kay does not test their products on animals.
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
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