For reals? This makeup is from… Mary Kay?

I’m not sure why, but in the 5+ years I’ve been in this business, I never actually laid eyes on any products from Mary Kay (marykay.ca). Nor did I seek them out—like other direct sellers, including Avon, you have to buy through a consultant (in person or online), so I pretty much wrote them off as “not for me.” (I don’t know about you, but I sort of shy away at the idea of having to go through a salesperson to buy stuff, lest they try to “upsell me,” etc.) Plus (and sorry Mary Kay PR), but the brand just didn’t have that trendy of an image.

But you know what? I think I was missing out, because Mary Kay just sent me some products and they ROCK.

My favourite of all (pictured above) is the limited-edition Cheek Glaze in Pomegranate ($20, marykay.ca), which I first heard about through Janine at BeautyGeeks and subsequently Karen at Health & Swellness. So much love for this little pot of tinted goodness! And they were right to rave: it’s one of the easiest-to-blend and universally flattering cheek tints I’ve used, and now finds its home in my handbag every day. Isn’t the packaging very Bobbi Brown-esque?

The texture is a sheer gel (but don’t worry, it stays very solid in the pot) and you can build it to get the colour intensity you want. It’s also available in Tangerine, which as you might guess, is much more orangey. But act fast! Since these are limited-edition, they won’t be around for long.

I also like the limited-edition Cooling Bronzing Stick ($25), which debuted on June 16th:

The cooling sensation feels neat, and in the summer, I love anything in a stick because it’s so easy to apply. Also, if you’re like me and slightly afraid of overdoing it on bronzer (Lindsay Lohan cautionary tale, anyone?), this is ideal. The lightweight creamy gel texture is easy to blend until you get the level of colour that you want, and then dries pretty quickly so it doesn’t smear or melt off.

Warning: it does have some shimmer, so I suggest sticking to your cheeks and maybe a teensy touch along the hairline… NOT your chin or nose, or you’ll look like a disco ball.

And finally, they also make some pretty great Liquid Lip Colors ($17.50 each), also available June 16th. Here’s what they look like:

And here are the shades:

Notice how opaque these are? Yep—they’re actually lip COLOURS, not lip glosses. (And you know, if you read my pro-lipstick post the other week, that I’m a bit anti-gloss these days.)

These do have a bit of shine, but unlike your typical gloss, they also have A LOT of pigment. (Which is why I think they’re so great!) My favourite colours are Sherbet (the lovely coral second from the top, above) and Malted (the shade at the bottom), a lovely nude I’ll wear with my Coco Rocha-inspired cat-eye makeup. Best of all, they don’t feel goopy or sticky on your lips.

All in all, I’m more than impressed! Maybe even enough to deal with a real live MK salesperson, even!

So now tell me… Am I the only one who’s been missing out on Mary Kay all these years? Have you ever tried their stuff? What do you like/love?