MB York Product Review & Mugshot!

The verdict is in...I am completely sold on MB York products! The shadows are unbelieveably pigmented and blend extremely well. If you needed an eye shadow to achieve those ultimate smoked out eyes, the grays in the Paint By Numbers palette is hands down, two of the best shades of gray I've ever encountered for my skin tone. Some of the shadows have minimal shimmer, most are straight up mattes. These palettes are great for those who need to ease themselves from the Summer shimmers into the Fall mattes.

The brushes are made of professional quality natural bristles. I am completely head over heels for the Number 3 Angle Brush. The one I got in the Paint By Number palette has more bristles than the one I received in the Weapons of Mass Seduction brush set so I prefer the first as a brow applicator or liner smudger whereas the second works great as a gel/cream liner applicator. These natural bristled brushes are an outrageous steal at $7.99 for six (technically 7, given the dual sided one)! The only downfall? They stink! But I guess that's the price you pay for going au naturale!

 

The lippies are very creamy in texture and the colors are rich. Not quite matte, but not too glossy flossy either. Just the right amount of sheen. The Primpfest I am wearing in the photo is a perfect berry shade for Fall.

The blushers and skin illuminator have just the right amount of shimmer. Although the colors look a bit bright and bold in the pans, they come off quite natural. The consistency isn't too chalky or coarse.

With the retail costs of all these items, I don't think I would have been tempted to give MB York a test run, but with this opportunity, I can say that these are quality beauty products for absolutely dirt cheap! I literally saved tons of dollars!

If you would like a more detailed photo or review of a certain item or items in this post, please email me your request and I will follow up ASAP! In the meantime, Run Don't Walk, to TJ Maxx and get these "Diamonds in the Rough"! 

Make Up ARTillery:

Face: 

AcneRecovery Daytime Repair Lotion

Perricone Active Tinted Moisturizer in 01 & 03          

Benefit Boing Concealer in Medium

Benefit Get Even Pressed Powder in Medium (on sale right now!) 

MB York Sweet and Snobby Blush

MB York Flashbulb Frenzy

Eyes:  

Anastasia Brows in Bloom - Brunette on brows         

L'Oreal HiP Color Rich Cream Crayon in Unmistakeable 142 as base

MB York E/S in Royalty on lid and lower lash line          

MB York E/S in Smokin' Guns in crease          

MB York E/S in Brite Lites on brow bone

MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack

Smashbox Layer Lash Primer          

Imju Fiberwig Mascara                      

Lips:     

Trucco Lip Liner in Red Dragon

MB York Lipstick in Primpfest    

Tools:   

MB York Brush #6 Flawless to apply pressed powder

MB York Brush #5 Glamourpuss to apply blush and highlighter

MB York Brush #3 Starstruck to apply eyebrows and apply liner          

MB York Brush #1 Splurge to apply e/s to lid 

MB York Brush #2 Wow! to apply e/s to crease and brow bone                                

Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler

Maxx'd Out!

What a LONG friggin' day! I had most of the day to myself and guess what I did? Yes, I completed my stake out mission at discount retailer TJ Maxx. Now, I have scoped out this beauty hot house before, but have only come across skin or hair care and spa items. More recently I have seen a few Lancome and Elizabeth Arden skin care products but there have been rampant rumors that various cosmetics brands have also leaked into the TJM inventory. Of course, I had to check this out for myself. Within a 10 mile radius of my house, I hit 4, yes four TJMs. I had "me time" today and I was using it well. As we all know, every store has stock according to their demographics and as suspected each TJM had similar products, but they all varied in quantity as well as quality.

At location numero uno, I ran into these...

Clinique Sample Set #1: $12.99

Contents: Clear, plastic cosmetics zip lock bag with gray floral etching, Take the Day Off Make Up Remover for Lids, Lashes, & Lips, High Impact Mascara, and Dual Sided Cream Shaper for Eyes 

Clinique Sample Set #2: $29.99

Contents: Clear, plastic cosmetics zip lock bag with pink floral etching, Moisture Surge Face Spray Thirsty Skin Relief, Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief, and Superbalm Moisturizing Gloss

Estee Lauder Sample Set: $14.99

Contents: Advanced Night Repair Eye Cream, Gentle Eye Make Up Remover, Projectionist High Definition Volume Mascara

For some reason, I felt TJM has something bigger in store (haha, get it?) for me, so I held out on these items and moved on to the next location. There I found a few Perricone Active Tinted Moisturizers clearanced price at $15.00! I was so shocked, I knew something had to give. Sure enough, that thing was that they were expired by a few months! Booooo. So I moved on yet again to the next location and found these...

This lil plastic fish bowl thingy had Lancome products galore! Most were Jelly Pots, some Color Fever Glosses, a couple of loose eyeshadow vials, some eyeshadow singles, cream blushes, skin illuminating powders, liquid bronzers, and skin care items. The prices ranged from $5.99 to $7.99, a majority were $7.99. I almost got a couple of items until I locked eyes[brows] with this beautiful creature...

Anastasia Beverly Hills Brows in Bloom - Brunette

$28.00 Retail

$12.99 @ TJ Maxx

I have started to notice this brand pop up all over the internet and of course with my brow obsession I am always on the look out for new stuff to try. Who am I to turn down a product created by a guru of brows? I snatched up this bad girl stat!

 

After hitting three locations back to back and becoming faint with hunger, I still felt a bigger and better thing was waiting for me and stopped at just one more. I am so glad that I did because I found these...

M.B. York - Survival of the Prettiest

Weapons of Mass Seduction - $75.00 Retail vs. $7.99 @ TJ Maxx

Paint By Numbers - $45.00 Retail vs. $5.99 @ TJ Maxx

Full Face Artillery - $95.00 Retail vs. $7.99 @ TJ Maxx

The colors in these palettes were so "me", I just couldn't pass these up! And the brushes were natural bristles, which is unheard of to be sold at such a low price. The handles are an awesome hot pink, so girly! I have already tried everything out, so stay tuned for the product reviews! 

In addition, I would like to add that those people out there (you know who you are) who abuse perfectly good discounted cosmetics items should be locked away forever and EVER! I saw a few potentially great products that were literally man handled and destroyed. It was awful, too awful to even look at. I wonder when Nordstrom Rack and these other discount retailers figures it out and implement a tester system a la CCS. Time to fill up those suggestion boxes ladies! Who's with me? Huh? Huh? Alone on this one, eh? That's alright, it only takes a pioneer to make a change! (or a nutcase ;p) Which is how one woman looked at me when she caught me poppin' a squat and taking photos on the store floor! Haha, it was classic, I wish I had seen it through her eyes.