Mary Kay Spoiled Me With a Miami Makeover

Last month, I traveled to Miami to report on Mercedes-Benz Swim Fashion Week as a correspondent for Mary Kay. I've been a Mary Kay fan for years, and was excited to get better acquainted with their products – particularly, their newest offerings.

One of the highlights of my trip was a makeover with celeb makeup artist, Ashunta Sheriff. Ashunta’s client list reads like a who's who of Hollywood (Rihanna, Ciara, Hillary Duff, Ashlee Simpson, Keri Hilson, Jennifer Hudson, Sharon Stone, Queen Latifah, P. Diddy and Alicia Keys) – so to be in her gifted hands was a major treat. Using products from Mary Kay, Ashunta gave me the J.Lo glow I've always wanted but never knew how to properly replicate.

Of all the products Ashunta used to create my Miami-inspired makeover, I fell hardest for Mary Kay's Lash Love Mascara. Lash Love promises to define and deliver 4 times the volume – and child, did it ever!

After Ashunta applied the mascara using her "uptown, downtown, cross town" technique (peep the video for a demonstration), my fringe looked fat and fabulous – without looking overdone. And I really love how deeply pigmented the color is; my natural lashes are black, but skimpy – so I need something ultra dark to make my peepers pop. Not to mention, Lash Love managed to stay put all day, despite the merciless Miami heat and humidity.

Lash Love Mascara costs a very affordable $15 – and is available at marykay.com.

Miami, Mary Kay and Mercedes-Benz - Oh My!

A few weekends ago, I attended Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim 2012 in Miami, as a correspondent for Mary Kay - and they put me up in a gorgeous room at Fashion Week headquarters, The Raleigh Hotel.

I had the most fabulous time in South Beach, getting acquainted with the Coyne PR beauty girls and the other blogger correspondents, Annie Tomlin from BellaSugar.com and Lizzie Dunlap from RealBeauty.com.

In between makeovers, delish dinners and runway shows, I was also able to schedule some mojito-sipping downtime with one of my BFFs, Aimee.

If you're ever in Miami, I highly recommend the Raleigh Hotel. The rooms, service and ambiance were incredible - and the picturesque pool was just the cherry on top.

I had the time of my life...and I owe it all to you, Mary Kay!

The Raleigh Hotel beach

Me and my homegirl, Aimee

I've been craving Mojitos all summer, so I stocked up in Miami!

Modeling the Carmen Marc Valvo retro swimsuit I bought at Rue La La and the Dolce Vita wedges I bought at Ideeli.

The Cojito (coconut rum mojito) at Ola Miami is the yummiest cocktail I've ever tasted!

This cotton candy dessert at Barton G was, seriously, almost 3 feet tall.

The famous Raleigh Hotel pool

Grammy Gorgeous: Keri Hilson

"Keri Hilson looked like a 1950's diva when she left for the 2010 Grammys, said celebrity makeup artist Ashunta Sheriff. "Her peach dress with jeweled waistband was fit to the T and hugged every curve with care. I was inspired to play up her beautiful hazel eyes and also give a touch of edge to her Hollywood glam goddess look."

"Before applying makeup, always start with clean, toned and moisturized skin. I use Mary Kay's TimeWise Targeted-Action Eye Revitalizer to refresh tired eyes. I love Enessa Neroli Oil Spray to tone skin and make skin glow. To finish, prep skin with La Mer Moisturizer."

The Perfect Face
"I love for Keri to look flawless because she has such a beautiful bone structure. I use Smashbox Photo Finish Primer to give makeup long wearability, then I apply COVERGIRL Queen Collection Natural Hue Compact Foundation to create a flawless finish. I create a sculpted glowing face using COVERGIRL Queen Collection Natural Hue Minerals Bronzer in Light Bronze. I also use it to contour the nose and cheekbones."

Radiant Cheeks
"I love the soft peach tones of her dress so I accented Keri's cheeks with Mary Kay Mineral Cheek Color in Strawberry Cream which has a subtle cotton candy rose tone with a beautiful shimmer to it, so cheeks just glow."

Standout Eyes
"Keri wanted to have a jewel tone smoke so I chose a beautiful deep purple shade from Mary Kay Mineral Eye Color in Sweet Plum on her lids and lower lash line. As a base to intensify the purple shadow I applied COVERGIRL Smoky ShadowBlast in Purple Plume. Then I created depth using Tigi Bed Head Big Fat Fun Liner in Purple and COVERGIRL LashBlast Volume Mascara in Black to top the look, coating both bottom and top lashes three times. I used Ja’Maal Buster's Lash Line to add that extra drama for red carpet flare."

Luscious Lips
"I didn't want to do just a nude lip and smoky eye so instead I went retro - think Kevyn Aucoin meets Naomi Campbell in the 90's with a deeper liner using Mary Kay Lip Liner in Berry. I lined lips then used a brush to blend the liner out so it had soft edges then used COVERGIRL Queen Collection Lip Gloss in Pearled Peach in the center of the lips to create the perfect pout."

Glorious Brows
"Brows frame the face and I love Keri's brows because they are naturally high arched but also full. So I fill them in with Dior Universal Brow Pencil then brush them with Dior Shiny Blonde Brow Gel so they shimmer with a golden glow."

Bodilicious
"Keri's dress was amazing and really showed off her curves so I wanted her skin to glow. I used Sally Beauty Body Glow Shimmer spray to give her body that shimmery glow."

Alicia Keys World Series Makeup

To get the ball rolling for Game Two of the World Series in the Bronx, Alicia Keys stepped up to the plate with Jay-Z, hitting it out of the park with an "Empire State of Mind" tribute to New York and the Yankees.

Ashunta says, "The inspiration behind Alicia’s look was retro 1980s hip hop Harlem meets Brooklyn – when matching lip color to clothing color was very popular. The eyes were smoldering and the skin bronzed to accent the amazing lip color."

Celebrity makeup artist Ashunta Sheriff created a glam look for the superstar which she achieved with the help of some favorite Mary Kay products. To create Alicia’s all-star look, Ashunta Sheriff used:

* Mary Kay Tinted Moisturizer in Beige 2 and Mary Kay Concealer in Beige 2 to get Alicia’s beautiful face looking flawless
* Mary Kay Mineral Cheek Color in Bold Berry and Mary Kay Mineral Bronzing Powder in Dessert Sun to give Alicia’s cheeks a glowing, natural look
* Mary Kay Creme Lipstick in Pink Melon and Mary Kay NouriShine Lip Gloss in Pink Diamonds to attain the desired effect on the focal point of the entire look – Alicia’s lips
* Mary Kay Mineral Eye Color in Raisin on Alicia’s eyes to help accentuate Alicia’s stunning features and natural beauty

The overall affect was a hip hop beauty home run.

Mary Kay Giveaway Winners

Congrats to the following winners of the Mary Kay giveaway:

Meira Bullock, Deborah Evans, Heather Frank, Keisha Hall, Cassie Hudson, Olivia Lukens, Simone Medina, Vanessa Pendleton, Aurelle Portillo, and Nichelle Walker

These readers have won Mary Kay's mini Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover and Mineral Eye Color Quad!

Many thanks to Mary Kay for sponsoring the giveaway. And thanks to all who entered. Stay tuned...your next opportunity to get spoiled pretty is just hours away.

Mary Kay Giveaway!

For this week's giveaway, Spoiled Pretty is partnering with Mary Kay. Ten winners (yeah, you heard right...TEN) will receive a mini Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover and Mineral Eye Color Quad!

Mary Kay's Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover gently removes eye makeup, including waterproof mascara, without tugging or pulling the delicate skin in the eye area - and without leaving your eyes a greasy mess. The Mini Mineral Eye Color Quad allows you to sample Mary Kay's beautiful Mineral Eye Colors in one easy palette. Featuring the versatile Lemongrass, Amber Blaze, Silky Caramel and Denim Frost shades, the quad comes equipped with a mirror, applicator and instructions on how to apply each color for a trendsetting look! The mini quad is also a perfect travel companion.

To enter the giveaway, send an email to spoiledprettycontests@gmail.com. Be sure to include your full name and mailing address. The subject line should read " Mary Kay Giveaway." The contest ends at midnight (EST) on Sunday, July 19th. Ten winners will be chosen at random from among the entrants. On Monday, July 20th, I'll announce the winners' names. Please, only one entry per person; duplicate entries will not increase your chances of winning. Contest is open to U.S. residents.

Good luck!

Oscars 2009 Beauty: Alicia Keys

For Alicia Keys, celebrity makeup artist Ashunta Sheriff was inspired by Veronica Lake, Lena Horne and "the women in Hollywood in the 40's and 50's."

Eyes: Dior 5-Color Eyeshadow in Tropical Mist, Dior Crayon Eyeliner in Trinidad Black, Dior Brow Pencil in Blond and Diorshow Brow in Shiny Blond

Lips: Mary Kay Lip Liner in Raspberry and Mary Kay Fleur De Polynesie Lipstick

Cheeks: DiorBlush in Fruit de Mar

Skin: Skin was refreshed - so it looks dewy - with Dior Cleansing Water For Face And Eyes. It also locks makeup in and makes it last.

Photos: Wireimage