• Funky Donkey
• What’s With the Cattitude?
• Rumple’s Wiggin
• Who the Shrek Are You?
• Ogre-the-Top Blue
• Fiercely Fiona

1. Cleanse: Dermalogica recommends a “Double Cleanse” routine, starting with their Precleanse product. It is a plant-based cleansing oil which melts layers of oil, suscreen, waterproof make-up and other unwanted pollutants on your face that build up during the day. Even if you have oily skin, this product is still suitable for you because, as Cory explained, oil attracts oil and makes this formula even more effective.  Think of Dermalogica’s Precleanse as an all-around make-up remover.  For the second part in cleansing, depending on your personal preference with gel or cream, if you have fairly normal/regular skin you can use the Special Cleansing Gel or the Essential Cleansing Solution (creamy).

2. Exfoliate: Exfoliating is important for your skin because it allows your skin to be refined.  As our Dermalogica educator says, “Don’t paint over a dirty house”!  Dermalogica’s Daily Microfoliant is unlike any other exfoliator that I have ever used!  It comes out of the tube in powder form but once mixed with water, becomes a creamy, cleansing exfoliant.  If you are looking for something more portable, the Daily Resurfacer comes in individually wrapped packets with a finger sized glove that is disposable after one use.  Perfect for travelling!

3. Hydrate:  Even at our age, dehydration often results in uneven skin texture, a tight surface, rough patches and fine lines on your skin….therefore, hydrating your skin is the first step in anti-aging.  I love the format of Dermalogica’s Multi-Active Toner.  Instead of pouring into a cotton pad and wiping it all over your face, this is a spray product for skin hydration.  According to Cory, we can use this spray toner as a pick-me-up in the middle of the day, even over make-up.

4. Treat: We were shown two Dermalogica products – the Map-15 Regenerator which improves skin firmness and clarity and the C-12 Concentrate which helps reduce pigmentation in the skin.  As my skin is generally pretty good, neither product stood out to me.

5. Moisturize: Lastly, moisturizing is essential to your daily skin routine because it helps seal in the nutrients from the previous four steps.  Choose from Dermalogica’s Active Moist, Skin Smoothing Cream and Intensive Smoothing Cream. According to Cory, for a fashion saavy comparison, these cream intensities can be compared to a light spring coat, a fall jacket and a heavy parka.

Lastly, if you have read this far, email info@modernmixvancouver.com with your skincare goal/resolution by May 7, 2010, and one lucky winner will win a surprise full-sized Dermalogica product.

Hope these tips have given you a reminder about how important it is to keep your skin healthy!

Right from Murale Beauty Store, here are some tips on selecting the perfect fragrance for Mother’s Day. Fragrance may be the perfect Mother’s Day gift, but choosing the right scent may come as a challenge. Murale’s Beauty Masters make the search easy with seven helpful tips to find a scent mom is sure to love.

1) Become 007 – Raid mom’s dresser or bathroom and find out what she is wearing to get a general idea of the scent family she prefers.

2) Be mindful of bottle labels – Fragrances come in two concentrations: Eau de Parfum (EDP) or Eau de Toilette (EDT), where Eau de Parfum offers a stronger scent and longer wear at a higher price. Distinguishing mom’s preference will make the selection process a breeze.

3) Set a budget – Quality ingredients such as real flowers will result in a higher concentrated fragrance. Generally, the higher quality ingredients included, the higher the price.

4) Make the scent last – Layering fragrances with body lotions or shower gels of the same fragrance will offer a longer lasting scent.

5) Summer Scents – Mother’s Day is a great opportunity to check out the summer launches, introduce mom to her favourite fragrance designer’s summer collection.

6) Hit the right notes – Fragrance is a reflection of one’s personality, write down three descriptive words about mom, such as athletic, outgoing and outdoorsy. Descriptive words will help a Murale Beauty Master find a fragrance to suit mom’s personality.

7) Mother-Daughter Day – Book an appointment with a Murale Fragrance Expert and create a memorable experience selecting the perfect fragrance together.

Indulge in an array of macaroons at a patisserie on a sunny day, this year, your Parisian vacation comes early with the release of three new limited edition scents under the Marc Jacobs Splash collection.  This new trio of fragrances are inspired by the simple pleasure of sitting outside at a patisserie and enjoying the rich and beautifully displayed sweets.   Spring 2010 marks the addition of Apple, Pomegranate and Biscotti to Splash.  Everything from the advertising to the actual coloured tint of the perfume itself  evokes a reminder of sweet pastry scents.

Marc Jacobs Apple provides the irresistible brightness of fragrant green apple.  Deliciously fruity, apple is aromatic and energizing, with an intriguing freshness.  The scent evokes the enjoyment you get from a fresh tart on a lazy day. This fragrance is by far my favourite of the Splash trio, with its mouth-watering sweet fruity scent and reminds me (and will probably remind everyone else) of DKNY’s So Delicious in Green Apple.

Marc Jacobs Pomegranate creates a fresh sensation, capturing the sparkling radiance of an exotic fruit.  Vibrant and upbeat, pomegranate exudes an inviting balance of elegance and brightness. With top notes of mandarin flowers, bergamot, lemon chiffon, rhubarb and violet mix with pomegranate, this fragrance can definitely be classified with a citrus scent.

Marc Jacobs Biscotti tempts the senses with its savoury aroma and a touch of citrus.  Uniquely delectable and crisp, biscotti is the perfect pick-me-up.  This comforting and refreshing interpretation is unique and beautifully surprising. Although the top notes are of freesia, bergamont and orange flower, for some reason, the scent closely resembles liquorice to me.

The new Splash collection fragrances are once again packaged in the luxurious, oversized glass bottles that have become the signature silhouette for the Marc Jacobs Splash scents.  Get one, or get them all, each 300ml bottle retails for $85 and is available March 2010 at Holt Renfrew, Sephora and select Bay department stores across Canada.

]]> http://modernmixvancouver.com/index.php/2010/04/09/marc-jacobs-splash/feed/ 1 http://modernmixvancouver.com/index.php/2010/03/28/my-face-works-paper-facial-masks/ http://modernmixvancouver.com/index.php/2010/03/28/my-face-works-paper-facial-masks/#comments Sun, 28 Mar 2010 20:24:15 +0000 vanessa http://modernmixvancouver.com/?p=3270

Based in Vancouver, myfaceworks is introducing a new line of paper facial masks to the North American market so you will have “every reason to hide behind a mask”.  So what exactly is a paper facial mask?  Made of a soft piece of paper-like material, the mask is cut in the shape of a face and soaked with skin nourishing nutrients and ingredients like cucumber extract, green tea extract and aloe barbadensis leaf juice.  The masks are all individually wrapped in foil packaging and very lightweight, making it hygienic and portable – a must-have for travellers to combat fatigued skin and a change in weather.

Between my mom and I, we tried the Vitamin C and the Lavender facial mask from myfaceworks.  Upon opening the foil package, the mask was very moist – almost dripping with the serum.  The Vitamin C had a citrus-y orange fragrance, while the Lavender had a soft, pretty lavender fragrance to it.  To avoid being wasteful, my mom suggested to put the leftover serum from the package onto her hands like cream, and she says it left her hands feeling very soft.

Here are some examples and benefits of the masks you can get through myfaceworks:

I Need to Wake Up (Vitamin C Radiance Facial Mask): Sometimes all you need is a little pick me up. This mask will unify your complexion and make your skin impeccably translucent. This is the little shot of sunshine you need every day for your face. Suitable for all skin types.

I Need to Open My Eyes (Revitalizing Eye Mask): This is an energy drink for your eyes. It intensely moisturizes dehydrated areas and significantly minimizes the appearance of wrinkles, dark circles, and puffiness. In 15 minutes, you can fake eight hours of sleep. Suitable for all skin
types.

I Need to Tame (Rose Water Facial Mask): Hard working skin deserves to be pampered. Rose water will calm and relax your skin. Tame the redness with this cooling mask and get back to your life. Suitable for sensitive and normal to dry skin.

I Need a Quickie (Pre-Makeup Express Facial Mask): No time and always on the go? This mask will give you a quick pick-me up. Lift, moisturize, and refresh in less than 10 minutes. Perfectly suited for pre-makeup application. Suitable for all skin types

I Need to Detox (Green Tea Facial Mask): Green tea extracts are not only good for the body. Combat daily pollutants and restore youthful suppleness to a dull face. This mask will make your complexion smoother and appear more radiant. Suitable for normal skin types with oily tendencies.

In conclusion, myfaceworks paper facial masks are portable and easy to use, and the wide variety of masks you can purchase allows you to have a personalized experience every time!

Happy Birthday Naomi – this OPI Nailpolish post is for you!  “Shades that capture the brilliant sharpness of the cityscape.  A modern mood of color and perspective for spring.” OPI Nailpolish’s newest collection features Hong Kong!  Bright bold colors with cheeky themed names which are OPI typical include:

• Red My Fortune Cookie
• A Good Man-darin is Hard to Find
• Bling Dynasty
• Hot & Spicy
• Dim Sum Plum
• Jade is the New Black
• Suzi Says Feng Shui
• Lucky Lucky Lavender
• Meet Me on the Star Ferry
• Panda-monium Pink
• Pearl of Wisdom
• Chop-sticking to My Story

Embrace the spring season with a rainbow of colour.  Benefit introduces the limited edition Velvet Eyeshadows with six fresh and vibrant hues, like Shamrock and Mermaid, perfect for the season.  Soft and velvety, these powder shadows offer versatile looks that give a single colour satin sheer finish or layered with amped-up colour that pops.

I tested the product in Mermaid (green with gold flecks) and the eyeshadow went on effortlessly with a shimmering, powdery finish.  The color was a bit too light for my liking, I am used to highly pigmented eyeshadows (ie. MAC Cosmetics) but then I realized that Benefit’s Velvet Eyeshadows are perhaps meant to be used as a finishing touch on top of other eyeshadows, or for a very subtle single-layer “satin sheer finish”.

The Benefit Velvet Eyeshadows are encased in a compact rectangular plastic case with white dove silhouettes and  retails for $22 at Murale at Oakridge.

This winter, discover a playful way to wear Lola – the chic new solid perfume ring.  This flirty must-have accessory is the ideal gift for the most fashionable fragrance lover and the perfect way to take your favourite scent with you wherever you go.

The ring’s oversized, colorful floral top is inspired by the exploding bouquet that blooms from the Lola fragrance bottle.  The flower slides open to reveal the ring’s secret: the alluring Lola Marc Jacobs solid perfume.

As I’ve said before, I love the idea of versatile, multipurpose beauty and fashion accessories.  Wear this as an oversized cocktail ring, or keep it in your purse in the cute violet pouch….this product is for a woman on the go!   The Lola Marc Jacobs solid perfume ring retails at $49.00 at department and drug stores across Canada.