“We are thrilled to offer Canadians, coast-to-coast, access to the finest beauty brands at Murale through our e-commerce site,” says Carol Wheatley, Director, Murale. “Now everyone can experience the wonders of Murale and choose from thousands of the best beauty, skin care and fragrance products from the comfort of their own home.”

I first heard of Murale when it opened its Vancouver location at Oakridge Centre in 2009 and I liked its un-cluttered, spacious store layout – bright lights, white floors and neatly lined shelves. Mimicking the in-store shopping experience, Murale.ca is also simple to browse through.  The interactive site will not only allow users to browse through 6,000 beauty products complete with detailed information and images, it will also allow them to identify their preferences through Twitter and share their favourites and feedback within the online community.

Brands available online at Murale.ca include Benefit, Cargo, Clarins, Deborah Lippman, Nars, Principess, Quo, Spa Ritual, Smashbox and Stila and many other mainstream and niche brands.  And, for you Shoppers Optimum point junkies out there, customers can earn points with any purchase online.

To celebrate the launch, customers are invited to experience the site with free shipping on all purchases of $75 or more until April 15, 2012.

Philosophy, the bath & beauty brand, celebrated its Sweet 16th birthday last week.  To mark the occasion, the limited edition “Sweet 16″ shampoo, shower gel and bubble bath was introduced.  Last week in Toronto, Robin White, director of international education and global press, greeted Canadian Media at the Windsor Arms Hotel in celebration of Philosophy’s sweet 16 Birthday and Philosophy’s new Spring 2012 collection of skincare, fragrance, bath and body and gifting.  Although we couldn’t make the Canadian party in Toronto,  Modern Mix Vancouver wants to gift one lucky reader with Philosophy’s Sweet 16 product!

MMV Giveaway: Modern Mix Vancouver is giving away the “Sweet 16″ product by Philosophy. Leave a comment below sharing with us a memory from when you were 16! A random winner will be chosen from the comments below. Please be sure to leave your email address so we can contact you if you’re a winner. Canadian entries only please. Contest ends on Sunday April 8th (noon PST).

For additional entries, you can do the following things;

• For a second entry: Follow @ModernMixVan on Twitter and tweet “I want to win Philosophy’s Sweet 16 Product from @ModernMixVan. Happy B-Day @LovePhilosophy.  http://bit.ly/H74KZe RT to enter!”
• For a third entry: “Like” the Modern Mix Vancouver Page on Facebook and post on the wall “I want to win Philosophy’s Sweet 16 Product from Modern Mix Vancouver!”

Continually looking for shortcuts to combine aspects of my cleansing routine to accommodate a busy schedule, the Facial Cleansing Gel is another rendition of the original, creamy One Step Facial Cleanser.  As a personal preference, when it comes to skincare, I tend to prefer gel products to cream products.  That’s why I am particularly interested in Philosophy’s newest addition to the Purity Made Simple skincare line, the Facial Cleansing Gel and Eye Makeup Remover.

I love the plastic tube packaging – it’s a lot easier to squeeze than the original plastic bottle.  Also unlike the original “One-Step Facial Cleanser”, the gel product is more foamy and works up a bit more of a lather and is formulated to be best suited for oily skin types.

Formulated with mild cleansing agents, this foaming facial cleansing gel emulsifies and creates a fresh, lightweight foam as you lather, while effectively removing dirt, oil, impurities, and all traces of makeup and eye makeup. It rinses completely clean and leaves even oily skin feeling refreshed.

After cleansing with the Facial Cleansing Gel, my skin felt squeaky clean.  Philosophy’s Purity Made Simple Facial Cleansing Gel (210ml) will be available from April 2012 onwards at Sephora and select Bay and Shoppers Drug Mart stores at a suggested retail price of $26.

With a whiff of L’Eau De Chloé, you’ll know spring is on its way. Imagine layers of chiffon in bright sunlight. Bare feet brushing grass. The glow of dawn on the skin. Chloé’s signature new scent is described as an an aura delicate as a breath of air.  Fragrance notes include: Grapefruit, Cedrat, Peach, Violet, Rose Petals, Natural Water of Rose, Cedarwood, Patchouli and Amber.

The fragrance is encased in a chic ribbed glass cube with a silver cap.  The feminine bow tied around its neck is a soft shade of pastel green, which is a perfect colour introduction to the Spring season.  L’eau de Chloe retails for $82 (50 ml) and $105 (100ml) and is available at Holt Renfrew, select Bay department stores, Murale, Shoppers Drug Mart and Sephora.

By Carolyn Fung, Modern Mix Vancouver writer

For the past two years women in Vancouver have enjoyed the ultimate in brow services from Bombay Brow Bar. Last week, Bombay Brow continued to celebrate their success in the city by adding a third location at the stunning Shangri-la Hotel downtown on Alberni Street.

Much like their other locations in Yaletown and Kitsilano, this beautiful new location is filled with bright, glamorous colors, purple and pink accompanied by rich gold accents. Inspiration for this design comes from a combination of founder and sisters Ravy Mehroke and Amy Minhas’ favorite colors. The actual interior design was done by Amanda Swanlund of the local design firm Twenty-one Two. Not to be mistaken for a spa, the girls envisioned a relaxing environment that incorporated a fun, unique feel true to their Indian roots.  The location is small and homey, the sisters envision their brow bar to replicate a close friend’s living room (if only we had friends with living rooms as glamorous as this!).

Bombay Brow Scupltresses (yes, that’s right, scupltresses) are trained to give you the ultimate brow experience whether by means of waxing, threading or tweezing. For $23.00 you get perfectly sculpted brows, a brow massage, and a complimentary touch up for your makeup so you never have to leave with red splotches. If you haven’t already guessed, this is the ultimate place for perfect brows because it’s all they do! For a place so lovingly dedicated to your brows how can you resist?

This newest location at the Shangri-la will cater to a new type of client, the weary business travelers, the honeymooners, and vacationers. It’s a truly unique experience Vancouver can be proud to share with visitors abroad. For residents of the city, we’re lucky to now have 3 locations and cannot wait to see what Bombay Brow Bar has in store next.