Modern Mix Vancouver » Cosmetics

Luxe Box – Subscription Service for Monthly Beauty Samples

vanessa — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 07:58:27 +0000

Introducing Luxe Box, a Canadian beauty subscription service which postal mails “deluxe” samples to you each month. Each month’s Luxe Box contains 4 – 5 miniature replicas of well-known brands, including Essie, Pur Minerals, Demalogica, Benefit, Stila, and more! Elegantly wrapped in a sturdy black box, this is no P&G BrandSampler, it feels more like a luxurious, hand-wrapped gift from a dear friend.

My November 2011 Luxe Box included:

Lise Watier – Eye Glitter Liner - Loved this. I put it on over my regular liquid eyeliner and it gave my eyelids a refreshing sparkle.
Mereadesso – Lip Treats – German brand of skincare and beauty products. This product is supposed to be a primer for your lipstick, but I use it on its own.
Paco Rabanne – Black XS and Black XS For Her – wasn’t a fan of these. Thought the keychains were too big, clunky and looked cheap. Didn’t like the goth look of the packaging either.
Benefit Cosmetics – B. Right! Total Moisture Facial Cream – I already use the eye make-up remover from this Benefit line, so it was nice to be able to try a complimentary product. The deluxe sample came in a small glass jar, a miniature replica of what the product looks like in its full size.
Teaopia – Cactus Fig Tea Kit – 50 grams of this wonderfully fragrant loose leaf green tea is already worth $7 on the Teaopia website. It came in a cute, squarish, orange tin and has a unique flavour of fig, aloe vera, sandalwood and orange flowers.

Subscription starts at $12/month (includes shipping and handling). I would definitely recommend Luxe Box to anyone who likes to play around with beauty and make up, and is open to experimenting with different brands of products. This would also be a great subscription service for a beauty blogger who is just starting out, and wanted to practise reviewing multiple products, without paying for a full-price product.

Revlon & Almay – 2012 Beauty Preview

vanessa — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 04:12:46 +0000

By Carolyn Fung, Modern Mix Vancouver writer

For those of you who loved playing with your mother’s makeup when you were little, last Tuesday’s Revlon and Almay 2012 Beauty Preview event was a dream come true.

Held at the swanky Sugar Studios this one night event was a major treat for beauty junkies. The night began with a cooking demonstration by Food Network’s Anthony Sedlak who gave a packed room of mostly women and enthusiastic demonstration of how to perfect scalloped wrapped bacon.

Food Network Chef Anthony Sedlak Gives a Food Demonstration

Thankfully the event was also generously catered with equally mouthwatering dishes including rack of lamb and beef carpaccio. In the room next door was a beautifully decorated white space showing off next seasons latest and greatest from the London Drugs Revlon and Almay line. Tables of product from nail polish to blush, eyeshadow and lipstick filled each tabletop. Each station was lead by a knowledgeable beauty expert who helped us get a first hand taste of what Revlon and Almay have in store for spring 2012.

From the long list of new products you can expect to find in stores at London Drugs from December 2011 onwards, here are a few of my favorites:

Revlon Colorstay Longwear Nail Enamel: 5+ trendy colors including classic greys, bright greens and orange-y reds.
Revlon Photoready: 4+ different pallets each including a blush, highlighter & contour for the prefect blend.
Revlon Colorstay Eyeshadow and Crème Eyeliner – this eyeliner has a creamy texture and also includes a brush which makes for a fool proof application of thick lines or the perfect finishing touch for a smoky eye. I particularly appreciated this added feature as someone who usually struggles to get those clean lines without the smudge.

Revlon Colorstay Eyeshadow and Crème Eyeliner

Last but not least was my personal favourite, the Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter. Feeling rather brave, I decided to go for a bold red but was shocked to find that even that color in this lipstick was sheer enough that I didn’t look like a clown. I absolutely love this lipstick; at such an affordable price it not only nourishes your lips with that lip-balmy feel but adds the perfect pop of color to make you feel a little dressed up. For someone who is usually pretty casual when it comes to lip color it’s the perfect match between a lip balm and a lipstick that really stains.

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter (Spring 2012)

And of course, what is makeup with a good makeup remover? At some point in the night (or day) it just feels good to take it all off, or start fresh before a night out. The London Drugs Almay line of oil free makeup removers cover everything you would need from eye makeup remover patches (another personal favorite that I have been using for years), to their newest product which keeps small amount of makeup remover in tiny q-tip form to help with those mid-day raccoon eyes I know I absolutely hate.

Needles to say there is much to look forward to over the next few months. Most products should be arriving at London Drugs store locations from December onwards, right in time for those holiday parties and of course, the biggest part of all – New Years. Whatever your looking for, Revlon and Almay will have you covered at extremely affordable prices. The hardest part will be which colours to choose from!

MMV Writers Carolyn and Vanessa at the Revlon & Almay Event

Philosophy – Miracle Worker

vanessa — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 05:58:35 +0000

My skincare concerns aren’t about anti-aging yet so when I received Philosophy Miracle Worker to test and review, I passed it on to my mom who was able to give me a relevant opinion on the product. With miracle worker, the product set comes in two parts – a 60ml vial of liquid “elixir” and a jar of 60 circular anti-aging retinoid pads. You pour the solution into the jar of pads and use one each day to wipe over your face. To begin with, my mom already has amazing skin (Asian genes) so she didn’t really have any major or unnatural skincare concerns. She was eager but skeptical of the “miracle” at first, but diligently used miracle worker for the recommended minimum seven days to see results. Within a week, she felt like her skin was more radiant – like brighter and more pure. The radiance could be a result of a smoothing out of fine lines that you can’t usually see from far away. Within a month, she noticed continual results that could only be attributed to the new Miracle Worker product in her skincare routine. Her only complaint was that the cotton pads were a bit rough and scratchy on the skin.

My mom is currently four weeks into Miracle Worker. I’ll post an update here when she’s done the full 60-day routine.

Miracle Worker retails for $98 and is available exclusively at Sephora.

Sephora – Limited Edition TokiDoki Eyeshadow Palette

vanessa — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 06:13:08 +0000

I recently received this cute compact eyeshadow palette from the limited edition Sephora x TokiDoki collection which comes with a collectible keychain charm. The “Mozzarella” palette (named after the Toki Doki character) consists of four coordinated shades of blue, ivory and 2 x brown. The eyeshadow pigments are formulated with natural rice lipids and vitamin B, so they blend beautifully and hydrate the delicate eye area. The collectible charm is in the bottom compartment of the eyeshadow palette and is sized to hook onto tokidoki key chains, makeup bags, or anything you wish to accessorize.

The character in the image above is named Mozzarella. He leads the Moofia, a gang assembled to extort milk from the lunchboxes of schoolyard bullies. Mozzarella and the Moofia are loving and kind to good kids, but ruthless and feared by those who harass the innocent. There are five eyeshadow palettes and keychain characters to collect and they retail for $25 each at Sephora.

NARS Multiple – mini trio set

vanessa — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 06:13:57 +0000

Can’t decide which NARS multiple shade suits you the best? Try three of their most popular shades (Orgasm, Luxor and Malibu) in miniature versions with the NARS Mini Multiple Set. This is a convenient, multi-use product which works for cheeks, lips, and even as a highlighter anywhere on your face. Its unique, creamy formula blends effortlessly to provide sheer color for creating shimmering accents, contours or dynamic highlights on all skin tones. These make great stocking stuffers for Christmas. Retails for $49 at Murale at Oakridge Centre.

Benefit – Her Name Was Glowla

vanessa — Sun, 28 Nov 2010 20:43:05 +0000

As Benefit’s limited edition cosmetics glam kit, ”Her Name Was Glowla” is awesomely convenient and a one-stop shop for facial cosmetics! The eye, cheek and lip collection includes Coralista, a coral pink cheek powder (including a small brush which is the perfect shape to sweep over my cheeks), High Beam and Moon Beam highlighting complexion enhancers, a five-shade eyeshadow pallet (in neutral pinks and browns), the popular Bad Gal Lash Mascara, Life on the A List Lip Gloss, and a double ended brush (hard angle brush and fluff shadow). The sturdy box is decorated with a retro glam girly image. It even comes with instructions on how to best apply the products in the kit. Retailing for $44 at Murale, the sheer convenience of this kit is totally worth it; for the holidays, travel, and beyond.

Julie Hewett “Cheekie” – available at Wish.List boutique

vanessa — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 03:30:27 +0000

When Wish.List Boutique opened at Broadway and Mcdonald a year and a half ago, I remember spending lots of time carefully examining every pretty item available in the store. From candles to cosmetics to fragrances and jewellry, each item is carefully chosen by boutique owner Alisa Westfolk. I wouldn’t be surprised to find some rare gems in the pretty product mix … such as the cosmetic line by celebrity makeup artist Julie Hewett (Los Angeles).
After reviewing multi-purpose products like Stila’s Yumberry Crush (cheek and lip stain), I’ve been quite open to trying other multi-purpose cosmetics to compare. Cheekie is a sheer hue “cheek and lip shine”. I tried it in “Natural” which is a “twiggy pinkish beige” and “looks beautiful with smokey eye makeup”. Seems like a fairly versatile shade – the description I received in the mail claims it’s great on blonds, but I thought it looked fine on me (Asian skin tone, black hair) also. The texture is creamy and reminds me of lipstick, but melted into a pot and doesn’t seem to dry out my lips.

One thing I didn’t prefer about the product was the pot it came in – it’s a little bit deep and hard to get enough of the pigment onto your finger. Consequently, I would recommend using a make-up brush with this product – but that takes away from the convenience factor.

Cheekie is available at Wish.List Boutique and retails for approximately $25.

Maybelline Eye Studio

vanessa — Fri, 07 May 2010 04:50:53 +0000

If you’ve been following my Twitter and Twitpic updates, you’ll remember that not too long ago I invited two of my beauty-saavy girls over to play around with Maybelline Eye Studio cosmetic products. I was one of the fortunate recipients of a Maybelline Eye Studio kit and given the chance to play around with eyeshadow pallets, mascara, gel eyeliner and baked, marbleized eyeshadows. The kit came from Matchstick, which is a word-of-mouth promotional company. Past campaigns I have participated in with them include OB Tampons, Maybelline Pulse Perfection Mascara and Harajuku Lovers’ Fragrance.

Maybelline Eye Studio - Green with Envy

Anyway, my girls came over with fresh, clean faces and armed with their own make-up brushes and make-up remover (Hey! Nobody’s perfect!). After much testing, note-taking and a general discussion and jotting down of our thoughts….here are our conclusions! Thanks to Tiffany and Naomi for your help!

Color Pearls: Marbleized Eyeshadow Collection

In general, with the marbleized eyeshadows, we started with the multi-coloured side of the sphere and used the solid colour to highlight. Tiffany tried the “Navy Narcissist” which proved to be dark and highly pigmented – definitely for nighttime or costume wear. With Sinful Sinnamon, the colour goes on like pigmented glitter dust. Beware, contact lens wearers – tears will start running if you get this in your eye! Because of the “dusty” nature of the marbleized eyeshadows, all colours (light or dark, sparkly or not) was very easy to remove with make-up remover.

Maybelline Eye Studio - Irresistibly Ivy

Color Plush: Silk Eyeshadow Collection

My favourites from this set are the “Irresistibly Ivy” (champagne, bronze, teal, brown) and “Green With Envy” (champagne, olive green, bronze-ish, black). I think the green tones go well with dark eyes and dark hair. In general, you would start with the lightest color (usually a sparkling white or light silver) and dust it over your entire eyelid, up to the bottom edge of your eyebrows (aka. you browbone). Use the second and third colors in the pallet and blend horizontally across your eyelid, so it gradually goes from one color to the other. You could also use the bolder color (ie. in the Irresistibly Ivy set, I used the teal to line my bottom lashline too. Use the darkest color in your crease to make your eye more deepset.

Lasting Drama: Gel Eyeliner

The most famous product to compare the Lasting Drama: Gel Eyeliner to would be MAC Cosmetic’s fluidline. Dip an angled brush into the pot of gel eyeliner and paint right on! The Maybelline collection comes in four colors – black, a dark charcoal grey, a plum purple and brown. Could be just the particular pot I used, but the Maybelline gel formula seems a bit stiffer (dryer?) than MAC. Or could be because it’s a fresh pot. Regardless, I think it works just as well as MAC but at a lower price point. The black is a great standard bold colour to have, the charcoal is a bit softer. The plum purple and brown were not very dark colours.

XXL Pro: Mascara

I would not pay a premium for Maybelline’s XXL Pro Mascara. Nothing special or noticibly different about this line of product. They come with double ended mascara wands, with a white primer on one end and the mascara on the other. I don’t like double ended mascaras because they can be time consuming to use and not the best when you are in a rush. Although I like the concept of the mascaras coming in four different specialties (lengthening, volumizing, curling and “bold”), you might as well buy something awesome like Maybelline Pulse Perfecting vibrating mascara which has become my all-time favourite mascara.

In conclusion, the Maybelline Eye Studio collection has an extensive line of colors and product. Lots of sparkles and bold colours, if you want to be more experimental. I love how the eyeshadow comes with four compatible shades to easily create looks (without puzzling yourself about what color matches with what). There’s definitely a lot to choose from and I am confident no matter which eyeshadow collection you get, you will be able to create a unique look to call your own! Play around and dare to inspire!

Makeup party with Maybelline Eye Studio!

Marc Jacobs – Splash

vanessa — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 09:47:39 +0000

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.

OPI – Hong Kong collection for Spring/Summer 2010

vanessa — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 01:16:46 +0000

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