Wednesday, November 25, 2009
MAC Recycling Program (Also Known As Back To MAC / B2M)
When it comes to large corporations, I always appreciate those who try to give back to our communities. It is why I love MAC for its packaging recycling program, which is also known to some people as Back To MAC. Unfortunately, just as the same with MAC product packaging, the recycling program also runs on different policies, depending on how and where you choose to participate in the program. There are always a lot of questions concerning this, so I want to share with you some of my thoughts and tips.
More about the program : Because we share your commitment to the environment, M·A·C accepts returns of its primary packaging through the Back to M·A·C Program. By returning six [6] M·A·C primary packaging containers to a M·A·C counter or M·A·C Cosmetics online, you’ll receive a free M·A·C lipstick of your choice as our thanks to you.
You can participate in the recycling program either through the MAC website, a MAC counter, or a free standing MAC store. I have tried the latter two but have never done this online, which will involve some mailing and packaging. The official policy of the program is that if you return/recycle 6 primary packaging products either empty or still with products inside, you will receive a free lipstick of your choice. Please remember that the recycling program does not apply to lipsticks in the Viva Glam Campaign. Information in this post also only applies to the program in the U.S. because I don't know if MAC has different policies or programs in other countries.
To determine if a product has primary packaging or not, the easiest way is to look for these two symbols on your MAC product or on the package boxes. 
With some exceptions, most MAC products are eligible for this recycling program. Some products may not seem eligible but they are. For example, when you finish a pro pan eyeshadow, the left over metal pan can also be used for this program. If you ever have questions on the various products and their eligibility, contact your local MAC counter or store.
Regarding pot eyeshadow without the metal pan, both of my Nordstrom MAC counter and the store accepts them. This means that if you depot your pot shadows, you can still use them for this recycling program. Unfortunately, some MAC have started to tighten up their policies a bit and now no longer accept pot shadows without the metal pan. Again, each store and sales associate has their own standards so please contact your local MAC to determine what their stand is on this issue.
If you particulate in the program through the MAC website, you can only exchange 6 products for a free lipstick. However, if you choose to go to a counter or store, the story may be different. Most counters work on the same way as how the website works, meaning that you can only exchange for lipsticks. Occasionally, I've had very nice and lenient sales associate who allows me to also exchange for either eyeshadow (pot or pan) or lipgloss (regular or dazzleglass). At MAC stores, you can almost always exchange for the above 3 types of products. The lesson I learned is that it goes case by case and really just depends on who is helping you. This is why I always recommend others to turn in their containers during rush hours. When the sales associates are overwhlemed with many customers, they tend to be less strick on what you can do.
This also applies to limited edition packaging products. Some counters and stores will let you exchange for even limited edition or special packaged products, but others won't. Again, it is based on the sales associate who rings you up for the transaction.
It has always been a rule or fact that the most products you can recycle at once is 18, meaning you will get 3 free products. However, recently, my MAC store had been allowing me to push that limit up to 24, but my MAC counter maintaines the limit at 18. Again, this is just to show you that how MAC enforces the program really depends on the place and people.
Hopefully this post is helpful to some of you. I think the big lesson we learned is again, it varies. I always recommend people to call your local MAC counter or store, whichever one you are returning the products to, and inquire about their recycling policies. This will save you a lot of time from running around.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Sparkling Beauty Secret : Mini Talk About Anti-Aging
Anti-aging will be on your agenda sooner or later because we all age. It is the natural process that we all have to go through but proper skincare could delay this process. The first thing we have to remember when it comes to anti-aging is sun protection. Without proper and enough shield from harmful UV rays, our skin will be damaged and age rapidly no matter how much cream we slap on our face.
I was once told by a skincare expert that we need to and should start using sun protections when we were children. The idea behind this is that when we were born, our body was given a "quota" of how much self-repair abilities we can self produce against harmful outsiders such as sun damages caused by UV rays. However, as we age and use more of this "quota" to self-repair against the daily damages our skin gets, the less of this "quota" remains in our body. Unfortunately, this "quota" can not be refilled so whatever you used up is gone permanently. This is also why it takes adults much more time and effort to recover from skin damages than younger people. But, when we hit a certain age, simply relying on sun protections is not enough. We also need to start using anti-aging products, and here are some signs we can look for that may be warning us that we are hitting that anti-aging age spot.
- Extremely dry skin : our blood circulation decreases as we age, and as a result, surface impurities build up on our skin unhealthily, which leads to dryer skin problems.
- Healing from acne scars and other cuts requires much longer time.
- Painful exfoliation : As we age and sometimes due to over exfoliation over the past years, our skin starts to get thin and makes even minor exfoliation much more painful.
- Saggy skin that lost elasticity.
Mid 20s is a good time to start thinking about anti-aging because our skin start loosing collagen around 25 years old in the speed of 1% per year. If we delay using anti-aging products too much, it will require much more time and effort later on to repair our skin.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
MAC VS Sephora : An Ultimate Brush Cleanser Battle
We should and need to clean our makeup tools on a regular basis. Research studies have shown that an unwashed sponge is even dirtier than the toilet, meaning that there are millions of germs on it for sponges and brushes are the perfect places for these bad guys to grow. If you want to know more about how to properly maintain your makeup tools, please check out my blog post series Dear Brush Junkies (Part 1) and Dear Brush Junkies (Part 2). Now we have learned about the importance of cleaning our brushes, it is time to pick out a good cleanser. Today, I will be doing a comparison review on two very popular brush cleansers, the MAC Brush Cleaner ($11) and the Sephora Daily Brush Cleaner ($6 - $14), which are both on the go cleanser that can be used daily on makeup brushes in between deep washes.
More about MAC cleanser : This one product will clean, disinfect and condition the brush fibers so that brushes will last longer. It is convenient to use and is specifically designed to extend the life of high quality brushes. Brush Cleanser leaves your brushes smelling fresh and and clean, and helps shorten their drying time.
More about Sephora cleanser :Sephora Brand Daily Brush Cleaner is an anti-bacterial daily brush cleaner designed to quickly remove light traces of makeup between applications. Just spray this purifying formula onto a tissue or directly onto brush bristles, then lightly swipe your powder, blush, eye, and lip brushes across tissue for a fabulous dose of freshness. No rinsing needed!
MAC : $11 for 7.9 oz
Sephora : $14 for 6.75 oz
MAC clearly wins this round since you pay less for more product. MAC actually offers one of the cheapest brush cleansers out in the market.
Sephora : $14 for 6.75 oz
MAC clearly wins this round since you pay less for more product. MAC actually offers one of the cheapest brush cleansers out in the market.
MAC wins again this round because it takes much more product and swipes to completely remove all makeups from the brush. The Sephora one takes twice amount time than the MAC one.
Sephora caught up and wins this round because the lower alcohol content in the Sephora cleanser is much less damaging to makeup brushes. It also does not turn brush bristles stiff and hard like what the MAC one does.
Both have a similar packaging of spray bottle, and both are widely available so it will be a tie this round.
The winner, MAC, is not hard to pick out. It gives you a good bargain and has a much better ability to clean makeup brushes. Unfortunately, being the winner is not permanent because I will be taking other products for more battles in the future. Well, until we find the best.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Skin Food Black Sesame Hot Mask Is A Delicious Snack For My Face
When the MAC Volcanic Ash Thermal Mask ($19.50) was launched back in October with the Style Black Collection, it created a lot of hypes in the beauty community for the fact that it is a heat mask, which is very unique and intriguing to many. I have also reviewed it on this blog, where I gave it a decent grade but do not consider it being the best. Actually, the thermal mask is not the first heat mask I've tried. You can find them from various cosmetic brands, and one that I especially adore is the Skin Food Black Sesame Hot Mask (8,600 won/ about $8).
More about the product : Open up pores with a warm heat of salt and sugar powder and eliminates waste material in a rough skin affected by the accumulated keratin. It provides an amazing silkiness to skin with nourishing black sesame extract.
This is a wash off facial mask and contains a very strong sesame scent, which could be irritating to some. The mask also contains chunks of actual sesames. Being a hot mask, it heats up automatically when used on skin. Different from the MAC one, this mask does not need to be activated by water, and the heating sensation lasts much longer. A tip to use this is to massage it in a circular motion to achieve the ultimate benefit. As you continue to massage with the mask, the disappeared hot feeling will also come back.
The mask can look a bit nasty, but I promise you that it is actually a very great treat for your skin. Although the tub packaging is not very sanitary, it is easy to clean and does not make a mess. It will make your face smooth and silky soft. Plus, Skin Food products are suitable for all skin types. As with most Skin Food masks, don't have high expectations that this will create some miraculous results. Just consider this as a nice occasional treatment for your face.
Pick It or Not ?
- Quality: 40 (out of 50)
- Packaging: 15 (out of 20)
- Price: 20 (out of 20)
- User Friendly: 4 (out of 5)
- Availability: 2 (out of 5)
Angela's Ultimate Pick: B -
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
A Nars Night Life Collection And Blush Haul
I went to Nordstrom a few days ago to haunt down another back up of the sold out MAC Volcanic Ash Exfoliator ($19.50), which I have reviewed on this blog before. Unfortunately and not to my surprise, it is also out of stock at my local MAC counter. Knowing me, you know I can not just waste a trip down to the mall, so I somehow wandered around to the Nars counter and started playing with a few shades from the Night Life Collection and some of the blushes. The next thing I know is that I walked home with a bag full.
There are currently 11 shades from this collection. Most of them comes in single eyeshadow forms, and a few have since debuted in Nars palettes. These are high pigmented eyeshadows with quite some fall outs so please be careful when using these dry.
More about the collection : Ultra velvet shades with tone on tone sparkling effects and high pay-off.
Left - Right : Desire, Luster
(TOP) Left - Right : Silent Night, Night Fever, Night Clubbing
(BOTTOM) Left - Right : Night Fairy, Night Porter
Saturday, November 07, 2009
Brush Lab Hair Brushes Add Sparkly Twist To The Hair And A Giveaway
Some of you probably noticed that I don't talk much about hair products on my blog. Out of all the beauty products, hair tools are probably the least that I invest in for the fact that I am quite lazy when it comes to styling my hair. Recently, I was offered the opportunity from BrushLove.com website to test out some Brush Lab hair brushes, which is a brand I've seen before but never had the chance to try it out.
More about the website : We, here at BrushLove.com, founded our company on the belief that your gorgeous look is a reflection of the quality of your beauty tools. We are committed to bringing you the finest salon-professional hair, cosmetic and spa accessories from around the globe, and look forward to serving your well-deserved beauty needs.
I have had long hair almost my whole life, but this past summer, I decided that it was time for some changes. Currently, I am loving my shoulder length hair. I color treat my hair usually 2-3 times per year, which as a result, caused my hair to be a bit damaged, thin, and fragile. Due to the fact that my hair break easily, I often have to be extremely cautious on the type of hair tools I use.
Brushlab Blueberry Oval Cushion Boar Bristle Hair Brush ($12.98) is got to be my favorite out of all 4 brushes that I tried. The boar bristles makes my hair extremely smooth and frizz free all day long. It definitely made a difference as to when I used plastic bristle brushes. The massaging grip handle of the brush also gives me better control and is a very nice treat for my hands.
Brushlab Pretty Pink Dual Mirror Brush Combo Hair Brush ($9.98) is a very cute accessory for girls who loves pink. Its nylon ball tipped style is very comfortable for the scalp and is great for entangling long hairs. The brush comes with a mirror on the back which is very continent to use. The smaller size is also great for traveling. This will be something that every lady should have in their purse.
Hana K. Silverado Medium Thermal Hair Brush ($10.98) is coated with aluminum barrel, which is ideal for heat distribution. The brush is very easy to work with and does seem to allow my hair to dry faster. This would be a perfect match for anyone who uses heating tools on a regular basis.
Brushlab Pronto Ionic Nylon Bristle Hair Brush ($8.98) is a static resistant brush that creates negative ions for frizz free hair. I have tried other statics resistant hair brushes before, but the result is not very effective. However, this actually gives me smooth and soft hair. One thing I have to complaint about this is that its bristles are quite hard so please be gentle when using this on your head.
BrushLove.com website also has a new survey where 5 lucky winners will each receive a free hair iron that retails for $159.99
Pick It or Not ?
- Quality: 45 (out of 50)
- Packaging: 17 (out of 20)
- Price: 20 (out of 20)
- User Friendly: 4 (out of 5)
- Availability: 5 (out of 5)
Angela's Ultimate Pick: A -
Disclosure : This post contains products that were sent to Sparkle Midori by companies and PR agencies for blog consideration. Sparkle Midori does not receive money compensation and is not affiliated with any sponsors. Reviews are our honest opinions from personal experiences with the products and are not affected by any companies or PR agencies. For more information on this, please see our Review Policy.
Sunday, November 01, 2009
Sparkle Midori First Blog Giveaway Winner Anouncement
I want to thank everyone who entered my first blog giveaway. You are all winners to me, but unfortunately, only one lucky lady was picked this time. I went through all the qualified entries and then used random.org website to select the winner, which #32. Blue Skies and Strawberry Pies, congratulations. You are the winner for my first blog giveaway. Please reply to my notification e-mail with your full name and mailing address.
Again, I want to thank all of you who took the time to enter this giveaway. I will have more coming. Have a nice weekend and see you all soon.
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