Cargo Cosmetics

Summer Beauty: CARGO Cosmetics

July 7, 2011 By Lena

The following giveaway is open to US and CAN residents.

Here’s another Canadian beauty staple: why it’s CARGO Cosmetics of course!

A long time cult-favourite thanks to their signature oversized metal tins of lip gloss (love!), CARGO is a multi award winner with such pedestal-worthy products as their blu-ray Collection, PlantLove Lipsticks, Lip Glosses and more.

Now this is by far the easiest beauty feature for me to blog for the simple fact that I wear ALL of the items in CARGO’s “The Safari Kit” on a regular basis. I kid you not; if you see me on the street, at the grocery store or in a bar – and I’ve got makeup on my face – it will be this combination of products:

From Left; Mini Lip Gloss (Serengeti), Mini 3 Triple Action Mascara, Eyeshadow Duo (gold and khaki combo), Khaki Eye Lining Pencil and BeachBlush (Coral Beach).

If you didn’t catch my review on BeachBlush here’s a quick tidbit:

“The blush has a moderate sheen that I don’t find too powerful to use as an all-over bronzer. Four harmonious hues work together to provide perfectly flushed cheeks with a sun-drenched glow.

Available in 6 gorgeous shades, non-comedogenic and has decent staying power (from day to night, only one retouch is necessary). But above all, I feel pretty when I wear it.”

Well, as I said, this was a no brainer for me – I simply took a picture of myself this morning before I left to run some errands.

As you can see, all of the products work together to create an incredibly natural yet refined look. The Khaki Eyeliner is a welcome departure from a predictable harsh black line, the Eyeshadow Duo shades are very complementary to my eye colour, and the cool coral lip gloss in Serengeti wakes up my smile – and is the perfect summer shade. In short, I look a lot like me – only better.

Also hot this season is CARGO’s Dare to Play Kit.

“This collection is a system that makes vibrant eye shadow application super-simple for the woman who’s always on the go! Simply select a base to intensify and complement the eye shadow. Five pressed eye shadows bring drama to the outer corner, the crease, and along the lash line. Add a pop of color to the center of your eye lid. Choose from five bright and glitter-filled eye shadow shades for the ultimate bold eye.”

For the gal who likes to play with colour, you’ll be able to create endless combinations of looks with this palette.

Finally, if you’re a celebrity stalker like me, you’ll appreciate their PlantLove Lipsticks for two reasons: first, they’re a 100% natural lipstick, with a tube made entirely from corn! PlantLove lipsticks are certified by ECOCERT for being environmentally friendly in product, packaging, and process, and $2 from every celeb-designed lipstick goes to benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

And there’s the second reason – celebs galore! Such famous gals like Angie Harmon, Denise Richards, Courteney Cox, Whitney Port and La Lindsay have all designed lip colours for the PlantLove line.

Major CARGO retailers in Canada include Sears Canada, Murale and The Shopping Channel. You can also shop online at CARGOCosmetics.com.

One lucky Listen to Lena! reader will win a CARGO Cosmetics Git Basket, filled with:

Contour Palette in Malibu
PlantLove Lipstick in Sheer Rosewood
Better-than-Waterproof Mascara in Black
The Safari Kit
Dare to Play Kit

… for a total value of $150!

To enter, simply visit CARGO Cosmetics and pick out three (3) other products that you think would complement your summer look. Then, leave a comment here telling us about them.

You can also qualify for extra entries! Remember, you must leave a separate comment for each. You can:

(1) Follow my blog, Listen to Lena! (2 extra entries!)
(2) “Like” Listen to Lena! on Facebook
(3) NEW Follow Listen to Lena! on Twitter
(4) “Like” CARGO on Facebook
(5) Follow CARGO on Twitter
(6) Tweet daily: Please use this CARGO Cosmetics Giveaway Tweet.

I’ll draw for a winner on July 31st. Good luck everybody!

Check out all of my Summer Beauty & Fashion Guide Giveaways Here!

I Love It: CARGO Cosmetics BeachBlush

May 10, 2011 By Lena

Around this time every year, I abandon my regular blush (MAC Blushbaby) and start dabbling in bronzers. It’s just not enough that I have a naturally tanned complexion – I need to have the most glowing, coppery, sun-kissed skin too. You could say I’m Snooki Lite.

This season, I’ve got a ton of awesome bronzing products to swish, swatch and review, and decided that CARGO’s BeachBlush in Coral Beach would be a worthy first try.

{LOVE}

First, I can’t deny that the signature metal tin isn’t a selling point for me, because I happen to be a freak about packaging. It’s hot.

Second, how cool is that stripy thing? “Four harmonious shades work together to provide perfectly flushed cheeks with a sun-drenched glow. Golden Goddess effects in a flash!”

(Did you know: BeachBlush earned its status as one of CARGO’s most iconic products ever since it appeared as a question on Jeopardy!)

When using, remember to swish your brush to mix up all the complementary shades. Simply giving one stroke will yield the following results:

As you can see (click to enlarge if you can’t) the brush has picked up pigment from the two center shades only. If I were to apply that on my cheeks, I would likely be arrested by the contouring police. Therefore please do give it a soft swish to combine all those great colours (I use MAC #129 Powder/Blush Brush).

The blush has a moderate sheen that I don’t find too powerful to use as an all-over bronzer… unlike some products I’ve encountered (cough, Estee Lauder, cough). It drives me bonkers when I encounter a high shimmer bronzer; for me, the whole point of summer makeup is keeping the grease, sweat and shine off my face!

Available in 6 gorgeous shades, non-comedogenic and has decent staying power (from day to night, only one retouch is necessary). But above all, I feel pretty when I wear it.

Here I am striking my “beachy” pose.

My Five:

– CARGO Cosmetics BeachBlush
(applied all over as bronzer)
– Cover Girl Eyebrow Pencil/Brown
– The Body Shop Eye Definer/Black
– Make Up Forever Smoky Lash Mascara
– Bobbi Brown Lip Gloss in Peach

BeachBlush retails for $28.00 can be purchased from CARGO’s website. Free shipping on orders over $50 – call up a friend and order two :)

p.s. Just booked an appointment to lighten up my hair for the summer. The warm weather transformation begins!

1st Annual Listen to Lena! Charity Raffle

February 7, 2011 By Lena

Last Sunday, I spent a “beauty-full” afternoon with some pretty special ladies. It was the ultimate girly fest – we had fun makeovers thanks to Mala Brar (check out my gorgeous eye makeup here), swapped beauty secrets and nibbled on yummy goodies (including sinful mini cheesecakes and delectable coffee cake courtesy of Shauna at Kindergarten Confidential. YUM). Oh, and we happened to raise over $500 for a pretty awesome charity.

Perhaps I should rewind. Now it’s no secret that I receive many products to review. We’re always testing a thing or two (or three, or four) chez Lena! But the reality is, sometimes I end up with more products that I have space for, and de-cluttering is in order. Such is the case with my 2010 Holiday Beauty Fest; while I loved reviewing all the makeup and beauty items, I simply had to find good homes for all the fabulous face candy. What’s a girl to do? Hold a Charity Raffle, of course!

So I created bundles of products that I had on hand. I invited a few friends to purchase raffle tickets for a chance to win the bundle of makeup, with 100% of the proceeds going to charity. It seemed like such a good idea that more girls wanted in. So I contacted a few amazing sponsors – e.l.f., CARGO and Vasanti Cosmetics – and they generously sent even more makeup my way to raffle off. In the end, I had 24 bundles (each with a total retail value of $50 or more – most were actually closer to the $120 mark), and 15 ladies eager to get their hands on the pretty loot!

Here are just a few of the bundles up for grabs:

LIGHTS CAMERA ACTION: Courtesy of CARGO, CARGO Blu_Ray High Definition Mattifier, CARGO Blu_Ray High Definition Lip Gloss in Halifax, CARGO Blu_Ray Polishing Cloths, CARGO Essential Palette in Smokey Eye (Totally HOT!), CARGO Lip Gloss Duo in Bella Bella. Total Value $127.00

SEX ON A BEACH: Courtesy of Vasanti and e.l.f. Cosmetics, e.l.f. All Over Colour Stick in Spotlight, e.l.f. Lip Primer and Plumper, e.l.f. Warm Bronzer, Vasanti Colour Palette in South Beach (HOT!), Vasanti Lipstick in Brazil, Vasanti Lipstick in Cancun, plus much more. Total Value $124.00

TOO FACED: Courtesy of Sephora, Too Faced Enchanted Glamourland Palette: Eye Shadows, Shadow Insurance Primer, Glamour Gloss, La Vie en Rose Blush, Snow Bunny Bronzer. Total Value $49.00

The ladies each put in a minimum of $20.00, which offered them 20 raffle tickets. They were given the chance to allocate the tickets however they wished – Lotus topped off her three favourite bundles (and proceeded to win them all! You go girl!) while Runner Mama spread the luck around (and walked away with my favourite palette). Lots of ladies donated much more than the minimum amount, which allowed me to turn an afternoon of girlicious fun into raising a ton of money for a great cause. I can’t wait to do it all over again!

Since chatting about the event, here are some FAQ’s that have come up:

Q: I would have liked to attend. Why didn’t you publicize it?
A: It started off pretty small (just a few friends), and in the end, I had to limit the amount of ladies to space in my living room. Plus, since it was held at my home (with my children present), I wanted to make sure that I personally knew all those attending.

Q: Which charity did you donate the proceeds to?
A: Since I am regularly solicited by many charitable foundations, I prefer not to publicly align with one or another. Therefore, I will tell you this: all of the ladies who attended were made aware of the charity beforehand, and it is a well-known children’s organization.

Q: Will you do this again?
A: I’m working on it! I’m hoping to hold another charity raffle in the fall – if I’m able to grab some notable sponsorships, I may be able to hold it in a neutral location and open it up to local readers as well. I’ll keep you posted!

Some pics from the event:

It was too chaotic to lay out all 24 bundles, so a catalogue of prizes was sent out ahead of time;
then simply pictures of the lots (plus a cup to place tickets) were presented instead. It worked really well.

The Too Faced Bundle – before the cup was crammed with tickets.

The very awesome SHIMMER ME TIMBERS bundle courtesy of The Body Shop: Dreams Unlimited Eau De Parfum, Atomiser, Sparkler All Over Shimmer, Star Dust in Gold and Pink, Shimmer Waves in Peach

Mala Brar working on my eyes. Don’t you just love the romantic
lavender and purple hues?

Three gorgeous guests waiting for their turn to participate.

Three more babes – including Runner Mama, who was waiting for
her eye makeup application.

And here she is again, with mermaid-inspired eyes. You looked hot, girl!

Special thanks again to e.l.f. Cosmetics, CARGO Cosmetics and Vasanti Cosmetics. They all donated a generous amount of their best selling products to make several of the bundles some of the most envied prizes to be won.

Although it was hard to part with all that makeup, I put it in perspective for a few of the ladies at the event – if I was giving away all that I didn’t need, imagine how much I kept for myself! I’m still proud to declare that I’m a hoarder extraordinaire!

Holiday Beauty #6 – CARGO Cosmetics

December 15, 2010 By Lena

The Holiday Beauty Fest continues… with a beloved Canadian cosmetics fave!

It’s CARGO Cosmetics of course! A long time cult-favourite thanks to their signature oversized metal tins of lip gloss (love!), CARGO is a multi award winner with such pedestal-worthy products as their blu-ray Collection, PlantLove Lipsticks, Lip Glosses and more.

I am so excited to feature this brand which offers innovative, best selling products for girls on the go – after all, a girl’s makeup is her CARGO!

The company recently launched CARGO blu-ray cosmetics; a revolutionary line created specifically for high-definition filming which provides up-close coverage, yet looks completely natural. In other words, get ready to achieve flawless results! The collection offers face, cheek and eye products, in addition to a pore refining, line minimizing High Definition Mattifier.

I was fortunate to receive a few fabulous products for review, including their famous Lip Gloss Duo and Essential Eye Shadow Palette.

What can I say about the Lip Gloss Duo? Other than it just happens to be a favorite of beauty editor’s the world over. The glosses are sheer with a hint of colour, and there’s just something about the consistency that has me wanting to keep one everywhere (vanity, purse, car, you get it). Pictured left is Bella Bella, which includes a peachy, sheer gloss and its nemesis – a vampy, tart fuchsia. Never sticky and formulated to last, the duos boast 21 different combinations packed with rosemary extract and vitamin E.

Pictured left is The Essential Eye Shadow Palette in “Smoky”, which contains everything you need for a seriously sexy eye, including basic instructions on where to apply the shadows (each of the four shades is embossed with its function/use – Browbone, Lid, Crease, Outer Corner – to make the application process a breeze). The four shades are gradations of each other; ranging from light to dark, with a combination of matte and satin finishes.

The eyeshadow stays put. No flaking, flawless application and wonderful blending capabilities, I only need the perfect excuse to rock a come-hither eye, and have a few holiday parties lined up for just that purpose. The palette is also available in warm, cool and dark combinations.

If you’re a celebrity enthusiast like me, you’ll appreciate their PlantLove Lipsticks for two reasons: first, they’re a 100% natural lipstick, with a tube made entirely from corn! PlantLove lipsticks are certified by ECOCERT for being environmentally friendly in product, packaging, and process, and $2 from every celeb-designed lipstick goes to benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

BUY IT!

CARGO Cosmetics can be found at select Sears and The Bay locations, and online at Ulta.com.

WIN IT!

CARGO Cosmetics has generously offered FIVE (5) Listen to Lena! readers the chance to win a Lip Gloss Duo in Bella Bella and an Essential Eye Shadow Palette in Smoky – both pictured above! (Value $54)

To enter, simply visit CARGO Cosmetics and then leave a comment here, naming your three (3) favourite products.

You can also qualify for extra entries! Remember, you must leave a separate comment for each. You can:

(1) Follow my blog, Listen to Lena!
(2) “Like” Listen to Lena! on Facebook
(3) “Like” CARGO Cosmetics on Facebook
(4) Follow CARGO Cosmetics on Twitter
(5) Tweet about this giveaway (tiny URL: http://tinyurl.com/29k4ogx)
(6) You may Tweet daily.

I’ll draw for a winner on December 31st. Good luck everybody!

Holiday Beauty Fest… Winners!

December 10, 2010 By Lena

The end of 2010. I hope you all had a most memorable year, and that Santa was exceptionally good to you this holiday season. I could not have asked for a better Christmas – or better readers! Thank you for the continued love and support… it was a truly awesome year.

To all the new friends I’ve met, readers who faithfully stop by, and even those who will land on this post accidentally via Google – I wish you a blessed, fulfilling and fabulous 2011 with lots of love, luck and laughter!

And what better way to end the year than to wrap up the Holiday Beauty Fest! It’s Christmas 2.0!

Thanks to everyone who entered the giveaways (including the faithful re-tweeters!), and all of the LOVELY sponsoring companies – The Body Shop, Sephora, CARGO, Vasanti, Balmshell, e.l.f. and Olay!

All winners were drawn using Random.org; however, as I don’t want to pollute the esthetics of my blog with 14 widget snapshots, you’ll just have to trust me sight unseen. (Please send me an e-mail if you’d like a copy of the winning widgets – I’ll keep them on file for 7 days.)

CONGRATULATIONS TO:

THE BODY SHOP – Winner of a Holiday Bath & Body set, featuring Cranberry Joy and Spiced Vanilla (value $100): #606 TV WATCHER

SEPHORA – Winner of a $100 Sephora Gift Card: #448 REMY

URBAN DECAY – Winner of Urban Decay’s The Black Palette: #49 CAITLIN

TARINA TARANTINO – Winner of a Tarina Tarantino Jewel Box Palette and Pearl Glow Eye Primer: #392 DIAMANTE

THE BODY SHOP – Winner of a Holiday Makeup Gift Set (value $100): #13 ELLA PRETTY

CARGO COSMETICS – Winners (5) of a Lip Gloss Duo in Bella Bella and an Essential Eye Shadow Palette in Smoky: #203 KAILIN, #299 JOSIE, #470 JOOLS, #379 DIAMANTE, #112 JANN

VASANTI COSMETICS – Winner of a holiday prize pack, including EYE WONDER, Long Lash Mascara, winner’s choice of Liquid Cover-Up, winner’s choice of Face Base Powder Foundation and winner’s choice of Lipstick: #55 MICHELLE

BALMSHELL – Winner of 5 lip glosses of her choice (value $100): #15 STAM-ISH. Winners (2) of a Mini Lip Gloss Collection: #108 J, #49 ERIE

e.l.f. COSMETICS – Winner of a $25 e.l.f. Gift Card: #110 KITTY

OLAY – Winners (3) of Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream: #112 KENDRA, #119 DEEDEE H, #5 JANN

Please send me an e-mail so that I can have the prizes sent to you right away! Congrats again – and HAPPY NEW YEAR! xo

Faces By Farah: Cargo Cosmetics Giveaway!

August 11, 2010 By Lena

Fellow Toronto Beauty Blogger and super amazing gal Farah is holding a sa-weet giveaway on her blog, Faces By Farah.

Up for grabs – Cargo’s Contour Palette in Malibu, Water Resistant Bronzer, Color Palette in Los Angeles and Lip Gloss Quad in Oceania. A total value of $115!

I’ve got the Lip Gloss Quad in Oceania and it’s absolutely amazing. Super moisturizing with a high shine finish, it’s perfect for day or night. Since I’m all about being fabulous, the fuchsia quad is completely used :)

Click here to enter the giveaway.