I first learned about Modern Beauty - MBBS (or Modern Basic if you're in Canada) while lusting over my bff's trade show haul last year. She whipped out the now very well known 88 color eyeshadow palette and I almost peed down both legs. If you have seen this palette in person than you understand my momentary lack of bladder control. Lol! Imagine my disappointment when she told me that MBBS was a private label company and you probably couldn't just place an order. I was determined to get my grubby little paws on one of those palette! She gave the web address and wished me luck.
I made a phone call and discovered MBBS is indeed a private label company but they also serve professional makeup artists as well. All you have to set up an account! A sales rep emailed the applications and price lists to me. I filled them out and placed an order a few days later. Simple, right? The only catch is that there is a $100 order minimum. When I first heard this I huffed a bit but then I checked out the price list. $100 goes verrrry far.
This is a part of the price list for the brushes.
(click it to make it larger)Go ahead... Pick up your jaws! Lol! MBBS carries a full line of cosmetics and supplies. They also have several cases and brush holders to choose from. The prices are phenomenal across the board. Eyeshadow pans are $1.55! Empty 15 pan palettes are $3.50! They have a professional quality traincase on wheels that costs $85!!! The 88 palettes are $17.
While I was blown away by these prices I was preparing myself to be disappointed. After all... you get what you pay for right? Not always! The brushes are awesome! I think they are totally comparable to my MAC brushes. These are the brushes that I ordered.
The 15 pans are good but they don't have a metal back so magnets won't work in them. If you don't move around your shadows you can always glue the pans down. I put some double sided tape on the bottom of my pans and this works well for me. I do like the fact that they are smaller than MAC's palettes. They take up far less room.
I was very pleased with the loose shadows as well. They remind me of the NYX Pearl Mania shadow. Not quites as powdery so they are not as messy as the NYX... Still, a finer mill than MAC pigments. This is a loose shadow called Blue Ah-Ha. Love this!
The one thing that I purchased that I was disappointed in was the eyeshadow. I ordered a total of 15 pans and they were just too hit or miss for me. I tossed about 7 of them. They were either too chalky or not pigmented enough for me. Since I can't just stroll over to a MBBS display and test them out I will pass on the pan shadows in the future.
Overall, I was very pleased with MBBS. The customer service is fantastic and they are happy to answer any questions that you may have. My favorite items were the brushes. Good brushes don't come cheap and it can take a while to build your arsenal if you are dropping $20 per brush. If you are new to the makeup game, this is a good way to build your stash without breaking the bank. If you are already a pro, MBBS could be great for replacing staples on the cheap. If the $100 minimum is a hindrance, get together with a few friends and put you money together. 2 or 3 ladies can drop $100 in the blink of an eye.
Be bold and beautificated!
B.B.
