• Haul | September 2017 MAC Warehouse Sale

    September 15, 2017

    Hi Everyone!

    If you’re planning to go to the MAC Warehouse Sale, check out my Tips/Tricks post. This is my personal haul of what I got at the MAC/Estée Lauder Warehouse Sale. This haul doesn’t include products my sister got or products I got for my mom, friends and family. Before I begin, I wanted to say that I swatched the lipsticks and the stick concealer before taking pictures, so if you notice any imperfections, it was me. All products were brand new and unopened. A lot of products have been discontinued or were limited edition, so unfortunately they are no longer available in stores (maybe they’re available on Amazon or eBay. I will provide any links to products that are still available and retail prices so you can see how much I saved. For products no longer available, I tried looking them up, but the listings are no longer available so I will provide an estimate based on products that are similar.

    I am going to sort this by the types of products, i.e. eye makeup, powder and blush, skincare, lips, fragrances, kits and palettes. All prices are Canadian unless otherwise noted.

    Face Powders & Blushes | $15 each

    smashbox.PNGSmashbox Photo Filter Powder Foundation in Shade 1

    Paid $15 | Retail Value $49

    Shade 1 is natural vanilla for fair complexions. It looked pretty close when I swatched it, but obviously the lighting is terrible to get a good idea of your shade. It’s quite light though, I think I’d be Shade 2 or 3. It comes with a double-sided sponge, one is a regular sponge you get with powders and the other side is softer. They’re meant for different coverages. According to the Sephora website, you use the velvety side for a natural, sheer-to-medium finish, or the smooth side for full coverage. I have yet to try the sponge, but I used a brush and despite the fact that it was too pale for me, it looked pretty flawless.

    luna lusterMac x Star Trek Luna Luster Trip the Light Fantastic Powder (Limited Edition)

    Paid $15 | Retail Value: estimated at $30-40 USD

    I didn’t realize this was part of the Star Trek collection until I bought it since the container was open and I was just looking at the shade of the highlight. I thought it would feel more velvety smooth, but when I swatch with my finger, you can hear my finger move around (almost like a sandpaper sound). It’s super nice though and hopefully I find a MAC highlighter I like that’s part of the permanent collection.

    $4 Deal Bins

    I got two MAC Zoom mascaras (accidentally grabbed a green one…oops! maybe I can do something for Hallowe’en), two clear Bobbi Brown lip glosses, and two Estée Edit Stress Relief Eye Masks. I realized after getting home that the eye masks were just the Estée Lauder ones in Estée Edit packaging. I assume since they were Estée Edit, they’d be cheaper. This wasn’t a very good deal considering you can buy a pack of 10 for $46 ($46/10= $4.60, I paid $4 for one package of two).

    zoom lashMac ZOOM Mascara in High Esteem

    Paid $2×4=8 | Retail Value: 2x$12= $24

    estee editEstée Edit Stress Relief Eye Masks

    Paid 2x$4= $8 | Retail Value: 2x$4.6= $9.20 ($46 for pack of 10, $4.6 each)

    20170911_031513Bobbi Brown Crystal Lip Gloss

    Paid 2x$4= $8 (for 2x7mL=14mL) | Retail Value: $23 (for 15mL)

    Mascara- Buy One Get 1 Free ($6 each)- not pictured

    Paid $12 | Retail Value: 2x$29= $58

    I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I have way too much mascara already (and I didn’t want to purchase any more because they’d probably dry out by the time I got to them), so I only purchased two for my friend. I got two of the MAC In Extreme Dimension Lash Mascara in Black Extreme.

    Smaller Palettes and Kits ($25)

    I got 4 kits/palettes:

    • one is a MAC quad eyeshadow palette (which is really frustrating that I paid $25 because my sister and I got two each in our charity bags…more on that later!)
    • two MAC Nutcracker holiday sets (pigments and a lip set)
    • Estée Lauder Breast Cancer Awareness Kit (they don’t have shade names for each eyeshadow, but rather, they are numbered to tell you which shades they are from the 5-shadow palettes available). The blush is still available for purchase, and I actually got one for my mom at the sale ($15).

    20170911_030754

    MAC x Helmut Newton Point ‘n’ Shoot | Clockwise from left: Real Fantasy, Hard Currency, Influential, Point ‘n’ Shoot

    Paid $25 | Retail Value: estimated at $30-40 USD

    estee lauder breast cancerEstée Lauder Pink Perfection Kit for Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign

    Pure Color Envy Lipstick in 220 Powerful

    Pure Color Envy Blush Sculpting Blush in Pink Ingenue

    Pure Color Envy Sculpting Eyeshadow

    Paid $25 | Retail Value: estimated at $35 USD

    mac pigmentMac Nutcracker Sweet Bronze Pigments & Glitter | from left: Sugar Rush, Stardream, Handsome Prince & Reigning Riches

    Paid $25 | Retail Value: unknown (estimated at $35 USD)

    nut cracker lipsMac Nutcracker Sweet Nude Lipstick Kit | from left: Crème Cup (cremesheen, permament collection),  Nouvelle Vogue (satin, limited edition), Kinda Sexy (matte, permanent collection) & Whirl (matte, permanent collection)

    Paid $25 | Retail Value: estimated at $35 USD

    Eyeshadows ($12)

    I didn’t purchase any individual eyeshadows because I thought the kits were a better deal.

    Eyeliners ($15)

    My mind is blanking…I think the eyeliner was $15, it may have been $10/12.

    mac fluidlineMAC Fluidline Pen in Retro Black

    Paid $15 | Retail Value: $24

    Lipstick and Lip Gloss (2 for $15)

    We bought 16 lipsticks altogether (for me, my sister, mom and friends).

    huggable lipMAC Huggable Lipcolour | from left: Touché, Goodluck Mochi & Cantonese Carnation (discontinued)

    Paid 3x$7.50= $22.50 | Retail Value: estimated at $24

    estee lauder lipEstée Lauder Pure Color Envy Hi-Lustre Light Sculpting Lipstick in 210 Bold Innocent

    Paid $7.50 | Retail Value: $36

    20170911_030512

    MAC Lipglass in C-Thru

    Paid $7.50 | Retail Value: $21

    20170911_031245

    MAC Mineralize Glass in Lap Dog

    Paid $7.50 | Retail Value: estimated at $20-24

    20170911_031300

    MAC Cremesheen Glass in It’s a Strike

    Paid $7.50 | Retail Value: estimated at $24

    patentpolishMAC Patentpolish Lip Pencil in Kittenish

    Paid $7.50 | Retail Value: $24

    ultimate lipstickMAC Ultimate Lipstick in Marque

    Paid $7.50 | Retail Value: estimated at $23 USD

    20170911_030943

    Estée Lauder x Victoria Beckham in Moroccan Heat (Limited Edition)

    Paid $7.50 | Retail Value: estimated at $45-55

    Liquid & Stick Foundations

    The shades I got are quite light, but I can always warm them up with some bronzer or use as highlight. I believe the Estée Lauder liquid foundation I got is a refill for a cushion foundation. It doesn’t say how much is in the container, but it’s huge and a way better deal than the retail price.

    bobbi brown stickBobbi Brown Skin Foundation Stick in Ivory 0.75

    Paid $21.20 | Retail Value: $55

    Read my This or That post featuring the Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation Stick and Maybelline’s Fit Me Shine-Free + Balance Foundation Stick

    20170911_025920Estée Lauder Double Wear Makeup To Go Liquid Compact in 1N2 Ecru

    Paid $20 | Retail Value: $50 for a cushion compact (12mL)

    Skincare & Nails

    The top of the line skincare and fragrances are in the last building and you pay for them right after you get them. The cost of these products are not included in the $800 limit (before taxes). They had Estée Lauder products that retailed for $300+ and were about $150.

    tory 2tory burchTory Burch Signature Deluxe Gift Set

    Paid $80 | Retail Value: $146 ($221 value)

    clinique brushClinique Sonic System Purifying Cleanser Brush

    Paid $40 | Retail Value: $111

    Read my First Impressions review on this cleansing brush

    glamglow

    GLAMGLOW THIRSTYCLEANSE Daily Hydrating Cleanser

    Paid 2x$17.20= $34.40 | Retail Value: $43 (original price, $34 on sale)

    Read my review on this cleanser

    mac strobe

    MAC Strobe Cream in Pinklite (Original)

    Paid $24 | Retail Value: $40

    20170911_025927

    Clinique Pep Start Quick Cleansing Swipes

    Paid $9 | Retail Value: $10 USD

    mac nailMAC Nail Lacquer in Midnight Sky & Vintage Vamp (discontinued)

    Paid 2x$10= $20 | Retail Value: unknown

    Once you’ve checked out, there’s a corner where you can purchase a charity bag, 100% of the proceeds go to whichever charity they have chosen, this year was the Breast Cancer Awareness Foundation. You can give increments of $5 ($5, 10, 15 or 20), and they will give you a bag of MAC products depending on how much you donate. My sister and I both paid $20 and we got seven products each.

    After you get your charity bag, you hand in your ticket (it must have the stamp from when you came in, you’re not allowed to hand in multiple tickets). You get a free gift just for giving your ticket. They gave us two nail polishes each.

    Freebies

    20170911_030722

    3x MAC matte lipsticks in Leap of Delight

    2x MAC Extreme Dimension Work It Out Mascara in Abs of Steel & No Pain, No Gain

    2x MAC x Helmut Newton Point ‘n’ Shoot Eyeshadow Quad

    2x MAC Nail Lacquer in Soiree & Midnight Sky

    FREE | Retail Value: $48 for the mascaras, other products unknown

    I think my favourite purchases were the Estée Lauder Pink Perfection Kit, Tory Burch Perfume kit and Victoria Beckham’s lipgloss, just because I love her and the packaging is gorgeous…I wish I bought another now.

    If you’ve read this far, thank you so much! I know it was a long post, but I wanted to share with you what you can get from the sale. I bought so many products that I want to share the wealth and I have decided to do a giveaway of some of the products I got (plus two Simple Glam Girls Rose Gold Lush Oval Brushes- H & I).

    GIVEAWAY CLOSED

    mac giveaway

    Canadian and US entrants only. Contest ends Sat, Sept 30th 11:59pm EST. Winner will be randomly selected and announced on this IG page and my blog. Winner will be DM’ed on IG or emailed (If they do not reply within 24 hours, another winner will be selected at random).

    This giveaway is not sponsored or associated with Instagram, MAC Cosmetics, Simple Glam Girls or Bobbi Brown.

    Products included:

    • MAC ZOOM Mascara in High Esteem
    • MAC x Helmut Newton Point ‘n’ Shoot Eyeshadow Quad (shades: Real Fantasy, Hard Currency, Influential and Point ‘n’ Shoot)
    • MAC Nail Lacquer in Midnight Sky
    • MAC matte lipstick in Leap of Delight
    • 2x Simple Glam Girls Lush Rose Gold Oval Brushes (H & I)
    • Bobbi Brown Crystal Lip Gloss (Travel Size)

    Have you been to the MAC Warehouse Sale?

    Love,

    jen

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  • September 2017 Mac Warehouse Sale

    September 15, 2017

    Hi Everyone!

    Last weekend, I went to the Mac/Estée Lauder Warehouse Sale in Markham, Ontario (10801 McCowan Rd, Markham, ON L3P 3J3). The sale takes place 4 times a year (March, June, September and December) and tickets are fairly hard to come by unless you work somewhere that’s associated with Mac or Estée Lauder. To be honest, I had never heard of the sale until my sister asked me if I was interested in going.

    My sister got us the tickets from her work, she was able to get tickets for the Saturday and the sale went from 9am-6pm. In the days leading up to the sale, I was watching a lot of hauls and tips/tricks on YouTube. Most ladies that I watched videos of were going on Friday or Sunday. Friday is the best day because once things are sold out, that’s it. So Friday is the best day to go if you want to see the whole selection of products they offer. Sunday is the best day for deals because things are reduced even more and if you’re on a budget, it allows you to control how much you get because there is a smaller selection. One YouTuber suggested that it’s better to go around 9:30 because then all of the early birds/eager beavers have gotten into the sale.

    The tickets are per person: One ticket = one person can enter. Some people in the line behind us thought one ticket could be for multiple people. There are three different coloured tickets- one per each day of the sale (Friday, Saturday and Sunday). No one under 16 is allowed inside the sale. The limit per person was $800 (before taxes). This doesn’t include top of the line skincare and fragrances because you pay for those separately.

    The products available at the sale are mostly discontinued or limited edition/holiday sets. Go in with a general idea of what you want/need, i.e. I need a black felt tip eyeliner, I want an Estée Lauder or MAC lipstick. Don’t look up lipstick/lip gloss shades of products beforehand because chances are you won’t find the ones you want. If you want to get powder or liquid foundation, know your shade beforehand (there’s no guarantee that they will have it, but at least you will know which shade you are). The foundation brands they had were: Clinique, MAC, Bobbi Brown, Smashbox and Estee Lauder.

    Building 1– Powder makeup, blush, eye makeup (shadows, mascara), $4 bins, fragrances, various gift sets, skincare

    Building 2– lipstick, lip gloss, fragrances, brushes, various gift sets, skincare

    Building 3– more skincare, nail polish, high-end fragrances and skincare, Bobbi Brown and Tom Ford cosmetics, check out and sorting table

    Along the walls, they have the fragrances and kits that are in boxes that you can grab yourself. Each of the products are in individual bags and sealed with a price tag on the product. In the middle of the rooms, they have swatch tables and an area where you ‘order’ your products. The products are taped to the table and you can swatch them yourself or just look at the swatch on the piece of paper. Below is a picture of what they look like: they have the product brand in the top left corner, the shade and in the top right is a number that you need to write down to ‘order’ your product. Once you’re done writing down the things you want, they have different sections to line up to get your product(s) from the associates. Make sure you write down the number because they won’t know what the product is if you just write down the brand and product name. There were different sections, i.e. you get your face powder/blush in one section, eyeshadows in another area and the palettes/kits in another. Make sure you stay in the area and write down numbers that pertain to the area or have different pieces of paper for each.

    warehouse sale.PNG

    Behind the tables where you ‘order’ your products, they have boxes of the products labelled with the number and you give them your piece of paper and they grab the products for you. Then, they bag and seal them and write down how many items you got and how much they cost, i.e. if you bought 4 products worth $10, they will write ‘4×10.’ You are not allowed to open the bags unless you’re at a sorting table. Make sure your bags are sealed properly after they hand it to you because when you go to check out, they will not accept it if the bag is open. This is to prevent people from adding products into the bags. The product tables have tissue boxes and baskets of scrap paper to write down the numbers of the products, but the baskets were empty until we got to the next building. So here’s a few things to bring to the sale:

      • pens/pencils
      • small notepad or scraps of paper
      • tissues or makeup wipes
      • bring a bottle of water and maybe a granola bar (we were worried security would take any liquids from us, but they didn’t make us open our bags for them, they just had officers at the entrance and in the last building)
      • $20 cash for the charity bag

    Thoughts: I would definitely go again, but not any time soon since I spent so much money. I don’t know if it was a one-off thing or if they have the tickets available at my sister’s work throughout the year…I guess we’ll see in December if they have them. I think in terms of deals, the best ones were cosmetics and fragrances. The sale has been going on for a few years now, so it’s very organized. The only complaint is that maybe they should have more people collecting things for you because the line moves fairly slowly when you’re picking up your products. Some of the skincare products seemed quite expensive and would eat up a big chunk of your $800 limit. I also prefer products from The Face Shop anyway, so makeup and fragrances were more worth it for me. I’m sure the Bumble & Bumble products were fairly good deals if you’re into it, but some products were still $30. I tend not to spend a whole lot on hair products (I mostly buy from Shoppers Drug Mart or Rexall). If there’s specific Clinique products that you like, you will probably find it. They had a lot of 2-packs that were really good deals. I’m a little frustrated because I paid for the eyeshadow quad and nail lacquer and then we got it for free, but how was I supposed to know.

    Things I will do if I go again:

    • eat breakfast before going, I only ate a quick snack so I got pretty hungry once 12pm came around
    • write down the numbers in order so you get your products faster (if your numbers are all out of order, it takes longer for the associate to find them). This makes their life easier and your wait time shorter
    • take pictures of the products I wrote down on my piece of paper (I bought a lot of similar coloured lipsticks and I went a little overboard in the lipstick/lip gloss section…you’ll see in my Haul)  OR try to swatch multiple lipsticks at a time (since they are taped to the table, it’s hard to get a good swatch, either you swipe your hand across the lipsticks or use your finger)
    • use my phone to look up prices of products (most things were more than 50% off, but some products like the MAC eyeshadow palettes were only about $15 off)
    • the way they have the buildings organized, I think I might actually go to the last building first to get the higher end products and then work my way back to the first building. Also, the higher end products are pretty good deals so there’s a higher chance of them being sold out once you get there
    • If I see anyone leaving the sale, maybe I will ask them what’s in the charity bag and free gift so that I don’t purchase the same thing

    UPDATE: I went to the sale again in December and went on the Friday morning to see what it’s like on the first day. It was surprisingly busy for a Friday. The doors opened at 10am and I got there at 11:20 and waited to get in for an hour. Once inside, the lines for the luxury skincare went from building 3, into the hallway and part way into building 2. My mom lined up for a product I wanted and she moved about 10 spots up after an hour or so. Since I only wanted one product, I told her to just forget it because she wasn’t even close and there’s no knowing if they will still have it when she got there. So if you go on Friday, expect a really long line for the luxury skincare. As usual, the lipstick line was also long, but all the other lines were fairly short. I was at the sale from 12:30-3pm and probably a third of that time was spent waiting in line and the rest was spent browsing the sale.

    Here are my thoughts on which day is the best depending on what you want to get (this is if you are going in the morning):

    Friday- foundations, concealers, perfume sets

    Saturday- not as busy as Friday because it’s the second day of the sale and not as busy as Sunday because the deals aren’t as good. Selection is pretty good.

    Sunday- less selection (so if you want to limit yourself, this is the best day to go because there is less to choose from), but I’ve heard the deals are better

    Click here to see my haul from the sale!

    Thanks for reading! Have you ever been to the warehouse sale?

    Love,

    jen

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  • makeup eraser makep remover cloth vs danielle creations erase your face cloth

    Dupe It Out | MakeUp Eraser Makeup Remover Cloth vs. Danielle Creations Erase Your Face Cloth

    September 8, 2017

    Hi Everyone!

    It’s time for another Dupe It Out! Today, I’m comparing The Original MakeUp Eraser Makeup Remover Cloth by Makeup Eraser and the Erase Your Face Cloth by Danielle Creations. Both cloths remove makeup by just adding water, no makeup remover needed! I put them both to the test and here are my findings. I’ve already written a review on the Makeup Eraser, click here.

    c700x420MakeUp Eraser Makeup Eraser Makeup Remover Cloth

    Remove smear-proof, waterproof makeup and mascara with The Original MakeUp Eraser®. Free of chemicals, this makeup remover gets rid of all types of makeup, including stage, sports, and theatrical makeup. Each cloth will last a thousand washes, and you only need to add warm water and then remove makeup. This ultra-soft, woven polyester-blend cloth gets rid of tough makeup without leaving behind a residue—just a fresh, healthy feeling.

    71V49RjPWgL._SY355_.jpgDanielle Creations Erase Your Face Makeup Removing Cleansing Cloth

    The Erase Your Face Makeup Removing Cleansing Cloth is a reusable cloth that removes all traces of makeup from your face without harmful chemicals

    For sensitive skin

    Removes all types of cosmetics, including waterproof mascara

    No harmful chemicals or synthetic makeup removers

    Just add water

    Machine wash with cold water

    20180529_005452.jpg

    WINNER: It’s a tie!

    The Erase Your Face (top) has a rectangular shape with rounded edges, while the Makeup Eraser is rounder. The Erase Your Face has a bit more material since it isn’t as rounded. Both cloths have two different sides; one is similar to a plush material, while the other is more like a soft towel where the fibers are shorter. I’ve tried using both sides and the shorter side did a better job at removing my eye makeup. They both took off the face makeup well, but I don’t think either cloth does a good job at removing eye makeup that’s waterproof. You would have to scrub at your eye and that’s not ideal since the skin around your eyes is thinner and more sensitive. I usually use the cloths if I have light eye makeup on, or I use the cloth for my face and then use my regular eye makeup remover. It still saves you some money because you don’t use makeup remover or a cleanser for your face. You could probably find a cheaper microfiber towel that will do the trick of removing your makeup. If I had to choose, I would get the Erase Your Face because you get four of them for $15.

    Love,

    jen

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  • First Impressions with Milani Cosmetics

    September 5, 2017

    Hi Everyone!

    I hope you had a wonderful long weekend! Sorry I’ve been MIA for a while, I’ve been painting and reorganizing my room…I will share pics of my beauty corner as soon as I can! I went shopping last week and I went to Rexall and they had a sale for cosmetics, Buy 1 Get 1 50% off, but what caught my eye was the Buy 2 Get 1 Free for Milani Cosmetics! I just had to buy some of their products because they are such a good price and they come in beautiful gold packaging. Unfortunately, they didn’t have testers for the items I bought, so I went by swatches online. Here’s what I got:

    20170905_063130Eye Tech Perfection Liquid Liner – The shape of this is really interesting, I don’t think I’ve ever used a regular liquid liner pen, I prefer kohl liners (I usually wear eyeliner on my lower waterline or tightline my upper waterline). I’m not very good at doing a winged liner look, but this pen was really good and I got a very sharp wing. I compared this to the Maybelline Master Precise Curvy Liquid Liner (read my review).

    RATING: 5/5

    20170905_064820

    Color Statement Lipstick in 26 Nude Crème – This is a beautiful shade that almost matches my lip colour. It’s good for days where I don’t want to just wear lip balm, but want something natural looking. It’s super smooth and smells like a Watermelon Jolly Rancher.

    RATING: 5/5

    20170905_063113_001Keep It Sweet Sugar Lip Scrub – This smells like candy. The directions on the back say “Apply a small amount with finger and gently scrub lips to buff away dry flakes. Tissue off.” Just using a tissue didn’t really work, I still had some sugar granules on my lips, so I just used some luke warm water. My lips feel super smooth and hopefully this will be an awesome product for the winter time…my lips already get a bit chapped now, so I really need to keep a lip balm handy. I’m not sure if I would use it 2-3 times a week as recommended, that seems like it would be bad for your lips, but I will definitely be using it once a week.

    RATING: 5/5

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    Retouch + Erase Light-Lifting Concealer in 02 Light – At first, I thought this was a really small tube for $10 when I could get another concealer by Maybelline or Rimmel, but I compared it with my fave Wake Me Up Concealer by Rimmel and they’re both 7mL. The Milani concealer is a lot thicker than I expected, I wasn’t sure if I would like it because I thought it might cause creasing under my eyes, but I wore it for over 8 hours and it didn’t crease (I set it with The Everything Powder by Cake Beauty).

    media-20180126safasf.jpg

    Tip: it comes with a sponge tip, but those are filled with bacteria if you don’t clean them regularly, so I pulled mine off and I squeeze a dab onto my finger and apply to my under eyes. It’s also better because the warmth of your finger makes the thick concealer blend nicely.

    RATING: 5/5

    20170905_063412

    Bronzer XL in 01 Bronze Glow – I loved how this was less than $12 and it’s so big! This has a very light fragrance, but I don’t know how to describe it. With the exception of the lipstick, this is the only thing that’s scented. This is a bit too orange for me, you have to go in with a very light hand and blend well so you don’t look like an oompa loompa.

    UPDATE (July 30): I think the fragrance in this was causing me to breakout on my cheeks.

    RATING: 2.5/5

    20170906_103212.jpgBaked Blush in 01 Dolce Pink– I was originally planning to put this in a giveaway, but I kept it so long that I thought I should try it myself and then purchase a new one. It’s a really pretty shimmery pink.

    RATING: 5/5

    BLOG TITLES- JC
    These swatches were taken at different times (hence the shade difference between my arm and hand). On the left is the bronzer and blush swatches and on the right, the concealer, liner and lipstick.

    What are your fave Milani Cosmetics products? Let me know in the comments section below!

    Love,

    jen

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