MAC warehouse sale Archives

Foundations | My Hits & Misses

March 17, 2020
Hi Everyone!
I’m sharing my hits and misses for all foundations that I’ve tried (that I can remember).

Check out my other Hits & Misses posts!

MAKEUP || Primers | Foundations | Powders | Concealers | Brows | Mascara

SKINCARE || Eye Creams

BRANDS || Bobbi Brown | Burt’s Bees | L’Oréal | Maybelline | Nude by Nature | NYX | TULA | Volition Beauty

Before you read this post, please remember that we all have difference preferences and skin types. These are MY hits, misses and likes. You might love something I don’t like or dislike something I love.

Just a heads up that there are quite a few cult fave foundations that I don’t love as much as everyone else. There are more foundations that I’ve tried samples of, but 1) this post would be way too long and 2) I don’t have a full opinion on them since I only used them a handful of times. This post will only include liquids/creams/cushions/sticks. I will include powder foundations in my Powder Hits & Misses post since I haven’t tried as many. It will also only include foundations that are still available. I’m going to keep my little reviews as short as I can especially if I have a full review of the foundation. I will link them so you can read them if you’d like.

In no particular order, here are my Hits, Likes and Misses:

Hits

Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation Stick (read my review) – This might be my favourite stick foundation I’ve tried to date. I even had the wrong shade. It was perfect for a girls trip. I packed this to use as foundation/concealer. This is one of my favourite Bobbi Brown items (Bobbi Brown Hits & Misses). I bought it at the MAC Warehouse Sale and would definitely pay full price for it.

Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra Longwear Foundation Stick SPF21 – This would be my 2^nd favourite stick foundation.

Lancôme Skin Feels Good Skin Nourishing Foundation (read my review) – Love this. Even though it’s labelled as a foundation, it’s more like a tinted moisturizer. If only they had more shades available (I’m in between shades).

Lancôme Miracle Cushion Foundation – I need to find the right shade because the one I was using is too pink for me.

Nars Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer – I feel like this has a little more coverage than what I’d consider a tinted moisturizer. It’s a great product though.
Likes

Shiseido Synchro Skin Glow Luminizing Foundation – Beautiful foundation and one of the closest matches I’ve ever had. It does have fragrance in it and oddly enough, it doesn’t smell that great. I would rather try the self-refreshing one that doesn’t have any fragrance in it.

Dior Backstage Face & Body Foundation (read my review) – While this was a beautiful foundation, it just didn’t last long on me. I don’t know if the primers I tried were just too slippy or something. It looked beautiful on the skin, but I just couldn’t find the right shade match. It was either too pink or too orange.

Laneige BB Cushion Hydra Radiance SPF50* (read my review) – Nice cushion foundation, but I’m between shades.

Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Invisible Cover Foundation – Can’t find a good shade match, but this is a nice foundation.

Maybelline Fit Me Hydrate + Smooth Foundation (read my review) – I wish this had a pump. I’m also not crazy about the scent of this. Not my fave foundation.

Hourglass Vanish Seamless Finish Foundation Stick (read my review) – I liked it, but didn’t love this enough. It was just too full coverage for me (even when I used a very thin layer).

Hera Black Cushion Foundation – My sister got this for me in Korea. I just picked a shade that I thought would be okay based on pictures. Even though I’m quite light, the shade is too light for me. Plus, this is very fragranced (like a lot of K-Beauty products). The foundation itself is nice, but the fragrance is just too much for me. Plus, it’s hard for me to get in Canada. If it is available, it’s more than I’m willing to spend. So, I’d rather spend the money on something else.

The Ordinary Serum Foundation (read my review) – not my fave, but not my least fave.

The Body Shop All-in-One BB Cream (read my review) – At the time I wrote the review for this, I really enjoyed it. Since then, I’ve tried other products I prefer more.

Perricone MD No Foundation Serum Broad Spectrum SPF30 (read my review) – Nice foundation that looks natural and provides sheer coverage.
Misses

For the foundation misses, there are ones that either just didn’t impress me much, didn’t provide enough coverage or had too much coverage.

Almay Clear Complexion Make Myself Clear Makeup* – I don’t really want makeup that has salicylic acid.

NYX Bare With Me Tinted Skin Veil* (read my review) – not my shade and coverage was too light for me.

Bali Body BB Cream (read my review) – This provided no coverage whatsoever.

NYX HD Studio Photogenic Foundation – Broke me out and smelled like plastic.

Milani Conceal + Perfect 2-in-1 Foundation and Concealer – Was way too thick for me and shade range wasn’t great.

Garnier BB Cream – Shade range is terrible and it made my eyes water. Too much alcohol in it??

Nars Velvet Matte Foundation Stick – I bought this at the Shiseido Warehouse Sale and it just didn’t wow me. It sounds kind of mean, but there’s a reason that this is rarely on lists of Fave Stick Foundations.

Burt’s Bees Goodness Glows Liquid Foundation – Washed off easily with water and looked patchy on dry spots. What would happen if I wore this when it’s raining or went on a Maid of the Mist boat tour??

Nude by Nature Luminous Sheer Liquid Foundation* (read my review) – Not enough coverage.

Nude by Nature BB Cream* (read my review) – Not enough coverage.

Wet N Wild Photofocus Foundation – Shade was wrong, too matte for me. I know they came out with a dewy version, but I also didn’t like the smell or the fact that it used a spatula instead of a pump.
The following foundations are ones I can’t give a definitive opinion on:

Becca Ever-Matte Shine Proof Foundation – I think I had the wrong shade and also knew nothing about applying it. I ended up throwing this out despite not using it very often.

Holika Holika Gudetama Photo Ready Cushion Foundation – wrong shade. Wasn’t my fave cushion though.

Maybelline Superstay Better Skin Foundation – This was one of the first liquid foundations from the drugstore that I bought. It smells like chemicals, but I remember it being nice (I had the wrong shade though).

Nars Sheer Glow Foundation – I can’t say if I like or hate this because I bought the wrong shade. I bought this before I knew what I wanted in a foundation. I never fully tested it out. I would prefer a foundation that has a pump (instead of buying one separately and NARS has nice foundations that come with a pump).

To Try
- Bite Changemaker Micellar Foundation
- L’Oréal Infallible 24Hr Freshwear Foundation
- Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer
- Make Up For Ever Matte Velvet Skin Full Coverage Foundation
- Shiseido Synchro Skin Self-Refreshing Foundation
What are your fave foundations?
Love,
Products marked with (*) were sent to me for review.
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My Mom’s Everyday Makeup | 2019

August 2, 2019

Hi Everyone!

So, here’s an update to my mom’s makeup routine!

Check out my previous post here!

Her skin type is oily and she uses powder foundations. She tried a cushion, but ended up giving it to me because she doesn’t like liquid foundation. She dislikes eye makeup (especially mascara), so she only ever curls her lashes.

Morning Skincare – Update

Shiseido Benefiance WrinkleResist24 Day Emulsion – Mom loves the Shiseido Benefiance WrinkleResist24 collection. Originally, I bought her the Day Cream, but she didn’t like that it came in a pot (for her day cream…for some reason, she’s fine with using the potted creams for nighttime). So, we got the Day Emulsion which comes in a bottle with a pump. She must like it because she bought two more bottles at the Shiseido Warehouse Sale.

She also has a few different SPF products floating around. I don’t know which one she’s currently using on her face, but we have the Shiseido Ultra Sun Protection Lotion and the Neutrogena Ultra Sheer one.

Primer & Colour Corrector – Update

Make Up For Ever Step 1 Equalizer Primer (Smoothing)

L’Oreal Magic Skin Beautifier BB Cream- Anti-Redness (read my review) – My mom said the smell is starting to affect her too, so if anyone knows of a product that’s similar, please let me know!

Foundation – Update

After the Sephora MicroSmooth Baked Foundation, she used the Shiseido Sheer and Perfect Compact Foundation in I20 Natural Light Ivory. This was a nice foundation, but the shade wasn’t quite right and she finished it fairly quickly compared to the Sephora foundation because the pan isn’t very deep.

Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Powder Foundation in 5.5 – The shade 5.5 is a bit dark, so if she were to repurchase, she’d go down a shade or two. She’s enjoying the foundation – it’s very smooth and looks beautiful. One thing she doesn’t like about the compact is that it comes with a sponge and the middle part with the powder flops back and forth (like the Physician’s Formula Butter Bronzer), powder collects in the sponge section which is wasteful.

Concealer – No Update

Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-In-Place Flawless Wear Concealer in Warm Light Medium

She still uses this concealer and she likes the consistency.

Eyes – No Update

Tweezerman Lash Curler

She doesn’t wear eyeshadow or mascara.

Blush – Update

Lancôme Blush Subtil in Aplum – Plum-mauve blushes are her favourite! The compact for this blush isn’t the best though. My mom accidentally dropped it and it chipped off the edge because it’s just plastic. Also, why do high end blushes have to come with those useless brushes?

Lips – Update

MAC Patentpolish Lip Pencil in Spontaneous – I bought this at the MAC Warehouse Sale and my mom is just using it to finish.

MAC Cremesheen Glass in It’s A Strike – Same as the patentpolish pencil, this is not the right shade for her and she’s just using it to finish it.

Makeup she has in her purse to touch-up throughout the day:

Clinique Superpowder Double Face Makeup in Matte Neutral – to get rid of the shine.

MAC Lustre Lipstick in Midimauve – I gave her this one since it’s a more sheer lipstick than the satin lipsticks. It has a bit of pigment and shine – looks more like a tinted balm.

Vaseline – glossy and easy to apply without a mirror.

What do you use for your everyday look?

Love,

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Beauty Products I Regret Buying

November 26, 2018
Hi Everyone!

Today, I’m going to share some of the makeup and skincare products that I’ve regretted buying over the past couple years. Most of the products were impulsive and ever since writing my post on how I want to streamline my makeup collection (read it here), I’ve done my best to cut down on the impulse buying (especially for the blog).

Bobbi Brown Bobbi On Trend Eyes & Cheek Palette

While it’s a beautiful palette, the eyeshadows don’t wow me. Bobbi Brown isn’t necessarily known for amazing eyeshadows (like Urban Decay). The blushes and bronzer aren’t the right shade for me. The illuminating bronzer is chunky.

NARS Sheer Glow Foundation in Deauville

While I can’t say 100% if I liked or didn’t like this foundation, I know the shade was a terrible choice that made me look pale as a ghost. Because of the bad shade choice, I think it made me not like the foundation. I didn’t like that it had no pump. If I’m paying that much for a product, I want a pump

Thayers Witch Hazel Toners

Everyone loves this, so I thought I would too. I did like that they had unscented ones and I like that the spout on the lid wasn’t like other toners. Unfortunately, this made my skin breakout even more because of the witch hazel. I tried the Cucumber one and also bought the Unscented one. After using the Cucumber one though, I won’t even try the Unscented because I don’t want another breakout.

L’Oreal Lash Paradise Mascara

I knew it was like a dupe for Too Faced Better Than Sex and I just don’t like that mascara. It dries out too quickly and I don’t like the brush.

The Estee Edit products

I bought 3 different products: a blush, eyeshadow sticks and an illuminator. The shadow sticks are nice, but the blush I got was way too bright and the illuminator was no good.

Formula X Polish The Twenty-Two Limited Edition Set

It was just such a good deal, but I ended up giving away half of the shades and I never liked how skinny and round the brushes are; I prefer fat, flat ones.

I also regret buying most of the products from the MAC Warehouse Sale when I first went. At least the products weren’t full price. I did my best to use up the products (even when I didn’t like them). Most of the products I purchased were the wrong shade, but it was a good way for me to find out if I like the formulas/applicators. I bought a lot of lipsticks because they were only $7.50 and at the time, the shades looked good. Most of the lip products I bought were way too coral/pink for me.
- Estee Lauder Pink Perfection Kit for Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign
  - The blush is too pink and it’s shimmery
  - The eyeshadow shades are nice, but they didn’t have a nice transition matte in the quad
  - The lipstick- love the formula, not a good shade for me
- GLAMGLOW THIRSTYCLEANSE Daily Hydrating Cleanser
- Estee Lauder Double Wear Makeup To Go Liquid Compact in 1N2 Ecru
  - this one was accidental. I picked it up to look at it and I must’ve thrown it into my shopping bag when I was deciding and forgot about it.
- MAC Lip Glass
  - I bought three different types of lip glosses by MAC and I didn’t like the doefoot applicator on this particular one. I do like the applicators on the Mineralize Glass and the Cremesheen glasses.
- Estee Lauder Pure Color Envy Hi-Lustre Light Sculpting Lipstick
  - While I regret buying the shades I got, I did like the formula of the Estee Lauder lipsticks
- MAC Huggable Lipcolours
  - These are similar to the Benefit Lip Balms. I liked the formula of the lip balm, but did not like the shades I chose
- MAC x Helmut Netwon Point ‘n’ Shoot
  - I was so mad that I bought one of these because it ended up being in the $20 charity bag (and you get two of them)
  - I didn’t like the shades, they were too cool for me
- Mac x Star Trek Luna Luster Trip the Light Fantastic Powder
  - This was a bit chunky for my liking.
- Smashbox Photo Filter Powder Foundation
  - I can’t even say whether I liked the formula of this powder because the shade I bought was too light. I can’t give it a fair review unless I bought the correct shade
  - The powder did feel very smooth though
I’ve come to the realization that I don’t like palettes that have everything, i.e. blush, eyeshadows, bronzers, highlighters. Especially if the bronzer or blush is matte and then you get the shimmer from the highlighter on the matte blush/bronzer.

What products have you regretted buying?

Love,
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Update (1 Year Later) | September 2017 MAC Warehouse Sale

September 7, 2018

Hi Everyone!

If you’re planning to go to the MAC Warehouse Sale, check out my Tips/Tricks post. This is an update post to my September 2017 Haul from the MAC Warehouse Sale. It’s been a year since I went to the sale and I’m telling you which products I’ve finished or decluttered and whether I’d purchase them again. If you want to see how much I bought the products for, click the link above to see my haul.

I’m only going to mention products that are still available for purchase. Some shades may not be available any more, but the product, i.e. lipglass is still sold in stores.

Smashbox Photo Filter Powder Foundation in Shade 1 – I made the mistake of buying Shade 1. It’s way too light and I was going to do a review on the powder itself (trying not to judge the shade), but it just looked powdery on my skin because it was so pale. I decided to declutter. It felt very velvety and maybe if I had the right shade, I would’ve loved it.

Repurchase? Probably not.

Mac ZOOM Mascara – I bought one that was green (by accident) and a gray one that I put in a giveaway. I liked the brush of the mascara, but since mine was green, I didn’t do a proper wear test to see how well it kept a curl or if it added any length or volume to my lashes.

Bobbi Brown Crystal Lip Gloss – This was sticky and I didn’t like it that much. I put one in a giveaway and finished the other.

Repurchase? No. Even if I got it at the MAC sale for a cheaper price, I still wouldn’t buy it again. It was so sticky.

Estée Lauder Pure Color Envy Hi-Lustre Light Sculpting Lipstick in 210 Bold Innocent – This was also too pink for me.

Repurchase? I would buy another shade in the lipstick.

MAC Lipglass in C-Thru – I saw a video where Tati was wearing this and I thought it was so pretty. Obviously, since Tati is white and I’m Asian, it looked different on me. If I put too much, it would make my lipstick or lips look milky (because it’s a light pink shade).

Repurchase? No.

MAC Mineralize Glass in Lap Dog – I love the applicator on this lip glass. It’s a flat one that bends easily.

Repurchase? I would buy again (in a different shade because I think this one is discontinued).

MAC Cremesheen Glass in It’s a Strike – I love the shade of this one. It’s a mauve-pink.

Repurchase? Yes, but I will have to find a different shade because I think this is also discontinued.

MAC Patentpolish Lip Pencil in Kittenish – I really like this chubby lip pencil and I love the shade. I’ve barely used it because I want to use other ones first.

Repurchase? This is probably one of the few ones that I like that’s still available.

MAC Ultimate Lipstick in Marque – This lipstick was discontinued. I’m still working on it.

Repurchase? Unavailable.

Estée Lauder x Victoria Beckham in Moroccan Heat (Limited Edition) – I used this a few times and it’s quite sticky. It’s not the best formula to put in a click pen (like the YSL Touche Éclat) because it’s hard to clean the brush after. I hadn’t used it in a while and used it again and when I was wiping it, I saw some gray on my cotton pad. I don’t know if it was from the brush itself or if it was mold. So, I decided to click out the rest of the lip gloss so I can keep the empty gold pen.

Repurchase? No longer available.

Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation Stick in Ivory 0.75 – I’m still working on this stick foundation and I really love it. I just need to find the right shade because Ivory is too light.

Repurchase? I would even purchase this at full price, but if I ever go to another MAC warehouse sale and see a better shade match, I would definitely get it.

Estée Lauder Double Wear Makeup To Go Liquid Compact in 1N2 Ecru – I decluttered this because it was way too light and for some reason, the Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation makes my eyes water every time. Maybe because of alcohol content (if there is any).

Repurchase? No.

Tory Burch Signature Deluxe Gift Set – I gave the cream to my grandma who loved it. I’m still working on both of these perfumes (it’s the exact same perfume, the small one just doesn’t have a spritzer).

Repurchase? Yes!

Clinique Sonic System Purifying Cleanser Brush (read my review) – I didn’t start using this brush right away, so I’ve only had to replace the brush head once so far. It’s recommended to replace it after 3 months.

MAC Strobe Cream in Pinklite (Original) – I love the strobe cream.

Repurchase? Yes. I’d repurchase at full price because it lasts so long.

I originally said that my fave purchases were: the Estée Lauder Pink Perfection Kit, Tory Burch Perfume kit and Victoria Beckham’s lipgloss.

After trying out the products, I still agree with the Tory Burch perfume. I don’t love the Estée Lauder kit as much as I originally did and the Victoria Beckham gloss was just too sticky; I think it was just because I love Posh Spice. Instead, I would add these to my faves: the MAC Patentpolish Lip Pencil, Estee Lauder Pure Color Envy Lipsticks and the Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation Stick.

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January 2018 Faves

February 2, 2018

Hi Everyone!

Here are my January favourites!

If you love the Wet N Wild MegaGlo Highlighting Powder (read my review), you’ll love the Maybelline FaceStudio Master Chrome Metallic Highlighter in 100 Molten Gold. It’s absolutely beautiful! I originally thought it might be too dark on me since champagne/opalescent highlighters look better on my skintone…boy, was I wrong! When highlighters are too peachy or bronze, it can look like I just have a sparkly bruise.

I love that highlighters are dual-purpose, you can use it as it’s intended (highlight your cheekbones, bridge of the nose, brow bone, cupid’s bow), but you can also use it as a shimmery eyeshadow or just put on the inner corner of the eyes.

Clinique’s Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm is awesome! You get a small dab on your finger and rub it into your skin and it easily takes off your makeup without having to rub at your eyes. It starts off looking similar to coconut oil and then it melts as you put it onto your face. It doesn’t make your face feel sticky or oily and I love that it’s not liquid so you don’t have to worry about it leaking when you travel!

My only wish is that it wasn’t so expensive. I’m going to save it for eyes and lips only because those are the areas that take a bit longer to remove my makeup. I love the Garnier Micellar water for removing makeup too, but it doesn’t always clean my eye makeup.

I’ve been using Clinique’s Even Better Eyes Dark Circle Corrector for a month. I got it from December’s MAC warehouse sale as part of a pack with Clinique’s dark spot corrector for $30. After the first week, I saw a difference. My dark circles were getting better, but then I had a few late nights and they started to show up again. With a good night’s sleep and staying hydrated, I do notice that the dark circles aren’t as bad and my under eye area is softer and more hydrated than before. I also like the metal applicator, it feels nice and cool under my eyes. At $55 (the normal retail price), I don’t know if I’d buy full price and I’m sure there are cheaper other creams that do just as well, but for less than $30 at the sale, this was a great deal.

I’ve talked about the Tangle Teezer Original Detangling Hairbrush twice before (read my review) and my post comparing it to a Claire’s dupe. I also really love the amika perk up dry shampoo. It smells amazing, refreshes your hair and gives you some volume when you need it.

At the MAC Warehouse Sale in December, I got a very vibrant pink lip gloss in the charity bag. I wasn’t sure if I’d like it because it’s described as a Hot Intense Fuchsia and it has a bit of shimmer. It’s the Vamplify Lip Gloss in What’s Going On. It’s on sale on the Canadian MAC website for $14.40. It’s a longer tube than a regular lip gloss- it has a similar size to the YSL Touche Eclat pen. I also like how the applicator is angled a bit, flat and longer than most doe foot applicators I’ve used. It might just be me, but the smell reminds me of vanilla extract. If you want a pop of hot pink gloss, this is a great option! It’s so bright, you can put it on and then wipe it off after a few minutes and it gives you berry stained lips.

What were your faves this month?

Love,

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Review | Bumble and bumble Soft Black Hair Powder

January 9, 2018

Hi Everyone!

I bought a two-pack of the Bumble and bumble Soft Black Hair Powder at the MAC Warehouse Sale and just got around to trying it out. It was $25 for 2 cans, regular price at Sephora is $49.50 CAD for 4.4 oz. I’ve been reading about this to get an exact idea of what this is because nowhere on the can does it say that it’s a dry shampoo, but the exact definition of a dry shampoo is “a dry substance that cleans your hair without the use of water. Dry shampoo works by absorbing oil from your scalp and hair, and making it look and feel freshly washed again” (www.womansday.com, 2011). Also, when you click ‘Dry Shampoo’ on the Bumble and bumble website, the Blondish and Brownish hair powders come up on the page.

A tinted, dry cleanser for dark, inky brown, and black hair colors.

What it does:
This hair cleanser absorbs excess oil and adds volume. Use it to extend the life of a blow-dry and leave hair with a matte texture.

The tint easily washes off clothes or fingers, but that also means it’s easily transferable. If you accidentally touch your head or lie on a pillow, it will probably come off.

It smells likes the stuff you spray on your boots to waterproof them. This product wasn’t for me. If I’m going to spend $50 for a dry shampoo or powder (which I wouldn’t), I want it to smell nicer than this hair powder does. I don’t even spend half that for my regular shampoo. Since it’s in an aerosol can, it starts off as a liquid like spray paint, but then you let it dry and it’s more powder-like. After letting it dry though, it has a sticky hairspray feeling. Also, the fact that it sprays means you have to protect your clothes and don’t get too close to any walls in your bathroom or wherever you’re spraying it. Other dry shampoos that are cheaper smell a lot better than this. I’d rather use the amika perk up dry shampoo which smells amazing and it’s $28.60 CAD for 5.3 oz)

RATING: 1/5

I’ve only ever tried aerosolized dry shampoos, I’ve never used a powder one, but I think if I were to try a powder shampoo, I would get Cake’s The All Powderful Tinted Dry Shampoo (Dark). It comes in powder form in a regular bottle so it’s not bad for the environment to dispose of like aerosol cans. Plus, you’d be able to take it on a plane.

What are your fave dry shampoos? Have you used Bumble and bumble products?

Love,

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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 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.

Mac 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).

Mac ZOOM Mascara in High Esteem

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

Estée Edit Stress Relief Eye Masks

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

Bobbi 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).
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

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

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

Mac 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 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).

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

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

Estée Lauder Pure Color Envy Hi-Lustre Light Sculpting Lipstick in 210 Bold Innocent

Paid $7.50 | Retail Value: $36

MAC Lipglass in C-Thru

Paid $7.50 | Retail Value: $21

MAC Mineralize Glass in Lap Dog

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

MAC Cremesheen Glass in It’s a Strike

Paid $7.50 | Retail Value: estimated at $24

MAC Patentpolish Lip Pencil in Kittenish

Paid $7.50 | Retail Value: $24

MAC Ultimate Lipstick in Marque

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

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 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

Estée 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 Burch Signature Deluxe Gift Set

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

Clinique Sonic System Purifying Cleanser Brush

Paid $40 | Retail Value: $111

Read my First Impressions review on this cleansing brush

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 Cream in Pinklite (Original)

Paid $24 | Retail Value: $40

Clinique Pep Start Quick Cleansing Swipes

Paid $9 | Retail Value: $10 USD

MAC 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

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

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?

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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.

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?

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Primer & Colour Corrector – Update

Foundation – Update

Concealer – No Update

Eyes – No Update

Blush – Update

Lips – Update

Makeup she has in her purse to touch-up throughout the day: