MAC Warehouse Sale Haul

Hey Everyone, 

Before I start my haul post, I just wanted to quickly remind you about the 'Dare to Wear for Charity" challenge I am currently running. For every Japanese inspired look I receive, my family will be donating $10 to the Canadian Red Cross for the people of Japan. You can find more information here. 

A couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to attend a "MAC Warehouse Sale" in Markham, Ontario. These sales are put on four times a year by the Estee Lauder company and products (mostly discontinued or limited edition) from MAC, Clinique, Bobbi Brown, Origins and more are sold at discounted prices. 

This was my fourth time attending the sale and unfortunately, I have to say I was pretty disappointed with the whole thing. Prices, which used to seem like an amazing deal, have been increased and unlike past years where there were tables full of product, there didn't seem to be all that much for sale. Where as in previous years the free gift at the end would be a MAC Mineralized Skinfinish (MSF), this time we were given a MAC pencil sharpener. 

Of course, being a professional makeup junkie, I was still able to spend a lot of money despite the less than stellar conditions. Here, is what I bought: 

1) Origins 'Zero Oil' Moisturizer($4, used to be $3): This lotion, made with saw palmetto (a palm-type plant)and mint, has a strange medicinal smell and thin consistency but still feels very moisturizing when applied to the skin. My skin has been so bad lately that I have gone back to only using 3 tried and true skincare products, so I haven't been able to give this moisturizer a fair try. 

2) Clinique 'Take the Day Off' Makeup Remover($4, used to be $3): While I have tried much better makeup removers (hello Bioderma!), I decided to grab this mini bottle of remover for an upcoming vacation. This remover, made partly with oil, is good at getting rid of heavily caked on mascara and eyeliner (although often requires some tugging). 

3) Origins 'Drink Up Intensive' Overnight Mask($4, used to be $3): A few days before the warehouse sale, I posted a tweet asking for any recommendations on a good moisturizing mask. While I normally suffer from oily skin, the last couple of weeks my face has felt really dry and tight. There were a lot of great recommendations (which I may still try), but at $4 I decided to give this Origins overnight mask a try first. 

4) Origins 'Gloomaway' Grapefruit Body Souffle($4, used to be $3): I can't say much about this product and why I bought it other than it smells citrusy. I don't know if I will keep it for myself or give it as a present to someone, but whoever ends up using it is going to smell great!

5) MAC Lipglass in 'Love Child'($4 used to be $3): To be honest, I am not a big fan of MAC's Lipglasses. I find them really sticky and believe they make dry lips look and feel even drier. At $4, however, I decided that these would make great giveaway prizes (after all, some people love their lipglasses). Love child is a rose-toned brown with amber coloured shimmer. While it is really pretty, it's not really my cup of tea (one for my mom, one for a giveaway).

6) MAC Lipglass in 'Nymphette'($4, used to be $3): Nymphette lipglass is one of MAC's most popular colours, and I can see why. This peachy-brown gloss is packed with finely milled golden shimmer that looks gorgeous on the lips. While I don't like the consistency of MAC's lipglasses, this is one colour I would definitely consider keeping (don't worry I have another one for a giveaway). 

7) MAC Powder Blush in 'Clove'($4, used to be $3): I was so excited to see a powder blush pan among the $4 bins that I didn't really pay attention to the colour of it until after I was home. MAC's 'Clove' is a fairly dark orange-toned brown. While this colour is way too dark for my fair skin right now, I hope to be able to use this, this summer if/when I have a tan. $4 for a blush is, in my opinion, still an amazing deal!

8) MAC '#41' Eyelashes($4 used to be $3): I bought a bunch of these criss-crossed lashes the last time I went to the MAC sale and really loved the way they looked when applied. I was happy to see that they had them again and, between my sister and I, managed to grab 4 more pairs.

9) MAC '#43' Eyelashes($4, used to be $3): These half-strip lashes are probably my favourite from MAC. As someone who doesn't usually wear false lashes, these are great because they still give the eyes a really natural look. I also grabbed 4 pairs of these lashes. 

10) MAC Paint Pot in 'Artifact'($12, used to be $9): I love MAC Paint Pots and, after losing my Painterly Paint Pot, was really hoping that they would be selling them at the sale. Unfortunately, there was no Painterly to be found. Instead, I bought MAC's 'Artifact', a red-purple toned smoky cream shadow that works perfectly with this season's crimson eyeshadow trend. Gorgeous!

11) MAC Pigment in 'Magenta'($12, used to be $9): I am such a fan of pink that when I saw this hot pink matte pigment, I literally got butterflies in my stomach. Unlike some of the pigments I own, this colour will work perfectly as an eyeshadow, a blush, a lipgloss and a nail polish. I honestly can't wait to use it. 

12) MAC Glitter in '3D Silver'($12, used to be $9): This super chunky silver and holographic glitter was one product I was really hoping they would have at the sale. I purchased MAC's 3D Gold at the last sale I went to and absolutely love the effect it gives the eyes. If you haven't had a chance to play around with MAC's glitters, ask for a sample the next time you are in a MAC store. 

13) MAC Greasepaint Stick in 'Charred Mauve'($12, used to be $9): For me, the most difficult part of the sale was deciding which greasepaint stick to buy (they had so many!). After missing out on buying these during the various collections they were released with, I knew I wanted to get my hands on one of them. In the end, I decided on Charred Mauve, a dark, smoky, purple cream stick that will look great as eyeliner or as a base for other shadows. 

14) MAC Mineralized Skinfinish Natural and Shimmer in 

'Light-Medium($15, used to be $12): 

We were all ready to checkout and standing in line, when my sister's friend realized she forgot to pick up something from the blush and powder selection. Luckily we all went back as it was only then that I noticed the Mineralized Skinfinish powder. This powder is definitely one of my holy grail (HG) products from MAC and while I would prefer it without the shimmery highlighting strip, it was still a great find. 

15) MAC Select Cover-Up Concealer in 'NW20'($9, used to be $7): 

I have been wanting to try MAC's Select Cover-Up concealer for a while now. The last time I went to the MAC sale, they didn't have my colour and so I bought NW15 (one shade lighter) thinking it would be good as under eye concealer and brighten me up. I was totally wrong. This time they did have my colour and I am looking forward to giving it a try. **If you are an NW15 and are interested in buying the concealer off of me, send me an email. It has only been used once**

16) MAC Cremesheen Glass in 'Ever So Rich'($10 used to be $7.50): While I really don't care for MAC's Lipglasses, their Cremesheen Glasses are another story. I love how creamy and moisturizing they are and love how they feel on my lips. MAC's 'Ever So Rich' is a creamy pale pink that looks great over a number of different coloured lipsticks.

17) MAC Multi-Pencil in 'Pinkie'($9, used to be $7):

The 'pink' butterflies in my stomach returned when I saw this hot pink pencil. At first I wasn't sure if it was supposed to be a lip pencil or an eye pencil, but I loved it and so I bought it. Turns out, it's both, a multi-use pencil if you will. I don't know if I will end up using it for lips or eyes or both, but I love it and am so happy to have it in my possession. 

At the end of every MAC warehouse sale, there is a charity pack table. Each charity pack is sold for $5 with all proceeds going to AIDS and Cancer charities. I bought 4 charity packs in total. Here is what was in them: 

18) MAC 'Mineralize All Over Lotion': This lotion was given out in the last warehouse sale's charity packs, but to be honest, I've never given it a try. The most unique thing about it is that it says it can be used on both the face and body (unusual for most moisturizers these days). Has anyone else tried this before? 

19) MAC '#41' Eyelashes: These are the same lashes I bought from the $4 bins, so I was happy with another pair. I bought a number of charity packs or swaps and giveaways, so you can expect to see these lashes in an upcoming giveaway. 

20) MAC Cremesheen in 'Boy Bait': This is the product I was most excited about when I saw the charity packs. As I explained above, I love MAC Cremesheens and at $5 (or $1.25 really), this light nude brown gloss is definitely a steal!

21) MAC Mineralize SPF Foundation in 'Medium Deep': This product has sent me on a bit of a rant. While I appreciate that MAC has charity packs, in my opinion, it doesn't make sense to have a product that will only work for a certain group of people. The purpose of the charity packs is to sell as many as possible in order to raise money for a good cause. By adding a product that only a certain skin tone of people can wear, they are going to have fewer people buying the pack for themselves (or more packs for friends) which will ultimately lead to less money for charity. That's just my opinion. 

Clove, Artifact, Magenta, 3D Silver, Pinkie, Charred Mauve

Nymphette, Love Child, Boy Bait, Ever So Rich

Overall, the sale was somewhat of a disappointment. After the cost of gas for a 3 hour drive and the price of a hotel room for the night, I definitely spent more money than I ended up saving at the sale. With that said, I know that so many people who would relish the chance to go to one of these sales, and I am so thankful to my friend who gets me the tickets. 

While I don't plan to attend the June warehouse sale, I will hopefully be able to get some tickets for it. If you live in the Markham, Ontario area, be sure to follow me on twitter where I will be tweeting about any extra tickets I might have. 

Have you tried any of the products I bought from the sale? How do you like them? What limited edition MAC product do you wish you could get your hands on? Did you go to the warehouse sale? What did you think about it? Let me know in the comment section below. 

xx

Alicia