M.A.C Cosmetics/Estee Lauder Warehouse Sale Remarks!

Thanks to my thoughtful friend Darryl and his mom, I was given a ticket to attend the M.A.C Cosmetics/Estee Lauder Warehouse Sale this past weekend. I’ve been to this sale twice before so I thought I knew what I was in for…but I was UNPLEASANTLY surprised.

I wrote in a previous post that this sale was, “by far one of the finest organized sales ever.” Well, I was WRONG! My friend Tara, her mom and I live fairly close to the Markham Fair Grounds so we left about 15 minutes before the sale started. (Because we all know some of the good stuff is sold out later in the day) When we arrived, we were shocked at the line that had already formed OUTSIDE the first building. In short, we stood in line outside for approximately 40 minutes in minus degree weather and then we stood for another 50 minutes inside. Now, I’m fairly accustomed to standing in line for sales, (I’m well aware I’m crazy for standing outside for so long) however, my problem was that when we entered the building to continue our wait there was a gigantic space being occupied by tables. It is totally understandable that the vast amount of people waiting in line could not have fit into the first building, however, a good amount of people would have been spared freezing to death. Although this put a huge damper on my sale experience, I did pick some goodies, however, not nearly as much as I have in previous visits.

I should note that the above unorganized experience was the only dilemma and that the sale itself went smoothly and without a problem.

Some of the goodies I picked up!

Sorry it's so dark! I'll go into detail what I actually bought in another post! =)

OPI Nails This Season’s Hottest Colours

I’m loving OPI’s Fall/Winter 2008 collection entitled, “La Collection de France.” This collection features this season’s hottest shades of purple, brown and red. Wearing any one of these lacquers will add a pop of colour to any outfit this Fall/Winter. The established brand cleverly tag their collections with cute names that pertain to the theme.

My favourites include:
Parlez-Vous OPI?
Louvre Me Louvre Me Not
Bastille My Heart

OPI lacquers do not contain DBP, toluene or formaldehyde and OPI does not test on animals.

Visit www.opi.com or call 1-800-341-9999 to find out where you can purchase OPI products.

Buyer Beware!

As I watched CityNews this evening, Laura DiBattista popped up and covered a very interesting story relating to beauty - which everyday products contain lead? I could not believe that beauty products contain such a harmful toxic metal, however, it was found that 33 per cent of lipsticks contained lead! Can you guess which popular, trendy colour tested for the highest levels of lead? ..........

RED!

According to Health Canada, "Lead occurs naturally in the environment and has many industrial uses. However, even small amounts of lead can be hazardous to your health."

To lovers of red lipsticks, I found a 2007 report examining the lead in red lipsticks entitled, "A Poison Kiss: The Problem of Lead in Lipsticks." These tests were c0mmissioned by a non-profit coalition called the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. In the report, top lipstick beauty brands that tested positive for lead were listed.

And here they are:
L'Oreal Colour Riche "True Red" - 0.65 ppm
L'Oreal Colour Riche "Classic Wine" - 0.58 ppm
Cover Girl Incredifull Lipcolor "Maximum Red" - 0.56 ppm
Dior Addict "Positive Red" - 0.21 ppm

After the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics uncovered the levels of lead in red lipsticks, Health Canada decided to test lipsticks as these brands were found to be sold in Canada. You can find the results of these tests in The Vancouver Sun Article here. Essentially, the government allows these lipsticks to be sold in Canada because they say, "They do not pose a health risk to consumers."

So red lipstick lovers please be careful when choosing to wear your red lipsticks. Please note that a lot of these brands do not list lead as an ingredient.

M.A.C Cosmetics/Estee Lauder Warehouse Sale!

The ever-popular M.A.C Cosmetics/Estee Lauder Warehouse Sale is on December 12th - 14th. Held at the Markham Fair Grounds, those lucky enough to get a ticket to this coveted sale will be in for a treat with loads of highly discounted M.A.C and Estee Lauder goodies. Prices are approximately discounted by 50 per cent.

As a professional sale attendee, I have to point out that this sale is by far one of the finest organized sales ever.

Here are a few examples why:
· Having the sale on the Markham Fair Grounds provides plenty of free parking.
· Breaking up the sale into three buildings quickly minimizes lines and traffic.
· Plenty of staff work the tables so you are able to get your products faster.

I should point out that tickets are given to M.A.C Cosmetics/Estee Lauder employees who in turn can give their tickets to family and friends. However, it is not uncommon for me to see many people trying to sell their tickets for as much as $50 each on sites like Craigslist and Kijiji. However, sometimes you will find an honest person who has extra tickets and is willing to give them away for free. Happy hunting!

My Name is ___________ and I am a Shopaholic!

The shopaholic in me took another visit to Lisa’s Cosmetics/Fragrances Warehouse Sale and I was not disappointed. Not surprisingly, a lot of the more popular cosmetic items were sold out. (Red Earth brushes, Smashbox Photofinish Primer and Smashbox gift sets.) However, their stock was replenished with some items that I did not see the last time…some of which I quickly grabbed.

Here’s a partial list of what I purchased:
With Love…Hilary Duff Fragrance - $18
Five Red Earth lipglosses - $2 each
Red Earth Pink Blossom gift set - $8
Red Earth Peach Flourish gift set - $8
Two Red Earth Amazing Eyes gift sets - $5 each

Some more of the goodies I picked up!

Lisa’s Cosmetics/Fragrances Warehouse Sale 2008!

Those living in the Greater Toronto Area are in for a treat! Save up to 80 per cent on your favourite fragrance brands from Calvin Klein to Givenchy to Ralph Lauren at this year’s Lisa’s Cosmetics/Fragrances Warehouse Sale. Also save on great cosmetic brands like Elizabeth Arden, Red Earth, Smashbox and Fusion Beauty! I was so happy with the sale this year that I’m thinking about making a second trip.

Location:
1380 Rodick Road, Markham, Ontario

Dates:
November 29th - December 2nd
December 6th – 9th
Monday - Tuesday: 10:00am - 8:00pm
Saturday: 9:00am - 6:00pm
Sunday: 10:00am - 6:00pm

For more information visit www.lisascosmetics.ca.

Some of the goodies I picked up!

Hello Matte Skin!

Oily skin producers rejoice! Say hello to Laura Geller’s Welcome Matte Skin Enhancer. I purchased this amazing gel-based liquid product for my mother as she is a victim of oily skin. She is constantly blotting her face throughout the day to remove the shine from her t-zone, which subsequently ruins her foundation so she constantly has to reapply that too. A little goes a long way with this shine absorbing fluid. Instead of putting it over your makeup as suggested in the instructions, I applied it under my mother’s makeup as a primer. Her face was visibly less shiny and her makeup lasted for almost the entire day (Approximately 6 hours. In the instructions, it says it could last up to 8 hours). Pick up Laura Geller’s Welcome Matte Skin Enhancer at Sephora for only $26 CDN.

Canadian Makeup Show 2008!

The Canadian Makeup Show was held at The Better Living Center on November 8th and 9th this year and I was privileged to share a room with so many makeup enthusiasts. My best friend and I were pleasantly surprised by many of the vendors this year. But the vendors that caught our eyes were Crown Brushes, Yaby Cosmetics and of course M.A.C Cosmetics. Crown Brushes offered an array of brushes, eye shadow palettes and makeup kits all for great prices. Yaby Cosmetics showcased a beautiful and highly pigmented makeup line with “create your own” palettes that are perfect for a makeup artist’s kit. And M.A.C Cosmetics had products from their PRO line available from lipsticks to Chromacakes to Pigments in beautiful, bright and bold colours. I can’t wait to attend next year’s show which is sure to be bigger and better.

Some of the goodies I picked up!