fiending.

MAC Brow Finisher - $15

i realize there is a downfall with shopping at the ccs. and that is falling in love with discontinued items. probably more than a year ago now, i ran into the mac brow finisher products at my local ccs. before this product, i was using a clear wax product separately from the color powder i used for my brows. it was a two step process and at times was too much when i was in a hurry. so when i saw this product in wheat i found it to be the perfect shade of taupe for me. always looking for ways to improve my brows, i thought i'd give it a try. of course, i fell in love with it. it was an easy, one-step process and the results looked so natural. it became my hg brow product.

a couple weeks ago, i opened the cap to use it and there was nothing there. my heart literally stopped. i twisted and twisted until i came to the very end and it just clicked and clicked. then saw that it had jagged edges. i squinted my eye into the cap, shook it, then pounded in on my palm and out fell this little nub of product. i was at first giddy with relief and then sad when i realized i had probably only a little more than a month's worth of use left and then i'd be S.O.L and browless. panicked, i hopped onto maccosmetics.com and whimpered a bit when the product only showed up in "clear". cruised over to ebay and saw that only two sellers had it, but in blonde. big strike out everywhere else. NO ONE had it. defeated, i went back to maccosmetics.com and checked out what else they had to offer brow wise.

i already had experience with their self-propelling, self-sharpening eye brow pencil but i don't really care for it (not a natural enough application). i am not a big fan of any liquid application for eyebrows, so i passed the penultimate brow marker without even reading past "a liquid...". then there is the impeccable brow pencil. i am kind of "eh" about a creamy application, but i read further as it was my last option for brows by mac. two things caught my attention right away, that the color option was already pre-selected at "taupe" (i am a sucker for anything taupe) and that the description indicated that the creamy pencil "provides a natural matte finish". hmm, i thought. but i couldn't quite commit yet. so i opened a new tab in my browser and logged onto sephora.com.

from there i filtered products down to eyebrows and began yet another research effort. the first product that caught my eye was this...

Christian Dior Powder Brow Pencil - $28

With the word "powder" thrown in the description, it definitely piqued my interest. i read some of the 69 reviews that gave it a 4.5 out of 5 star rating but i could not stomach the price tag. no way. defeated once more, i went back to maccosmetics.com. i reread the impeccable brow pencil and looked at the color swatch a zillion times before i realized that i was being too overly dramatic about this. i clicked "add to bag" and "check out" in record time.

to be continued...

make up!

So I finally have something worth rambling about! Yay! I stopped by my local Saks Off 5th at the Block in Orange. Inside they have the Cosmetics Company Store outlet that sells overstock and discontinued items of Estee Lauder brands like MAC. Old news? Okay. Just making sure we're all on the same page. Anywhoo...

They had a mish mash of products from different past collections like Passions of Red, Ungaro, and non collection products as well. The more recent collections at the store currently are...

Graphic Garden

Look in a Box

Magic, Mirth, and Mischief

Remember 30% off retail! I got only two things, the smokey palette above. I LOVE the colors and have been looking for more browns lately for more a more natural look and I felt I hit the jackpot with this palette. The other thing I got was a darker blush in Feeling. But I have a feeling I may go back tomorrow for more stuff. cheeeese.

Another thing, the Neiman Marcus Last Call clearance shop has been open for quite some time next door and for some insane reason I am afraid to go in there. Eek. It's like I know I will meet my wallet's death or something. I keep putting it off for some unknown reason.

Red She Said!

How did I forget to share this!? My lovely sister got me this wonderful "just because" gift. She knew I was eyeballing it every visit to the CCS for quite some time, so she decided to surprise me with it. Isn't she the best?! The flash threw off the actual coloring. It's not hot pink, it's really a blood red patent leather. Of course, it doesn't fit my entire collection but its more than perfect for traveling or when I am doing some freelance make up work. I love it and of course with all things I LOVE, I horde it. I think I've used it a total of 2 times and have had it for 3 months! HA HA! Oh, and with my recent visit to CCS I spied an even bigger MAC train case. Le Sigh. One is never happy. 

CCS/Nordstrom Rack/TJ Maxx...oh my!

Wow...it has been a while hasn't it? Well, let's not waste time with the bitchins' and the moanins' we gots serious bidness to discuss here...

Today I took a magical make up tour through Orange County, and can I tell you, it was a haul-a-day!

First stop, I visited a local TJ Maxx. There had been quite a dry spell in the cosmetics department of TJ Maxx and Marshall's but no more! If you missed out on the Hard Candy liquidation sales last year here is your chance to stock up on your HC favorites at super low prices without having to pay extra for S/H! I spied tons of...

Eyeshadow Quartets 

$3.99 vs. $14.00 50% Sale vs. $28.00 Retail 

Delusional, Disco 2000, Drama Queen, Pixie, Moody, Star, Techno, Fringe, Old Skool

and tons more that aren't even available on the website any longer. There were also...

Eye palettes 

$4.99 

Sold out on the website!

 

Chinese Take Out make up collection 

$4.99 

Also sold out! 

Sweet Spot lip gloss 

$2.99 vs. $5.50 50% Sale vs. $11.00 Retail

Complexion Perfection Powders 

$4.99 vs. $7.50 50% Sale vs. $15.00 Retail

Get in there and stop kicking yourself for missing it last Summer!

Next stop, was Nordstrom Rack. There was mucho excitement going on at Nordy's today as there is a HUGE L.A.M.B. shoe sale event! I was in love with so many a pairs but made nice with just one pair of black suede booties $74.95 vs. $425.00 Retail. I ain't lyin' girl. Make up related they still had those Stila loot bag thingys that I still can't seem to find on the net. They also had a bunch of repeat Too Faced products like The New Romanic Unicorn palette, Hopeless Romantic palette, and the new kids on the block are the...

Love Lisa kits for $12.97 vs. $32.50. 

Oh, and all the Skin Fusion products are GONE.

Last on the extended make up tour was a visit to the CCS. They had a mish mash of different items from FAFI, StarFlash, Red She Said, Neo Sci-Fi and the list goes on as did my receipt...on and on and on.  

See what happens when you are on financial lockdown for months on end? You freak out and spend! On a more positive note I am happy to share that one of the greatest opportunity to present itself is finally having the time and funds to attend beauty school. I am taking this change to finally do something I love since I have to start over career-wise, I thought why not? I have been researching and have decided to check out the Glammin Institute of Makeup and Fashion. Has anyone been there or know anything about it? If so, please share!  

CCS/MAC Update & Haul!

MAC Neo Sci Fi spotted at CCS! Rush on over ladies because this type of deal during the last days of Xmas shopping is a full on suicide ka-MAC-azi mission! I picked up some gifts for my beloveds as well as some for myself like the Femme Fi shadow. I love the iridescence of this shade! Very techni-colorish. There were also some newly added Paint Pots in my most coveted shade, Girl Friendly and Perky among 5 other repeated shades. I have already tested Girl Friendly, and it is a gorgeous matte base for smokey eyes a la Angelina Jolie in Wanted. I have tried it with a deep brown, black, and plum. It works with all three flawlessly! My new favorite for this season for sure!

MAC/CCS Update and Haul [Unintentional]!

So I did my civic duty and voted Tuesday. In doing so I was promised free goodies; a doughnut from Krispy Kreme, a tall coffee from Starbucks, and a free one scoop cone from Ben and Jerry's. Lucky for me, ALL of these establishments were at the Block in Orange. UNLUCKY for me, was there was a humongo line that wrapped the entire store! So no ice cream, but an accidental haul from CCS. 

Royal Flush Pigment (Frosty Mid-Tone Red - Last one, bottom row)

$13.75 vs. $19.50 Retail

When I was there last, there were tons of items from the Colour Form collection, including some piggies. I didn't pick up any that were there; Pastorele, Bell Bottom Blue, Jardin Aires, Gold Stroke, and Royal Flush. I don't know why, but I restrained myself and limited my purchase to the items I did get. Well, I was bursting with haulitis Tuesday and decided to go back and get Jardin Aires and Royal flush, in my opinion, these are the only two flavors that would work on me plus I already hauled Gold Stroke a few months back. When I arrived, I was bummed to find that Jardin Aires was already sold out so I just picked up the lone Royal Flush. Then I decided to take a gander at the brushes. They still had the 222 and the 188, but I had my eyes set on...

 

259 Larger Shader Brush

$19.00 vs. $27.00 Retail

I wanted to try this brush with my Paint Pots because it is much softer and the fibers are so smooth compared to the brush I was using, 242. Hopefully, this brush will provide a more even application. I almost grabbed some lashes too. They were going for $7.25-$8.50, but decided against it...for now. ;p

So as I was getting rung up, in comes my husband and baby. Just as the clerk confirms my total, my hubs (being the jokester that he THINKS he is) pipes up and asks; "How much? For what?!" Then proceeds to tell the poor clerk who knows nothing of his "humor" that they should post a photo of my mug and a sign warning not to sell to me. Isn't he a riot?

CCS/MAC Update & Haul!

Remember when I got the Sun Centered powder from CCS a couple weeks back? Back then, there was only that powder and the Play Around Pink. Well, on my visit today, I spied the rest of the 2008 Summer Colour Form collection at my local CCS in the Block at Orange. There were also a couple more mattes and matte2s that were in attendance...

Meet the Fleet (2007 Naughty Nauticals - Matte Midnight Blue) 

$10.00 vs. $14.50 Retail 

[insert photo here]

Blanc Type (Matte2 Creamy Beige) 

$10.25 vs. $14.50 Retail

I picked up these two shades to update my matte collection. I feel that for Fall and Winter I find myself steering clear of shimmery shadows. I guess, for me, without the glowing sun, glowing skin just doesn't look right. In addition to the two shadows above I picked up...

 Greenstroke Paint Pot (Left)

$11.75 vs. $16.50 Retail

Accentuate/Sculpt (2007 Sculpt and Shape Duo Powders. They had them all.)

$14.75 vs. $21.00 Retail 

and one non-MAC item...

Clinique Lash Building Primer 

$9.25 vs. $13.00 Retail

I've been looking for a lash primer to compare with Smashbox's Layer Lash Primer and L'Oreal Volume Shocking Step 1. So far, in my opinion, L'Oreal is the winner in this race. Shocking, huh? ;p I have heard great things about Clinique's as well as MAC, but since I ran into Clinique's today, I figured I could further my experiment with theirs. 

Also, there were two baggies from the Fafi collection. Other than these mentioned items, every thing else was of the norm; nail lacquers, skin care items, tons of lippies and glosses.

 

Oh, and I learned something neat the other day that might be useful for those who are hesitant to purchase MAC cosmetics at discount retailers such as the CCS. On the label of each product there is an embossed alpha numeric combo. This number can also be found on the sticker of the box. The last number in the sequence references the year the product was manufactured. For instance, the Blanc Type I purchased is stamped with A37 which means it was manufactured in 2007 and the Meet the Fleet is stamped with A18 which equates to 2008. So there you have it, hardly old rubbish cosmetics now is it?

CCS/MAC Update & Haul!

My visit to the CCS was a pleasant surprise tonight. I ran into a mish mash of collection eras. There were some items from the 2006 Trip Limited Edition Collection like the Lip/Eye Palettes.

There was also Trip LustreGlass Trio in Beaux, Wonderstruck, and Instant Gold for $26.25. I snapped these up because they each had something different to offer color-wise. Beaux being an intense pink coral , Wonderstruck being a warm beige brown, and Instant Gold being, well, gold. ;p

[Insert Photo Here]

2008 Nordstrom Limited Edition Collection Colour Form Powders for $17.25 vs. $24.50 Retail.

Left - Play Around Pink
* Intense blue mid-tone pink with pearlized pigments
* Plum
* Soft pink with pink & white pearlized pigments
* Light pink

Right - Sun Centered
* Coral with gold pearlized pigments
* Mid-tone bronze
* Soft wheat with gold & silver pearlized pigments
* Soft peach with white pearlized pigments

These powders were part of Nordstrom's Limited Edition Line recently released this Summer in July so it was odd to see them at CCS so fast. Each compact contains four complementary shades. Since I am a NARS Orgasm lover, I opted for the Sun Centered mainly for its natural peachy tones.

There were also four new matte2s; Post Haste, Pen 'N' Pink, Poison Pen, and Signed, Seal for $10.25. I got the latter. I can do deep purples, but for some reason I think pastels and bright pinks look ridiculous on me.

Also in attendance were a bunch of Tinted Lip Conditioner Sticks. The prissy chapstick have a nice sheer color wash, but I think I'll stick to my $1 Carmex for now thank you very much. 

They still have tons of stuff from the Stylistics, Royal Assets, and Novel Twist Collections and I have a sneaking suspicion they are hording other more recent collections until they are rid of these stragglers! I keep passing these items up, saving my money for a big haul, but it never comes so I keep doing mini hauls. Eventually, I think I'm going to end up purchasing all the things I pass up. I started eyeing this beautiful deep red gloss with gold reflects from the Stylistics line but deep vampy colors is something I don't feel I can do either. It might be just me, but I like to stick to the safe colors! Oh well. Man, I am going to be broke and *bam* here comes all this great stuff from Fafi or more piggies! I just know it. 

CCS/MAC Update & Haul!

Repeat after me: "Hi, my name is                     and I'm a MAC-a-haulic."

So I stopped by the local CCS to see what was up in the MAC department and it seems not much has changed. I was hoping for a bigger FAFI stock, but no cigar. There are only a couple new items to report. 

Say, Haul-o to my little friends, Exhibit A:

The rundown...

First are the Lip Gelees ($10.00 vs. $14.00 retail), I picked up Moonstone. This color is so effin pretty! It is so subtle and has the prettiest pink sheen. Not too kiddie pink. I also picked up a Lip Glass Liner ($9.50 vs. $0.00) in Pink Edge. If you've never used this type of liner before let me tell you tis vunderfull! The consistency is so silky, it's like a tiny lipstick. You can totally rock it alone and people will never know that all you used was a liner! 

There were also Dual Edge Eye Pencil Liners ($11.75 vs. $16.50) in attendance. I grabbed a neutral brown/nude combo in Nighthawk/Front Row and a edgy black/tourqoise in Black Funk/Pop Blue. This is the first time I've ever been exposed to this product. It was a nice surprise to see the contrast in finishes as well as the color pairings. For example, the black/blue pencil I got is different in that the black has a shiny vinyl like finish while the blue was a sparkly matte and the brown/nude pencil the brown was a rich chocolately finish while the nude was a shimmery iridescent color with flecks of glitter. Gorgeous! I would have walked off with the purple, silver, and blue duo pencils as well, but I restrained myself! 

Good thing, because next new items were 2 of the 3 pigments from the holiday Antiquitease Color collection! For a loooooong while all they had was one, ONE jar of pigment in Pastoral, of which I am not a big fan. Labeled as a gilded green, I just had to pass due to my yellow undertones. Most greens, I have to pass and use the deepest of olives to avoid a catastrophic look and this green, definitely fit the offender profile. Then suddenly appeared Sweet Sienna and Gold Stroke, both neutral earth tones. Taupes have to be my all time favorite favorite shade, Satin Taupe being my ultimate BFF! So when I saw this gem dubbed as a dirty brown with gray pearl, I knew it was just fancy schmancy talk for Taupe and I swooped it up! But of course I couldn't just leave behind its one surviving sibling (How can I break up a family?) Gold Stroke the mid-tone chocolate brown with red pearlized pigments, was calling out to me as well with its demure neutrality. I was very sad not to find Your Ladyship (creamy white w/ gold pearlized pigments) but that would have just been too good, huh?

That's it for my CCS update/haul. I would have loaded more pix, but my computer, internet, and Blogger are all in cahoots and the trio is causing me problemos. I am oh so tired tonight to deal so maybe an edit another night. GO TO YOUR LOCAL CCS!

MAC Haul! (actually just a "tug")

So I went back to CCS and attempted to pick up what I blogged about earlier. Buuuuutttt...as I forewarned, the Smoke Signals: Gentle Fumes quad I wanted was already sold out! :( I was so heartbroken. But I did pick up the FAFI Belightful Illuminating Powder and the Matte2 Handwritten eyeshadow, then found a replacement item for the quad;

The Royal Assets: Smokey Eyes

{LtoR,TtoB} Maid of Honor (S), Rondelle (F), Palatial (S), Courtley Grey (M), Majestic (L), Knight (VP), 215SE Brush, and the best mirror I think so far in a palette compact

$25.25 @ CCS vs. $36.00 retail

I've had my eyes on this pretty little palette for a while, and not because of the gorgeous packaging either! I don't know why I just decided to get it now. To heal the gaping hole left by the other quad? Yes, but the more realistic (and sane reason) is because I have been so lazy lately that I have been doing my morning make up routine in the car and at my desk more frequently than ever. SOOOO, it has been tons easier to pack a small palette than lug around my pro palettes or a gazillion pots and risk breaking or losing anything. Can you imagine the horror!? My bag of MAC empties was stolen from my car and that in itself was traumatizing!

Oh, and as I was multi-tasking, as most mommies attempt to do 24/7, I picked up my tods and had my bag of goods in my hands at the same time. Well one of my precious cargos crashed to the floor! Don't you just HATE when you drop your products!? UGH! I feel like it happens in super intense slow motion and I don't breath until I open the package and all is good again as it was in this case, phew! P.S. I loved my husband's response: "Just take it back!" Men!

CCS/MAC Update!

So I stopped by my local CCS (yeah, I am there ALOT) and saw only a few new notable items to report:

One new eyeshadow in a rich, matte2 brown Handwritten $10.00 @ CCS vs. $14.50 retail. The consistency of the matte2 shadows are unbelievably silky. The test swatch I did completely sold me and this shade will now replace my former matte brown BFF, Embark. Sorry, loyalty is not a virtue of mine when it comes to shadow blendability! 

1 quad palette Smoke Signals: Gentle Fumes (clockwise from top left) Rondelle, Waft, Carbon, and Gentle Fume for $24.75 vs. $36.00 retail.

Fix+ for $12.50 vs. $16.00 retail, a spritz on make up fixer that promises to seal your face war paint like MAACO varnish.

Only two (yes, two.) products from the FAFI Special Edition line. Belightful Iridescent Pressed Powder $14.75 vs. $21.00 retail. They also have this product in the regular M.A.C packaging if they're out of the FAFI compact.


and one lip gloss of which the name evades me right now! I know I should write stuff down instead of using my flaky "photogenic memory", but sometimes I feel like its illegal or something! I always feel watched. HA HA! Anywho, I was bummed and in disbelief, so I chatted up the working counter girl and she swore that those were the only two items they received. Something told me I could trust her, so I thanked her graciously and left pouting.

Aside from these products, they also had Tendertone Lip Balms and Tinted Lip Conditioners, as well as Prep+Prime Skin, skin care stuff on this link, and more items from my last report added to stock. But as with most sought after MAC products, I am sure the pictured items will move quickly, so get to chopping!

Paint the town...

As I predicted, I found myself squirming in my office chair at around 4:45ish because I wanted so badly to visit my local CCS to pick up some MAC loot. After swallowing my dinner whole (I have no idea what I ate) I drug (that sounds bad! dragged?) my hubs, baby, and cousin to The Block. Safety in numbers? No, I wanted the cousin to share in the MACness. Plus she's been dying to get her lips on the Russian Red lipstick, and they had it there. I bribed her and she took the bait. ;P I already had my budget and shopping list completed before I even left work so I headed straight to the Paint Pots. Among the more dramatic colors such as Delft, Moss Scape, and Greenstroke there were the following more neutral shades I did pick up.

Paint Pots $11.75 each @ CCS (Compared to $16.50 each @ MAC):
Constructivist
Shade description: Metallic dark brown with subtle red pearl (Frost). I can already tell that this jar and I are going to become quite the BFFs, especially on the days I am feeling the brown smokey look. The shade can be subtle if worn alone for the quick fix days, but if packed on the color is rich and yummy!
Fresco Rose
Shade description: Mid-tone pink with matching pearl (Frost). This shade will be an awesome base for my weaker pink and purple eyeshadow hues to give it that extra oomph they need to be transformed from pretty to vavooom!
Blackground

Shade description: Frosted smoky black grey with multi-coloured pearl (Frost). For the classic smokey eye look, this color will surely deliver intensity. I predict I will rely on this Paint Pot rather than Blacktrack fluid liner as a base.

The staying power on Paint Pots are beyond amazing! They last tons longer than the Shadestick, my base of choice pre-Paint Pot. The test swatch I did at around 7pm is still glimmering on my hand at 11pm! Luckily they didn't have my wish list Paint Pots: Rubenesque, Bare Study (sold out on maccosmetics.com), and Layin' Low. Otherwise I'd be three Paint Pots richer and $36 more in debt! ;P

***Another quick secret about CCS: If they have a particular product which is in high demand, usually any product that can be deemed a "staple" in black such as eyeliner, mascara, or the above Paint Pot, you must ASK if they have it in stock. They do not have testers of these items on the shelves because apparently those are the items most likely to be thieved. So always remember to ask!!

And what is painting without the right brush!?!
222 Tapered Blending Brush $19.75 @ CCS (Compared to $28.00 @ MAC)
"Apply, contouring or highlighting powerder-based products such as an eyeshadow, poweder, or Pigment. Soft round 'brush' tapers into a tip. Of natural fibres." - maccosmetics.com
*Very similar to the 217, with longer, less dense bristles or the 224, which is a lot fluffier with black bristles. The 222 blending brush is great for us girls with a smaller crease and/or eye area.
187 Duo Fibre Brush $29.50 @ CCS (Compared to $42.00 @ MAC)
"A large full circular brush used for lightweight application and blending of face powders or pigments. Use to create soft layers or add texture. Made from a soft blend of goat and synthetic fibres." - maccosmetics.com

*A blush brush is not just a blush brush of course, of course. The 187 is in a league of its own for blending! Compared to the regular 129, this brush is much more user friendly and clown proof! I welcomed these two newbies to my make up brush community and they fit in just fine! Oh and of course, I was youtubing before bed last night and picked up this ingenious tip! If you're one of those who relies on the numbers of your brushes or just like that it remain on the brush, a quick swipe of clear nail polish and insta-seal! No more rub off and mystery brushes!
Okay, back to the grind before I lose the yob that supports this habit!

MAC attack!

So when I get the urge to scratch my MAC itch, I always head first to the Cosmetic Company Store outlet. The closest one to me is located inside the Saks Off 5th outlet store at The Block in Orange County, CA. I swear, the ladies in there must think I am a shoplifter or MAC fiend in for my fix because I am always in the MAC section touching and tester-ing EVERYTHING. Even walking away empty-handed...sometimes.

They have mighty strict rules there at the CCS. Some are:

1. No purchases totaling over $300 per person (This is where you cash in on all the IOUs ladies.)
2. You must pinky promise you are not buying to resell the items.
3. No licking (Not really but ya never know now do you? Some things just gotta be said.)

Currently they have a plentiful supply of the latest holiday collection "Royal Assets". Consisting of eyeshadow palettes, lip palettes, lip gloss sets, lip sticks, eyeliner sets, brush sets and oh so much more. You name it, they got it! So if you think you missed out in 2007, this is probably your last chance to pick them up at a big discount before they're gone for good or you can pay a ridiculous amount for them on eBay and come to find out they're really MIC. ;p

Sometimes you can also find the most sought after brushes hidden away at the back counter, crying out like pound puppies to be taken home. It takes a trained eye to spot them behind the counter chicks, you know, the ones dressed in the black smocks wishing you would disappear?

Side Track Warning: 9 out of the 10 ladies who work the CCS counter have NO CLUE about the products being sold there or make up in general. So don't ask them, they don't know. TRUST ME. Not being bitchy, just the truth.

Regroup: Most brushes on stock are discontinued but during my recent visit I did spy the 187 & 188 stippling brushes. I have read great reviews about these babies on makeupalley.com and will be owning a pair by the end of tonight (if they're still there)! Also there was the 222 blending brush. Great for blending in a smaller crease area as opposed to the 217 or 224. The one brush I did pick up recently is the discontinued 185 Kabuki brush with the shorter white bristles:

Personally, I LOVE this brush for applying mineral foundation because of the length and density of the bristles. The application is tons more concentrated and controlled and alot less messier than its longer bristled counterpart, agent 182. It delivers a smooth, flawless finish every time! My sisters are jealous and that's the second most desired result. 

They also have a ton of Paint Points, some Fluid Line, Shade Sticks, lip-glass-gloss-sticks-liners. I mean, you really just have to go there. They never have the same thing twice, one week you can walk in and run into a stash of pigments and the next week they may be gone. So this is your mission, should you choose to accept it.

Happy Chopping!