Hi all, sorry for the long lag between posts. I was able to attend the Toronto MAC Estee Lauder Warehouse sale this last weekend. Unfortunately I didn’t spend a lot, but I did get a lot for the funds I did spend.

• Lollypop Loving- $9
• Makeup case - $1
• Signed and Sealed - $3
• Mini Bottle of Fix+ - $3
• 228 Brush - $3
• Engaging Eyeshadow mineral duo, Gentle Simmer Slimshine, Taupographic Shadestick & 205 Brush all for $5
• Golden Bronzer - Free Gift

I keep thinking abou the deals that got away LOL, next time I’ll have to enlarge my budget.

So winter is really here… aside from the Holiday recovery we have to start thinking about matching our foundation for out winter skin tone. I’ve been having a real struggle this winter over finding my HG colour match. One trick I’ve (finally) learned is to match your foundation to your neck and decolletage. Start my swatching on your neck and decolletage, when you find a match swatch along your jawbone, you will know it matches when there is no line where your jaw meets your neck, and everything looks about the same colour.

Don’t try and fix your colouring with foundation, always try to match your skin colour as perfect as possible. If you think that your are too pale use a bronzer, etc..

Also it is important to try before you commit, it’s best to try the foundation all over your face for at least a few hours. Everybody’s skin causes foundation to react differently. Does it highlight dryness and show your flakies? Is the coverage even? Do you have enough coverage, too little? Does it feel good? Did the colour change throughout the day? Check with your drugstore, or counter about their return policy, if you are shopping at a high-end counter or sephora you can try and ask for a sample.

Don’t forget to check in different lighting, there’s nothing worse than having a perfectly applied face at your vanity, only to check in your car’s mirror in natural light and find that you look like the offspring of an oompa-loompa (been there!)

I’ve been on the endless hunt for the perfect foundation. I love my EDM mineral foundation and my Meow minerals foundation. But, this winter my skin has been really dry, and my winter colour has started to show, so my summer colours aren’t matching at all I’ve been trying to find a “dewy” moisturizing foundation with good coverage, isn’t mask-like and doesn’t turn me into a pumpkin. So far I’ve tried:

Clinique Soft finish: I can’t find a colour match, and it seems to turn me a bit orange. I do looove the formulation so maybe I’ll try another colour (crosses fingers).

MAC mineralize liquid: the lightest colour is too dark (it starts at NW20, why?) it’s also a tad orange.

Maybelline dream liquid mousse: so far, so good. I have a decent colour match with the lightest shade, and the coverage looks good, does’t turn me orange (yet)…only time will tell if I break out. I also got this on sale a Pharmaplus for $6.99 so it’s by far the least expensive I’ve tried. Here’s hoping.

So, last month I had the amazing luck to discover the Estee Lauder Warehouse Sale. I scored tickets to the Saturday sale and cleaned up big. Those of you who know me, know that I’m a huge cheapskate. I’ve pretty much avoided MAC because of the high price tag, but with a warehouse sale I was able to indulge without the sticker-shock guilt.

The sale taked place at the Markham fairgrounds 3 times a year. It’s Canada’s answer to the CCO. They carry a lot of overstock from the Estee Lauder brands, including, Estee Lauder, MAC, Clinique etc… This is a great opportunity to score previously sold out LE items, items that are discontinued or are about to be discontinued, overstock, gift sets, GWPs, etc… and it’s by invitation only. Prices were around 30%-40% off.

My Haul:
Glissade MSF
Coral Coordinate frost lipstick
Fafi Lustering lipstick
Clinique Quick Concealer
Mini Bobbi Brown makeup case
Magnetic Fields eyeshadow.

But the amazing buy of the day were the 4 different charity bags. For a $5 donation you received 3 full-sized MAC products and a brush. WOW! I bought all 4 and got:
180 Brush
169 Brush
206 Brush
227 Brush
Eversun Beauty Powder
Select Sheer loose powder
Memorabilia eyeshadow
Urgent! Slimshine x 2
Real Desire Lipglass
Fleshlight Lustre
Prep and Prime Lip refinisher
Rosebound liner
Deep Soul liner
Frenzy frost lipstick
Lust is Lush Lipgellee
Valentine’s Lipgellee

All for $20!!!!! Now it seems as if this was a one-time thing. In the past the’ve offered the charity bags, but they haven’t been quite this filled with amazing stuff. It also seems as if this offer was only on Saturday. So I really lucked out! yay!