Back 2 MAC information and FAQ

So, I was never told that when you shop at MAC, you can actually bring your empty or semi-empty containers back for a free lipstick, lipgloss or eyeshadow. At the counters you can just get a lipstick but at actual standing stores you can get a little bit more. I was informed this at Christmas time and have been doing some research on this program and decided to write up some information on the program and some frequently asked questions that I have seen being asked. Hope this helps everybody since it really helped me.

Here is an overview from the MAC website..

Because we share your commitment to the environment, M·A·C accepts returns of its primary packaging through the Back to M·A·C Program. By returning six [6] M·A·C primary packaging containers to a M·A·C counter or M·A·C Cosmetics online, you’ll receive a free M·A·C lipstick of your choice as our thanks to you.

..now I know it says just a lipstick but I have been told you can get more at the actual stores like I stated.

Now, these are questions from the website Specktra.net (great website). Just thought I'd post them for people anyways, anything is helpful right?

Q: Can I bring in more than 6 empties (example 12 empties = 2 groups) to get multiple items from B2M?

A: Yes, you can.

Q: Can you get limited edition colors with B2M?

A: Yes, you can. But you cannot get anything that has to do with Viva Glam ever.

Q: Can I return depotted eyeshadows for B2M?

A: Yes, you can. (for anybody that doesn't know what depotted means, it's when you take the eyeshadow out of the container they give you and put it in a palette. This is for people that make custom palette's for themselves or others)

Q: What doesn't count for B2M?

A: The things that don't count are boxes, bags, tools, puffs and other packaging.

Q: Can I return lipgloss with product still left in it?

A: Yes, you can return a tube with product still left in it or a tube with everything in it, they accept both.

Q: What's the deal with the Viva Glam (VG) products?

A: This is the deal. You can return your VG products. When you return your 6 items to get another product, you CANNOT get a VG product. This is because all VG proceeds go to the MAC AIDS Foundation.

Q: What about the little sets that MAC sometimes offer?

A: Ok, I had to ask this question because I didn't know the answer. For anybody who went to MAC this past Christmas will know that they had the "Little Darlings" lipgloss set. My mom got me the neutral one for a present. Now, with these since they are mini, you will need to bring in ALL 5 to count as 1 item. So you would need to bring in the 5 tubes, along with 5 other items to count as 6. If that doesn't make sense I'll break it down like this. Take the 5 mini containers and set them aside, this is 1 item for B2M. Now, (for example) take 5 eyeshadows empty or not and put them to the side. So you have 5 mini's and 5 eyeshadows. That is what you would need to get your freebie. You CANNOT bring in 5 mini's and one full sized item to count as a freebie. If anybody needs further explanation on this, email me and I'll explain it a little better since that can get sort of confusing.

Q: Is there a limit on how many empties I can bring to get freebies?

A: As far as I've seen and read, there is no limit on the amount of freebies you can get. Don't qoute me here girls, I'm not saying to save 5 yrs worth of empties and go to MAC and expect to get 20 freebies here lol. If your not sure, call your counter/store and ask if they have a B2M limit.




Again, these are just some questions and answers I have come across while browsing about B2M. I will certainly be posting more posts like this in the future the more Q&A's I find. Hope this helped you guys!

xO Jamie

How I get my hair nice..

Ok, so I know this is a make up blog, but yesterday I got an extremely nice comment on how shiny and how good my hair smelt that I decided to let you all know what I use and how I use it so people can have shiny hair and good smelling hair also!!

I first want to say that sometimes when I get my hair cut, or done professionally, that is the ONLY time I will buy shampoo from a salon. I feel that you can go to any Wal-Mart and find the same kind of products for cheaper that will do the same exact thing. I don't understand how people can buy $20+ shampoos all the time for their hair. With that said, for shampoo and conditioner I use anything you can get at Wal-Mart. That includes, Suave, White Rain, Pantene Pro-V, etc. I use the same brand for shampoo and conditioner just because that is what is recommended and really works good if you use both. Now, what I use as a leave in treatment or leave in conditioner depends on my mood. Recently I have been using Bed Head's Chocolate Head. This stuff is amazing. I did NOT buy this at a salon, I bought it off of ebay for way less than what they retail for. For anybody who doesn't know, this stuff kind of resembles maple syrup, only a little bit thinner. And it literally smells like chocolate. You shampoo and condition like normal, and then pour this all over your head. You rub it in and let it sit for 3-5 minutes. You rinse out as normal and there you go.

Now, after you rinse out all products this is what you should do. Rinse your hair with freezing cold water. It will seriously suck but cold water equals the best shine money can get, and its free!! After that just get out and style as usual. Those are the only steps I use to get my hair to be silky soft and shiny. I don't spend hundreds of dollars on my hair, and I've also recently starting going to Sally's Beauty Supply to get all my hair dye and have my mom do it herself. It comes out great and who can complain for literally a fraction of the price you would pay at a salon. Every once in a while my boyfriend will treat me to a salon day, but I would rather get nice smelling products from CVS or Wal-Mart and dump them into my hair than pay extra for the same thing from a salon. So, thats it. That is my hair regimen. Simple and cheap. What every girl wants in life!!

More CVS shopping!!

So last night my boyfriend was supposed to sleep over but he got sidetracked and ended up making plans with his friends, fine with me since I actually got to go to bed early since I was exhausted!! He called me later on and was like we are going to CVS so you can get your make up brushes tomorrow, be up at 9. I didn't even have time to say yes I was so excited. So today I was up bright and early (even though 9 is not bright and early haha) and went to CVS. There was actually more stuff going on sale but I'm gonna go on Monday and get some stuff. I ended up getting the Essence of beauty concealer brushes. You get one full size concealer brush, and a fine concealer brush, and they are only $4.49. Even though these brushes are from a pharamacy, they are by far the softest brushes ever. I can tell that I'll be rubbing these on my face thats how soft they are. They are great for people who can't afford MAC brushes (which can get up to at least $32 a brush). They work very well and get the job done.

I am also going to be going to KMart soon to try out a new brand in brushes they have there. Its called "Posh" and they are red and black brushes. I am a sucker for great color schemes in brushes and red and black are seriously my colors so we'll see. I also tried out a look today that I was thinking about and I will definitly be sharing that with everybody very soon. So please guys if you want a great deal get to CVS, seriously. They are having some awesome deals lately!!!

Here are the brushes in the package without me opening them..



Here is the fine conceal brush..(you can also see the size of the brush within my hand)



And the full size concealer brush..



And both of them in my hand..

CVS shopping today!!!

So last night me and the boyfriend got into a huge fight, and he apologized and made up with me by bringing me to the new CVS that was just built down the road from my house. He only had $10 on him, but like any girl I can find a deal. We went in and I was AMAZED at how big there cosmetic/nail/hair aisles were. Like 10x bigger than any CVS I've ever seen in my life. So I knew I wanted to get a L'Oreal HIP Pigment in some sort of color but when I walked over I saw that L'Oreal was having a buy one get one free sale!!! I immediately took action and ended up getting 2 HIP eyeshadows. I was going to get the pigment but my boyfriend really liked the colors and since he was buying I couldn't turn him down. He has some say too since he has to stare at my crazy make up obsessed ass!! So anyways, I bought 2 eyeshadows.

I bought this color which is called "Showy" and is number 224 for anybody that is wondering.



And this color which reminds me of the basketball team Lakers because the colors are literally gold and purple. The color is called Flamboyant (haha what a name!) and is number 538.



I really wanted to buy the new Eco-Tools make up brushes that came out. The stick is made out of bamboo and they are supposedly "organic" and really good for the earth. But when I got there since the CVS is still very new (it only opened 2 days ago) either they will never have them, or they weren't stocked yet because they didn't have any. They had a very nice mini set of Essence of Beauty brushes which I had my eye on, but held out until next time. So if anybody is on a budget and would like some make up, definitly hit up CVS!! For some reason every pharmacy I go to is having a good sale on certain brands. They probably thought, "hmm Jamie is on her way what the heck can we mark down for this girl so she buys more!!" haha. They probably don't think that but I wouldn't think twice either.

I just want to say that I also came home and tried one of the pigments in the color duo Showy and like the CG eyeshadows, you will definitly need to use the little brush that comes with it. For anybody that doesn't know, you don't actually see the brush but when you put the eyeshadow upside down, there is actually a little door that you open and it pops open with a little mirror and a sponge applicator in it. How conventient and so hidden!! Using the sponge applicator works 10x better than my eyeshadow brushes because I have such soft brushes that it wasn't picking up enough for my liking. I also have a GREAT look I am going to do with the darker showy color and the gold of the Flamboyant duo. I have an inspiration also and it actually came from my boyfriend haha. That look will be coming in a few days so get ready ladies!!

Kmart and Rite-Aid shopping and lipstick review!

So yesterday was such a lazy day for me. I didn't have work so I decided to go to the boyfriends apartment. I got there, ate some buffalo chicken pizza (sounds gross but BANGIN I must say) laid down on the couch with him watching Big Daddy and low and behold we both passed out like lightbulbs haha. His room mate came home and woke me up and was like, "Jamie you looked dead" I must have been really tired for me to take a nap considering I NEVER nap. So afterwards, I decided I wanted to go buy some make up and left and went home haha. It was also snowing out and I didn't want to get stuck in the snow storm god forbid it got bad.

I went to Kmart and only decided on one Covergirl eyeshadow in aqua. I used to love Kmart, but now it seems like there collection has dwindled and ever since they got bought out by Sears, their prices have SKY rocketed. I love Wal-Mart though, they are still kinda high priced in cosmetics but alot cheaper than Kmart. I then decided to go down the road to Rite-Aid and to my surprise they were having a huge sale on cosmetics. For Wet N' Wild (for all you gals who don't think cheapy cosmetic brands like this one are worth the money, but I have to say that cheapy type brands are GREAT for people who maybe don't have the money to buy high end things. Trust me, you can get the same effect with the cheapy brands as the higher end brands so don't throw those to the curb) I have to say I started out with Wet N' Wild and NYC and Bonne Bell *haha member Bonne Bell? I don't even know if they still make anything from them!! Anyways, Rite-Aid was having a 99 cent sale on all Wet N' Wild cosmetics, so if your looking for a deal head on down to them. The only thing I will say about anything that has to do with Rite-Aid, CVS, or WalGreens is no matter what you find, you can find it so much cheaper. The only reason I went to Rite-Aid is because I didn't feel like driving all the way to Wal-Mart in the snow and my life is a little bit more important than any eyeshadow will ever be. (Even though it may not seem that way) haha. They were also having a sale on all Covergirl products with their buy one get one 50% off sale. So I eventually walked away with a lipstick, and an eyeshadow from Wet N' Wild and 2 eyeshadows from Covergirl. The eyeshadow I got from WNW (Wet N' Wild) was this pinky reddish color. Great for being by itself or maybe with a base color. I also got a lipstick called Café au Lait. That's what my review will be on today. From CG (CoverGirl) I got that emerald color from Kmart, a beautiful teal color which I am wearing today and I have to say GREAT color payoff, and a color quad in blues and one base color of white. They are all beautiful colors and best of all, it only cost me $9.00!! I'm always down for a deal and this was it so if you have an extra 10 bucks lying around head on down to your nearest Rite-Aid and see what you can find.

Here are some pictures of my shopping adventures, complete with the name of the colors.

The Wet N' Wild color is a beautiful pink shimmer called Fine Wink, number 250 on the containers when you go to the store.

Without flash..



With flash..



One of the colors from CG. This one is a eye enhancer with a nice shimmery look. The color is called Aqua Paradise. It's number 500. One thing I have noticed about CG eyeshadows is you should really use the sponge applicators they come with. They are very pressed so a nice soft eyeshadow brush really doesn't pick up alot of the product to get a good payoff.

With flash..



Without flash..



Here is the blue quad I also got from CG. This one is great for somebody who wants to try out some blues because they aren't to dramatic for someone who is a little new to trying out crazy colors. This one is called Crystal Waters and the number is 270.

With flash..



Without flash..



The lipstick without flash..



And with the flash..



And here is a picture of everything. For some reason I didn't take an individual picture of the teal color but the color is called Turqoise Tempest and its number 435. For some reason on the website they actually make it look like its a shimmery color, but in real life its actually more of a matte color. It has a little speck of shimmer in it but not much. So here is a picture of all the eyeshados minus the lipstick...

With flash..



Without flash..



Now, with that said my review today is on the WNW lipstick. Now, I haven't worn lipstick in god knows how long. I think the last time I wore lipstick was 15 yrs ago when I used to go through my moms make up case and take all her hot pink (yes hot pink was still in style 15 yrs ago haha) or ruby red lipsticks and would put them on my lips and everywhere around my lips haha. I was never a fan of lipsticks because some of the drugstore brands (think L'Oreal, Revlon, Maybelline, etc) has that weird grandma smell to them. I would always buy them a couple years ago only to get home, open it, and have that smell hit me in the face and think I was next to my grandma all day. I would just end up giving the lipstick to my mom, which she would never use anyways but o well. Back then there really wasn't a return on cosmetics so I took my losses. Anyways, with that said, I decided that if I'm going to call myself a make up addict and have this blog for everybody to read, I need to expand my horizons and try different things to let all sorts of readers know what works, what doesn't work, and what is just not good to buy. So I went for it. I bought my first lipstick in god knows how long and I have to say, I LOVE IT. Now, this color looks GREAT in the container. It looks like a nude brownish color, with a little bit of a shimmer. It comes in this awesome little silver container with a see through top so you can see the exact color before you buy it. And best of all, it was only 99 cents!! Now, when I got home I immediately said hi to my mom and went into my room so I can sit down and do some swatches of my new eyeshadow. I also made sure I didn't have any stuff on my lips so I could put my new lipstick on. When I put it on, I was totally dissapointed. When it's on your lips it does kinda look like your a golden robot from year 2349. But, I went into action and found a clear lipgloss and put that over the lipstick. The color was FANTASTIC. It makes it look like a sheer nudey color on your lips. It is a great color. I will have to give this product a 4/5 only because if you happen to buy this color (which by the way is 908B to anyone that goes to a store and wants to look for the number) you will have to pair it up with a clear lipgloss to get a great color. By itself, people are going to think your from the future. Other than that, great lipstick!

****I am thinking about getting an actual host and buying a website to further this so I can also have sale forums for all the pigments and stuff I would like to sample out to you guys as readers, and things that I just bought and don't use. I know somebody out there has a use for stuff people don't need anymore so that will be it. Let me know if you would like any other ideas if I do happen to host out and get my own website for this blog. Thanks guys****

O, and I would really appreciate some emails, maybe some questions that I could answer, or things you would like me to cover. I can only think of buying so many things or talk about certain things so make to sure to email me. My email if it can't be found is jlreding@snet.net I will answer very promptly and all the time. Just make sure you leave an email I can reach you at, and a name, and please put "Make up Blog" as the title of the email so my spam bucket won't push you into the spam folder. Thanks so much girlies and guys!!!

Make up Remover Review- Clinique

Alright girls. We all know what make up remover is and if your me you'll realize it's a god send. Sometimes soap and water just won't do it and sometimes it actually irritates my eyes from me rubbing to hard to try to get all my make up off. I do have a couple other different make up removers, but this is the one that I keep in my make up bag for overnight trips and in the mornings if I'm just to tired to wash my face and do it in the morning.

This review is on the Clinique "Take the day off" (such an ironic name huh?!) make up remover. You can use this for your eyelids, eyelashes and believe it or not your lipstick/lipgloss. This little doosey of a make up remover comes in a plastic purple bottle. You can get ones with flip up tops but I think because mine is a little older and I've had it for awhile, I have a plastic twist off one. I don't know if they still make these ones or not. This make up remover is honestly a great product. It gets rid of all my eye make up basically in a couple of swipes and my eyes don't hurt from me rubbing hard to try to get all my make up off at the end of the day. I usually grab a cotton ball (I use cotton balls because they are SO much softer than using toilet paper which I know some people do. I suggest against this because its kinda rough on your eyes and you could have it flake and then you have to pick up the flakes, etc. You get the idea) So, I grab my cotton ball and put it on the top of the bottle and turn it upside down for no longer than a second. I always have just enough to get all my eye make up off, and not to much which is good. Then just swipe away and get all the remains on that make up off!

What my review thinks..

Pros: It seriously gets all my make up off, no lie. Usually it takes awhile with the mascara and it ends up smudging everywhere but not with this. You get it all basically in a couple of swipes which I love because at the end of my day the last thing I wanna do is sit there and try to get all my make up off, I just wanna go to bed!!

Cons: Even though it is a great product, it is just a little bit oily. At first it feels like I'm putting oil on my face and once I'm done getting my make up off, I'll sometimes turn the cotton ball over and use the dry side to dry my eyes a little bit. A little bit goes a long way with this product so I guess that could be a good and bad thing in this situation!!

You can also buy this product at any major department store where Clinique is carried. You can NOT get this product at Sephora for some reason. I just did a search and they do not carry make up remover in Clinique for some reason. But, here is a picture for reference if you ever decide to try this product out!!



And a picture of my actual make up remover so you can see that I have the plastic twisty top on mine.

Review- Sephora Daily Brush Cleaner

I am SO sorry I have been neglecting this blog. I promised I would post everyday but I have been so busy with school, work, and moving my boyfriend into his apartment, I'm so tired when I come home I just have no drive to go online and post and think about what I am going to write about. I recently have been going through some personal things in my life and to help me cope my boyfriend has promised me to buy me make up little by little. I also recently made a "Make Up Book" which is a book for me to write down ideas of make up I would like to buy that I see other people writing about, what make up I personally need to get, looks that I would like to try on my own, brushes I need/want, and other misc. things. It really has helped me become more organized. So I put everything into my Sephora wishlist (not everything is Sephora that I picked, but it does make it easier to lay out what is and isn't from there for future references) and to my astonishment, my total came to $1498...eek! That is ALOT of make up and brushes and other little things, but hey its SO worth it in my eyes. I also have little things that I would like to get from MAC, Wal-mart, and other misc. websites that I have been doing research on and finding certain things. So, the more I get, the more I will do reviews and the more I will let everybody know the pros and cons of the items I buy. As we all know, make up costs money and the first thing that comes first and foremost in my life is my car payment so be patient as I really am trying to make my collection grow, ever so surely!

With that said, I do have one review that I would LOVE to talk about, and that is the Sephora Daily brush cleaner. One thing about make up is that you have to wash it every once in a while. If you don't, bacteria can grow in our brushes and make up can get dirty and cause us to get pimples and acne in places we don't want. I had been looking for a brush cleaner for awhile and could not find one to save my life. I finally went on the Sephora website to find one and low and behold I did. I put it on my favorites and that night my boyfriend surprised me with a trip there so we all know I was game. I got there and found this bottle, it IS the travel size bottle because I didn't want to buy the full size one if I got home and didn't like it. It was $6 and SO worth it. I came home and whipped out all my brushes that I have been using and sat on my bed and got ready haha.

It says to use a linen free cloth, but I just got some toilet paper and it worked fine. You spritz 3 or 4 times on your brushes and just rub until you see no color coming out of your brushes. Let me tell you how freakin' dirty my foundation brush was. HOLY mother of god. I must have been sitting there for 20 minutes trying to get all that crap out. Also, you would think the smell would be so gross considering it IS a brush cleaner but it made my brushes smell SO good. Also, after I cleaned them and left them out overnight (which it says to do) the next day when I went to use my brushes they were SO soft. I am so glad I spent the meesly $6 on this brush cleaner and I'm sure I will try other ones in the future, but for now this will do the job. You can get the bigger version for $10 and they also have what is called a brush shampoo which is basically the same thing but just a deeper clean.

All in all I am most definitely giving this product a 5/5. It does its job and it does it well and it doesn't hurt that it makes the brushes feel soft and smell great on top of it!!

Here is a picture of the actual brush cleaner. Like I said, this is what they call the "trial" size. The bigger version is actually believe it or not a lot bigger.



My dirty brush. You can see some teal eyeshadow on there haha so we know it's ready to be cleaned!! Spritz some brush cleaner on this bad boy..



Then in a windshield wiper motion, start cleaning your brushes. After a couple swipes you will have a nice, clean smelling brush.

Second review-Smoky eye pallet

Sorry I haven't been posting in this blog, I've just been really busy with my boyfriend moving into a new apartment and helping him and his room mate moving in. I went to Wal-Mart the other day to help find some home furnishings, and I found myself floating over to the cosmetics area. I stayed there for about 10 minutes and found a really nice smoky eye pallet.

My review today will be on the Rimmel London quad colors in Smoky Noir. I bought this because I gave my sister the pallet I used on the tutorial earlier on, and I needed one for myself. This was the only one I found that I would actually like. Even though I normally don't buy products or brands that I haven't used before, I decided to try it. I brought it home and tried my smokey eye the next day with the new make up. Let me tell you. This quad is the nicest eyeshadow. It glides on smoothly, evenly and has very vidid colors. You don't need to apply alot for it to stick out. I would give this product a 5/5 if I had the chance. Great product and it did not cost alot at all. I think it cost me $3.97. For that price, you really cannot go wrong.

The eyeshadow pallet..