After two buses, some walking, hitching a ride, and cabbing back, was it worth it? I'd say, yes. This year was my first time going to the Estée Lauder sale, and most likely won't be my last. If you're anything like me, you did (or are doing) some research to get an idea of what these sales are like. Let me break down my day for you: Skip to the bottom to see my haul!
I don't work for any of these companies so I had to do a little searching to get these tickets. My friend and I wanted to be the first ones there, so we went on Friday, March 22. It started at 10am and we wanted to get there at least an hour prior, that didn't happen exactly... we didn't realize how far this place actually was. It's far. If you don't live relatively close, expect a mission ahead. It's best you drive there, or take a cab, or even prepare for a walk. We took two buses to the Markham area, then at a certain point there's no bus service so you have to walk (which would have taken us about 30 minutes). About half way, two strangers asked if we were headed to the sale, and offered us a ride - they seemed alright - so we took the offer. In no way would I usually recommend hitching a ride - ever, but moving on...
We arrive there at approx. 9:15, they've let everyone line inside at that point so we didn't have to wait out in the cold (be prepared for that). There was about a max of 100 people ahead of us, and the line quickly grew outside the venue behind us. They opened the doors at 10 and by 10:15 we made it inside (not bad!).
Inside there are three sections/venues, divided between concealers and eyeshadows, foundations and brushes, lipsticks and blushes, and each section had a variety of fragrances and skin care products. They had brands like Clinique, Mac, Bobbi Brown, Origins, Estée Lauder, DKNY, Michael Kors, ect... Don't be worried about products running out at this point because it wasn't as busy as you would think. There were bins of products that you can just pick up, and there were also stations of product samples taped to the table to prevent things from getting messy. They provided paper and pencils and all you do is write down the number of the product and pick it up at another station.
TIPS:
1. Come with an open mind
I overhead girls next to us complain about the line ahead but personally, it wasn't that bad. We came with an open mind, and we were optimistic too. I've read a lot of blog posts about these sales, so I knew what to expect. Also, don't expect there to be certain colours or products, because most likely you won't find it. Just because they sold it the time last, won't mean it's there again.
2. Be prepared
I wouldn't suggest you come with a list - you can if you want, maybe a general list - but like I said previously you may not find it, so don't be so specific. There's enough time to go through each station and find what you want. By being prepared I mean for the weather, dress warm. Be prepared with a pen! Sometimes too many people are waiting to use the pencils, so bring a pen. Be prepared with a snack, you might get hungry waiting (they sold hotdogs and snacks at the event too). Be prepared for directions if it's your first time.
3. Don't worry about changing your mind on items until the end
Here's why: When you pick up your list of items at each station, they bag it for you. You can't open the bags (literally impossible, unless you poke a hole through it which I don't think they allow). So if you change your mind about these items they have to rebag the products. I suggest you just grab what you want first, then at the very end near the check out area, there's a return section where you can decide what to return and keep at once.
THE GOOD:
Most people were patient. There were some sections where people were fussy and pushy but overall it was good. I think you'd benefit from the sale if you're looking for items like, concealer, foundation, mascaras, skin products and fragrances because they had a lot of that. You also get a free gift at the end, and $5 donation bags you can buy.
THE BAD:
It's located in the middle of no where, and takes a while to get there. There wasn't a great variety of lipstick/eyeshadow/blush colours. Like I said don't walk in expecting certain colours (Like I did) because they may not appeal to you. I still managed to find a few I liked but I expected to find more neutral matte shades in eyeshadows, and a variety of blushes. (I'm referring mostly to Mac).
And now for the haul:
 |
| Fluidline Eye-liner Gel in Blacktrack, $12 |
 |
| Studio Sculpt Concealer in NW15, $9 |
 |
| Paint Pot in Soft Ochre, $12 |
 |
| Eyeshadow in Bisque, $12 |
 |
| Studio Fix Boldblack Lash, $12 |
 |
| Have To Have It lip pencil, $9 |
 |
| Amplified Creme Lipstick in Yung Rapunxel, $12 |
 |
| Zero Oil cleanser $4 |
 |
| Top to bottom/Left to right: Lipglass in It's A Wow $12, Lipglass in Orange Tempura $12 |
 |
| Top to bottom: Perfectly real makeup shade 04 $12, All about eyes concealer in 01 light neutral $9 |
 |
| Left to right: Perfectly real makeup shade 04, All about eyes concealer in 01 light neutral |
 |
| Near the end we exchanged our tickets for a free gift, which was an eye shadow in Bloom On. I also bought a $5 bag of random items and inside they had an eyeshadow, lip stick, and lipglass. |
 |
| Pro Longwear eyeshadow in Bloom On |
 |
| Electric Cool eyeshadow in Superwatt |
 |
| Everlasting Nude Prolong Wear Lipglass |
 |
| Satin Lipstick in Peachstock |
 |
| Wearing Peachstock & Everlasting Nude |
