Mini Limited Edition MAC Haul

Last year, my friend Jo-Anna and I went to an event hosted by Estee Lauder for the Ronald McDonald House Charity, a non-profit organisation that provides assistance to seriously ill children and their families. It was an opportunity to purchase makeup at a discounted price while also supporting a good charity (the entry fee went directly to the charity), although Jo and I weren't quite sure what to expect. We didn't know if it would include whole collections or just bits and pieces -- there was a limit to the amount that you could spend, so we thought that it might be really busy and everything would sell out really quickly. The one thing that we did know was that we were going to get there early and have a good time!

We didn't get there early -- in fact, we got lost -- and it wasn't anything like we expected. It was quiet, and there were products from brands including Clinique, Bobbi Brown and Estee Lauder at a decent discount -- but it was MAC that I was interested in the most. The stock appeared to mostly be discontinued limited edition stock, some from collections such as MAC is Beauty and MAC Bao Bao Wan, and some from collections that I knew nothing about! There were even some MAC RiRi Hearts MAC brushes there that made my heart sing (you can read about that here) but I was on a strict budget and sadly had to turn them down.

I did, however, pick up a few pieces from previous collections, all of which I coveted and kept me under budget!

L to R: MAC Alluring Aquatic, MAC Toledo, MAC Cinderella

MAC Alluring Aquatic Nail Varnish - "Neptune" || This is a really beautiful antique gold nail polish that can last a long time with the right products! It can be a little streaky when applied, and it's not quite opaque, so I need three careful layers to achieve the look I want. Paired with an Essie base coat and a Sally Hansen top coat, this nail polish lasted way longer on me than when I wore it without -- it was also less prone to flaking and peeling. I particularly love the packaging with this; the little beads of water on the packaging makes it looks as though it was recovered from an underwater sea chest!

MAC Toledo Pearlglide Intense Eyeliner - "Designer Purple" || Please ignore that the swatch photo says "Designer Violet" -- I stuffed up! There were plenty of MAC Toledo products at the event (but, sadly, none of them were lipsticks), and I was umming and ahhing about a good number of them. I remember wanting virtually every piece when I'd seen the press releases, so how was I going to decide? Swatching the liner was what did it for me. I saw that gorgeous, glittery purple and went, "Yup, that's going into my basket."

MAC Cinderella Fluidline - "Little Black Bow" || You may remember that earlier last year I cut off my arm and spent a small fortune purchasing as many pieces of the MAC Cinderella collection as possible. This fluidline was the only MAC Cinderella product there, and I walked past it several times -- that is, until I got too nervous that someone was going to snatch it up, and grabbed it myself! It's a shimmery blackened grey that I think will apply quite nicely for a softer alternative to the traditional black wing.

Unboxed: MAC Alluring Aquatic, MAC Toledo, MAC Cinderella

Swatches: MAC Toledo, MAC Cinderella

That's all that I picked from the Estee Lauder event last year! There was plenty of makeup there -- particularly limited edition MAC lip glasses -- but I had a budget to stick to, and I happily did! It's definitely an event that I will go to again in the future, if not to pick up some discounted quality makeup but to window shop while supporting a good cause.

Did you manage to pick up any of these items while they were available? Would you go to an event like this to help support a charity? Let me know!

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