Coming up: MAC Warehouse Sale

Hey ladies and gentlemen, another MAC warehouse sale is coming up, so if you know someone who can land their hands on a ticket, you better get one soon.

As I have probably not thoroughly talked about MAC warehouse sales before, well here's a detailed post with info you will probably want to know before going so that you're prepared - if it's your first time going.

What brands do they have there?
MAC, Bobbi Brown, Estee Lauder, Origins, Clinique and some other brands that aren't popping up in my head right now - but don't worry, they're nothing you'll miss out on.

When is it?

December 3 - 5, 2010

Friday: 10AM - 8PM

Saturday: 9AM - 6PM

Sunday: 9AM - 5PM

Where is it?

@Markham Fairgrounds

10801 McCowan Rd

Markham, Ontario, Canada

Get Directions

Area served:  - 

Category:

Unverified listing

What's it like inside?
It's a big storage/warehouse-looking building with 4 big rooms.
- 1st room is entrance where people line up.  This is where the employers check your ticket.
- 2nd room is where they sell fragrance, a few MAC limited edition brush sets, MAC gift sets - whether it be lippies or face powder or eye shadows, some face cleansers, some face creams, makeup bags, concealers, nail polishes, eye brow/liner pencil, eye shadow palettes and sometimes brush cleansers.
- 3rd room is the foundations, primers, a little more perfume, eye shadows, a few individual limited edition and discontinued brushes, brush sets, cleansers, toners, cleansing oils, fix+, exfoliators, basically skincare products
- 4th room is the $3-bin-travel-sized products (mascara, false eyelashes, lip gloss, fix+, cleansing oil, eye shadow with just the pan, and more), lip stick/gloss, face powders, a table for people to put back items they don't want, line up to pay, some random trinkets, and by the cash they have random products every time.  For example, by the cash, last time they had Bobbi Brown's Cleansing Oil and some Clinique Men Aftershave set.  They change it up at every sale, so there's no specific product there.  Finally, after you pass the cash registers, you hand your ticket to an employee at the table to get a free gift.  Each ticket gets one free gift and it's different at each sale.  Then before you leave, there's the charity bags.  Charity bags are random as well.  They do have a display for you to see what MAC products are in the charity bags, so you can decide whether you want it or not.  I believe you have to pay cash for the charity bags, I don't recall there being credit cards and/or debit cards accepted for that.  Also, there is no tax on charity bags.

How does it work in there?
They have tables set up with items out for you to swatch, along with a product # associated with the product.  They provide you paper and pencil at the tables to write down the product #s you want.  Then you line up, hand them your slip of paper, so they can grab what you wrote down, bag it and hand it over to you.  Please note, they are humans, they make mistakes.  Make sure you check everything you want is in there.  Also, everything must be bagged.  They bag it and write the amount it costs and how many items you have.  If you don't ask them to bag it, take it and go, they'll ask you to go back and bag it when you're at the cash.  And that's a pain because the line at the cash is a long one.

What to bring?
Besides cash/debit card/credit card, I'd advice you to bring pen, calculator (if you can't do mental math) and makeup remover towelettes.

1. Bring a pen because you probably don't have time to fight over a pen/pencil on the tables.
2. Bring a calculator because if you're on a budget, you might want to start calculating how much you're spending before you line up at the cash.  It just might not be a great idea to start realizing how much you've spent when you're at the cash register looking at the triple digits and it takes your breathe away.  Because trust me, makeup can sometimes carry our minds away, especially when you're buying it at a cheaper cost.  Also, even if you're not on a budget, because there's just so many people there, the cashiers may or may not charge you more by accident.  So it's best for you to calculate ahead of time so you know you're paying the correct expected amount.
3. Bring makeup remover towelettes because if you're swatching so often, the colours probably won't look right.

Any other advice?

1. When you get your bag of goodies, somehow check to make sure there is product in the package. 
2. Be there early, not on time because on time is not good enough.  I recommend at least 1 hour early.  Because MAC warehouse sales are becoming more and more popular over the years, you may miss out on the goodies as they do not restock throughout the day!
3. Go with a friend and line up for each other at different tables to save time.  Because as you're lining up, that product you're wishing to get may have ran out of stock.
4. When you first enter the sale, get one person to line up and grab everything you need at the $3 bins section.  Things are easily gone if you save this area for last.
5. If you're interested in MAC Prep and Prime products, line up in the foundations area for that.  They run out of that stuff really fast as well.
6. There are limitations to how many you can purchase of a product/item, read your ticket to find out more, but I doubt you'll be stocking up. 
7. Pick up McDonald's breakfast or Timmies before lining up.  Last time, a girl passed out and they had to call an ambulance.
8. **Update: You may want to reconsider purchasing paint pots from MAC sales, why? Because you risk buying dried up paint pots.  You may or may not revive the paint pot, but what good is a dried up product right? So think twice before purchasing OR if you're skilled enough, open the packaging in the bag to see if the product is dried up.  I'll post a blurb on how to revive your paint pots.

This would be all.  If you're going, I hope reading my long blurb will help you make it a happy and fun trip with everything you want.  Unfortunately, I won't be going to this one.  I've spent way too much this year on makeup.  I am still on a money diet.  And plus, I have enough makeup to last me a long time.  =)