Summer's coming. Is your face ready?

Hello everyone!

It's nearing the end of May, for those of us in the northern half of the planet, this means summer. And summer means being out in the sun!

But we all know that sun damage is one of the leading causes of premature aging and skin cancer.  What a killjoy.  But with developments in science, this can be prevented or lessened, with our good buddy sunblock!

Sunblock (especially on the face) is actually something we should be wearing all year, even on cloudy days. The UVA/UVB rays are still getting in through the clouds.  I have also read that even if you are predominantly indoors, wear your sunscreen on your face especially if you work near windows. Yep, those pesky harmful rays can penetrate glass.

I recently bought my facial sunblock for the summer, switching brands this time.  I normally wear Shiseido suncare on my face, but I wanted to go a little less expensive and a little higher SPF.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I bring you Neutrogena Age Shield Face Sunblock Lotion in SPF 110.

This product can be found at most drug stores for about 14$, and on www.drugstore.com for $9.99. I paid almost 40$ for my Shiseido sunblock in the past.

This product contains helioplex, which is a proprietary blend that screens out the burning UVB rays and helps stop the UVA rays (the rays that age skin) from penetrating.  It also claims to be non-comedogenic (not pore clogging), PABA free, oil-free and non greasy.

So, how did I like it? I do not like it. I love it.   It felt as luxurious as my more expensive sunblocks in my past.  It goes on very smooth, a little goes a long way. It feels like a nice facial moisturizer and in about a  minute, it dries to a soft, velvety, near-invisible matte finish.  I also love how it comes in 110 SPF (I am fair skinned so I need all the help I can get) and for those who don't want or need so much I believe it also comes in 55 SPF.   Here's the part where it gets tricky- the smell. It smells like sunblock, and the smell is a little strong. I don't mind it because it DOES go away for the most part, and the smell is still pleasant.  Also, be careful applying this product around the eye area. If you sweat before the sunblock has dried and you have lotion applied near the skin, it may run and it DOES sting.  The best way to protect the skin around the delicate eye area is to wear sunglasses when you are outdoors during the day /or wear a wide-brimmed hat.

Pros: Feels great on, non greasy, high SPF, not very expensive, good as an everyday sunscreen

Cons: stings eyes, strong smell for some, not very sweatproof

OXY Clinical Acne Treatments

Hello everyone-

I got a sample in the mail the other day of Oxy Clinical, Oxy's latest skin care system.

It came with a small sample of the cleanser and acne treatments, and it looks interesting to me. 

The information provided with it claims that in most cleansers that contain salycilic acid (main ingredient in a lot of acne washes and treatments), the medication washes off when you rinse your face.  Their product, however, claims that at least 80% of the medication stays on the skin after rinsing. Sounds pretty good.  

The treatment's active ingredient is Benzoyl Peroxide, which this product also claims theirs is more long lasting and deeper penetrating than the average benzoyl peroxide treatment.

Does it work? I have yet to test it myself.  Depending on how the samples make my skin feel, I may buy an actual kit and give it a run for its money.  I usually use Shiseido Pureness (which is the only thing to really consistently keep my skin clear, lately I have had the tendency to be blackhead city) so I wonder how the Oxy Clinical, a drugstore brand, compares.

Have any of you guys used this or tried it yet? Comment below if you have!

Have a great Friday and have a great weekend!

Loreal Ever Pure Volumizing Shampoo/Conditioner

Hi everyone!

Over the weekend I bought some new shampoo and conditioner that happened to also be on sale.  The shampoo/conditioner are the Everpure Volumizing Shampoo/Conditioner by Loreal.

This is one of Loreal's more recent products.  These shampoos and conditioners (they also come in other formulas) are safe for color treated hair because they are sulfate-free and have no harsh chemicals or salts.  They use natural botanicals, have a built in UV filter to protect your haircolor from the sun, and 100% vegan.

This particular formula has a minty smell, to me it does not smell masculine or feminine, more like a unisex smell.  It also does a decent job moisturizing for a volumizing shampoo/conditioner (I find that a lot of them dry my hair out more than regular) and a little bit of shampoo lathers up a lot. Even though it makes a lot of lather it rinses cleanly and easily. 

Pros: Not too drying, fresh minty fragrance, no harsh chemicals, Vegan/cruelty-free, color safe, UV protection

Con: Can be a little expensive

For a drugstore shampoo, this one is a bit on the medium/expensive side.  I got these for $6 each tube, on sale. (Usually about 8$ and the tubes are not that big) However, taking extra gentle care of colored hair may be worth the cost.

Would I recommend this? Yes.

Product Review: Colgate Wisps

Hi guys!

Ok, I know what you're thinking- toothbrushes are not a beauty product...

Wrong!

Having nice smelling white teeth enhances your beauty more than most things. And when people want to get close to you, you don't want to knock them dead (literally) with your bad breath.

Wisps (for those who don't know) are tiny disposable toothbrushes with a ball of breath freshener on them.

Aren't they cute?

These are perfect for after a dinner date, drinks at the club, or anywhere you need to ban the nasty breath.  But... do they work?

For me, yes!  For such a tiny amount of freshener they do pack a punch. I have the spearmint wisps (right in the picture) and within a few seconds of brushing my teeth, I feel a wave of mint.  They have a brush on one end to get rid of excess food, and a pick on the handle should something be stuck. They come in small blister packs but each brush is individually sealed with foil to keep them fresh when you need them.

However they do NOT replace regular brushing! You must keep brushing your teeth the regular way too.

Pros: very portable, no water needed, strong flavor (in spearmint at least), sanitary, discreet

Con: Somewhat expensive for what they are.

The cost is the main con of the wisp.  For a 4 pack of brushes, it will cost you between 3-5$ depending on your shop. They can (like everything else) always be found cheaper online!

They're not intended for daily use, as I said, but they are quite handy when needed!

Get the airbrush look... With a regular brush!

Hi everyone!

I am a huge advocate for airbrush foundation. I love the stuff, but sometimes airbrushing isn't practical or possible. Maybe you need a lot more coverage. Maybe you want to use the non-airbrush foundation you still have. 

You can do this with a stippling brush like the MAC 187 brush (which I have)

Ain't she a beauty?  The trick here is those white fibers. the black fibers give the brush fullness and keep the white ones evenly spaced which is crucial to the application process.

So how do I "stipple"? 


Stippling is a technique also used in painting, where you lightly dot on the color until you achieve the coverage or design you want.  With makeup it lets you apply liquid foundation without it looking like it (I have seen girls wearing liquid foundation and actually saw brush tracks in their skin, meaning it looked kinda like this in some places)

(A little exaggerated but this is what I mean by brush tracks)

Stippling foundation on allows you to create a light layer of color or more color when you need it. I have not made a video yet but I have found some good ones that show you how to stipple and what it looks like when you do.  The only real con I have about stippling is sometimes you need to use more liquid than you normally would, but not much more. 

Video links:   

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cquw8OxbAA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BX7yR4q1Lm0

                                                                                                                                            

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9TbAmtLC-8

I tried these methods for the first time today and I also really like the results! I will take pics of my skin with airbrush foundation and stippled foundation in the future. 

Have a great day and keep coming back!

More stuff for the boys!

Hi everyone!

This will be my second Gatsby facial cleanser review- this time I will be reviewing the anti-tightness formula.

Similar packaging to the other triple scrub, but a different blue.

I like this wash a bit better than the triple scrub because it doesn't dry my face out (hence the "anti-tightness" claim). Smells just like the other wash, which smells like Sprite or 7up soda. Rinses clean, a little goes a long way.  However I notice that it does not contain any salycilic acid or other acne medication which I would prefer it had. 

Pro: Smells good, non drying, clean rinsing, not expensive

Con: May be hard to find, no acne medication

If you are not really acne prone but want to try a new cleanser, give this one a try!

Product Review- Gatsby Triple Scrub Facial Wash

Hi everyone!

This blog is for the boys- I picked up some Men's facial cleansers from a Japanese brand called Gatsby. They had 4 different kinds and they were on sale at my Japanese store so I picked up one of each.  I also had a male friend of mine try them too to see if there really was a difference between how men's skin and women's skin react to it. 

Today I will review one of them- Gatsby Triple Scrub

Price: Normal Price: $7.99 Sale Price: $4.99

This particular version of it is very scrubby- lots of "sand" in the soap.  It's meant to scrub out the blackheads and impurities out of the skin and based on my uses of it and my friends, it seems to do the job.  I do see a reduction in blackheads on my face after using it.  I do feel like my skin is a little dried out after using it (that's what moisturizer is for I know) but it does to the job. I also noticed my friend's skin (which is oily and blackhead prone) improved a little bit as well after using it a few times. 

I love the smell too- it smells like lemon soda and doesn't leave a strong fragrance on the skin which a lot of people like. 

I give it a rating of 8/10 because of the dryness factor but otherwise I highly recommend it.

Product Review: Aloha Pink Wild and Breezy

Hi everyone!

Over the weekend I stopped into Victoria's Secret to buy some new unmentionables, and I decided to take a look at the fragrances they had too, since it had been a while being there and also being a while since I bought some new nice body stuff. 

I think most of Victoria's Secret body washes and fragrances are lovely but one just made me fall in love with it for every day use.

Aloha Pink in Wild n Breezy

The items in this picture that I have are the two on the right: the body spray and the 2 in 1 scrub.

According to the label the main scents in wild n breezy are red guava and pink passionflower. Either way it smells nice, fresh, clean, and not overly "girly" but feminine enough.

 The spray is pretty strong for not being a parfum/eau de toilette. It does fade after a while but that's a LONG while.

The body scrub is pretty amazing too.  I love the exfoliating effect, and it gets me clean and leaves my skin pretty soft for not using lotion (I intend on definitely getting the lotion of this scent!) and it leaves a decent but not overbearing fragrance on my skin.

The body spray goes for $15 each and the scrub goes for $12. However Victoria's Secret is having a special where any 2 are 22$ and 3 for 30$ I believe. 

MAC Quite Cute Haul #2

Hi everyone!!!!

I have successfully got the rest of the MAC Quite Cute collection aside from the two sold out lipsticks and one of the liners which seemed too dark/brownish for my tastes and didn't seem to go with the rest of the collection or most of my lipsticks. (Boldly Bare Liner)

And of course, I took pictures of the new haul as well as a final group picture!  I also picked up a special gift for a friend- from the MAC Wonder Woman collection- the shadow quad in Defiance. 

Clockwise from upper left: Wonder Woman Quad in Defiance, MAC shadow quad in Cutie, mineralize blush in giggly, sakura, and miss behave, plushglasses in Bubble Tea and Fashion Fanatic, and Lip Liner pencil in Naked Liner

And now out of the packaging:

Wonder Woman Quad closed and opened- Really shiny packaging! 

Closeup from left to right: Miss Behave, Giggly, Sakura

Cutie Quad- from upper left and clockwise: Moshi Moshi, Goody Goody Gum Drop, Azuki Bean, Boycrazy

Naked Liner- It shows up that exact color on the skin- great for nude/pale colors.

Fashion Fanatic (left) and Bubble Tea (right) Fashion Fanatic in the pictures looks identical to Girl <3 Boy but in person you can see it's got sparkle/glitter in it and it's lighter.  Bubble Tea looks like it would look great with the Viva Glam Gaga 2 Lipstick.

A final picture of the whole group:

I will be playing with these new toys and posting tips and tricks and swatches soon!  Stay tuned!

Dolly Wink Review 1 of 2- Dolly Wink Liquid Eyeliner

Hi everyone!!!

Today, I went to my local Japanese marketplace and came across Dolly Wink products which I have heard a lot about- They are a line of eyeliners, eyeshadows, and false eyelashes made by Japanese cosmetic company Koji with collaboration with famous Gyaru model Tsubasa Masuwaka

I picked up a set of top lashes and lower lashes and found the liquid liner too. This review is about the liner, the lashes are coming later (they look great on, by the way~!)

The liquid liner comes in two colors- brown and deep black, and also in waterproof/non waterproof form. I got the waterproof, since I am prone to my makeup wearing off during the day, especially my liner.


It comes in a very cute package, which in my opinion is a lot of package for a skinny eyeliner pen.

Front (In blue it says 'Waterproof')

Back (The sticker is the ingredients in English)

This is the pen itself. 

The end of the pen- the pen controls the amount of liner, no dipping, no taking out too much, etc.  The end is like a paintbrush, not a sponge type applicator (which I like better because you have more control over the thickness of the line)

The product on my hand- as you can see I was able to create thin, medium, and thick lines and it was quite easy and the black is very vibrant. No real need to go over it a second time.

The major drawback- This stuff isn't cheap!  The eyeliner alone ran me a cool $18.99. I'm sure it can be found somewhere on the internet for cheaper (but not much).  As far as I can tell, it's worth it especially if you're not that good at eyelining. If you are a super beginner at it, I would get the non waterproof version to correct mistakes easier.

I am currently working on my Quite Cute Haul #2, I had a little snafu with one of my blushes (there's a huge chunk broken off on it and it's never been opened so it's going back for a new one tomorrow) but it should be up tomorrow!

Have a great weekend!

MAC Quite Cute Haul #1

Hi guys!

I stopped by MAC last night and picked up my goodies- and ended up going home with a little more thanks to the Back 2 MAC program.  I had 12 empty eyeshadow containers that I had depotted and ended up getting two of the lipsticks for free!

In the end, here is what I came home with:

Clockwise from top: Lip Liner in In Synch, lipsticks in Play Time, Quite Cute and St. Germain, Plushglasses in I <3 U and Girl <3 Boy.

Here's what they look like outside of the package- I haven't done swatches yet, I will probably do that when I get more of the collection, and do swatches of the rest of my MAC stuff.

In Synch Lip Liner- Light pink, lighter than your lips, good for light pastel pinkish colors to go over it.

Couldn't get a great pic of it up close but you can see it's very light.

St. Germain Lipstick- Very bright blue/pink

Quite Cute Lipstick- Light bluish purple

Play Time Lipstick- A purply magenta color

I <3 U Plushglass- Light purple- would look good over Quite Cute or bare lips. Going to experiment with other color combinations too.

Girl <3 Boy Plushglass- Light pink- looks different (to me) than the swatch of it on the MAC website.

It looks a lot like the Viva Glam Gaga lipglass I have but there is a subtle difference between them.  Also Plushglasses feel interesting when you wear them.  They tingle a bit and have a nice vanilla smell.

That's it for now, I should be getting more Quite Cute soon!

MAC Quite Cute Haul #1 Preview

Hi guys!

I am beginning to get items from the Quite Cute collection from MAC that just came out.  This time, I will discuss the lipsticks.

From left: Playing Koi, Saint Germain, Candy Yum Yum, Quite Cute, Play Time

I originally wanted all of these, however, I am out of luck when it comes to Playing Koi and Candy Yum Yum.  The other three colors I do have on hold for me to pick up tomorrow at my MAC store.  If any of you are willing to part with a Playing Koi or Candy Yum Yum (for less than the scalpers on Ebay) let me know! 

I am so excited about getting these and I will do a swatch post when I get them tomorrow night.  I am also in progress of getting the rest of the collection- 4 Plushglasses (gloss), 3 blushes and an eyeshadow quad.  I'll keep you updated on this!

Have a great day everyone and stay tuned!

New MAC Collection- Quite Cute

Hi everyone!!!!

I just found out that MAC has released another limited edition- Quite Cute.

The collection photo- I love this style. 

I am particularly interested in this collection because from the looks of it, ALL of the colors are wearable on my skin tone.  They are mostly pastel pinks and corals, which are my favorite colors and go well with a lot of the fashion styles I like.

I do not own any of the collection YET. However I will try to get as much of it as I possibly can. Very rarely do I find a collection that I want EVERY product of.  Usually the limited editions have colors I cannot possibly wear in my skin tone without looking strange.

If and when I get any of these items I will definitely post about them and also give advice how to use them in different looks. 

Here's a list of the products and colors on MAC's website:

Quite Cute collection

That's it for now but have a wonderful weekend!

Aesthe Peptide Skincare Review

Hello everyone-

I was recently sent some samples of Aesthe Peptide Skincare to review.  Aesthe is a Korean brand specializing in anti-aging. I was sent their basic kit which consists of a cleanser, a toner, an emulsion, a day cream and a night cream.

The set looks like this: 

 

Clockwise from upper left: (Sorry for the bad picture) Cleanser, toner, emulsion, night cream, day cream

These products get most of their skin rejuvenating power by being made with special peptides, which are amino acids that signal to skin cells to renew themselves. As we get older, we have less of these in our cells.  Aesthe products created a special peptide called Dewtide which is powerful and water based.  Most of these products are not pore clogging (more on that later).  The packaging is very nice and simple, they come in a box with instructions in both English and Korean.  The products also smell nice, always a plus.

Now to review the individual products!

Step 1: Aesthe Mild Foam Cleanser

This is likely my favorite product of the bunch.  It is a very light, airy foam cleanser and a little goes a long way- 2 pumps max. It comes out like a mousse so you don't need to use a lot.  It is NOT an acne cleanser and contains no medicine or alcohol. It smells great and feels great while using it.  When I am done washing it and let it dry, my skin feels soft and moist, not dried out. 

Step 2: Peptide Toner

This is not like your average toner in the sense that it has more of a gel consistency than a liquid like most toners.  It contains peptides and also a little here goes a long way- 2-3 pumps per use. It feels good on the skin, again alcohol free and does not dry me out. 

Step 3: Peptide Emulsion

Think of this step as a lotion for your face. Also contains peptides and also like the other two, a little goes a long way.  It does not feel heavy on the skin at all and has a nice clean smell like the rest of the products.

Step 4: Day/Night Creams

This is where we get a little tricky with how I feel about it.  These creams are VERY thick, however you only need a really small amount worked into the skin.  This is a better product for drier, mature skin than for "younger" oily acne-prone skin.  You can get great results out of this set with or without it. Sometimes I use it sometimes I don't, depending on the heat and humidity of that day.  After a few minutes the heavy feeling does go away and the skin is silky soft. These creams are more of a protectant that a moisturizer (most of the moisture comes from the Emulsion). 

How did my skin look before and after using this?

Before, my skin tone was a little uneven, dark under eye circles with a little tiny bit of wrinkling under my eyes. After using this product for 2 weeks, my under eye area has been looking a little smoother and a little less dark. My skin tone has also improved and looks more even.  A friend of mine used this also like I have and she got similar results. Her skin (she is Asian) actually became slightly lighter. We both have softer skin as a result as well. 

Where can you get this?  There are two sites that sell these product in English (the rest are in Korean)

www.airbrushskincare.com

www.nuaveworld.com (This one has the cheaper price)

Enjoy and have a great day!

Japanese Bath Salt Review #2

Hi everyone!

Here is the second bath salt I bought with a review- 

Bathclin Cherry Blossom Bath Salts

Features: jojoba seed oil and angelica acutiloba root extract for moisture, it turns the water a clear, light pink and has a very floral smell. Guys- you will smell like a lady after using it but your skin will feel really nice!

I love the smell of this stuff and the pink water, and more importantly I like the way my skin feels when I get out of the bath. Not a dry sandbucket but not quite as moisturized as the Pureskin salts I reviewed earlier.  In the end, which is better is really a matter of your preference. These salts, like the previous are not very expensive (10-12 USD) and last a long time when you measure according to the directions. (about 30 baths worth per package) 

I will be trying more salts in the future (there is a wide variety of them!) and will continue posting more reviews~!

My every day look

Hi everyone!

Sure, we all have our fancy going-out looks, but what about your every day look?  I would like to share mine, I actually discovered it by watching someone else's video and making it my own (my products, etc).

This video actually got me interested in the BeautyBlender (which I later bought and will review later).

Here's my product list for this look- All are MAC except where otherwise noted.

Face

As a base (she doesn't use one) Skin79 Lovely Girl BB Cream

In dry weather:

Studio Sculpt Foundation in NC25

In humid weather

Studio Fix  powder in NC25

Tenderling blush

Skinfinish in Soft and Gentle

Eyes:

Eyeshadow in Crystal Avalanche

Fluidline Gel Liner in Blacktrack

Eye Kohl in Fascinating (for my lower waterline- she does not do this)

Shiseido Lash Curler

Plushlash Mascara in Plushblack

Lips:

Lip Pencil in Subculture

When I decide to wear gloss I wear one of the following:

Prr

Glam Gaga

When I want to wear lipstick:

Creme Cup

Glam Gaga 2

Snob

Creme D'Nude

Even though this look is called "Korean Makeup" in the video, it looks good on me, a white girl as well. I get a lot of compliments when I do my face like this, so give it a try!

Japanese Bath Salt Review #1

Hi everyone!

If you love taking baths, then this post will be of great interest.  I love taking baths too, but most bubble baths dry me out, skin-wise.  Don't get me wrong, they smell good, I love the bubbles, but when I get out I feel drier than a bucket of sand.  I heard from a penpal of mine in Japan that they have many different types of bath salts, from anti-aging to those meant to replicate an experience at a particular hot spring.  This sounded interesting to me, so I went to my local Japanese market and lo and behold, they also had a bunch of different salts to choose from!  I bought two kinds (hence the #1 in the title) and tried them both out.

#1 Bathclin Pureskin Bath Salts

These salts also have Hyaluronic Acid and Aloe, both of which moisturize the skin. In fact, we have Hyaluronic Acid in our skins already but this decreases as we age.  The salts are a dark green, and make the bath water a milky green color but they do not stain the bathtub or anything else.   It has a nice clean scent, I think it could be suitable for unisex use, the scent does stay on your skin pretty strongly, but not sickeningly strong. 

When I get out of the bath after using this stuff, I'm not nearly as dry-skinned as I normally would be coming out of a regular bubble bath.

This is also more cost-effective than bubble bath (I go through a bottle every two weeks or less because I take a bath after my showers almost nightly).  This 660 gram package has enough to give over 30 baths (the directions say 20 grams per bath, which is about half of the cap that is on the package.) and costs between 9.99-12.99 depending on where you get it from. 

You can order it online, or it could be carried at an Asian market in the health/beauty section.


I highly recommend this stuff, will review the next salt, Bathclin Cherry Blossom, in an upcoming post!

Product Review: Biore Pore Perfect Ice Cleanser

Hello everyone!

I picked up another face cleanser at the store (I do that a lot, I know.) and this one had my interest for a while but I never got around to getting it until recently. What is it? Biore Pore Perfect Blemish Fighting Ice Cleanser (whew!)

Packaging: Comes in a nice green pump bottle. No complaints.

Texture: No granules or "sandy" feeling. It's a regular liquid cleanser.

How does it feel: It's called an Ice cleanser for a reason.  It gives a pleasant cool tingle on the face and leaves the face feeling very clean.  It may dry the skin a little because it contains salicylic acid, a common acne medication.

I've used it for a week now, and I can say it's a very good product. It was also given great reviews by editors at Allure Magazine. The product also claims that it works 60% better than the Proactiv system, which sadly, I cannot review because I tried it once and it felt like it was burning my skin.

Price: around $10 USD per bottle.

Product Review- It's a 10 Miracle Leave-in

Hello!

Over this past weekend, I went to go get a hair cut and deep conditioning treatment.  During the actual hair cut, my stylist recommended a product to use on my hair every time I wash it, because my hair is color treated and a little on the dry side.  She sprayed this product on my hair and styled it, and my hair felt like new!

What is this product? 

 It's a 10 Miracle Leave-in Plus Keratin

This is a professional product sold in salons, and the price does reflect this. It retails at I believe $16.99, I got it on sale for $9.99.

Why is it called "It's a 10"? Because, according to the back label, it does 10 things instantly:

1. Maintenance of keratin straightening treatments

2. Increases styling and manageability

3. Perfect for all hair types

4. Replaces lost protein

5. Protects the natural keratin in hair

6. Protects against heat

7. Restores hydration balance

8. Detangles, defrizzes and adds shine

9. Strengthens hair structure

10. Seals cuticles for extra silky hair

I have used this product a few times since getting my hair done and I must say I am pretty happy with it.

My reasons for loving this stuff:

- Smells really nice

- Very little is needed- I have very long, midback length hair and 5-6 sprays throughout my hair is plenty

- My hair does feel softer after using it and is easy to comb

- My ends do not feel like dry grass

- My hair does look shiny and pretty, even after blow drying it

- Alcohol free

- Convenient little spray bottle container

The only con I can really think of is the price, but it is a professional product, so you get what you pay for in this case.

Speaking of haircut, I will post pics soon with the before and after!

How to save a little money at MAC!

Hello everyone!

As you all know, I am a total MAC addict- and being a MAC addict can be very costly! However, when I went to the MAC store today, I realized there is a way to save a few bucks on eye shadows.  No Pro  membership, coupons, etc needed, just this knowledge.

Buy your shadows in palette pan form. I'll explain how this can save space in your makeup kits and money in your wallet.  However, this can only be done through www.maccosmetics.com or purchasing from an actual MAC store, NOT the counter in a department store. They do not sell these items.

Step 1: Buy an empty MAC pro palette. These cost $14 USD and the eye shadow version holds 15 colors, while the blush version holds 6.

Step 2: Buy the colors you want- but ask for the palette refill pans. Eyeshadows cost $11 USD whereas the individual retail packaged ones will cost $14.50. 

Total Savings:

Eyeshadows:

Retail Packaging:

Shadows x 15 = $217.50

Palette version:

Palette: $14

Shadows x15 = $165

Total: $179 USD - Total savings of $38.50.

There is, however just ONE setback, you cannot "Back 2 Mac" the empty pans, meaning you cannot trade in used containers for free lipstick. However, the money saved is more than 2 lipsticks would be worth.