Loot from EL Private Sale (28 April 2007)

Here it is. The annual event eagerly awaited by many, who wants to pick up a good bargain. I first learnt of the annual private sale conducted by the Estee Lauder group in Singapore back in 2005 when we did some promotional tie-up with MAC. As a business partner, we were given some complimentary tickets for the preview (usually there are 2 sessions - 1 for business partners, vips etc; the other for guests of the EL staff, usually friends or family members, etc - staff get to enter even earlier by flashing their staffcards).

It was a timely introduction into the world of makeup as it was a few months before that I got more interested in beauty products. And so I went with few (several?) friends in 2005. It was like being a kid in a candy store. Everything looked "cheap" when compared to retail prices and I easily spent close to $500 then. Came back and divested some goodies to cousins.

I was more controlled in 2006 EL Sale and spent less than in 2005. More experienced and more focused in what to buy. This year, I managed to get tickets at the very last minute (thanks again to all angels) and even luckier to be offered tickets for the preview on the actual day. It is good to be kind :)

So yeah, my target this year is the MAC mini-pigments sets (cool and warm) released Christmas 2006. But somehow I managed to amass way more than expected. I bought lots of stuff from MAC, Origins and just 2 lipglosses from Bobbi Brown and a teddy bear from Aramis.

The teddy bear is for my nephew who has been hugging my bear which I got last year from the sale. So this will be perfect for him! His very own bear to hug :)


This is what I bought. I just found out today I didn't have MAC entremauve pigment. I thought I bought it previously but I didn't. Darn! I would have grab it at the sale. I am still searching for the shower gel trio from Origins which I thought I bought during Christmas last year at Metro. I didn't get 3 sets at the sale as the girls were dissuading me from getting them all since I already have so many bath items at home and so I got 1 set. It is great shopping with the girls - we play devil's advocate to each other, preventing each other from overspending and impulse buys.

From MAC, I bought the pret-a-porter brush set which was highly raved by my MA and also at the sale counter MA. It costs a bomb at $150, but it includes 8 full sized pony hair brushes in a satin roll-up pouch. I believe it was retailing for around $400 or so. Other items are the cool and warm mini pigments, Zandra Rhodes eye palette, blusher from patternmaker collection, 3 eyeshadows and from the MAC luxe Couture collection - 1 lipstick, 1 lipgloss, 1 mystery powder and 1 highlighter/eye shadow. So yeah, just from MAC, it came to over $350.

From Origins, I was very controlled already but I still bought the Perfect World body set (sponge, body cleanser and body cream) as it was a very good deal. But I still have 2 sets of that at home. Also got the peace of mind diffuser to relieve stress, the bali paradise set (cleanser, lotion and scrub) and the shower gels trio - only 1 set as I released 2 other sets *sniff* :(

So I busted my budget of $200 for this sale as MAC totally killed me (unexpectedly). But I think for once I will actually be using all the items bought this time round, so I am a happy girl. Surprisingly I didn't get any fragrances this year at all.