Back to MAC (B2M) HAUL: 09 September 2011

[TSIZ]

Yesterday, I brought my laptops to BestBuy to get them fixed. I've been putting-off this errand for WEEKS, mostly b/c I really dislike going to places like BestBuy. ARGH! That's all I have to say about that experience.

To sweeten my sour mood, I drove to MAC (the store) / the MAC counter at Nordstrom - both in the same mall (another huge dislike) and practically next door to each other - and turned in some of my Back2MAC empties, which I've kept in my car for years "just-in-case"...and this was definitely THAT kind of day. I scored a total of seven (yes, 7) lipsticks! That's a total of forty-two (yes, 42) B2M empties!

ASIDE: I sent my li'l sis in S.F. 3 sets of B2M empties (e/s pots w/out pans) a couple years ago or so, right after all MAC stores/counters across-the-board stopped accepting depots. OMG, I still can't believe this: she let Nordstrom San Francisco Centre trash the B2M empties after they told her to be acceptable they needed the pans. "PANS?", I said incredulously. "PANS, that's it?" Dammit, I certainly had AT LEAST 18 empty e/s pans lying around...plus they'd be extremely light to ship AND they were already included in the empty Coastal Scents palettes I had bought for the depotted shadows! ARGH!

ANYWAYS...I traded-in ALL my empty pots WITH pans (well, almost; I have 3 left). The Cream Colour Base pots that didn't have pans (21), I kept. I have a lot of empty pans, but only for MAC-size blush & e/s, so I ordered a set of twenty-five (25) tin pans from tkbtrading to fit the CCB pots. Now, I'll be able to get four (yes, 4!) more lipsticks/lip glosses/eyeshadows (probably lipsticks - I'm old-school MAC like that)! Woohoo...

LEFT: Blankety and Sandy B (needed to replace swapped back-ups!)​

RIGHT: Prince Noir, Smoked Purple, Ruby Woo, Chili (old-school MAC: matte-style!)​

and Morange​

...oh yeah, I bought a couple matte blushes for contouring: Blunt and Harmony...

 

[DILLIGAF]

I wish I had that sort of discipline. The mintue I hit 6 empties I'm running to the store to get something! lol Enjoy your goodies!!!

 

[TSIZ]

It's not so much "discipline" as it is my intense dislike of going to "malls", which dominate L.A. My disdain for shopping would be far less if I lived in a real city, e.g., THE (o.g.) City (NYC - Manhattan), Second-City (Chicago) or "The (other) City" (west of the Mississippi = San Francisco). I WILL enjoy these goodies - so much fun with color this fall - and the MATTE-LIP is back (20 years later...)

I wish I had that sort of discipline. The mintue I hit 6 empties I'm running to the store to get something! lol Enjoy your goodies!!!

 

[makeupbyleslie]

So so so jealous! Maybe one day I will have 42 empties to b2m! Dying to try Morange! Jealouuss!

 

[m0rg3nst3rn]

I don't think that they are allowed to throw your depotted pots away if they don't accept them. They have to give them back because they are YOUR property. You paid for them and they can't just confiscate them or keep them...just saying...

 

[UrbanSweetheart]

So so so jealous! Maybe one day I will have 42 empties to b2m! Dying to try Morange! Jealouuss!

riiight? It's taking me forever to even get 6. I still regret the day I threw away my empties before I knew about the Back 2 Mac program

 

[TSIZ]

You're absolutely correct; however, my sis "... let Nordstrom San Francisco Centre trash the B2M empties..."
She knows her rights (she'd better, she's an attorney)...she just figured if the empties were not acceptable, there was no use for them.

Quote:

I don't think that they are allowed to throw your depotted pots away if they don't accept them. They have to give them back because they are YOUR property. You paid for them and they can't just confiscate them or keep them...just saying...

 

[TSIZ]

I think "Back2MAC" has been printed on MAC boxes since...forever! I don't have any boxes from the early '90's, but I think "Back2MAC" was on 'em. Of course, MAC reps reminded customers - both regulars & newbies - of the recycling program w/each sale as they were required.

 

[TSIZ]

It's not like I've been hoarding them so I could haul! I mean, I gave my sis 18 b/c she mentioned to me that she needed 3 e/s's, and MAC had just started including e/s as a B2M selection. I'd give them away when people wanted/needed them, as many as they needed to complete a set - or even a full-set. I just happened to have 45 eligible B2M's in my car and figured I'd recycle as many as possible (42) while I was in the dreaded mall. By the way, the MAC store had a limit of 24 B2M's, while Nordstrom had NO limit! I'm not sure if there are limit/no-limit rules across the board, but this was my experience a couple days ago...

..and lucky for you, Morange is Permanent!

So so so jealous! Maybe one day I will have 42 empties to b2m! Dying to try Morange! Jealouuss!

 

[TSIZ]

...edited to add a pic of my B2M-haul taken w/flash because - wow - the lipstick colors really pop!...

 

[naturallyfab]

great haul!

 

[m0rg3nst3rn]

Ahh...I see then. That sucks though, bu at least now she knows. You had a great haul though, enjoy it!
I remember at one time I had somewhere between 68-80 B2M empties, but that was around when I started taking my pigments out of their OJs to plac them in the clear containers I have them in now....

edited because I accidentally wrote b@m, lol

 

[TSIZ]

...I linked her to this post and received this email from her this morning (excerpt):

"...oh bummer! had I known you can just purchase the tins/pans, then I could have just done that. ah well. live and learn. ........"

Just as you said, "...at least now she knows..."!

edited because I accidentally wrote b@m, lol

 

[TSIZ]

I know...right? Totally scored!

But also, totally needed a super morale-boost that day...nothin' a MAC-sack-o'-lipsticks can't cure, even if only temporarily...

great haul!

 

[TheClara]

Nice lipsticks!

Here in Finland they accept depotted packings without the pan. Or at least they did two years ago. Keeping my fingers crossed that they still do when I go to Helsinki next time with 18 depotted eyeshadows..

 

[TSIZ]

Hej hej!

Tack saa mycket!
(I speak a little Swedish - I know I know, Finnish is TOTALLY different, but I like to practice foreign languages - and you're the closest to "Scandi-candy" Specktra member I've met!)

Please Please PLEASE do not waste your precious time when you go to Helsinki! Crossing your fingers will NOT work! MAC (stores, department store counters, everywhere) will NOT accept depots without pans. You have to "fake-it" and replace the depotted pan with another aluminum pan (or tin pan - looks the same), as if you used all the product. I stuck a bunch of brand-new shiny tin pans in my depots and it worked for me at both a MAC store and a MAC department store counter (Nordstrom) - no questionable looks or anything like that. The CS Rep's/mua's can't tell if the pan is aluminum or tin (unless it's rusty, then they'll know it's tin...maybe). Pans are inexpensive; your time is precious and priceless!

Nice lipsticks!

Here in Finland they accept depotted packings without the pan. Or at least they did two years ago. Keeping my fingers crossed that they still do when I go to Helsinki next time with 18 depotted eyeshadows..

 

[breathofcolor]

You and I have a similar approach to using up make up before buying new one. I don't allow myself to buy a blush before I've used 1 or 2 blushes, and same goes for lip sticks and so on. Awesome haul!

 

[TSIZ]

Thanks! And...

You and I have a similar approach to using up make up before buying new one. I don't allow myself to buy a blush before I've used 1 or 2 blushes, and same goes for lip sticks and so on. Awesome haul!