December 2012 MAC Matters Purchase-The Eyes Have It Again!

Before I share what I purchased for this month's installment of MAC Matters, here's a brief recap of what this whole shindig is about:

This series is the brain child of the fabulous Pam of Pammy Blogs Beauty. She basically decided that instead of continuing a subscription to a beauty box service, she'd use the money ($21) to build a core collection of products from MAC Cosmetics. I read about it and immediately asked if I could do it with her.

Here are the rules for the MAC Matters Makeup Challenge:

Goal: Build a core MAC Collection using an average of $21.00 per month. (Pam came up with this amount because it is what she was spending on a monthly subscription service that she decided to cancel.)Purchase at least one item a month: If the item is under $21, save the remainder for the next month. While there are many items priced under $21, there are plenty that are over the $21 range that we can save for. Some months, we will be "saving" the $21 to go towards a bigger MAC purchase.
Do a monthly blog post to share what we purchased! The goal is to continue this series for 12 months to see what kind of core collection we each can build! (I also think it will be very interesting to see the difference in the products we choose to purchase and what constitutes a "core collection" for us individually.)

Last month, my first MAC Matters purchase was an empty Pro Palette Eye Shadow x 4 and All That Glitters eye shadow...

Keep reading to see what I purchased this month!

At first I contemplated getting a lipstick or lip glass, but after thinking about what this series is all about (building a core collection of products), I opted to go in a different direction. For me, when it comes to makeup, the eyes always come first! I can leave the house without foundation, concealer, or anything like that, no problem (though some days, I probably should slap on at least some BB Cream or tinted moisturizer). And I love lipstick and lip gloss, but even when I take the time to apply them, often times I forget to reapply later on and simply resort to using lip balm. But what I simply can not walk out the door without applying is...

Black eyeliner! And not just that. My signature look involves some degree of winged liner or cat eye. In fact, one day fairly recently, the fam and I went to the mall mid week after the hubby got home from work. While I had on a full face of makeup (or as full faced as I go), I decided to try something different and did not wing out my liner. My hubby waited until we got to the mall (bless his heart), gave me a funny look, and said something to the effect of, "If you're supposed to be a beauty blogger and everything, and you have all of that makeup, you really should be wearing some when we go out." Now being the glass half full gal that I am, I took that as a compliment to my application skills, because apparently I looked super natural. So I explained to him that I did in fact have on makeup, to which he responded, "Well, you don't look like you usually do when you put it on." When we got home, I covertly extended the line of liner on my upper lid, presented myself to him again, and was met with a sigh of relief, "That's more like it!" So yeah, basically I don't look like myself (or at least the best version of myself) without that winged black eyeliner. 

For years I've heard about the magnificence of MAC's Blacktrack Fluidline gel eyeliner, so I have no idea what took me so long to finally purchase it. Its "ultra-smooth, gel formula provides the precision of a liquid liner with a silkier, softer finish. It goes on “foolproof” with a brush in an easy dip-and-stroke action. Long-wearing. Smudge-proof." So basically it's the stuff of legends... And now it's my precious! (Lol). 

This was not only a practical purchase for me, given my affinity towards black eyeliner (because literally I can leave the house with it on alone and feel like the sexiest woman alive if my eyebrows are groomed and my hair looks right), it was also strategic. MAC's Fluidlines are only $15 so that leaves me with $6 carry over for next month-that means my budget for January is a whopping $27! Dolla dolla bills y'all! Can you guess what I'm gonna splurge on? What would you get; I'd love to hear your recommendations! And don't forget to go see what Pam purchased this month. Until next time...