So, I’ve been meaning to get this down – the whole “Back to MAC” thing. You know, where they supposedly give you a free lipstick? Yeah, that one. I finally dragged myself to do it, and figured I’d spill the beans on how it all went for me. It’s actually a pretty sweet deal if you’re already dumping cash on their stuff anyway.
How I Got Started With This Whole Thing
Alright, so here’s the lowdown: you gotta haul back six, six, of their empty MAC primary packaging bits. And “primary packaging”? That’s just fancy talk for the actual pot or tube the gunk comes in, not the flimsy cardboard box. Think your empty foundation bottle you scraped the life out of, that lipstick tube that’s seen better days, or the eyeshadow pot you practically dug a trench in. I’ve been chucking money at MAC for years, and like an idiot, I was just tossing the empties. Total waste, if you ask me. Then a buddy of mine blabbed about this program, and I was like, “Free makeup? Hell yeah, I’m in!”
So, I started my little hoard. Took forever, or felt like it, not gonna lie. I’m not exactly burning through makeup like a YouTuber. I had this sad little bag stashed under my bathroom sink where I’d chuck the empties. Here’s the pile of junk I eventually scraped together:
- An old Studio Fix Fluid foundation bottle – that thing was DONE.
- Two Pro Longwear Concealer tubes – can’t live without that stuff, seriously.
- A Prep + Prime Fix+ mini bottle – yep, even the tiny ones count if they’re the main container! Who knew?
- Some ancient eyeshadow single pot I’d forgotten about.
- And the star of the show, a lipstick tube I basically mauled with a tiny spatula to get every last smear. Talk about dedication, right?
Probably took me a good year, maybe more, to scrounge up all six. I wasn’t exactly racing against the clock. Just had to remember not to bin them by mistake, which almost happened a few times, especially with the dinky little concealer tubes.
The Big Day – Heading to the Store
Once I finally had my six precious empties, I lugged them over to the MAC store down at the mall. Just rocked up to the counter with my bag of what probably looked like trash. The girl at the counter was cool about it, no big interrogation or anything. She just glanced at them, made sure they were legit MAC containers and not some random junk, and that was that. Easy peasy.
Then the good bit: picking my free lipstick! She said I could grab most of their standard lipsticks. Some of the super fancy collections or limited editions are off-limits, I guess, but there was still a boatload to pick from. I’d been sort of wanting a new everyday nude, so I smeared a few on my hand. Ended up with “Velvet Teddy.” Classic, I know, but I’d never actually bought it. The artist even wiped it down with alcohol for me to try on, which was decent of her.
Was It Worth It? You Bet!
Look, was it worth the “effort”? Yeah, absolutely. I mean, I was buying this makeup anyway, right? So getting a brand spanking new lipstick, which usually sets you back a fair bit, just for not being a slob and saving the containers? That’s a damn good deal in my book. It’s like a tiny pat on the back for being a loyal customer, or just for actually using up your products instead of letting them turn to dust. Plus, it feels a tiny bit better for the planet, recycling and all that jazz. So, if you’re already a MAC fiend, start your own little trash pile. It’s a pretty sweet perk, no joke.
