MAC Matters: Building a Core MAC Collection with (less than) $21 a Month!

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It is time for a long-awaited MAC Matters update! 

For those of you who are new to this series, here is the scoop: What is "MAC Matters"?

This series was born when I realized that I could build up a great MAC Core Collection with (less than) the cost of my most expensive monthly beauty sample subscription. So, I cancelled said subscription and put my theory to the test!

For me, this MAC Matters Challenge is just a fun experiment to help me curb some of my beauty spending. I find that I am spending very wisely when MAC shopping for this challenge. Plus, the items that I have purchased are things that I truly love! No matter what your stance is on beauty boxes, a well researched purchase of a needed makeup item is always a good idea. If beauty box samples are just cluttering up your makeup drawers, then you might consider this challenge! :) I think you will be thrilled with what you can do with an average of $21 a month at MAC (or any of your favorite brands)!

Does this challenge sound fun? It is!!! Join if you like! I just ask that you link back to me in your post as the creator of this challenge. :) But, you don't have to be a blogger...you can just join by sharing your MAC shopping in the comments here.

I apologize that it has been a couple months since I have done a MAC Matters update! With moving, getting settled, etc...I just got off track with this challenge. I blame living further away from a MAC Counter! :) Well ladies, I am back on track and have a renewed motivation for this year-long challenge. 

The best part of this month's challenge? Makeup shopping with a fellow blogger!!! Quinn from Mama Fashionista (who is participating in this challenge with me) and I met up to do our MAC Matters shopping together! It was so fun!!! I am impressed with how well Quinn has planned out her MAC Matters spending. She has planned completely in advance and knows exactly what she wants to buy each time. I have a list, too. However, I try to get what "hits me" at the counter from my list of possibilities. I certainly want to meet up with her again for more makeup shopping!!! Be sure to check out her link to read her MAC Matters update. I wish that I had taken the time to get a picture taken with her that day to post here!!!

The Challenge Rules:

Build a MAC Collection using an average of $21.00 per month:

• Purchase at least one item a month: If the item is under $20, save the remainder for the next month. While there are many items priced under $20, there are plenty that are over the $20 range that can be "saved" for. 
• Do a monthly blog posts for one year to share what you get. Lets see what kind of core collections we can build in a years time! 
• To coordinate with my "Build a Core MAC Collection" purchases, I will also be posting "MAC Matters: From the Stash" reviews! These "stash" items are MAC items that I love that are already in my makeup collection. Some months, I will be "saving" my $21 to go towards a bigger MAC purchase. This is when you will most likely see the "stash" posts. Or, I might include a "stash" item mini review within my "Build a Core MAC Collection" posts because if you are reading this because you want to build your own MAC collection, you might enjoy reading about what I am already using and loving! 
• If this series is popular, I will repeat the series with another brand upon completion of 12 months with MAC. 
• If you decide to join this challenge: Please be sure to include a link back to my blog in your post crediting me as the creator of this challenge! :) Also, feel free to send me your links to your MAC Matters posts that I can include in my monthly postings.  
• Note: You do not have to cancel your monthly beauty sample subscription to join in! You can certainly do this challenge *in addition* to being a beauty sample subscriber! The whole point is just to see what you can do with *the same* amount of money that you might spend on a $20 monthly beauty box. :) 

Are you curious to find out what I purchased this month for my "MAC Matters" Challenge? Please click "read more" below to find out!!! :)

MAC Matters: Building a Core MAC Collection with $21.00 a Month! December 2012

MAC Matters: Building a Core MAC Collection with $21.00 per month. The Challenge continues!

My Epiphany:
The idea for this series came to me when I was reviewing a recent sample box subscription. Why take the gamble with paying a monthly fee for products that I might (or might not) like? When you are only paying $10 per month, it really is no big deal. However, when you look at some of the more expensive sample subscription services, you can see the money add up so much quicker. When I pay $21.00 per month for a sample subscription, I really need to LOVE the products!

I realized that my money really could be better spent! I can buy a MAC item every month for less than that and you know what? I know that I will like it! When I looked at what I spent on some of my sample services over time, I realized that I wasn't getting a lot of products that I truly loved. Sure, the experience is super fun and I got introduced to a lot of new brands...but, I didn't end up with a lot of products that I am totally in love with.

I still love participating and reviewing sample boxes! I just needed to cut back a bit. I don't need 3 sample box subscriptions. So, I cancelled the most expensive one, GLOSSYBOX, and decided to spend the money on this monthly MAC Challenge instead!  Don't get me wrong though, I still love GLOSSYBOX! It was fun and I certainly recommend it if you are looking to get a sample subscription. However, I am limiting my makeup spending and I just need to be a bit more purposeful with how I spend.

So, I cancelled GLOSSYBOX and this MAC Matters Challenge was born. Now, I am a still a bit of a beauty sample box lover. So, I decided to keep my very affordable Birchbox subscription ($10 per month) and my Julep Maven nail themed beauty box subscription ($20.00 per month, which is higher, but I honestly use every single item that I get in my Julep boxes. So, I feel that the money is not going to waste).

Why MAC?
MAC is the quintessential line for professional quality makeup basics! MAC has just about everything that you could want. The selection is amazing! Often, MAC is the makeup line that gets people started with makeup collecting.  MAC is a great brand for this challenge. You can certainly build a fabulous core collection of makeup staples from this line. Plus, for a department store brand, the prices are really affordable and mid-range. You can easily build a great collection with this brand in a years time while spending less than $21 per month!

Join Me!!!
If you are reading this and get inspired, I would love for you to join me in this challenge! After reading my MAC Matters Intro Post, my fellow Beauty Blog Coalition and Metro Atlanta Beauty Bloggers member Quinn from Mama Fashionista decided that she wanted to join in too! So, be sure to follow her version of this series too! We are having so much fun with this!!! If you do a MAC Matters post on your own blog, please leave a link in the comments below!

So, how does this MAC Matters Challenge work?
Build a MAC Collection using an average of $21.00 per month:

• Purchase at least one item a month: If the item is under $20, save the remainder for the next month. While there are many items priced under $20, there are plenty that are over the $20 range that can be "saved" for. 
• Do a monthly blog posts for one year to share what you get. Lets see what kind of core collections we can build in a years time! 
• To coordinate with my "Build a Core MAC Collection" purchases, I will also be posting "MAC Matters: From the Stash" reviews! These "stash" items are MAC items that I love that are already in my makeup collection. Some months, I will be "saving" my $21 to go towards a bigger MAC purchase. This is when you will most likely see the "stash" posts. Or, I might include a "stash" item mini review within my "Build a Core MAC Collection" posts because if you are reading this because you want to build your own MAC collection, you might enjoy reading about what I am already using and loving! 
• If this series is popular, I will repeat the series with another brand upon completion of 12 months with MAC. There are already discussions as to what the next brand challenge should be! I think a drugstore line could be fun! Maybe NYX? It could be the "NYX Fix"! ;) 
• If you decide to join this challenge: Please be sure to include a link back to my blog in your post crediting me as the creator of this challenge! :) Also, feel free to send me your links to your MAC Matters posts that I can include in my monthly postings.  

What item did I choose for MAC Matters for December 2012? Keep reading to find out!