Soooooo Pretty

It all started when I got my Ulta catalog in the mail last week. Apparently they are now selling Benefit cosmetics. Big woop, right?

Well.

Little known fact about Erin: I really like playing with makeup. I know, right??? You have no idea how much I actually wear. It's not pretty under here.

Anyway.

One of Benefit's products interested me, so I went to check it out. I asked the girl wearing the smock to tell me about it and before I knew it, I was in a chair getting a full face of makeup making, "ah," and "ooh," and "I love it!" and "pretty!" noises. I left the makeover chair (conveniently and humiliatingly placed IN the entrance of the store) feeling very pretty and as if I could really do the face she taught me on my own at home (Ok, I lied before. I enjoy makeup, but don't wear much and new techniques intimadate me.). She only used FOUR products and I thought that was pretty cool.

I walked around the store for another half hour with over $100 (ONE. HUNDRED. DOLLARS.) worth of makeup in my basket. I found the same exact products from Neutrogena and CoverGirl, and paid $14 at the register, thankyouverymuch.

Of course, I had a moment of panic as I wondered if I would be able to get the same effect at home with a different product of an inherently lesser quality--I mean, the quality HAD to be less because the cost was less, right?

Well. It's 12:34 now, and I've spent the last 12 or so hours doing laundry, making dinner, changing diapers and wrestling with a toddler; and the nineteen-dollar-mascara* has smeared all over my twenty-eight-dollar foundation.

I think I made the right choice.

*NINETEEN dollars for MASCARA!!!

Sales girl: I mean, the mascara is a totally reasonable price! It's not even that much more expensive than L'Oreal! I think their most expensive mascara is, like, $10.

Erin: So...it's approximately twice as much?

Sales girl: Um...yeah.

Erin: Ooh! Ahh! Pretty! I love it!