Outlet Mall Makeup: Big Discounts on MAC at The Cosmetics Company Store
Sun, 08/17/2008 by Karen | Posted in: MAC Makeup, News
MAC rarely goes on sale, but if you live near an outlet mall you may be in luck. Legend has it The Cosmetics Company Store chain of outlet shops is one of the few places that regularly stocks discounted MAC makeup, brushes and skin care products, as well as discounted products from other department store cosmetics brands. To see for myself, I jumped on the computer this morning and pulled up Outletbound.com to find the nearest outlet mall with a Cosmetics Company Store.
Paydirt!
I found one an hour north of me in Napa, so I took a drove up there today to check it out.
A somewhat mysterious chain store with at least 70 locations across the US, The Cosmetics Company Store sells discounted makeup, skin care, brushes and fragrances from several of the Estee Lauder lines including MAC, Origins, Bobbi Brown and Clinique. I say “mysterious” because I couldn’t find a website for the company.
MAC at The Cosmetics Company Store
The sales staff at the Napa Valley location informed me that each Cosmetics Company Store maintains a different inventory of products. MAC treasures will vary. The store I visited had two MAC displays — one with makeup and another with skin care and brushes.
I got the impression that colors and product choices are kinda hit or miss, but I was surprised to find a lot of products from past launches like MAC Fafi lipsticks for $10 (originally $14), Beauty Powder Blushes for $12.25 (originally $17.50), and the Lipglasses from the Stylistics collection for $14 (originally $20).
If you missed a limited edition release (like I missed the Stylistics collection when it first appeared for the holidays in 2007), and it’s no longer available on MAC’s website, you might get a second chance at The Cosmetics Company Store.
In addition to having hard-to-find pieces from past collections, the store I visited also carried staple items from MAC’s permanent collection. Blacktrack Fluidline was marked down to $10.50 from $15, and Brown Script eye shadow to $10 from $14.
To find a Cosmetics Company Store near you, visit Mallseeker.com or Outletbound.com (search by store for Cosmetics Company). Call stores ahead of time to find out which products they carry.
A Few Things to Consider
If you’re a makeup newbie, try to visit the store with a friend who’s familiar with the recent collections because I asked the sales staff a couple color questions, and even though they were cordial, they didn’t seem as well trained as regular makeup counter people.
Even though the Stylistics Lipglasses were calling to me, I ended up leaving the store empty handed. I’m still on self-imposed makeup lockdown until Cult of Cherry arrives this week.
Right now I’m hanging out with Tabs and surfing the web. It’s almost my bed time. I hope you had a good weekend. See you tomorrow!
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
P.S. To find out what’s buzzing around the beauty blogosphere, here are some of the best posts of the week from the fabulous ladies of the Splendicity and Beauty Blog networks.
The Beauty Blog Network
Find out how you can WIN $365 bucks worth of Stila products during The Daily Cookie’s anniversary celebration!
The Muse is rounding up concealers! Check out a brand new concealer review for the weeks ahead at Musings of a Muse! No brand goes untouched! Lancome, Jelly Pong Pong, MAC, Bobbi Brown, and Drugstore Concealer finds are just some of the reviews the Muse will be diving into!
A Touch of Blusher got to meet YSL’s latest eye palette.
The Makeup Divas tell you about a skinvigorating gift set that includes all the tools for looking better.
Beauty Junkie in SF finds that Too Faced’s New Mascara gets right to the point of things.
Want to know NYC “it girl” Julia Allison’s fave beauty tips? Beauty Blogging Junkie scored an exclusive interview! Click here to read Julia’s beauty recommendations from body lotion to faux lashes.
If you like your cosmetics cute and sassy, check out Beauty411’sreview of Jelly Pong Pong Cosmetics. Enter the giveaway while you’re there!
Makeup Moxie reviews the new concealer/highlighter duo, Lorac Double Feature.
Take care of your skin! Head to The Beauty of Life now for your chance to win over $300 in Murad products!
Beauty Banter reviews the latest must-have fall color lines - MAC, Smashbox, Tarte, Prescriptives… and more!
Check out Rouge Deluxe’s buys from the Jill Stuart, Awake, Canmake and Majolica Majorca fall collections!
Christine from 15 Minute Beauty Fanatic has already found her new fragrance from fall, Bond No 9’s Andy Warhol’s Lexington Avenue!
Pursebuzz.com shows you how to be part of MAC Cult of Cherry in just ten minutes. Eyes, lips and hair.. well hair is gonna cost you another ten minutes for hair 
Enter Beauty in Real Life’s Elizabeth Grant giveaway for a prize worth $100!
Toya from The Life of A Ladybug talks all about her favorite lip gloss of the summer! Come see what it is!
Spoiled Pretty is hosting two fabulous giveaways this week. Five lucky ladies will win Fancy, Jessica Simpson’s new fragrance…and one winner will receive Essie’s Fall 2008 Color Collection. What are you waiting for? Enter today!!!
Makeup Loves Me exposes you to the rare treats that are Givenchy’s fall collection - Dandy.
Product Girl’s own Christina shows you signature smoldering eye look. What’s your signature eye look?
How do you pull your hair back when you wash your face or put on makeup? Cybelesays is having a contest to win one that will solve this issue for you.You will go back to your old way of doing it.
The Splendicity Network
From the Splendicity community, comes this week best in beauty, fashion and shopping.
FASHION
Style Manila throws a question on locally-made shoes: where have all the Marikina shoes gone?
Tops 2 Bottoms presents a styling option The Man’s Suit for her Work Wear Monday Series.
The Space Between My Peers presents a fashion lab proving boxy tops are not the most flattering option.
Just A Formality loves this pink Justin Alexander ball gown for a fairy tale wedding.
Petite Fashionista knows the secret of olympic athletes and highlights a few petite powerhouses, that proves you don’t have to be big to be strong!
CelebLOOK is loving Katie Holmes and her svelte look. Do you agree?
Style…a work in progress enthuses over the short-sleeved…no-sleeved…jacket.
SHOPPING
Shopalicious invites you to score a “sexy little nothing” for yourself by entering to win a $25 gift certificate from Oh Cheri!
ShopDiary has images of the Comme des Garçons for H&M collection.
Her Accessories has been searching out stylish laptop bags and has found some great options, from stripes to flowers.
Shoe Blitz adores these purple peep-toe pumps from Dior for fall.
Glamour Gift Guide recommends this modern Botkier hobo in a fresh grape color.
BEAUTY
NY Spender has finally found her favorite lip gloss, and she thinks it works even better than therapy! 
Viva Woman finds out why toners may reduce the penetration of active ingredients to the skin.
Beauty Secrets Revealed says Rice Bran Oil Can Give You Smooth, Glowing And Wrinkle Free Skin.
Want to know NYC “it girl” Julia Allison’s fave beauty tips? Beauty Blogging Junkie scored an exclusive interview! Click here to read Julia’s beauty recommendations from body lotion to faux lashes.
Beauty and Fashion Tech looks at long term hair removal with the Braun Silk Epil Expressive Epilator. It hurt, but it was worth it!
Beauty Bento Box shares her First Impressions on the L’Oreal Elsève Nutri-Gloss Haircare System, Pearl Protein.
Krizia from Beauty Match claims: I found the BEST flat iron (period)!
Share this Entry
1. Nikki said, on August 17th, 2008:
I am salivating!!! lucky people for having them in cheaper price
that’s life! LOL have a great week ahead Karen! You are definitely a friendly neighborhood who brings good news to readers!
2. Roxy said, on August 18th, 2008:
Ahhh I wish there was a CCO in Arizona! =[ I’m so jealous haha Dang girl these links will keep me up all night if I go through all of them lol
Roxys last blog post..Sephora Sale!
3. Anna said, on August 18th, 2008:
I’m very very jealous !!!!! I would have sweeped the whole MAC shelf into my basket. Cant believe you left empty handed Karen !
We dont have those CCO’s in London………although if you work for Estee Lauder companies, you have access to the Aladdins Cave as I call it, or the Staff shop,where everything is about 75%…
Oh how I wish those CCO’s exist in London…………
Hope you had a restful weekend Karen and a great week
4. Laurie said, on August 18th, 2008:
I love CCO! Very good willpower leaving emptyhanded:) I too have been laying low until Cult of Cherry comes out. Maybe it will come a few days early…..
5. Laurie said, on August 18th, 2008:
I love CCO! Very good willpower leaving emptyhanded:) I too have been laying low until Cult of Cherry comes out. Maybe it will come a few days early…..
6. ines said, on August 18th, 2008:
hi karen!
it’s good to be stateside again (although technically i’m in canada) with MAC at reasonable prices (it’s way overpriced in asia!
totally waiting for the cult of cherry and those vamp lipsticks!
i’m totally DROOLING over the discounted MAC… over here it’s hard to find outlet stores for anything, unless you go a million miles from downtown (which, as a poor student, where i’m based).
TABS IS ADORABLE IN HIS NEW BANNER. i would give him ten thousand of my lip glosses (my favorite incidentally being benefit thegloss, although i hope there were more colors…) just because of that precious look alone!
7. Dao said, on August 18th, 2008:
argh, the nearest CCO is far from me! With the gas price and all, it’d better be off for me to buy from MAC
BTW, I nominated you, did you see it?
Daos last blog post..Hollywood Heat FOTD with Face Chart
8. Glosslizard said, on August 18th, 2008:
That’s worth checking out!
I always wonder, though, what do you think the shelf-life is on an unopened liquid product (like gloss or eyeliner)? I worry about some of these products from collections of yore!
9. DazzleGlam said, on August 18th, 2008:
I live for the CCO!!! ^_^
I visit mine once an month, and just went to one that was abour an hour north of me in Kenosha, WI. There is one about a half hour from me in Aurora, IL. I hear they get shipments around the end of every month so you know where I will be next week!!!
10. Elle said, on August 18th, 2008:
I haven’t been to my closest CCO lately (in Aurora, IL…oh the Wayne’s World references that are floating through my head right now
) but the last time I went I picked up 2 random MAC shadows (limited edition, don’t know which collection they came from–this was years ago and I wasn’t as MAC-crazy yet). I’ll be interested in taking a look…AFTER Cult of Cherry comes out. I’m on that lockdown with ya, Karen!
11. jeannie said, on August 18th, 2008:
I LOVE the CCS!! I try to go there as often as possible, but every time I do - I end up spending HOURS there!
jeannies last blog post..hair did
12. Trisha said, on August 18th, 2008:
Oh man! I wish I lived near one of these! I would go absolutely crazy buying stuff up.
…maybe it’s a good thing that I don’t live by one, then…
13. Daya said, on August 18th, 2008:
Hi Karen!
Hope you’re having a great Monday! I checked out a CCS while on vacation recently-was able to grab MAC’s Cranberry eyeshadow. Too bad the closest store to me now is three hours away
Oh well!
I’m soooo waiting for the Cult of Cherry on Thursday. The lipglasses are calling me!!
14. Mariah said, on August 18th, 2008:
Yeah I was surprised too at the oddball (but awesome) selections at my local CCO. What irritated me most was that there were no prices marked on anything, and they only had a few cotton balls around to wipe with after testing. (No kleenex?? No remover or alcohol? I guess not everyone can be Sephora or Ulta…)
But yeah, last time I was there I got Nightfish fluidline and a chromeglass!! So awesome.
And the girls there didn’t know ANYTHING about makeup. Seriously, it’s like, you have to know what you’re going there for, because they’re just there to work the register. Last time, one of them was doing her algebra homework on the counter. *shakes head*
15. Tiffany said, on August 18th, 2008:
OMG, what a coincidence! I totally went to the CCO today! All I left with was one eyeshadow. I usually like to save up for the new collections, rather than buy stuff discounted at the CCO, which is not the smartest thing to do money-wise, lol.
16. TR said, on August 18th, 2008:
We have a CCO here and I love it! Found the sculpt and shape powder for less than it would have been on Ebay. I had to resist this weekend for the Cult of Cherry collection too. And I just received my invite today!
17. Marisol said, on August 18th, 2008:
When I was a MAC newbie, I was very excited for the CCO. But now I don’t get as excited when I go to a CCO.
Marisols last blog post..The Cho Show on VH1
18. Karen said, on August 18th, 2008:
Hi Nikki,
You have a great week, too, girlie.
Hope good things happen to you!
19. Karen said, on August 18th, 2008:
Hi Roxy,
Aww, well, maybe the next time you take a trip out of state you can visit. If you have relatives in the Bay it’s the perfect excuse to go to Napa, LOL!
20. Karen said, on August 18th, 2008:
Hi Anna,
It was an amazing feat of self restraint!
Girl, if we lived in London we’d have to make friends with some Aladdin’s Cave girls/boys. 75%, holy wow!
21. Karen said, on August 18th, 2008:
Hi Laurie,
Let’s hope that it does. Those eye palettes shall be mine!
22. Karen said, on August 18th, 2008:
Hi Ines,
Glad to hear you got back safely.
Have you adjusted to the time change yet? I always find it harder to coming back… takes me about two weeks before I’m sleeping normally again.
The kitty in the banner a model representation of a thinner, younger Tabs. Tabs ain’t exactly svelte, but because I don’t want to hurt his kitty self esteem I like refer to him as “husky,” LOLOL. The vet said that he doesn’t need to go on a diet, so I figure it’s just more of him to love.
Have a good week!
23. Karen said, on August 18th, 2008:
Hi Dao,
Oh, that’s too bad. So close… yet so far away. Thanks for the nomination! When I get a chance I will check out the deets. I hope you win.
24. Karen said, on August 18th, 2008:
Hi Glosslizard,
I think if you get something from a collection within the last year you’ll be fine. I’m not very strict when it comes to those makeup shelf life guidelines, though. I’ll usually keep stuff until it smells or looks weird.
25. Karen said, on August 18th, 2008:
Hi DazzleGlam,
That’s so great! I hope you get some good hauling in. When you do you have to share with me so I can live vicariously through you.
26. sophia said, on August 18th, 2008:
WOW, I just wanto grab everything on that MAC shelf. So jealous. But there is no CCO at all in my country. Boo!
sophias last blog post..Tiny Tuesday Poll
27. Lehea said, on August 18th, 2008:
They seriously need to bring that store to the Bay. Driving all the way to Napa….for makeup?! You so crazy. Haha! I’m actually looking forward to checking out Cult of Cherry this week. I was considering only buying a lipstick, but I might snag a quad as well.
28. Karen B said, on August 19th, 2008:
That store sounds like heaven. Never mind that the regular prices in the US are already lower than here in Belgium. Lucky you!
Karen Bs last blog post..Picspam: Valerenga - Liverpool FC August 5th 08
29. Crystal said, on August 24th, 2008:
Hey girl,
Love your blog and tutorials. Hmm… I’ve been to the Gilroy CCO. It was a long drive, but nothing like Napa. It was def hit or miss there. I did get brushes glosses from the heirloom collection. Love them.
ohhhhh…. Napa has some stylistics… i want!!
30. Natasha said, on February 20th, 2009:
omg they carry mac !!!! do they also carry studio fix line?
31. Chrissie said, on February 21st, 2009:
Hey Karen do you know if they carry Mac studio fix powder foundation?
32. Karen said, on February 21st, 2009:
Hi Chrissie,
I think it depends on the store. Their stock varies, too, so if there’s one nearby it’s probably best to call them first and ask. When I was there I do recall them having some StudioFix but the colors were limited.
33. Chrissie said, on February 22nd, 2009:
Karen, thanks for your response and what a great idea. I didn’t think of that lol but I will definitely call them.