Mark Your Calendars: Massive Cosmetics Giveaway Set For Inauguration Day
Americans face a tough choice Tuesday morning: watch Barack Obama's historic inauguration, or storm department stores to take advantage of a first-come, first-serve cosmetics giveaway worth $175 million.
The giveaway is the culmination of a class action suit that accused Macy's, Bloomingdale's, Bergdorf, Dillard's, Filene's, Lord & Taylor, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, and Saks Fifth Avenue, among others, of fixing cosmetics prices. Though the giveaway runs from January 20-26, we'd be shocked if the products last for a full day. Consider Macy's giveaway strategy:
...free products will be set on tables in the cosmetics department, said Jim Sluzewski, a company spokesman. "When they're gone, they're gone," he said.
Consumers will be limited to one product worth up to $25, and they will be required to sign a form declaring that they purchased the covered products between May 29, 1994 and July 16, 2003, which, um, you did, right?
For more information, including participating stores and products, visit the class action's website.
Cosmetics Cases Information Website
Cosmetics giveaway starts Tuesday after price-fixing settlement [The Chicago Tribune]
PREVIOUSLY: Class Action Settlement Sets Up Massive Cosmetics Giveaway
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Oh man, I love free stuff.
@scoobydoo: Yea, I'm thinking of the poor Wal-mart dude that got trampled to death... As much as I love make up and it's free-ness in this case, I wouldn't set foot in any of those stores...
How many of you think most of the stores will put out one or two packages (bottles, cans, whatever the thing comes in), and that's the end of it?
Nowhere did it say how many units would be available. I am wondering how easy it will be to even find the items at said store or will you end up wandering in only to have your question about this met with bewildered looks of staff.
The products that will be given away aren't that great. I saw the list and there's a lot of shower gel. I think some people believe that all cosmetics counters will be involved, but that's not the case. The give-away involves very few brands. Definitely not worth missing work to grab your free stuff.
"not worth missing work" - not worth risking your life. Just think Walmart - and they just had SALES.
I wonder just how many people will go for this? Everybody knows the day after Thanksgiving is a day to get a good deal on items... but how many know of this?
Don't get too excited. $25 doesn't buy much at these counters. You won't get "the good stuff". The giveaways will be 1 lipstick or 1 blusher etc...
Free makeup, free doughnut AND President Barack Obama? This might be the best Tuesday ever.
@Trick: I got a postcard because I was on a mailing list to be informed about the settlement, but other than that I haven't heard a word about it.
Now we can afford to put lipstick on a pig!
I hope that people don't get greedy and crush each other trying to get in through the door over this. Let's not have another incident like that poor employee getting killed at WalMart by an onslaught of bargain hunters.
I'll be there.. and I don't even WEAR makeup! (I'm a guy, maybe I'll start!)
Which products will be given away are listed on the class action site. It looks like the dogs to me.
I might swing by right when Saks opens at 10 and see if I can get a free Lancome mascara, since I actually do need mascara.
Other than that, there's not much to interest me. I wouldn't have minded a free perfume, but I don't like J'Adore, and the rest are shower gels, which - meh.
I, for one, welcome our new cosmetic Overlord.... and Taylor.
Buh-zing!
Yeah, this promotion is just inches away from being a cat/bitch fight extravaganza.
"No, bitch. That's MY orange shimmer eye-liner! I have NO qualms about killing you and your face right now over FREE MAKEUP because I am an ignorant consumer whore! RAWARRRAWRWRWRARRRRRRRRR!"
@madog: Wasn't there a CSI:NY episode about that recently? "Attack of the Bridezillas", or something like that?
This is so bogus. They should have just mailed a certificate or something to the people who signed up on the list and then we could go in at our leisure instead of creating a stampede.
Also, how the hell am I supposed to go in, since I have to WORK??? They did it that way on purpose, so no one would show up.
@MissTicklebritches: Definitely true. The stuff is crap... it would have been better if they agreed to instead donate even more money to a worthy cause.
Pick any one, folks. I wouldn't take this garbage if they delivered it to my door, never mind driving to the maul for it.
* Boucheron (USA) Ltd.:
Femme Eau de Toilette (1 ounce/30 ml)
* Chanel, Inc.:
Coco Mademoiselle body lotion (3.4 fluid oz)
* Christian Dior Perfumes, Inc.:
J'Adore Eau de Parfum (15 ml)
* Clarins U.S.A., Inc.:
Clarins Energizing Morning Cream (30 ml) OR
Clarins Beauty Flash Bomb (30 ml)
* Conopco, Inc.:
Calvin Klein Euphoria Bath and Shower Crème (6.7 oz) OR
Vera Wang Princess Body Polish (5 oz) OR
Lovely Sarah Jessica Parker Shower Gel (6.7 oz)
* The Estée Lauder Companies Inc.:
Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair (15 ml/0.5 oz) OR
Clinique Moisture Surge (30 ml/1 oz)
* Guerlain, Inc.:
My Insolence Eau de Toilette (15 ml)
* L'Oréal USA, Inc.:
Lancôme UV Expert 20 OR
Lancôme Cils Design Pro Mascara OR
Lancôme Fatale Mascara OR
Lancôme Courbe Virtuose Mascara OR
Lancôme Primordial Skin Defense OR
Ralph Lauren Romance Shower Gel (6.7 oz.) OR
Giorgio Armani ACM Shower Gel (6.7 oz) OR
Lancôme Hypnôse Shower Gel
* Parfums Givenchy, Inc.:
Very Irresistible Givenchy Eau de Toilette (15 ml)
Most of the things on that list...I'm allergic to...
Well, there are a few items I'd take for free. If they were delivered to my door.
But I have to say that department store cosmetics are NO BETTER than the drugstore stuff.
And: I've been meaning to post this link anyway. It is a database rating all personal care products for toxicity. Eye-opening, to say the least. If you're like me, you'll be OBSESSED with this site for at least a few hours. A lot of the shit women slather all over themselves is highly toxic.
@pollyannacowgirl: Intresting. I was freaking out a bit about how little information there was until I realized I could scroll past the charts for the ingredient-by-ingredient rundown...(why is that BELOW the comments?)
There might be some legitimate concerns there. On the other hand, poison is a dose, not a substance. Even that rascally dihydrogen monoxide they have at the bottom there ("innocuous") can be fatal if ingested in sufficient quantities. There's no indication at what levels these ingredients are dangerous, or at what levels they're being used, or at what levels they accumulate in the body (although it does look like bioaccumulation is the new big boogeyman to watch out for). And the "data gaps" are pretty large. (What does a 100% data gap even mean?)
At best, it's a springboard for further research, and that itself is a very good thing. But I wouldn't take it as the definitive report on everything in your bathroom. IMO, "OMG! My body wash is a 9!" and chucking it would not be the proper response.
Agreed. If you are putting something all over your body every day (body lotion) and it's a 9, you should really find something less toxic. Your skin is an organ and does absorb things into your bloodstream.
However, I'm not going to freak out about a facial treatment I use once a week, or shampoo which gets washed away.
@MrsLopsided: they actually have a list of what will be given away, and it's a lot of shower gel and body lotion, etc.
Since each item is valued at up to $25, you will be given basically a "deluxe sample size" of the cosmetic. Do not expect to get full sized product for the most part.
I work at a store giving away product. We received a rather large supply of these "deluxe samples" that will definitely last longer than a few minutes (or even a few hours). We have to follow very strict guidelines regarding the distribution so be prepared to wait in lines.
Yeah, I totally did buy some cosmetics --no wait, I'm male. Dammit, no metrosexual products for skin-conscious men like me.
@I work as a meth lab technician isn't really a meth lab tec...: That's what I thought, too... no men's fragrances? Not even some Acqua di Gio shower gel or a travel-size bottle of Azzaro Chrome or Dior Homme Sport, for crying out loud?
I mean, we wear fragrances, too, and if you go to a Sephora, there's a whole wall of stuff for guys.
@JulesNoctambule: Are there other "free" promotions going on that day? Someone should make a list. A day full of free stuff AND someone competent in the White House! Pinch me I must be dreaming.
Does lipstick come in the color "republican red?"
@bohemian: Not free, but supposedly some Taco Bell locations (apparently, it's a regional promotion, not nationwide) are having 20 cent tacos that day (limit 10).
@Squeezer99: Yep. FAR worse than ...I dunno ...the apocalypse, child molesters, rape, the holocaust. All put together!
*hopes it's not needed, but throws the /sarcasm tag here so everyone knows he doesn't actually support Squeezer's absolutely inaccurate, and drama-queen-y statement*
@bohemianasked: "are there other "free" promotions going on that day?".....Yeah, they're giving away lots of "free-dom" There's a glut of it because little or none of it was distributed over the last 8 years.
@HalOfBorg: Yeah, I wouldn't go anywhere near that train wreck. So, right after their class-action law suit they can have go straight into their trial for manslaughter and negligence.
@HogwartsAlum: exactly. thank you. i could probably get away on my lunch break but i don't even know if it's worth it to me anymore.
@mechteach: Yep, I swiped and reformatted the list from the settlement website. Too bad, though... a Beauty Flash Bomb is the only thing that looked remotely interesting to me.
(Yep, I'm a pyro.)
@nsv:
Are you kidding? I adore Dior's J'Adore perfume, and also Lancome's skin defense products.
I'm taking a vacation day tomorrow (not for this; to watch the inauguration on television). Hmmmm, do I have time for a quick stop at Macy's before gluing myself to the TV?
Who had time to get to Macy's or any other department store for that matter? I found the Inauguration to be far more important. This event should have held on a different date!
This is going to be one massive disaster of a promotion.
People are going to get hurt.