SMH Eyeshadows & Paying for College

**Update: What a weird combo - eyeshadow and financial aid!  But as I wrote this post I sort of flowed right from makeup to college advice.  First half is makeup; if you want to read about college stuff skip to the second half.**  Okay back to the post :)

So I was browsing on All Cosmetics Wholesale and I came across SMH eyeshadows.  I was immediately intrigued and so I did a quick google search and found that Michele1218 has already done a review of their products.  Michele1218 is my favorite makeup guru and I really enjoy watching her videos and checking out her blog for swatches and pictures, and if you are interested in makeup or new (like me), then I would definitely recommend checking out her channel.

As I have mentioned, I am fairly new to this whole makeup thing, and I have learned that MAC eyeshadows are highly pigmented, excellent quality products but they are very expensive.  Eyeshadows retail for $14.50 each.  If you order shadows in a pan the price drops to $11 each.  Even on ACW prices range from $12.99 to $16.99 with some of the discontinued shades on the pricer end.  I even saw an Alexander McQueen discontinued special edition shadow for $24.99...For one color!  Needless to say, although I am interested in eventually trying some of the MAC shadows that I keep hearing so much about, I do not yet feel compelled to spend a whole week's pay on building a custom palette or picking out individual shades. 

So I was very excited to learn that ACW sells SMH shadows in pan form, and also carries the magnetized palette set that is completely interchangeable with the MAC shadows.  The pans are exactly the same size.  For me, this is a more affordable and realistic option for building my shadow collection.  At this point I am more likely to consider picking out several SMH shadows at $6 each and drop them into the palette (empty 12 slot palette is $8.95 on ACW; 28 slot is $14.95) and slowly build my collection that way.  Additionally, since the MAC shadow pans are the same size, I might even consider buying a couple of them and keeping them in the same palette...maybe half SMH, half MAC?  Even with the 12 slot palette I think that would give me a good variety and a good starting place.  Definitely something to consider.

I also like ACW I think it's a great site for buying authentic products at a more affordable price.  Just last week I purchased my first Sigma brushes for less than what I would have paid buying them directly from Sigma.  And Sigma itself sells brushes decent prices....I feel great that I am bargain shopping!!  When it comes to shopping, I think one of the best feelings is getting a product that you planned on buying at a discounted price - especially if it is a high quality item!  I love this stuff and I feel great the I can use my econ degree and apply it to real world situations...like my own purchasing decisions.  Lol.  $160,000 education comes in handy for something!

Side note: while the "retail" cost of my college education (read: sticker price) at IWU was approximately $160K I didn't pay nearly that.  In fact, my out of pocket expenses (out of my own wallet & future earnings) were closer to....zero.  My family contributed some money towards my education - my dad's side of the family threw in some, as did my mom...especially towards "incidentals" like textbooks, travel/shipping costs, car expenses, spending money, etc.

The bulk of my funding however (about 80%) came from a combination of grants and scholarships.  My school provided 50%, and the other 30% came from private scholarship funds.  This made it so that I didn't have to take out any student loans.  None at all.  I didn't really enjoy my college experience the way I thought I would, but with the after-college job search & financial experience kind of sucking in this economy it is a relief to know that I don't owe any money and I can have a fresh financial start.  Even if it takes me a couple years to land a "real" job.

I will be posting a future blog with more details about financial aid and scholarships and paying for college, because there is so much misinformation and so many "unknowns" to shed light on, especially for first-generation college students.  Especially if those first-generation students have parents who immigrated to the U.S.  Having gone through that process myself there is a lot that I would like to share with those who are getting ready to start that process and embark upon the college journey.

I have sort of made it my self appointed "mission" to help others with the college research, application, and financial aid process, since I didn't have any one to guide me.  I really feel that those three steps really influence how well you enjoy, regret, or hate your own college experience.  I am not a professional or expert in this area, but I have already gone through and completed college, and I did receive an excellent education....I thrived academically but personally felt that I would have been better off at a different university.  I am totally willing to share advice, however, if anyone is ever interested.  Just leave me a comment below and we can start a dialoge :)