#TWENTIESTAUGHTYOU - How to show up for some FREE shit

NATIONAL LIPSTICK DAY | 7 - 29

Every day is a holiday now so this past random Saturday was of course deemed #NationalLipstickDay💄. In honor of the "holiday" MAC was giving out free lipsticks at local stores and stands across the nation. To be clear, it's been a very long time since I've volunteered to wait in line for anything - free or otherwise - but when my friend brought up the idea I thought "a free $17 lipstick and maybe some material for the site, why not?" I'll get to the actual experience but I'm happy that I did attend because in the paraphrased words of legendary Martin Lawrence "somebody must've told y'all wrong." In addition to sharing with you all the reasons why opportunities such as these are likely not worthwhile, first, let me school you on the protocol of showing up for FREE shit:

THE TWENTIES TAKEAWAYS

THE EXPERIENCE

I honestly went into the day with no expectations. If I got a free lipstick, GREAT - I just didn't want to be there all damn day. My friends and I participated at the Rice Village location in Houston, TX where we all decided was discreet and close to all of our homes. The store opened at 10AM and despite my very best efforts to convince my friends to go at 8AM (like I said 2 hours prior is the best I've got) we showed up 10mins after 9AM and the line was well-formed (the first woman in line said she arrived at 7:15AM, for lipstick I CANNA I CANNA *Joseline Hernandez voice*). The best part of the whole wait was this corner where one girl stopped and my friends and I restarted the line a bit away from her to stay in the shade. Everyone that walked up thought the line ended with the girl in front of us only learn there were several people behind her. Imagine thinking "oh... this isn't bad" and being greeted by this… 

Every time someone would see the rest of the line and turn to us as if not to know what it is, we’d be pointing them "that way" no words needed. It became so constant for a while we started mimicking Migos and dancing to entertain ourselves. Rice Village gave out 106 free lipsticks and as I learned later outsmarted the other store's approach (which MAC got slandered online for and I'll get to that soon) by sending two representatives to hand out lipstick boxes with the available colors listed to the first 106 people. By the skin of our teeth we were #99-101 and barely made the cut. The people behind us looked devastated as they filed out but now for us it was just more waiting... It's 10AM now, the store opens and the people at the head of the line are starting to go in, pick up their free item and bounce. That part took at least another hour but what really irritated me were the people who steadily showed up well after the store opened; disappointed, upset, and let down because the giveaway over. WHAT DID YOU EXPECT?! Every woman wears or will at least tolerate MAC lipsticks, especially if it's free, so why would you think you can waltz up midday and just pick up a stick? The ease with which people moseyed their late asses up trying to find a friend in me to complain to. "Awww you'd think they'd have more," "the flier said lipstick DAY," and so on - this one lady literally frowned at me, tilted her head, full change of facial expression, right in front of me. I could've lost it, or bust out laughing in her face but I waited for her to walk off. Like I mentioned, the box listed the colors so we discussed which ones we would like, which as #99-101 was a waste of damn time as they called out shades to cross off left and right as we waited. We were worried about being stuck with Jean Genie but by the time we got to the front all they had was ashy purple and dusty grey. WOMP WOMP however it was FREE so what do I care. From arrival to departure was on the healthy side of five hours, time I will never get back so to say NOT WORTH THE WAIT would be an understatement but for the perspective and advice it has allowed me to share with all of you it was overall a priceless experience!