<p>I love (no - adore!) shopping online. With two small children on different nap schedules it&#39;s gone from something that I do out of convenience to a real necessity. The UPS man and I are on a first-name basis. You probably think I&#39;m kidding. Vince can assure you that I am not. </p>



<p>You could say I have a bit of an online shopping habit: I buy clothes, shoes, books and even groceries online. But the one thing this beauty junkie hasn&#39;t done is gone online to buy make-up. Skincare? Yes. With skincare I can read the ingredients and promises and make up my mind about whether I want to buy a particular cream or cleanser from the comfort of my couch. </p>

<p>But make-up? I&#39;ve been very wary to buy make-up online.</p>

<p>Thing is, I like to play with make-up before I buy it. In theory. I also tell myself that I want the expert help at the store. But the reality is that I&#39;m truly grossed out by the displays at big cosmetic superstores and that I&#39;m sometimes intimidated by the impeccably made-up ladies at the department store beauty counters.&#0160; (Just thinking of how many people had put that tube of lipstick to their lips - or worse, admitting that I don&#39;t know what to do with said lipstick is enough to make me ill.) So what really happens I go to the store to buy make-up is that I end up looking at a lot of pretty packaging but not touching or buying anything. </p>

<p>So when the people at Estee Lauder offered me a gift certificate to spend at <a href="http://www.esteelauder.com/">www.esteelauder.com</a> I knew exactly what I wanted to spend it on. Forget their legendary skincare (for now) - it was time to buy some much needed make-up!</p>

<p>But the question was, how?</p>

<p>A quick look at their site put my mind at ease - they have lots of tools that allow you to &quot;play&quot; with make-up and that made it really easy to decide on what to buy. I don&#39;t wear foundation so I didn&#39;t use the <a href="http://www.esteelauder.com/flash/foundation_finder/index.tmpl#step1">foundation finder</a>, but it&#39;s a lot of fun to play with. I did spend a lot of time watching their video tips and picked up a new way of applying eye makeup <a href="http://www.esteelauder.com/flash/video_tips.tmpl?video=0">(the Estee Lauder classic look.)</a> The video demonstration was great - and not just because we get a peek at what the model looks like without her make-up - it really shows how doable this look is. I took a look at their &quot;Get The Look&quot; pages and became smitten with <a href="http://www.esteelauder.com/flash/get_the_look/index.tmpl#sensuous_liz">Elizabeth Hurley&#39;s</a> lip gloss, so I bought some Pure Color Crystal Lipstick...and then I bought the gloss sampler...and, um, one thing led to another....</p>

<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/diary/3047345806/" title="DSC_0016 by R. S. M., on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0016" height="334" src="http://www.everydaytreats.com/wp-content/uploads/3047345806_b471e8174a.jpg" width="500" /></a></p>

<p>And now I have an entire make-up wardrobe - purchased completely online. I&#39;m giddy with excitement!</p>

<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/diary/3047346548/" title="DSC_0018 by R. S. M., on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0018" height="334" src="http://www.everydaytreats.com/wp-content/uploads/3047346548_4b08211c10.jpg" width="500" /></a>

</p><p>But here&#39;s the best part: You know those fabulous Gifts-With-Purchase you get when you buy cosmetics at the department stores? You don&#39;t have to give them up! Estee Lauder <a href="http://www.esteelauder.com/promotions/index.tmpl">puts them right online</a>! I got this awesome set and more eyeshadow than I can possibly wear as a free gift:</p>

<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/diary/3046510369/" title="DSC_0015 by R. S. M., on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0015" height="334" src="http://www.everydaytreats.com/wp-content/uploads/3046510369_bfd506a185.jpg" width="500" /></a></p>



<p>Buying makeup without leaving the house: It&#39;s a beautiful thing.</p><p><em>(More reviews<a href="http://www.blogher.com/blogher-reviewers-discover-new-esteelauder-com"> here</a> - or take me <a href="http://www.diary.blogs.com">HOME</a>.)</em></p>
