MAC Haul!!! Alluring Aquatic Collection

Every summer MAC comes out with an amazing collection. This summer's collection (Alluring Aquatic) was just irresistible (last year, I resisted. Scout's honor.) I purchased the two blushes, an Extra Dimension bronzer, and three lipsticks. I couldn't help myself... I mean THAT packaging! And the Colors!! Let's be honest, I wanted the eyeshadows also. But I had to control myself. And since I recently packed up my bathroom, I know exactly how many eyeshadows I have. Tooooo many. So here is what I absolutely HAD TO HAVE..:

Please excuse my background. I was in the middle of packing (one more week 'til I move!!!) and this box is what was within arms-reach!!!

Left to right: Extra Dimension Bronzer in Aphrodite's Shell, Extra Dimension Blushes in Sea Me, Hear Me and
Seduced at Sea
Shoutout to my girl, Dana (and her polkadot blankie) for letting me use her arm for swatches

Top to Bottom: Mystical, Enchanted One, and Goddess of the Sea

Top to Bottom: Mystical, Enchanted One, and Goddess of the Sea

First impressions... I LOVE all three lipsticks. I was nervous about Goddess of the Sea because, well, it's purple. But it's more of a subtle purple than a BAM!-In-your-face purple. It's great. Enchanted One is my favorite though for two reasons... a) it's peach. Love me a peach lippie... and b) it's matte. I love me some mattes also. And Mystical is a great everyday neutral color. (Both Mystical and Goddess of the Sea are Creamsheens.)

The Blushes... OMG. LOVELOVELOVE. I mean, what's not to love about a MAC blush?!? They are always my favorites. But these two... They are BEAU-TI-FUL. For me though, Seduced at Sea wins my heart. It is more peach-y/bronze (told ya' I love peach) and is just perfection... <sighhhhhhh>

The Bronzer. I'm a little torn here... It's looks beautiful. But it's very light. I'm gonna have to play with this one a little more before I form an opinion. Buttttt... It just might go back. I know, I know... Blasphemy. However... If I'm not gonna use it, then really, what's the point???

Did you pick up anything from this new collection? Or are you holding out for the Osborne's?!?! Let me know in the comments!

Clarins Skincare Haul!!!

Hey everyone!!! Sorry about the delay between posts… I had a lot going on and took my son to NYC for a few days… (birthday present!)  We had a blast but now it's time to get back to reality.  Mehhhhh… Lol.  Just kidding… But today's post is long overdue. Let's jump in!   A couple weeks ago, while visiting The Boyfriend, we went to the outlet shops in Orlando.  I loveeeeeee the outlet malls there.  As we were walking around (I was looking for the CCO I've heard so much about) I found a Clarins Factory Outlet!  As it happens, I am on a skincare quest.  And Clarins is one of the brands I've been dying to try out.  So I wandered on in… Now if you follow me on Instagram (@_stephiee_bee_) you may have seen this pic:

Welllll today I'm finally going to let you see what exactly was inside… First let me explain what I mean by "skincare quest"…  Until recently, I was never into the whole everyday moisturizer/toner/serum/etc thing…  I used a cleanser and that was about it.  But I was starting to notice lines and wrinkles… and the dreaded crow's feet… and also my skin was looking dull and dry.  So I freaked out.  (I was like… OhhhEmmmGeeeI'mgettingoldIhavewrinklesIlooklikeI'm80IneedhelpIneedbotoxIneedacosmeticsurgeonwhatamIgonnadowheredidtheselinescomefromwhendidthishappenwhydowehavetoagewhyareweherewhatisthemeaningoflife?!?!?!?!?!?!?! All in one breath, like a nutcase.)  Then I thought to myself, why don't you just try taking care of your skin like your mother has been telling you to do for YEARSSSS. (Thanks mom. Glad I'm such a good listener. It only took a decade.)  And that's what I've been trying to do.  I have only tried a few different brands so far and they've been okayyyy.  Nothing that's "holy grail" status.  Which brings me to Clarins.  I hear nothing but amazing things about this brand.  And if you watch HerLateNightCravings on YouTube (if you don't then you should! They are so funny and sweet), then you've heard Mendi go on and on and on and on about her Clarins products.  So in an effort to shift blame and not feel guilty about spending habits… I blame this whole purchase on my mother and the girls from HerLateNightCravings.  This one's for you…

I purchased three different sets.

The Skin Smoothers set- $51
(Full sized Multi-Active Day cream and generous sample sizes of the Multi-Active Night Youth Recovery Cream and the Multi-Active Skin Renewal Serum.)

The Cleansing Duo- $21
(Full sized Gentle Foaming Cleanser and a small Toning Lotion- it's not a sample but it's not full sized either.)

The Firming Eye Wonders see- $39
(Full sized Extra Firming Eye Lift Perfecting Serum and samples of the Instant Eye Makeup Remover and Extra Firming Eye Wrinkle Smoothing Cream.)

Originally I only purchased the first two sets… But as we were walking around I kept thinking about the eye set too… So we went back for it.  (And by "we" I mean ME with The Boyfriend grumbling in the background as I dragged him back there against his will.) So that was everything I purchased.  I am almost done with the Ole Henriksen products I've been using and can't wait to get started on these!!! Have any of you used Clarins?  Thoughts??  Experiences??? Let me know in the comments!  Until next time!!! ;-) Side note: I did end up finding the CCO… The stuff they had was sooooo much better than my CCO in Fort Lauderdale.  But I didn't purchase anything… YET.

Confessions of a Shopaholic; Online Shopping Edition

Let's talk for a moment about online shopping... It's truly a beautiful thing.  You can buy anything you want, in the  ENTIRE world, from the comfort of your own bed (while in your sweats with your hair in a mess on top of your head and pimple cream on your face) and have it arrive on your doorstep. It can even be shipped Next-Day if you're so inclined and willing to shell out a few extra dollars. I love online shopping.  (Wellllll... Let's be honest, I love ALL shopping.)  So today I wanted to share a few of my favorite websites for deals and steals that EVERYONE needs to know about… (Disclaimer: I do NOT work for/am affiliated with/or sponsored by any of these companies or websites.  Simply an avid shopper here.)  ;-)

For any and all online shopping excursions you must start somewhere, and the BEST place I've found is... Ebates. (Rhymes with Rebates. As in, YOU GET MONEY BACK!) No gimmicks here, this site is legit.  Just by shopping through Ebates you will earn a percentage of what you spend BACK! (By that, I mean, you go to the Ebates website FIRST and select the store you want to shop at from their extensive list of online shops.  Then they redirect you to the website of your choosing with a shopping trip id# to keep track of your purchases)  Typically the cash back amounts range anywhere from 2-8%. Every few months they send you a check. SIGN UP. IT'S FREE. It's just that simple.  You can use my referral link or just google 'Ebates'.  Shopping and saving= #winning (and usually more shopping) in my book.

Hautelook- A Nordstrom company.  How do I explain Hautelook.  Hmmmm… It's an online shopper's dream.  They have everything from fashion (men, women and kids) to beauty to home decor and kitchen gadgets… All at discounted prices!  They feature some amazing brands… (A few you may have heard of like Steve Maddon, Rebecca Minkoff, Dolce & Gabbana, Lorac, NYX… Others may be new to you like Elizabeth and James or Jules Smith).  Every day at 8am PST different events begin/end, act fast because really popular brands/products sell out quickly!  You need to sign up but once again… Membership is FREE!  Feel free to use my referral link or google 'Hautelook'… Whatever you decide... Sign up and stop missing out!!!  One last thing… There's also an app for that! (Get the iPhone app here or Android app here) 

For the beauty obsessed… I give unto you… Ipsy.  This is a monthly beauty subscription service.  That means every month they send you a cute lil' bag (called Glam Bags) filled with (4-5) deluxe samples and full-sized beauty products catered to you (simply take their beauty quiz) for only $10.  I have been a Glam Bag subscriber for about five months now and have yet to be disappointed.  In comparison, I used to receive Birchbox (another $10 beauty subscription service), you may have heard of them… I cancelled that.  I found them very disappointing.  Every month they would send tiny samples of very random products that didn't suit me.  Ipsy, however, makes me happy… EVERY month.  As always you can use my referral link or google 'Ipsy'… Take heed… There is a wait list.  It's worth the wait.  Decide for yourself, check out some of my past Glam bags here, here, and here…


That's all I've got for you today… Until next time!!!  What about you?  Any sites you think I should look into?? Let me know!!!

A Lil' Haul-i-day… ;-)

Soooooo… Today was a shopping day. Which is always a good day for me, not so much for the wallet.  BUT!  I have an excuse… My bestie had a foundation crisis.  So of course that means a trip to Sephora… And Lush… And The Body Shop… Right?!?  No, really though.  We had a foundation situation.  It's still not resolved but we'll get there eventually and that shall be an epic tale for another day.  Stay tuned… As for me, I only did some minor damage.  Wink-wink.

Our first stop was Sephora where we both got Color IQ matched.  I feel like it's a good starting off point for shade range when you are unsure what you need, but don't get to hung up on ONLY using foundations that they claim are "your" best match.  Experiment and ask for samples.  Which is exactly what we did.  The bestie was told she is a 2R07 and got a sample of the Hourglass Illusion Tinted Moisturizer in Sand and had it applied to half her face (the other half had Nars Sheerglow Foundation).  When first applied we liked the tinted moisturizer better… By the time we left the mall, less than an hour later, the tinted moisturizer looked like an oil slick... on her face.  Not gonna work.  And the Nars was just not the right color.  Fret not, we shall try again.  :-D  For my Color IQ match this go-round I was a 4Y05, all I can read from that is Y= Yellow.  Last time I was 1R06, where I assume R= Rose.  I'm officially confused.  Could they be any more different???  The associate gave me a sample of the Buxom Show Some Skin Weightless Foundation in Dim the Light.  From my previous color match I use Urban Decay Naked Skin in shade 3.5.  And I love it.  This should be a fun experiment.  I'll keep you posted.  (Side-note: We both have Combo-Dry skin types, in case you're wondering… and even if you weren't!) On to what I actually purchased…  The Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush(es)- because I couldn't stop at one!!!  I picked up the shades Dim Infusion and Ethereal Glow because I am a Pale Face (did ya' catch that my Twilight friends?) and because they correspond with my Ambient Lighting Powders.  I also purchased the Bite Beauty Luminous Crème Lipstick Duo in Vivid- Palomino/Violet.  Can we say "YouTube made me do it"… Lastly, I got a 500 Point Perk from L'Occitane that contains 5 deluxe-sized samples and a cute bag.

 (Left: Ethereal Glow, Right: Dim Infusion)

Light Swatches.  

(Top: Ethereal Glow, Bottom: Dim infusion- Please excuse my arm hairs- I simply refuse to shave/wax any more body parts than absolutely necessary)...

 (Left: Violet, Right: Palomino)

(Top: Palomino, Bottom: Violet)

Next, we stopped by Lush.  From here I purchased only the Oatifix Fresh Face Mask.  I haven't had a Lush face mask in a while and have been wanting to try this one out.

Our final destination was The Body Shop.  And I had a Groupon!!!  Gotta love a deal.  I purchased a $15 Groupon for $30 worth of product, but the best part is that I received ANOTHER 20% off on top of that with a coupon code.  #boom.  So for $12 I got… 2 Mini Body Butters in Chocomania and Coconut, a Mini Body Scrub in Chocomania, a Mini Camomile Eye Make-up Remover, and the Mini Hemp Hand Protector.  Why so many Minis, you may ask???  Because when it comes to my beauty relationships, I have SERIOUS commitment issues.  If a product lasts for tooooo long, I end up hating it.  Even if it's a miracle worker.  Though I may end up spending more in the long-run, purchasing smaller sizes keeps me from throwing product out or just letting it go bad (so that I can then THROW IT OUT).  Minis keep me happy and (relatively) sane in an otherwise beauty-crazed world.

That concludes my Lil' Haul-i-day.  I hope you enjoyed!  What have you purchased lately??? Comment below and let me know!!! Xoxoxo