Five by Five

Moved!

2016-02-01T08:47:00.000-08:00

I'm now doing reviews and more over here after a lengthy hiatus from blogging. Please follow in your following mode of choice :)

NYX Lipliner in "Pumpkin"

2014-01-23T14:50:00.002-08:00

I never buy or wear lipliner but I did pick up this NYX liner to try under an orange lipstick I have with good color and bad wear--dries the lips, settles in the lines, etc. I'm not sure this liner was the right color to accomplish the end result I wanted but still a gorgeous orange and worth a look...

I used the liner to cover my entire lips. It's been a looonggg time since I used a lip liner and I was very impressed by the super creamy formula. It glided on the lips almost like a lip crayon and the pigmentation of the color was all I could have expected and more. Such a deep, gorgeous orange:

This had pretty decent wear time but as with almost all lip products I encounter, not the wear time I'd desire.

Of course another great thing about NYX products is their price--especially given the quality of the makeup. This liner is a a steal at $3.49 and you can find NYX products at a growing list of locations including Target and Ulta.

Although the color wasn't what I ultimately wanted, I did love the end look of the lip combination I did. Here is a photo of MAC's "Tangerine Dream" over the "Pumpkin" liner. Please excuse the messy application--I blame the excellently creamy pencil!

Milani Lipsticks in "Chilled Brandy" and the Somewhat Unfortunately Named "Orange-Gina"

2014-01-19T16:01:00.001-08:00

I've been wanting to try Milani lipsticks for awhile now and I kept walking by their display at the stores time after time but then in quick succession on two different trips, I grabbed two shades: "Chilled Brandy" and "Orange-Gina." I keep (quite wrongfully, I'm sure) reading so it sounds similar to "vagina." I have less of a problem with that aspect than I do with how badly it rolls off the tongue. But enough about that...

Chilled Brandy

Orange-Gina

Chilled Brandy I chose for it's rich berry color and subtle sparkle. Orange-Gina I snatched up because I love orange lipsticks (despite orange lipsticks not always loving me) and this one was darker than my other shades and appeared more wearable to me.

They swatch really nicely, I think. Gorgeous, deep colors. Great pigment. Nice formula... Definitely a win in my book.

And on the lips...

Chilled Brandy

Orange-Gina

Do you own any great Milani colors? I must hear about them!

Maybelline Eyestudio Eyeshadows in "Teal Takeover" and "Downtown Denim"

2014-01-15T12:40:00.001-08:00

I'm a big fan of Maybelline makeup (for the most part) and I picked up a couple of these two color shadows. The first, "Teal Takeover" is a teal and bronze combination and "Downtown Denim" is a blue combo of light and dark blues shades.

Teal Takeover

Downtown Denim

I love the look of the shadows in the pan... I love the split look and the convenience of having two complimentary colors together in one shadow.

Swatches?

1-2: Teal Takeover; 3-4: Downtown Denim

The colors have good pigmentation and are smooth to apply. I've used Teal Takeover in a look and the colors blended nicely, no creasing or other irritations.

I like them! And I'm so addicted to the way they look, I might grab a few more. Have you tried any of these?

(They cost $6.99 per shadow.)

Jesse's Girl Mineral Baked Eyeshadow with Swatches

2014-01-12T11:09:00.002-08:00

For Christmas, as part of my gift, my nephew's girlfriend picked me up five of these Jesse's Girl eyeshadows. The thing I love most about other people buying me makeup is that I end up with some shades I might have overlooked myself. I've got a stand-out favorite from the bunch but I liked all of her choices.

Let's look closer...

Kiwi Shine

Esmeralda

Graphite Frost

Ocean Breeze

Plum Frost

Kiwi Shine is my favorite. It's just a great, pigmented sea foam green that is bright without being obnoxious. (Although, don't get me wrong, I appreciate obnoxious very much when it comes to color.)

I love the pigmentation on these and they are very smooth and blendable.

I really do like them all. Aren't they pretty?

Plum Frost and Kiwi Shine

Esmeralda and Graphite Frost

Esmeralda is so close to my skin tone, it will make for a really good highlight shadow.

Graphite Frost and Ocean Breeze

I love Graphite Frost in that last photo. If you enlarge the image, you can really see all the colors in the glitter.

I wore Kiwi Shine and Ocean Breeze in a look a few days ago and they blend beautifully and with my eyeshadow primer, lasted all day.

You can find Jesse's Girl eyeshadows at Rite Aid and several other drug stores. They retail at $3.99 each.

MAC "Bombshell" Lipstick

2014-01-07T08:00:00.000-08:00

Been awhile since I shopped the permanent MAC lipsticks but I did while doing some Christmas shopping and picked up "Bombshell."

"Bombshell" is a kind of candy pink with subtle golden shimmer. It's very wearable and not an overpowering pink.

I think it was a good grab--I like this pink a lot. MAC lipsticks are available at MAC counters, stores and online.

Bombshell Lip Crayon in "Shameless"

2014-01-04T12:25:00.003-08:00

This is a lip crayon I got in my Ipsy bag... It wasn't a color I'd probably jump at but ended up really liking a lot! Let's take a look...

The shade is "Shameless."

The flash gives the shade a bit more dimension and color than looking at the crayon with the naked eye but it's more true-to-life for the swatches and on the lip. Like I said, this didn't look fantastic to me until I actually used it.

Swatches!

Sunlight

Flash

Feels smooth and lightweight on the lips and glides on easily. I like lip crayons and this is no exception. I'm also glad to have even gotten this shade because I love it on my lips.

The lip crayons are $14 on the Be a Bombshell website.

MAC Magnetic Nude: "Carnal Instinct" and "Morning Rose" Lipsticks and "Autoerotique" Blush

2014-01-03T12:14:00.001-08:00

After Christmas, I did a little MAC haul from the Magnetic Nude collection. Yesterday, I finally got my new camera so I'm back in the game!

Let's take a little look at Magnetic Nude...

I picked up "Carnal Instinct" and "Morning Rose" lipsticks.

"Carnal Instinct" is a deep, beautiful frost...

... And "Morning Rose" is a lighter, more natural cremesheen lipstick.

And then I also picked up "Autoerotique" Extra Dimension Blush.

I just love the color of this blush.

It has the MAC and little swirl indentation. This is my first Extra Dimension Blush.

And swatches!

"Carnal Instinct," "Morning Rose" and "Autoerotique"

Nars Guy Bourdin Blush in "Cœvur Battant"

2013-12-22T07:42:00.002-08:00

As part of a little mini-haul from Sephora, I picked up one of the Guy Bourdin blushes--my first Nars blush!

This holiday collection from Nars contains three blushes and "Cœvur Battant" is the boldest. It's a fierce magenta that didn't look like anything I had in my collection so I snatched it up.

Definitely bold and pigmented, this blush needs a light hand... Above the photo is taken with flash and below in natural light...

And finally... A couple of swatches, heavy and blended:

When blended, it reminds me of extremely rosy cheeks in winter and I like that. The blush is currently (as of today) unavailable on the Nars website but I found mine at my local Sephora and it is still in stock on the Sephora site.

Maybelline Color Sensation Color Elixir in "Dashing Orchid"

2013-12-18T11:30:00.000-08:00

I've been so into berries and plums lately. I picked up one of these Color Elixir glosses by Maybelline in "Dashing Orchid" which is a lovely sheer plum shade.

The packaging confused me a bit at first because I originally thought I was looking at a tube of regular lipstick but it is in fact a tinted gloss. I do like how you can see it in the packaging.

The applicator is flat on one side for easy and precise application.

The gloss is nice and pigmented but still sheer on the lip. If you enlarge the photo, you can see the shimmer in there--it's very lovely.

I love how this gloss feels on my lips--super lightweight and airy. I didn't even feel like I had a gloss on and it was good to my lips too, they felt nice after it had worn off from eating and drinking.

You can get these for around 6.99 at drugstores, Target, etc.

Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm in "Showy"

2013-11-18T08:40:00.001-08:00

First off, I love lip crayons/color sticks/whatever you want to call them. Secondly, I was drawn to the idea of a "matte balm" with some color... And actually these pack a more powerful color punch than I expected so I was happily surprised.

It looks like a typical lip crayon under the lid.

Doesn't it look smooth and pigmented? It goes on very smooth and creamy but feels super lightweight--like a lip balm. I am very impressed by the airy texture and lightweight when you see how pigmented the color is:

So nice and smooth and bold. It feels sort of healthy on the lips. It has that menthol-ish balm scent and always gives my lips a little bit of a tingle. Maybe it's just me.

I would buy more of these. I picked mine up at at Target for $6.49.

Ipsy Bag (September 2013)

2013-09-13T14:52:00.000-07:00

I decided to get an Ipsy subscription after I spotted a photo on Instagram and it took awhile to get off the wait list but today I received my first bag!

I like the bag. It's cute and I've been digging blue lately so very fitting.

And for the inside goodies...

It contains:

Full-sized NYX eye shadow in "Golden Poppy"
Two pairs of Skyn Iceland Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels
It's So Big Mascara (sample-sized tube)
Star Looks full-sized kohl eye pencil in "Obsidian"
Pop Beauty Pouty Pop Crayon in "Rose Romance"

Let's get a closer look:

I own a couple of NYX shadows and I like them a lot so I was very happy to see a full-sized shadow. Hopefully it wears nicely... Sometimes those yellows are a bit tricky.

I love trying eye products and I especially love trying ones I get samples for because eye creams and the like can be so pricy. Looking forward to seeing if these deliver any results.

Always like to try new mascaras and I've never tried this one before. It's a small, sample-sized tube with 0.14 fl oz of product.

I've never heard of "Star Looks" before but this is a nice, full-sized kohl eyeliner pencil. I hate buying eyeliner so it's a plus to get one in my bag. I tend to have trouble with pencil eyeliners but we shall see.

And finally, a Pop Beauty lip crayon (full-sized).

All in all... Nice! At $10/month it's a nice little haul and a cute bag. I'm happy with it.

If there's anything you'd like me to review closer, let me know! Anyone else an Ipsy subscriber?

Marc Jacobs Beauty: Style Eye-Con No. 7 "The Lolita"

2013-09-03T09:41:00.002-07:00

I was really drawn to the Marc Jacobs beauty line... I loved the packaging and I wanted something from it so I chose "The Lolita" eyeshadow palette which includes seven neutral shades.

Comes in a black pouch with snap... Pretty unnecessary but it would make a cute pencil holder.

I love the simple but beautiful black packaging.

I got a little photo-happy but doesn't it look majestic?

No names for the individual shadows... They are just numbered 1-7...

I like the shades. I don't buy a ton of neutral makeup because it's not very fun in my opinion but lately I've been trying to appear a bit more professional from time to time and that was my motive behind this palette. I think it's very pretty to look at.

Here come the swatches...

1-7

1-3

4-7

I'm a fan. I think it's subtle and the shadows could be a teensy bit more pigmented but they are so smooth and soft and the shades are lovely neutral colors.

Did anyone pick up anything from the gigantic Marc Jacobs beauty collection?

(Also, as an unrelated sidenote, I joined Instagram (yes, I'm very late to the party) and am looking for new people to follow so add me if you'd like!)

MAC So Supreme Lipsticks in "Sweet Grenadine" and "Candy Apple" with Swatches

2013-07-25T07:51:00.000-07:00

A couple of the lipsticks from MAC's So Supreme collection grabbed my eye. I purchased "Sweet Grenadine" and "Candy Apple."

Candy Apple is there on the left and Sweet Grenadine on the right. Candy Apple is what I think of as a dusty plum and Sweet Grenadine is a bright orange shade. It may look a bit scary in the tube but it doesn't wear so neon-orange at all. Check out the swatch...

They have a nice shine to them and despite some negative things I heard about the wear, wear well on my lips. They add a bit of shine and look very nice--no enhancing of lip flaws or anything like that. Sometimes MAC lipsticks do that to me but these do not.

Sweet Grenadine is a wearable bright shade and Candy Apple is lovely in its own right but a bit more toned down, obviously.

Did you buy anything from this collection? Thinking about it?

Rimmel Show Off Lip Lacquer in "Aurora" and "Stellar"

2013-07-16T08:37:00.000-07:00

Been slacking a bit with the blogging (and purchasing of new stuff to blog) because I got a new job! I'm working in a lab now that does blood analysis and I really like it! However, I'm adjusting to a new schedule, working weird hours sometimes and I'm always wiped out.

So anyway, I had grabbed these Rimmel Show Offs awhile back and thought about not blogging them but I love them so much I wanted to anyway. The two shades I bought, "Aurora" and "Stellar" are somewhat similar but different enough for sure to own both.

"Stellar" is a bit brighter and bolder than "Aurora."

Stellar left, Aurora right

I LOVE how pigmented these guys are and they add quite a bit of shine--you can see how nice the formula looks... Definitely not drying at all. I love a deeply pigmented gloss.

Stellar and Aurora

So pretty! Also not incredibly sticky which is always, always a plus.

These look wonderful on the lips. I'm a definite fan. So far, I've only seen these at Walgreens or available online but I also haven't been doing a lot of searching lately.

Which Show Offs do you own?

Bioré Combination Skin Balancing Cleanser

2013-07-04T08:00:00.002-07:00

I bought this cleanser only because I couldn't find my regular. I haven't used Bioré products in a long time but I liked that it seemed simple.

And simple it is. There's not a ton going on here--just a cleanser that does its job and does it well.

It comes out as a gel and I would need to rub my hands together (or at least this is what I preferred to do) to work up a lather before using it on my face. When I didn't do this, it felt a bit like I was just moving product around on my skin but with the lather, it felt like it was grabbing onto the dirt and makeup and oil and washing it away.

There is no scent. After rinsing, my skin felt clean and there is no over-drying. It really just felt like it was returning my skin back to normal after a day of heat, makeup and humidity. It says it "balances" and it does feel that way--taking you back to where you should be.

While using this, I think I only got one breakout and that was my fault for sleeping in my makeup. It definitely made me feel like I was helping my skin with this instead of stripping it down.

I'm onto a different product to try but I would buy this again. The 6.77 fl oz bottle is about eight bucks.

Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar in "Femme"

2013-06-28T08:05:00.000-07:00

I hadn't been to a Sephora in a while so when I saw that they had OCC Lip Tars, I was excited. I grabbed "Femme" to add to my collection of lip tars... Which now equals a whopping total of two.

This pink is quite pretty and I love the color--I really do... In the tube. And then I put it on and I ask myself, Jen, why do you buy light pinks? They never work for you so why do you keep doing it? And I don't have an answer.

But color aside... The formula was a bit difficult to work with. To get it to look decent, I had to work at it. Lip Tars come with tiny lip brushes which are helpful--I applied with the brush and it looked... OK. It was a bit drying after a short period of wear-time but overall the formula wasn't such an issue--I could just slap some gloss on top--but I still wasn't thrilled with the color on my lips. Everywhere else--tube, swatch--I like it! But on my lips it's a little too cool of a shade. I need the warmer pinks and I will try to attempt to remember that from now on... (Yeah, right.)

And here is a close-up of my lips. This was right after applying it (I think the second or third time, ha):

It's just hard to work with. I didn't have such a problem with my other Lip Tar, I guess this shade can just be a little finicky.

L'Oreal Infallible Eye Shadow in "Endless Sea"

2013-06-26T08:11:00.000-07:00

This shade kept catching my eye every time I'd visit Target or a drug store.... Finally I picked it up at Target for $6.99. "Endless Sea" is a teal-blue shadow. It's almost seems like somewhere between a cream and a powder but it's a powder shadow.

According to Ulta's website it is sweat-proof, water-proof and crease-resistant.

I think it's such a gorgeous shade... Look a bit closer:

Beautiful! I couldn't wait to get my fingers and brush in there to swatch and use! It just kept calling to me.

It went on the eyes with only a touch of fallout... I made sure to tap my brush after dipping to minimize fallout. I like to hold a couple fingers under my eye when trying a new shadow to make sure the fallout isn't going to go all over my face.

It wore really well all day long. I primed my eyelids with a shadow primer (I currently use Urban Decay Primer Potion) and lately I've been using MAC's "Painterly" paint pot for added great wear and great color payoff for my shadows. And this shadow didn't budge all day and the color stayed nice and vibrant.

I would buy more of these. And you can see here all the beautiful colors they come in.... They all look verrry good to me.

Here are a couple of shots of it on my lids... The first is just "Endless Sea" over the primer/paint pot:

And blended with other shadows and liner:

I was extremely happy with this. Great wear, great color payoff and a small price.

MAC "Tart & Trendy" Lustre Lipstick

2013-06-24T16:28:00.000-07:00

I received my "Tart & Trendy" from the MAC All About Orange restock and it arrived today. I hadn't even considered it until I had seen it a few times and it really grew on me. After reading a lot of wonderful reviews, I was sold. I'm a big fan of orange lipstick. (I also swatched Tangerine Dream from this limited edition collection.)

It's a vibrant orange that is still very wearable. The formula is pretty nice and the shade adds a certain brightness to your look. Very nice.

The lipstick has a pretty great color payoff. It's a teensy, tiny bit sheer but I think that works really well with this particular shade.

It seems a bit scarier (by scary I mean intense) in the tube than it does in the swatch and on the lips--it still swatches pretty bright, though. I think it's a lovely orange.

I didn't find it drying at all and as you can see in the lip swatch, it appears quite moisturizing (I didn't add any gloss).

I'm very happy with this color! Perhaps my new favorite orange lipstick.

From the Urban Decay Deluxe Eyeshadow Sale: Swatches of "Graffiti," "Peace" and "Frigid"

2013-06-23T12:56:00.000-07:00

I took advantage of a Hautelook sale recently and purchased three Urban Decay Deluxe Eyeshadows for only $4 each (originally $18). The Hautelook sale is over but they are still on sale for the same price over at UD's website. Perhaps they're discontinuing them with the launch of their newer shadows, I'm not sure. I'd definitely check it out if you have any interest in pigmented, bold colors.

I had wanted "Graffiti" for a long time but never wanted to spend the money so when I saw it for only $4.00, I jumped on it and two other colors, getting all three for under the original price!

I like the individualized packaging for each eyeshadow.

Shadows from left to right: Graffiti, Frigid and Peace.

Frigid, Peace and Graffiti

Frigid

Frigid is a deep, deep purple and you can see the blue in there as well; it becomes a duo-chrome on the lid or swatch.

Peace

Peace is this fantastically bright, shimmering blue.

Graffiti

And Graffiti is a fantastic, vibrant green with shimmer.

I'm in love with all of these shades. Take a look at them swatched:

I can't wait to use these!

Do you own any UD eyeshadows? I'm thrilled with the quality of these.

RiRi ♥ MAC "Heaux" Retro Matte Lipstick

2013-06-21T13:51:00.001-07:00

After partaking in the crazy drama that was the launch of RiRi♥MAC, I got "Heaux" today. I ordered "RiRi Woo" also but I did so in the heat of the moment, the ordering excitement got to me and I'm not sure I needed it. But, Heaux on the other hand... I couldn't wait to see it in person!

Heaux is a beautiful berry shade with a matte finish. I tend to really like matte lipsticks except for the application... I hate that stick and drag they like to do but Heaux isn't terrible. It looks gorgeous on the lips and isn't over drying. I loved it immediately.

Beautiful.

And on the lips:

A Little Re-Opening Giveaway Winner!

2013-06-21T09:41:00.001-07:00

Congrats!

Just a quick post to let the winner of my giveaway know she's won... Aenaria, I've emailed you! Please respond to jen (at) echoside (dot) net.

(If I don't hear from you within 48 hours, I will select a new winner.)

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in "Love That Pink"

2013-06-20T13:09:00.000-07:00

I haven't tried a Revlon lipstick in awhile but I spotted this color recently and it was too good to pass up.

This shade is "Love That Pink" and it's bright and vivid and lovely.

The lipstick just looks nice and smooth doesn't it?

It has a very smooth formula... Holds up well and non-drying. You can tell it's a moist lipstick from the swatch. It looks very nice on the lips and it's a nice, bright pink.

It runs coral. I like it a lot!

I definitely wouldn't mind trying more Revlon lipsticks. Any favorites out there?

Maybelline "Pink Pop" Lipstick

2013-06-19T13:50:00.002-07:00

I picked up another Maybelline lipstick recently after loving the last one so much. This one is a light pink called "Pink Pop."

It's so pretty in the tube, isn't it? There's a slight shimmer there with a nice pink that's soft but still vivid.

Very bubble gum pink.

On me this isn't a favorite. I always want to love pinks like this but I'm not sure they look fantastic. Something a little warmer is the way I like to go. But I think the color by itself is still quite gorgeous.

Again, the formula is lovely. Smooth and lasting. It feels light, moist and luxurious on the lips.