jessie blogs or something

a place where I talk about the things I like :o)

[kessiejau]

Fall Makeup - Mini Ulta Haul

With autumn around the corner I picked up three  "fall makeup" items at Ulta

Maybelline Color Tattoo - Barely Branded

Ulta Lip Crayon - Date Night

Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush - Plum Wine

SWATCHES!

Brief Review:

Maybelline Color Tattoo - Barely Branded:

Soft, metallic, creamy eyeshadow that gives off slightly cream/rose gold effect

Great all on its own or as a base for eyeshadow

I give it a thumbs up!

Ulta Lip Crayon - Date Night:

Great pigmentation, not overly moisturizing and leaves a slight stain (can settle in lip lines slightly)

Pretty and wearable plum and "crayon" design makes it very easy to apply

Perfect lip product for someone who is hesitant to try dark lip colors (i.e. ME!)

Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush - Wine Plum

Soft mousse-like texture with good color pay off

Slightly pink/fuchsia coloring when blended out

I'm a fan of the bouncy blushes in general but the color wasn't the true plum shade I was hoping for

Close up of Date Night on my Lips (and a great shot up my nose, luckily no bats in the cave)

 Whole Face!

[kessiejau]

Sheinside Review

I recently purchased a few items from the clothing site Sheinside and have mixed reviews about it.

Pros:

Great selection

Mainly reasonable prices

Free shipping

Easy to find discount codes online (I used www.RetailMeNot.com to save 20%)

Cons:

Took over a week just for items to complete “processing” (even though site advertises items as shipping in 24 hours)

Shipping took 4 weeks

Poor customer service

Poor quality of items

No washing instructions or type of materials on shirt tag

Many items are “One Size Fits All”

Overall, I can’t shake the feeling that I ordered from someplace sketchy. The selection, price and quality are no better than what you find at Forever 21 or H&M. Sheinside skimped on the details. The buttons on shirts are cheap plastic, loose threads everywhere and one of my items arrived damaged with a large snag on the sleeve. Plus, it just seems very odd to not include washing instructions or a description of the materials. What are they hiding or are they just too lazy?

I initially checked out Sheinside after several “Youtubers” showed off items they received free and seemed pleased. Well, for the price of free I would be happy with what I got but I will not be purchasing from them again.

Purchases

[kessiejau]

MAC Haul

MAC pretty much has a cult-like following of makeup fiends and until recently I managed to resist drinking the punch. Well pour me another glass.. I’m a fan.  Here’s what I picked up:

MAC Modesty

This is part of the Cremesheen lipstick collection. I would classify this in the "My Lips But Better" category. The color is a muted pink/brown with a bit of shine. I like carrying this color in my purse because it's easy to apply without a mirror and surprisingly moisturizing.

MAC Brave

No, you're not seeing double. MAC Brave looks remarkably similar to Modesty. What can I say? The neutrals were calling out to me (plus with a name like "Brave" I had fantasies of wearing this lipstick to big important meetings and feeling empowered).

Anyways, Brave is part of the Satin lipstick collection from MAC. The color is very close to Modesty (dusty pink/brown). However, this color is more opaque and the finish is a really beautiful satin, nearly matte texture. I think this is my favorite of the two lipsticks.

MAC 316 Lip Brush

The MAC 316 is small lip brush that comes with a large silver cap. The makeup artist at the MAC counter suggested that the cap is nice if you want to load the brush up with product and then toss it into a purse to reapply later. This brush is soft, flat and great for perfecting the edges of your lipstick.

MAC Satin Taupe

Ermahgerd! I love this eye shadow! The name perfectly sums up the color and texture, taupe and satin. It's not shimmery and is cool toned. The pigmentation can be built up to a smokey eye or swept on sheer. I like popping this all over my eyelid, just barely into the crease, and then slightly highlighting my brow bone with a white matte shadow. It's such an easy color to work with and wear.

SWATCHES!!

[kessiejau]

Mattress Factory

For anyone unfamiliar with the Mattress Factory, it is not actually a factory of mattresses (but it used to be). It is an art museum where the pieces are all entire room installations. Pretty cool.

Some exhibits are permanent, while others are displayed for a period of time. The day I went only the three permanent installations were on display, plus some outdoor garden spaces. The Mattress Factory isn't your typical museum because you essentially get to walk into the art. I don’t want to spoil any of the artwork but this is definitely a place worth checking out. And yes, those purple peppers are real!

Plus, their gift shop sold funky knick-knacks, artwork and jewelry made by local artists, definitely keeping this place in mind the next time I need to buy a gift for someone. I bought myself these earrings and greeting cards.

Be sure to bring a camera. The hipster in you will want to take capture a new profile picture of yourself surrounded by artwork. That's me with the crazy eyes O__0

Also, a bird pooped on me this day. Careful phone placement in this photo covers it.

Links

Mattress Factory: http://www.mattress.org/

Earrings: http://www.etsy.com/shop/emilyanneshop

Artwork from Cards: http://nicolakuperus.com/

[kessiejau]

Upcycling Work Outfit

Recently, I took a trip to Goodwill and tried my hand at thrifting. I purchased this blue/grey cotton skirt, originally from Banana Republic, for $4.

The skirt fit overall but the length didn't suit me. I am a total beginner at sewing, so I hacked off a few inches from the bottom, pinned and sewed. 

 This is one way I styled my new skirt for work with items already in my closet.

Top: A white tank button down (H&M), under a muted orange crew neck sweater (Forever 21)

Accessories: Gold bangles (Forever 21) and jade bracelet (bought during a trip to China)

Shoes: Tan, suede flats with stitching detail on heel (Steven Madden) 

I wanted to use color but not wear anything too loud, since this is an outfit for work. I really like understated details like the bangles and stitching on my flats.

I know hemming a skirt is Sewing 101 but I'm still proud of this new outfit :)