Snow White & the Huntsman Rare Beauty Kit from Benefit

Hey everyone! So I was enjoying my Memorial Day off from work (didn't see that coming 'til a random glance at the schedule last week showed I was off! woop woop!) And as any good ABC affiliate employee does, I was watching Good Morning America on my day off (haha)... and saw this cool story on the creators of Benefit cosmetics. I was interested to hear that Jean & Jane Ford were just typical midwestern girls (ok, so they did some modeling in commercials)- who literally flipped a coin about what sort of business to develop and makeup won. Consequently, I had recently been sent a small kit of Benefit products to review- and was in the process of putting them on for pics for this blog when that story aired! :) 

Here it is! The "Snow White and the Huntsman Rare Beauty Kit" form Benefit. If you're interested in picking it up, it's available for $45 on Sephora's website. In case you weren't aware, Snow White and the Huntsman debuts this Friday in theaters... and this kit claims to give you "the fairest look of the land". You get the following products...

• Benetint (.13 oz): Big fan of Benetint- and this is actually a pretty good size of the product! Still working on another small size of this that I already had, but it's good to have a backup. I totally see this as a "Snow White" product... just a few dots blended onto the cheeks gives great natural color, and it's nice on the lips too & because it's a stain, it looks SUPER natural. My tip- when using it on the cheeks, blend it in immediately... it dries kinda fast. (side note: I also love Cha Cha tint!! heads up coral lovers!) 
• BAD Gal Lash (.3 oz): Pretty cool that you get a full size BAD Gal mascara. I've only ever tried the minis of this before... and it's a pretty good mascara for volume! It's one of those that I tend to not love a whole lot when I first start using it... but it tends to get better with time. Do you ever feel that way with mascaras? The brush is rather large, which can be hard to control at times, but I do appreciate the fact that it has a tapered tip. Overall this is a "B" grade mascara in my book. 
• High Beam (.08 oz): Good things come in small packages! And the smallest thing in this kit is definitely one of the coolest. I love this stuff! It's something I'm considering purchasing full-size. It's the same format as Benetint & that whole family of products... only instead of being a total liquid... this is a somewhat creamy/liquidy highlight. It's the perfect pearly color that you can put on your cheekbones, browbone, bridge of nose, cupids bow (I did all of the above!)... and it's probably one of the best cream highlighting products I've tried! Not glittery- just the perfect pearly glow. 
• the POREfessional (.75 oz): Another full sized product... which I have blogged about before. Check out that post for my thoughts. I'm not over the moon about this stuff, but the texture is pretty awesome. You can wear it under your makeup as a primer or over your makeup to touch-up areas where you feel your pores are especially visible. I'd like to hear from someone who feels they have super large pores as far as how well this works on them. One high point I've noticed as I've worn this more... my makeup tends to wear longer (I think) when I use this as a primer. It's not at all greasy, so I think that helps. 

A closer look at the XXL brush on BAD Gal.

The bag that this comes in is INCREDIBLY cute.  

 You also get a little booklet showing you how to get the look... 

In this pic I'm wearing Benetint on my cheeks and lips, and High Beam on my cheekbones, brow bones, bridge of nose, and cupid's bow. I was testing a different mascara in this video, so no Bad Gal, but I am wearing Porefessional under my makeup. 

Overall, the highlights of this kit for me are Benetint & High Beam. I probably would be more likely to buy those individually than purchase this as a kit, given my prior knowledge about Bad Gal & Porefessional. However, when it comes to getting the "Snow White look"- I do think this kit is effective at giving you glowing skin & dark lashes. It might be a great gift for the Snow White enthusiast in your life, or if you are looking for a potential answer for a large pore problem & want to dip your toe in the world of Benefit's cream/liquid cheek products. Something I've learned after reviewing lots of products is that something that works (or doesn't work) for me, may not behave the same way for you. I think at $40, this kit is a good value & I'd be curious to hear what the rest of you think about it! :) 

♥

Daily Nuggets (Confessions Edition!)

• I was inspired to do a confessions-themed Daily Nuggets thanks to one of my new favorite blogs- Confessions of a 20 Something! 
• Confession- I found it as I was researching what makeup products Carrie Underwood uses. I'm just slightly obsessed with her beauty routine. 
• I made (I use that term loosely) some Tollhouse slice & bake type chocolate chip cookies... and ate one of the sections before baking. 
• I watched at least an hour of some sort of Saved by the Bell Hawaii edition movie today. 
• I slid about 2 or 3 feet on the hard wood floor section of Buffalo Wild Wings last night & nearly wiped out. Excuse: my heels had little to no traction. Then did the classic- look all over to see if anyone saw me thing. Awkwardness. At least I wasn't carrying a drink!
• I bought yet another hair-curling device. You'll see when I do another "What's New at the Drugstore" video this week. 
• I will watch episodes of Real Housewives (of anywhere) multiple times. I'm a sucker for marathons. 
• I created a new cocktail this weekend that involves White Zinfandel wine and lemonade. Quite refreshing! 

Stash Shopping! Bronze & Pink

Bucket is from Hobby Lobby! :)

Hey everyone!  Hope your day is going well! :) I realized just how much I love checking out blogs where people talk about "shopping their stash"... they basically look in their collection for products that might not be getting a lot of love- and sit them aside to work them into their makeup routine! I do this every so often, but I was inspired to write a post about it! If you like blogs like this & more great reviews, check out http://www.experimentalbeauty.blogspot.com -- Pam is great! She has videos on some of the same topics on her YouTube channel too :)

So here's what I grabbed from my stash! These are actually some great items that I know I enjoy-- and as I started compiling the items, I realized it was following a bronzy/pink theme! :) I also realized I completely forgot to check my foundation/powder/concealer area... but I'll get that next time!

Face... (top)

• Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush in Hot Tamale
• Milani Baked Bronzer in Golden
• ELF Studio Blush in Gotta Glow (highlight)

Eyes... (middle)

• Maybelline Eye Studio Color Explosion in Caffeine Rush
• Maybelline Color Tattoo 24 hr. cream shadow in Bad to the Bronze
• Tarte EmphasEYES  aqua-gel liner- navy blue

Lips... (bottom)

• Mally Lip Gloss in Mally's Look
• Revlon Matte Lipstick in Stormy Pink
• Revlon Just Bitten Lipstain + Balm in Victorian

Hopefully this gives you a little inspiration to look within your own collection for "new" products to use. It can be surprising what you have that isn't getting much use! And it's kind of fun to pick a theme and create a look around it! :)

♥

Daily Nuggets...

• Made another flatbread pizza- this time bbq chicken... Tyler & I are going to shoot a video on this soon for Beauty Vlogcast!
• Just saw a commercial for Rock of Ages- can't WAIT to see that! OMG. 
• I have a new video up about my favorite self tanners!
• Cupcake has a new napping spot... on the top shelf of my closet. It kinda freaked me out the first time I saw her there!

A Great Weekend... and Inspiration for the Week Ahead

Hey everyone! Hope you had an enjoyable weekend! My mom and dad were down to visit and we had a great time. Mom and I even fit in a couple of videos- I posted one of them today on her favorite beauty products! :) We also went out to eat at one of the best BBQ restaurants ever (17th St. Bar & Grill- featured on Food Network!) and Tyler and dad did lots of golfing. Oh yeah, mom and I also constructed this wreath for my front door... I shot some video of the process-- hopefully it was enough bits & pieces to show how it was done! I'll probably post that on the vlog channel soon.

Mom also passed along this clipping from the local newspaper in my hometown, titled "A Great Recipe for Life" and I thought a lot of the tips were really great.... some good things to reflect on before another busy week and I wanted to share them with you! I wish I knew who to give credit to... but the article has no author posted, so I'll say this post is courtesy of the Hancock County Quill :)

1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile. It is the ultimate anti-depressant. 
2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day. Talk to God about what is going on in your life. Buy a lock if you have to!
3. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement: "My purpose is to......... today. I am thankful for.........."
4. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants. 
5. Drink green tea and plenty of water. Eat blueberries, wild Alaskan salmon, broccoli, almonds, and walnuts. 
6. Try to make at least three people smile each day. 
7. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment. 
8. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card. 
9. Life isn't fair, but it's still good. 
10. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. 
11. Don't take yourself too seriously. 
12. You are not so important that you have to win every argument. Agree to disagree. 
13. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present. 
14. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
15. No one is in charge of your happiness except you. No one can take it away; don't let them!
16. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: "In five years, will this matter?"
17. Forgive everyone for everything. 
18. What other people think of you is none of your business. 
19. God heals everything- but you have to ask Him. 
20. However good or bad a situation is, it will change. 
21. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch!
22. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need. 
23. Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements: "I am thankful for......... today I accomplished............"
24. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed. 
25. When you are feeling down, start listing your many blessings. You'll be smiling before you know it."

♥

Whew! That's a lot of things to think about! I think I'll be looking back on this often. What are your favorite points on this list? I love the "fill in the blank" statements to think about at the start and end of the day, and "don't take yourself too seriously".... words to live by! Thanks for stopping by my blog & I hope you have a great week! :) 

Jane Makeup Haul from Hautelook!

Hello friends! Remember a brand called jane? It was probably one of my first drugstore obsession brands back in high school (late '90's, early 2000's). I loved their products, including duo lip balms in delicious flavors, and the Eye Zing eyeshadows! OMG! It was before I even knew to describe something as "pigmented"... I just knew the Eye Zing shadows were different from what I found in other drugstore brands! 

Then the brand slowly seemed to disappear from any store near me. If I was traveling and roamed into a drugstore, I might run into the brand again (and freak out in the aisle), but for the most part, I reasoned with the fact that I wouldn't experience any satisfying amount of jane makeup again. But several weeks ago, jane went on MAJOR sale on Hautelook, which is a website that features new discounted brands everyday. (Keep in mind, jane is not likely available on the site anymore-- products go out of stock very quickly). Products were marked down big time, in most cases more than half off. I stocked up!! I just got the order in a couple days ago and haven't had much of a chance to try things.. but here's a look at what I got! Some things were favorites from back in the day, and other items (like the certified organic AguaCeuticals line) are completely new to me!

Face Products...

• AguaCeuticals Aguaglow Bronzer... (There's no shade name on this)... Reminds me at first glance of Physician's Formula Shimmer Strips. I love how this type of product can act as both a bronzer and individual eyeshadows. 
• Staying Powder in Medium... A great loose powder that I used to use a long time ago! I haven't been using a lot of loose powder since I ran out of my Mary Kay Signature Loose powder, which I loved. 
• No Show Oil-Free Concealer in Light... A concealer that appears to be creamy, with full coverage. I don't remember ever using this in the past, but a quick swatch on my hand makes me think this could be a really good product. 
• Shimmering Blush in Peony... A pink blush with varying tones that you can swirl together. Doesn't seem to be extremely pigmented, but could be a nice highlight. 
• Oil-Free Bronzing Powder in Terracotta... One of the first matte bronzers I ever remember using! It's coming off a little orangey in the pic... but rest assured this is a quality bronzer! :) 

Eye Products...

• AguaCeuticals Aguashimmer Eyeshadow... (No shade name on this)- contains 3 matte neutrals and a shimmery cranberry color. I think I'm going to get a lot of use out of this kit!
• Eye Zing Eye Mixers in Nirvana... This is the long palette in the top center. Love the Eye Zing shadows in palette form!! These are all kind of a satin/shimmer finish, except for the cream and brown on the right side, which are matte. I like how all Eye Zing shades have a name (they're listed on the back)- and whether they're sold single or in a palette, you know exactly what shade it is... it's never just a random color. 
• Eye Zing Mix & Match 6-color palettes in Manhattan Tones and Baja Tones... The Manhattan palette on the left contains shades of green, mauve, plum, bronze, and a white highlight. I've been wanting to try more olive looks, so I thought this one would be fun. And Baja Tones just screams summer! I think the gold & turquoise- paired with the neutrals in this kit- will be so interesting. I love that jane palettes always seem to have AT LEAST one matte color!
• Eye Zing Shadow Collection... These six circular duos & singles were boxed up and sold together. All of the shades look great- except the blue color was broken. Given all the products I bought, I'm not too disappointed by one broken shadow! I swatched a few of the colors below... 

Left to Right: Perfection/Sungloss (Duo), Clubbing/White Lies (Duo), Dazzle (Single), Hazelnut (Single). 

I absolutely LOVED clubbing-- the sparkly black color- so I'm super glad to have it again! And Dazzle is also gorgeous.... a mauve with gold shimmer. So excited to start adding these in to my daily makeup routine! :)

♥

By the way... out of curiosity I checked janecosmetics.com and this is the screen that came up!! I'm super excited that the brand is launching a new collection this summer! Type in your email address to be notified when it comes out! :)

Daily Nuggets...

• I'm not gonna lie, I want my weekend back. It was relaxing, fun, and very enjoyable. 
• Tyler and I golfed yesterday... it went OK, but I'm not very consistent yet! We took some video of the experience for a future vlog. 
• Speaking of vlogs for Beauty Vlogcast... would you like to see something on my favorite magazines? Maybe Tyler's too? I thought that might be fun. 
•  Still working hard on blush dupes... I have about 5, maybe 6 solid dupes. I'm trying to come up with more before I do a video on them. 

FAQ's.... Drugstore Foundation & Falsies

Hey everyone! There are a couple of questions I've been getting quite a bit lately, and I always end up referring people to these blog posts or videos! Thought I'd just do a blog all about it, in case it helps solve a problem for you! As always, these ideas are simply what works for me- and I'm open to hearing your tips in the comments section! Thanks for stopping by! :)

Question: How do you find the right foundation shade in the drugstore?

To see my tips, check out this blog post, or watch the video below! 

♥

Question: How do you clean off your false eyelashes so they can be re-used?

I have some tips in this blog post! And for ideas on my favorite false lashes, lash glue, and how to apply them- check out the video below.

Desk Favorites at Work!

Hey everyone! Here's a spin-off of what's in my grocery bag... it's "What's on my desk at work!" LOL. Not super exciting, but it's interesting when I start noticing the things I reach for repeatedly!

• My compact! (Just a mirror) Before going on the air it's nice to make sure there's no food in my teeth or smeared lipstick. Got this cute one from cherryculture.com :)
• Bath & Body Works PocketBac in Paradise Coconut... I pretty much always have to have one of these little hand sanitizers at my desk. They smell fantastic & they're very handy to keep in/on my desk.
• Water... trying to drink more water! There's usually a drink container of some sort on my desk!
• Lancome Juicy Tubes Smoothies in Beach Plum... a basic creamy red shade that always looks good on air. I just leave it in my desk for moments that I don't want to run back to the makeup mirror to touch-up.
• Ice Breakers mints - Wintergreen... after a morning spent reading over scripts and drinking coffee, I always pop a couple of mints so my co-anchor doesn't have to endure coffee breath.
• Blue Papermate pens... pens tend to disappear in our newsroom. These are cheap & I actually love the way they write. I keep a bag of them in my purse for when my pens mysteriously go missing.

My question for you-- what's on your work desk- whether it's at a place of business or at home? Snap a picture and post it at http://www.facebook.com/beautybroadcast :) Have a great day!

♥
Emily

Daily Nuggets...

• I'm wearing ModLash #53 lashes today... apparently whatever I've been putting on lately has been much more dramatic because these seem very very subtle! Interesting how perceptions change after wearing your makeup different ways.
• Wore one of my new Wal-Mart shirt finds on the morning show today. Kind of a loud print, but I've gotten some compliments on it! :) Planning to post that video soon.
• I can't wait to watch last night's episode of Mad Men-- who else is watching this season?? My top shows right now are probably Mad Men & American Idol!