Preventing A Glitter Makeup Disaster

Hello! It's New Year's Eve! I like sparkly objects just as much as the next person... but when it comes to makeup, you have to be careful with the glitter! The seemingly innocent decorative tool is deceiving... you think your sparkly shadow is confined to your eyelid... then you get in different lighting and there's glitter all over that snuck-in under the radar! Beauty Broadcast facebooker Tamara knows what I'm talking about... in fact, her question inspired me to write this blog!

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"Hey emily i sometimes use eye shadows with glitter in them but they always go all over my face do you have any tips on what i can do to keep them set??"

I realize it might be too late for New Year's Eve beauty tips for some of you, depending on where you live. But you never know when the need for sparkly makeup will come along! I hope these tips will help you...

• If you're using glitter on your lids, use a base or cream shadow of some sort. Something that is slightly sticky (Bee Luscious Shadow Magnet, ELF Cream Shadows, etc.)... but make sure you only use a thin layer.
• Use a patting or pressing motion to get the glittery product on- not a back and forth sweeping motion. You're bound to get fallout if you do that. The ELF eye shadow brush is good for packing on product.
• If you still get fallout on your cheeks- use a lightweight brush like a fan brush to dust off the glitter.
• If it's still being resistant, try putting on a little powder with a brush. This can help to eliminate any excess moisture that's helping the glitter cling to your face.
• If you're using any sort of glitter on your lips, make sure your lips are well-defined, and keep the area just outside your lips dry & moisture-free. If you're drinking & snacking, you really run the risk of screwing up this look, however.
• Glitter on the nails is great! Won't go anywhere and looks festive!
• If you find yourself in a storm of celebratory New Year's glitter at your party, forget about the rules! It's a lost cause at this point, so just have fun! :)

Thanks for stopping by my blog, and have a great 2010!

♥

Emily

Beauty Ticket!

Hey there! Thanks for stopping by the blog today! Also, thanks for the wonderful birthday messages following my last blog! That was so kind. I really had fun looking through the old pictures while I was home. A new thing I wanted to share today is my new connection with the website BeautyTicket.com. This is a webiste where you'll find lots of high-end makeup up to 85% off retail prices! As you know, I'm a bargain hunter and I want to experiment with a wide range of brands- so this is awesome! Some items on the site are seasonal/limited edition/overstock stuff etc. I'll be joining the site's Beauty Panel (there's an icon on the sidebar of my blog), reviewing products from different brands (that will be sent to me by Beauty Ticket) and letting you know what I think! (through blogs & videos like I usually do). If you browse the site, you'll see there are some AWESOME deals! Brands like Smashbox, Stila and YSL are being sold at really affordable prices. I did some Christmas shopping on the site and was very pleased with the quick shipping as well! :) Right now, there's a Year End sale going on which can save you an extra 25%! The code is posted on the icon below. Hope you'll get a chance to browse the site soon!

Birthday Update!

Hey everyone! It's my birthday!! :D I'm 26 years old. 1983 sure seems like a long time ago! I've been home for the holidays ever since Christmas eve- and haven't had the chance to pop out my computer for awhile! I'm at mom & dad's right now sitting at the kitchen table, watching the snow pile up, and listening to my cat eat LOL :D Their house in west-central IL is about a 5 and a half hour drive from where I live, so it's extra nice to have the day off from work tomorrow- so I can enjoy my birthday all day today! Tyler is here with me also :) Sometimes people ask me- do you feel like you got rooked having your birthday so close to Christmas? But as a child, my birthday always fell during Christmas vacation- so I could always count on having the day off. Also, with it being close to Christmas that means I usually get to spend it with my family :) Here are some pics of home:

the view from the back deck- it's been snowing pretty much the whole time!

Today we're planning to do some shopping, go out to eat, and we'll probably hit up the indoor go-cart track (which I LOVE). I hope you all have a wonderful December 27th! I plan to update you with plenty of reviews on my Christmas beauty goodies so be watching for that! For now, here are some random images from my childhood...

not long after I was born!

Christmas!

One of my favorite pictures with Pup (my sister) in the sandbox!

I still love corn on the cob!

Still waiting on all my teeth...

Birthday time many years ago!

Caught folding socks?! I guess I lost my love for this hobby.

Building a snowman with Pup!

With my brother Ryan!

She's not that sweet and innocent folks!

QOTW: Tutorials... What Do You Want?

Hello! Can I just say first that I hate that I've only blogged once since last week!? What's up with that? Yeah, probably the whole Christmas thing. Gotta talk take a few minutes out to cover this Question of the Week though. I asked: What type of finish would you like to see in an upcoming eye tutorial? Here's what you said...

• Matte: 117 (41%)
• Shimmer: 67 (23%)
• Glitter: 55 (19%)
• Metallic: 43 (15%)

I will definitely take these results into consideration. It's pretty much the easiest way to get a feel for what you want to see. Because the bottom line is... it's hard to tell sometimes! When it comes to tutorials, I sometimes get comments asking for "more variety" or "something different" when it comes to eye tutorials. But it seems like a lot of times, a specific "something" isn't spelled out. If you're reading this, I'd really like to get your feedback on what you want to see in terms of tutorials. Here are some things to think about:

• Do you want other makeup application videos besides eye makeup?
• How about celebrity tutorials?
• Neutrals vs. colors... what do you like?
• I have well over 300 videos. I don't expect you to see them all... but I have done a lot of different things, so the more specific your suggestions, the better!

Thanks everyone! Have a good day!

♥

Emily

QOTW: Glam Gold Holiday Eye Tutorial!

Hello! What's up everyone? Typical evening here at my place... Tyler is playing some sort of football-related video game on the PS3, and I'm blogging! I have been really excited for this "Question of the Week" blog, because your votes determined what kind of tutorial I did! The question was- what holiday color would you like to see incorporated into an eye tutorial? Here are the results...

• Gold: 152 (35%)
• Red: 117 (27%)
• Silver: 84 (19%)
• Green: 70 (16%)
  
  Votes so far: 423 Poll closed
  

There you have it! Gold wins! (I did this tutorial the day before the results were final, but I saw what was in the lead and took a gamble- hey, I just have more tutorial time on the weekends!) What was really cool- I posted a review video on the Maybelline Dream Mousse products and many of you said you like the eye look I was sporting in that video- I'm so glad to be able to show you exactly how I did it. So do you like the interactive poll to determine what type of video I'll do? I think it's pretty fun. I plan to do other fun, holiday party looks, so stay tuned! :D Have a great day!

Rediscovered Products

Hey friends! How are you on this lovely Monday? Yeah, I'm looking forward to the weekend too. I actually have a 3-day weekend coming up which is AWESOME. In other news... if you keep close tabs on my YouTube channel- perhaps you saw my Review on Maybelline Dream Matte Foundation & Concealer (plus some bonus thoughts on the bronzer & blush). Someone had asked about these products on my Facebook page, and since it had been YEARS since I'd tried Dream Matte Mousse Foundation, I decided to try it out again. It became a "rediscovered product" in my stash.

Rather than re-hash my entire review of the product, which you can watch by clicking the link above (I initially typed "licking" in place of clicking but decided to correct it LOL)... I'd prefer to talk about this concept of rediscovered makeup. Think about this...

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Have you ever had a situation where you tried a product very early on in your makeup-using days, maybe before you really even knew how to apply it correctly... then time passed, new products came out, and you just kind of strayed away from that initial product? So down the road you spy it at the store and think, why exactly did I stop using this? And you're just curious enough that you purchase the product again, to satisfy your own curiosity. Or perhaps this product is currently in your stash (hasn't gone bad) and you just decide you're going to try it again after a long haitus.

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Has that happened to you? What is the outcome? Do you generally find that when you come back to a product you haven't tried in awhile- you like it better? Or do you just refresh your memory as to the reasons you stopped using it in the first place? I find myself in this predicament often, probably because I have a large makeup collection, and I also feel like I've been using makeup long enough for me to have tried certain products after they've been launched, stopped using for a substantial period, and then I come back to it. Since mascara is a product I go through more quickly, I find myself "rediscovering" mascaras a lot. What are some of your rediscovered products? I'm eager to get your feedback. Thanks for reading, and have a good day!

♥

Emily

QOTW: Holiday Glam!

Hey there everyone! Sorry I've been laggin' on the blog a little bit this week. I feel like I've been working continuously and I'm getting worn out! We're getting close to Friday though, right? And this time of year, weekends tend to mean holiday parties! So in this "Question of the Week" I asked: What part of your makeup will you play up for a holiday party? Here are your answers:

• Eyes: 328 (76%)
• Lips: 109 (25%)
• Shimmer/Highlight: 45 (10%)
• Cheeks: 35 (8%)
  
  Votes so far: 428

I actually thought the responses to this would be more evenly spread across the board. I know red lips and a rosy glow are usually signature looks for the holidays... but eyes are always fun to accentuate. Regardless of what features you decide to maximize for your holiday parties, I wanted to suggest some good products that can help you glam it up in every way! I've recently received some great products from Bee Luscious (there's your FTC disclaimer! and of course, you know that I will state my honest opinions about products no matter what). I have much more to review from this brand than just the products shown below- but these are some that I instantly loved and thought they were ideal holiday products. To top it off- all orders from the website are 35% off for the month of December! These items are part of the "2009 Holidays Black Tie Affair Collection".

• Glamour Eyes Signature Quad Shadow & Liner: I adore these eyeshadows. I've come to love the way my brown eyes look when I use navy blues- and this is a nice, different way to get that smoldering smokey eye look. The 3 shadows in this palette are SUPER shimmery and they're so rich they practically feel creamy. Tons of color payoff. I like using the white as a highlight, the light blue on the lid, and the navy (my favorite shade) in the crease. The only downfall to this is the liner- it's a bit dry for my liking. It claims to be water-resistant (which it is) but I think that might also be why it's more dry and less creamy. Still- I enjoy the shadows so much I couldn't leave this out.
• Love Affair Signature Quad Lip & Cheek: I've got to be honest- when I first got this, I wasn't sure what was the lip color and what was the blush! Then I tested the different textures and figured it out. The two shades on the top of the quad (a light creamy pink & a deep wine shade) are lip colors-- the ones on the bottom (a golden highlight and a rose shade) are for cheeks. I love the wine-colored lip shade! The texture is creamy, gives my lips a naturally stained and very full look. This stuff is all easy to apply with your fingers too. It's a great touch-up palette to keep in your purse. Give your cheeks a rosy glow, highlight, and put on your lip color. It's great!
• Ultimate Lash Experience Mascara: If you take nothing else from this blog post, please understand this. This is one of the absolute best mascaras I have ever tried. It's hard for me to say that, but it's true. This rates high in pretty much every category I have for mascara. The traditional brush is tapered at the tip, making it easy to get to corners of the eye. The bristles are dense and closely packed... preventing the appearance that all of your lashes have stuck together in 5 different segments. One of the best parts-- the formula is not too wet, so volume is easy to build. Not only that- this is a micro-fiber mascara that give you awesome length. After a full day at work- the lashes stay in tact and don't get those squirly ends that flake off. Let's see what else... oh yeah, the packaging is gorgeous.
• Red Velvet Liquid Metallics Lip Gloss: Are any of these qualities on your lip gloss checklist? Shiny, shimmery, bold, pleasant scent, non-sticky. That's what this gloss is. It has a brush-tip applicator and the color is a shimmery blue-toned red/burgandy. I'm going to warn you, it's really shiny. Blot your lips on a tissue if you want that berry-stained lip look.

There ya go! These are all great products to help you glam it up for the holidays, or to give as gifts! If you follow the links, you'll see that these aren't exactly drugstore prices... however keep in mind the 35% off discount for the month of December. Look for more Bee Luscious reviews here- and on my YouTube channel in the near future. Have a great rest of the week everyone!

♥

Emily

You Ask! Choosing the Right Drugstore Foundation Shade

Hey everyone! Here's a very very frequently asked question that I believe I've answered many times individually, so when I saw it again today I thought- why not share my answer with everyone through a "You Ask" segment? On the Beauty Broadcast Facebook Page, Ashley said she was trying out a drugstore foundation that didn't work quite right. She asked...

"Do you have any suggestions for picking out the right color for your skin?"

photo courtesy thestyleandbeautydoctor.com

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Here's my answer- (it pertains specifically to shopping for foundation in the drugstore, since you can test out foundation in a department store)...

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Look for a foundation that you already own that is a close match to your skin tone. Take that with you to the store and hold it up to the foundations you're considering and pick the one that's the closest match. Even if the foundation you own isn't perfect- at least you can take it with you to the store as a frame of reference... "i want this shade- only less yellow" (or a little lighter, little darker, etc.) Hope this helps! :D For someone who doesn't yet own a foundation- hold the bottles up to your face and look in a mirror and make your best guess. As with all makeup purchases- there is DEFINITELY trial and error involved with selecting the right foundation.

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There you go everyone! I hope this tip helps you as you make your selections, and also keep in mind that basing it entirely on color isn't always 100% correct. Different formulations and textures can sometimes have a different appearance on the skin. Also, unfortunately, the shade of the foundation in the bottle isn't always the same as it is on your face. I wish I could give you some fool-proof advice... but there are lots of chances for error in the drugstore foundation guessing game. Hopefully now you can give it a slightly more educated guess :) Do you have any tips of your own? Please share!

Have a wonderful day!

Emily

Blog Update: beautybroadcast.net

There are a few small changes- and one big change to my blog! (The web address is now http://www.beautybroadcast.net/ ...it's in transition now but that links should be fully functional soon). Anyway- I made a quick video walking you through some of the new stuff- hopefully you have a few minutes to check it out! A big thank you to my brother-in-law Jeff for helping me make these additions to the blog... there will be more to come!

QOTW: Holiday Shopping for the Man in Your Life

Hey Everyone, Emily here! Thanks for stopping by the blog. In every question of the week post I do, I like to offer some sort of "take away" for those who read it. Some practical advice, whether it's about makeup, clothes... heck, some of them are pracitcally pshychology! I knew I wanted the "take away" of this blog to pertain to Christmas shopping for the man in your life- so why not ask my husband Tyler to do a guest blog? Take it away, Tyler! (P.S. you'll see a lot less exclamation points, but still- great content! LOL :D)

Emily & Tyler with their Gingerbread House: Christmas 2008

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"Holiday Shopping for the Man in your Life"
...and Question of the Week Results
-a guest blog by Tyler

Tyler's Blog
Tyler's Twitter

I'm writing this guest blog for last week's 'QOTW'. I'm not sure how Emily usually does this so I'm just going to give the results and throw some commentary in. She would also like me to give my top ten gift buying tipsfor the man in your life, so I'll see if I can come up with ten semi useful ideas. The question of the week was: "When do you start your Christmas shopping?" How would I have voted? I'm glad you asked. I bought a gift on the Saturday after thanksgiving this year which is pretty early for me. Usually I don't start till around a week or two before Christmas. I haven't bought Emily anything yet in case you were wondering, but I have some ideas. On to the results...

• Number one with 39% of the vote was early December-I pretty much expected this would be a popular choice, but I wouldn't have guessed it wasnumber one.
• Number two with 28% was before Thanksgiving- really, people do this? That's a long time to keep all that stuff stored. Then again the question was "start" so even buying one thing would qualify.
• Number three with 17% was right after Thanksgiving-I figured this would be number one. I guess more people like to avoid crowds than I thought.
• Number four with only 3% was the day before Christmas-This number kind of surprised me, I thought my dad was the only person who did all his shopping the day before Christmas. It works pretty well for him, but then again, the only person he buys anything for is my mom. The rest of the giftbuying is left up to my mom who seems to be 100 percent cool with that.

Now on to my top 10 tips when you're shopping for the man in your life around the holidays...

1. Ask the guy-I realize this isn't that original of an idea, but I guarantee you any guy would rather know what he's getting and have it besomething he wants than to have the gift be something he didn't want and besurprised. For the rest of the list I'll assume you asked and he couldn't think of anything.
2. Find his hobby/interest, go to the store that specializes in that type of thing, and ask them what the newest and coolest thing is that has come out lately. Just make sure he doesn't have it already.
3. Look at the magazines he reads-around Christmas a lot of magazines have a gift ideas section
4. Tickets-Depending on what he likes to do, tickets to a sporting event, concert, or something else are a great idea. The best part is, depending on your budget, you can bundle a bunch of stuff with the tickets (t-shirts, jerseys, other memorabilia.....)
5. Gift cards-They are not a bad idea for a guy as long as you get them from the right place for the specific guy. They work really well if the guy you're shopping for likes something like video games. You can just get a gift card for the price of a new game and then you don't have to worry about getting one you're not sure if he'll like.
6. Find something that the guy you're shopping for would normally buy,but is too cheap to get for himself. Specific examples are going to depend a lot on the guy. Just think of something that he really likes, but buys generic or a cheaper version- and buy him the premium stuff.
7. Netflix- They sell a lot of gift memberships for different amounts, depending on the number of DVD's you get at a time. You can also get streaming movies online or from a Playstation 3 and possibly even x-box (I'm not positive on that one though).
8. Magazine subscriptions-find a magazine that he has bought a few times but doesn't subscribe to.
9. Listen for something he complains about-does he use something a lot that's either worn out or doesn't work as well as it used to? Buy him a new one. Tread lightly though, make sure it's something that he would want replaced. Some guys get attached to certain things and wouldn't want to throw it out. Just make sure it's something he complains about and wants to replace himself- not just something that bothers you.
10. This is more of a "don't" than a tip, but still useful. Don't buy him a suggestion gift. Don't buy him a piece of exercise equipment if he needs to lose weight or something like that. Christmas gifts are to make the person you buy them for happy, not for your own purposes. Don't put the guy in a situation where he has to pretend like he likes something that might actually offend him.

That's my take on gift giving for the man in your life. Hopefully you getan idea or two from this list.