Makeup Dupes on Great Day St. Louis!

Hey everyone! It's been a busy week! I wrapped it up with a visit on Great Day St. Louis... sharing some of my favorite makeup dupes! If you're just now finding me after seeing today's segment... welcome to Beauty Broadcast! Click here to go to my YouTube channel!

CLICK HERE for a detailed list of prices & product descriptions!

♥

Twitter Pics from the trip...

I love St. Louis! The drive takes an hour and a half or so...

Here we're crossing over into Missouri!

KMOV is located very close to the arch! :)

Tyler took this pic during the segment... you can see me and host Virginia Kerr in the distance. Virginia is so nice & super easy to work with! Fun fact: Cloris Leachman was also on the show! She came in just as we were leaving.

Alert! There's Been Another Color Explosion!

Hey everyone! First off- I gotta say, I'm AMAZED by the response to my latest video on the MAC eyeshadow dupes. I am so thankful for all the nice, appreciative feedback. Thanks for taking the time to watch that video, and if you haven't seen it yet, CLICK HERE!

This blog is sort of a follow-up to a review/tutorial video (Reviewtorial, baby!) on the Maybelline Color Explosion palette in Forest Fury (green). I was really impressed with the pigmentation of that palette- (shown below on the left), and compared the texture and color in that palette to the Lancome Colour Design palettes that also have lots of rich colors. I said I wanted to pick up more of these, and apparently lots of other people did too (slim pickins at the local Wal-Mart!) But there was ONE left in the shade I really wanted to try- Caffeine Rush. (Note: I did not experience any caffeine-like effects after using this eyeshadow).

The Caffeine Rush palette has the same shimmery/metallic textures (plus one super glittery shade, just like the green palette has). I LOVE the two deeper brownish taupe shades... you can just put one on your lid, all the way through your crease and it'll catch the light and POP on your lid, but look more shadowed in the crease... it's gorgeous. I must take a picture next time I use it! The lighter shades are lovely as well for blending and highlighting the brow bone or inner corner.

I just wanted to update you, to let you know that the green palette wasn't just a one-hit wonder for the Maybelline Color Explosion line. These palettes are the real deal! I'll probably wear this neutral kit even more often. You don't NEED to add any deeper shades to this one to get a great look... the deepest color is great in the crease, but a matte brown can offset the shimmer for a dramatic night-out look. I highly suggest picking this up next time your out & about in the drugstore! Here's a link to the Maybelline website to check out the other color options. AND look for this palette in an upcoming haul video on my YouTube channel!! :)

Daily Nuggets...

• I'm so glad my sister's cat Bun is doing better after being hospitalized over the weekend! She's had some health issues, but is now back home!
• Cupcake is looking adorable on her stack of blankets.
• I've been making iced tea using my Keurig... the half & half black tea & lemonade mix is awesome!!
• I had Quiznos last night & once again fell in love with the Chipotle Turkey Sammie.
• In that odd stage where my nail polish hasn't exactly chipped off, but it doesn't look nice & fresh anymore.
• Made corn guacamole this afternoon! It's very easy. Here's what I did...

Emily's Corny Guacamole!

1. Use a fork to mash up 1 avacado in a bowl (I make it a rough mash & leave some chunks)
2. Thaw half a cup of frozen corn to room temperature- add to avacado
3. Add a quick shake of garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and salt & black pepper to taste
4. Enjoy with chips, crackers, on a sandwich, on nachos, or just as a side dish on its own!

(sorry there's no pic... I ate it all)

My Favorite Summer Lip Glosses!

Hey everyone! Just wanted to pass along some extra pictures on my latest video- "My Favorite Summer Lip Glosses!" Here's the link if you haven't watched it yet...

Glosses & Swatches- listed from left to right...

ELF Hypershine Gloss in Fairy - $1, eyeslipsface.com or Target

NYC Liquid LipShine in Nude York City- $2.50, drug/discount stores

ELF Mineral Lip Gloss in Trendsetter- $3, eyeslipsface.com

NYX MegaShine Lip Gloss in Beige- $3.75, cherryculture.com

Revlon Super Lustrous Lip Gloss in Pink Pop- $5, drug/discount stores

ELF Super Glossy Lip Shine in Watermelon- $1, eyeslipsface.com or Target

Revlon Super Lustrous Lip Gloss in Coral Reef- $5, drug/discount stores

ELF Plumping Lip Glaze in Ruby Kiss- $1, eyeslipsface.com or Target

Sigma Dry & Shape... Takes Away Our Excuses for Cleaning Brushes

When I'm doing makeup, there are plenty of tasks that I can get excited about! Deciding what palette to use, or just putting on foundation! But if there's one beauty-related task I try to put off, it's cleaning brushes. I know they need to be cleaned, I understand how important it is to be sanitary... and I always get to it eventually, but it just takes time! Not only to clean them, but to let them dry! And you also have to hope that little miss Cupcake doesn't feel like hopping on the sink to knock them off one by one while they dry!

The Sigma Dry 'n Shape is available for $29.00 at SigmaBeauty.com

Well, since trying the Sigma Dry & Shape, I lose 2 of my excuses for cleaning brushes. They dry quickly, plus they're not just hanging out for Cupcake to knock off the counter! They're inside what looks like a brush roll, but instead the little elastic bands hold the brushes in place, and actually provide pressure that gets the moisture out of the brushes faster. Plus it gets unruly brushes back in their original shape. The claim is that the Dry & Shape will get your brushes dry in 4 ot 6 hours, and for the most part, it can do this. I find small to medium brushes (like eye brushes, or blush) tend to dry in even less time, but super large brushes (like a kabuki) might need even more time. Sometimes the innermost part of the brush just needs some air to get totally dried out.

As you can see, I use various brands of brushes in the Dry 'n Shape, not just Sigma

I'm really happy with the Dry & Shape and it's been working great for my twice-a-month brush cleanings with Johnson's baby shampoo. (I'll sometimes to quick in-between cleanings with Wet Ones antibacterial wipes). One issue I've found is that I wish there were more loops for smaller brushes, along with some even smaller loops. I don't know if this would require a larger roll, or maybe an entirely separate roll. Either way, you can always rotate brushes in & out, and I don't usually clean my entire brush collection at once anyway. Also, smaller brushes do dry faster (even on their own), so it's not a big issue.

Is this a TOTAL must have product? No... you can still just lay out your brushes overnight & it'll be ok! But if, for some reason, you need your brushes dried even faster, this is great. It would also be a nice tool for makeup artists who are cleaning brushes often, and maybe you have to clean and immediately pack them up and leave-- you can roll this up with the brushes drying inside and just take it with you... they'll continue to dry! :) And again, this is great for helping brushes keep their shape. Thanks for taking the time to read my blog, and keep checking back for more reviews! :)

Daily Nuggets...

• Just put a super cute picture of Cupcake on my Facebook page
• I have been watching a lot of QVC and Lifetime movies. Does that make me old? lol
• Maybe it's a full moon, but myself and members of the morning crew have been acting extra silly lately :D
• I made cornbread and beans for dinner a couple nights ago... As a child, I had two teddy bears- one named cornbread & the other named beans!
• I still need to do my workout today...
• Tyler has a random hot pink golf ball here in the living room.

Truly Waterproof Liquid Liners

On a pretty regular basis, I'm asked for a waterproof eyeliner recommendation. It's never an easy answer because I think people have different definitions for "waterproof". For me, waterproof means it won't break down at all if submerged in water. I can't think of hardly any products that can hold up to that. Don't get me wrong... I think a number of products are "water resistant", meaning they can stand up to watery eyes, or only become partially compromised if submerged in water. Well.... I think I've finally come up with some liners that are actually waterPROOF. Meaning... get them wet, even rub on them- and they won't budge or fade.

Left to Right: Everlast (black), Nonstop (navy), Unlimited (dark brown), Timeless (metallic charcoal)

I'm talking about the Milani Infinite Liquid Liners. As you can see, I have these in a range of shades... all of which seem to have equal staying power. There are 8 shades total, and they cost around $7.00 apiece, depending on where you get them. These are the type of makeup products that you might not like when you first use them... but at the end of your day, I think you'll realize you love them. Why? Because they're still there!

Let me further explain- when you first apply the liner, you'll notice that the texture isn't a thin ink-type feel like most liquid liners. I'd say this is more like chocolate syrup. It's shiny and kind of thick, and once you put it on, it will take one or two minutes to fully dry. When I first used it, I thought- "well, here's a product that just won't work for me! Too goopy! Won't dry fast enough!"

Liner right after it's applied...

You might even think this is supposed to be a "wet look" liner, but I assure you, it will dry matte. (Of course the metallic silver will still have a metallic finish). Here's my advice for dealing with this product's minor shortfalls...

• Think it's goopy? Use the opening of the tube to get the brush tip thoroughly cleaned off so you can use it.
• Think it takes a long time to dry? Just be patient. Put it on and then pluck your eyebrows or something.

Liner when it's dry

Why is this a product worth working with? It will last and last. It will actually be quite stubborn when it comes to taking it off. Not only can this liner conquer water (easily), but it also put up a good fight against several makeup removal techniques, including Almay Eye Makeup Remover, Mary Kay Eye Makeup Remover, Olay Daily Facials Face Wash Cloths and Vaseline. For example, my Olay Daily Facials take off pretty much any other kind of eye makeup. With these liners, there are always some remnants. And it doesn't come off in a way that streams black down your face- it moreso comes off in flakes when you start removing it. My Mally Makeup Remover was the only removal product that seemed to take it off with some ease. Remember- with any stubborn eye makeup, hold the cotton pad or cotton ball over your eye to let the remover begin to break down the product before you carefully rub... it's important to be really gentle with the eye area.

In a nutshell, this liner is not coming off until you make a deliberate effort to take it off. It's not everyday that I need waterproof, but for the days I DO need waterproof, it's very important. Hopefully this answers the question once and for all... what's the best waterproof liner? :)

The reason this blog got posted today was because of those who voted on the Beauty Broadcast Facebook Page! I plan to do more of this in the future- letting you choose which blog or video gets posted on a particular day. Thanks for your votes! And yes, I'll still review the Sigma Dry & Shape in a future blog! :)

Daily Nuggets...

• Cupcake found a lost toy under the bed & she has a totally renewed obsession with it now.
• We had an especially great newscast today. Everything was fun & loose! Go Team!
• I am LOVING the pictures that have been coming in to the Beauty Broadcast Facebook page of pets watching Beauty Broadcast! Click here to learn more about the Cupcake Club.
• I went to CVS for cold medicine... left with face wash cloths, a nail polish, a lipstick...oh yeah, and cold medicine.
• Tomorrow is Thursday! This week is flying!

Look Rested, Healthy, and Glowing... it IS Possible!

As a morning news anchor, my weekend to work-week schedule often results in a little sleep deprivation. During the week- I'm up at 1:30. On the weekend, I like to live a normal life... so when it comes time to hit the sack at 7pm Sunday night... it's not always so easy to just fall asleep. Not to mention- the past week, I worked the exact opposite schedule which kept me up until midnight or so. Now that I'm back to mornings... I need all the help I can get when it comes to looking awake! Did I mention I'm also sick with a cold? Did I also mention all the pre-July 4th fireworks that were going off around my bedtime? Ok enough complaining! Let's just say-- there are a lot of words I'd use to describe myself when I roll out of bed, and "radiant" isn't one of them.

Enter: Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Glow pads! These little packets of awesome are really great when you want to wake up looking rested and healthy. I actually use these indvidually packaged pads after my shower and before I go to bed by about an hour or so. They're kind of like those moist towelettes you can use to get the grease off your fingers at Kentucky Fried Chicken. Only these have anti-aging, exfoliating, and sunless tanning qualities built-in.

I first mentioned the Alpha Beta Glow pads during my QVC Beauty Test Tube video (the test tube came with a small pack of these pads), and as soon as I noticed they were back in stock on QVC's website, I bought the 50 pack. Rarely do I re-purchase a high-end item with such urgency! At $65.00, they're a little over a dollar per pad, which isn't bad. QVC is also offering a 20 pack for $29.16.

You'll maintain and slowly deepen your tan if you use these every other day, or once every 2 days. There's also plenty of juice in them to get all over your neck and collarbone area. There is no bronze tint to these pads, so they go on colorless. As always with any sunless tanner, wash your hands after you use it.

Here's what sets these apart from other sunless tanners for the face that I've tried...

• The tan looks natural, and one application creates a noticeable difference. I have tried SO MANY sunless tanners for the face that do NOTHING. These will give you color!
• I've used these repeatedly, and have yet to give myself streaks.
• They have anti-aging and exfoliating properties.
• They dry quickly, so I can use one before bed & not worry about making a mess.

Thanks for stopping by my blog and Happy 4th of July!!

♥

Emily

Daily Nuggets...

• I have a cold. These should be outlawed in the summer! Humidity + runny nose= gross.
• Cupcake has been getting a bit spooked by people setting off fireworks. I've found her just laying in random places around the house.
• My collection videos are over, but I'm making it my goal to keep my drawers and storage looking nice & organized!
• I've begun a new, simplified nutrition & workout routine... I'll probably explain more in a future blog or video.
• I would love to visit one of the many local wineries today... but I think it's going to be a rainy July 4th!

My Makeup Collection Series!

Hey everyone! Over the past couple of years, my most requested makeup video has been an inside look at my makeup collection. I decided that if I was going to show it, I was going to go all out! So during the past week, I made my collection into a four-part series. My goal was to not only show you what I have, but to share some storage techniques that could be helpful for anyone... whether you have a large amount of space, or trying to pack your stuff into a tiny dorm room this fall. Here's a look at all parts of my series, all in one place! I also plan to do a blog addressing some frequently asked questions I've received throughout the series. Thanks for watching, and have a great week! Happy 4th of July tomorrow! :)

Part 1: Storage

Part 2: Face

Part 3: Eyes

Part 4: Lips & Tools