Initial Reaction: Bare Minerals READY Eyeshadow

Hey everyone! Often I get tweets, emails, and facebook comments that begin with "you should try...(fill in the blank)". I know how it feels to get excited about a great beauty product, so when you're excited about something that you think I should try-- I definitely take those recommendations to heart! :) After all, if you've been watching my videos for awhile, you know what I like! This recommendation came from Robyn on Twitter! She asked me if I'd tried the Bare Minerals READY Shadows (I hadn't) and she said she loved the duo in "The Top Shelf". If you're not familiar with Bare Minerals- they are known for their loose mineral products, but not too long ago, they unveiled pressed products, including these shadows. I've heard so many great things about this line of shadows, so guess what was involved in my most recent Ulta purchase? 

 

Yep! This is the duo in "The Top Shelf"- the shade on the left is a pearly color called Mixologist, and the golden light brown on the right is called Cognac (it reminds me a lot of MAC's Woodwinked). 

These feel SO GOOD! Like velvet! Actually a lot like the Photo-op formulation of the Smashbox eyeshadows I rave about. The colors both have a little metallic edge... and while they could be worn alone, I added a slightly deeper brown for a little more contrast in my outer corner. I really love the warmth of that golden shade, and I think the duo on its own makes a really great low-maintenance summer look. 

These iphone pics that I quickly took seem to make everything from the shadow to my cheeks to my lips a litter deeper than they appear in person... but you get the idea. I'll have to wear these shadows more to determine their staying power... it was pretty good today- but I didn't really put them up against anything strenuous. What's not so good about these shadows? The price. This duo was $20! While it is a nice little mirrored compact... I think I might wait for some sort of value set or palette (They had one at Sephora called Cocktail Hour... not sure if that's still around)- before I get more shadows.

*LIP FIND! I recently picked up a Rimmel Moisture Renew lipstick that was labeled "NEW"- the shade name is "Nude Delight" and I'm wearing it in these pics. Lots of people say they can no longer find the Rimmel shade that many of us love called "Spotlight Beige"-- I compared the two, and this is a pretty close dupe! Might be something to watch for if you're missing Spotlight Beige! 

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Daily Nuggets

• I have a clothes/hair/makeup haul that I need to post in the coming days!
• Also the last part of the Best Self series on Beauty Vlogcast!
• This has been such a busy Spring so far!! From funerals to art shows to weddings... we've been traveling a lot and I think things might be slowing down a little. While I've loved getting to travel, I must admit- I've missed my weekend video-making time. 
• Did some grocery shopping this afternoon & came up with a lot of good fruits and vegetables!
• It's shower time! Thanks for reading!!

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Exclusive Q & A with Lori Greiner!

Hey everyone! Welcome to a special blog post here on Beauty Broadcast! For years I’ve seen Lori Greiner on QVC, talking about her many patents and innovative ideas. Within the last month, I purchased a set of 2 fantastic makeup bags and posted a review on YouTube... now a week later, I’ve done an exclusive one on one interview with Lori! She contacted me after seeing my video (I tweeted her about it!) and she thanked me for sharing my opinions! I couldn’t be more thrilled with the opportunity to share some of her insights with the Beauty Broadcast family in this little Q & A!

Photo Courtesy: lorigreiner.com

You see, Lori is an Illinois girl, like me! Her website says she has 110 U.S. and international patents, and has created more than 350 products altogether! If you’re a QVC fan, you’ve seen her on “Clever & Unique Creations by Lori Greiner”- but now she’s also starring as a “Shark” on the ABC show- “Shark Tank”. In case you’re not familiar with the show, it’s basically an opportunity for people with an invention to show off their idea, and get the panel of millionaires a.k.a. “sharks” to invest in their invention. Lori will appear on the show tomorrow (April 27th) at 8 eastern, 7 central on ABC. With the national media whirlwind leading up to this week’s episode, I must say, I am thrilled that Lori would take the time to chat with me on the phone... and also give me a little something to pass along to my lovely readers! Here’s our interview:

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Emily: “You’ve generated lots of makeup storage ideas that people really enjoy. What’s been the key to proper makeup organization since many of us are overloaded with beauty products?”
Lori: “I want to have everything separated and be able to see it at a glance. There’s a place for everything and everything needs to be clear so you can see it, and it’s accessible. We’re always in a hurry... you want to be able to see your choices. The traditional way to store has been in a case or bag where everything’s thrown together. So my thought was- make everything where you can see it all, and it’s all organized. Who wants to be aggravated in the morning when you can’t find your red lipstick? It’s about visibility- everything in its place.”

Emily: “You were telling me about how your mom was not so organized... did you always have an interest in organization? When did that kick in?”
Lori: “I think it came a little later in life- because my mom was like that, it made me not want to have everything out. In my own house, I like things to be clean, put away, and easily accessible. When everything’s cluttered, it affects my mood. It makes me kind of crabby! When everything looks beautiful and orderly, you enjoy the beauty of what your home is. It makes your environment happier.”

Lori with her fellow "Sharks"- courtesy: lorigreiner.com

Emily: “Let’s talk Shark Tank- what’s your experience been like on the show so far?”

Lori: “I love it! It’s an extension of what I was already doing, so it’s a really natural, perfect fit for me. I’ve been creating products for the past 16 years. I’ve also over the past 16 years helped other people who had ideas, so I was really already doing what I have on the show- helping young, new entrepreneurs. Everybody I’ve done my deals with- their product it getting out there now and they’ve all been really successful!”

Emily: “Can you give us any indication of what to expect on Friday’s episdode?”
Lori: “It’s beauty related! It’s something that’s never been done before- a 3 in 1 nail product that’s patented. I can’t reveal whether or not I did the deal, but it’s a product you will think is really cool. It is revolutionary.”

Again- you can catch Lori on Shark Tank Friday at 8 ET, 7 CT on ABC. Big thanks to Lori for taking time to chat with me! :) Click here to check out her website, or learn more about her products at QVC.com.

In case you missed it, here's my review on Lori's makeup cases!

Bridal Beauty... What I've Learned

Hi everyone! I had a fantastic weekend- filled with traveling, friends, and lots of makeup! My friends Katie and Ryan got married at the beautiful Greenbrier in West Virginia. Katie grew up in a nearby town, and the whole area is charming & filled with tremendous mountains. I got to know both Katie and Ryan at WSIL (the TV station where I work)- Katie is a meteorologist and Ryan is a news reporter. My first time meeting Katie was actually during a hair/makeup freak-out she was having right after she started at the station & had gotten a new haircut! They are a perfect fit, and I was honored to be asked to do the makeup for the wedding! I did Katie's hair and makeup, along with makeup for 5 bridesmaids, and Katie & Ryan's mothers. Tyler spent all that time golfing :)

While I have done bridal makeup before (including my own), I have never done this many people at once- so it was definitely a new experience for me! It was really kind of an adrenaline rush... knowing that this would be one of the most photographed events of Katie's life, and of course I wanted to make sure the bridesmaids and mothers were looking and feeling their best as well! :) I wish I would've taken more pictures, but honestly, there wasn't any downtime & I was more concerned with getting my brushes clean & getting everything prepped for the next person. Like I said, it was a tight schedule!

I did snap this photo of one of the bridesmaids, Sally. And I can't take credit for making her skin look perfect- it was naturally that way! :) But this shows the overall makeup theme that I used for all of the girls. The goal was flawless, photo-ready skin with a peach-toned blush... eyes were kept neutral- I used champagne, taupe, and brown colors in the Balm's Nude 'tude palette that I've been raving about. I did a shiny, peachy-pink lip on pretty much all of the girls- tarte Lip Surgence in Sweet was a great base. I had everything from dark brunette girls to light blondes... yet MAC's Cork eyeshadow proved to be a great brow touch-up product across the board. I was truly happy with the way all of the girls turned out- and the fact that they were already beautiful and beyond nice to me was definitely a bonus! They were all childhood friends of Katie's so I was really honored to have a hand in this.

Katie was the last person on my agenda, and fortunately I have done her makeup quite a few times before! :) It was interesting, because right before doing Katie's makeup, I did her mother's makeup and they have the very same facial features, and the same personalities, for that matter. It doesn't show much in this last-minute pre-wedding pic that I took, but I did a subtle brownish/taupe outer V with the eyeshadow, and used MAC blush in Fleur Power for a bit of pink on the cheeks. I did a rosy pink lip that really brought her whole face to life, and major shoutout to Mally's Evercolor Automatic Waterproof eyeliner & Cover Girl Lash Blast Waterproof mascara! Katie shed some tears, but her eye look seemed totally untouched at the reception!! I was thrilled :) For her hair, I teased it up big time, then smoothed it and pinned half of it up. The veil was on a comb that I poked down over the bobbi pins. This was the part I was most concerned about... but it was almost too easy! With the help of a lot of Tresemme Tres Two hairspray- it lasted all night!

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Like I mentioned, I've never done makeup for this many people over the course of one afternoon, so I thought it might be helpful to me and others to sort of review how it all went...

What Worked...

• Having set times for each bridesmaid to come meet me (there was a half hour for each) allowed for them to schedule their afternoon and take care of eating, napping, hair, etc... as opposed to just having everyone sitting there waiting on me the whole time.


• Having a well-organized train case full of products that were carefully chosen. I knew basically what skintones I was working with, and planned the overall "look" so I didn't overwhelm myself with a zillion shades of this or that.


• Packing plenty of disposable items that I'd be reaching for often and sitting them out so they were readily available- sponges, q-tips, pointed q-tips, mascara wands, Kleenex.


• Having a trashcan nearby. Seems like a no-brainer, but it kept me from tossing a used tissue or q-tip onto my work-space, potentially making me look cluttered, unsanitary, and unprofessional.


• Having brush cleaner & alcohol in spray bottles... allowed me to quickly sanitize brushes, lash curlers, and makeup products.


• Doing my homework with the girls between "sessions"- asking the next one about her skintype, and what amount of makeup she's accustomed to wearing... sort of getting a feel for her comfort zone.


• Allowing a lot of extra time for the bride (my last person)... Setting aside 1.5 hours for her was the reason everything stayed on schedule & the girls made it to their pictures on time... since I slowly got behind schedule as I did the whole group. (The two mothers weren't initially factored into the plan).


• Doing my own makeup & hair in advance so only touch-ups were needed for myself. The wedding got underway about a half hour after I got done with Katie, so I pretty much had to throw on my dress & go!

What I'd do differently...

• Allow for more time per person. While 30 minutes was pretty much fine for the makeup application- I could've used an extra 5 minutes in between to allow more time for brush cleaning, sanitizing, and re-organizing stuff.


• Have an assistant (at least when doing lots of people's makeup). I probably could keep the times the same if I just had another set of hands helping with the brush cleaning, etc. I also would've liked for pictures or video to be taken during the process, and an assistant could've helped with that.
• Bring a stool... everyone sat in a typical chair which put a strain on my back as I leaned over each one. Getting the girls more on eye-level with me would've been nice.


• Handed out my business cards with my websites on there... I had them with me but totally forgot to give them to the girls!

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Well, that pretty much sums it up! Thanks for taking the time to read this! I have so much respect for the makeup artists out there who do tons of makeup like this on a regular basis. There are so many little details to think about, but it is truly fulfilling when a beautiful face is smiling back at you, excited about the way they look and feel! :)

Pink Eye Makeup Purge

Hi everyone! First off, thanks so much for the get well wishes! I can see many of you have dealt with the very same thing and you have so much great advice. Thanks also to my friend Linda for her email full of great sanitation advice. A big reason why I'm blogging about the details of my pink eye (including all the symptoms shared in my last post)- is not to gross people out, but to give you a heads up should you ever encounter pink eye. The sooner you can figure out that you have it and see a doctor, the better. I remember thinking when I had super watery, oozy eyes on the first day-- well, I doubt it's pink eye... my eyes aren't even pink! But that came later.

Also... pink eye has a big effect on your makeup supply! I'm throwing out a number of makeup items that have come in contact with my eyes over the past 10 days or so. This includes a lot of much-loved items, but I know it's for the best! I also forgot to snap pics of a couple of shadow primers with wand applicators that I swept over my eyelids- including NYX HD Eyeshadow primer & Urban Decay Primer Potion. I've been told to wipe down my powder shadow products and also sanitize my brushes.

Eyeliners... including pencils, liquid liner pens, and some light-colored liners I use in my waterline. I love the Mally & Physician's Formula pencils, as well as the Cover Girl Line Blast 24 hr. liquid pen.

Mascaras... losing lots of favorites here, including L'oreal Double Extend Carbon Black, Almay Get Up & Grow, Tarte Lights Camera Lashes, Maybelline Lash Discovery, and Mally Volumizing Mascara. Fortunately, it was about time to throw out several of these anyway. But Milani Runway Lashes was new, and I was enjoying that one!

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I'm hoping the redness keeps decreasing throughout the day today... I really want to get back to my normal routine!! Thanks again for all the help! :)

Pink Eye Drama

Hey everyone! It's been a rough 24 hours here... after a watery eye much of yesterday morning (which I initially just passed off as an allergy-type symptom)... I found out I have pink eye. Basically the eye started looking more red and swollen, and the watery-ness became more yellow-ish and thick. So I decided I had to get it looked at by a doctor. It didn't take him long to diagnose it as pink eye, and said it's going around a lot. So he prescribed some antibiotic drops, and told me I'd need to lay off the contacts for a week.

My makeup-less, pink-eye "face of the day"

I actually think this might be my first ever experience with pink eye. I was off work today (pink eye is very contagious), and as the oozing that I have to blot every minute or so continues... it's not looking good for tomorrow. The eye has a red, very watery appearance, however I think keeping a cold pack on the eye on and off has helped the swelling considerably. The eye was barely open late yesterday afternoon. The downside this morning was the fact that it was totally crusted shut. From news anchoring to YouTube... being on camera & makeup are pretty big parts of the job. Needless to say, this pink eye is cramping my style BIG TIME.

Anyway... just thought I'd update you on what's going on. As I'm sure you know, I'll be back to news & video-making as soon as I possibly can. I'll make sure to take proper precautions so I don't infect my co-workers and scare the viewers. Meanwhile, blogging, tweeting, and facebooking seem to be the best ways to occupy my time.

If there's something you'd like to see me blog about, let me know! I'm thinking my next one will probably be about all the eye makeup I'm going to toss out due to contact with the pink eye. Thanks for the kind tweets & facebook comments! The words of advice are much appreciated! :)

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Emily