Favorite Maybelline Eye Studio Shadows

Hey guys!

In a recent blog post I mentioned a limited edition Maybelline Eye Studio quad that I used, and it got me to thinking about the other Eye Studio palettes that I like. I thought I'd compile them into a blog post, and I chose only sets from the regular line, not limited edition ones- because I know those can sometimes be hard to track down, and before you know it, they're gone for good. 

So why do I like these shadow sets? I love the soft texture and intensity of the colors. One drawback is that these only contain pearly/shimmery or metallic colors. They're beautiful colors, but it's always nice to have some matte shades to balance things out. Either way, I've created some nice looks with these palettes alone, and I really enjoy them. After Wet n Wild and a nice quad I have from Flower Beauty, these are probably some of my favorite kinds of drugstore shadows. I like to use a primer with these, and I find that I don't have to work to get the shades to show up, and the staying power is great too. These come with double ended applicators that are slightly more skinny than normal, which can be nice for smudging out shadow on the lower lashline, for example. 

♥ 

Mad for Mauve

This one includes a pearly pink, dusty lilac, olive green, and burgundy. You can get a really pretty look with just the pinky tones in this kit, but I like that they threw in the green. It can give a fun unexpected pop on the lower lashline, or even all over the lid. 

Coral Oasis

 There are so many reasons why I love this kit! Everything from the light peach to the dark brown is beautiful and they work wonderfully together. I love going with a pop of coral on the lid, and using that yellowish-green shade around the inner corner. It might sound unusual, but it's a great little quad! Especially as we head into spring/summer.

Color Explosion: Caffeine Rush

Same formula and feel as the quads, just a different configuration and five shades instead of four. I'm not a big fan of the way this is put together because the V-shaped shadow isn't very wide, sometimes making it tricky when using brushes. But color-wise, this palette is a taupe-lover's dream. The top shade has a light golden sparkle, but the others come off with a pearly finish. Great for natural looks, but yet the slight shine that these shades have makes the look kind of special/different. 

Have you used these Eye Studio shadows? This particular line seems to produce limited edition palettes on a regular basis, and I like several of those too! Just wanted to give you a round-up of what I like in terms of what's always available. Thanks for reading! :)

♥

Daily Nuggets...

• Did a Skype Q&A session with a college class at Western Illinois University this afternoon... talked about TV news, YouTube, social media... they had some great questions! I actually had my camera rolling throughout, so I may make it into a vlog. 
• Excited for tomorrow's Beauty Broadcast Live! 9am Central on Ustream
• Cupcake gets to make a visit to the vet tomorrow to get some routine shots. That's not gonna be fun! She's not a fan of the pet taxi.

Cover Girl Stay Fabulous 3 in 1 Foundation Review

Hello everyone!

Today I surveyed the Beauty Broadcast Facebook page to see what you'd like to have a review on, and most of you said- foundation! One that I've gotten many questions on lately is the Cover Girl Stay Fabulous 3 in 1 Foundation SPF 20. If you'd like to see what it looks like on my face- please check out my Go-To Smokey Eye video- I'm wearing it in that video. I would've used it today, but I already have on yet another foundation that I'm testing out. 

I love to find a good long-wearing liquid foundation, so I was eager to give Stay Fabulous a try. As far as packaging- it's a glass bottle with a pump (yay!) and a cap (not shown). The cost is $9 to $10 at most drug/discount stores. My shade is 840 Natural Beige and it's a pretty solid match for me. I like to use a dense brush to apply this like my Sigma F80 flat top brush or my Real Techniques Expert Face Brush. I just feel like those kinds of brushes provide really consistent coverage all over the face. 

 The texture of the foundation is definitely liquidy- but not overly runny... it reminds me of Revlon Colorstay in that way. Unlike Colorstay- I don't feel like this foundation "sets" as quickly on the face. In other words, you have a little more playtime when you're blending it out. As with most foundations, I like to dot it all over the face, then blend it with a brush. Coverage-wise, it most definitely evens out the skintone, and the coverage can be built up a bit in certain areas. Still I feel the need for concealer when it comes to undereye darkness and spots. I feel it's very similar in coverage to a lot of other longwear drugstore foundations I use and like- Revlon Colorstay, Maybelline Superstay, and Rimmel Lasting Finish. It's not as full-coverage as Estee Lauder Double Wear. Appearance-wise, I feel it gives a matte finish, but it doesn't seem heavy or cakey.       

I'm having some camera problems & had to take these shots with my cell phone (sorry), but the whole "3 in 1" claim is stated on the back of the bottle. It says "Lasting power of primer, coverage of a concealer, and blendability of a foundation in one. Shine Free." I must say, the staying power was impressive for me. I've been wearing this a lot (since foundations are some of the trickiest things to review/figure out if they're lasting a long time, breaking you out, etc.) I felt it had solid staying power for 7 to 8 hours. One night I felt the need to touch up with powder, but it's been pretty consistent with it's ability to make it through a day. I have combination skin, and I've been dealing with a little dryness lately around my mouth. I have noticed it cling to those areas, or become more visible there-- so if your skin is especially dry, this might not be your preferred finish. However for oily skin- I think this could be great. This also didn't break me out like Cover Girl's Clean foundation does. I really want to try it in the summer before making the claim as to whether or not it has better staying power than Revlon Colorstay for combo/oily skin (it's kind of the drugstore front-runner for me for staying power!) I do not feel that this has the coverage of a concealer. It's not what I'd call "full coverage"- but probably the higher end of medium coverage. 

Bottom Line: A quality drugstore foundation! Plus it contains SPF 20. Love the pump, love the finish on the skin and non mask-like feel, and love the staying power. As always, this is just my experience with the product. I'd love to hear how it worked for you- especially those with super oily or super dry skin. Did it meet your expectations? How about different skin tones? Did you find a very light or very dark shade to work for you? I'm somewhere in the middle and this shade was very good for me. Thanks for reading! :)

♥

Daily Nuggets...

• Sometimes giving an honest opinion garners praise, sometimes criticism. You probably know what I'm talking about if you've seen my latest video. I have a full explanation in the description box of that video. I'm just trying to take mom's "keep your chin up" advice. 
• I have chapped lips. Anytime that happens I think, you have too many lip balms to have chapped lips!
• Having a few issues with my blogger layout. I'll try to fix that.
• Justified is on tonight! Thank goodness.

FOTD: Chocolate Eyes

Hi everyone!

Just wanted to share an eye look that I was playing with over the weekend. I love using bright colors here and there, but I also have sort of an obsession with neutrals. Maybe it's just the comfort that even a dramatic look using neutrals doesn't seem too "crazy"? Whatever the case, I found a new quad at Wal-Mart and used it for this look. 

First off, for face products I used Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation and a little bit of the Double Wear concealer. I'm also wearing some Essence Sun Club bronzer and Neutrogena Custom Glow Blush & Bronzer in Posie Glow (shown in the picture). I absolutely love the peachy colored blush, and with this look I just swirled my brush over both the blush and the bronzer for a really natural look.   

For lips I'm wearing my one and only Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Volupte Perle in 101 Beige Caress (shown in the picture). I don't love the slightly gritty texture of this, but it does look really nice on the lips. On my eyes I used the limited edition Maybelline Eye Studio quad in Natural Shock. As you can see, it's not super wild and different, but if basics are what you're after and you like borderline metallic shimmer, you might really enjoy this! 

For my look I used the lightest shade around the inner corner, and the peachy shade all over the lid. That peach color is MUCH prettier than this picture gives it credit for. It has a beautiful texture and finish. I gave the crease a bit more of an "edge" than usual with the medium brown... you can see from the pic, it's not quite as diffused and blended out as I might normally do it. I love the warmth and almost coppery tone of this color. I also used some of that shade under the eye and loved the effect. The sparkle really does seem to show when you pack it on. I used the dark brown in my outer corner and the outer part of the lower lashline. I love the texture of these shadows- they seem to blend really effortlessly into each other. I lined my waterline and upper lashline, applied mascara, and then a set of Salon Perfect Demi Wispies false lashes. 

♥

Daily Nuggets...

• I am incredibly excited about a new feature I'm working on for the Beauty Broadcast family! I think you're going to absolutely love it. It's under construction now and I'm not sure exactly when it'll be ready to go, but when it is, you'll know! :) 
• Ever since I was a kid, I've loved to see clouds move across the sky. This is one of those days where the sun is just going in and out all the time. 
• I'm getting a bird feeder for the backyard so Cupcake can do some bird watching from her little spot where she likes to look outside. Nothing beats a little live entertainment, right? 
• Still haven't finished that incredibly hard puzzle Tyler's mom brought down when she visited over the weekend. I know you were anxiously awaiting an update :)
• New video coming tomorrow morning! woop woop! 

Black Radiance Downtown Browns Palette

Hello my friends!

Just wanted to show off a great find from Dollar General... does it look familiar to you?

It's the very same style as the Wet n Wild Color Icon 8-pan palettes, but this one is from Black Radiance and it's called Downtown Browns. It's manufactured by Markwins, the same company that makes Wet n Wild- hence the identical packaging. I am in love with my Wet n Wild shadows, so when I saw this at Dollar General, packaged with two black eyeliners for $5... I was all about it! If this is old news to those of you who have the Black Radiance line in your drugstores- sorry! It's not usually sold anyplace where I live, so I was super pumped about this. This Downtown Browns palette appeared to be the only type of palette being sold. 

As far as overlap with Wet n Wild shades, I noticed a similarity with the sparkly purple crease shade on the right- the Wet n Wild Petal Pusher palette also contains that shade. But everything else is different. Definitely a great palette for a plum smokey eye, and I'll make sure to post a pic either here or on Instagram (emilynoel83) when I use it for a look. 

LOVE the way all of the shades swatched! The very same quality as the Wet n Wild shadows. I think the bronzy/brown in the lower left hand corner is especially beautiful! The back of the palette says the shadows are matte, pearl, metallic, and sparkling finishes. I'll agree with pearl, metallic, and sparkling... but nothing here is matte, just so ya know. Anyway, next time you're making random dollar store purchases like glass cleaner and wheat thins, scope out the makeup!! :) 

♥

Daily Nuggets...

• The 1 Brand Tutorials are back! Check out my new one! :) 
• Cupcake is sitting on the zebra bench, supervising me as I type this. 
• We have Mally on the TV right now! QVC of course. Excited to see a demo of her new nose contouring kit.
• Who else watched Idol last night? Did you think a lot of the performances were pretty disappointing? I was agreeing with Randy's critiques most of the time. 

Milani Color Statement Lipstick: Pinks & Corals

Hello lipstick lovers!

Here's more from the new line of Color Statement lipsticks from Milani! The company identifies this grouping as "pinks & corals" and I'm so excited to show you all the colors! I am loving so many of these. As with the oranges & reds, there are a variety of finishes here, and each shade is pretty darn bold! Like I said in my last post, these lipsticks don't make my lips feel dry, but at the same time, they're not so slick & emollient that I feel like they're going to slip right off my lips. The staying power is quite good and the formula does contain vitamins A, C & E. Every single shade builds up color instantly on the lips- you don't need to work at it. They are intensely pigmented, so if you like color- keep reading! Some of these shades might be just what you're looking for. For an even more detailed description of the formula, check out my first post. 

Left to right: Pink Frost, Fruit Punch, Flamingo Pose, Rose Hip, Hot Pink Rage, Flirty Fuchsia, Rose Amour. 

09 Pink Frost (Metallic)

I think this lipstick has the perfect name. It's one of the frostiest pinks I think I've ever tried. It's extremely metallic and if you are self-conscious about fine lines in your lips, beware of super frosty shades like this, because like a frosty highlight on the face, it'll draw attention to any lines or dryness on the lips. I do like the color though. And if you ever want to tone down a too-frosty lipstick, top it with a creamy gloss. 

11 Fruit Punch (Cream)

I really like this color! It's a warm, creamy pink that has some brightness but isn't too "in your face" (we'll get to those shades in a minute, haha!) You'll notice the cream formulas in this line are just that- a nice smooth feel with no shimmer. I feel like I run into a lot of colors in this true pink tone, but many of them seem to have at least a slightly frosty edge to them. I love that this one is just full-on color. 

12 Flamingo Pose (Cream)

Who needs a super fun spring and summer lipstick? Wait, I can't believe I wrote that... we're expecting ice and snow here tonight. But still, regardless of the time of year, this is a gorgeous coral pink. It just really makes me think of tropical beverages and warm weather. After I went through all the lipsticks, I put this one back on. I'm kind of infatuated with it since I don't have any shades like this. I have some peachy/salmon colors, but this one still has a lot of pink to it, which I love.

14 Rose Hip (Cream)

Hello!!! Don't you love that even though this picture is slightly out of focus, that pink absolutely pops off the screen?! Wowza. Should I wear this color out and about? It's amazingly bright but it's kind of growing on me! With a simple eye look, I think it could work. I feel like it has a hint of a purple tone to it (just a teeny bit!) but not too much. I've seen some people showing Maybelline Vivids lipsticks in purple-ish tones, and while I don't think I could go there- I do find this color very fun!

 15 Hot Pink Rage (Matte)

I found myself laughing at the name of this lipstick :) I'm a little bit washed out in this pic, but this lipstick is still showing up pretty true to color. This matte formula is really close to the creams in this line, but just slightly less shine. This is similar to Rose Hip, but a little warmer and less purple-ish... therefore it seems a little more wearable to me. Maybe I'm just more used to seeing myself in this tone of pink. I love it! 

16 Flirty Fuchsia (Vinyl)

OMG. If I had to permanently paint my lips one color... this might be the one I'd choose. I'm in love with this!  It's a great berry pink and the vinyl formula means it has just a little more shine than the rest, but no shimmer. I think it just looks so juicy and fresh. I am just thrilled with this color. Well done, Milani!

33 Rose Amour (Cream)

A line of lipsticks wouldn't be complete without a classic Barbie pink! That's what I think of this one as. It's seems to have the same depth/color intensity as Fruit Punch-- but this shade is just cooler in tone.   I think Rose Amour really shows that a color doesn't have to be dark to still be really bold and make a statement. I could see myself rocking this color with a charcoal smokey eye. 

♥

Well, I REALLY like this family of Color Statement lipsticks! Is anyone surprised? My room is painted hot pink! :) The shades have amazing intensity and while it seems like lots of lipsticks in the drugstore contain a lot of shimmer- here you have many rich, creamy options. My favorites are Fruit Punch, Flamingo Pose, Hot Pink Rage, and Flirty Fuchsia. I'm going to work on my comfort level with Rose Hip, but that may become a favorite too! I still have a few lip liners to post about, and if I get some more collections of these to try, I'll continue to post blogs sharing the colors! 

Daily Nuggets...

• Had a nice lunch meeting this afternoon that included an amazing greek salad. YUM. 
• Beauty Broadcast Live on Ustream tomorrow- 9am central time!! It's a great time to ask questions and just have some random chit chat! 
• I was talking on the phone with mom about makeup. She informed me that she has created her own BB cream by mixing Rimmel Lasting Finish foundation with her Olay moisturizer. She says she uses it for days when she wants lighter coverage. Good job, Mom!
• I mentioned yesterday that I was going to attempt this baked sweet & sour chicken recipe that I found on Pinterest. Well, it was a heck of a lot of work, and if I do it again I'll save it for a time when Tyler can help out. There are just so many steps and it could've gone by faster with some extra hands. Plus I used the designated amount of chicken breasts, but apparently mine were too big (the chicken's breasts, not mine LOL), and I had an extra half dish full of chicken. Therefore I had to make extra sweet & sour sauce to put on them. Also made the fried rice (my first time doing that). And had a small incident with the cornstarch that was almost laughable. That stuff is hard to control! But I must agree with Pup, Kevin, and everyone else who told me this was good.... it really tasted awesome. Maybe it was also the taste of relief from being finished cooking! haha :) Thanks to Tyler for helping clean up my messes!

Instagram: emilynoel83, Twitter: @emilynoel83

Milani Color Statement Lipstick: Oranges & Reds

Hello everyone! As you may have noticed in your local drugstores, Milani has revamped their line of lipsticks. They are now called Color Statement and I've received a couple of color collections to review, the first being Reds and Oranges. There are some new Color Statement lip liners as well, but I'm going to review those all at one time. I've checked the Milani Cosmetics website and Cherry Culture, and these cost $5.49 on both sites. I've also found them in my local Walgreens. 

Packaging wise, you can see the tubes are gold, and I always love when the true color of a lipstick is visible at the bottom of the tube. It's extremely helpful when you're shopping in the drugstore! The brand claims that these lipsticks provide full coverage application in one stroke. As a whole I'd say that's true- the colors are VERY bold, but there are a lot of varied finishes and sometimes just to get a feeling of enough moisture on the lips, I have go over them another time. But once I do that, I'm set. These are also said to contain Vitamins A, C & E to moisturize lips. Compared to my Maybelline Vivid collection lipstick in On Fire Red, these don't feel quite as "slick" on the lips... not that I feel like the Maybelline one is especially greasy, but these are just slightly more dry, and tend to have really, really good staying power. Since it can be hard to see the subtle differences in shades, I wanted to line them up for you... 

Left to right: Sweet Nectar, Orange-gina, High Voltage, Red Label, Cherry Crave, Best Red, Ruby Valentine

I also thought it might be helpful to show my whole face with the various colors on so you can get a better idea of how the different shades appear, and their effect on my overall complexion. There isn't a single shade that I'd describe as "sheer". As advertised, these are full-on color, and I do like that the entire line isn't just one finish. Oh and for those interested in scent- it's just like the Milani HD Advanced lip colors- if you're familiar with those. It's lightly sweet... not overly perfume-ish or fruity. It's not something I notice much at all once the color is on my lips. 

01 Sweet Nectar (Cream)

Hello orange! If you've been looking for an orange lipstick, this is it. As you can see, the cream formula has no shimmer, and applies with ease. Not sure how often I'd wear this shade, and I don't currently own a lot of orange, but it's there for me if I need it! 

03 Orange-gina (Pearl)

This shade makes me think "pumpkin spice". It's a more toned-down orange than the first one, and also includes some gold-toned shimmer. So it's a slightly more subtle way to try orange lipstick.

04 High Voltage (Vinyl)

Well I couldn't make the same face in every picture! :) This is a bright red, closest to the orange family. The rest seem to be more cool-toned reds. The Vinyl finish is a lot like the cream, but seem to have just a bit more shine. A really similar texture overall though. 

05 Red Label (Cream)

It's kind of hard to tell the difference between these next few! I absolutely love this one. It strikes me as a really true red, and the cream formula definitely clings to the lips so you don't feel like it's going to slip outside the lip line as soon as you take a drink (none of these really feel that way, which I like- but there tends to be a bit more transfer onto a glass, for example, with the Vinyl finish). This is the tone of red I would normally gravitate toward. 

06 Cherry Crave (Metallic)

Here is my other favorite!! I don't think it looks overly metallic, but it's a red with a little shimmer... which I think is actually kind of rare. Most of the reds on the market seem to be matte or creamy, but I must say, I love the bit of shimmer in this. It catches the light a bit more without being really glossy and it doesn't look super frosty at all. It's not showing a whole lot in the pic, but this has just the slightest bit of a berry tone to it-- I notice it more when applied sheer. Love it!

07 Best Red (Matte)

Here's your matte finish red! By the way, I would normally apply a red lipstick with a lip brush for extra precision, but I put all of these on straight from the tube so I could really tell what the texture was like. This was the one that I had to go over my lips with a little bit more with, because the matte formula was just a bit more dry than the others-- but not bad at all. It's not as dry as the Wet n Wild matte lipsticks. It's a great red, but I don't like it quite as well as Red Label- this is the slightest bit brighter.   

08 Ruby Valentine (Vinyl)

Again, the vinyl finish has a little more shine. Looking at the lipsticks in a row, I expected this one to be the deepest, but it doesn't really come off that way on the lips. I'm actually kind of stumped on this one.  As I do some re-swatching on my hand, this is actually very similar to High Voltage, but with slightly less orange. 

♥

Whew! It's kind of tough trying to sort out the subtle differences. As a whole, this seems to be a really great line of lipsticks with varied finishes and a lot of color impact. My favorites among the reds and oranges are definitely Red Label for a classic red, and Cherry Crave for a red with shimmer. I look forward to sharing the pink collection with you next! :)

Daily Nuggets...

• Went grocery shopping this morning. Let me tell you, a weekday early morning is the time to go! 
• I'm going to make a recipe tonight that's been on Pinterest and recommended to me multiple times- it's the Baked Sweet & Sour Chicken. It looks like kind of a process, but I'll let you know how it goes!
• New video coming this evening! It's actually made specifically for the Ladies Home Journal Gloss Daily blog that I'm doing some posts for, but I get to post it to my YouTube channel as well, so that's cool! So it'll be on my channel tonight & show up on the Gloss Daily blog tomorrow.
• Nail polish is chipping off big time... ugh. It's the regular polish I've been wearing, not gel nails. This doesn't happen with my Mally gel nails! I feel like I cheated on a boyfriend and am now running back LOL! If there's time later today I'll be re-doing them with the Mally system. I've definitely lost my tolerance for a chipping manicure!

New Nivea Lip Butters

Hi everyone!

I was planning to blog about a bunch of new Milani lipsticks, but I needed to take a lot of pics of how they look on the lips, and it just got too dark and dreary here this afternoon. So I thought I'd just do a quick blog on a couple of new things that didn't require so many pictures and natural light. I found these Nivea Lip Butters this past weekend at Walgreens... there was a whole display of Nivea products (including men's stuff) that was Buy One Get One 50% off. Several of you told me I should check out these lip butters so I thought I'd give them a go! I think they were between 2 and 3 bucks each, but I also got the BOGO discount. 

I believe there were four different kinds available... plain and caramel- and then the two I got which are Vanilla & Macadamia Kiss and Raspberry Rose Kiss. They come in sort of flat little tins and they smell AWESOME. The Vanilla and Macadamia has a really nice lightly sweet scent, and the Raspberry actually has a somewhat realistic raspberry scent. They don't give off any color, but they are incredibly hydrating. I've used a few different Nivea lip balms that come in the stick form over the years, and I've really liked them. I haven't yet tried using these as a hydrating base for lipsticks. Since they're so emollient I'm not sure if a lipstick would nicely cling to them like they do to EOS (which never feel quite as slick on the lips), but we'll see. Just wanted to give you a heads up on these if you're a Nivea lip product fan! So far I've only seen them on display at Walgreens. 

♥

Daily Nuggets...

• Picked the right time to shoot a video this morning! We had about an hour or two of sunshine before it turned gray & rainy here. 
• Had a nice lunch with a couple of former co-workers- it was great to catch up with them! :) 
• Country Music fans- do you watch Backstory on GAC? They're hour long profiles of various stars and I just find them so interesting! I watched the one on Miranda Lambert over the weekend. 
• Cleaned the bathroom and my closet this afternoon- it always feels good to get that done! Trying to approach cleaning in small phases so I don't have to have one big marathon cleaning fest.

My Valentine's Day Gifts

Hey everyone!

Hope you all had a wonderful Valentine's Day! It's always been a special holiday for Tyler and I since back in high school our first "date" was the Sweetheart Dance junior year. I wonder if we hadn't had this holiday if he would've gone ahead and asked me out! So I know some people don't like Valentine's Day, but I'm grateful for the role it played in my life :) 

Anyway, Tyler got me some chocolates (YAY) and also the Too Faced Boudoir Eyes collection and the new Air Buffed BB Creme (he asked me for some ideas!) I used both of those products in my look yesterday, and those of you who watched on Ustream already know that! :) I'm not really prepared to do a review just yet, but my initial reaction on the BB Creme is not so great... I expected better coverage and blendability but I'll keep playing with it. Let's just say I supplemented it with plenty of concealer and powder :)

I am really enjoying the Boudoir Eyes collection! I'm a big fan of purple, taupe, and grey- and this palette combines all of those tones. There are 3 completely matte shades, a couple of satin finishes, several shimmery colors and one (the black) with actual sparkle in it. 

This palette DOES have some similarities to the Too Faced Shadow Bon Bons collection, and when I do a more in-depth review, I'll compare the two. The names are a little risque, but what did you expect? It's the Boudoir Eyes collection! Let's just hope this blog post doesn't get censored for adult content or something LOL!

For this look, I used Lap Dance on the lid, French Tickler in the outer corner, Voulez-Vous in the crease, and then I blended that shade out with Sugar Walls... as you can see, the result is a slightly warmer shade than I expected in the upper part of the crease, but I really like it. In The Buff is my highlight under the brow, and under the eye I blended French Tickler and Lap Dance. I did a very pronounced winged liner with Jordana FabuLiner, lined my waterline with black pencil, and used Salon Perfect Demi Wispies false lashes. Stay tuned to the blog & my channel for more info on these new Too Faced products! Oh, and on my lips I'm wearing IT Cosmetics Lip Butter in Darling topped with NYX Glam Gloss Aqua Luxe in VIP.

♥

Daily Nuggets...

• Posted a new video- a review on Wet n Wild's Coverall Foundation & Powder!
• Sipping on some delicious Powerade Zero- Fruit Punch flavor.
• Do you ever undo your makeup look toward the end of the day & just re-do it for fun? I sometimes do, and it's really fun if you don't have to go anywhere and just let yourself go wild. It's a good time to play with those super colorful Coastal Scents palettes with a zillion eyeshadows in them.
• I made Tyler some cupcakes to go along with his Valentine's Day gift. They were cherry chip with rainbow chip frosting. Holy cow are they good!! Not that I would take one... I mean, they were his gift ;)

Have a Va Va Voom Valentine's Day!

Hello everyone!

Yes, the title of this blog is inspired by one of my favorite Nicki Minaj songs (Yay for Idol tonight!!) Anyway, maybe you've seen my 2013 Valentine's Day makeup tutorial posted on YouTube- thanks so much for all the nice feedback! I got to thinking that there are so many different looks that would be great for Valentine's Day or any date night... so I thought I'd look back in my videos are share some of my picks with you! 

What kind of a look do you enjoy for Valentine's Day? Do you shoot for something subtle and sweet or more dramatic? Do you like bold lips or are they a no-go? 

♥

Also I would like to make a shout-out to a highly talented person on YouTube! I initially found Allinicoleee because she informed me that she made a portrait of me using eyeshadow-- what?!? YES. She shared this speed drawing video with me and I was blown away. I thought wow, what a talented artist!! And I was just super shocked that she would take time to do that picture of me, of all people. Then I subscribed to her YouTube channel and started browsing around and realized she's also a very talented makeup artist! I told her last night- I had a mini-marathon watching her videos! Not only is she great with makeup, but she knows how to communicate and I am just drawn to people who can clearly, and very genuinely get their point across. She just seems NICE! I would encourage you to subscribe & show her some love! 

Check out her favorites, outfit videos, and reviews-- it's all good! I just wanted to spotlight this tutorial because I thought it was just so beautiful and might also be something you want to try for a special occasion! :) 

Daily Nuggets...

• I got on a video ROLL this morning! Shot 3 videos including one for my vlog channel- planning to post that one tomorrow! 
• Also tomorrow is Beauty Broadcast Live on Ustream! Join me at 9am CST for random chat and fun. If you're having a Valentine's Day beauty emergency I'd be happy to take your questions!
• I love the Simpsons Tapped Out app for iPad. I admit it!
• I'm starting to hear the birds chirping outside again... almost feels like Spring but I think it'd gonna get cold again soon!

Lip Smacker Cupcake Lover's Collection

Hello friends!

I mentioned in my last blog post that I made a major impulse buy...

and picked up an entire set of Lip Smackers at Walgreens. This type of behavior hasn't happened since Junior High or High School... so it feels a bit strange, yet I also feel right at home. Why buy a set of SIX Lip Smackers? Because this is the CUPCAKE COLLECTION and after seeing flavors like Salted Caramel, Red Velvet, and Birthday Cake... I knew this required further investigation. (This is also how I justify purchasing Jelly Belly jelly beans... can that one REALLY taste like buttered popcorn? I must know.)

As you can see, they come in a zippered cupcake-shaped pouch that's about the size of my hand. In order to do something productive with this purchase, I decided I needed to review them for you so you would know if this impulse buy was indeed worth it. I'll be rating each lip balm in scent accuracy and color payoff. You might be thinking... Lip Smackers don't give off color! Well, some do. 

 My Natural Lips

My lips with the Dr. Pepper Lip Smacker, notorious for giving a reddish flush to the lips. 

Several of these Lip Smackers gave off no color at all, and a couple gave some noticeable color... but not to the extent that you see with the Dr. Pepper kind. While I currently only own a few Lip Smackers (besides this new set), I proudly keep the Dr. Pepper kind stored with my tinted lip balms, not just lip balms... because of that nice color. 

And before I get into the review, if you're not familiar with Lip Smackers, they primarily perform two functions-- they have a fun scent, and they provide some shine. You may also notice a very subtle flavor. They are moisturizing, but not as hard core as some of the "big girl" lip balms out there (Burt's Bees, Nivea, Aveeno). 

Ok, as for this kit- here is my review!

Salted Caramel...       Scent Accuracy: A-       Color: None

Red Velvet...            Scent Accuracy: B+        Color: Slight

Strawberry Sprinkle...    Scent Accuracy: C      Color: None

Berry Buttercream...        Scent Accuracy: A     Color: Slight

Vanilla Coconut...            Scent Accuracy: C-     Color: None

Birthday Cake...        Scent Accuracy: C           Color: None

♥

My preference is a good, accurate scent (judging by the name), and a little bit of color is a bonus. The Berry Buttercream had a great scent that smelled just enough like cake frosting, and just enough like berries to justify that name. I really like it, plus it gave my lips a subtle berry color. Red Velvet was the other shade that gave off a bit of color, and the smell was decent. I really enjoyed the Salted Caramel scent as well, though it left no color on the lips. 

My lips with Berry Buttercream. Now if someone could just whip up some real berry buttercream for me...

As far as the others, I figured Vanilla Coconut wouldn't be a hard one for the Lip Smackers team to come up with, but I felt it was really lacking that yummy coconuttyness (new word!) that I need. I also wanted Birthday Cake to be just like the Birthday Cake Remix ice cream flavor at Coldstone, but I was let down there as well. Strawberry Sprinkle was kind of a vague name... and it smelled good but not great. Overall, this whole kit probably averages out to a B or B-. I didn't highly dislike any of them, and will use them all... some were just better than others. I do think this would be an adorable birthday gift for the young girl in your life... or the secret Lip Smacker addict. :) 

Here's my question to you: Do you still own Lip Smackers? I challenge you to take a picture of your Lip Smackers Collection and post it to the Beauty Broadcast Facebook page! What was your favorite? Do you still use them? This will be fun! :) 

♥

Daily Nuggets...

• I just posted my Valentine's Day tutorial!! Let me tell you, it is SIMPLE. I hope you enjoy it!
• I'm also crock potting one of my absolute favorite dinners- creamy spaghetti! 
• Sometimes I feel like I'm seeking out new thing to review, but right now I am loaded with products I want to post reviews on. Yay!
• In case you missed it yesterday on Twitter/Instagram- my Cupcake mousepad came!

One more thing...

I wanted to let you know about this offer from Tarte's website! 

If you're interested in the Maracuja lip glosses (which are great) I reviewed them in this video. 

Click here to take advantage of the offer at tarte.com

Special Occasion Makeup: Lips, Lashes, Sculpted Face

emilynoel83 on Instagram & Twitter 

Hey everyone!

Hope you all had a great weekend. On Saturday I Instagrammed the above pic of my makeup look for a special event. I was the emcee for a fundraiser concert to benefit a local group that helps the homeless- The Lighthouse Shelter. I did this last year and am glad to have kept a connection with the group since leaving the TV station. The founders and volunteers do incredible work- not just providing food and shelter for those in need, but truly helping them get back on their feet in terms of employment. I love supporting this cause and there was a really great turnout Saturday!

I find that the things I do in everyday life tend to prompt my ideas for blogs and videos, and given the interest on Instagram, I thought I'd go ahead and explain this look for you. I also saw lots of great red lips as I watched the Grammy's last night- so I figured this post would be timely! :) 

As far as the face makeup- this is something I want to do a video on. I went very full coverage using Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation, and I used some cream-based products to contour and highlight. I'm loving MAC's Pro Sculpting Cream in Pure Sculpture to use around the nose & cheekbones, as well as Mally's Under Makeup Highlighter. I then reinforced those steps with powder, as well as bronzer and highlight in powder forms. I've also been enjoying using two types of highlights- a less shimmery one like Wet n Wild Reserve Your Cabana for pore-prone areas like the nose and cheeks/cheekbones, and a more shimmery one for the cupid's bow and brow bones like The Balm's Mary LouManizer. I know I can get by with less product and coverage, but since I was on a stage under bright lights, I wanted to use these highlighting and contouring techniques to my advantage. 

This isn't a great pic of the eye (should have taken more pics but started running out of time, oops!)- but  the eye really wasn't that complicated. I went light to dark on the lid, starting with Virgin in the inner corner, then to Sin, then to the sparkly Sidecar shade over the majority of the lid. I blended the matte brown Buck in the crease, and blended a tiny bit of Toasted above that. I used Darkhorse for the outer corner and also smudged it below the eye. I once again used Virgin as my under-brow highlight. 

Why use the Naked palette? I knew I wanted to pair my red lips with a neutral look, and I hadn't used this palette in awhile. I want to incorporate it into an upcoming tutorial, so I just wanted to play around with it. Of course I also had to throw on my Salon Perfect Demi Wispies. Duh. :)

The shades I used from left to right: Virgin, Sin, Sidecar, Buck, Toasted, and Darkhorse 

Now for the red lips! This shade is not playing around, my friends! It's from the Maybelline Vivids Collection and it's called On Fire Red. It's definitely one of the more bold red lipsticks that I have in my collection... one of those "LOOK AT ME" colors, for sure. This was all I used on my lips, and I applied it with a lip brush for a precise application. Despite all the talking I was doing at this event, I didn't need to reapply. (Granted, I wasn't really eating or drinking much).   

This creamy shade has a little shine to it, but once you've been wearing it for awhile and it kind of "sets" into your lips, that shine seems to go away. I think this could be very tricky to wear (getting on your teeth, fading outside the lip line) if it is OVER applied. It really doesn't take much for this product to pop on your lips, so don't bother making multiple passes over them with this lipstick. Because it has a shine- it can become hard to manage, so apply just enough to get your desired color and it'll actually have nice staying power. I hope that made sense. Oh here's how I could have summed that up- less is more with this lipstick! LOL. 

♥

Overall this look incorporates coverage, contouring, neutral yet glam eyes, and a super red lip. While I used a lot of different products for my face makeup, when I looked in the mirror I couldn't SEE a lot of makeup. Why? I believe using various textures (liquid, cream, powder) kept the whole face from seeming cakey. I also misted on some Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray. The look still seemed fresh after I passed out on the couch from exhaustion at the end of the night (haha). Seriously though, the day before I found out our family cat Mr. Nut (21 yrs. old, got him when I was in 4th grade) passed away and my eyes were still super puffy on Saturday from all the tears. Thank you, bag of frozen corn, for making them look human again for this event. 

Daily Nuggets...

• I've been having my daily chats with Mom since the Mr. Nut situation and as his constant caretaker, she is taking this especially hard, as you would imagine. Thanks to my Twitter friends for the thoughts, prayers, and kind words. 
• I shot a Valentine's tutorial today, which I plan to post tomorrow. It's classic "pretty" with a twist. 
• Found the Cupcake collection of Lip Smackers yesterday in Walgreens... and reverted to Jr. High me and bought it. Thanks to all who gave me a heads up on that. I DO NOT need 6 lip balms, but now I have them, and will review those scents for you :)