Beauty Broadcast

Emily Awards 2011! FINALE

2012-01-26T18:07:00.003-06:00

Click here to watch the video!

Finally... it's the finale! This is one of the parts of the Emily Awards that is the most time consuming... yet it's also the most fun. I love thinking through my favorites in fun categories like "Cutest Packaging" and "Most Innovative Product"... but when it comes right down to it, I'm also making some tough decisions in terms of what my MVP's will be (Most Valuable Products). This year I've also added a new category to the finale-- Best Nail Polishes. Keep in mind, in my finale video I only name specific high end and drugstore favorites where brushes are concerned. All the other categories could consist of anything!

People have asked if I'll do separate videos for skincare or hair... but I really feel like the Emily Awards might never end if I keep splitting it up! So I include several of my top skincare, hair, and body products in this video as well. I'm actually in the process of testing several new skincare items (including the Clarisonic), so I would really have a hard time naming a full slate of favorites where that's concerned anyway. And don't forget... while I've been sharing lots of beauty product love in my last few videos, I'll soon be naming some of my LEAST favorite products of 2011!

*Denotes the number of years a product has won. This is the fourth year for the Emily Awards.

Best Brushes

High-End: Sigma Complete Kit with Brush Roll***
Drugstore: EcoTools brushes** (Mineral kit, Retractable Kabuki, mini kabuki set)

Outstanding Tool

Tweezerman Tweezers

Most Innovative Product

Mally Poreless Face Defender

Cutest Packaging

Too Faced Sweet Dreams Palette

Must-Have Purse Product

Q-Tips

Most Valuable Product: Face

Laura Geller The Real Deal Concealer

Most Valuable Product: Eyes

Wet n Wild Color Icon Eyeshadow**

Most Valuable Product: Lips

Revlon Lip Butters

Best Skincare Products

Olay Daily Facials Cleansing Cloths**
Philosophy Microdelivery Exfoliating Wash
Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Glow Pads

Best Body Products

Philosophy 3 in 1 Shower Gels
Shick Intuition Razor**
Queen Helene's Cocoa Butter Creme

Best Hair Products

Tresemme Tres Two Hairspray**
Conair Pro Clips for rollers
Conair Bun Maker

Best Nail Polishes

Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure
Milani 1-coat Glitter Polishes
Sally Hansen Diamond Shine- Nude Shimmer

Where to buy...

Sigma brushes are available online at Sigmabeauty.com
Tweezerman is at multiple locations, including Sally Beauty Supply
Mally, Laura Geller, Philosophy, and Dr. Dennis Gross products are at QVC.com
Too Faced is at sephora.com
All other products are available in most drug/discount stores

♥

Thank you SO MUCH for your support throughout the Emily Awards series!

It's one of the most labor-intensive projects I do for my channel, so thank you for bearing with me through the extended gaps that came between certain videos. Looking forward to getting to many other requested videos soon! :)

Emily Awards 2011! LIPS

2012-01-22T08:46:00.003-06:00

Click here to watch the video!

Hi everyone! I can't believe we've already made it to part 3 of the Emily Awards! This video was probably my longest editing process yet. I can't believe how much I can talk about lip products... probably my most obsessed-about category of makeup! You may notice a lot of repeat favorites, but there are also lots of NEW favorites in the different color families this year. With the color categories, there is no specification in terms of high end or drugstore... it could be either. Some of my priorities with lip products include the texture & feel on the lips, as well as color variety and ease of application. As with my other Awards lists- some categories just don't have a favorite!

*Denotes the number of years a product has won. This is the fourth year for the Emily Awards.

Best Lip Balm

High End: Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment
Drugstore: EOS Smooth Sphere Lip Balm**

Best Tinted Lip Balm

Drugstore: Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter

Best Lip Liner

Drugstore: Jordana Easyliner Lip Liner***

Best Jumbo Lip Pencil

High End: Bare Escentuals Buxom Big & Health Lip Sticks** and Tarte LipSurgence
Drugstore: NYX Jumbo Lip Pencils**

Best Lip Plumper

High End: Bare Escentuals Buxom Lip Gloss**

Best Lipstick

High End: MAC***
Drugstore: Revlon Colorburst** and Milani HD Advanced Lip Color

Best Lip Gloss

High End: Philosophy Lip Shine**
Drugstore: Revlon Super Lustrous Lip Gloss*** and NYX Mega Shine Lip Gloss**

Best Pink Lip Products

Lipstick: Estee Lauder Lavish Pink
Lip Gloss: Revlon Super Lustrous Lip Gloss in Pink Pop

Best Berry Lip Products

Lipstick: Revlon Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie, MAC Lipstick in Craving**
Lip Gloss: ELF Super Glossy Lip Shine in Mauve Luxe**

Best Red Lip Products

Lipstick: NYX Ultra Moist Lip Wear in Sheer Red***
Lip Gloss: Bare Minerals 100% Natural Lip Gloss in Pomegranate

Best Neutral Lip Products

Lipstick: Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick in Spotlight Beige
Lip Gloss: Revlon Super Lustrous Lip Gloss in Foiled, Mally Lip Gloss in Blossom, NYX Mega Shine Lip Gloss in Cosmo

Where to buy...

Most drugstore products can be found at most drug/discount stores
I find Jordana products at Walgreens
Milani and NYX can also be found at cherryculture.com
MAC products are available at maccosmetics.com
Mally is at QVC.com
Estee Lauder is at EsteeLauder.com
Look for all other high end brands at sephora.com

There's still more!

Don't miss the FINALE coming soon!

Emily Awards 2011! EYES

2012-01-19T15:31:00.004-06:00

Click here to watch the video!

It's part 2 of the Emily Awards! I'm very excited, because some of my most-asked questions involve eye makeup! Everyone wants to find the best mascara, the longest wearing eyeliner, and the best eyeshadow formula. While I've always valued gorgeous colors, I find I'm placing even more emphasis on practical criteria with eye products this year... ease of use and staying power are huge factors for me. As with all of my Emily Awards, some categories don't have a favorite! Hope you enjoy this year's picks!

* denotes the number of years a particular product has won. This is the fourth year for the Emily Awards.

Best Primer

High End: Too Faced Shadow Insurance***
Drugstore: NYX HD Eyeshadow Base

Best Cream Shadow

High End: Mally Evercolor Shadow Sticks
Drugstore: Maybelline Color Tattoo Cream Shadow

Best Small Palette

Drugstore: Cover Girl Drama Eyes*** & Wet n Wild Silent Treatment

Best Large Palette

High End: Smashbox PhotoOp Mega Palette
Drugstore: Coastal Scents 36 Smokey Palette**

Best Overall Shadow

High End: Smashbox***
Drugstore: Wet n Wild**

Best Eyeliner Pencil

High End: Mally Evercolor Automatic Eyeliner
Drugstore: Maybelline Master Drama Eyeliner, NYX Slide On Liner

Best Liquid Liner

Drugstore: Revlon Colorstay Liquid Liner in Blackest Black****

Best Cream/Gel Liner

High End: MAC Fluidline**
Drugstore: Wet n Wild Cream Liner

Best Mascara

High End: Mally Volumizing Mascara
Drugstore: Almay Get Up and Grow Mascara

Best False Eyelashes

Drugstore: Kiss False Eyelashes 03

Best Brow Product

Drugstore: Maybelline Define-a-Brow**

♥

Where to buy:

Most drugstore products can be found at most drug/discount stores
NYX is also available at Ulta or cherryculture.com
Coastal Scents can be found at coastalscents.com
You can find Mally products at QVC.com
The Smashbox PhotoOp Mega Palette is exclusively at QVC.com
Other high end products are available at sephora.com
MAC products are available at maccosmetics.com

Keep an eye out for the next Emily Awards video...

It'll feature the best lip products!

Emily Awards 2011! FACE

2012-01-16T13:25:00.008-06:00

Click here to watch the video!

The Emily Awards are back again! This year I'll have a series of videos sharing my favorite high end and drugstore products for face, eyes, and lips, as well as a special finale and the ANTI-Emily Awards for least favorite products! :) I hope you're as excited as I am! The first in the series is face products... so here's a typed list to make it easier to refer to! Keep in mind, not all categories have a favorite. It's gotta be the BEST to make this list!

* denotes the number of years a particular product has won. This is the fourth year for the Emily Awards.

Best Primer

High end: Smashbox PhotoFinish Light**
Drugstore: Rimmel Fix & Perfect Pro

Best Liquid Foundation

High end: MAC Pro Longwear
Drugstore: Revlon Colorstay**

Best Mineral Foundation

High end: MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural**
Drugstore: Everyday Minerals****

Best Concealer

High end: Laura Geller The Real Deal Concealer & Bare Minerals Bisque
Drugstore: Revlon PhotoReady Concealer

Best Loose Powder

(no favorites this year)

Best Pressed Powder

High end: (none)
Drugstore: L'oreal True Match Pressed Powder**

Best Powder Foundation

High end: Laura Geller Balance & Brighten**
Drugstore: Milani Multitasker Powder

Best Bronzer

High end: Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Bronzer**
Drugstore: Rimmel Natural Bronzers in Sun Dance & Sun Light**

Best Contour

High end: IT Cosmetics My Sculpted Face Palette

Best Blush

High end: Mally Blushes (Effortless Airbrush, classic blushes)
Drugstore: Milani Baked Blushes

Best Cream Blush

High end: Mally 24/7 Cream Blush**
Drugstore: Maybelline Dream Mousse Blush**

Best Highlight

High end: LORAC Perfectly Lit powder in Spotlight**
Drugstore: Physician's Formula Happy Booster- Translucent

Best Finishing/Touch Up Product

High end: Mally Poreless Face Defender

♥

Where to buy:

Drugstore products are available at most drug/discount stores.
Milani cosmetics can also be found at http://www.cherryculture.com
Everyday minerals is available at http://www.everydayminerals.com
Laura Geller, Mally, and IT Cosmetics are at http://www.qvc.com
MAC is at http://www.maccosmetics.com
Smashbox, Too Faced, and LORAC are at http://www.sephora.com or http://www.ulta.com

Stay tuned! The next video in the Emily Awards series will feature favorite eye products!

Buxom Mix & Mingle!

2012-01-09T17:25:00.003-06:00

Hey everyone! Just wanted to share an awesome kit I got for my birthday. I LOVE Buxom glosses and the Big & Healthy Lip Sticks. I actually got a kit similar to this one last year- just a different configuration of colors. This year's Mix & Mingle kit is still available at Sephora.com for $36, and in my opinion, it's well worth it!

Something you should know about these Buxom lip products- both the glosses and the pencils are what I would consider to be "lip plumpers". They both offer a cool, tingly sensation. I know they make my lips feel smooth, plump, pigmented, and glossy... and they wear a long time- but there were a few things I just found out after giving the website another look...

An independent clinical study was conducted, and it found 86% of women experienced an immediate increase in lip fullness with the glosses, and 90% of women felt the Big & Healthy Lip Sticks lasted on their lips. -Sephora.com

And in case you're wondering about the ingredients in these that are giving your lips that plumped effect, I also found that these lip products contain no parabens, sulfates, phthalates, GMOs, or triclosan. They are infused with vitamins A & E. Just thought that was an interesting tidbit!

Glosses (left to right): Sasha, April, Naomi, Starr

Lip Sticks (left to right): Tokyo, Sydney, Miami, Monaco

(swatches are in the same order as products are shown above)

My favorite glosses are April (light shimmery pink), and Starr (sheer plum with gold sparkle). As you can see, all of the lip sticks are super pigmented, and I love them all. I find Monaco (dusty rose) to be super wearable, and Sydney (nude) is awesome for getting a good base for a nude lip. I'm also just a huge fan of jumbo lip pencils for the precision they give, without being as fine-tipped as a lip pencil- so these really excited me. Also for the fact that they don't fade outside the lip line, they have a minty tingle, and you can create a variety of color combos with the glosses. I know this lip set probably won't be around forever, so I just wanted to give my fellow lip product junkies a heads up! :)

♥

Daily Nuggets...

Kind of bummed that I'll have to be in bed tonight before the college football National Championship comes on.
The guys who do College GameDay on ESPN are always in perfect suits.
This is obviously not an official review, but I am really enjoying my Clarisonic Mia 2 so far :)
Tonight's dinner: Turkey panini sandwiches with creamy pesto!

Guest Post! See Spot Run

2012-01-04T16:25:00.008-06:00

Hey everyone! After getting to spend some time with my awesome sister Kelly a.k.a Pup over the Christmas holiday, I learned she has some strong opinions on a new skincare product- a dark spot corrector. It's something I've never tried, so I asked if she'd write up a guest blog... and she did! I'm so thankful to have a great sister like Pup, and if you'd also like to benefit from her awesomeness, I'd encourage you to follow her blog (about art, cooking, and more), and check out her website. You can tweet her, too. Take it away, Pup!

Photo of Pup and her "sunbrella" visiting the St. Louis botanical gardens.

Pup uses a sunbrella because she is hardcore.

Here's how alarmingly white I am: one summer day I walked into a store and saw a woman stage-whisper to her friend, "SHE'S SO WHITE!"

When I buy any kind of makeup where you've got to match it to your skin tone, I always pick the one all the way over on the left side, and it usually has an exciting name like Ivory or Fair.

Which is fine! I've made it my thing.

A few years ago, however, a few small tan blobs decided to crash my pale party. A shade or two darker than my normal skin tone, they appeared seemingly from out of nowhere, landing on the top of my cheekbones and later on my forehead and above my top lip. This was annoying, as I stay out of the sun and always use sunscreen. The last time I purposely tried to get a suntan was 1986. So maybe this was payback for some 1985 tanning incident. I'm not sure. But since then, I've attempted to get rid of the dark spots or at least tried to cover them up.

Nothing made them fade. Actually, it's not like I tried everything, because there are a lot of products out there claiming to solve this kind of problem. I used a couple of them for a while, saw zero spot reduction, got discouraged, and gave up. I became bitter--stupid lying beauty companies preying on women's insecurities!--and stopped buying them altogether. Because who needs another $22 jar of partially-used, worthless face cream rolling around in a drawer? Clearly nothing would ever make the brown spots go away, and I decided to stop wasting my money.

A couple of years passed with me silently hating the brown spots and dutifully dabbing concealer on them every morning.

Then a few months ago I wanted to be zombie Elizabeth Taylor for Halloween and stopped by a drugstore for some cosmetic supplies. While I was browsing the aisles, intimidated by the stupefying array of beauty products that my sister could undoubtedly navigate with ease, I came across Garnier's Skin Renew Dark Spot Corrector. It came in a hefty 1.7 ounce tube and cost around $15. Surrounded by other skincare products that cost almost twice as much, it kind of popped out at me. I thought of Garnier spokeswoman Sarah Jessica Parker, who always seemed to say Garnier's tag line "take care!" like she actually kind of meant it and never came across as someone actively out to rip me off. Since I was in a splurge-y,wacky, today-I'm-gonna-be-a-zombie! mood, I decided to give it a try.

And it worked. It freaking worked!

I dabbed the pearly, semi-runny product, which has a mild citrus scent, on my cruddy little botches twice a day, and within four days I saw a noticeable improvement. Four days! The spots were fading, and a lot faster than the box claimed they would. It said [paraphrasing from foggy memory] that I should see improvement in about a month, and the spots should be gone in two months. It's two months later, and I'm still using the product but not as often as the spots are basically gone. I'm not sure they'll return if I stop using it altogether. I later learned that you're supposed to use the product all over your face, but...just dabbing it on the spots worked for me!

Before I wrote this review, I did a little Internet research and found that some people love this product and some people don't. So please know that while I was one of the lucky ones, you might not be. If so I'm sorry and I know how you feel. But if you try Garnier's Skin Renew Dark Spot Corrector, at least you're not going to be out $50 like you would be if you bought Clinique's new dark spot corrector. (It could very well work perfectly, but I'd never spend that kind of money on a questionable product that, heck, I just can't afford to buy in the first place.)

***** Five stars, Pup says check it out, although your mileage may vary.

♥

Thanks for the review, Pup! Have you tried this product? Feel free to share your experience with others in the comments section. Have a great day!

Resolutions for 2012

2012-01-01T16:13:00.003-06:00

Hi everyone! It's 2012! As you can see, Cupcake got very excited when the confetti started flying in Times Square last night. I think she was trying to bat it off the screen... or she just really likes Ryan Seacrest- one of the two. During all the New Year's festivities, I got to thinking about my resolutions. And earlier in the week I was reading that if you make your resolutions public, you're more likely to keep them. So here are some general, uninteresting resolutions- plus some very specific beauty-related resolutions! You'll notice, I'm trying to be as honest as possible with myself in this "self-improvement" blog! There's just something about a new year that gives me that "fresh start" feeling- so good luck to all who're making resolutions!

Get more sleep. On my schedule, I tend to let tweeting, TV watching, blogging, and YouTubing drift into the time when I should be in bed for my 1:30 a.m. wake up. Whether it's napping in the afternoon or just an earlier bed time, I need to make sure I'm getting enough sleep.
Drink more water! I swear, I resolve to do this about once a month and it never seems to stick. I hear about all of the health & beauty benefits to drinking lots of water, but honestly, I haven't ever really felt like I'm drinking enough to get those benefits! So I'm making it happen this time!
Work-out consistently & eat healthy. These two kind of go hand-in-hand as things I struggle with. I was thinking today about how great I was about working out when I was a college cheerleader. And I really liked it! Now I've gotten out of the habit of doing it with consistency. I tend to rationalize this by being busy with a full time job, YouTube, etc. But if I make it a priority, I know I can fit in workouts a few times a week. And as far as eating goes, even after 3+ years on my morning news shift- it still feels strange to eat something soon after waking up at 1:30 a.m. But I'm going to make myself have my daily protein shakes.
Staying appreciative. Sometimes I get so caught up in a fast-paced, busy day that I don't just stop and fully appreciate what's happening. I'm getting to do what I love, and I'm surrounded by people I love. I also have an extended family through Beauty Broadcast, and I love the ability to connect with so many people. So while I can tend to be very task-oriented, trying to do as much as possible, I need to just "enjoy the ride".

Beauty Resolutions!

Be more diligent about moisturizing before bed!
Get out of my black eyeliner rut and use some colors.
Continue to "shop my stash"- making sure I'm using what I have.
Take some (small) risks with TV news makeup.
Blog with more consistency.
Organize meet-ups this year!

Thanks for reading! Here's hoping I can make these resolutions part of my life in the new year! Do you have anything specific you hope to accomplish in 2012? What are the keys to keeping resolutions? I'd love to hear your advice! :)

Christmas Fun!

2011-12-28T17:30:00.003-06:00

Hey everyone! After being out of town for about 6 days- I'm now home again! It was just wonderful to get to spend time with friends and family... and have it amount to more than just 24 hours! :) We went back "home" to western Illinois and spent time with both Tyler's family and mine, as well as some great friends we rarely get to see! We had a great Christmas and on the 27th we also celebrated my birthday! Cupcake was also there and was a very good little traveler! In an effort to really have some quality time I sort of "unplugged" myself from the online world for a few days. I am super excited to get back to the videos tomorrow- with a Christmas & Birthday beauty haul! :) Meanwhile- here are a few pics from my long weekend! I hope everyone had a great holiday & please have a safe New Year's Eve!

Cupcake loves to dive under blankets!

♥

I gave my sister-in-law Sarah some beauty gifts- Sigma brushes & Mally makeup! :) She also let me do her Christmas Eve makeup! Isn't she beautiful?

♥

It's become a tradition on Tyler's side of the family to get new PJ's on Christmas Eve! This is Sarah, me, and Tyler (behind me), along with cousins Derek & Dana. Notice how I'm barely taller than little 12-year-old Dana! That whole side of the family is tall & mostly blonde!

♥

At my parents' house on Christmas day- where one of the goofiest gifts got the most pictures! Each year my sister gets me an assortment of hilarious gifts from the catalog- Archie McPhee. Ever since Tyler & I got married, the gifts involve him as well, and this year my sister went all out and got him this Viking helmet (Tyler's family has a Norwegian background, plus he's big & blonde, like a Viking- LOL). Needless to say, EVERYONE tried on the helmet, while we all laughed our butts off.

♥

Even my adorable niece Ashley is sporting the Viking look! :) She also came over on my birthday and we played bingo, barbies, tea party, and coloring books. SO fun :)

♥

The night before my birthday, me and Tyler and Sarah and a bunch of other local pals (including Brittany, shown here) went out for dinner & drinks. We had such a fun time & ended up at a restaurant/bar that serves up the most gigantic tenderloin sandwiches. It was such a good time!

♥

Now that we're back home, I made a point to get all unpacked... I'm notorious for letting stuff sit around in a suitcase forever but not this time! Thank you SO much to everyone who left me such kind Christmas & birthday greetings on Twitter & Facebook! I'm honored that you thought of me! :) Looking forward to "seeing" you in the next video!!

Nails of the Day: Dark Sparkle

2011-12-18T17:11:00.004-06:00

Hey everyone! Hope you're having a good weekend... I can't believe we just have one week until Christmas! I wanted to do something festive with my nails, and I'm enjoying neutral-toned glitters because they pop, but they go with almost anything.

The shade I'm sporting here is Wet n Wild Color Icon nail polish (limited edition) in Diamond in the Rough. Overall it just looks like a gun-metal toned glitter... but if you look closely, there are two sizes of glitter in this... a very fine silver-colored glitter, and larger glitters that seem to shine in various color tones. While it's overall a pretty dark look, it's actually rather multi-dimensional when you watch your nails move and catch the light.

Here- you can see that they match my grey sweatpants perfectly! LOL. I applied 2 coats of this polish, as well as my Milani Glosse Top Coat. I recommend using the thickest top coat you have... Sally Hansen Mega Shine would've been great for this. That way you smooth out the surface of the nail, which can be come somewhat rough and prone to chipping with glitter polishes. As far as taking glitter polish off, it's really not that bad. I actually just peel it off when I'm ready to change it!

Daily Nuggets...

I have almost all of our gifts wrapped! Did it this afternoon.
I like the Denver Broncos football uniforms. Go Tebow!
Had a blast last night with my friend Kalee and her boyfriend Jonathan who stayed with us. She had her dog Mia Bean with her as well... (See Cupcake's Facebook)

♥

Me, Kalee, Tyler & Jonathan

For some reason we kept trying to take a serious picture...

It was really hard...

But finally we did it! :) lol

Mid-Month Favorites!

2011-12-12T16:59:00.002-06:00

Hi everyone! Just wanted to post a quick blog sharing a few products I'm loving right now and have been using like crazy!

Maybelline Baby Lips in Peach Kiss

I've tried a few of Maybelline's Baby Lips tinted lip balms (I actually wrote a blog review on them not too long ago)... but it took me awhile to pick up Peach Kiss from the store. Probably because these balms have been flying off the shelves at my area drugstores! I just love Peach Kiss for the ultimate natural looking and FEELING lip. My lips naturally have sort of a mauve tone to them... nothing outstanding. But something about the golden-peach tone to this balm makes my lips look so much better! I'd call it a glowing, hydrated nude lip. I'm wearing Baby Lips Peach Kiss in this video if you want to see how it looks.

♥

Mally Beauty Blush in Mally's Glow

Hardcore Beauty Broadcasters might remember- I blogged about this blush in October. It's actually part of one of my favorite Mally Beauty kits called "Get the Look". I've been wearing a lot of pink and berry lip looks lately, and when I do that, I often reach for a pink blush. I have been ALL ABOUT this particular pink blush lately! It has some very subtle shimmer, but it's a wonderfully pigmented pink that seems to really work well with my skintone. Sometimes light pinks are so light on my skin they seem like highlights. Or they just don't show up- period. This one really makes me glow and I LOVE it.

♥

Slatkin & Co. Wallflower in Candied Sugar Plum

(from Bath & Body Works)

I picked up a few new Wallflowers from Bath & Body Works not too long ago... I always LOVE the fall & winter seasonal scents. When I saw the cute design on this one, I had pretty much decided it was going in the makeup room before I even knew what it smelled like. But guess what- my makeup room smells INCREDIBLE with this Candied Sugar Plum scent! It's sweet, lightly fruity, and just so yummy. Even Tyler noticed how good it smelled when he walked into the room today. I'm just nuts about it. Must get more before they sell out!

♥

Daily Nuggets...

I love the timer function on my flameless candles!
I have a bunch of gifts sitting under my tree that need to be wrapped. Kind of wishing I could bust into some of the things I'm giving to the women in my family! (Don't worry, I won't!)
OMG what if I shot little Christmas hauls with my family on Christmas so they could show the beauty stuff I gave them?!
I think I'm going to have some tea
I have new series coming to Beauty Broadcast on YouTube this week!!! I am so excited!

It's Here...

2011-12-05T15:54:00.005-06:00

Well, I'm not going to pretend to be the one breaking the news to you... but there's a new Naked Palette from Urban Decay!!! I ordered mine last week, and it arrived at my house today- which I thought was surprisingly fast. This isn't going to be a review on the palette... I'm against reviewing stuff I haven't used (makes no sense). But what's the harm in sharing a few pictures?

The palette came in a box that had pics of all the shadows on the back... within that box was this mini Lip Junkie gloss, and wrapped up in the tissue paper in a little plastic baggie was a mini 24/7 pencil in Eldorado. As you'll see in the pic below, it comes with a double ended brush- one side to pack on the shadow, and another to blend it out. Similar feel, but not quite as soft & dense as the Sigma Bunny Travel Set that I posted a review video on today.

When I DO choose to review video this palette, it's going to center around comparisons with the original Naked palette and other palettes that I have. Because let's think of it this way... the first Naked palette is like this palette's successful big sister. She went through school, everybody liked her, and she left a good reputation for the next sibling. She got good grades (reviews) and they both come from a good family (Urban Decay). I have no issue with the quality of Urban Decay shadows. And as you can tell from this picture... the swatches don't disappoint.

So the colors look good, but just HOW good is it? Is it worth the $50? Is it different enough from the original? How many different looks can you come up with? If you don't already have the first Naked palette, which should you buy? These are some of the questions I'll be answering in an upcoming video after I use this for awhile. Thanks for reading!

♥

Daily Nuggets...

I have spent too much time in front of a computer today.
Wondering how long it will be before Cupcake tries to shred the tissue paper my Naked 2 palette came in.
My t-zone doesn't feel the least bit oily after 15 hours of makeup wear. (trying to remember what products I wore today...)
My sister JUST tweeted a link to a blog post on the story of why we are Poof & Pup! Let's go read it!

A Merry Makeup Room

2011-12-04T15:45:00.004-06:00

Hey everyone! After a brief blog break following Non-Stop November, I'm back! :) In case you can't tell, I love Christmas, as well as all the decorating that goes with it! Along with my Christmas trees and candles in the main area of our home, I don't neglect the makeup room when it comes to getting festive! And it's all PINK! Here's a quick tour of my decorations...

I have a mini Christmas tree in front of my window... I got it very cheap a couple of seasons ago from Big Lots (it was just bare, undecorated). It seems like almost every store is coming out with a more colorful array of ornaments, and I believe I found this mini velvet hot pink tree skirt at Big Lots as well. I just draped it over a container on top of my stool so the tree could sort of peek out the window. It's covered with white lights, pink polka dot ribbon, pink ball ornaments in a variety of finishes, and best of all- CUPCAKES!

I found these pink cupcake ornaments last season at Wal-Mart and I think they're just the cutest things! I have a few red ones on our big tree as well. Cupcake has successfully batted a few of these off the tree!

Here's my bookshelf, which appears in the background of most of my videos. I can't remember where I found this string of pink LED lights, but like I said, non-traditional Christmas colors are popping up everywhere! I also have my lipstick lamp from Target glowing on top of the bookcase!

I love the larger size on these lights- and I'm seriously thinking about leaving them up year-round.

Last but not least, my pink sequined santa hat! I found this at Walgreens a few weeks ago and decided to drape it over my tall mirror (when I'm not wearing it :) Hope you enjoyed this little tour! I'll probably blog about the rest of my decor at some point too.

♥

Daily Nuggets...

Thanks to those who gave me such nice feedback on the Non-Stop November blogging. It really meant a lot to me.
I've plotted out my drugstore makeup gift bag video... two words: BIGGER & BETTER!
My Bath & Body Works hand sanitizer in Cinnamon Raisin Cookie makes me hungry when I put it on.
Made my own peppermint mocha this morning! Using my Keurig I put in a Cafe Escapes- Cafe Mocha k-cup. Then added some sugar free peppermint flavored coffee mate creamer. It rocked!

Minty Tingle!

2011-11-30T17:10:00.004-06:00

Hi everybody! Well, we made it to the end of November! I think the Non-Stop November blog posts went pretty well! (We'll forget about the 2 days I missed due to crazy work schedule/migraine headache, etc., right?) It was definitely good for me to get consistent with blogging... even when the blogs were just something small like sparkly tweezers or a new nail polish. I'm going to try to stay consistent with it. I mean, it can be pretty hard to do it daily, but I'm going to make it my mission to not have any lengthy gaps. As always, I'll update Twitter and Facebook when there is a new post. Meanwhile... on with the current blog! 'Tis the season for minty beauty products! I've rounded up my favorites...

Mint seems to be one of those polarizing scents in the beauty world. Some people love it, and others can't stand it. Judging by the amount of products I sifted through in order to find my favorite minty beauty products... I'd say I'm a fan! It's the time of year when a lot of limited edition mint-scented products come out, but I also have some minty things that are sold all the time. Here's a quick rundown of the products you see pictured above (left to right as they appear...)

Philosophy Candy Cane Foaming Bubble Bath & Shower Gel... Talk about a STRONG mint scent! I got this for Christmas last year, and it's definitely an invigorating product to use in the shower! It'll clear your sinuses and leave you feeling crisp & clean. I know it's available at QVC.com, and probably other retailers where Philosophy is sold. FYI- Suave recently came out with some limited edition body washes for less than $2 apiece at Wal-Mart. One is a mint scent... and judging by the quick whiff I took in the store, it's very comparable to Philosophy's Candy Cane. (I purchased Holiday Pear & Candy Apple... more to come on those in a future blog).
Bath & Body Works Twisted Peppermint Triple Moisture Body Cream... This is a super popular seasonal scent at B&BW. I must say, I really like it too. This lotion is really rich & feels almost tingly on the skin post-shower.
Bath & Body Works Twisted Peppermint Body Mist... In my mint craze of 2010, I also picked up the body mist from B&BW. I just used this... it strikes me as less of a strong mint, and more of a sweet mint scent. I sense some vanilla in it, but not too much. It's a very clean, refreshing scent.
Crest 3D White tooth paste... Here's my no brainer! But I seriously love this toothpaste. I don't really use whitening products anymore... just this twice a day. There's nothing exceptional about the minty qualities of this toothpaste... it just tastes/smells like mint and I happen to love it- so into the blog it goes!
EOS Smooth Sphere Lip Balm in Sweet Mint... This is the little light-green ball you see in the picture. It's the lip balm I keep on my bedside table and use every night before bed. Much like the Twisted Peppermint Body Mist, this isn't a strong, clear your sinuses mint. It's softer, sweeter, and has the fantastic texture that many of us love EOS lip balms for... they're moisturizing without feeling greasy. Plus they just look awesome! I find EOS balms at Walgreens, Wal-Mart, and various other drug/discount stores. (Caution: cats may mistake these for toys!)
ChapStick Candy Cane Lip Balm... I found this limited edition balm at Walgreens. All I can say is... mint wimps might as well steer clear of this puppy. It's STRONG. You will feel quite the tingle on your lips, and I like it! Despite the super minty scent & flavor and the festive packaging... it's the same texture as the classic Chapstick balms.
Bare Escentuals Buxom Lip Gloss... This Sephora product is known to leave lips looking plump, shiny, and colorful... but also quite minty! You will feel the tingle with this one. It's not a painful tingle by any means, but it's noticeable. When you smell it, it's not like a classic peppermint scent... in fact, I think it just smells more sweet than minty, but the FEEL of mint is totally there. The color shown here is "Denise"... I got it in a gift set last year. These glosses are a little on the thick side, but I find that they have terrific staying power.

I know there are other products out there that are minty, but these are my favorites. Do you like minty scents/flavors in your beauty products?

♥

Daily Nuggets...

Have you ever eaten out to keep from dirtying your freshly cleaned kitchen? That was me & Tyler tonight.
Posted a video today on "Rediscovered" favorites. I think I'll be doing more of this.
I interviewed a woman on the morning show today who brought in a paralyzed opossum.
I could always feel that the bottoms of my feet were getting dry & rough, but I just caught a glimpse... DANG! I need to do something about that.

20 Questions!

2011-11-29T16:46:00.008-06:00

Hey everyone! I thought it'd be fun to do a blog post based on the questions YOU want answered... but they can't be makeup-related! :) I asked for questions on the Beauty Broadcast Facebook page- and I have plenty to work with! I thought I'd just go through & find 20 and maybe save some of the ones I don't get to for a rainy day (it'll probably come soon, it's very rainy here.)

♥

1. Erica: "Favorite sandwich ever?"

A restaurant in my area called 17th Street has the best pulled pork sandwiches!! :) I also love a Whopper Jr.

2. Lauren: "Not too random, but what do your news co-worker people think of your Beauty Broadcast YouTube life?"

The people I work closely with - the morning crew- all seem to be very supportive of it. I kind of wonder if others at the station watch... I don't hear a lot about it from them and I'm not sure if they really understand what it is that I do! I have gotten good feedback from our station's owners.

When Tyler proposed... there's a video on that!

3. Lyndsay: "What made you fall in love with Tyler?"

A great sense of humor, smart, good morals, good looks, and all the little things about him that make him different from me. We balance each other out, and I could tell early on that he'd be loyal to me and do anything for me. And he loves me even with all of my quirky interests like makeup and cats. I got really lucky :)

With my co-anchor Kevin. He has a blog and YouTube channel about wrestling!

4. Kevin: "Who's your favorite co-anchor of all time? :D"

Wow, that's tough. I guess I'll go with Kevin ;)

5. Sharon: "If it's not too personal to answer, do you and Tyler plan on having children?"

Yes! We definitely want to have a family at some point. I don't think I've ever gotten much more in-depth in my answers to this question, so here goes... It's something we've thought about a lot, but there are a lot of factors that come into play... when we choose to have children, I want to be a very hands-on mom. If it became difficult to juggle my unusual hours along with a child, I'd have to ask myself if I'd be prepared to step away from my career, or at least scale it back somewhat. I don't know if I want to do that right now. I've also had exciting potential opportunities come my way based on what I've done on YouTube, and if I don't give myself a chance to see where those lead, I'll be forever wondering. Tyler also has some great things happening with his job right now that are keeping him busy. My mom always says, once you have kids, your life will change forever. I know I'll want that change at some point, but I don't think I'm ready for it right now.

back in my cheerleading days!

6. Katy: "What was your first job?"

I taught gymnastics and tumbling to 3 to 5 year olds at the YMCA near my hometown. I did that during the spring/summer in high school and college. It was so fun, plus it was an awesome place to practice tumbling for cheerleading! I remember leading a warm-up for the kids known as "Mousercize"- we'd pop in a tape and Mickey Mouse's voice was leading us through. I think I still remember how it goes...

7. Kate: "When are you going to do a US road trip so I can meet you? (Is that not the best idea EVER???)"

That IS an awesome idea! Beauty Broadcast on tour! Maybe Simon Cowell would let me borrow his tour bus. That thing is pimped out!! This would seriously be a dream one day :)

8. Angie: "If you were not a news anchor, what other job would you like to do?"

Probably a teacher. I come from a family of teachers and I have TONS of respect for what teachers do. I'd have to have a mandatory makeup tutorial class though. LOL.

9. Roshni: "What do you dress like when you're at home?"

Extremely casual! I change out of my dress pants almost immediately when I get home from work. 90% of the time when you see me doing a makeup video, I have sweat pants or yoga pants on my bottom half!

10. Blanca: "Emily do you ever get recognized on the streets while doing random things such as shopping or anything else?"

Yes... around here it's usually because of the news. I like it when people say hi! Usually their next comment is, wow- you're shorter than I thought! (gotta love the adjustable chairs on the set that make me as tall as my co-anchor Kevin!) There have been some times where someone knows me from YouTube. One of the strangest moments was at a bar when a guy came up to me saying he recognized me from when his daughter watched me on YouTube. haha!

11. Veronica "What are you afraid of?"

I'm afraid of anything tragic happening to a family member.

12. Roni "Would you rather ride a unicorn or a wooly mammoth?"

Definitely a unicorn! Who could turn that down?

13. Dyna "What's the weirdest comment you ever got on YouTube?"

Anything pertaining to plastic surgery. Questions about if I've had a boob job, nose job, botox, etc. I always wonder... what's making someone ask that question?? FYI, the answer to all of the above is no.

14. Lisa "What are your favorite non beauty-related things to do on your down time?"

Napping, watching TV (X-Factor, Breaking Bad, and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia are some of my current favorites), going shopping or going out with Tyler, cooking, and playing hide & seek with Cupcake (yes, she'll really come find me!)

15. Jessica "How many pillows do you use when you sleep?"

I have 2 under my head and then a big pillow that I "hug" -kind of like a body pillow. I go to bed early because of my job, so the large pillow fills in before my 6'6" human body pillow named Tyler comes in. And at some point, a small furry pillow named Cupcake appears on my body somewhere.

One of my favorite pictures.

16. Jennifer "Would you ever get a second pet and what would it be?"

We would... but Tyler is on "team dog" and I'm on "team cat" right now. I'm gonna say Cupcake is also on "team cat" so it's 2 versus 1!

17. Jennifer "Are there ever days (not work days of course!) that you don't wear any makeup at all & just go natural?"

I pretty much wear makeup every day. When I'm not wearing it for news, I'm wearing it because I'm shooting a makeup video. And I don't do it reluctantly! I honestly love putting on makeup and trying new things. I love those off days when I can really take my time and have fun with it. I'd be ok with walking out of the house without makeup, but I just really enjoy the act of putting it on. That's why YouTube and blogging never seems like work :)

18. Maricela "You always seem so proper, it's one of my favorite things about you! Do you ever get a momentary sailor mouth?"

I don't swear a lot, but yes, it'll happen every now and then! I can't let it fly too often... if I get in the habit of it, I'd probably let a bad word slip on the news!

19. Megan "What's your favorite cocktail?"

I'd go for a draft Bud Light (I often find myself in a group of guys), a Washington Apple shot, or a Daquiri of some sort. I can't handle a whole lot of sweet stuff. The Skinny Girl drinks are pretty good too!

20. Erica "How do you fit in your day work schedule and all the blogging/videos? Must be exhausting :)"

Well, I can't remember the last time I sat around and said I was bored! :) I don't always do everything in one day. Sometimes I'll shoot a video and edit it- and then upload it on another day. Or spend a day coming up with ideas and a "strategy" for the video- and then doing all the rest on another day. So splitting up the tasks seems to make it easier on me. Just uploading can take as many as 4 hours, so it's something you kind of have to plan out. But I'm definitely doing something beauty-related every day. Usually for hours. And it's because I absolutely love it. I sincerely enjoy the creative process, and also the interaction I get to have with people whom I respect and enjoy. So many positive things have come from the YouTube/blogging world. It's a real blessing to get to pour so much of myself into something I love. It's amazing that people have responded with so much interest and kindness!

♥

Daily Nuggets...

As if you wanted to read one more thing about me! LOL.
Been drinking lots of water today, go me!
I like Pad Thai better when it's room temperature as opposed to piping hot.
Gotta upload Shopping List Ideas tomorrow... tried to do it today but the internet was NOT my friend!

Random, Yet Awesome Eye Brushes

2011-11-28T16:48:00.005-06:00

Hi everyone! It's always great to find all of the brushes you could possibly need in a single brush set... wait- has that actually happened for anyone? Come to think of it, that hasn't really happened for me. Don't get me wrong, I've found some brush sets that I love & use constantly... but there are always those few brushes you don't have.

So I thought I'd blog about a few eye brushes that supplement my Sigma Complete kit, as well as a couple of other ELF brushes that are just great ones to have. They're all really inexpensive. They aren't necessarily the ONLY brushes you need... I mean, that's more of a personal decision for everyone- but you need to have a fluffy crease brush (those usually come in big kits). Hope this is helpful to you! Bullet points below explain the brushes as they appear from left to right..

Essence of Beauty Crease Brush Duo... These brushes have been favorites of mine for a LONG time. You can find them at CVS drugstores for between 5 & 7 dollars. After years of use and many cleanings, these have held up wonderfully and I haven't had to repurchase. They're great for working color into your crease and creating outer V's... giving you the control to get the color right where you want it. I might use the larger of the two brushes to get color throughout the crease- and the smaller to define the shape. If you have small eyes and feel like most crease brushes are just too big- I think you'll really like these.
ELF Essentials Brushes- Crease & Eyeshadow... The next two brushes shown are $1 brushes from the ELF Essentials line. You can check out these brushes and others at Target, as well as eyeslipsface.com. The first brush is called the "Eye Crease Brush"- and to me, it's sort of a hybrid between a crease brush and a pencil brush. It can be nice for smudging color- and it's a great shape for a medium-sized crease brush. It's not quite as precise as my Sigma pencil brush... but sometimes that's what I want. The second brush tends to come standard in most brush kits- but I wanted to mention it... since you can't beat the $1 price tag! This is the "Eyeshadow Brush"- great for just packing color on the lid. It's dense, soft, and surprisingly good quality. It's another brush I've loved for years!
Sonia Kashuk Smudge Brush... My description for this brush: small but mighty. I have a LOT of brushes... but nothing quite like this. I love using it to smudge a powder shadow on my lower lashline... this brush provides a softer application than a sharp-angled liner brush. You could also get a smudgier application of cream liners with a brush like this. While this brush isn't very wide- it has a little more thickness to the bristles than angled liner brushes. It's only $4.99 at Target, and I think you'll find a lot of ways to use it!
Coastal Scents Mini Brush... This teeny tiny brush has been great for getting a really controlled application of color wherever you want it. I use it most often to get a light shade in the area around the tear duct. One small problem- as I started blogging about this brush, I realized I couldn't find it anymore on the Coastal Scents website. I think it technically was called the mini contour brush- which doesn't make much sense to me... but still- I couldn't find it. I did find this brush though- which seems pretty similar and less than $3.

Amid all of this brush talk- please don't forget that sponge tip applicators (that some people will tell you to just throw away when you get your eyeshadow palettes) are NOT worthless. They're great for packing color on the lids, and even with a lot of brushes at my finger tips- sometimes the sponge tip just works best! It's also great for applying baked shadows wet! :)

♥

Daily Nuggets...

I know I've already put this on Twitter & Facebook today, but who cares... I GOT TO SEE A ZEBRA TODAY! For a morning show segment. Even though it was rainy & cold and I left the place smelling like farm- it was awesome.
Thinking about making my next Shopping List Ideas a "rediscovered" shopping list ideas video. All this blogging and less makeup shopping this month has caused me to uncover some hidden treasures in my own collection.
Tyler's latest sweet potato endeavor: mashed sweet potatoes... with just a little salt & butter. Huge success! I told him he must post a guest blog about all his sweet potato stuff.
Time to have some dinner. Have a nice night everyone!

Holiday Candle Haul!

2011-11-27T16:24:00.004-06:00

Hello friends! With the Christmas season comes a new round of special candles from Better Homes & Gardens at Wal-Mart! These big 18-ounce jar candles cost right around $5... but for a few dollars more you can get a slightly smaller candle (14.5 ounces) with a cute ceramic lid.

I've been buying these candles for a year or so now, and most recently I was obsessed with the fall Country Kettle Corn scent. I love these candles because they're big & burn a long time... but they also truly smell-up a room! (is that the right terminology? haha) After they burn for awhile and some hot wax develops at the top of the candle- they're just so fragrant. And I love my flameless candles... but I still really enjoy the look & scent of one of these lovely candles!

There are a number of great new holiday scents, but I picked up Frosty Peppermint Snow (which I haven't burned yet, but it smells AWESOME! I don't think I've ever had a minty candle before!), and I also have Spiced Apple Wreath. I burned that one while shooting my latest makeup tutorial and it was just delicious. The green color is also really pretty. When I was in Wal-Mart the other day, this lady looked at my cart and said- where did you find those adorable candles?! :)

And here's another cool thing... those nice ceramic lids will fit ANY of the large Better Homes & Gardens candles as well! I purchased a couple of them last year, and it's nice to know that just because you've used up the candle, you can still re-use the little lamp-shade type lid (which is obviously open at the top.) Those can also make a nice protective barrier from your cats! :) Still, I don't burn candles when Tyler or I aren't in the room.

♥

Daily Nuggets...

All holiday decorating is done... and the outdoor garland situation is solved. I put on a new string of lights & it's all good :)
Using Candy Cane Chapstick. It's so darn minty!
Currently wearing: sweatpants, v-neck t-shirt, and Turbie Twist. Fresh out of the shower!
I love how my mom calls me after she sees my new videos. She always likes them :)

Eye of the Day: Soft & Smokey

2011-11-26T17:01:00.002-06:00

Hello everyone! Hope you're having a good Saturday. Just wanted to take a minute to share today's eye look with you. Instead of using one palette, I was just playing around and pulled in a lot of random products (including one of the first eye palettes I ever used from Cover Girl!) The pictures don't really give off the warmth that this eye look has... but hopefully by seeing the products you can get a pretty good idea of what's going on. I see this as a good day or night look.

On my lips- I'm wearing Revlon Lip Butter in Creme Brulee, MAC lip pencil in Whirl, and MAC Lip Glass in Nymphette. The lip butter provides a nude base, the liner deepens things up a little, and the gloss gives a gold-toned shine.

On the eyes- I started with Urban Decay primer potion... but forgot to throw that in the picture!

Step by Step...

Following primer, I used my Mally Evercolor Shadow Stick in Saddle Shimmer (a brownish bronze) all over my lids, and also on my lower lashline.
Then I used the center shade in the Cover Girl Shimmering Sands trio all over my lids.
Using a fluffy crease brush, I blended the deepest shade in the CG trio in the crease.
I used the NYX single shadow in Sensual (the square shaped shadow in the pic) to create a bit of an "outer V" toward the outer corner of each eye.
MAC Twinks is a pretty warm brown with shimmer- so I blended that just above the crease with a fluffy brush so it would be barely visible with my eyes open. (it's the round single furthest to the left)
I used MAC Handwritten- a matte brown- with a pencil brush on the outer part of the lower lashline for some more definition on top of the Mally Shadow Stick.
I highlighted just under the brow and around the tear duct with the lightest shade in the CG trio.
I lined my waterline & upper lashline with Physician's Formula Shimmer Strips eyeliner for brown eyes... it came in a trio- and I used the black one for this look. Then I used a pencil brush to top the upper liner with NYX Sensual- it made the liner look a bit softer.
On my upper lashes, I used a sample size of Estee Lauder Sumptuous mascara... it did a nice job of providing length without the "funky ends"- as I call them.
I used Maybelline Lash Discovery mascara on my lower lashes for clump-free definition.

♥

Hope you enjoy this look! It was definitely the result of having some extra time to play around with my makeup application this morning... something I don't always have the chance to do on weekdays! It's after 5pm at this point- and I must say, this eye look had really good staying power. I credit the Mally Evercolor Shadow sticks... you can put them on the lower lashline & they'll stay without adding anything else... and yet if you DO put something on top of them, they help it all last longer. And I never have creasing issues when I use them on my lids. Woohoo!

Daily Nuggets...

Finally got batteries back in my flameless candles around the house!
Got most of my outdoor Christmas decorating done... it's nothing too extensive. But when it came to the lighted garland I put around the front door- half of it wouldn't light. :(
Been watching the Alabama-Auburn football game... gotta say, it's not very exciting.
Started hearing Christmas music again on the radio this afternoon! :)

Christmas Wishlist!

2011-11-25T21:51:00.005-06:00

Hey everyone! Just got the Christmas tree up and pretty much the whole inside of the house decorated today! Haven't had a nap- so I'm exhausted- but I just had to see it all get finished up! Much like last year, our tree has a lot of red and gold on it. Here's a pic- (plus Tyler's feet haha)

Since I worked today- I didn't go shopping for Black Friday... but I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have gone anyway! We had a lot of coverage on the morning show today of the long lines and people waiting in the cold... not really my idea of a good time, but if you shopped and found some great deals- more power to you! I did, however, browse some of my favorite beauty websites, and found a few items I'm very interested in for myself! I thought this could also be a fun wishlist blog tag if others want to do it too! :)

I've been debating about the Clarisonic for a REALLY long time! There's a good deal on the Mia 2 today on QVC. I would really like to try it and see once and for all if it's as good as everyone says! If you're not familiar with this product... it basically claims to give your skin the most thorough cleansing possible. I have tried the Philosophy Purity cleanser that comes with this, and I know I like that! Plus I LOVE this cute black & white leopard print with the red button... it'd look great in our bathroom!

I've gotten so many questions about the new "ready" shadows from Bare Minerals. Unlike the loose Bare Minerals shadows that have been around for years- these are pressed and I've heard rave reviews. This 8-shadow palette on QVC called "Cocktail Hour" looks really pretty. I think it'd be a nice way to try a range of shades.

After mentioning 2 items that would be brand new to me- I know these Philosophy lip shines are something I love. I remember years ago when my sister bought me Cinnamon Buns and I fell in love. Now Sephora is selling a 4-pack for $20- a great deal! The scents are all mouthwatering... Marshmallows for Toasting, Cinnamon Buns, Tinsel Town, and Peppermint Bark. In my experience with these- the lip shines offer sheer color and lots of shine, but what's really outstanding are the realistic scents (much like their 3 in 1 shower gels).

♥

Daily Nuggets...

I love decorating for Christmas. I even put up my little tree decorated with pink stuff in the Beauty Broadcast room :)
Tyler & I have been drinking Kroger brand Diet Lemon Lime pop like it's going out of style! I don't even like it that much! lol
Shot, edited, and posted my Beauty Stocking Stuffers video today!
I brought out my animated singing Christmas chipmunk and played it for Cupcake today. Her reaction was priceless! I must shoot a video showing this- it's hilarious!

Nails of the Day: Peachy!

2011-11-24T18:16:00.003-06:00

Hi everyone! Happy Thanksgiving!! It was sort of like a normal work day for me... but that's ok! I'll be heading in to work tomorrow also. Glad I got to see my family this past weekend. This evening I did some much needed nail painting... my last color was getting really chippy. You know what a great activity is while you wait for your nails to dry? iPad games. In between games of Angry Birds, I painted my nails with Essie Van D'Go.

It's the perfect creamy peach color. I've really gotten in the habit of wearing bold, fall-type colors on my nails lately, or really sparkly shades. So I was just kind of craving a more subtle, light nail look. I love this shade :) You're looking at 2 coats of this polish, topped with a clear top coat of Sally Hansen Mega Shine (my favorite top coat). Overall, I like Essie polishes, though I find that they take awhile to dry. There's a great color selection, and I find that I'm usually drawn to the pale colors in the brand. So here's my question... do you stick to traditional fall type shades this time of year, or do you like to throw in something light?

♥

Daily Nuggets...

Spent part of the afternoon working on my latest video. I did some planning for it yesterday too... stocking stuffers!!! I'm so excited.
I covered a story at a community Thanksgiving dinner today. 120 volunteers help put it on! So many sweet people.
I plan to start getting out the Christmas decorations tomorrow after work!
Turns out, it's not the tryptophan in turkey making you tired (you'd have to eat the whole turkey yourself to feel the effects!), it's all the Thanksgiving dinner carbs!

5 Daily Use Products

2011-11-23T18:00:00.004-06:00

Hi everyone! I just spent about 10 minutes standing around in my makeup room trying to figure out what to blog about for my daily post! Seems about right... after all, we're on day 23 of Non-Stop November! I decided it might be fun to pick out 5 products that I tend to use every single day, no matter what. I have a large makeup collection with a lot of products to choose from... I'll switch out foundations, concealers, eye makeup, cheek colors, and lip colors almost daily. But I realized, there are some products that I continue to use every day, regardless of the other products I change. I'd wear these products if it were a random day at work, a day shopping, or a night on the red carpet (if that ever happened! haha). They just work. So here you go!

left to right: Maybelline Define-a-Brow, L'oreal Double Extend Eye Illuminator, Bare Minerals Summer Bisque, IT Cosmetics My Sculpted Face Palette, Mally Beauty Poreless Face Defender.

Bare Minerals Summer Bisque... I've talked about this a lot, but it's a highly concentrated mineral powder that can be used alone as a full coverage concealer... my favorite way to use it is to set any cream based under-eye concealer I'm using. It instantly makes the area under my eyes bright and matte, and it doesn't settle into lines or make things look too dry. It comes in a range of shades- mine happens to be Summer Bisque. The coverage is impeccable. The few tiny granules of the product that you see here are all I have left... I'm waiting for the jumbo sized version to arrive from QVC any day now! I have a video on this product, if you'd like to check it out!
IT Cosmetics My Sculpted Face Palette... Another QVC find... this is the palette I reach for daily to give my face more shape. It comes with 5 matte colors, including one matte highlight, and then a shimmery highlight. I often use the shade in the lower left hand corner to contour my cheeks, and the shade above that to contour any other areas (nose, forehead, etc.) The matte highlight is genius. It gives great dimension and contrast to the contours, without adding lots of shine. Great for times when I'm on air, but even when I'm not... I just don't feel right not using this! I have a video on this, too.
L'oreal Double Extend Eye Illuminator... I have this double-ended pencil in a deep purple/cream shade. I pretty much only use it for the cream-colored end to line my lower inner rim when I want to look more awake. When your wake up call comes at 1:30 in the morning, you have to resort to tricks like this. I used to use a brighter white pencil from Rimmel to do this job, but for the past couple of months, I've been using this pencil... the cream color is less stark, but REALLY opens up the eye. I also don't have any irritation in my waterline when I use it and the texture is just really creamy. I'll sometimes use the plum, but frankly, I think this pencil is worth it just for the light-colored end. You don't see many (if any) liners that color in the drugstore.
Maybelline Define-a-Brow (dark brown)... You can't really tell by the picture, but this is a super duper fine pencil. It's just the right color for my brows, and while I don't require a ton of product on my brows (they're kind of full as-is), I still want whatever I use to look totally natural. I add some definition with this, and cover a small scar. I have no issues with the staying power, it doesn't feel greasy, and it has a little comb at one end that I'll sometimes use. I also usually finish my brow filling with a clear brow gel to keep things in place.
Mally Poreless Face Defender... This is a one of a kind product in my makeup collection! It's the last thing that touches my face before I go on the air in the mornings, and it's also my touch-up product. Basically- it's clear and you blot it on with a sponge... the blotting- not swiping- is key. If you're starting to get oily- this seems to eliminate the oil- leaving a satin finish to the skin. Think of it as an alternative to a pressed powder that can tend to look thick when you keep adding more & more. I describe this more in my Mally Favorites video!

Daily Nuggets...

Just watched last night's X-Factor... cried more than a few times. Can't believe how emotional some of the contestants' stories are.
Thank you SO much for the kind comments, tweets, etc. on my Thanksgiving video! I always expect to take some jabs from at least a few people in my videos, but I'm extra grateful that people have been nice to my family members. And thanks to my family for putting up with my shenanigans!
Cupcake is being a food snob.
Who else is working on Thanksgiving & Black Friday? :)

Early Thanksgiving!

2011-11-22T18:01:00.002-06:00

Hey everybody! Just wanted to devote today's post to my latest video. It's an Em's World video- which I need to get back in the habit of doing! This past weekend we visited my sister a few hours away for an early Thanksgiving... watch the video & check out the fun!

I also wanted to post this as a blog so you could easily link to more info. If you'd like to try one of the recipes mentioned in the video- check out my sister's blog! She has info (or links to info) on pretty much all of them. She also happens to be having a Print Sale on one of her watercolors... it makes a great gift & it's super affordable for her high quality work :)

Daily Nuggets...

Woke up really tired today, with tired-looking eyes. Must get more sleep. It's only Tuesday!
I had so much fun editing today's video. I'm really lucky to have my family.
Cupcake sends her best... although she wishes SHE was the cat star of the video.
Picked up a couple of mini Bodycology body sprays from Wal-Mart yesterday for a dollar apiece... one was vanilla cupcake, the other was brown sugar vanilla. Both AWESOME.

Coastal Scents Bright Eyed

2011-11-21T16:52:00.005-06:00

Hi friends! I've gotten more than a few questions on Twitter & Facebook on the Coastal Scents Bright Eyed eye brightener. It's available at the Coastal Scents website for $9.95. Go to this page and click your color for additional information. I have this concealer in both light and medium... the light color seems to actually have a slight peachy-salmon tint, which is great for correcting blue-toned under-eye discoloration. The medium just seems to be a deeper, skin-tone concealer. I've raved about this product here & there, but haven't posted an actual review... so here goes!

The Back-Story...

Several years ago I learned the value of a salmon-toned under-eye concealer. If your discoloration takes on a blue-ish tone, salmon is the best color to counteract it. The downside is that I've yet to find a concealer in a drugstore that has a salmon tone. I've found pink concealers... but not that peachy salmon color I'm looking for. I've found it from Bobbi Brown in her corrector... in a shade called Bisque. I've also found the color I'm looking for in Benefit Erase paste. Both are very creamy concealers, that have both coverage, and the right color. The Coastal Scents product I'm talking about today isn't technically "drugstore", nor is it a dupe when it comes to mimicking the coverage of Bobbi Brown & Benefit... but instead of costing 18 to 20 bucks, it's less than 10 and it has the right tone. So we're on the right track. If you want to experiment with a peachy-toned concealer, this might be a good place to start if you don't feel like spending double the price for a high-end concealer.

About Bright-Eyed...

I love the size of this... you really get a lot of product (20 ml), and the squeeze tube format is very helpful when it comes to getting all of that product out. This isn't really referred to as a concealer on the Coastal Scents website, but rather, an "eye brightener". It claims to have a lightweight, creamy consistency, and the site also notes that the light shade (the one I feel has that peachy tone) is ideal for beige to honey-toned skin. I consider that to be a pretty wide range.

(product appears darker in picture than it appears in real life)

Coverage-wise, this isn't the thickest coverage concealer I own. However it does do a good job of correcting discoloration, and the light texture actually allows it to wear rather well on the skin throughout the day. So while this might not be the best concealer for that stubborn sun spot on your face... it can do a good job around the eyes. I should also mention that not everyone has the same kind of discoloration around the eye... someone recently told me they have discoloration, but it's redness, not blue-toned. I'd suggest a person with redness around the eye use a skin-toned concealer- not something that puts added warmth on the area.

How I Get the Best Results...

With my fingers, I pat this concealer around my eye area... making sure to dab it on the sides of the nose, which can get dark on me, and also under the eye- right up to the lower lashline. You can build the coverage a bit without it looking cakey, however if you do have fine lines- I recommend dabbing those lines with a q-tip after applying this concealer to ensure that the excess product doesn't just sit in those lines. I do this trick with just about any concealer.

I also like to set this concealer with a product from Bare Minerals called Summer Bisque... this comes in multiple shades of bisque, but is a highly concentrated mineral powder that I find gives a really nice matte, brightened finish to the under-eye area. It basically says to the cream-based concealer, "it's ok, you can only do so much, but I can handle it the rest of the way." This technique is shown in my Full Coverage Concealer Trick video. Ever since I learned about this concept from QVC host Lisa Robertson- I've been making average concealers work so much better. I don't think you absolutely HAVE to do that trick with this concealer, but it does make a nice finishing touch for a more matte appearance. Hope this review was helpful to you! :)

Daily Nuggets...

I went grocery shopping today and bought a lot of fresh produce (pats self on back).
I sat with Cupcake in front of the Duraflame for awhile today... so warm & cozy!
Sometimes people ask me if something I recommended in a video was really worth buying. I wouldn't recommend it if I didn't think it was worth it! Just sayin'.
Angry Birds just doesn't get any easier!

Cute Kabuki Brushes from Ecotools

2011-11-20T15:49:00.004-06:00

Hi everyone! Back home after a great weekend at my sister's place. Sorry about the odd photo layout on my last blog post... I posted the pictures from my phone & some are apparently too large for the blog layout. You probably get the point though... family & lots of food! I also shot some video so I'll have to get that edited into an Em's World soon! :)

For now- the lowdown on some adorable brushes from Ecotools! This set is the limited edition Beautiful Expressions Kabuki set. I bought it for $14.99 at Target, but I assume you could find this set most places where Ecotools products are sold. If you've been keeping up with my blogs & videos for awhile, you know I'm a fan of Ecotools brushes. They have a reputation for being made out of Earth-friendly products... they're also incredibly soft well constructed. You can also find Ecotools in stores like Wal-Mart, Ulta, and Target, so I also enjoy the accessibility. Each brush in this kit has a special purpose- as listed below... and they're made with synthetic taklon bristles and recycled aluminum handles.

left to right: conceal, bronze, contour, and buff

Conceal (round kabuki) While I'd classify all of the other brushes as somewhat "fluffy", this brush is the most tightly packed. The info on the packaging says you can use this brush with liquid concealer or foundation... I've actually used this with my Bare Minerals Summer Bisque to set my under-eye concealer for a really matte, brightened look. The shape is really perfect for small areas, and the density of the brush provides a lot of coverage. It's soft, yet rather stiff. If you like to use mineral products, I think you'll notice a new level of coverage with this brush.
Bronze (angled kabuki) This brush could really be used for just about anything... not just bronzer. I'm so impressed with the size of this brush- although you might think you're getting a miniature set of brushes- you're not. This reminds me of a big powder brush only cut at an angle. It's really nicely tapered, so you don't get any harsh edges.
Contour (domed kabuki) This is definitely a great contour brush. Much less tightly packed than the "conceal" brush, so you really feel like you can blend with it. I hate trying to contour my cheeks with brushes that are too small. This brush is really a nice size for not only contouring the cheeks, but also the nose, forehead, etc. Also, I'm not sure if you can tell by the picture but this brush has a super cute peacock feather design on the handle.
Buff (flat top kabuki) I love this brush for just an overall blender. I've tried other kabuki brushes that seem a little more stiff, and lets say you wanted a lot of coverage out of a powder or mineral foundation... you want a dense, stiff kabuki to really lay on the product. This one is just a little "lighter", and will give you a lighter application of powder products- or it could be great for blush, finishing powder, or just any additional blending you need.

Overall Impressions...

Really, really impressed with this set of brushes. I'd seen pictures of them online before I saw them in stores, and was a little worried that they'd just be a mini set of brushes that looked cute, but weren't really practical. Seeing them in person, I could tell that they were actually sizes that I could use. Don't let the small handles fool you... the brush on the end is a size that measures up to other larger brushes in my collection. Another great thing I've noticed... I've had NO issues with these shedding! It's really kind of amazing. Plus each has a different color and design on the handle- so cute! The one thing that's a little odd is that unlike most Ecotools brush sets, this one doesn't come with any little travel pouch... and I could see these little brushes taking a beating at the bottom of a makeup bag- so you'll have to come up with your own way to tote them around. Maybe use a brush guard, a small makeup pouch, or something like that. Does anyone else have this brush set? How do you like to use them?

Daily Nuggets...

Wish I was still at my sister's spending time with my family! This weekend went by too fast.
Cupcake was happy to see us when we came home though!
I am now obsessed with Angry Birds. So is my dad. Thanks Pup! ;)
Rams game is all tied up... time to check it out!

Early Thanksgiving!

2011-11-19T18:11:00.001-06:00

Hey everyone! I'm trying to blog from my phone since I don't have my computer with me. We traveled to my sister's for an early thanksgiving! She and Jeff made an awesome meal! Just wanted to share a few pics in this blog on-the-go!

Daily Nuggets Special & TGIF Haul

2011-11-18T19:03:00.005-06:00

Hello everyone! I'm very disappointed in myself. I missed 2 DAYS of my Non-Stop November blog posts! I do have a reason though... starting Wednesday, this week got really weird. This first part of the story wasn't so much stressful, as it was bizarre. First off, we have a new segment this month on the morning show called "Wild Wednesday" where we feature a viewer's unusual animal. We've had an owl, a camel, and this week... a llama!

Llama Drama

I must say, I love llamas. So when this llama appeared in our newsroom- right off to the side of our set, patiently waiting with its owner... I was overcome with how cute she was! Then things got ugly. After about 5 minutes, while my co-anchor Kevin & I were anchoring... we hear the tell-tale sound of a stream of liquid hitting the floor. Yep. The llama went #1 and #2 right by my desk in the newsroom. (still anchoring) I hear the handler hustle the llama into the hallway... then we hear a major crashing sound... as if the llama kicked a hole in the wall or something (still reading news).

Ok... now we're in a commercial break- and it's almost showtime for the llama! We quickly get off of our massive desk on wheels- slide it out of the way- and prep the floor for the llama... um... where's the llama? Turns out that big noise we heard was the llama slipping and falling in its own #1 and #2 mess that it continued to make once the handler took it into the hallway.

With about a minute to spare, the handler, Dayle, gets the llama on the set, tells me about the mess, and explains why the llama is dripping wet. Gross. Fortunately, she said the llama wasn't hurt when she fell. We ended up making it through the interview with no messes.... and Kevin and our producer Weston were already in the hallway trying to clean things up- bless their hearts. I'll spare you the picture, but it was a big mess. During that next commercial break, all we could do was laugh. I mean... who could've imagined we'd be dealing with a llama mess at the TV station. Even our news director was cracking up. It'll go down in history as one of the most unusual days on the morning show.

Anchoring AM and PM

Now to the real reason why I wasn't able to find time for blogging the past couple of days. One of our evening anchors had a death in the family, so our news director asked if I could do the 5pm in addition to the morning show Wednesday and Thursday. What's another half hour of news? I said sure... and it really wasn't a super big deal. I just had to go home after the morning show and come back in the afternoon. And keep my 2am makeup job looking fresh at 5pm (possibly the biggest challenge). Anyway, Wednesday... after the llama drama... I went home, then came back, anchored the 5pm, and came home... almost immediately noticing migraine symptoms. My vision was getting blurry and rather than blogging, I had to take my migraine pill and get to bed immediately in hopes of getting up for the morning show in a matter of hours. Thank goodness, the combo of sleep and medication left me feeling only mildly bad Thursday morning... and I again did am show, pm show, and then turned around this morning for the am show. The whole time period pretty much ran together. I was glad to be able to fill in... but could've done without the migraine.

TGIF

Needless to say, I'm glad it's Friday. After a quick meal at Steak & Shake, Tyler and I went to Walgreens, where I purchased stuff I didn't need. I call it retail therapy after a rough week. I picked up this lovely pink sequined santa hat...

As well as these INSANE socks! Apparently that's a character from Rudolph? I don't even remember. All I know is I'll be seeing my sister tomorrow and I know she's going to completely crack up when she sees these socks. I couldn't even glance at them in the checkout without laughing. When I finally paid for this stuff, the cashier goes, "looks like you're getting in the holiday spirit." Um, yeah! I also got 2 more lip butters (Raspberry Pie and Cherry Tart)- Lord knows I don't need more lip products... and I got Cover Girl Super Thick Lash mascara simply because it caught my eye and I haven't tried it in ages.

♥

Anyway, these stories were probably longer & more drawn out than anyone wanted to read, but that was my wacky few days! Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Nails of the Day: Purple Sparkle!

2011-11-15T19:02:00.004-06:00

Whew! Barely got my daily blog post up! My latest video has spent the ENTIRE AFTERNOON uploading and I try not to slow things doing by doing other things on the computer. It's just processing now, so in an effort to get to bed at a halfway decent time, I'll make this post short. You know I like sparkle, and even after a less-than-great experience with the Wet n Wild limited edition polish in 24 Carats... I thought I'd give this dazzling purple/pink shade a shot. It's called "Back Alley Deals" (awesome name), and I believe this is from the Ice Baby limited edition collection as well. Unlike the 24 Carats polish that had little "sticks" of glitter that I believe resulted in premature chipping, this polish just has traditional pieces of glitter.

The polish is made up of a very fine purple glitter, paired with slightly larger magenta glitter pieces. In person, the nails actually appear slightly more pink. They're gorgeous, and they make me think "Mardi Gras" when I look at them. I've been asked if I can get away with fun nails like this for the news... since no rules on nails have been presented to me, nails are my small form of news rebellion. You really don't get a close look at my nails during the news anyway, so I'm guessing most people don't pick up on it. Fun random newscast fact: we're having a llama on the show tomorrow. If a llama is allowed... why not purple nails? I rest my case.

I applied 2 coats of the glitter polish, but something you really need to keep in mind with glittery nails is the top coat. You see, when you have glittery nails, the rough texture will open you up to tons of chips. I suggest using the thickest top coat you can find (Sally Hansen Mega Shine, or maybe Seche Vite top coat), and apply whatever you need to get a mostly smooth texture on the nail. I actually applied 2 layers of top coat. Not only will the glitter be more brilliant when it hits the light, but it'll last longer.

♥

Beauty Broadcast...

I would love a foot rub right now.
I would also love some sweet potato fries... anyone want to tackle these jobs for me?
Still loving the Duraflame and will probably talk about it in a video so you can see how it works :)

Laura Geller Toast of the Town Collection

2011-11-14T15:54:00.003-06:00

Hey everyone! I wanted to tell you about this set from Laura Geller I picked up a month or so ago from Ulta. As you know, I'm a fan of Laura Geller's baked products, and I was eager to try a new blush, as well as this eyeshadow palette. Plus, I can always use a backup of Balance & Brighten, which I love as a full coverage powder/powder foundation. The cost was $59.95, and if you want to see more info & customer ratings, check the Ulta website. I thought the cost was actually a pretty good deal considering everything is full size- except I think the Spackle primer is a bit smaller.

In limited edition blinged-out packaging, you get the Baked Eye Dreams Palette in Bellini, Balance & Brighten (my shade is medium), Blush & Brighten in Mimosa, Spackle Tinted primer in Champagne, i-Care Waterproof Eyeliner Pencil in Purple Paradise, and a double ended applicator- it's a sponge tip & an angled brush.

Before we get into the color products, I want to give my 2 cents on the Champagne tinted Spackle. After trying & enjoying regular Spackle, I was really excited to try something with a little added glow. Spackle has sort of a wet texture, but it dries & has a nice effect on your skin's texture. Same story with this, only there's actual bits of glitter in the champagne Spackle. Granted, it'll be buried under foundation, powder, blush, etc... but I really don't want the glitter on my face. So I wouldn't buy that again.

The packaging is absolutely gorgeous! It's a shimmery gold all the way around. And it's not glitter that can flake off... it just has a slight texture to it that makes the metallic color really shine. These are the kinds of products you might want to just stack up & leave out on your vanity! :)

The Balance & Brighten and the Blush & Brighten are actually slightly domed in the packaging. And trust me, it's not hollow on the inside... these actually begin as cream products and are baked on terra cotta tiles. I recently "hit tile" on my mini Bronze & Brighten and it took a LONG time after consistent use. I can only imagine how long these full sizes will last me. Balance & Brighten is a great product to wear on top of a foundation that didn't give you quite enough coverage- it gives a nice, perfected look to the skin and the varying tones swirled through it seem to really even out my skin tone. Balance & Brigthen is also a great quick product to throw on over a little concealer. I use a full powder brush, or a kabuki brush (for more coverage) to apply it. While the shadows are also baked, they're not domed, FYI. More on the shadows in a minute...

The blush in Mimosa is a beautiful coral-pink. Keep in mind though- it has a lot of shimmer. Not like chunks of glitter... but when I use this, I usually don't use a highlight on top, because this is all the glow I need. If you want to check out a drugstore alternative to Laura Geller's Blush & Brighten products, look for Milani Baked Blushes.

The shadows are SO pretty, and I really like the configuration in this kit- especially because they threw in a pinky shade, which can make them look a little different from a typical neutral look. They go on very velvety & pigmented. Of course, there are quite a few shadows- including drugstore ones- that I feel are velvety & pigmented. I guess what I'm trying to say is- if you get this kit, you won't be disappointed by the shadows, but I wouldn't necessarily seek out this kit for the shadows in particular. They're just not THAT unique. The liner was sort of average for me. It had decent staying power, but wasn't all that pigmented and saturated with color. The double ended brush wasn't all that special, since the brush side was cut too blunt for my liking (hard to really blend with), and the other end was a sponge tip, which I have a zillion of.

Bottom Line: This is a gorgeous kit, and the big 3 baked products are great. The liner was so-so for me, and while I like Spackle, I don't love glitter in Spackle. If you're curious about Laura Geller, this could be a nice way to try the line, however I think one of the BEST ways to try her products is the Laura Geller Baked Beginnings kit. For $20 less, you get smaller sizes of Balance & Brighten, Bronze & Brighten, and Blush & Brighten. Folks, I've had this for a LONG time and I'm still going on these! They'll truly last a long time and Bronze & Brighten is freaking awesome. So that's definitely something to consider if you want to try Laura Geller! You'll see more Laura Geller in an upcoming video from me :)

♥

Daily Nuggets...

It's mid-November and it's MUGGY out. Now it's about to start storming. Weirdness!
Since I gave Tyler my cold, I went to Dollar General today to get him medications. Always good times at the DG.
Our Duraflame Electric Stove Heater came in the mail today. I AM IN LOVE. This thing is too cute. Thinking about devoting a blog or video to it!
Girl Scout cookies came in today. Samoas baby!!

Rediscovered Favorite: Wet n Wild Vanity Palette!

2011-11-13T16:11:00.003-06:00

Hello everyone! Do you ever watch a YouTube video and then run to your makeup area because you've just been inspired? That happened to me today. Well, I didn't actually run to my makeup room. Anyway, I saw not one, but two videos QueenofBlendingMUA did on her channel using the Wet n Wild Vanity palette.

Story time! When these 6-color palettes first came out from Wet n Wild, I didn't immediately purchase this one. At first glance, I thought the colors were common and I didn't think I needed it. My mom was actually looking for matte neutral shadows, so we picked this up for her at one point, and she enjoys it. Then, time passed and I figured I could never go wrong with an even split of matte & shimmer neutrals all in one palette... so I got it for myself. It's only gotten occasional use, but after watching QueenofBlending's artful use of the matte colors, I thought I needed to give it another shot.

As you can see- the left side is matte, and the right side is shimmery. If you watched my video on the latest Wet n Wild products, you know that some of these shades overlap with the new I ♥ Matte palette. Anyway... my look isn't exactly what QueenofBlending did, but I used mostly the matte side and was SO pleased with the texture, blendability, and tone of these colors.

I applied the lightest matte shade on the inner part of the lid, and as a highlight
I used the medium matte brown on the center of the lid...
Then I added the dark matte brown on the outer part of the lid, and in the outer V area.
Blended out the darkness with a bit more of the medium shade.
Smudged the shimmery brown on the lower lashline...
Added a very fine line of black liner to the upper lashline & black mascara to the upper & lower lashes... I'm really enjoying Almay's Get up & Grow mascara! :)
My lips are Revlon Matte Lipstick in Stormy Pink with a clear gloss on top.

Hope you enjoyed this look! It's just so natural and really plays off of the natural tones in your skin to create some really nice contours. Works great with any lip color you choose! I plan to do an all matte tutorial- probably using the Wet n Wild I ♥ Matte palette very soon! :)

♥

Daily Nuggets...

I don't think I'm going to call it a no-buy... but through Christmas I'm planning to cut back on new makeup purchases. I just made a basket of things in my collection I'm going to make a point to use in the coming week.
Hope you had a chance to see the new video I posted this morning! :)
It has continued to be SO WINDY today! wowza!
I think it's time for a little hot tea. Have a good night!

Glammed-up Tweezers!

2011-11-12T15:28:00.003-06:00

Hey everyone! Super quick blog today since I have company coming soon! Just wanted to show off a special item I found at Walgreens for ONE DOLLAR last week! I think you know why these caught my attention... they're pink AND sparkly!

There was no brand name on these tweezers. There was a special section near the cosmetics that had a bunch of "stocking stuffer" type items... lip glosses, lotions, socks... and blinged-out tweezers! For only a dollar, I couldn't turn them down. Plus- it's always nice to have an extra pair. They're easy to lose... and they're one of those things that I'm likely to forget when I travel. This way I can have an extra pair in my travel bag.

I currently use some light pink Tweezerman tweezers, which I like very much. You probably can't tell by this picture, but the tip of these tweezers is slightly angled, which I like. The texture of the glitter feels just a bit gritty, but I don't mind. It doesn't seem to flake off. Despite being a dollar, they seem to work fine and handled all of my tweezing needs today... I can't go a day without tweezing my eyebrows! :)

♥

Daily Nuggets...

Tyler's sisters- the twins- are visiting soon!
It's very gray & windy outside... leaves are blowing around everywhere. Feels like fall!
After you clean the house, do you ever like to just stand around and look at it? lol :)
I edited a new video this morning- I'll try to post it early tomorrow. It was a viewer request & I'm super excited about it!

New Nail Polish Storage!

2011-11-11T19:57:00.002-06:00

Hi friends! It's Friday- yay! Happy Veterans Day to all members of the military- I hope it's been a good day for you. For today's blog, I thought I'd show my recently re-vamped nail polish storage. Before this method, things were really getting disorganized. My new method for sorting things out is not only cheap... but it involves a kitchen item!

First off, this is my narrow white bookshelf. When we were in our apartment, our landlord offered us this leftover piece of furniture for free. In my mom's words- "you can never turn down good storage!" so we put it in the spare bedroom that doubled as my makeup room. When we moved into our house, I knew this piece was coming with us. With a fresh coat of white paint, it fit perfectly in the corner of my current makeup room. It now holds a small flatscreen TV, my beauty books, some random knick knacks, and nail stuff!

Here's a closer look at the bottom two shelves... at the very bottom I have nail accessories like files, remover, lotion and manicure kits. I also have a container filled with polishes I don't often use, along with a small container of clear polishes, base coats, strengtheners, etc.

Now this is where the fun begins! I re-did my nail polish with these clear 3-tiered spice racks that I found at The Container Store. When I went there, I wasn't sure what I'd find and I didn't take the time to measure the space I had. When I came across these tiered spice racks, I knew it was something I could work with. I just grabbed a wide one and a narrow one... not assuming they'd both fit perfectly in one shelf! Turns out the shelf is 17 inches wide, the larger rack is 10 inches, and the smaller rack is 6 inches. Perfect! I have just enough wiggle room to easily pull them out if I want. It's plenty of room to accommodate a big variety of polishes... and I probably enjoyed myself a little too much as I divided them by color. I have sections of metallics, pinks, reds, colors, and dark colors.

There are tons of different sizes of polishes, but in some cases, I can fit 3 front to back- in one level. Something I love about these racks is the raised border around each level. So if I want to slide the tray out, they won't fall off. Also, there's nothing about these spice racks that scream "kitchen!!!" They're just super basic and I could definitely see these being used for makeup storage as well... whether it's on a bookshelf or on top of a vanity.

All in all, don't forget to check the kitchen section of any store if you're looking for ways to improve your makeup storage. I've had good luck with a lazy susan turntable from Wal-Mart, as well as silverware dividers, and other random stuff! I'm sure you could find spice racks similar to these at stores other than The Container Store. If you have any other good makeup storage ideas, let me know!

♥

Daily Nuggets...

Tyler & I went out to dinner and had the most amazing pizza at DiMaggio's in Carbondale!
On the downside, there was a serious accident on our way home & traffic was majorly backed up.
Tyler is watching a basketball game on TV that's being played on an aircraft carrier. How cool is that?
I am so tired after this week. Having a cold really drains you.

Seasonal Shower Gels

2011-11-10T17:18:00.002-06:00

Hi everyone! I'm so excited I've kept up with my Non-Stop November blog posts so far! :) I get most of my best ideas when I'm in the shower (why that is, I don't know), but that's where the idea for this blog post comes from. I'm a big fan of shower products, and while there are tons of great scents, some brands put out some special, seasonal scents now and then.

To prevent the need for a storage container within the shower (can you imagine?!), I took some of my more fruity & tropical scented body washes out, and replaced them with a couple of my favorite Christmas scents from last year. I plan to keep this kind of rotation going, because I can't get through a whole shower gel in a season, and it seems new again when I make the switch! Here are a few of the special shower gels I'm using for the season...

Philosophy Candy Cane... I got this for Christmas last year. It smells exactly the way you think it would... smooth, strong peppermint. Probably the mintiest mint-scented thing I've smelled with the exception of Altoids. It has a little sweetness to it too, and it's just a really invigorating body wash. Use it in the morning to perk yourself up, or if you have a cold like me, take a whiff and clear your sinuses!
Philosophy Snow Angel... This is a new body wash for me- it came in the most recent QVC Beauty Test Tube (if you can't find those on the QVC website right now- they're out of stock. I'll let you know if I see them again). Over the years I've tried a variety of yummy Philosophy body washes, and this doesn't rank high in terms of being unique, but it is something a the dude in your life could use and still feel very dude-like. It's very fresh, clean, and crisp... kind of like a breath of fresh air. Really clean, but definitely seems like a unisex scent to me.
Softsoap Holiday Cookie... This is another shower gel I found last year... not sure if this same scent will be available this year, or if Softsoap will put out new scents. This is described as a combination of vanilla, brown sugar, and a hint of ginger. It's just a really yummy scent. I'm a sucker for products that smell like baked goods.

Question: What shower gels do you love to use during the fall/winter months?

♥

Daily Nuggets...

I enjoyed making a Paula Deen reference in my Revlon Lip Butter video. It took me 2 afternoons to edit, but I'm so happy with the way it turned out. It was worth the extra time.
Tyler made sweet potato fries. He makes THE BEST sweet potato fries!
Still dealing with that pesky cold, but I think it's improving.
Episodes of Seinfeld never get old for me.
There's a Disney event happening tomorrow in my area, so today I got to do a segment on the morning show with Cinderella, Snow White, and a dwarf :)
Tomorrow is Friday!

The Foundation Transformer

2011-11-09T16:58:00.002-06:00

Hey friends! Hope you're having a good week! I'm still dealing with a cold, but all things considered, I'm ok! I wanted to write a quick blog on something I know I've mentioned before... but I thought it deserved more explanation. I think we've all tried foundations that weren't quite right for us. A common scenario for me is that I'll love the look of a foundation when I first put it on, but then it looks not so good by the end of the day. For the news, I need both coverage and staying power... and there's a certain foundation that can give me just that!

Revlon Colorstay foundation is regarded by many as a very long-wearing formula. It comes in two varieties depending on your skin type... Normal/Dry or Combination/Oily (my type). Sometimes if I wear this foundation alone, it can feel a bit thick, so I counteract that by applying it with a damp makeup sponge. The result is a really long-wearing foundation that keeps oil around my t-zone at bay. Lately, one of my FAVORITE ways to wear this foundation is in combination with other foundations that I've found to be less than long-wearing. Not only am I improving staying power, but I'm getting use out of products I initially thought weren't so great! I'll do it in one of two ways...

Combine foundations first- Sometimes I'll just tap a little Colorstay on my hand along with a second foundation, mix them together, and then apply them all over my face.
Pre-contour on the face- My color in Colorstay (Fresh Beige) is often just a bit light for my skin tone. So sometimes- with my finger- I'll just dot the foundation in areas I want to highlight- down the nose, center of the forehead, under the eyes, and chin. Then I'll apply a different foundation on my temples, jaw, etc. After that I use a brush (usually the Sigma F80) to blend over the Colorstay portions and then the other areas. The result not only looks blended, but really natural due to the color variation.

In case you were wondering, a few of the foundations I've successfully used with Colorstay include...

Maybelline Dream Liquid Mousse
Maybelline Fit Me Foundation
Cover Girl Nature Luxe Foundation
Revlon PhotoReady Foundation
Neutrogena Healthy Skin
L'oreal True Match

In some cases, these are foundations that don't have very good staying power or coverage, but in terms of Revlon PhotoReady and Neutrogena Healthy Skin... I think these are good foundations on their own, but I like how they balance out Colorstay. The end result with all of these combos is a look that keeps looking fresh at the end of my work day. Thanks for reading!

♥

Daily Nuggets...

Spent a lot of the afternoon editing a video that I thought would be so simple! I've noticed I have a tendency of getting big ideas and making things complicated. Hopefully it's cool when I finish & upload tomorrow!
I recorded the Robin Roberts "In the Spotlight" special she did on several country music stars. Just watched it & really enjoyed it!
I find this whole Penn State sexual abuse scandal so disturbing and disappointing.
Time to take another cold pill & get some rest.

Nails of the Day: Icy Lavender

2011-11-08T16:51:00.003-06:00

Hey everyone! A year or so ago I was really into the glue-on french manicure nails. They always looked so nice, but lately I'm getting much more enjoyment out of my nail polish collection. I look forward to choosing a new color, and even experimenting with different (easy) nail designs. This look is pretty simple though... just a couple of coats of a great nail color. The shade is called "Miss Independent" from Nicole by OPI. I found it at Target for a few dollars. Not sure if you can tell by the picture, but it's a metallic silver with the slightest hint of lavender. I notice the soft purple tone quite a bit in person... and it's a shade unlike anything in my collection- nor is it like anything else I've seen in stores.

The shimmer in this polish is so fine, and it doesn't have a gritty texture on the nails at all. Two coats gave me even, opaque color. I topped it off with my Milani Glosse Top Coat. I just painted my nails with this color on Sunday, and we're almost to Wednesday with no chips. Again- as it catches the light, the silver tone is really prominent, but otherwise this nail color has the prettiest icy lavender tone. Love it! Please let me know if you enjoy the nail-related posts... it's something I hadn't really done much until recently.

Daily Nuggets...

This month we're doing a morning show segment called "Wild Wednesday"... so in preparation for that, I got to meet some camels, goats, peacocks, and more! I just posted an album on my Facebook page.
I hate having a cold.
I need to shoot some more Cupcake cam at some point.
No sign of the grey & white cat mentioned in my last Daily Nuggets, but I'll keep you posted.

Crock Pot Enchilada Soup!

2011-11-07T16:45:00.003-06:00

Hey everyone! I'm feeling a little under the weather today... I believe it's either a cold or allergies. It's definitely the type of feeling that makes you want some warm soup! And over the weekend I made what I feel is one of the tastiest things I've created in my crock pot. Behold- crock pot Chicken Enchilada Soup! (I think I mistakenly tweeted that this was chicken tortilla soup... but the recipe says enchilada!)

Ok, I realize the presentation is less than impressive in my microwaveable Ziplock container, but I'm eating my leftovers today and this is what I'm using. As with many good ideas that have come into my life lately, I discovered this on Pinterest... you can check out my page here. Anyway... when I saw a picture of this soup on there, I clicked a couple of times and ended up at the Homemade by Holman blog, where there were pictures, a recipe, and instructions for making this on the stove top or in a crock pot. Thank you to Homemade by Holman for the FANTASTIC recipe!

Click here for the recipe! :)

A few notes from me...

I totally forgot to pick up jalapenos. But it was plenty spicy even without them.
I didn't include black beans because Tyler & I don't really love them...
I compensated by adding some extra corn
I couldn't find cotija cheese in my store... I replaced that part of the recipe with more pepperjack.
In terms of the the way the spices came together-- I felt it was PERFECT. The flavor was awesome & I didn't feel the need to tweak the taste at all.
Serve with an extra sprinkling of pepperjack, and I love eating this with Fritos corn chips... they're a bit more substantial than regular corn chips & soak up some of the broth without dissolving.
All in all, think of this as a mexican stew. The chicken turns out SO tender and takes on so much flavor. Tyler and I agreed- this was both filling and flavorful and we'll be enjoying the leftovers for awhile!

♥

Daily Nuggets...

I had some of the STRANGEST dreams last night. I can't remember lots of details except for these few tidbits... wedding, dance routine, Elton John, Steven Tyler, and moments where I was trying to sleep and my room was full of people acting like nothing was going on.
A grey and white cat has made an appearance on my deck. The cat seems large & well-fed. Not sure what to do...
Posted my Everyday Smokey Eye on YouTube. If you've ever felt smokey-eye challenged, I hope you'll give this look a shot :)

Tarte: Puttin' on the Glitz

2011-11-06T16:02:00.004-06:00

Hey everyone! It's that time of year where all the brands are putting out fabulous gift sets. The folks at Tarte gave me the opportunity to try and review their limited edition Puttin' on the Glitz collection. Just click that link if you want to check it out on the Tarte website- it's $48.00. The idea here is that you get a small, clutch-like purse with a golden chain that makes it long enough to be worn in a cross-body style. You also get three separate color palettes- each with six eyeshadows and a cheek color. Also included- a PureOptic lip gloss and a little pamphlet to give you some ideas for how to use everything. In this post I'll share lots of pics and descriptions, and also my overall review!

Both the palettes and the purse have a metallic silver reptile print, and everything is lined with plum. There are snaps on the side of each palette, so when you're on the go- you can choose whichever palette you want to use and it'll just snap into the purse. There's also a little elastic band to hold the lip gloss, a small mirror, a space for credit cards/cash, and a little slot where the instruction booklet was hiding when I got it.

Below you can see the three separate color palettes (these do not include mirrors). They all have a magnetic closure, but it seems to be rather weak... so don't be careless if you're just tossing these into a purse on their own.

left to right: Walk in the Park, Nine to Five, and Girls Night Out

Walk in the Park

Walk in the Park has 3 matte shades- a dark brown, light brown, and cream.
The shimmery shades are a forest green, bronze, and champagne.
The bronzer is also shimmery, and not super deep in color. It's the Park Avenue Princess shade of Amazonian Clay bronzer. Could be worn lightly to add a little glow to most skin tones.
With the exception of the green shade, the eyeshadows remind me a lot of the Wet n Wild 6-color Vanity palette.
I don't consider there to be any "duds" in this set. The matte shades are rich and pigmented, and the shimmers are pigmented without being gritty or flakey. The dark brown and green make nice liner shades and I really love the bronzy/brown in this kit as well.

Nine to Five

There's one matte shadow in this set- it's the light taupe in the lower left corner.
The remaining shimmery shades include a bronze, plum, light peach, light pink, and cream.
The blush is a soft, shimmery pink- it's the Amazonian Clay blush in Darling.
I LOVE the top 2 shades. Big fan of bronze & plum, especially worn together and these are gorgeous. They also make nice smudgy liners- but aren't dark enough to provide lots of definition in that way.
I'm not head over heels for the rest of these colors. I can't really come up with a good use for the matte, light taupe. The light peach and cream shades are nice, but nothing really different.
The one "dud" shade in this palette is the light pink in the center on the right. This shade was pretty flakey and didn't apply in a very pigmented way.

Girls' Night Out

This is the dramatic kit of the bunch. You get 2 deep matte shades- a black and a plum.
There are 2 super shimmery shades in the center- a silvery lilac and charcoal.
The two lightest shades are a bit more pearly- a lilac and a light pink.
You also get a pretty highlight- and Amazonian Clay shimmering powder with a hint of a golden tone- reminds me of candlelight, and could easily be a shadow as well.
I love the overall look that a palette like this creates- I love smokey plum. The matte colors are everything you'd want from a matte eyeshadow and also make great liners.
I also really enjoy the charcoal, as well as the two lighter colors.
I won't really call it a "dud", but for me, the most eye-catching color in this palette- the silvery lilac (center, left) is also the most flakey and generates the most fall-out when you tap into it with a brush. Pack in on your eye with a nice primer or base, and it looks pretty- it's just not the easiest to work with.

You also get a PureOptic lip gloss with this kit- the creamy, medium-pink shade is infused with Maracuja Oil (another signature Tarte ingredient). This has a smooth, non-sticky texture and a minty scent.

♥

My Review

The overall packaging concept...

Unlike the Tarte Starlet collection (click here to watch my video review), this set is all about portability. However, I don't know if it's just me, but when I go out, I usually just take a lip gloss and a compact mirror. (add lash glue if I'm wearing falsies.) Besides moments when I touch-up before the newscast, I never touch up my eyeshadow or blush when I'm having a night out with friends, or running errands. So the ability to snap an eyeshadow palette into a little purse isn't that much of a draw for me. It's a cute little purse, but you really can't fit much else into it. And call me paranoid... but if I'm going to the club- I don't want my dear sweet eyeshadow palette getting smushed in a crowd or spilled on. The little purse doesn't offer that much protection. Not to mention the fact that if I'm going to take an eyeshadow palette on-the-go, I'm going to also need brushes. Can't really fit those in the purse.

Fortunately, these aren't GLUED into the purse, so you can just use these on their own... throw them into your travel bag for a weekend trip or holiday travels. If you're like me and you take a makeup bag to work, you can just put the little wallet-sized palette in there and you're all good! So where packaging is concerned- I'm not nuts about the little purse, but the brand redeemed itself with the ability to just tote the palettes around on their own- something many of the gigantic holiday collections don't allow you to do easily. It seems that the magnets that hold the little palettes closed aren't super strong, but not to the extent that I feel scared to put these in my makeup bag and take them somewhere. Just be a little cautious.

Quality of the makeup...

If you're a fan of Tarte eyeshadows and Amazonian clay blushes/bronzers- you're going to enjoy these palettes. The shadows have the classic Tarte appearance and quality. As I noted above, a couple of shadows here and there are a bit flakey, but as a whole, they're very nice quality- with good pigmentation and great staying power when used with a primer. Don't feel like you can't mix and match colors among the three kits. Each one contains at least one matte color, and I find them to be very user-friendly and wearable across the board. If you're looking for Urban Decay style bright colors- this may not be what you're looking for. But if you want to add some neutrals & smokey plums to your collection- this is right up your alley. It's also a pretty safe gift item for someone else. The little pamphlet numbers every eyeshadow and then gives you some ideas of how to wear them if you (or the gift recipient) feel lost.

The Girls Night Out palette is my favorite part of the kit, because it's the one you can get the most extreme with. You can definitely get a great smokey eye with that one, or you can use that black to amp up any of the other palettes. Just got an idea for my next look- bronze from Nine to Five paired with the matte black from Girls Night Out! Woop woop! I also can't complain about any of the face products, or the lip gloss.

Do I like this better than the Starlet? Portability wise, I definitely do. These are so easy to travel with. I think you get a bit more color variety in the Starlet... I mean, there are 24 eyeshadows in that one and 18 in Puttin' on the Glitz. In the Starlet you also get a fantastic, classy looking jewelry box AND 2 lash products, AND 4 face products instead of 3. But if you're a plum girl, Puttin' on the Glitz has better selection and quality of purples. So I guess they both have their place. Each set has a couple shades here & there that aren't totally phenomenal. Overall, the Starlet is that special, deluxe gift that'll keep having a purpose even when the makeup is gone. Puttin' on the Glitz is also super special in that you're getting 3 separate palettes... and the portability is something some people might value more. Hopefully my extensive analysis on all this stuff hasn't just confused you more- but since I recently reviewed the Starlet, I felt the need to give a bit of a comparison :) Before the holidays I'll definitely make a "gift ideas" video with more ideas.

♥

Daily Nuggets...

I LOVE when it's time to fall back for Daylight Savings time! Gotta love the extra hour.
Tyler & I are watching the Rams/Cardinals football game. Larry Fitzgerald has a teensy waist. Also, Steven Jackson is a beast!
Speaking of beast, my stomach is growling like there's a beast in there.
I love when people who speak other languages tell me their English gets better when they watch my videos. That is seriously so amazing to me!

FOTD: Going Green

2011-11-05T18:36:00.002-05:00

Hello my friends! I gotta say, these daily blog posts are keeping me busy! Today I thought I'd share my "Face of the Day", which is quite natural... and even though I used green eyeshadow and liner, I think that comes off pretty natural too! Something about green eyeshadow tends to bring out the yellow tones in my brown eyes, which I think makes them look a little more interesting.

Face...

Revlon Colorstay Foundation in Fresh Beige (T-zone) and Cover Girl NatureLuxe foundation in Maple (lately I've been combining foundations that have average staying power with Colorstay for a longer-wearing look)
Cover Girl & Olay Simply Ageless concealer in Light
Bare Minerals Summer Bisque (to set CG concealer)
Too Faced Amazing Face Powder in Perfect Nude (blotted over T-zone)
Rimmel Natural Bronzer in Sun Light (dusted all over)
Cover Girl Cheekers blush in Sierra Sands (cheek contour)
Milani Baked Blush in Berry Amore (apples of cheeks)
Sally Girl Shimmer Stripes in LOL (highlight cheekbones, nose)

Eyes...

Urban Decay Primer Potion
Laura Geller Baked Shadow/Liner in Forest Mist/Key Lime (just got this in my QVC Beauty Test Tube- full size... Used the lighter shade all over the lid, darker shade on outer part of lid and crease. Used the dark shade wet as an eyeliner with an angled brush- on top & bottom lashline.)
NYX Slide On Liner in Tropical Green on inner rim
Revlon Grow Luscious Plumping Mascara in Blackest Black (upper and lower lashes)

Lips...

Revlon Lip Butter in Creme Brulee (makes a nice nude base)
Rimmel Exaggerate Lip Liner in Epic (deeper neutral for definition)
Too Faced Glamour Gloss in Pillow Talk (light peach with shimmer)

♥

Daily Nuggets...

Made chicken tortilla soup today in the crock pot. We just ate it and I think it's officially one of the best things I've ever made in the crock pot!
Don't know what was going on today- but when I went to pick up my ingredients at Wal-Mart, the store was PACKED.
Getting ready to watch the big Alabama-LSU football game!
Posted my latest Shopping List Ideas this morning!

Gold Confetti Nails!

2011-11-04T20:26:00.002-05:00

Hi everyone! We've made it to Friday! And since I don't have any confetti to throw in the air to celebrate, I'm painting it on my nails! I actually did this a few days ago... after my Wet n Wild limited edition Color Icon polish in 24 Carats lasted a whopping 2 days. That was the polish I had on in my last couple of videos. Due to the premature chipping- I felt the need to polish my nails AGAIN with sparkly gold. And this look is more unique and more long-wearing.

Took this pic of my nails during a commercial break during our morning newscast this week. Just in case you were wondering how I stay entertained during those moments :) It's basically a neutral base coat with a chunky glitter on top. I feel it's prettier in person, and much more reflective than the picture shows.

I applied 2 coats of Essence Colour & Go nail polish in Irreplaceable. This polish is like a light taupe/beige with gold-toned sparkle... but the glitter in it is pretty subtle.
Then topped it with one coat of Milani Jewel FX polish in Gold. Since the glitter pieces are so large, it can be a little tricky to apply, and you might have to spend a little extra time spreading the pieces out on your nail so they don't end up in a clump. I'm not much of a nail genius & it was still pretty easy. Yay!
Finished it off with a coat of Milani Glosse Top Coat... this one is just slightly thicker than some other top coats I have, so I feel like it makes rough, glittery textures more smooth- and therefore, less prone to chips.

♥

Daily Nuggets...

I was in the beauty section of Target this evening (shocker!) and ran into a loyal Beauty Broadcast & News 3 This Morning viewer! She was beautiful and so nice!! Totally made my day.
Hot finds at Target: Label maker (Tyler) and mini kabuki Ecotools brush set (me!) You can bet you'll be seeing those in a blog sometime soon! oh, and while at Target I randomly get a call from mom saying she can't find Boots No. 7 skincare in her Target. Mine had one set left of what she needed. Problem solved!
Did some major napping this afternoon.

Laura Geller Air Whipped Blush

2011-11-03T16:24:00.002-05:00

Hi everyone! In today's Non-Stop November post... a blush review! I love trying out new blushes... there are so many colors and textures out there, and this Air Whipped Blush from Laura Geller is really unique. The price is $26 at QVC.com or Ulta.com. The first unusual thing you'll notice is the packaging... instead of flipping open a compact, you twist off this golden dome...

After removing a second cap that you're supposed to replace after use, you see the texture of the product. The shade I have is Whisper Petal... a very soft pink. It's kind of cool to the touch, and has a very moist, mousse-like feel. It really seems like it should be something edible. I don't think I've tried any blushes that feel just like this, but if you've ever tried Maybelline Dream Mousse blushes (which I love) they have a texture that's a bit more dry. This product has significantly more moisture in it.

The product is described as lightweight, buildable, and oil-free. I just apply it to my face with my fingers- and also applied it to my hand in the pic below, so you could get a clear look of how the color comes off without any other face products interfering. It's a soft pink- that seems even softer on my face... almost too soft. I'm pretty sure there are other shades available with more punch. Also, this shade doesn't contain shimmer or glitter.

Here's my overall thought on this... once I get over the thrill of the cooling sensation that this product provides, I'm left with a blush on my cheeks that doesn't offer much color, and even after you blend it in, it continues to have a bit of a moist feel. It just doesn't seem right to me. I've tried plenty of cream blushes that have been able to continue feeling like skin once they're applied. Maybelline Dream Mousse- with it's dryer consistency- blends in even more easily and just has a more even feel on the skin. This isn't a bad product, and some people (maybe those with dry skin?) might enjoy it. For me, I just don't think it's worth the $26 price tag. Still a big fan of the baked products in Laura Geller's line!

♥

Daily Nuggets...

Had an eye-opening moment today at work. Not a good one.
Got my New Beauty Test Tube in the mail today- YAY
Watched last night's X-Factor... who else is watching that show?
Tomorrow is Friday, thank goodness :)

Wet n Wild Video Questions!

2011-11-02T14:03:00.004-05:00

Hey friends! Welcome back to NON-STOP NOVEMBER! I mentioned in my last blog post that I'm planning to blog every single day in November. I also asked for some catchy titles for my new endeavor... many of you offered up lots of good ones! NovEMber was super clever! But quite a few people also suggested Non-Stop November, which I really liked and thought that if anyone else chooses to start blogging every day in November- they could use that title too! :)

In other news... if I were to declare a "top story" on my YouTube channel, it would have to be my video on the new Wet n Wild palettes... the matte, baked, and glitter collections. I've had lots of fun playing with these palettes over the last couple of weeks, so if you haven't yet checked out my review- here you go! :)

When hundreds of people are commenting on videos like this, it can be difficult to keep up and answer everyone... but I thought I'd scan through the comments, see what some popular or interesting questions were- and do a mini FAQ thing right here on the blog. I think this might be a useful thing to do for future videos as well, just to follow-up and clarify things.

♥

Can you do a tutorial for the look you're wearing?

Answer: Yes, I plan to demonstrate exactly how to use the baked palettes wet and dry.

Can I see your nail polish collection?

Answer: Yes, I have some new storage using spice racks that I got from the Container Store. I'll be talking about how everything is arranged in a future video or blog.

Maybe you could talk to Wet n Wild and see if they'll start selling their products in Australia.

Answer: I know it's frustrating that Wet n Wild isn't available all over. People in various locations around the world may not have access to it. I'm assuming the brand probably has some limitations in terms of how much they can afford to produce, but I'm definitely open to asking if there are plans to expand this brand down the road. They've been good about answering my questions in the past regarding the sale of limited edition collections. I will report back!

Can you do eyeshadows wet with a regular brush or only a sponge tip?

Answer: If you want to dampen a brush and apply them wet- you definitely can. In fact, if I were going to use one of the darker shades as a liner, I would definitely use a brush (like an angled liner brush) to apply it wet on my eyes. I just find that sponge tips absorb water nicely, and give such full-coverage color to the lid. Brushes are great for blending, but when I'm just wanting to lay down color that's wet- I don't necessarily want to do a lot of blending at that moment. With the look I'm wearing, I did use a brush to blend dry shades in the crease.

Can you wear other kinds of eyeshadows wet besides just baked?

As far as wearing other shades wet... I remember trying that with a Cover Girl shadow awhile back, and the texture of the product didn't return to normal... it got really hard. So I suppose it depends on the formulation of the particular shadow. I haven't tried it with lots of other shadows, but when it comes to baked shadows or loose pigments that you can just tap out- I've had no issues wearing them wet.

What hair dye did you use to get this color?

Right now my hair is my natural color. It hasn't been colored since this past Spring, I believe. It might appear lighter or darker depending on the light coming through the window, but I've only ever used semi-permanent color, and I'm almost positive that's faded out by now. The color I've used in the past is VERY close to my natural color, and I would just use it to give my fine hair some added texture. It was Clairol Natural Instincts in Ebony Mocha. (I tried straight up black once, but I think it was a bit much for me). My hair lightens up a lot in the sun, so I didn't bother coloring in the summer. I'll probably do it again sometime soon- that particular hair color makes my hair so silky.

Are the glitter creams comparable to MAC paint pots?

No. MAC Paint Pots are very long wearing, and can sometimes be worn on their own in thin layers without getting all creasy. These glitter palettes are not long wearing at all.

♥

Daily Nuggets...

Just posted a super quick OOTD video.
I think I have a temporary addiction to tomato soup with croutons. I love how croutons soak up the soup without dissolving.
Why does Pitbull call himself "Mr. Worldwide?" I mean, what's that all about?
I stepped on a 3-hole punch (don't ask me why it was on the floor by the couch) and it hurt like crazy. Thank goodness it didn't punch 3 holes in my foot.
I think this might be the most random edition of Daily Nuggets ever.

Must-Have Brush!

2011-11-01T18:00:00.004-05:00

Hello everyone! :) I'm embarking on a task that I know is going to be difficult... but I really want to see if I can pull it off! I'm going to try to do a blog-a-day in November! Can anyone think of a fun name for it? I'll be thinking.

♥

Anyway, I'm kicking off the month with a blog about an AWESOME drugstore brush! It's the Ecotools Recycled Retractable Kabuki brush. I've had this brush for quite some time, and it sort of got lost in the makeup bag I take to work. Then when I started using it again recently, I kicked myself for forgetting about it! I can't remember what I spent on it, but I've done some searches it looks like it's somewhere between 5 and 10 dollars. I'm able to find Ecotools products at various drug/discount stores including Wal-Mart, Target, and also Ulta.

A retractable powder brush is SO nice to have. This can be great for applying powder, bronzer, or even blush. Despite fitting into a rather small recycled aluminum tube, the brush is pretty large, and has very soft, nicely tapered bristles. If you're not familiar with how these work, there is a shiny silver tube that pulls up and holds the bristles in so you can easily pop on the cap. When you want to use the brush, just take the cap off, slide the tube down, and you're ready to go! It's so great for travel because you don't have to worry about products rubbing up against your brush- it's totally protected. It's just fantastic quality for the price. When you clean this brush- try to keep water or brush cleaner confined to the bristles only (general rule of thumb with any brush so you don't loosen the glue that's holding the bristles in).

♥

Daily Nuggets...

I am so tired. And perhaps a little cranky.
I need to catch up on last night's Dancing with the Stars.
Just saw a commercial for a Hardee's cheddar biscuit... nothing but cheese and a biscuit. I could see myself enjoying that.
I have so many video ideas floating around in my head right now!

New Glitter Nail Idea!

2011-10-30T13:18:00.002-05:00

Hello everyone! It's been a busy weekend! I spent a lot of time on my Halloween look, and I'm so glad to hear so many of you enjoyed it. It was probably the most fun I've had doing a tutorial! I was also glad that since I was posting it at the last minute- it wasn't a look that requires you to go out and buy a bunch of stuff. So thanks so much for watching! :)

♥

Today on the blog... I'm talking about a new nail idea that I got from Pinterest! I saw a picture of a deep colored manicure, topped with silvery glitter- but only on the bottom part of the nail! I don't think mine turned out quite as nice as the pic I saw, but you sort of get what I was going for. I'm not one who's really done a lot of nail art, but this seemed doable, and also a classy way to jazz up the nails for this season. The glitter makes me think of falling snow :)

Here are the polishes I used... Wet 'n Wild Fast Dry in Buy Me a Drink (might be limited edition- not sure), Nicole by OPI in Tip of the Iceberg, and Out The Door topcoat (4.99 at Sally's- as you can see :)

I applied 2 coats of the burgundy-wine colored polish.
I then coated the lower half of my nail with the silver glitter
Once that dries, I added more glitter- concentrating it more around the cuticle. Basically the glitter should look more dispersed toward the tip of the nail.
I topped it with a clear top coat.

flower rings: Forever 21

I was really happy with the end result, and I think this could be pretty with so many other shades as the base color- light or dark. Here's the sad part- one of my nails chipped a little on the very first day! :( I repaired the chip and they made it probably 4 more days. Are there any special nail techniques you've been enjoying lately?

♥

Daily Nuggets...

Tomorrow is Halloween! We don't get that many trick-or-treaters, so Tyler and I made sure to pick up candy we knew we'd enjoy :)
It was amazing watching the Cardinals win the World Series Friday night! :D
While I like watching beauty stuff on QVC, I'm also fascinated with all the kitchen stuff they're showing on there today. I ordered these :)

Eye of the Night: Sparkles McGee!

2011-10-24T18:59:00.005-05:00

Hi everyone! Don't you love getting to play with makeup when you have no intention of leaving the house? I'm always much more daring when I have this rare opportunity. And with the new Wet n Wild baked and glitter palettes, I have a lot to play with. I've named this post SPARKLES MCGEE (if you've watched BlogTV, you know this was once a Word of the Week!) Anyway- it's obviously a bright pink lip- but the eyes are a combination of black, brown, and magenta along with a lot of sparkle.

What I used...

I first primed my lids with Urban Decay Primer Potion
Then for a black base, I used the Wet n Wild black eyeliner all over the lids. I also lined top & bottom inner rims with this liner.
Then I layered the sparkly black in the Wet n Wild Tinsel Mall glitter palette with a sponge tip applicator all over my lid- with the most concentration around the lashline, and a little bit on the outer part of the lower lashline
I then blended the brown from the Baking a Cake baked palette to the crease with a large crease brush.
I patted the pink glitter cream around the border of the brown with my finger...
Then topped it with the magenta baked shadow
Used the light pink in the baked palette as a highlight under the brow
Dabbed the silver glitter cream on top of the lid, and on the inner half of the lower lashline.
Finished off the eyes with a coat of Lancome Doll Lashes and some Ardell lashes (not sure exactly what style these are, but they're super thick & flared at the ends... what Maybelline the Falsies Flared mascara should do to your lashes- according to their ads- LOL)
Lips are Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Lollipop, topped with Smashbox lip gloss in Fame.

Just a fun look to play around with... but I must say- it didn't last. I didn't top every part of the glitter creams with a powder just to see how much they would crease. I laid on the couch and read a book for about an hour, looked in the mirror, and I had some major amounts of product collecting in my crease. If these were regular cream shadows I'd say-- use a primer, apply a thin layer of the cream, and then top with shadow... however the whole point of glitter is for it to be on TOP and sparkle! I still need to play with these some more before reviewing... but I can tell that for these glitter palettes to last- you'll have to use them verrry carefully. I'll keep you posted. Thanks for reading! :)

♥

Daily Nuggets...

I want ice cream!
I shot a haul video today that I'll post in the coming days.
I have spent a lot of time in my comfy pants lately.
I swatched a ton of stuff on my hand, and after spending roughly a minute washing it off with soap, my Mally Automatic Waterproof liners remain. They faded a bit, but they're definitely still there. And I'm not even mad... that's impressive!

FOTD: Neutral Glam

2011-10-24T14:13:00.004-05:00

Hello my friends! I OFTEN intend to do blog posts with my "Face of the Day"... but what prevents me from doing them is simply forgetting what I put on! I'm now keeping a little white basket right by my makeup area... I can put everything I used on a given day in there and refer to it for FOTD blogs, or just to list in the extra info section of my videos. Not a genius concept by any means, but hopefully something that will help me make more posts like this. So here's a look at today's makeup basket...

All of my photos are a bit washed out, and none of them showed the eye detail in just the right way, but... I guess that's what you get every now and then when you are your own photographer! My goal with this makeup look was to keep it neutral all around, yet not boring... Since sometimes that's the way I feel when I go neutral from face to eye to lip. However something about this look is just a little bit glamorous. I think it comes from perfected skin, an eye that's defined *just enough*, and a glowing lip.

FACE

Laura Geller Spackle under-makeup primer
Neutrogena Healthy Skin Foundation (Natural Beige)
Cover Girl & Olay Simply Ageless Eye Concealer (Light)
Bare Minerals Summer Bisque (over Cover Girl concealer- see my full coverage concealer trick)
Revlon PhotoReady Concealer (forgot to include in pic- used for redness around nose)
Mally Poreless Perfection Glowing Foundation (Medium- light dusting all over)
NYC Smooth Skin Bronzer (Sunny)
IT Cosmetics Contouring/Highlighting Palette (also forgot to include in pic!)
Wet n Wild Color Icon Blush (Pearlescent Pink)

EYES

NYX HD Eyeshadow Base (not shown)
Wet n Wild Limited Edition Color Icon Baked Palette in Bake-Off Contest (used the center shade on the bottom wet w/ a sponge tip applicator. Used dark brown dry on the outer part of lid & crease & smudged under the eye w/ pencil brush, used bright copper to blend just above crease)
Wet n Wild Kohl Brow/Eyeliner Pencil in Black (upper lashline, outer part of lower lashline, and inner rim)
NYC High Definition Volumizing Mascara (2 coats on top, 1 coat on the bottom)
Maybelline Define-a-Brow in Dark Brown

LIPS

LORAC Couture Shine Liquid Lipstick in Trend Setter (part of Close-Up kit)
NYC Automatic Lip Liner in Naughty Nude (applied after gloss to lightly add definition)

Just a few notes on some of the products used... the Cover Girl/Olay concealer is very brightening, but not amazing in terms of coverage so I love topping it off with Bare Minerals Summer Bisque for added coverage. The Mally Poreless Perfection Powder is a newly discovered favorite product from her line- good enough coverage to wear alone, but nice to set foundation with. The Wet 'n Wild blush in Pearlescent Pink is growing on me- it's just really fresh & pretty. As far as eyes, I now have the new Wet 'n Wild matte palette, along with the glitter and baked palettes. I've been trying them out like crazy, but won't be posting a review until I'm confident with how they wear. One thing I'll say about the Wet n Wild baked palettes- I love wearing them wet and applying them with a sponge tip. I was pleasantly surprised by NYC's High Definition mascara- enjoyed the brush very much! And when I've worn this LORAC liquid lipstick- I've been stopped on multiple occasions and asked what I have on my lips. It really glows in the pictures :)

♥

Daily Nuggets...

Just started reading a new beauty book- About Face by Scott Barnes. LOVING IT so far & plan to do a beauty book library video once I finish it. I've learned so much through books by makeup artists.
Tyler bought me a Mello Yello Zero yesterday. He insists it's better than Mt. Dew... I'm not so sure.
Planning to make some avacado salsa soon. woop woop!

Pumpkin Cupcakes Using 2 Ingredients! :)

2011-10-23T15:10:00.003-05:00

Hello everyone! Yesterday I was tweeting about an awesome dessert I made- Pumpkin Cupcakes! They actually could be a cupcake OR a muffin... I consider the frosted ones to be cupcakes... and the non-frosted to be more like muffins. But what's really important here is that they only took 2 INGREDIENTS to make! I owe all of my knowledge on this concept to the blog Sweet Verbena, which I discovered through my newest website obsession- Pinterest. It's a site where people post pictures and you can make your own little "boards" where you "pin" those recipes, outfits, home decor, etc. Many of them link back to a blog. You can see my boards on my Pinterest page.

How to make pumpkin cupcakes/muffins...

Get a can of pumpkin and a box of yellow cake mix
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
Combine the two ingredients (I used a hand mixer)- batter will be thick
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes
You can doctor them up with things like cream cheese frosting or powdered sugar... I told my mom about this recipe and she threw in cinnamon & nutmeg and raisins, and added a streusel topping.

The end result is a SUPER moist muffin with pumpkin flavor. The pumpkin taste is nothing overpowering, but very yummy. You don't have to add oil, eggs, or anything to the batter- and I think that's so cool! If you have a fall gathering and you need to throw something together quick, this is a no-brainer and both Tyler and I loved them! I could also picture these being very tasty heated up with a scoop of ice cream on the side! :)

♥

Daily Nuggets...

Continuing to use up vacation time before the end of the month- I have a 4-day weekend! Lucky, I know. :)
I now have the new Wet n Wild matte palette, as well as the baked and glitter palettes. I'll review once I get a chance to use them!
I saw Footloose today and LOVED IT! Definitely my kind of movie. And Julianne Hough ROCKED!
I just posted an Outfit of the Day video and did some editing on some future videos. Now I have a headache. Gonna lay down!

High Marks for "Beauty Marked" Dupes!

2011-10-17T12:56:00.006-05:00

Hello my friends! Hope your Monday is going well. I wanted to write up a blog about one of my favorite MAC eyeshadows... it's called Beauty Marked and it's a gorgeous black-plum with burgundy sparkle. It's very dark, and makes a great smudgy eyeliner, smokey eye, outer V, or crease shade.

I remember purchasing MAC Beauty Marked for $15.00 because I thought it was such a unique color! That was before I found the dupes... I know I've told you about at least one of these dupes before, but I thought it'd be good to make a blog to share my additional findings. Take a moment and try to decide which of the shades swatched below is Beauty Marked...

I'll reveal the answer in a moment! First I'd like to note something about these swatches and the way Beauty Marked and its dupes apply. Toward the top of the swatch where the most product (and pressure) was applied, you tend to notice a bit more sparkle and purple-ish tone. Toward the center of the swatch where less product and pressure was applied, less of the sparkle and purple show through. And at the tail end, you can see that with minimal product and pressure, the shade transforms to a medium neutral- very different from the top of the swatch. My point is that these swatches represent how Beauty Marked & dupes will apply on your eyes with varying amounts of product and pressure. It's really a pretty versatile shade!

My dupes come from these drugstore palettes- note the dark plum shade in each one.

♥

Now... Answers to the swatch quiz!

*First Swatch*

L'oreal Studio Secrets quad in Lavender Smokes ($6)

The only really outstanding shade in this palette is the Beauty Marked dupe in the upper right hand corner. The other shades are definitely average to below average, but the dupe shade is really nicely pigmented and beautiful! As you can see in the swatch pic above, this one has a little more of a visible plum color than the other shades. I wanted to offer this dupe because I know not everyone has access to Wet 'n Wild.

♥

*Second Swatch*

MAC Beauty Marked ($15)

Not much more to say about this shade.... other than the fact that the Wet 'n Wild colors have an even creamier feel to them than this MAC shadow!

♥

*Third Swatch*

Wet 'n Wild Color Icon 6-color Palette in Lust ($5)

I love this whole six color palette, which is a half & half mix of matte and shimmer. This shade, and the following Wet 'n Wild shade couldn't be closer to Beauty Marked!

♥

*Fourth Swatch*

Wet 'n Wild Color Icon 8-color Palette in Petal Pusher ($5)

I believe this is the exact same shade in the other Wet 'n Wild palette. So whichever one you get your hands on... you'll have a Beauty Marked dupe!

♥

So how did you do on the little quiz? I gave it to Tyler, and on his fourth try, he chose the actual "Beauty Marked" shade :) One more thing- I always use a primer with my eyeshadows, and I haven't noticed any difference in the staying power of Beauty Marked versus the drugstore options.

Daily Nuggets...

Cardinals are going to the World Series woohoo!!
Cupcake and I played a rousing game of hide & seek when I got home from work.
My mom is a sugar cookie genius and has gorgeous designs. I may have just talked her into starting a blog so she can share them!
Just remembered I have an X-Factor to watch on DVR! I am LOVING that show!!

Nails of the Day! Essence "Date with the Night"

2011-10-16T16:38:00.002-05:00

Hey everyone! I just felt compelled to tell you about my latest nail polish love! It's from Essence (a brand I find at Ulta) and the shade is "Date with the Night". Essence polishes are only 99 cents, however, they are a smaller size (.16 fl. oz.) And you know what? I have no problem with that. I don't often run out of nail polishes, and smaller, cheaper polishes are a great way to get some variety in my collection. I was drawn to this shade in the store because I think neutrals (light or dark) are just so easy to wear. You don't have to worry much about whether they're matching or clashing with something.

I'd describe this color as a dark taupe... it's got a lot of grey in it, and (in the bottle) I notice just the slightest bit of brown. On the nails it comes off as more of a gunmetal shade... something that would look really pretty with the gunmetal-toned jewelry that's so popular. This color is a bit reflective on the nails, but not overly metallic.

While this color does have the slightest bit of shimmer, it goes on the nails in a very opaque, creamy way. It wasn't sheer or streaky AT ALL. I could have stopped after one coat, but I had the time, so I opted for two, and then a clear top coat. Drying time wasn't exactly fast, but not an excessive wait either. This is the first Essence nail polish I've tried, and I know that all brands have their hits & misses with polishes, but this DEFINITELY makes me want to try more from Essence! :) The next test will be how long this lasts without chipping... I'll let you know in a future blog!

♥

Daily Nuggets...

What's your favorite kind of pizza? I'm loving thin crust ham & pineapple... got it from Domino's last night.
I was at Kohl's yesterday and tried on a bunch of the new Jennifer Lopez brand. Didn't end up buying any of it, but I love the soft pink color she has worked in to the line. Several of the tops I tried were just really full and blousy and being as short-waisted as I am, I looked like I had no shape.
Cupcake has been absolutely adorable lately. She made an appearance in my latest video.
I did Zumba this afternoon on x-box Kinect. Forgot how fun that is!!

BlogTV Face of the Day!

2011-10-15T11:09:00.004-05:00

Happy Saturday everyone! Thanks to those of you who kicked off the day with me on BlogTV! In case you're not familiar with the concept- I'm basically broadcasting live from my web cam and people can watch, chat, and ask questions in a chat room! I don't think I've ever done a BlogTV where I wasn't having a total blast!

We talk about lots of random things, usually Tyler and Cupcake show up, and when I do them in the mornings... I try to do my makeup at the same time! It's fun to do a "live tutorial"- taking your requests on which products and shades to use. It's very easy to get off track (since I'm talking the whole time!) but we finished the look this week! Due to technical difficulties, I was on Tyler's computer (not a good web cam) so I'm posting pictures here so you can see how the look turned out! And keep an eye on Twitter and Facebook... that's where I announce BlogTV times!

♥

Here's the look WE created! Thanks for participating!

FACE:

Maybelline Dream Smooth Mousse Foundation in Natural Beige
Coastal Scents Bright Eyed Concealer in Light
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium Plus
Milani Baked Bronzer in Soleil
ELF Studio Blush in Pink Passion
Mally Effortless Airbrush Purelight Highlighter

EYES:

NYX HD Eyeshadow Base
NYX Jumbo Shadow Pencil in Pots & Pans (light silver)
Urban Decay 15th Anniversary palette... Deep End (teal on lid), Blackout (matte black in crease & smudged over eyeliner), Omen (purple on lower lashline), Vanilla (buttercream shimmer on browbone)
Maybelline Eye Studio Master Drama eyeliner in Midnight Master (upper lashline & waterline)
Jordana Best Lash Extreme Mascara
Maybelline Define-a-Brow pencil

LIPS:

L'oreal Project Runway Collection lipstick in Sultry Raven's Pout

Thanks again for joining me on BlogTV! Everyone is so funny, sweet, and AWESOME!!

♥

One Prime Day: Benefit Products

2011-10-12T14:11:00.003-05:00

Hi everybody! Remember the haul video I posted last month? I had picked up a little set of mini Benefit products from Sephora for $10 called "One Prime Day". I had received a lot of requests for reviews on the Porefessional, so I figured this way I could sample a couple other products as well for a good price.

The sizes are very small... .25 fl. oz. of That Gal and the Porefessional, and .09 fl. oz. of Stay Don't Stray. They came packaged all together in this cute box! FYI... I had to look online for details on each product- the box didn't include any information beyond the product names and ingredients.

"That Gal" Brightening Face Primer... This primer is light pink in color, and is supposed to brighten the skin. It has the texture of a lightweight moisturizer, and didn't dry to the silky smooth finish I'm used to with primers. This didn't do much to even out my skin's texture, and I also didn't notice any brightening. There isn't any "glow" or shimmer in this product, so I guess it was just designed to brighten due to its light pink tint. Overall, this did nothing for me. I've come to expect a smooth finish from a primer that makes my foundation glide on more evenly... this didn't really do that.

The POREfessional Pro balm to minimize the appearance of pores... This skin-toned product can be used under or over makeup, and has the silky-smooth finish I was expecting "That Gal" to have. Definitely not a greasy feel, but just a lovely satiny texture that gave my skin a very even feel before applying foundation. My problem area for pores would have to by my nose, and a little bit on the top of my cheeks on either side of my nose. And when I used this under my makeup, I didn't see much of a difference. I don't have enormous pores, and maybe I was just looking too closely, but this didn't do much to minimize their appearance. BUT- when I used this OVER my makeup, I noticed more of an effect. However at that point, the POREfessional had the help of a layer of foundation/concealer/powder and whatever else I put on. I didn't necessarily even need the POREfessional at that point, but with a few inches between me and my mirror, I could tell a slight difference- as if someone just slightly blurred finish of my skin. Due to the creamy nature of this product, I don't know that I'd want to slather it all over a full face of makeup, but dotted around my nose, it did ok.

Stay Don't Stray- Stay put primer for concealers & eyeshadows... This product is a thin, almost liquid-like formula. It's light beige in color and provides some coverage as you apply it on your eyelids. It takes care of any discoloration, so you have a nice blank canvas for your eyeshadow. I had no problems with staying power when I used this- it worked really well. It wasn't until I really read the back of the box that I realized this was also a primer for concealer! Interesting concept... I haven't tried that yet, and I'm not sure I really need a separate primer for my concealer (how many layers of product do I really want under my eyes?)

left to right: "That Gal", the POREfessional, and Stay Don't Stray

Here are some swatches of each product, so you can sort of get an idea of their consistency. Again, "That Gal" feels sort of like a moisturizer, the POREfessional is like a silky mattifying balm... both have a colorless appearance when you blend them in. Stay Don't Stray has the most liquid texture, and continues to have a bit of light beige coverage when you blend it in. A little goes a long way on the eyelids.

The Bottom Line...

I wouldn't purchase any of these products again... not in the small size or a full size. "That Gal" just didn't do anything I want a primer to do. The POREfessional went on smooth, but I have lots of primers that go on smooth... and it didn't have a big impact on pores under makeup, and over makeup- there just wasn't much need for it. I think my Mally Poreless Face Defender is a more travel friendly product for touchups, and I like that it's more of a solid you can blot on- not something creamy you blend in. Stay Don't Stray is a great eye primer, but doesn't function any better than NYX HD Primer, which I can pick up for $7. As with all products, they don't work the same on everyone! So if you're curious about the POREfessional or any of the others- $10 isn't a huge price to pay to try them out. Just wanted to pass along my 2 cents on the products!

♥

Daily Nuggets...

My vacation ends tomorrow! It's been very relaxing and I've shot a lot of beauty videos that you'll be seeing in the near future.
Do indoor cats sense the need for their winter coat? Cupcake seems more furry than usual.
Mom left a lasagna for us to have & we're heating it up tonight for dinner. She makes the best lasagna!
I'm trying to get back into Google+... here's my link!

L'oreal Project Runway Collection...

2011-10-09T13:52:00.004-05:00

Hey everyone! I've received a few tweets about L'oreal's new Project Runway collection, and while I only have a few products from the line- I thought I'd share my thoughts on what I picked up! :) I found the display at my local Walgreens, and all of the products have a bird theme... kind of unusual, but whatever! The collection includes various lipsticks, blushes, nail polishes, and eyeshadow quads (there were none left that I was especially interested in, so I didn't pick up the shadow. The quality of L'oreal quads has a history of being kind of hit or miss with me).

Everything I got happens to come from the "Sultry Raven" collection. The lipstick is Sultry Raven's Pout, the blush is Sultry Raven's Blush, and the polish is Raven's Strength. The lipstick is a beautiful creamy pinky-nude, and the blush looks lighter in person than it does in the picture... but it's a very soft shimmery pink. I actually wore it on top of another blush in the picture below, since it just seemed too light worn alone... but I think it is pretty as a cheekbone highlight. And the polish is sort of a pearly black. I had it on a couple weeks ago & I think it's a nice alternative to just a flat black.

These products are a bit pricey, but I got the lipstick and blush as part of a Buy One, Get One Half-Off deal. I wouldn't repurchase the blush (not that I'd have the opportunity, since this stuff is limited edition), but the lipstick is really pretty! :) It's creamy, and has the same feel as the other Colour Riche lipsticks L'oreal sells. As you can see- with no gloss on top, it has a smooth, somewhat shiny appearance on the lips. From the moment I looked at it in the store, I felt like it was very similar to one of my favorite shades from L'oreal's permanent line called Fairest Nude. Sure enough, they are practically the same in finish and color. Sultry Raven's Pout might have the slightest bit more pink, but it's hardly something anyone could identify. So if you're interested in that limited edition lipstick but can't find it- Fairest Nude is a dupe! :)

Thanks so much for taking the time to read my blog! :) Have you found anything from the Project Runway collection worth purchasing? Please share!

♥

Daily Nuggets...

I'm off from work Monday through Wednesday this week! What will I do with myself? :D
Mom & dad visited over the weekend. We had a fantastic time!
I have some pretty fall potted flowers in front of my garage- I need to take some pics & share them!
Cardinals play again this afternoon! woohoo!
I have the Tarte Starlet palette... WOW. Review coming soon!

So you want to try Mally Beauty?

2011-10-04T18:09:00.002-05:00

Hello my friends! Ever since posting my video where I got to meet Mally Roncal, a celebrity makeup artist with her own FIERCE brand, I've gotten tons of questions from those of you who are new to Mally Beauty & want to know- what's the best way to jump in & try something?

I'll continue doing some blogs here & there highlighting various products I like, but I think this little kit is a great way for you to test some things out. I can safely say, I enjoy every single part of this set! This 5-piece color collection is called "Get the Look"- and it's based on Mally's own signature look! Personally, I think the $40 pricetag from QVC.com is a steal... you also get a cute little python print bag and an instruction pamphlet. This kit was also a QVC 2011 Customer Choice Award Winner- I believe the category was "best kit". For a video presentation on this kit and more pics- check out the QVC website. Right now I'm sitting here in my PJ's and hair towel, but at some point I'll post a pic or wear this kit in a video so you can see it on me.

left to right: eyeliner, lip color, blush, eyeshadow

The kit contains...

Volumizing Mascara... One of my top favorite mascaras!! Makes lashes full & thick without feeling hard or brittle. Great formula, great brush.
Evercolor Starlight Waterproof Liner in Midnight... a classic black liner, this is basically the same formula as Mally's automatic pencils that I rave about- only it's in traditional pencil form. Unlike the Black Cherry liner in the most recent Today's Special Value- which was more of a soft liner color- this is a rich, inky black. For me, this had great staying power on the lashline or the waterline and glides on every bit as easily as Urban Decay 24/7 pencils.
High Shine Liquid Lip Color in Mally's Glow... Perfect pink! It's totally creamy, opaque, and fabulous. I have quite a few of these Liquid Lip Colors and this is probably one of my favorites.
Blush in Mally's Glow... FYI- if you own the More Perfect Palette- this blush is in there, as is the eyeshadow in this kit. This is a great fresh pink blush with just the slightest glow. Totally wearable... I think everyone can use a pink blush!
Eyeshadow in Mally's Glow... Ever since trying this shade in my More Perfect Palette, I became a big believer in the wearability of bronzey-brown eyeshadows. The other day I wore this on its own- no other shades needed. The slightly metallic texture of this shadow makes it catch the light in some areas, and recede in the crease- practically serving 2 functions in one. I LOVE THAT! A really great shade for all eye colors.

Again- I spent $40 on this kit... and it's worth even more. All of the products are full-size and fantastic quality! I'll probably purchase this as a gift for friends & family because the colors are so universal & you don't have to worry about choosing the right concealer or foundation shade. Definitely appropriate for all ages, and I think the instruction booklet is super useful for those who are new to makeup. Anyway, I'm enjoying this kit so much- I just had to share! Have a great rest of the week everyone!! :)

♥

Daily Nuggets...

I was informed last week that I have a lot of vacation days to use before the end of this month. Taking a few days off late this week & early next week. Woop woop!
Tyler says I'm addicted to fall decorating, and I believe he's right.
Wearing Victoria's Secret body spray & lotion in Pure Seduction. I smell GOOD.
Cupcake is looking super relaxed as she naps right now- promise I'll get her on Cupcake Cam again soon!!

Coastal Scents GO Palettes!

2011-10-02T17:41:00.004-05:00

Hi everyone! I've been playing with some new palettes sent to me by Coastal Scents! I'm used to the 88 palettes from CS... but now they have these little 12-color "Go Palettes"- they all represent a different destination around the world. They're $8.95 apiece... and there are a few reasons why I like this concept. Being about the size of an average pressed powder, they are so easy to take with you. I always touch up my makeup right before my newscast everyday, and it was always unrealistic to take a big 88 palette... it wouldn't fit in my bag! Also, judging by the feedback I get-- some people get kind of lost in an 88 palette. I love my 88 palettes, but I understand that having 12 shades makes it a little easier to decide on color combinations.

As for the quality of the Go Palettes- each one is its own mix of textures. Only two of the palettes include some matte colors, the rest are a mix of satin, shimmer, and metallic shades. I was a little disappointed that there wasn't more matte. As a whole, the pigmentation is impressive, with the exception of a few shades here and there. If you have all of the 88 palettes CS makes- you will probably notice some overlap. But as I mentioned, a big draw for these is the fact that they're so portable. For the most part, I like the selection of colors in each kit, with a couple exceptions that I'll point out below. I've listed them in order of my favorite to least favorite, but to be totally honest- I REALLY like the first 5. All swatches correspond with the placement of the shades in the palette, and as usual, I did not use a primer.

♥

London

I LOVE this palette. Along with 5 matte shades, there are some shimmery and metallic jewel-toned shades that are gorgeous. I love that you have both a matte black and a shimmery charcoal. The matte raspberry shade is fantastic, along with the deepest teal & plum colors. This palette is one of the best configurations of colors, neutrals, mattes, and shimmers.

♥

Beijing

I had sort of a love-at-first-sight experience with this palette. I LOVE all these warm, berry shades. The shade in the middle on the far right definitely makes me think of one of my favorite MAC colors- Beauty Marked. While lots of "pinky" drugstore palettes give you some pretty predictable shades, you also get some corals in this group that are so pretty. My one complaint- no matte colors.

♥

Paris

I'd call Paris the non-traditional smokey eye palette. It's just full of deep colors... you could create smokey eyes in khaki, plum, burgundy and navy. Great cranberry shade in the upper right corner! All shades have at least a slight bit of shimmer... but nothing is totally matte. Why do I think matte is valuable? Differing textures on the eye creates contrast & dimension, and can help keep a bunch of shimmer from running together & looking muddy. Still, I like this palette. It gives a lot of modern smokey eye options... and there are many instances where you can just use one of these colors and get a quick one-step smokey look. Oh yeah- and there's a bright turquoise, too! A basic highlight shade would be nice in here as well.

♥

Cairo

Here's your classic neutral palette! Guess what? There are matte shades... yay! And a great metallic gold and silver! This is your great everyday palette, and great for those who just want a downright natural look. Look at the shade that's 3 colors in on the middle row... very similar to MAC Twinks! Another one of my favorite MAC colors. And while we're talking MAC, the matte black in this shade (and the London palette) is every bit as pigmented as MAC Carbon.

♥

Moscow

Hello jewel tones! This palette is pretty to look at, but I liked it even more once I swatched it, which isn't always the case for me. Many of these shades are downright metallic. I just get lost looking at that metallic emerald. It's GORGEOUS. The 3 shades down the right are classic- metallic gold, rose gold, and brown-ish bronze. If you want to add some quick pizzazz to your eyeshadow collection- this palette is a great way to do it. The whole thing just makes me think of jewelry :)

♥

Sydney

Well this palette sure looks like a party to me! I almost had to squint as I brought this picture up in iPhoto. The shades are metallic, shimmery, and fun. But looking at the group of shades as a whole... it could be much more wearable if there were a couple shades in there to take it all down a notch. For me, to make bright pink, yellow, or green wearable- I have to combine a deeper shade like black or brown to create some contrast. It would be extra convenient if they put those shades in this palette... but it's all about what you're looking for. This palette makes me think summer, Easter, margaritas, and candy.

♥

Nuuk

Where is Nuuk? It's Greenland's capital city. But I don't think Nuuk would be super proud of this palette. I mean, what happened? I look at the first row and think, ok... I can work with this... and then- so much white! All with varying degrees of shimmer. Several were oddly chunky and didn't swatch well at all. There's one white that I liked (middle row, 2 in).

♥

Thanks for checking out this lengthy review! Just wanted to let you know about these palettes... which ones do you like the look of? It's past my bedtime so I'm gonna get some sleep. Have a great week!! :)

Baby Lips!

2011-09-26T13:40:00.004-05:00

Hello friends! Who loves lip balm? I do! And I was very intrigued when I was browsing the aisles of Walgreens last week and found Baby Lips from Maybelline. The cost was right around $4 and there were six different kinds... two clear shades- Quenched & Peppermint... and six tinted balms giving off shades of cherry, grape, pink, and peach. The shades sound mouth-watering, but they give off no taste or "flavor".

left: Peppermint, right: Pink Punch

Peppermint has a fresh minty scent, and Pink Punch has a much softer scent, that is just slightly fruity. Again, neither has any flavor. Some people prefer flavorless balms, but I actually like a little taste. And these don't taste bad... they just don't taste like anything! What I do enjoy about these is the moisture content... they claim to be "clinical strength"... and these are the results of the clinical study after four weeks of use (according to Maybelline)...

82% Visibly less dry
94% Less rough lips
77% More supple
77% Better looking lips

I haven't had these balms for four weeks, so I can't really vouch for the results of the study, but I must say, I wore my peppermint balm before bed and my lips felt very supple when I woke up. The balms also have an SPF of 20. Here's a look at how their appearance on the lips...

Peppermint: Just a clear balm... this is the natural color of my lips

Pink Punch: Equally as moisturizing as the clear, but one swipe reveals a beautiful pink tint. I love the juicy look this gives the lips!

Bottom Line: I love that these balms are available in a range of tints, and I really like the pink color. They feel nice on the lips, and are very comfortable to wear. Tyler just tried the peppermint & said it "feels good" (lol). The twist up applicator is basic, and easy to use, while the packaging seems rather loud & geared toward young makeup users. Doesn't bother me, just pointing it out. Texture wise, they remind me of the Nivea lip balms. My current favorite balms are the EOS Smooth Spheres- they aren't quite as slick as these, but they smell more "yummy" and have a slight flavor... so if I just want moisturization, I'll reach for those, but if I want a sheer pink tint, I'll go for Baby Lips! :)

♥

Daily Nuggets...

The inside of our house is totally decorated for fall. I LOVE my fall decorations! Very similar to last year's setup :)
I've been informed Tyler is making dinner AND dessert tonight. Score!
I have an iPad 2 and I am loving it!!
I have one small, yet persistent blemish on my cheek. go away already!
Mally was on QVC this afternoon, rockin' it as usual!
Yes, QVC is pretty much my background noise for whatever I'm doing :)

Mascarapalooza!

2011-09-25T14:53:00.003-05:00

Hey everyone! It's such a dreary Sunday here... so a good day to sit on the couch & blog! And I have lots to talk about, because I am trying a LOT of mascaras right now. I realize not everyone is a make obsessed creature like myself, so you might think- that's insane! But, reviewing makeup is what I do, and I feel like finding a great mascara is a really challenging thing for most people (myself included).

It's hard to find a mascara that is universally loved... because we all have such different lashes... just like we have different hair on our heads. What your best friend loves... might not work for you. I've sort of made it a goal to find a mascara that everyone would love. I know it won't be easy... but I'm embarking on MASCARAPALOOZA 2011!

Here's the lastest round of mascaras I've found in stores that I'm testing out... from a variety of price ranges. I'll let you know what I think in future blogs & videos! Have you noticed all the brands that are putting out cone-shaped brushes?

Here are the claims of the mascaras as they appear in the pic from top to bottom...

Rimmel Volume Accelerator: Claims to have an "Advanced Volume Boosting Complex" that will make lashes look 10x fuller instantly.
Lancome Hypnose Doll Lashes: "Fiber Shine" formula claims to sculpt, curl, and load each lash for the ultimate shiny lash fringe without weighing lashes down.
Maybelline Great Lash Lots of Lashes: Cone shaped rubber bristle brush... claims to multiply lashes with no clumps.
Benefit They're Real!: Rubber brush that claims to lengthen, volumize, curl, lift, and separate. The long-wearing formula claims to not smudge or dry out.
Jordana Best Lash Extreme: Claims to provide immediate, extreme volume with a formula that's buildable without clumping.
L'oreal Voluminous False Fiber Lashes: Claims to have a lash sculpting fiber formula that will adhere to lashes for a volumized, sculpted lash effect.

♥

As you can see, all of these brands seem to think they've come up with God's gift to lashes! We'll see if any of these can beat the mascaras I talked about in my most recent Mascara Favorites video!

Daily Nuggets...

Made Chicken Corn Chowder in the crock pot yesterday & LOVED it!
It has been raining allll day.
Cupcake has found a new hiding spot, deep in my closet & out of sight!
Went out last night with some friends & enjoyed an 80's hair metal cover band LOL

Guest Blog! When Your Jewelry Can Outshine You

2011-09-18T17:42:00.006-05:00

Hi everyone!! What a whirlwind week it's been! Just one week ago I was packing for New York City! Now I've been there & back and I'm getting ready to start another work week! I'd like to thank Ashley Spade for this quest blog... with some do's & don'ts for accessorizing! Remember- there are always exceptions to a lot of common beauty and style rules- so most importantly, trust your gut and do what YOU love! Thanks Ashley! :)

♥

When Your Jewelry Can Outshine You

A guest blog post by Ashley Spade

Every girl knows that accessories can make an outfit. We are taught this from birth, and most of us can accessorize in our sleep. However, what many don’t realize is that the opposite can be true as well. The perfect pair of earrings can be eclipsed by the wrong hairstyle, or your makeup can draw attention away from your jewelry (think Mimi from The Drew Carey Show). Read on for tips on how to avoid common mistakes and make the most of your accessories.

Classy Is as Classy Does

When selecting your jewelry, be sure that your makeup, hairstyle and manicure matches the style of your jewelry. For example, engagement rings look best with a French manicure and classy makeup, whereas simple jewelry calls for simple manicures and minimal makeup. When considering your makeup, muted colors come across as classy, bold colors are more fun and flirtatious (and better suited for costume jewelry), and bare lips are perfectly acceptable for the “girl next door” look.

Matchy-Matchy = No-No

If you are wearing gemstones or colored jewelry, please refrain from wearing matching eyeshadow and fingernail polish. This does not give you a put-together look, but makes you look garish, or like a five-year-old who snuck into her mother’s makeup collection. Instead, allow your jewelry to speak for itself, and pair vibrant colors with subdued shades. In this instance, eyeshadow should be minimal if it is worn at all, and lipstick should be replaced with a shimmery lipgloss.

Less Is More

If you are wearing a distinctive piece of jewelry, such as a chunky bracelet or an antique ring, refrain from wearing any other items and avoid distracting makeup and hairstyles. One exception to this rule is if you use your makeup to draw attention to your unique item, such as getting a manicure to draw attention to a ring, or choosing a hairstyle that will draw attention to a pair of earrings. However, this is an exception that should be used sparingly.

Opposites Attract

A big ring should not be paired with long fingernails, as this runs the risk of looking gaudy. Similarly, dangle earrings are at their best advantage when combined with an updo, and longer hairstyles are best for stud earrings. If you always try to create contrasts with your jewelry and makeup/hairstyles, you will create an effective, striking look that will make people take notice of your favorite jewelry items.

The main thing to remember when accessorizing is to create a balanced look. Unless you are a southern belle or beauty queen, bigger is not better, and you will only look like you’re playing dress-up, which is likely not the desired effect. So take the time to carefully consider your makeup and hairstyle when choosing your jewelry for the day, and knock ‘em dead!

♥

Ashley Spade, when not on the quest for the perfect accessory or shoes to complete an outfit, is a law student in Chicago. She spends most of her time at the library, but she also enjoys exploring the various boutiques in the city and serving as a personal stylist to her friends and family. When possible, her furry sidekick Sir Winston Pugsalot the First accompanies her on outings. Follow their adventures on twitter: @ashspade or read up on her fashion tips and opinions at http://beltsandbangles.com/

Kiss my GLASS!

2011-09-05T13:55:00.004-05:00

Hello friends! I'm a person who loves a variety of finishes on the lips. Sometimes I just want a creamy lipstick look. Other times I want shimmer... or a whole lot of shine. That's where the Wet n Wild Glassy Gloss comes in! These are super shiny! I want to show you my favorites- while they're all glossy, the shades aren't over-the-top bright, so they don't overwhelm your face. In other words... don't be scared of these!

Left to right: Through the Looking Glass, Glass Confusion, This Too Shall Glass, Glass is in Session

These swatches are in the same order. The first one is totally clear- and I think everyone needs a clear gloss. The second shade is a cool pink, and the third is more of a baby pink with the slightest hint of gold shimmer. The final shade is a beautiful berry shimmer. I chose these as my favorites because these colors aren't transparent gels... (with the exception of the clear)- they actually give off really pretty color. I remembered these being more sticky in the past, but they've since been reformulated and feel really nice... smooth, not sticky, and no gritty feel like some shimmery glosses have. They also have just enough tackiness so you don't feel like they'll slide right off your lips. The scent is very subtle- just lightly fruity. And the cost? Only a couple of dollars at the drugstore!

I just had to take this picture to show you just how reflective the glosses can be. Look closely and you can see the reflection of the blinds over my window!

Today I wore Glass Confusion gloss & loved the way it came off. It's all I have on my lips in this picture and I didn't use much. If you try these glosses Tweet or Facebook me and let me know how you like them! :)

♥

Daily Nuggets...

Had a fun newscast today with some really random stories. Including one of my personal favorites... baby panda celebration!
The weather is so mild and breezy out! I can't wait for fall!
Just posted another Bridal Guide video... check it out if you're looking for some hair accessory ideas! (whether you're a bride or not!)
I love finding a Dairy Queen sundae that I didn't finish in the freezer. I always forget about it & then have a nice surprise a day or 2 later.

Smokey Bronze Eyes!

2011-09-04T17:05:00.003-05:00

Hey everyone! I know, long time- no blog. I've been extra busy doing some special video projects for BridalGuide.com - but don't worry, the blog is back! :) This is a pic I snapped last night when I was getting ready to go out. I was going for a smokey-bronze eye look... something that I love for summer and fall. Here's a list of the products I used- lots of Mally Beauty :)

NYX HD Eyeshadow Primer
Mally Evercolor Endless eyeshadow in Sunglow (2 step- cream/shadow) all over lid
Mally More Perfect Palette- with a fluffy crease brush, blend bronze shadow up through crease, and with the same brush, lightly blend the black on outer corners. Smudge both shades under the eye with a smudger brush.
Line upper lashline & waterline with Mally Evercolor Automatic Waterproof eyeliner in Onyx.
Apply Mally Volumizing Mascara to top & bottom lashes
Add Kiss false eyelashes in 05 for more dramatic lashes

Cheeks: Rimmel blush in Autumn Catwalk

Lips: Jordana Easyliner in Baby Berry, topped with Mally high shine liquid lipstick pen in Must Have Pink

♥

Daily Nuggets...

Just made some sugar free pudding parfaits, topped with some chocolate mint marshmallows I found at Wal-Mart today!
Another Wal-Mart find: delicious fall scents of those $5 Better Homes & Gardens are out... I picked up Country Kettle Corn & it smells delightful.
Laboring tomorrow on Labor Day. woohoo. ;)
Tyler is watching Star Wars and I just can't get into it.
Cupcake has been very picky about her food lately... does your cat ever go through picky phases?

See Beautiful Art on Display!

2011-08-22T17:36:00.005-05:00

Hello everyone! Wanted to hop on the blog to tell you about an event happening this week where you can see some beautiful works of art- and meet the artist... my sister Kelly, a.k.a. Pup! Not sure if any Beauty Broadcasters live near northeast Missouri, but my sister has a one woman show happening in that area, and it kicks off this Thursday. She'll showcase her amazing watercolor paintings... and let me tell you, it's one thing to see pretty pictures on the internet, but something totally different to see them in person. Remember when one of Pup's incredible paintings brought me to tears?

DETAILS:

Culver-Stockton College, Canton Missouri
August 25th through September 23rd
Mabee Art Gallery, in Herrick Foundation Center
OPENING RECEPTION (meet Pup!): Thursday, August 25th, 7pm
(Click here for more information on the event)

A few reasons why my sister's show will be a MUST-SEE...

Pup is one of the funniest, prettiest, nicest people you'll ever meet.
She paints everything from flowers to people to GELATO (shown above)
This show is 100% her AMAZING work! (no riff raff)
I'm guessing there will be snacks!
Scratch that shopping itch! There will be artwork for sale!

Can't make it to Canton, Missouri? Look around at her amazing selection of paintings at KellyEddington.com. You can also keep up with Pup on Twitter, Facebook, and her awesome Blog. I wish my schedule allowed me to make it to the opening of Pup's show, but if you're in the area, I certainly hope you'll check it out! Thanks so much for stopping by my blog, and have a great day!

♥

Emily

Vacation to Panama City!

2011-08-15T17:52:00.004-05:00

Hey everyone! You haven't heard from me in awhile, and that's because I've been on vacation! This past Wednesday Tyler and I traveled to Panama City, Florida. We made the 12 hour drive and had a great time. Our travels took us through southern Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, and finally- Florida's Gulf Coast! Just got back yesterday (Sunday) night. I was able to capture a lot of our trip down on my camera... then had some memory card issues and took pictures for the rest of the time. Feel free to check it out here!

Daily Nuggets *Vacation Edition*

I love the Waffle House- and it seems these restaurants are ALL OVER the south!
Not exaggerating... almost every car we saw on the interstate in Alabama had some sort of label (usually a sticker) identifying themselves as Alabama or Auburn fans!
I have some pretty severe tan lines and splotchy burns where I didn't apply my sunscreen evenly enough.
One of my biggest day-to-day concerns was whether my alternating swimsuits would be dry for the next time I needed one. (don't you love vacation problems? lol)
My parents graciously watched over Cupcake during a couple of the days we were gone.
My co-anchor Kevin held down the fort, anchoring News 3 This Morning solo during my time off. He rocks!
With the exception of a couple of nights, I had a pretty minimal makeup routine while on vacation, consisting of stuff that wouldn't noticeably smudge off if I went swimming.
I loved all the palm trees!!!
I now have a nice shell collection! I'll have to share that in a future blog!

Kim Kardashian Inspired FOTD

2011-08-08T18:14:00.003-05:00

Hey everyone! There's been a marathon on E! today of Khloe & Lamar and Keeping Up with the Kardashains... so inevitably, I was inspired to throw together a Kardashian makeup look. It's characterized by carefully highlighted skin, smokey eyes, long lashes, and peachy nude lips. I did use quite a few high-end items that I just haven't messed with in awhile. I was really happy with the way it turned out, so I thought I'd share the products I used! :)

FACE:

Revlon Colorstay & Rimmel Match Perfection foundations - my Colorstay shade is a bit light right now, so I used it in the center of the face & on top of cheekbones, and used Match Perfection everywhere else. I'm so please with the finish!
Mally Cancellation Concealer System- it's a cream that you set with a powder- very brightening for the under-eye area, and really anywhere.
MAC Studio Fix powder- lightly over T-zone
IT Cosmetics "My Sculpted Face" palette- used it the same way as the demo in my face contouring video.
MAC Cream blush in Posey- patted into the apples of the cheeks and upward.
Milani Minerals blush in Mai Tai- very lightly, to set cream blush.
LORAC Perfectly Lit Powder in Spotlight- on cheekbones, down the nose, and center of forehead.

EYES:

NYX HD Eyeshadow Primer - smeared all over the lids, into the crease, and onto the brow bone.
MAC Shroom- shimmery white, patted on all over the lid, and lightly under the brow.
MAC Handwritten- matte brown, patted on the outer half of the lid, and smudged on lower lashline.
MAC Cork- warm light to medium brown, all over the crease- and to blend out any harsh edges at the end. Definitely a key shade in warming up the deep colors in this look.
MAC Carbon- matte black, used to deepen up the outer corner area.
Maybelline Eye Studio Gel Liner in Black- all across upper lashline and winged out at the ends. Also blended onto the outer third of lower lashline.
NYX Slide On pencil liner in Black- on the waterline.
Rimmel Extra Wow Lash Mascara- upper lashes
Maybelline Lash Discovery Mascara- lower lashes
Select Lash S42 False Eyelashes- These are $1.25 from Dollar General! I LOVE them. Mentioned them in my latest video- Dollar Store Beauty Adventure!

LIPS:

MAC Creme d'Nude- all over lips
Hard Candy Automatic lip liner in Natural- blended on the outsides of top & bottom lip to create some dimension, as opposed to one flat color all over.
Rimmel Stay Glossy lip gloss in Endless Summer- light shimmery neutral- all over lips.

♥

Thanks so much for stopping by the blog, and have a great week!!

Maybelline Pop Sticks!

2011-08-07T14:31:00.003-05:00

Hello everyone! I'm so excited for a week of vacation! Before our little getaway, I have a couple of days to enjoy all things beauty-related, including hitting the drugstore to see what's new. One thing I found were these interesting lip products from Maybelline... they're a limited edition line called Shine Sensational Pop Sticks. I found them at my local Walgreens. The idea is that they'll give your lips "popsicle shine"... they didn't make my lips overly shiny, but they did give it a tint that reminded me of popsicle-stained lips.

As you can see, these are packaged just like the Color Sensational lipsticks, only the caps are neon pink. Hopefully you can tell by the pictures that these pop sticks are transparent- they make me feel like I'm looking at a Jolly Rancher or some sort of hard candy. You can see right through them! Of course I was intrigued, and had to pick up 2 of the four shades!

On the left is Raspberry Ice, and on the right is Fruit Punch. The other shades were what appeared to be a lighter pink and a coral/orange color. The scent is just what you'd expect- lightly fruity, sort of like candy. The taste they leave on the lips isn't nearly as appetizing- in fact it's slightly bitter. Although it does help you resist the urge to lick them right off your lips! haha :) I can get past the taste though, because I love the way they look. It's a light tint of color that reminds you of a lip stain, but you get a nice amount of moisture as well. You know the red tint you get when you use a Dr. Pepper Lip Smacker? It's that kind of concept here.

Raspberry Ice - light pink

Fruit Punch - medium pink

You can't necessarily judge these shades by the way they look in the packaging, or even the way they might appear in a swatch on your hand. I think they really play off of how much natural pigment you have to your lips. I don't feel like my lips are super naturally pigmented... they have sort of a mauvey-neutral look with nothing on them. That said, I was impressed with the color I had after using these, and ladies with even more pinky pigmentation to their lips will see even more color from the Pop Sticks.

Daily Nuggets...

Just heard some claps of thunder here... Cupcake is on high alert!
Still eating ice pops like they're going out of style!
Speaking of ice pops, I had a legit Margarita ice pop and it was awesome.
I plan to take my camera & laptop with me on vacation!

Limited Edition Wet 'n Wild... How it works

2011-08-04T17:51:00.005-05:00

Hello Beauty Broadcast family! The release of Wet 'n Wild's limited edition Dream Weavers collection has prompted many people to hit their nearest drugstore in search of these lovely trios. Some people have been lucky in their search, others haven't. The collection was supposed to launch in mid-July... so why are some areas still waiting? And will it be a late arrival to some stores, or no arrival at all? These are the questions I asked one of my contacts with the company, and in less than 24 hours, I had a detailed reply. Here's the story in a nutshell...

It is up to the retailers as to whether they want to take these limited edition collections. I'm told every one of Wet 'n Wild's promotions is offered to every retailer they work with, and then the retailer decides the following...

If they want to take the collection
The quantity they want
When exactly they want to put them out
And which individual stores they'll be distributed to

Wet 'n Wild says some retailers might opt out entirely when it comes to limited edition collections, others might put them in only half of the stores. I'm told they sometimes get overlooked for bigger name brand collections.

Wet 'n Wild says while they advise retailers of their designated release date for such collections, some will put them out on time, others will go early, late, or sometimes they're just missed altogether. I'm told Wet 'n Wild doesn't have any say or control over this phase of the game.

So what is the solution? How can these limited edition collections become more widely available? Here's a direct quote from the company...

"Our best solution would be to advise all of our fans to let their retailers know they want wet n wild. While we are constantly in their ears, the consumer voice is 10 times more powerful than ours. With us trying our best with our retailers and with the added help of our consumers, we can make wet n wild much more available."

♥

While many of us might not be pleased with the way the system works, at least we can all understand how the process goes, and what role we might play in getting more of our favorite products readily available. If you're reading this thinking- "what the heck are dream weavers?" -here's my video describing the six limited edition Wet 'n Wild eyeshadow trios. Thanks for stopping by the blog, and have a great day!

FOTD: My Basic Work Look

2011-08-01T13:12:00.002-05:00

Hey everyone! I wanted to do a Face of the Day (FOTD) blog post on a basic look for work. Depending on what kind of work you do... it might be more or less dramatic than necessary. I'm a morning news anchor, so I need something that's long wearing, makes me look wide awake, and doesn't make me look washed out under bright lights. These pictures were taken after a day at work... my makeup had been on for about 11 hours and the only thing I touched up was my lipstick (promise!)

I often switch up the products I use because I'm always testing out new things, but today I caught myself doing a pretty classic look that I've been gravitating to more & more. It's a basic taupe eye with soft peachy cheeks, some contouring to create more angular features, and a medium/neutral lip. I know this look is still a bit "glam"- but I think it's still appropriate for a professional setting. Here's what I used!

Face

ELF Mineral Infused Face Primer (not shown)
Revlon Colorstay Foundation in Fresh Beige & Maybelline Dream Liquid Mousse in Natural Beige- mixed
Mally Cancellation Conditioning Concealer in Medium (under eyes, around nose)
Laura Geller Balance & Brighten powder- Regular
Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Bronzer (contouring)
Milani Baked Bronzer in Golden (light dusting all over)
Tarte Amazonian Clay 12 Hour Blush in Peaceful
ELF High Definition Finishing Powder (not shown)

Eyes

NYX HD Eyeshadow Primer (not shown)
Tarte Eye Couture Day-to-Night Palette (explanation below)
Revlon Colorstay Liquid Eyeliner in Blackest Black (upper lashline)
Mally Evercolor Automatic Eyeliner in Onyx (smudged, lower outer corners)
L'oreal Double Extend Carbon Black Mascara
Rimmel Soft Kohl Eye pencil in Pure White (waterline)
Revlon False Eyelashes - Intensifying (applied w/ Revlon Precision Lash Glue)

Lips

Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick in Sunset (dupe of MAC Viva Glam V)

I was looking to try some new Tarte eyeshadows (I love them), and happened to be at an Ulta this past Friday so I treated myself to the Eye Couture kit. Not only is the packaging adorable with purple quilting and a little lock & key detail... but I love the shades inside. This palette is also small enough to toss in my makeup bag for work... and speaking of work- these color options are just great for getting a pretty look that doesn't go overboard. Here's how I got the look shown above...

Pale shimmery color- bottom row, second shade-- apply this all over the lid, also as a highlight
Deep grey-ish brown- top row, third shade-- apply on outer half of the lid, and blend into the outer V area
Medium bronzy-brown- top row, fifth shade-- use it to blend out the deeper shade in the outer V
Sparkly black- bottom row, fifth shade-- smudge over lower liner

These swatches correspond with the way the shadows are placed in the palette. I'm really pleased with the pigmentation and variety in this 10-shadow kit. I used this palette for an even more dramatic look Saturday night- so it allows you to pull off a smokey eye- no problem! It also came with a mini Tarte eye primer, a double ended liner, and a double ended brush. The shadows are all full-size, so at $44 I think this is a great value! :)

Daily Nuggets...

I love watching the beauty shows on QVC (watching one right now!)
I answered a bunch of random questions on Formspring
There are Peeps Marshmallow flavored ice pops at Walgreens for $1 a box. Run, don't walk. These things are AMAZING.
5-year Anniversary for Tyler & I this Friday! Thank goodness Facebook is there to remind him. Kidding!
I swear, I have some of the nicest viewers ever on YouTube. As if it wasn't enough to take the time to watch, the kindness in the comments section is so appreciated. ♥ you all :)

Makeup Dupes on Great Day St. Louis!

2011-07-29T14:35:00.004-05:00

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!

2011-07-18T16:03:00.005-05:00

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!

Use a fork to mash up 1 avacado in a bowl (I make it a rough mash & leave some chunks)
Thaw half a cup of frozen corn to room temperature- add to avacado
Add a quick shake of garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and salt & black pepper to taste
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!

2011-07-14T15:48:00.003-05:00

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

2011-07-13T14:26:00.004-05:00

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.