As a lot of people head back into another school year I thought I would do an easy and casual makeup tutorial. This look is great for every day whether you're getting ready for class or the office. It's a pretty quick makeup application as well, under 10 min, for those mornings when you're on a time crunch. Plus, all of the products I used are from the drugstore! My entire face (including brushes) costs less than $100.00 - what a deal! Watch my video below for all the details on replicating the look:
I'm also so very thrilled to announce that I'll be adding another posting day here on Confessions From the Vanity, the blog! I'll now also be posting on the first Friday of each month as well as every Wednesday. There's no particular theme to it, I'll just be adding another post each month but I am a sucker for anything with a "theme" so I was still considering calling it "First Fridays (From the Vanity?)" What do y'all think?
One of the last sunrises of summer 2013 over Toledo Bend, TX
Happy, happy September! Hope you are all doing well.
August was, as predicted, scorching as ever and I'm glad to see the month gone by. I realize that here in Texas September doesn't exactly mean the coming of Autumn, we see our first hints of cool weather around mid-October, but all the kiddies are back in school, I've packed away my summer whites, and am already putting holiday videos
and blog posts on my editorial calendar (I also may have purchased a few new ornaments for my Christmas tree already... they were 40% off!) so it feels like goodbye to summer even though the temps might not reflect my state of mind.
Last month I made some goals; lemme tell ya how I did: 1. Stick to my daily routine for house management.* I follow the FlyLady house management system but, since I'm not a stay at home mom with a husband and kids, I've adjusted it to fit my lifestyle and living situation. August was a busy month, kicking off with Texas Style Council & concluding with a Labor Day girl's weekend in Toledo Bend... and sticking to any sort of schedule was a struggle. The house was rarely in disarray or anything but I'm definitely skipping on accomplishing everything each week like I'd prefer.
2. Throw a fun bridal shower for my soon to be sister-in-law. Success! My main charges for this shower were invitations & arranging the tables for the occasion. The bride-to-be loved the floral design so much that she asked me to duplicate the same thing for the actual wedding! My sister, Katie, planned the games, my sister, Krystal, the decorations, and my step-mom, Debbie, prepared the food. A great time was had by all who came and we're so glad to welcome a new member to the family. 3. Stay active 4 times/wk* I could reiterate and wax on about how all of August I was going, going and how when I wasn't doing anything I just wanted to enjoy my time to sit and relax... but those would just be excuses. I'll admit I was more of a once or twice a week mover last month. But, a full calendar is nothing new (though I did just have a couple of slow months & it's now picking back up) and I've managed it all before so making exercise a prerogative again remains a main focus for me.
4. Post a unique channel header & a new channel trailer. I posted a new video over on the YouTube channel, "50 Facts About Me" that will serve as a makeshift channel trailer for now. As I reviewed the footage I have of only myself, along with what I'd like to showcase in Confessions From the Vanity's trailer & my editorial calendar, I decided to push this goal back a few weeks in order to have all of the b-roll I wanted. YouTube added a couple of new features that made it necessary to tweak my channel header a bit. It will be up shortly so make sure to look for it over there!
5. Manage my upload schedule & calendar for CFTV efficiently.* I feel like I'm beginning to get the hang of my calendar and how long it actually takes me to get a blog post the way I want it or to film, edit, and upload a video. That being said, my video for this week will be up on Friday, which is a few days off of my normal Monday upload schedule. :/ But, summer is for spending time with family & friends... missing one deadline probably won't be detrimental. Come back over here to the blog on Friday for an announcement also!
*These are ongoing goals that will continue for the forseeable future.
September Goals:
1. Make sure my roomie has wonderful birthday!
2. Soak up vast amounts of knowledge at my new apprenticeship.
3. Track my food and exercise in MyFitnessPal for 18 of 30 days this month.
4. Try two new beauty products.
5. Take one "class" to improve my blog.
The rest of the year promises to be just as full of activity and excitement as the previous one and I couldn't be more ready to take on the tasks that lay ahead. Not to mention we're headed into my favorite season, Autumn, and my favorite time of year- holidays! Anyone know where I can find a good Jessica Rabbit costume??
I'd love to hear what your goals are this month. Join the conversation down below or over on Facebook. Have a super September y'all! :)
Throughout the past few months, I've found myself reaching for a few of the same products over and over again. Some are new finds I've stumbled across over the Summer and some are old stand-by's but these are the things I couldn't make it through 100 degree temps and days spent at the beach without. These are the products I've deemed my "Summer Essentials" for 2013:
HAIR
1. Aussie Kids Hair Detangling Spray: I stumbled across this product and remembered using detangler as a child so I thought, 'why not give it another go?' Now I can't remember why I ever stopped with this stuff. My hair is thick but fine so it tangles very easily and I get a lot of breakage if I'm not careful so this really helps. And healthy hair is hair that grows. The "Bloomin' Apple" scent is pretty delightful also!
2. Not Your Mother's Beach Spray: You've heard me raveabout this product on my channel before and now I'm raving about it on the blog. I. Love. This. Spray. It works wonderfully on either wet or dry hair and it doesn't weigh my hair down! I love that "London look," like you just couldn't be bothered to care, or I can achieve an even more beachy wave. Textured hair was all over the A/W 2013 runways- so spray away right into Autumn, beauty queens!
BODY
3. Neutrogena Clear Face Sunscreen: Always wary of putting sunscreen on my face, which remains acne-prone even into my late twenties, I was excited to see Neutrogena come out with a sunscreen specifically for your face that was also reasonably priced. I love the lightweight formula! It's smooth and moisturizing, without being overly-greasy. This goes with me in my beach/pool bag every time.
4. Victoria's Secret Noir Tease: I got this divine-smelling scent for Christmas and fell in love with it immediately. It's been living in my purse since the weather turned warm. This is the perfect "sweet-smelling with a touch of sexy" scent to throw on every day. I feel like it's not so overwhelming I'm going to suffocate my co-workers; while a little dab more on my neck and wrists before a date is sure to elicit a 'You smell wonderful,' compliment from any man.
MAKEUP
5. Baby Lips (esp. Grape): Maybelline's Baby Lips are one of those products that everyone in the beauty community seems to be talking about all the time. I don't feel like these balms do anything miraculous for my lips as far as moisturizing but I love the array colors and the ease of application. The Grape (#20) is my favorite color for summer & pretty much all year round. The stain it gives your lips adds a perfect "just nibbled on some berries" bit of sheer color to any look.
6. Almay Smart Shade: Being so fair, I'm typically hesitant about any kind of foundation that oxidizes. I decided to try the Almay Smart Shade makeup, honestly thinking I'd be able to debunk the "smartness" of it's technology when it didn't work on my skin. I don't know how this foundation does it but I am totally sold! This is a very light foundation that goes on smoothly and evenly despite the fact that it's almost the color of moisturizer when applied (I use my beauty blender). It's about a medium coverage so I find it to be the perfect fit for every day wear.
NAILS
7. Essie "DJ Play That Song": A new color Summer 2013 collection, I've been painting this gorgeous neon purple on my toes practically all summer! I'm a big fan of neon colors when the heat revs up but the brightness can sometimes be too much for work events. I love that this hue from Essie gives me that "Summer feeling" with bright toes peeking out from my open-toed shoes but is still "muted" enough for the office.
8. Essie "Mint Candy Apple": Mint has been a popular color for a few seasons now so it's no surprise I'm loving this shade for my fingers this summer. Not only do I enjoy the subtle pop of color and surprising neutrality of this shade, but I also sported "Mint Nails for Talia" non-stop in memory and attribution of a dearly beloved beauty guru lost too soon. This gorgeous color comes and goes throughout my repertoire each season but remains a staple.
LIFE
9. Sunglasses: Along with makeup, clothes, shoes, and jewelry- I confess an addiction to sunglasses! I bought at least 10 "shades" in different shades (sorry, sorry- just had to get that pun in there!) this summer and still want more! In Texas a good pair of sunglasses is a must throughout the year. For Emily a cheap pair of sunglasses is a must throughout life as I lose, break, and generally mangle most any pair of sunnies I buy. Sunglasses add a great accent to any outfit or hairstyle and come in so many different colors and shapes- who knew avoiding unsightly crow's feet could be so stylish?!
10. An adorable Cover-Up: This seems to be a constant quest of mine; the perfect cover-up to go with every swimsuit. I've got the sarong, the ruched top, the terrycloth wrap, and my personal fave: a see-through embellished tunic. When out at the pool or beach I'm still hoping look cute enough to pop-in to the local ice cream shop and not scare people so I look for a cover up that is fashionable and conservative.
What are your absolute Summer essentials? What products will you carry over into Autumn? Join the conversation below or over on Facebook!
So this is my now third post and I've just realized we haven't even been properly introduced yet! My apologies. I'm Emily. I live in Texas and, no, I don't drive a tractor or ride a horse (though with the traffic here I sometimes think it might be faster to do so!). This little blog is an extension of my channel over on YouTube by the same name. If you share an addiction to clothes and makeup, as I do, then you've stumbled across the only rehab you'll ever need; "Confessions From the Vanity."
We may just be getting acquainted over here on the written blog but I've recently uploaded the 50th video over on my channel. I can't even believe it! So, in celebration, I'm sharing with you 50- very random but some quite hilarious- facts about me!
1. My favorite color is pink. Pink, pink, pink. All day. Erry Day.
2. My middle name is Michelle. I never even really think about it until I meet someone named Michelle. Then I'm all like, "That's my middle name! Twinsies!" as if it's the same or something.
3. I love, love, love, to cook.
4. I grew up in the same house in Dallas my whole life until I left for college.
5. I have two biological brothers. They're 25 & 21. I live with one brother & the other lives in Hawaii.
6. Christmas is my favorite holiday. I put my tree up pretty much the weekend after Thanksgiving... and that's just the beginning!
7. I love to plan events and hope to further my career in it. I earned a marketable skills certificate in Meeting & Event Planning in 2012.
8. I absolutely NEED 2 cups of coffee every morning in order to function. I also like English Breakfast Tea with milk and honey.
9. I've loved dresses my whole life. When I was about 3 I wouldn't wear anything but dresses & they HAD to have "sashes" (or belts as people who aren't 3-yr-old princesses call them). My Oma made me a bunch of sashes, by folding some strips of fabric longways and sewing them together, so I'd have one for each dress.
10. I have no doubt I could survive solely (and happily) on popcorn forever.
11. There are three boys and three girls in my family; kind of like the Brady Bunch!
12. One of my cherished childhood possessions is my baby blanket. It's pink gingham and lace & has a green holding balloons bear on it- couldn't be more 80's.
13. My other is a baby doll my parents gave me when my brother, Michael, was born. I went to the hospital to see him and my dad rolled my new baby doll into the room in one of the little hospital bassinets. I named him Jack, but quickly started to deny that he was a boy (despite his anatomical correctness) and called him Jody. After I guess I accepted the fact that Michael was alright and he was a boy; I reverted back to Jack. Though he still wore a lot of girl doll clothing...
14. I don't have any tattoos. I can't choose something to put on my body forever. *see 46
15. But I used to have my belly button and then my tongue pierced. I've grown past crazy piercings but still have the scars to prove it.
16. I have weirdly curved pointer fingers. (Random facts, right?!)
17. I was born pigeon-toed and had to wear a brace to help my feet turn out properly.
18. When I finally got the brace off I thought you were supposed to wear shoes to bed. I wore my sparkly jelly shoes to bed every night until my parents could convince me otherwise.
19. I love musicals, live theatre, and dance.
20. My favorite musical is most definitely "Phantom of the Opera" closely followed by "Wicked" and I also love "Rent."
21. I used to be a nanny full time and also taught preschool full time.
22. I'm a pescatarian. Which means I eat fish, eggs, cheese, & drink milk but I don't eat any other kind of meat. I haven't had chicken, pork, turkey, or beef in nearly 4 years.
23. Growing up, I went to a christian, athletic summer camp called Kanakuk. It's where I have some of my most beloved memories of theme parties and campfires and water-sports, and so much more. Someday I hope to send my own children there.
24. Nope, this isn't my real hair color. I never think I'm fooling anyone but surprisingly get asked this question a lot.
25. I've been in a magazine twice in my life. When I was 2 1/2 I was on the cover of and in a featured article inside and recently I was in a magazine article about an event I helped to organize and execute.
26. I have this weird thing going on in my feet recently! Any time I put on socks, I mean even now just thinking of putting on socks, and the feeling of socks on the tile or on the carpet with no shoes makes my feet tingle! It's bazaar, I know. Welcome to my life.
27. I love British TV. Shows like the British version of Shameless, and Downton Abbey of course, and one I forgot to mention in my video was Misfits. I loved that show; well, till all the characters left. (Another blog post, another day...)
28. "Sex & the City" & "Friends" are my two favorite shows ever. I own the entire series of each of them on DVD.
29. I've never broken a bone in my body so far; and don't hope to any time soon!
30. I'm the oldest kid (I use the term "kid" loosely of course) in my immediate family.
31. I've always been disgusted by meat on the bone. We used to have fried chicken on Sundays at camp in #23 and I'm surprised I was able hold my composure (read: managed not to hurl) all those years despite all the carnivorous activity around me.
32. Jesus is my homeboy!
33. I'm a total Bookworm.
34. I am apt to burn myself when handling anything hot. I've burned myself countless times with my curling wand, the iron a few times, the popcorn maker, etc.
35. I find joy in staying active. In High School I was involved in quite a few campus activities and held officer positions in them my last two years as well as did cheerleading for a couple of years and then the dance team for a couple of years. In College I was in a sorority & also held an officer position. I'm involved in business-related, networking, and charitable organizations as an adult.
36. Milk is never a bad choice.
37. My dad likes to jest that they didn't name me "Grace" for a reason. And that reason would be because I can hardly stand upright without bumping into things, dropping things, falling down, or otherwise injuring myself.
38. As a grown-up, I've lived with both of my brothers as my roommates at one point or another.
39. I like the shower curtain closed during the day but it MUST be open at night. I thought I was the only one with shower curtain phobia, until I was older and people started sharing things like that on the Internet, because I actually have a traumatizing story as to how my fear came about:
When I was in 4th grade, I went into a haunted house at the local historical park's Halloween celebrations with my mom and a friend. We went into one room that was a replica of a bathroom and had "MURDER" written on the walls. A crazy woman with a knife popped out from behind the shower curtain and I've been scarred ever since. I used to have to have it open all the time whenever I went into the restroom at all but I've moved on to just needing it open at night. I feel like that's progress.
40. I love Harry Potter. I'm nostalgic about both the book series and the movies and regularly go back to re-read or watch them over and over just to go back to Hogwarts. I credit the Harry Potter books with why I've explored other Sci-Fi or magical series.
41. I'm an alumni of Texas State University. Eat 'em up, Cats!
42. The 5-6 people I would consider to be my best friends have all been long-time friendships of 10 years at least, if not more than 20 years.
43. Once, I had my hair cut unevenly and now I'm wary about going to a stylist I don't already know and trust. If I do, then I still won't leave the parking lot without doing a full inspection.
44. I was only allowed to listen to Christian/Country music until I was 13... doesn't mean I wasn't a sneaky little thing and listened to it with friends and at school and such.
45. I can't stand tomatoes and I don't like tomato sauce but I love salsa!
46. I'm annoyingly indecisive. Like, I even annoy myself at my inability to make a decision without the opinion of three others and a Twitter poll.
47. Driving is the worst. The worst. One of the first things I would do if I won the lottery would be to hire someone to drive me around.
48. I don't currently have any pets but I really want a dog. A Weimaraner to be specific.
49. I've had two serious boyfriends in my romantic lifetime.
50. In high school I used to plan out all of my outfits and I would only wear jeans on Fridays. Getting ahead on "Casual Fridays".
Confessions From the Vanity has reached 50 videos! I'm so excited to have reached this milestone and to be just launching the blog at this point. Whether you're a new reader who just found my written blog or you're a visitor from my YouTube channel I just wanted to express my heartfelt thanks for your support. It means the world to me every day. I truly couldn't do any of what I've been able to do or have come up without the support of a community. This definitely feels like just the beginning and I'm looking forward to seeing where 50 more will lead us!
I'm totally new to blogging but I’ve
been in the online game over on YouTube almost a year now and decided it was time to attend my
first conference. I thought the collective of women at Texas Style Council- many of the
most popular fashion, lifestyle, photography, finance, design, DIY, fitness,
mommy, etc. bloggers on the web today- would be a great place to develop and
expand my online hobby and I might even meet some other video bloggers. The location
couldn't be beat either; it was right here in Austin! Well, I didn’t meet any
other YouTube peeps but I did have the pleasure of making the acquaintance of
some amazing lady-bloggers who welcomed me openly, & I definitely learned quite a lot about blogging. Some material was
foreign to me but I found most quite relatable to a video blog format. I know I’m still very much a rookie in
my YouTube knowledge and even more so as a blogger but I thought I’d share “5 Things I Learned About Being a YouTuber
from a Blogging Convention” that I hope to apply to all of Confessions From
the Vanity’s outlets and I was thinking might be helpful to anyone else curious
about combining these two mediums:
1. Invest in a Good Camera: Over and over
again I saw the proof of how important visually engaging still images are for
capturing the mood of a look, illustrating the movement in an subject, or
conveying a story in pictures. No more during the weekend was this more
apparent to me than when I attended Delightfully
Tacky’s “Self Photography” class but quickly realized that the JVC
hand-held video camera I’d brought
with me was not going to easily capture the same beautiful pictures found on
Elizabeth’s blog. She gave great tips for working with only the timer on your
camera and a tripod to take your own photos (see her corresponding post here
if you're interested) and I've since been eagerly researching a good quality,
reasonably priced point & shoot for beginners to put my new skills to
practice. Elizabeth was a fabulous speaker and an even better dancer! If having
both a YouTube channel & a written blog with pictures is something you're
considering I would (not be like me, and) buy a camera that can switch back and
forth between the two mediums.
2.
Maintain Consistency: A few months
ago I took a YouTube Academy
course for content creators. A big focus during those classes was on the
importance of consistency with posts and being reliable to the people who
subscribe to our channels. The speakers at Texas Style Council were reiterating
the same things: about making a commitment to blog regularly and on a schedule
that followers are familiar with. (FYI: Videos go up on Monday evenings over on
YouTube and new blog posts on Tuesdays.) This means factoring in the time that
it takes to produce and edit the material, to promote each upload on social
media, and to develop a personal blog community by responding to messages,
tweets, and comments and fostering those relationships.
3.
It's a Two-Way Community: Speaking
of fostering relationships with peers, I'm definitely new to the whole
community building process too, but this is also the #1 reason why I decided to
start Confessions from the Vanity; to connect creatively with people living
miles away & "confess" with one another about clothes and makeup.
I want those who come across my channel or my blog, whether they are just learning
how to pair outfits or an old pro at the smoky eye or even fellow creators, not
only to benefit from and enjoy the things I share but to feel like we could be
friends in real-life. And real friends have a dialogue, a back and forth
relationship, and even though we can’t actually
be there IRL I still hope to create genuine friendships with others who
engage on From the Vanity’s outreach channels and social media sites. Regularly
find ways to join the conversations happening on your social platforms and make
sure to respond to those who reach out. Link-up with other creators to
collaborate and expand your audience. The whole point is to make friends,
right?
4.
Create Original, Quality Content: I
keep a note on my Evernote iPhone app called "Video Ideas" and any
time a new video or post idea pops into my brain I add it to the list. Then, as
I'm planning out my video/blog schedules for CFTV I reference these lists & draw
upon my past inspiration. Keeping up with trends pertaining to the subject you
blog about and reading other relevant content (on & off-line) really helps
to be aware of the newest story or video coming down the path. But, certainly
don't be afraid to try something new and take a chance on something that hasn't
been done before. Each blogger has their style of blogging and you have to do
what works for you and create content that reflects your own personality in the
best way. You never know- it just may spark a new trend!
5. Be Yourself; Celebrate Your Differences!: On
Sunday at Texas Style Council I had the chance to listen to Mattieologie speak about the "10
Commandments of Blogging Colorfully." Mattie gave an excellent lecture and
I think I instantly made a new best friend when I got the chance to meet (and
hug!) her afterwards. Ultimately, what I took away from her course was that
people have a lot of choices these days when it comes to finding great fashion
blogs to read so finding your own voice can be a challenge. Just as each of us
has our unique story to tell in life, the same applies to the virtual world of
blogging. But, where in your hometown the way you dress or the things you like
might not be popular or "the norm" the Internet is, like, way bigger
than wherever you live! There is a niche for you out there if you want it; you
just have to find where you belong, and be ready & eager for the journey.
Whether
blogging by video or written word the end goal is the same- to develop
substantive content that appeals to particular groups of people who share the
same interests & to connect with them on a personal level. Don’t be upset
if your reach isn't as wide as you'd like it to be or your followers aren't
engaging as much as you'd hope. Keep on. I’m certainly still working on it
also, and I have a lot to learn, and
a long way to go. By no means am I
claiming to have mastered any of these five things but these are some helpful
tips I've gathered from my experience thus far as a YouTuber and my weekend at
the conference. I certainly left Texas Style council with some new friends
& memories, new goals & ideas, and some amazing new tools to achieve
them.
Do you have both a YouTube channel and a
written blog? What are some more things you've found helpful as a
creator?
Well it's the beginning of a new month and in Texas that means it's hot, hot, hot!! July certainly flew by, didn't it?! This month I tried a couple of new products, namely a primer & a powder by Neutrogena, and rediscovered a couple of tried & true faves in my quest to use up more of the makeup in my collection. I also found a great new conditioner which has been making my hair feel smooth & strong. (And it's drugstore to boot!) Watch my video below to see all of the products I loved throughout the past month:
As we enter into scorching August my #1 goal is to avoid being boiled alive by the sun! But, I've also come up with a few other things I'd like to get accomplished or work on this month and in order to keep myself accountable I've listed them below: 1. Stick to my daily routine for house management. 2. Throw a fun bridal shower for my soon to be sister-in-law. 3. Stay active 4 times/wk. 4. Post a unique channel header & a new channel trailer. 5. Manage my upload schedule & calendar for CFTV efficiently. I'll come back in 31 days (er... minus 7...) & fill y'all in on whether I've progressed in or accomplished my goals & name some new ones for September. I'm thinking this might become a regular sort of post so if you like it let me know! What would you like to achieve or do in the month ahead? I am so happy to be launching the written blog portion of "Confessions From the Vanity." I've always really enjoyed writing and have wanted to start a fashion & beauty related blog for quite a while. I'm excited & have lots of fantastic things planned! If you have anything you'd like to see me write about please leave me a comment! Enjoy August, y'all! -Confessions From the Vanity
