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!
