March YT MUA of the Month!

Here we go again!

FYI: YT MUA = Youtube Make-up artist

This month, it is.... emilynoel83!



emilynoel83 is the screen name of Emily Eddington, a YT makeup guru from the St. Louis, Missouri area. In real life (outside of YT) she is a morning news anchor. She actually has to wake up at about 12 AM to get up for work every day!!!



Emily does a lot of videos on makeup in all sorts. This ranges from makeup tutorials:

She also does reviews on products, as well as ranks products based on how well they do for her:

She also does various tags:
Makeup by hubby/boyfriend tag:

And also does outings for getting beauty supplies:
Dollar supply adventure:

Shopping ideas:

She also has a beauty blog, http://www.beautybroadcast.net/, in which she posts things about makeup as well as about her personal life. She also has a cat named Cupcake, and is married to her husband, Tyler!

One of the cool things I like about her is that she uses both drugstore and high-end products, so that means that you get the whole range of products. She is very down-to-earth, seems like a very nice person, and is very kind and sweet =D

Past YT MUAs:

Cydangie

Gossmakeupartist

Xteeener
kandeejohnson

daisycheekz

secretlifeofabionerd

Sources: 1 / 2 

The Sunscreen Project, Part 3

 

Solbar AVO with Avobenzone SPF 32

The statement from the bottle states that this sunscreen is "non-comedogenic, very water resistant, paba and fragrance-free."

Active ingredients: avobenzone, homosalate, octinoxate, oxybenzone

By first glance, I really like the fact that this sunscreen has avobenzone, which is the only substance that provides coverage against the entire UVA spectrum.

When I first put the sunscreen on, I was really surprised by how well it spread on. This sunscreen actually goes on quite nicely, and although it did seem greasy, it was not as greasy as the last sunscreen I tried the VaniCream SPF 30. I did have to leave it on for awhile before getting used to it. But then again, I thought afterwards, every sunscreen I've used in my life has had this same effect. I guess perhaps that's the way all sunscreens are designed, perhaps?

This sunscreen actually worked pretty well. I wore it out all day and did not get any substantial tanning, and even though I perspired throughout the day, it seemed to hold still. Also, it did not have any smells, which was super nice.

Pros? Not so sticky, has UVA protection and UVB protection
Cons? Still kind of greasy
Overall, do I like it? Yes, better than the Vanicream. But I still want to try other ones before making a decision about which I like and want to use in the long term.

Price: $10.77 for 4 oz on Amazon.com

Source: 1

Past posts:
Part 1: Introduction
Part 2: Vanicream SPF 30

Is high-end makeup overly hyped?

Lately I've been thinking about all of the Urban Decay reformulations and new releases. Each of the new individual Urban Decay single eyeshadows is a whopping $18.

Yeah, I know. $18.

I know that high-end makeup is generally considered to have higher quality than drugstore makeup, and there is lots of research that goes into makeup in general. But the thing is, drugstore makeup companies are also doing research and are making new reformulations and stuff like that. But those products are being sold at prices that are affordable to the general public, and they are still making a profit.

Some people say that a lot of people buy high-end makeup and end up returning it due to allergies and stuff, and so that drives up the price of the makeup. But the thing is, people do that to drugstore makeup too, and it is still being sold and is making a profit. After all, the cheapest of the cheapest, ELF and Wet N' Wild, have things sold even at $1 each, and they ARE making a profit. After all, if they weren't, they wouldn't have been around for as long as they have; even with the sunk investments and everything in place, right?

I just wish that makeup could be more affordable for everyone.

Take for instance Hard Candy. It was originally released as a high-end brand, but couldn't compete with other companies that were already established in the market (e.g. Urban Decay, TokiDoki, Smashbox, Stila, etc), so it underwent some revamping for a few years and re-emerged at Walmart as a drugstore brand. And it's doing absolutely FINE. It's making a profit. And the company is still the same company that it used to be, just some reformulations, but still, the essence of the product is still the same as what was originally sold in a Sephora just a few years before.

What is going on?

I personally just wish that overly hyped makeup, the ones that are so constantly advertised in department stores, could be sold at more affordable prices. I barely make splurges and rarely shop at Sephora, even though I love the store, because of the prices. In fact, for the last few times I went, the only reason I actually bought something was because I got a gift card from there. As a college student who is about to go into even more debt in the next couple of years because of med school, I can't afford to splurge on things like this, even if I like it. In fact, I have to constantly think of ways to save money. Even if my mother might like buying high-end makeup. Going to sales to buy clothes and accessories. Buying jewelry from Forever21 even though after just a few months of wear, my ears (and sensitive skin) become allergic to it, so that I have to retire it. 

I'm not trying to adopt a deprecating attitude toward drugstore makeup brands; I think some of them are quite wonderful. Everyone has to make an honest profit, or else it wouldn't be worth even putting in your time to be in the industry. But ultimately, what is the difference between a CoverGirl eyeshadow single (~$3) and an Estee Lauder eyeshadow single ($20)?

<3

Music/videos I'm liking right now...

Here are some cool things that I've found around YT lately that I've really enjoyed/treasured:

1. Bubzbeauty's advice on Healthy Relationships

2. "Don't Stop Believing" by Journey

3. "Teach Me How to Diffe" - Parody on "Teach Me How to Dougie"

4. Just a general explanation of haters:

5. "Confidence" by Christie

6. Girls with glasses are sexy too by Christie


7. SLOABN: Being happy with your body weight


8. Big Time Rush - "Music Sounds Better With You" at Houston Rodeo (which I attended, though this is NOT filmed by me!)

9. Big Time Rush - "Till I Forget About You" at Houston Rodeo (which I attended, though this is NOT filmed by me!)

10. Big Time Rush - "The City Is Ours" at Houston Rodeo (which I attended, though this is NOT filmed by me!)

Have a great day!

<3

Source: 1

Hunger Games comes out today!!! (Post 4)

Hey guys and gals,

Today is the official opening date of "The Hunger Games" - the release of the movie into theatres.

AHHHH!!!!

I seriously hope to see it sometime.











Sources: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5

The Seven Sins of Beauty Tag

 

This is a tag from Jen from frmheadtotoe. I think it's pretty interesting to just think about after all of the products that have been invented out in the world and everything.

1. GREED: What is your most inexpensive beauty item? What is your most expensive?

The cheapest is probably my ELF eyelash curler, for $1, as well as some of my eyeliners from Wet N' Wild. The most expensive would probably be my Clinique Moisture Surge Gel Extended Thirst Relief Moisturizer. It retails for ~$50 for 2.5 oz!!!

2. WRATH: What beauty products do you have a love/hate relationship with? What product has been the hardest to get?

Love/hate relationship: Probably mascaras. I've always had a problem with getting used to new mascaras and their different formulations, understanding how to apply them properly without getting panda eyes, etc. On the other hand, when I DO get it right, it makes my eyes stand out so much more!

Hardest to get: Maybelline's Dream Mousse Concealers. They were discontinued but I still like using them. I have to get them now on Ebay and Amazon, and even those are running out...

3. GLUTTONY: What are your most delicious beauty products?

Probably my ELF hypershine lipglosses. They smell like bubblegum, and taste all right too!

4. SLOTH: What beauty product do you neglect, due to laziness?

Bronzer, blush, foundation, powder. Lolz, basically almost all face products.

5. PRIDE: What beauty product gives you the most self confidence?

Probably, by default, concealer, because it hides my ultra-dark eye circles.

6. LUST: What attributes do you find most attractive in the opposite sex?

Oh my goodness, if my bf were reading this.... well, he probably is so whatevs.

Here goes nothing. (or something? hmm...)

a. Intelligence - must be intelligent enough to have conversations about worldly topics, discuss abstract concepts and ideas

b. Adventure - must be open to doing adventurous things, be open to trying new things

c. Kindness, niceness - must be a nice person

d. Generosity - must not be a stingy person

e. Maturity - must be a mature person, be mature about handling situations

f. Sense of humor - know when to have a good laugh, crack a good joke

g. Height - must be taller than me (which is easy, since I'm 5' 2'')

h. No tattoos

i. Must be clean-shaven

j. Take care of oneself - clean oneself properly

k. Down-to-earth - knows when to be sane and when to behave properly, maturely, understands the ultimate end goal.

Sorry that was SOO much! Hope it didn't bother ya'll too much :'(

7. ENVY: What items would you most like to receive as a gift? 

Beauty-wise: high-end skincare products (e.g. facial cleansers, moisturizers, eye creams, etc). But truthfully, I would want to pick them out myself, so probably a gift card to Sephora or something to get them.

Non-beauty-wise: What do all girls want? Romantic things. Google any "gifts girls want" or whatever. It sounds so stereotypical but it actually may be kinda true. Lolz.

Source: 1

The Sunscreen Project, Part 2

 

Vanicream Sunscreen for Sensitive Skin, SPF 30

This is the first sunscreen I will review during my Sunscreen Project (for the first post, click here). I received a bunch of samples from my dermatologist to try out, and to find out the sunscreen that best helps me.

The packaging states that this sunscreen is "free of dyes, lanolin, fragrance, masking fragrance, parabens, and formaldehyde". Sure enough, the ingredients do not list any of these things.

When I first got this, I squeezed out a generous amount and applied it all over my arms, neck, legs, hands, etc. I did not apply it on my face, as I have a facial moisturizer with SPF to use instead.

Pros:

-The SPF is high enough, SPF 30 (above the bare minimum of 15)

-The sunscreen is basically scentless, does not have any smells, and did not make my super-sensitive skin break out at all.

-It has titanium oxide and zinc oxide as active ingredients, which are great at blocking UVB rays.

Cons:

-The packaging says that it DOES protect against both UVA and UVB rays, but truthfully, the only active ingredient that is there to protect the skin from the entire UVA spectrum is avobenzone, which is not present in the product.

-It is EXTREMELY greasy. After applying, it took at least 25 min for it to absorb into my skin. It was almost impossible to get off. I had to use my loofah to scrub my skin extremely intensely several times. The routine I used to get the stuff off was:

(1) Using my loofah with my body wash 2X

(2) Using my loofah with my Clean & Clear Morning Burst Cleanser (I decided to use something that usually washes oil off of my face completely)

(3) Using my Noxema Facial Scrub 1% Salicylic acid (I thought the scrubbing action of the exfoliator would help)

(4) Using the aspirin grinds from my aspirin toner as a very severe scrubbing agent

(5) Scraping and scratching my skin with my bare nails to peel off the stuff.

Yeah, I know. It took me, in total, 40 min to get the stuff off of my skin. 40 minute shower. Ugh!

Overall, what do I think of the product? Well, the truth is, I didn't really like it. It definitely did live up to its purported purpose of being good for sensitive skin, but it does not protect against UVA rays, and it is super hard to get off. I felt so disgusting after putting it on; I absolutely just wanted to get it off of me. It was gross.

This retails for $12.25 for 4 oz on Amazon.com.

Would I purchase the full-size version of this product? Heck no! Would I recommend it for anyone? Probably only if you need a product that is greasy enough to stay on just about forever. Like, if you were going into the rainforest for an expedition or something. Other than that, no.

Stay tuned for more reviews of other sunscreens!

Source: 1

The Sunscreen Project, Part 1

 

Hey everyone,

As most of you all know, I come from the deep south of the States. And right now, even though it's only March, the sun has fully come out and it is BLAZING.

So, to cope with this, I'm going to be using sunscreen. (Just like you're supposed to. Lolz.) I received a bunch of samples of sunscreen from my dermatologist and so I'm going to be trying all of them within the next few months and reviewing them.

So stay tuned!

Source: 1

Hunger Games Post 3: Safe and Sound Cover by Kina Grannis

As you all may know, "The Hunger Games" movie is coming out on March 23, as the cliche goes, "to a movie theater near you."

My favorite song from the OST of the movie, "Safe and Sound", is sung by Taylor Swift, as I have posted on a previous post. Lots of music artists have posted covers of the song online.

My favorite is the one by Kina Grannis, a musician from California. She has a beautiful voice and is AMAZING.

Here are the lyrics to the song:


"Safe & Sound"
(feat. The Civil Wars)

I remember tears streaming down your face
When I said, "I'll never let you go"
When all those shadows almost killed your light
I remember you said, "Don't leave me here alone"
But all that's dead and gone and passed tonight

Just close your eyes
The sun is going down
You'll be alright
No one can hurt you now
Come morning light
You and I'll be safe and sound

Don't you dare look out your window darling
Everything's on fire
The war outside our door keeps raging on
Hold onto this lullaby
Even when the music's gone
Gone

Just close your eyes
The sun is going down
You'll be alright
No one can hurt you now
Come morning light
You and I'll be safe and sound

Oooh, Oooh, Oooh, Oooh
La La (La La)
La La (La La)
Oooh, Oooh, Oooh, Oooh
La La (La La)

Just close your eyes
You'll be alright
Come morning light,
You and I'll be safe and sound...

Oooh, oooh, oooh, oooh oh oh. [x7]

Source: 1

Tips for beautiful hair!!!

 

Disclaimer: I have long, stick-straight, smooth Asian hair. These are the tips and tricks I have picked up throughout the years that have helped. Also, I am NOT a physician, so please consult a physician before trying out any medical-related tips and tricks. These are merely things that I do that have helped me over the years.

Let's get started! ^_^

1. Wash your hair every other day (or every third day) to preserve the natural oils in your hair and let them reach the whole length of the strands. Note: If you tend to breakout along your hair line (the conjunction of your head with your forehead) because of this oil problem, then you have to decide whether you want to preserve the natural oils of your hair and risk getting acne or not. It's a trade-off you have to decide for yourself.

2. Trim the tips of your hair every 2 months.

3. If you see any split ends, snip them off with scissors.

4. Use a hair serum at night.

5. When you are in the shower, leave in your conditioner for 5-10 minutes before rinsing it out.

6. DO NOT use a shampoo that has sodium lauryl sulfate or sodium laureth sulfate (SLS). This is actually a chemical that can cause lots of irritation to the skin (and hair). It is also used in toothpaste to clean your teeth, and is also used in biology laboratories to run agarose gels to visualize DNA strands (people have to use gloves and wear protective clothing to handle these things!). Check the ingredients list on the backs of bottles to make sure the shampoos don't have this chemical.

7. Expensive DOES NOT mean better. My favorite shampoo and conditioner brand, Tresemme, is super cheap, $4 for a 32-oz bottle. Recently I purchased a shampoo from Yes To Carrots, $9 for 16.9 oz (so about 3X more expensive) that DOES NOT work as well as the Tresemme. Go figure.

8. Don't blow-dry your hair. Air drying it out does less damage.

9. Don't dye your hair or give it chemical treatments. It will damage your hair.

10. If you experience hair loss or want to try to grow out your hair more quickly, you can take a B-vitamin supplement. It CANNOT guarantee results, but it may help with the process.

11. Eat lots of fruits and veggies. I cannot overemphasize this enough - diet plays a key role!

12. Drink lots of water! It has so many health benefits, and healthy hair is one of them. When I didn't drink lots of water at times, even during the summer, my hair would grow more slowly or would feel more delicate and breakable.

13. Get plenty of sleep. This is a given. Unfortunately, I can't say I practice this all the time, since I have a terrible college schedule ^_^;

14. Exercise! Whether it's walking for 15 min everyday or training for a triathlon (or somewhere in between), it's beneficial.

15. Rotate out your shampoos and conditioners every once in awhile. Your hair may get inculcated (used to)  particular ingredients or combinations of ingredients. Try out new kinds and you might see new results!

I hope these tips were/are helpful. Lemme know about any tips/tricks that you guys and gals have, and if you do try these tips, tell me about the results!

<3

Sources: 1 / 2 / 3

NOTD

With flash:

Without flash:

Base + top coat: Revlon Multi Care Base+Top Coat

2 coats: NYC "In a New York Color Minute" Quick Dry in Pier 17

Base color for stripe: Nail Savvy in White

Stripe top: Julep in Maya

Have a great day!

Skin rash problems!

Hey guys,

This past weekend (which was our Spring Break) I got a formidable rash during one of my visits to my bf's family's house. (I didn't LIVE at his house, mind you, we actually live pretty close to each other, get those dirty thoughts out of your mind!) Anyway, back to the rash.

Originally, I thought the rash came from one of the soaps that I used at his house while I was washing my hands in the bathroom. However, afterwards, I thought that if that had been the case, then I would've gotten rashes on both of my hands. However, in reality, I only have a rash on one hand - on my lower upper palm and my wrist, down to the upper part of my arm. In other words, my metacarpals, carpals, and the distal portion of my radius, in bone terms. Which might suggest that the problem I had was with the cloth that I used to wipe my hands on after washing my hands, since I wipe my hands in a way that my left hand comes into more contact with the cloth than my right hand (usually).

Okay, enough with the scientificky part.

The point being is that I got the rash at his house.

The rash is red with scaly bumps. It (obviously) gets worse when I scratch it, when it itches, and gets even more inflamed.

I asked the graduate student who works in the lab with me the other day and he said that it looked like I had poison ivy. (He works out in the field - e.g. wading in ponds, going on nature walks, so he encounters things like this often). The problem is that this is probably not what happened, because if it was then probably a lot of other people in the house would've also gotten it. And they haven't (thank goodness!). So I dunno now.

Right now, I'm taking Zyrtec and combating it with Benadryl's Anti-Itch Gel for Kids (0.45% camphor is the active ingredient) as an external analgesic.

This is kind of what it looks like now (though it subsides at times, this is not actually a picture of my rash, I'm too lazy/tired to take a pic of it actually);

Any suggestions for help?

Thanks! <3

Source: 1

Other songs from The Hunger Games soundtrack + Taylor Swift MV!

Yes, as you guys and gals all know, I am obsessed with the Hunger Games trilogy. And I am super super excited that the movie is coming out.


I wrote my first post about The Hunger Games a few days ago. You can find that post here.


The official name of the soundtrack is The Hunger Games: Songs from District 12 and Beyond.


Here are the songs themselves (Taken from Wikipedia):

No.	Title	Music	Scene	Length
1.	"Abraham's Daughter"	Arcade Fire
2.	"Tomorrow Will Be Kinder"	The Secret Sisters		3:27
3.	"Nothing to Remember"	Neko Case
4.	"Safe & Sound (feat. The Civil Wars)"	Taylor Swift		4:01
5.	"The Ruler & The Killer"	Kid Cudi
6.	"Dark Days"	Punch Brothers
7.	"One Engine"	The Decemberists		3:01
8.	"The Daughter's Lament"	Carolina Chocolate Drops
9.	"Kingdom Come"	The Civil Wars
10.	"Take the Heartland"	Glen Hansard
11.	"Come Away (feat. Rozzi Crane)"	Maroon 5
12.	"Run Daddy Run (feat. The Pistol Annies)"	Miranda Lambert
13.	"Rules"	Jayme Dee
14.	"Eyes Open"	Taylor Swift
15.	"Lover is Childlike"	The Low Anthem
16.	"Just a Game"	Birdy

Here are some of the youtube clips for the songs: (I couldn't find all of them, not all of them are out yet)

"Abraham's Daughter"

"Tomorrow Will Be Kinder"

"Nothing to Remember"

(couldn't find)

"Safe and Sound"

"The Ruler & The Killer"

(couldn't find)

"Dark Days"

"One Engine"

"The Daughter's Lament"

(couldn't find)

"Kingdom Come"

(couldn't find)

"Take the Heartland"

(couldn't find)

"Come Away"

(couldn't find)

"Run Daddy Run"

(couldn't find)

"Rules"

(couldn't find)

"Eyes Open"

"Lover is Childlike"

(couldn't find)

"Just a Game"

(couldn't find)

Here's a listing of all of the songs:

Have fun everyone!

Sources: 1 / 2

AmLactin Moisturizing Body Lotion Review

I recently got a few samples of this from the mail. I had never heard of this company until I got it delivered straight to me. So hey, why not? Give it a try!

This lotion is made up, by weight, 12% lactic acid. Lactic acid is actually a byproduct that our bodies produce when we burn sugars in our bodies to create molecules for energy. Often times, you will notice it as a burning or painful sensation when you first start running or exercising heavily (around the first 90 seconds after beginning the workout) - it is caused by the build-up of this chemical. However, in a topical formula, lactic acid is good for smoothing and exfoliating. It helps lower the pH of the skin, making these areas of the skin more hostile to bacteria, and perhaps other things. It also has AHA (alpha hydroxy acid) properties which also helps with the smothing and exfoliating.

I read the ingredients list, and I do not like some of the things that are in there. It says it has "light mineral oil", which is a comedogenic substance - meaning it causes blockage of the pores, which can lead to bacterial buildup and acne.

It also has lots of parabens, used for preservation purposes. The good/bad effects of such parabens are actually still up in the air for debate.

Because this lotion has AHA properties, it may cause a rash or irritation for sensitive skin [which didn't happen for me]. Also, because of the AHA properties, it exposes the skin more to the sun's UV rays, so if one were to apply this in the morning and then subsequently go outside, one would need to apply SPF sunscreen or moisturizer to protect one's skin.

The lotion also has glycerin, which serves as a humectant, and helps retain water in the skin. Definitely a plus for hydration!

The lotion retails at $12 for 8 oz on Amazon.

Would I purchase the full-sized version of this product? Probably not. I do not like the fact that it has comedogenic ingredients, especially since I have extremely acne-prone skin.

Would you guys and gals be willing to try products with comedogenic ingredients even if you have acne-prone skin? Have you tried this product before? What are some body lotions that you all would recommend? Leave a comment!

<3

Source: 1