NYX Face awards

Hello my wonderful readers!!

Top O' the mornin' to ye!

  So I am SUPER excited to share with y'all that NYX Cosmetics has once again launched their Face Awards competition. If you don't know what that is..I'll tell you!

  It is a contest for YouTube makeup artists! It is an amazing way to kick start your makeup artist career, not to mention yourself esteem! The grand prize includes $25,000 and soooo much more.

http://nyxfaceawards.com/about

  You enter by simply submitting a video via http://nyxfaceawards.com/ and filling out the entry form. From there, the top 30 entries are chosen by YOU!! All you have to do is watch the entry and if you like it..click that thumbs up! Also, comments are factored into the choosing so be sure to leave a comment!

  If you want to enter here is some important info:

***Entry and Voting Periods for the First Challenge

Entries for the First Challenge can be submitted from April 3, 2013 at 12:01 AM PDT to May 15, 2013 at 11:59 PM PDT. Entries received before or after the First Challenge entry period are void.

Online voting will take place from June 7, 2013 at 12:01 AM PDT to July 24, 2013 at 11:59 PM PDT.

http://nyxfaceawards.com/rules-and-regulations

***How to Enter the First Challenge

Qualified entrants shall submit a qualifying video (requirements specified above) that best exemplifies their talent as a Youtube Beauty Vlogger. The video can be a pre-existing video or one created specifically for this contest. Entries must be submitted online at www.nyxfaceawards.com/enter. By entering this contest and agreeing to these Official Rules, each entrant represents and warrants that he or she is the person listed on the entry form and is the only person depicted in the submitted video.

All entries must be accompanied by a fully completed entry form, including agreement to releases contained therein. Entry forms are available online at www.nyxfaceawards.com/enter. All entries submitted on behalf of anyone between the ages of 14 and 18 at the time of entry (a “Minor”) must also include the name and e-mail address of the entrant’s parent or legal guardian. All entrants consent to the use by Sponsor of the entries and information contained therein for marketing and/or sales promotional purposes without any attribution, identification, right of review or compensation. Incomplete entries will not be eligible to win.

http://nyxfaceawards.com/rules-and-regulation

***First Challenge - Selection of 30 Eligible Entrants for Next Round

Of all eligible entrants, thirty (30) entrants will be selected by a panel of judges determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion to be able to move on to the next challenges in the contest. The following are the criteria that will be applied by the judges:

• 20% Creativity of the look
• 20% Presentation/Educational value of the tutorial
• 20% Artistry in makeup application
• 20% Quality of the video production
• 20% Influence within Youtube voters

These 30 entries will be published on the contest Web page at www.nyxfaceawards.com on May 24, 2013, along with each entrant’s name and city. All decisions of the judges are final and binding. Once these 30 entrants are selected, these entrants must participate in three (3) more video challenges, as described below, for a chance to be one of six finalists participating in the final contest in Los Angeles, California.

http://nyxfaceawards.com/rules-and-regulations

All of the sections marked with *** have been taken directly from the NYX Face Award page, and the appropriate links follow the section (they say it better than I can anyway!)

Last year's winner was Charis Lincoln.http://www.youtube.com/user/charismastar Her story was amazing to follow and an inspiration. If you want to see what made her a winner (besides her amazing personality and obvious love for makeup and wanting to change the media in a positive way, you can watch her journey here: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3BAF7860B32AD02F

You can also connect with her here: https://www.facebook.com/charismastartv and here https://twitter.com/CharismaStarTv

I am sure that I have left something out in my excitement, but no worries..just comment your question and I will do my best to find out the information for you! That's how I roll...

Also, comment below if you are going to enter and where we view your video! Can't wait to see what everyone comes up this year. I think that Charis really set bar high for all competitors this year. But PLEASE remember, although it is a competition, have fun!! If you love what you do, then it will show. Good luck to all that are going to enter and happy viewing to the voters!!

https://www.facebook.com/ElizabethGlam77

http://www.youtube.com/user/ElizabethGlam77

https://twitter.com/#!/ElizabethGlam77

http://www.avonrepresentative.com/clear6676

http://instagram.com/elizabethglam77/

http://www.beautylish.com/GlamourByElizabeth

http://www.beautorial.com/usr/elizabeth-martin-clear

No review..random rant...

Hello all my lovely readers

  Once again I have been M.I.A and I apologize. The only reason I can offer up is that the past two weeks have been CRAY CRAY! I mean totally nuts...I will spare you the details but ya..just psycho. Also, we are STILL looking for a house so we can move..my husband is now commuting 75 miles one way each day. Ugh..

  So my random rant is on stereotypes. Basically this: No matter what race you are, how much money you have or where you are from; DO NOT make assumptions about people who aren't the "same" as you.

  What happened that made me so.."Oh no you di'ent" that I needed to fly my rebel flag and blog about it? Well I'll tell you.. I just finished watching a video from one of my (not any more) favorite YouTube gurus, and in this video, the person made the assumption that people from the country wouldn't know the difference between a stripper and a Go-Go dancer.

 *Triple take* Uh, 'scuse me??? WTF? Really???

  I am from the country..yes, cows, tractors, hay bales the whole 40 acres and I know the difference. So do all of my redneck, hillbilly, countrified friends. In actuality, country gals would know MORE about the difference between a stripper and a go-go dancer because we wouldn't be caught dead in a cage dancin'. If it ain't got a pole, sawdust on the floor or a Wranglers on, we ain't dancin' in it, on it or with it!!

  Now, as I was (now) formerly a subscriber to this person, I always felt they were a bit..well, for lack of a better phrase; deprived of oxygen at birth. But I didn't want to make the assumption that they were a ditz, maybe they were just a little nervous in front of the camera.

  Nope, I was right..that's a country girl's intuition fer yuh!

  Seriously people, this totally pissed me off!! The video was supposed to be about fitness and confidence and  out this person's mouth came this crap. I actually flipped my computer monitor the bird.

  So yeah. All I'm saying is just don't say things about people that are "different" from you. You may be quick to point out that people don't know you or your life..well that's a two lane road right there.

  I know this has nothing to do with beauty reviews and I apologize, but I just had to get up on my tailgate speak my piece.

Y'all come back now yuh herrr!

https://www.facebook.com/ElizabethGlam77

http://www.youtube.com/user/ElizabethGlam77

https://twitter.com/#!/ElizabethGlam77

http://www.avonrepresentative.com/clear6676

http://instagram.com/elizabethglam77/

http://www.beautylish.com/GlamourByElizabeth

http://www.beautorial.com/usr/elizabeth-martin-clear

What's been going on/ YouTube Beauty Guru Review update

Hello my dear readers!

LIKE MY NEW CHANNEL IMAGE?

  So there isn't a review today, just a quick catch up on the shenanigans and goings on in my life this past week.

WARNING: If you are sensitive and/or can not deal with injured animals, please skip to the next section..

  As some of you may know that follow me on Twitter and/or are a Facebook friend, you know what's been going on. For the  rest of you, here we go..
 Last Thursday, my dog of 9 years was attacked and fatally wounded by our neighbors dog. Note: our neighbors are family. I will spare the gory details, but needless to say, I thought my poor Blues Clues was dead. I took him from the scene of the attack to my step-father (who is no longer with my mother, but lives on the property...I know..my family tree is a gnarled and somewhat askew) and proceeded to get the rest of my dogs to safety. During that time, Blues Clues in his state of shock, ran off and hid. We searched all day for him and couldn't find him. Lo and behold, the next morning, he was at our back door. I contacted my neighbor and they, at first, agreed to paying the vet bill, as long as we took them to their vet. Well, their vet never called back. So we had to take him to our vet. Now, although I firmly believe that the perp of this attack should be gotten rid of or put to sleep (please don't freak, the animal has tasted blood and will attack again, it's a proven fact) I left that decision to the neighbors. WELL....

After finding that out we were going to have to take our dog to a different vet, the neighbors changed their tune, saying the would only cover a couple hundred dollars, that they can't be sure Blue wasn't hit by a car and their dog found him after; never mind that I saw the attack, as it happened right outside my window. But my word wasn't enough. Meanwhile, I realized my pet's injuries were fatal and he needed to be put to sleep. Side Note: I am a severe asthmatic and have an anxiety disorder, this situation sent me to the hospital via ambulance with a severe asthma attack. Finally took my dog to the vet to have the procedure done. It really was the most humane thing to do. When the vet asked what happened, I lied to him and told him coyotes attacked his, as we live in the country and coyotes WILL come into our yard. I did this so animal control would not take the decision of what to do about the perp out of our neighbors hands. What did I gain from this? Not a damn thing!! The neighbors still refuse to believe their animal did this, called me a liar to my face and now there is a Hatfield and McCoy situation on our road. Our whole immediate family lives on one road.

So there is that...

NEXT SECTION

During all of this, my husband found out he will be taking over a store about 45 miles north of where we live, so this means relocation for us.  Which, in light of recent events, we are not opposed to. Plus, we would really like to get away from the town we live in and kind of start new. So we have been house hunting, which is kind of fun, but exhausting at the same time. Anyone who has been through this knows exactly what I am talking about. Our main problem is we don't know the area very well, and it's hard to know which areas are good, which ones are okay and which ones are OH HELL NO!!

To top it off, my daughter hit puberty..ya know what I'm saying? Her poor brother doesn't know whether to scratch his watch or wind his butt (Thank you Steel Magnolias)

And then there is that..

On to the Youtube Makeup Beauty Guru Reviews:

First, I want to say that I will review the more popular Gurus at a later time. Most people that watch YouTube makeup tutorials will more than likely have seen the ones I am talking about:

Robert Jones
Wayne Goss
Pixiwoo
Tanya Burr
MakeUp Geek
It's Judy Time
Lisa Eldridge
Kandee Johnson
Vintage or Tacky
Petrilude
Michelle Phan
Xsparkage
MissChevious
Goldie Starling
Makeup by Tiffany D

This is a small list of the really popular gurus. In the YouTube beauty community, these people are household names pretty much. So I really wanted to focus on the ones that are established, but still have a growing audience. (Not that the others don't..but you know what I mean.)

So here is the list of people I will be reviewing, in no particular order, not even alphabetical..

TwishyCareastar
ThatGirlShaeXO
TheMakeUpChair
Sarah Victor
Panacea81
Makeup By Ali
Casey Holmes
The Beauty Vault
CiaobellaXO
Beauty Crush
Jlovesmac1
R Pierced Makeup
Carlibel55
Jaclynhill1
Samantha Schurman

What I am going to do is try and contact these gurus and see if I can conduct a sort of "interview" by email. As (if) they reply, I will do the review. This will help to show no reflection on popularity or preference. I have a few people on my list that I will contact if any of the above do not respond.

I have about 5 people that are kind of a "backup" if someone doesn't reply. If you have any suggestions, please feel free to let me know. I must say that I have really enjoyed discovering new gurus based on the suggestions from my twitter friends and facebook friends, and I am looking to discovering more!!


Until next time everyone..
XOXO
Elizabeth

My Links:


https://twitter.com/ElizabethGlam77

http://instagram.com/elizabethglam77/

https://www.facebook.com/ElizabethGlam77

www.youravon.com/clear6676

http://www.beautylish.com/GlamourByElizabeth

https://www.youtube.com/user/GlitzandGlamorBeauty

Comparison of 5 mascaras and a plea for your input...

I recently reviewed and compared 5 mascaras, all of which I bought with my own money. Since I have barely there lashes (READ: almost non-existent) I wanted to see if the any of these 5 mascaras REALLY made a difference. The mascaras I chose to review were picked for a few reasons:

1. Different shaped wands
2. Different formulations
3. 3 of the 5 were from different companies
4. They are ones I already owned, and didn't have to go purchase any :)

In order of review:

1. Avon Irresistibly Sexy in Black obsessed
2. Wet n Wild MegaLash Clinical in black C643
3. Maybelline Great Lash Lots O Lashes in Very Black
4. Avon Super Shock in Black K01
5. Pop Beauty Smokey Lash Kapow in Smokey Black

Bit O Info: I first curled my lashes, then applied 2 coats of each mascara, letting each coat dry in between applications. Each mascara was applied to freshly cleaned, dried and curled lashes....MINE!!   Now, mind you, I have one hooded eye, and one that is less so. Also, my orbital sockets are completely different in shape. This was caused by method of delivery when I was born. Another thing, all of the formulas seem to be the same, not thin or liquidity and not too dry, which are the formulas I prefer. If you prefer a different kind of formula (more wet, more dry) then just use this review as a reference. :)

Here are the products and the wands

 As you can (hopefully) see; This product has a spiral shaped wand that is very full.

And here is the result:

With my eyes open, there is barely any lashes visible. Eyes closed, there isn't much length either. The wand and brush are a little difficult to use at first, but once you get the hang of it, it isn't that hard. But, in all honesty, who wants a mascara that you have to learn to use? You want to be able to pull it out of the tube and start applying, right? Yeah, that's what I thought. 

Basically how you use this wand and brush is you start at the base of your lashes, wiggle the brush to get in between the lashes really well, and then as pull the brush up and through the lashes, you rotate the brush. Like I said, a bit difficult at first, but once you get the hang of it, it's not so bad.  WARNING: If you can not walk and chew gum at the same time, or turn a wand while pulling up and out; step away from this product!!

Moving on...

This mascara comes in a pack with an eyelash growth serum. I did use the serum and THINK I saw some growth, but it could just be wishful thinking. I will review the growth serum IF I can remember to apply it everyday..no promises. 

This wand and brush is a little different, it is thin on one side, and wider on the other. I am assuming that is to add length (thin side) and volume (wider side). I actually found the best way to apply this was to turn the brush so you are actually using the corner. That way you are using both sides of the brush at once.

Result

With this mascara I found with my eyes open, you could see more lashes, and with my eyes closed there was much more length. 

Next..

I can honestly say that when I first purchased this mascara, I was instantly in love. The brush was one that I had not seen or used before. I found that this type of brush was great because of its tapered shape, almost giving a flared effect. More coverage to the outer lashes while giving more precise coverage to the inner lashes. The fine tip of the bush made applying product to the bottom lashes easy and glob free.

Result

Again, with this mascara, I definitely see length and volume with my eyes both open as closed. The color of this mascara is a rich black that is very noticeable. 

Moving on...

Now this wand and brush were very new to me. I had never used a mascara where the brush was no wider than the wand itself, nor had I used a rubber wand. From my viewing experiences on youtube on reviews about mascaras with rubber or plastic brushes, there seems to be a division in the beauty community. It is definitely a love it or hate it issue. So far, I haven't seen any opinions that are eh, meh, take it or leave it, or no opinion either way. As an AVON rep, there has been a lot of hype about this mascara and such YouTube gurus as Pixiwoo have used this mascara in their tutorials.

I was really impressed by this the first time I used it. I thought it gave great coverage  and the fact that the brush is rubber, it deposits more product on the lashes than a traditional fiber wand. 

Result

I am quite happy with the results of this mascara. Dark, voluminous lashes with my eyes closed, and with them open, length, volume and separation. You are even able to see the lashes on my more hooded eye!

Last but not least...

Now, I said that I paid for all of these mascaras with my own money, and this mascara is no exception but for the fact that I received it in one of my IPSY Glam bags (which I had to pay the subscription price on, so there ya go)

Obviously this wand has a traditional fiber brush that tapers from bottom to tip. I don't have a whole lot to say about the wand or brush because it is your typical mascara apparatus. We have all seen it and are used to it...

Result

Like the AVON Super Shock, with my eyes open you can see the lashes on my more hooded eye but there is not as much volume, separation or length. Also, with the eyes closed, the color is not as rich.

Over all, with the exception of the first mascara, I would recommend any of these; with the AVON Super Shock getting the highest recommendation. 

In my opinion, I DO believe the type of brush makes a huge difference. If you are happy with a traditional brush, by all means stick with it. But id you are willing to try something new, I would say give any mascara with a plastic or rubber brush a try. My feeling is that it is not really the shape of the brush that matters most, but the material it is made from is. Again, I feel that the plastic/rubber brushes deposit more product to the lashes than your traditional fiber brush. Also, the spines on the rubber/plastic brushes appear to be shorter and stiffer and seem to aid in separation of the lashes while depositing more product for volume and length. It sounds backwards, I know, but TO ME, that seems to be the case. As always, your opinion may (probably) be different.

I just wanted to add a quick note here: As an AVON rep, I have noticed that AVON, like MAC, tend to launch products and then discontinue them only to relaunch them with a new name. I only know this about AVON from my experience, I have never owned any MAC ($$$) and that statement is based on what others have said about the company and their tendency to do the same. So if you find that your favorite mascara (or any other makeup item from AVON) has been discontinued, ask your local rep for a comparable product. More than likely, what is recommended to you will be the same product with new packaging and a new name. 

I hope that this review has helped everyone in some way, from deciding on what the shape of brush is best for them to what material the brush is made of that makes the difference to them. Please remember, these are the mascaras I already owned.If you have different mascaras that you have opinions on, please leave a comment. If you have one you would like me to review, let me know and if it is in my budget, will happily do so.

If you have read to here..YAY!! Now I need your input. Coming soon will be 14 days of YouTube beauty gurus!! I will be reviewing 14 YouTube makeup gurus, one each day for two weeks. What I need from you is this: Please let me know who your top 5 gurus are that you love to watch. You can comment below or reach me at any of my links listed below. Tweeting is probably the best..but I will get notification no matter how you respond. Please, if possible, include a link to your favorite gurus' channel. I look forward to seeing who you love to watch and hopefully discovering some new faces.

My links:

https://www.youtube.com/user/GlitzandGlamorBeauty

https://twitter.com/ElizabethGlam77

http://instagram.com/elizabethglam77/

https://www.facebook.com/ElizabethGlam77

www.youravon.com/clear6676

http://www.beautylish.com/GlamourByElizabeth

As always, this has been my experience with this product(s). You experience may vary. If you have used this product and have an opinion to share, I invite you to leave a comment about it.

*All posts, text and photos are the written and intellectual property of the author. Do not copy or re-post any text or photos; in whole or part as your own. Links to the full posting is allowed.*

 ~Give credit where credit is due~

Quick updates and info

No, no, my dear readers, I am not missing in action again. This past week has been stressful, disappointing, irritating and the start of some new things.

  First the bad stuff :/ Well the only vehicle we have, broke down on my husband's commute home and had to have it towed. Found what was wrong (fuel pump) which is generally an easy fix, but as my husband and I were dropping the fuel tank (yes ME!!) the fuel line snapped. So we had to order it from local parts store the day before Easter. However, the guy behind the counter failed to tell my husband that having the part shipped to out house instead of the store takes an extra day or two. So yesterday, I suffered all day with a migraine, not being able to sleep in case I miss the Fed Ex truck. When my husband got home and the part still hadn't arrived, he called the store and that's when we found out about the shipping. Mind you, last week was my husband's first week at his new job. Luckily, his boss is someone he had worked for in the past, and gave him Friday through Monday off to get the truck fixed. Well, here it is Wednesday, and still waiting on the part. Luckily my in-laws were willing to reschedule appointments and be without a car for a few days so my husband could get to work. So, Thanks Mom and Dad. There's more, but it's trivial so I will move on...

  Now the new stuff!!

  I decided to REALLY get myself and my makeup artistry out there in social media. So, even though I had a YouTube channel, I started a new one. I started a new one with my business name, well, sort of. Someone already had the name so I had to fudge the spelling in the user name for the URL, but the channel has the correct spelling. I feel the need to mention this because really, is anyone going to take a business seriously with a misspelled name? No, I don't think so. And there you have it..I know how to spell. LOL.

  Another reason I chose to create another channel was because on my old channel, I did not feel like I was myself in the videos and tutorials. I just wasn't comfortable in front of the camera. To an extent I'm still not, but I have relaxed a lot. I haven't deleted my old channel; I am thinking of making it a vlog channel, but at this point I am not sure.

  I have so many ideas for my new channel, so many in fact, that I've had to start keeping a pen and notebook near me at all times!

  So here it is:




                            


Now, being that my channel is linked to this blog, when I upload a video I will post it here. The main reason for that is because sometimes I will need to post inspiration pictures and can not do that on YouTube because of copyrights and such. But I will continue to post product reviews here, as that is what I started this blog for! So, just consider it a bonus to have videos posted here too :)

If you are curious as to my uploading schedule, well, I don't really have one. I know a  lot of people upload every other day or everyday or once a week. This is my plan (but I can't make any promises) One day a week I will film the tutorials/videos I want to post for that week. Edit and then upload them and set them to publish on certain days of that week.

I am going to try to do the same thing for this blog. I have a list of reviews to write about for you guys, that still need to be wrote. So, one day a week I will (READ: TRY) try to write 5 blogs and schedule them for the week.

There. Now I feel better; I have y'all up to speed! So, again, I am sorry for having fallen behind this past week. It is definitely NOT that y'all aren't important to me, just that sometimes life gets in the way..simple as that. As always, I welcome any comments, questions and responses. I just ask that you be respectful. I say this because I have read countless blogs where people leave the nastiest comments. I personally don't care, but y'all shouldn't have to read that stuff. So I just ask to check the nastiness at the door.

Okay guys, thanks for baring with me this past week and I will talk to y'all again soon!
XOXO

MY LINKS:


https://twitter.com/ElizabethGlam77
http://instagram.com/elizabethglam77/
https://www.facebook.com/ElizabethGlam77
www.youravon.com/clear6676
http://www.beautylish.com/GlamourByElizabeth
https://www.youtube.com/user/GlitzandGlamorBeauty

As always, this has been my experience with this product(s). You experience may vary. If you have used this product and have an opinion to share, I invite you to leave a comment about it.

*All posts, text and photos are the written and intellectual property of the author. Do not copy or re-post any text or photos; in whole or part as your own. Links to the full posting is allowed.*

 ~Give credit where credit is due~