These products are EVERYTHING! Better than a funnel cake at a fair, or even a 50% off sale at Macy's! Okay...maybe not the last one.

I'll be graduating in a few months. Time does fly when you're having "fun," huh? I have to be an adult and find a real job. I would love to be a writer for a fashion or beauty magazine at some point, but for right now, this blog will have to do! I know it's been a crazy long time since I've posted anything, but I've recently found some great Instagrammers and bloggers that have made me re-fall in love with makeup. That said, I thought a "favorites" post would be appropriate! So here we go.

1. Shine Free primer- NYX cosmetics 

I really didn't give this primer a fair chance. I've had it for probably more than a year. I think I was using it wrong! Instead of patting it onto the skin, I would rub it in, which I don't think allowed it to sink into my pores. I find that my makeup lasts so much longer with this underneath. But it's all about how you apply it! 

2. Mac MatchMaster Foundation in 001

I had been using whatever foundation I found in my makeup box, which usually turned out to be Loreal's Visible Lift foundation. It held up fairly well on my oily skin and has great coverage. It's for mature skin, and since I'm 22 I didn't really expect it to be as great as it was. However, it would still slide off of my face after a few hours, and touch-ups were mandatory throughout the day. Enter MatchMaster! I went to the mall and stepped up to the Mac counter. I had used Studio Fix before many times and found that it not only didn't cover anything, but it just looked strange on my skin, so I knew I didn't want that. I was more interested in the Pro Longwear, simply because of the name. The woman that helped me suggested MatchMaster after we tried a couple of colors of Pro Longwear and they looked orange on my fair skin. I instantly fell in love. It looked like my face had been airbrushed. Couple that with NYX's Shine Free primer and I look like a movie star for a day. (Ok, ok, not really. But I can dream, right?) 

3. NYX's Round Case Lipstick in Castle 

Lately I have been obsessed- OBSESSED- with purple lipstick. I love the way it looks on my fair skin and it's unusual and unique. I found this color while perusing the NYX display at my local Ulta (a must every time I go) and swatched it on my hand. It is a beautiful pigmented lilac color with a bit of a sheen. It also glides on like butter and has fairly great staying power. But the color payoff is magnificent. I can't get enough! 

4. Urban Decay's De-Slick Mattifying Powder

I am always on the hunt for products to keep down my shine throughout the day. I have extremely oily skin so anything that promises to "mattify" or is "shine-free" is right up my alley. On the day I bought it, I left my makeup bag at home (what was I thinking...) and I was glistening like Edward Cullen. I got into my car and whipped this thing out, and I was amazed. It wasn't like any powder I had tried where I had to keep applying for it to mattify. I patted the small applicator it comes with into the compact and onto my face and it was instant: the shine was GONE. Although it's probably the most expensive makeup item I've bought in a while at $32, I really think it's entirely worth it for us oily-skinned gals. 

5. NYX Dream Catcher Palette in Dusk Til Dawn 

(photo credit: http://www.makeupandbeautyblog.com/cosmetics/nyx-dream-catcher-palette-dusk-til-dawn/

I'm going to be honest. I'm not the most adept at applying eyeshadow and making a difference. Especially when it comes to dark shades in my crease, I always feel like I'm getting ready for a Marilyn Manson concert. They just feel too dark on my light skin and I look goth. But I've gotten a lot braver! Although I'm still not brave enough to shell out $52 for a Naked palette. I don't feel that I'd get any use out of it since I'm not that great at eyeshadow, and plus, $52?!?! 

But I know I like shimmery eyeshadows, and this palette caught my eye and made me an offer I couldn't refuse. 

6. Mac Prep + Prime Highlighter Pen in Radiant Rose 

This is my first experience with anything going under my eyes that is a color not my skin color. It is fantastic. Coupling it with my Mac Mineralize Concealer, it creates a light under my eyes that I've never been able to achieve before. First I apply the Mineralize concealer, then I apply the Radiant Rose on top of it and blend them together. I find that it really doesn't crease, almost none at all. I wasn't planning on purchasing anything like this, but when the Mac artist applied it, I fell in love and could tell a major difference instantly. 

7. NYX Above and Beyond Full Coverage Concealer (concealer jar) 

This concealer has some serious coverage. I use it to cover any imperfections I may wake up with (oh, hello new zit). It covers them and blends beautifully into my makeup. Many people have said this is a dupe for the Mac concealer in a jar, but I've never used that. If it is, the Mac must be really great as well! I don't think it would be usable for the under eye area, as it is pretty dry and thick. I could definitely predict a crease-y under eye area. But for redness, pimples, anything really, it's great. I couldn't be happier. 

8. Jordana 12 HR Made to Last Eyeshadow Pencil in Eternal White 

I would definitely say this is a cheaper version of NYX's eyeshadow pencil in Milk. Jordana cosmetics are carried by Walgreens and they are very affordable. I use this as a sort of primer when I'm using bright eyeshadows, or any eyeshadow really, it just makes them brighter and more pigmented. It does not crease. Not on me, at least. But that could be thanks to the next product on this list...

9. Milani Eyeshadow Primer 

This primer is awesome. AWESOME. My eyeshadow does not crease, AT ALL. It goes on particularly clear, which I thought was interesting. I had been using Fergie's Wet 'n' Wild Take On The Day primer too, and there wasn't anything wrong with it either, it's a great product. I just wanted to try this one too. I think it makes eyeshadow a little more pigmented than does the TOTD. I find it also helps my liquid eyeliner to stay intact. Great product! 

10. Redken Wool Shake 

Gone but not forgotten...

So unfortunate that this has been discontinued. Ever since I had long hair until now I have used this product. Ulta currently has their remaining bottles on sale for $8.99, but good luck finding them! So far I have found three bottles. 

This product is essentially texture in a bottle. Spray it on and you have instant piecey, just-rolled-out-of-bed hair. It's especially great at giving volume to my pixie haircut. Also, I really enjoy the smell. A lot of people don't like products that have a strong scent, and if you don't then this probably isn't for you. But I don't find that the scent lasts for very long, so it could be alright. I just love this stuff. LOVE LOVE LOVE. I don't know what I'm going to do when I can't find any more. Hopefully these three bottles will last me for a little while! 

That's about it. I have discovered a lot of new products lately, some of which aren't on this list. Agree? Disagree with my picks? Let me know what you think! 

xoxo

Emily 

Dress for Success (And Your Best)

This is another article for one of my classes. It's so disconcerting to see students wear shorts and t-shirts (mostly females, since guys don't really care what they look like most of the time) to class. Check out my class' website, digitalnews.ua.edu! 


BY EMILY LUKER

Dateline Features Producer

You never know who you could run into when out in public.
It could be an old friend, a high school sweetheart, or a celebrity.
This makes dressing your best all the more important, not only in a business meeting or on a formal occasion, but even on a simple trip to the grocery store.
On two occasions I found this helpful: walking into the wrong class and finding famous weatherman James Spann as a guest speaker and meeting Tommy Shaw of the rock band Styx at the Nashville airport.
Lucky for me, I was dressed in actual clothes on both occasions, not workout attire or a baggy T-shirt.
College is a place of learning and it is understandable to want to be comfortable.
It is possible to look good and be comfortable without looking like a workout-junkie.
Granted, some students may work out after they leave class, but the rest? Why?
It has been said many times that if you dress better, you have more self-confidence, which helps to perform better in a professional atmosphere and even your daily life.
Why not take advantage of it?
That’s what Amy Ogles, a freshman interior design student, does every day.
"To class I normally wear a nice blouse with a sweater, jeans, and boots,” she said.  “Looking my best to class is important for two reasons: You're being taught by people who are at the top of the field you are aspiring to be in. Also school is really important to me and I treat it like a job."
One of her professors took note of her style and complimented her.
"He told me how he really noticed and appreciated that I always came to class and dressed professionally. I made a positive impression on him. That reassured me that getting up an extra 30 minutes early was completely worth it."
Ogles isn't the only girl who believes in the power of fashion and professionalism.
"I usually wear either a striped shirt or something simple with a structured jacket. I rarely wear jeans, I usually wear black, colored, or patterned pants," said Hannah Widener, a sophomore journalism major.
Dressing professionally benefited her as well.
"I once wore a fun burgundy suit with a white collared shirt to a presentation. Then later that night covering another event my clothes started a conversation with my now radio boss. My outfit opened up a different possibility for my career."
When trying to choose an outfit, don't think of what your day holds: think of what your day could hold.
"I dress nice every day because the next person you meet could change your life and you don't want to be wearing sweat pants when you meet them," said Widener.
As said by designer Tom Ford, “Dressing well is a form of good manners.” And who doesn’t appreciate those?

Great Things Come In Small Packages

This is a blog post for one of my classes, sports writing with Lars Anderson from Sports Illustrated. We got to listen to University of Alabama gymnastics coach Sarah Patterson speak. Wonderful experience!

Merriam Webster's online dictionary defines "spunk" with three words.

Spirit, courage and determination. 

These traits and many more are embodied in a tiny frame with workout attire, Tory Burch glasses and a 2011 championship ring bigger than her delicate hand. Her name is Sarah Patterson and she is the coach of gymnastics at the University of Alabama. 

As she talked to our sports journalism class, Sarah Patterson's hands did the backup talking for her as she told animated stories about the beginning of her long career. 

Her eyes shone with pride behind her fashionable thick black frames as she recounted the time that Bear Bryant told his associate to, "Give the little lady what she wants," when she asked for a $5000 floor exercise mat. She then received money for scholarships and a floor mat. 

"With Bryant there was no budget. If you won you got what you needed," said Patterson.

One part of the definition of spunk shows through especially through Patterson, and it rubs off on other people. She has an aura of determination, something that stands out and grabs your attention. It makes you want to go back in time and stick it out that time your mom put you in gymnastics when you were five. 

She smiled as she talked about the lengths she and her athletes go through to get people to come to their meets. They've done everything from dropping off athletes at Sorority Row at dinner time to handing out free Chick-Fil-A Sandwiches. There are certainly no lengths she hasn't been to, or will not go to.

Patterson got her 84/85 team to pose in their leotards with an elephant for publicity photos. Apparently there were some prickly protrusions on an elephant's skin that she was unaware of, and so were her athletes. 

"If I don't work hard at it," she said, "how can I get my athletes to work hard at it?"

Since all of her athletes attend media training, she did have bits of advice for journalists. She sat with her media contact, Roots Woodruff directly behind her, recording the meeting. 

"Be ethical about what you do. I don't think you can be successful in anything you do unless you care about the person," said Patterson. 

She has come a long way since the old days of no budget. She reminisced about her old teams and noted that her current freshmen weren't even alive when the gymnastics team won their first championship. 

When she talked about her daughter, she lit up like a Christmas tree, but she didn't forget the parent she was to some students long ago.

"In the beginning, we did it all. We were Mom, Dad, we were everything to those student athletes," said Patterson. 

Bowling Tournament, Who Will Come Out On Top?

     I think the general consensus of the class is that no one is a professional bowler. That being said, a couple of the students really stood out and had a little more experience than everyone else.

1. Joseph Bodenbach,  a junior, bowled a lot over Christmas break. He said he got a 167 during that time, and that he spent a lot of his childhood bowling. He's a tall guy, but he does have a method: "Speed, not accuracy." Well, with long arms like that, what could go wrong? 
2. We also have Nolan Ismande, a senior who says bowling is in his blood. Although he says he is quite hit or miss, and may crack under pressure, his high is a 175, which is pretty impressive. He also plays once a month. 
3. Then we have senior Charlie Potter. He seems to be a veteram. He says he goes to Leland Lanes a lot. Once a week, maybe even more. He could have a home court advantage. But one important thing to note: when the drinks start flowing and the pitchers start showing up, you can count this guy out. The more he drinks...well, you know. He has said, "Watch out for the second pitcher." 

     As far as long shots go, I'd say pretty much everyone else falls into that category. However, Tyler Hanes fits into a different sort of category. I call him, "The Hustler." He says that although his last score was 36, his next game could be 150, he just never knows. I guess it depends on how well he can hustle the other players. He, too has a way of winning, in addition to hustling: throw that bowling ball right down the middle. I mean, what's the worst that could happen, right? 

     But then we have Victoria Sheehan, a senior who recently started bowling without the bumpers going down the lane. She claims herself to be a "silent predator," however she mentioned a really high score which she thought wasn't that high and the whole class had to laugh. Her credibility went out the window after that. Her words, "triumphs and tragedies" may be accurate after all. 

     As for me, well, I don't like to let all my secrets out. All I can say is that it will be a surprise. 

Mental Illness Stigma Article

Something else that I'm passionate about? Writing. I wrote this for my JN315 class. I couldn't have asked to find better sources or people who are more passionate about what they do.

The Deception of “Mental Illness” 

The term “mental illness” is offensive and disrespectful, although not untrue. Mental health consumers really are ill. 

It’s not something that can be fixed with a “cheer up” and a pat on the back, it’s a sickness that needs actual treatment. 

However, mental illness has had a glaring stigma surrounding it since Biblical times. 

“Back then the mentally ill were regarded as demon-possessed,” said Dale Wisely, a clinical psychologist of 24 years in the Birmingham area. 

A stigma is defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary as “a mark of shame or discredit.” 

It shouldn’t be easy to mark someone with an illness through no fault of their own as shameful, but human behavior shows it happens every day. 

What is hard for people who don’t suffer from a mental illness to understand is it’s just like any other malady. It is a disease.  

Emily Tucker, a private practitioner, licensed professional counselor and Nationally Certified Counselor in the mental health field, thinks of the stigma of mental illness in much more simple terms. 

“A person cannot simply think their way out of a depression. We would not expect a diabetic to push through an insulin crisis, or a person with high blood pressure to will it away,” said Tucker.

Susan Hart, the director of University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Counseling and Wellness Center, makes the same point. 

“Mental illness is a brain illness. Sometimes it’s temporary and other times it is a lifelong struggle. When our brain gets sick it’s a mental illness.” 

It isn’t easy to have a conversation with someone who wants to end their life, who just got divorced or lived through a sexual assault. Although the physical damage may not be there, there is damage below the surface. 

“I believe the more severe the illness, the less we understand as a whole. We also often avoid uncomfortable discussions such as asking someone if they are feeling suicidal when we see warning signs.”

Tucker advocates that the best thing to do in that case is easy: talk to them. 

“It’s not that people don’t care, sometimes we are afraid we will say the wrong thing, so we say nothing. Other than saying something intentionally cruel or hurtful, there is no wrong thing we can say. The interest and caring shown by asking someone if they are doing alright can really go a long way.” 

Mental illness shouldn’t be a scary thing. Often, fear is caused by lack of factual knowledge. 

Facts point to one conclusion: mental health consumers rarely, if ever, become physically violent.  

Dr. Paul Mullen, a licensed clinical psychologist in Illinois, conducted a study in 2006 and concluded that of the 1 in 100 people who have schizophrenia, only 0.1% are sometimes violent. 

And if the individual is in treatment, then the odds are almost the same as for the general population. 

Why should a such misguided ideas even exist about mental illness? Hart blames something called social programming.

“Most of us learn very early in life that being beautiful, smart, popular and successful are attractive qualities. Social programming sets us up for both a positive and negative bias about others. This of course motivates us to seek healthy, beautiful people and to shun and exclude those who seem defective or inferior. Mental illness often alters one’s capacity for beauty, efficacy, and success,” said Hart. 

The issue turns out to be just lack of understanding. What can be done to remedy the problem? Research. Kindness and a little bit of character can go a long way. 

Respect is also another important thing to think about when referring to mental health consumers. 

“I would love to see us find new terms that are less associated with stigma,” said Tucker. “I rarely use that term (mental illness) in my practice.” 

To learn more preferable terms for mental illness, please visit http://www.mindfreedom.org/kb/mental-health-abuse/psychiatric-labels/not-mentally-ill. 

Lots of pictures! (And Tommy Shaw of Styx!)

BOY OH BOY HAS IT BEEN A WHILE

Hi, you guys. I haven't written a post in forever and so much has happened! Some good, some bad, unfortunately. 

Snoop is still Snoop: 

I got a Louis Vuitton Speedy:

I went to Vegas: 

It was pretty awesome. It's a totally different atmosphere from ole' Sweet Home Alabama. There are people walking around half naked everywhere you look. People are spending outrageous amounts of money at poker and blackjack tables. Slots are being filled to the brim with coin. 

It's definitely an experience that I feel like every one should partake in before they die. I wondered how many famous people had walked the same streets I was walking on, and how many people came to Vegas, never to leave. 

The shopping opportunities were AMAZING. There were shops everywhere, and three different Louis Vuitton stores that I saw. There were also Michael Kors, Alexander McQueen, and Chloe stores. Even Christian Louboutin! 

The place I was most excited about was of course the two-story Forever 21. I have never seen anything like it. I spent around four hours in there and STILL didn't see everything. 

I also got to see the Hoover Dam. It's pretty neat. It's crazy huge. I can't imagine the long hours and hard work that went into building it. 

I also met Tommy Shaw of Styx at the airport, which was pretty cool! I've never really been close to a celebrity before (that I can remember) so this was definitely sweet. 

And here I am at the huge Forever 21. 

I hope this post wasn't toooooooo terribly boring. 

I also hope more posts are to come, things have been crazy lately. 

Laters, loves! 

XOX

Magic Monday!

Hi guys! 

Let me start by saying this weekend was fantabulous. Friday I went shopping with my lovely mother, Saturday Alabama pulled out a win in the last minute of the game, and Sunday I discovered Breaking Bad. It's been wonderful. This blog post is inspired by the items that I found on Friday, which are found below. 

I found this beauty at my local thrift store, and have been wanting a fur vest for quite some time! I love that it's black so that it goes with so much (most of my wardrobe happens to be black...I don't really know how this happens..) and I love the feel of it. The back of the vest is actually a sweater like material, which I think is good because it keeps it from being too heavy. 

These items I got at Forever 21! I've wanted something with the crosses on it for a while now and when I saw this sweater, I had to have it.  I just realized that every item on this blog post is black...oh well. The pants are skinny jeans with wine colored polka dots on them. I can't wait to pair them with some boots and a chunky sweater (maybe of a color other than black!) 

LOVE LOVE LOVE this coat. I found it at Ross for a steal. I recently saw a blog post on Bloglovin' where a girl had a coat very similar to this one, and I fell in love. And then the same day while out at Ross, this one popped up. The shiny parts are leather (or pleather) and the rest is a wool-like fabric. 

In my opinion, if you can get away with materials that are inexpensive and look like the real (much more expensive) thing, then why pay the extra money? Whenever I see someone wearing something adorable, I don't ask them how much it was, I ask them where they got it. I don't like discounting something just because it isn't "name-brand" or really expensive. If you look cute, you look cute. And that's the end. 

My dad and I recently got my mom an oversized Michael Kors Runway watch she had been eyeing for well over a year for their wedding anniversary. It is absolutely GORGEOUS. And then the other night at Wal-Mart, I got one that looks very similar for about ten dollars. Will it last as long as hers? Probably not. Is it still cute and pretty...at least while it lasts? Oh yeah. 

And a side note: Happy anniversary to my parents, and happy birthday to my dad! I love you both more than you will ever know! 

P.S. Pictures of watch in next post? Perhaps. 

xo

Em