Getting to know... Celebrity makeup artist and YouTube beauty guru Kandee Johnson

I am so excited because today I have a special treat for all of you lovely Prettied Up readers. I was lucky enough to score an exclusive interview with celebrity makeup artist and You Tube beauty guru extraordinaire, Kandee Johnson!

She's done makeup for celebrities such as Janice Dickinson and Conan O'Brien and worked for big name television networks like MTV, CNN, and ABC but Kandee is probably best known for her insanely popular YouTube channel and beauty blog. With hundreds of thousands of YouTube subscribers and followers on Blogger, it's safe to say most of you already know and love Kandee.

I caught up with Kandee the other day to ask her some questions. Keep reading for our full interview.

How many lipsticks do you own? 5 gillion (ha ha ha) A ridiculous amount of nude shades!

Current favorite type of mascara: L'Oreal Double Extend Beauty Tubes (love it!)

Most essential makeup product: Oh golly. . . probably my Laura Mercier foundation. That and smolder eyeliner from MAC.

No. 1 beauty item on you’re currently lusting after: Oh man, I don't know. . . that's a tough one! Maybe some some Cle De Peau concealer (I've never tried it but everyone that uses it has raved about its amazing-ness!) ha ha ha

Biggest regret purchase: The Amazing concealer. I spend like $40 on it . . . and it was soooo not amazing! ha ha ha

First makeup memory: Either watching my little sister draw red lipstick on the underside of the dining room table . . . or staring with amazement at my moms makeup desk! ha ha ha

Thanks so much to Kandee for participating! I definitely have to try the Laura Mercier foundation and L'Oreal Double Extend Beauty Tubes mascara! Have you tried any of the products Kandee mentioned?

Five festive New Year's Eve makeup looks

Whether you're going to a casual house party or out to a fancy restaurant, here are five great makeup looks that will help you ring in the New Year gorgeously!

What are you doing for New Year's Eve? Will you try out any of these makeup looks? Which one is your favorite? I am going to try the Boho Chic look!

Getting to know... Meli of Style by Meli

Today's featured beauty blogger is Meli, a talented makeup artists who I actually know from high school. Her blog is called Style by Meli, and it's packed with tons of advice about makeup and style. I find her blog so informative and fun to read - she's always reviewing products and giving me new ideas! I highly recommend checking it out! 

I caught up with Meli recently to ask her a few questions about, what else -- makeup! Keep reading for our full interview.

How many lipsticks do you own? Honestly, I have never counted. If I had to estimate, about 100! Sounds crazy but I'm a total lip junkie!

And she has a ton of glosses too. Check out her amazing lipgloss bar!

Here she is! 

Current favorite type of mascara: I'm actually one of the few people you'll ever meet that is not a huge mascara person. However, when I wear mascara, I always prep the lashes with MAC's Prep + Prime lash for extra volume and length. There is a dramatic difference and it's totally worth the extra step!

Most essential makeup product and why: BLUSH! I cannot live without it and my heart seriously drops when someone tells me they never wear it. Besides giving life to the face, it just makes the face look soft and pretty!

No. 1 beauty item on you’re currently lusting after: Josie Maran Argan Oil. I have been dying to try this! I'm obsessed with face oils and believe they are the secret to beautiful, ageless skin.

Biggest regret purchase: Anything with sodium laureth sulfate. I had read that it is harmful to the skin, hair, and body and try to avoid it at all costs. I ended up having to throw out a handful of products that contained it, even brands that are classified as "all natural."

First makeup memory: I started to dabble with makeup on an everyday basis around age 14. My everyday look at that time was a black shimmery shadow on the whole lid. I remember thinking, "Wow, this makes me look so pretty!" I obviously had no idea what I was doing and going through a very experimental stage of my life.

Thanks so much to Meli for participating! I have never tried a face oil but now I feel like It's a must! Also, thanks for letting us know about the danger of sodium laureth sulfate.

Have you tried any of the products Meli mentioned? Do you also avoid sodium laureth sulfate?

Getting to know... Shaylee of Cosmetically Curious

It wasn't until I started blogging about three months ago that I discovered that this whole world of beauty bloggers that I never knew existed. I am so happy to have found this massive online community of people like myself -- who love to talk about beauty products, share tips and learn from each other!

In this brand new regular feature here on Prettied Up, I'll be introducing you to some of the fabulous beauty bloggers I have come to know. First up, we'll be getting to know Shaylee of Cosmetically Curious! I caught up with Shaylee the other day to ask her some questions. Keep reading for our interview. 

How many lipsticks do you own? Not too many. I'm more of a balm/gloss girl. If you want a number -- five, and I don't use any of them!

Current favorite type of mascara: I have two: Revlon Grow Luscious and Ojon Restorative Lash Treatment & Mascara Duo.

Most essential makeup product and why: Concealer, concealer, concealer! If I have nothing else but concealer I'm happy! (You don't want to know how many of those I own!)

No. 1 beauty item on you’re currently lusting after: I can only choose one?! In that case, anything from 100% Pure's line! Preferably a kit of some sort. I'm really into natural products right now.

Biggest regret purchase: I do a lot of research before I purchase things so I (hopefully) rarely fully regret things. That being said, I hated my Tarte 4-Day Lash Stain, wow terrible! My lashes felt like sticks. They wouldn't bend, move and you cannot get it off no matter how hard you try.

First makeup memory: This is funny! My first makeup memory is this silver lip gloss I had and absolutely loved! I just saw a picture of me with it on and oh my god, terrible! I remember everything about that gloss - the taste, the smell, the color! Ack!

Thanks so much to Shaylee for participating! I'll make sure to steer clear of that Tarte 4-Day Lash Stain. Have you tried any of the products she mentioned?

My massive November 2010 haul!

Hey all! Tonight I recorded a haul video compiling all my recent hair and beauty product purchases, including everything I bought during Sephora's 2010 Friends and Family sale. I hope you enjoy the video and thanks so much for following Prettied Up!



Products discussed in this video include:
- DiorShow Iconic mascara
- Dior 5-Colour iridescent eyeshadow palette in Ready-to-Glow
- Clinique brush-on cream liner
- Sephora Collection face & eye travel tool kit
- Sephora Collection daily brush cleaner
- Shu Uenura sheer lacquer hairspray
- Tommy Hilfiger Loud perfume and colonge

Thanks again for watching and have a great weekend, lovelies!

Mascara lash-off: DiorShow Iconic vs. bareMinerals Flawless Definition

Today I'm putting two mascaras up against each other to pick one winner. The competition is fierce - DiorShow Iconic vs. bareMinerals Flawless Definition.

Let's get right into it.

Price
Retailing for $18, bareMinerals comes out on top in this category over DiorShow Iconic, which sells for a hefty $27.

Wand
Dior says its DiorShow Iconic mascara features an "oblique cut" brush (pictured below) with long, skinny teeth that give a lash-curling effect. The brush allows you to "precisely coat every lash ... creating a long, separated fan of lashes," Dior says. 

Meanwhile, bareMinerals says its Flawless Definition mascara features a tapered wand (pictured below) that "lengthens, darkens and lifts" and helps separate each lash.

The bareMinerals Flawless Definition wand is very basic and similar to many other mascaras I have used. DiorShow Iconic, on the other hand, has a very unique wand design and its bristles are super long. 

In this category, DiorShow Iconic definitely comes out on top for me.

Road test
Now it's time for the fun stuff. I applied DiorShow Iconic on one eye and bareMinerals on the other. Below are the before and afters. Note: I only applied the mascara to my upper eyelashes.

Diorshow Iconic

With its extremely creamy formula and unique brush, DiorShow Iconic defined each lash and did not clump at all, even with multiple coats. It also lengthened and curled my lashes very well, without the need for an eyelash curler. 

I have been using DiorShow Iconic for about six months and absolutely love it. The only negative aspect about this mascara for me is the price. Dior isn't known to be cheap, but this is one of the most expensive mascaras I have ever come across. 

bareMinerals Flawless Definition

I had never tried bareMinerals Flawless Definition mascara before this road test and received a small tube of it recently for free as part of Sephora's Beauty Insider program. I applied it three different times for this road test, and liked it more and more each time. The color was a very intense black -- darker than the DiorShow Iconic.

The bareMinerals Flawless Definition mascara defined my lashes very well, but it made them stick together a bit. When using this mascara, especially when applying multiple coats, you may want to use an eyelash comb to separate the lashes.

Overall Winner
It was a tough call, but my top pick is still DiorShow Iconic for its amazing lash-defining qualities.

Also, a fun side-note -- I asked my boyfriend to pick which one he liked better, fully thinking he wouldn't be able to tell the difference, but he pointed to the eye with DiorShow Iconic on it! He said he liked it better because it was "less clumpy."

What do you think of these mascaras? Do you agree with my assessment?

Check out my new beauty loot!

You know you're a true beauty junkie when you feel the need to document every trip to Sephora. Well, I am and I will! I went after work today to pick up a few things I needed and found something new to try! 

4. Make Up For Ever Aqua Cream (color 2 "steel") - $22

I picked up this silvery gray cream eyeshadow on a whim, and I really hope I like it. I've never tried Make Up For Ever aqua cream before, but I have been wanting a new eyeshadow and I'm hoping this one works out. The color reminds me of a similar cream eyeshadow I used to wear all the time from May Kay that has since been discontinued. I'll be sure to post photos once I've tried it out. I plan to wear this as my new fall look with black eyeliner and loads of black mascara.

Speaking of mascara, I got a free sample of bareMinerals Flawless Definition mascara as part of Sephora's Beauty Insider rewards program. I'm super excited to try this product, especially because I've never tried anything from bareMinerals before. I'm pretty loyal to my DiorShow Iconic mascara, but I am willing to give something new a try in the name of beauty experimentation! 

Finally, I'm so excited to tell you all about this awesome brand I discovered called Illamasqua. The brand makes all types of makeup products but what really caught my eye was their awesome line of nail polishes. You can't see the colors very well in the photo but they were really unique and eye-catching. I didn't get any of them but I plan to go back and pick up a few some time. Here's a little more about Illamasqua:

"Known for their intense colors and dramatic makeup, Illamasqua is your go-to brand for nighttime makeup—whether it's an evening out at the opera or the dance club. Conceived amidst the dark drama of Berlin in the 20s, Illamasqua was developed by professional makeup artists and launched in 2008 in the U.K. Embraced by celebs and alternative cultures alike, their colors allow you to express your most daring, boldest, and most intense sides with professional nighttime makeup that's richly pigmented and long lasting."

Have you heard of Illamasqua or tried any of their products? Have you purchased any new products lately?