"I've gotten emails that have brought me to tears. From the teenager who said her mother was fighting cancer and they used my videos as an escape-- to the overworked mom who said a new makeup look she tried brought about the first compliment from her husband in years.... this is big stuff."-Emily Eddington, Beauty Broadcast
26-year-old Emily Eddington is a TV news anchorwoman in southern Illinois, but her YouTube beauty tutorials may be what really brings her fame! She recently marked the 50-thousandth subscriber to her Beauty Broadcast YouTube channel, and her Facebook page and blog draw thousands too.
In Part 1 of my interview with Emily, we talked about how she became so interested in cosmetics, and her philosophy of beauty--there's a real connection between looking good and feeling good.
Here's Part 2...
CINDY: One thing people love about Beauty Broadcast is that you usually feature very affordable make-up. I know it's trial and error, but do you find the less expensive products are sometimes just as good as the really expensive ones?
EMILY: Absolutely! When I first started watching YouTube videos, I didn't see a lot of people offering budget-friendly advice. That was a void I felt I could fill by posting reviews about all the great inexpensive products I had tried. Sure- that $35 prestigious foundation from the department store might be great- but what's the fun in discovering that? I am practically addicted to the act of going into a drugstore, finding products, trying them out, and reporting on an unexpectedly AWESOME piece of makeup. I love seeing others get excited about the affordable options I recommend. Still, I do like to try out high end items here and there to have a frame of reference for how the cheaper things stack up.
CINDY: Have you always been a bargain hunter?
EMILY: I think so. When mom saw my interest in makeup steadily grow throughout high school, I don't think she would've wanted to get me near a department store makeup counter! She tolerated my interest in makeup, but considering that she was funding this obsession- she wasn't going to let it leave the walls of the drugstore. I was always happy spending a good half hour in the aisles of Wal-Mart, picking out a new item or two every now and then. It was basically all I knew-- my mom always wore drugstore makeup brands and looked great... so why couldn't I?
CINDY: You have thousands of subscribers. How do you feel about having such a huge audience? Any feedback that surprised you, touched you, or otherwise sticks out in your mind?
EMILY: I really can't fathom the amount of people that view my videos. To think that more than 50,000 people have clicked the "Subscribe" button after seeing me sitting in my small extra bedroom rambling about the latest must-have eyeshadow primer is beyond me! YouTube's format is such that feedback can be posted alongside every video. And in the somewhat anonymous world of the internet where an abstract username is your only source of identification- people are very free with their opinions! I'm fortunate to say that the support has been overwhelming. I've gotten emails that have brought me to tears. From the teenager who said her mother was fighting cancer and they used my videos as an escape-- to the overworked mom who said a new makeup look she tried brought about the first compliment from her husband in years.... this is big stuff. It makes any hesitation or fear of a large audience less of a factor, because I know the videos are making a difference.
CINDY: What would you say to encourage someone who has never really used make-up, but wants to learn how?
EMILY: It's never too late to learn, and your routine can be as easy or as complicated as you want it to be. I'm not a big "makeup rules" person. You will probably never see me make a "makeup do's and don'ts" video, because we all have different methods and preferences- and like art- I don't believe there's any one right way to get it done. I like providing suggestions that have worked for me, but I hope people understand that it's not the only way. In this day and age- there are SO many ways to learn about makeup. Books, magazines, online forums, videos, blogs... they offer so much instruction. Start drawing inspiration from the people and the world around you. Start small, practice, and use the beauty resources that are available to you. You'll be glad you did!
CINDY: How do you envision the future of Beauty Broadcast? (I could see you becoming your own brand, even writing a book!)
EMILY: I would love to expand Beauty Broadcast! Right now my full-time career (anchoring morning news) accounts for a lot of my time, but I would love to one day take what I do in videos- and do it in person. Perhaps some sort of seminar where I could meet the people that have been watching, and really communicate with them face to face. Or what if Beauty Broadcast made it's way to your TV screen? THAT would be awesome :)
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