A Beauty/Fashion Book That Was Ahead of Its Time

One of my favorite YouTube beauty gurus, Emily Eddington, asked the question on Facebook today: "What is your favorite beauty-related book?"

The book that immediately popped into my head is one I haven't read in many years. In fact, I was probably in my teens when I checked Pull Yourself Together: How to Look Marvelous on Next to Nothing out of my local library.

I was always going on self-improvement kicks, and I remember this book as being a very down-to-earth, reader-friendly, practical treatise on beauty and fashion that was way ahead of its time.

The book was written by Barbara Johns Waterston, who, interestingly enough, was married to actor Sam Waterston at the time.

This reader wrote on Amazon.com:

"The paper back version of this book has been on my bookshelf since 1968 when I was a teenager. When I found the hard copy version I had to have it for my collection. The tips, advice and wisdom in this book never go out of style. If you have a copy of this book, keep it forever. If you don't have a copy, try and find one. It's a simple but great read and it is definetely (sp) a motivator."

Marlo Thomas as "That Girl" in the era of "Pull Yourself Together"

Unfortunately, if you try to buy a used copy of this book, it can run you over 100 dollars, and the cheapest soft-cover copy I found online was $64.00. It's apparently not in my local library system, either.

I did find a few tidbits about it online, though. Simon Doonan talked about it in a 2000 New York Observer article:

"In 1967, Ms. Waterston wrote the Mein Kampf of self-help books, Pull Yourself Together Or, How To Look Marvelous On Next To Nothing . This book is bursting with delightful bossiness, accusations and forthright solutions, and I strongly advise that you get yourself a second-hand copy..."

I even found a Facebook fan page for Waterston--titled, of course, "Pull Yourself Together"--where participants share how they got copies of the book, and quotes from the book.

Here are a few:

(from p. 47 of the book) "I have this friend Marra, who - in spite on her very fine figure, her warm personality, her zest for living, her taste in clothes, her quick wit and intelligence - had a repellent quality about her.
She never looked clean. In fact, she looked as though she smelled."

(from p. 108) "Beauty is beautiful, let's face it. Otherwise why have artists been wasting their time all these centuries? Beauty is uplifting. When I see a greasy-faced, greasy-haired girl walking down the street I feel squirmy. I imagine my scalp is itching. But if I see a freshly scrubbed young thing, all clean and neat, I feel uplifted, just as a smile is always more uplifting than a frown."

Another edition of the book

So, yeah. I remember loving that book as a young girl, and using its down-to-earth wisdom as a tool to help develop my personal style. Maybe someday I'll get to read it again!

My favorite beauty guru, Emily Eddington, talks about ELF

I admit it. I love make-up. I never met a cosmetics counter I didn't like.

I eschew the "natural look," because I think that's the domain of young girls who still have flawless complexions and rosy lips and cheeks

Being a woman of "a certain age," I employ such tricks and tools that are at my disposal to help me look my very best.

That's kind of how I got started on YouTube beauty tutorials. One of my favorite YouTube beauty gurus is Emily Eddington, whose Beauty Broadcast usually focuses on the more affordable beauty items that can be found in drugstores, at Target, Wal-Mart, etc. (Read my 2-part interview with Emily here and here.)

I think it was through Emily that I found out about ELF (eyes lips face) cosmetics, and they have become a staple in my budget-conscious make-up collection.

Many ELF products cost only a dollar--ONE DOLLAR!--and I've been very pleased with the majority of products I've bought.

But I'm going to let Emily tell you all about them, because she's really good at doing it!



Be sure and check out all the helpful videos on Emily's YouTube channel!

From the Archives: Part 2 of My Interview with YouTube Beauty Guru Emily Eddington

"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!



(This was originally posted May 3, 2010)

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 :)

From the Archives: She Broadcasts Beauty: My Interview with YouTube Beauty Guru Emily Eddington

I'm a firm believer in the connection between looking good and feeling good on the inside. We all naturally seek acceptance and love from others-- and ourselves. If makeup can be a small tool to bring that out- I think that's great.--Emily Eddington

(This interview was originally posted May 1, 2010).

Emily Eddington is a TV newscaster, but her YouTube beauty tutorials may be what brings her fame

When I recently decided to try using velcro rollers in my hair, I did a Google search for video tutorials on the subject. (By the way, in case you didn't know? You can find a video on how to do just about ANYTHING on YouTube.)

One of the videos I happened upon was a YouTube tutorial on using velcro rollers by "emilynoel83."

I was intrigued by this lovely young woman with her straightforward, down-to-earth approach, so I checked out some of her other YouTube videos--most of them explaining make-up techniques, reviewing beauty products, and showing how to use inexpensive make-up to get a great look.

In no time, I was hooked--and I became one of over 50-thousand people who suscribe to Emily Eddington's YouTube channel, Beauty Broadcast.

A TV newscaster with a penchant for beauty



26-year-old Emily Eddington is a morning news anchor for WSIL-TV in southern Illinois. That fact resonates in her articulate, factual but friendly and approachable manner in her tutorials.

It doesn't hurt that she's downright gorgeous, and that her lovely face is the perfect canvas for the many make-up looks she demonstrates.

So far, Emily has parlayed her tutorials into a popular blog and Facebook page, and I'm thinking the sky's the limit for Beauty Broadcast.

How did a relatively small-town newscaster end up with a YouTube channel that boasts 50-thousand subscribers? I was curious, so I asked Emily to take part in an e-mail interview, and she graciously answered my questions.

Here's Part One of our interview:



CINDY: How far back in your life does your interest in make-up, hair, and beauty go?

EMILY: I remember always being somewhat intrigued by my mom's makeup collection, and whatever makeup she was carrying around in her purse. My mom & sister are beautiful ladies- and always seemed to have their hair & makeup looking good (my mom is a former cosmetologist)- so I knew I would one day get involved with makeup as well. I believe that day came in 7th grade when I joined the cheerleading squad and put on some very minor makeup for a game (powder, lip gloss, blush). Magazines like "Teen" and "Seventeen" became my main sources for beauty education, and in high school I reached that phase where I was somewhat of a "collector" of drugstore makeup.

CINDY: Why do you think it's a good thing for a woman to use the tools available to her to try to look her best?

EMILY: I'm a firm believer in the connection between looking good and feeling good on the inside. Makeup is an extremely affordable way to enhance your natural beauty, and put an extra spring in your step. I always hear from viewers who say they tried a particular product I suggested and they got "so many compliments". We all naturally seek acceptance and love from others-- and ourselves. If makeup can be a small tool to bring that out- I think that's great. For those who get especially interested in makeup- it truly does become an art form for expressing your creativity. You don't have to be a professional to have fun with that!

CINDY: Tell me about the evolution of "Beauty Broadcast"...how did your interest in make-up, etc, end up being regular videos on YouTube?

EMILY: Shortly after I began working at the TV station where I currently anchor, I noticed this incredible beauty community on YouTube. I was practically frustrated with myself when I tapped into this vast makeup resource- because it could have been SO useful to me- had I discovered it in college. I remember sitting on the couch one night, randomly looking up some info on a product I wanted to try- and a link to a video came up... about a dozen videos later, I realized- I can do this! I love to talk, and I love makeup... maybe I can contribute to the YouTube world of beauty as well! I consistently started posting videos for a short time, and then work really got busy for me and I took a short hiatus from YouTube. At that point, I didn't think all that many people were watching... so, why bother, right? Well, people were messaging me, saying, "Where did you go? I miss your videos!" At that point I realized- this needs to continue. Well over 300 videos later... I'm still here! :)

CINDY: Do you ever have trouble coming up with ideas for your videos?

EMILY: Thankfully, no. Through emails, YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook- subscribers are constantly telling me what they want. With these requests coming from literally *thousands* of different directions- I always have some sort of idea floating around! Plus, new products are always hitting the market, so there's always something for me to review. Makeup offers endless creativity in terms of the looks you can create, so I don't think there's any limit to the types of tutorials I can create.



CINDY: How important to you is the feedback you get from your Beauty Broadcast facebook page?

EMILY: I especially value what people have to say on the Facebook page, because I know these people who are willing to seek me out in numerous forms of social media really care about Beauty Broadcast. A number of times- people on the Facebook page have referred to the group as their "Beauty Broadcast Family". I love that! I get a lot of enjoyment out of seeing people answer each other's questions on the Facebook page. It's like we're all a big bunch of friends on there.

Next time: In Part 2 of our interview, Emily Eddington talks about why it's important to her to show how you can look great on a budget--and what could be in store for Beauty Broadcast in the future

Friday Fabulousness: The Joy of Primping

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Elizabeth Taylor

Friday Fabulousness! From the "I enjoy being a girl" file...The Joy of Primping (and yes, that's primping, with an r. )

Definition from MerriamWebster.com: "to dress or groom oneself carefully "

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Kim Kardashian

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Grace Kelly

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Deborah Kerr

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YouTube make-up guru Emily Eddington

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Elizabeth Taylor

I review the YouTube beauty gurus!

Top row: Emily Eddington and Kandee Johnson

Bottom row: Lauren Luke and Lolamarie7

You know, I've known for a while that you can find just about anything you need to learn on YouTube. How to grill a perfect steak? There's a vid for that. How to tie a tie? There's a vid for that. How to kiss? Yep, apparently there's even a vid for that.

But it wasn't until recently that I discovered there's a vast community of "beauty gurus" on YouTube. Searching for a tutorial on how to use velcro rollers, I stumbled on Emily Eddington's Beauty Broadcast channel, and was instantly hooked. You may remember that I recently did an e-mail interview with Emily.

She remains my favorite YouTube beauty guru, but I've recently had a chance to check out a few others. Here's my evaluations...starting with Emily.

Emily Eddington

With the screen name emilynoel83, Emily does tutorials on make-up techniques, evaluates make-up products and even gives you glimpses into her life as a TV newscaster and young wife.

I really enjoy her friendly, down-to-earth but professional approach. Her television experience serves her well in that regard. As I said in my previous post about her, Emily's beautiful face serves as the perfect canvas for the techniques she demonstrates.

(By the way, there's a British make-up artist whose videos I've checked out, but I find in singularly offputting that he demonstrates the make-up on himself. Call me old-fashioned, but I really don't like seeing make-up on men. I'm just traditional that way.)

Things I really like: Emily has a definite pattern to her routine, which is orderly and easy to follow. Also, she frequently demonstrates relatively inexpensive and sometimes VERY inexpensive products. It was through her that I found out about E.L.F., of which I'm now a huge fan.

Emily remains my favorite YouTube beauty guru. You can check her videos out here.

Kandee Johnson

Kandee is an L.A.-based make-up artist who has apparently styled movie stars and other celebrities. I can totally believe it. There seems to be no look Kandee can't achieve.

Besides her own drop-dead-gorgeousness (which is almost discouraging, because while you're watching you have to say, "No way I could ever look THAT beautiful!"), Kandee's bubbly personality is her calling card. She's fun, humorous and engaging.

Things I really like: As I said, Kandee's personality is effervescent, and she is obviously very knowledgeable and professional. She totally knows what she's doing.

One of the videos I really enjoyed was when she did her mother's make-up--partly because her mom is much closer to my age than Kandee is, and partly because it was just fun to see her interact with her mother, who she obviously adores. Check out Kandee Johnson's YouTube channel here.

Lolamarie7

"Lolamarie7" is this young woman's YouTube screen name, but I understand her real name is Jess, and she's a hairstylist somewhere in the midwest. Right now, she's pretty much my go-to girl for anything hair-related.

Things I like: Jess has a great personality, is lovely, and has a terrific head of hair on which she demonstrates all kinds of gorgeous looks. She will take you step-by-step through every technique or process she demonstrates. She's also very knowledgeable about make-up.

Some people have complained that the hair products she uses are all the expensive, high-end ones, but as a professional hairstylist, those would naturally be the products she would use. (I've actually found that as I've gotten older, hair products are something I have to spend a bit more on to insure I get top quality. Younger women can get away with the less expensive stuff.)

You can check out lolamarie7 here.

Lauren Luke

I just recently checked out this young British single mom who has apparently parlayed her YouTube popularity into a career--even launching her own make-up line.

A couple of things set Lauren apart from some of the other YouTube beauty gurus.

First of all, she's neither thin nor naturally gorgeous. This is a young woman who is obviously using everything at her disposal to be the most attractive person she can be--and that, frankly, appeals to me. Few of us have been gifted with the natural beauty of an Emily Eddington or Kandee Johnson. Lauren Luke shows how you can look very pretty despite that!

Another thing that sets her apart: her VERY strong Northern England accent. It's almost Scottish. Some people might find that offputting, but I happen to love it.

Things I really like: Lauren is very down-to-earth and appealing, and again, she's absolutely doing the best with what she has.

Things I'm "meh" about: Sometimes her eye make-up looks are a little over-the-top for me. The girl uses really lays it on thick.

Also, there seems to be no rhyme nor reason to how she applies her make-up. She'll be doing eyeliner one second and suddenly she'll be doing her lips...then back to the eye-liner...and so on. I prefer a more orderly approach, but that's just me.

You can check out Lauren Luke's videos here.

So there you have it...

...four YouTube beauty gurus who will teach you innumerable nifty tricks and techniques that will help you look your absolute best. And who doesn't want that? :)

She Broadcasts Beauty: My Interview with Emily Eddington

I'm a firm believer in the connection between looking good and feeling good on the inside. We all naturally seek acceptance and love from others-- and ourselves. If makeup can be a small tool to bring that out- I think that's great.--Emily Eddington

Emily Eddington is a TV newscaster, but her YouTube beauty tutorials may be what brings her fame

When I recently decided to try using velcro rollers in my hair, I did a Google search for video tutorials on the subject. (By the way, in case you didn't know? You can find a video on how to do just about ANYTHING on YouTube.)

One of the videos I happened upon was a YouTube tutorial on using velcro rollers by "emilynoel83."

I was intrigued by this lovely young woman with her straightforward, down-to-earth approach, so I checked out some of her other YouTube videos--most of them explaining make-up techniques, reviewing beauty products, and showing how to use inexpensive make-up to get a great look.

In no time, I was hooked--and I became one of over 50-thousand people who suscribe to Emily Eddington's YouTube channel, Beauty Broadcast.

A TV newscaster with a penchant for beauty



26-year-old Emily Eddington is a morning news anchor for WSIL-TV in southern Illinois. That fact resonates in her articulate, factual but friendly and approachable manner in her tutorials.

It doesn't hurt that she's downright gorgeous, and that her lovely face is the perfect canvas for the many make-up looks she demonstrates.

So far, Emily has parlayed her tutorials into a popular blog and Facebook page, and I'm thinking the sky's the limit for Beauty Broadcast.

How did a relatively small-town newscaster end up with a YouTube channel that boasts 50-thousand subscribers? I was curious, so I asked Emily to take part in an e-mail interview, and she graciously answered my questions.

Here's Part One of our interview:



CINDY: How far back in your life does your interest in make-up, hair, and beauty go?

EMILY: I remember always being somewhat intrigued by my mom's makeup collection, and whatever makeup she was carrying around in her purse. My mom & sister are beautiful ladies- and always seemed to have their hair & makeup looking good (my mom is a former cosmetologist)- so I knew I would one day get involved with makeup as well. I believe that day came in 7th grade when I joined the cheerleading squad and put on some very minor makeup for a game (powder, lip gloss, blush). Magazines like "Teen" and "Seventeen" became my main sources for beauty education, and in high school I reached that phase where I was somewhat of a "collector" of drugstore makeup.

CINDY: Why do you think it's a good thing for a woman to use the tools available to her to try to look her best?

EMILY: I'm a firm believer in the connection between looking good and feeling good on the inside. Makeup is an extremely affordable way to enhance your natural beauty, and put an extra spring in your step. I always hear from viewers who say they tried a particular product I suggested and they got "so many compliments". We all naturally seek acceptance and love from others-- and ourselves. If makeup can be a small tool to bring that out- I think that's great. For those who get especially interested in makeup- it truly does become an art form for expressing your creativity. You don't have to be a professional to have fun with that!

CINDY: Tell me about the evolution of "Beauty Broadcast"...how did your interest in make-up, etc, end up being regular videos on YouTube?

EMILY: Shortly after I began working at the TV station where I currently anchor, I noticed this incredible beauty community on YouTube. I was practically frustrated with myself when I tapped into this vast makeup resource- because it could have been SO useful to me- had I discovered it in college. I remember sitting on the couch one night, randomly looking up some info on a product I wanted to try- and a link to a video came up... about a dozen videos later, I realized- I can do this! I love to talk, and I love makeup... maybe I can contribute to the YouTube world of beauty as well! I consistently started posting videos for a short time, and then work really got busy for me and I took a short hiatus from YouTube. At that point, I didn't think all that many people were watching... so, why bother, right? Well, people were messaging me, saying, "Where did you go? I miss your videos!" At that point I realized- this needs to continue. Well over 300 videos later... I'm still here! :)

CINDY: Do you ever have trouble coming up with ideas for your videos?

EMILY: Thankfully, no. Through emails, YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook- subscribers are constantly telling me what they want. With these requests coming from literally *thousands* of different directions- I always have some sort of idea floating around! Plus, new products are always hitting the market, so there's always something for me to review. Makeup offers endless creativity in terms of the looks you can create, so I don't think there's any limit to the types of tutorials I can create.



CINDY: How important to you is the feedback you get from your Beauty Broadcast facebook page?

EMILY: I especially value what people have to say on the Facebook page, because I know these people who are willing to seek me out in numerous forms of social media really care about Beauty Broadcast. A number of times- people on the Facebook page have referred to the group as their "Beauty Broadcast Family". I love that! I get a lot of enjoyment out of seeing people answer each other's questions on the Facebook page. It's like we're all a big bunch of friends on there.

Next time: In Part 2 of our interview, Emily Eddington talks about why it's important to her to show how you can look great on a budget--and what could be in store for Beauty Broadcast in the future