Lust List

I have a couple giftcards I have been saving from the holidays and my birthday is on the horizon, so I thought I would share what I am thinking about buying. When I start mulling over my shopping list, I inevitably end up adding more items to my mental 'to consider' list. Behold, my current batch of products under serious consideration:

UBU Undercover Lover concealer brush No. 21

I have been on a concealer kick lately, trying out lots of concealer samples and playing with different application methods for the concealers in my stash. I never used to use a brush for my undereye concealer (for no sane reason), but I have grown into the notion lately. I own quite a few brushes, but very few suitable for concealer. Due to my acknowledged laziness with brush laundry, I always seem to run out of clean concealer brushes. (True to form, the UBU No. 21 brush was dirty when I took these pictures.)

I impulsively picked up the UBU Undercover Lover concealer brush on my most recent Ulta trip for $2.99, hoping it would do the trick. The UBU Undercover Lover (ewww, gross) is a synthetic bristled medium sized flat paddle-shaped brush.

What I look for in YouTube beauty channels

I was originally going to make this one super long post, but I decided to break it up. Part one, my top 5 current favorite YouTube beauty channels is here. In this post, I am going to share what I look for when I find a new channel to watch.

So what do I look for in a YouTube beauty channel?

1. Smarts.  I want to listen to a well informed articulate voice that has a grasp on ingredient knowledge, the nuance of finishes and textures, and a command of the English language beyond the trite "you guyssss, I'm like obsessed! It's so finely milled!"

2. Sponsorship & Gift Disclosure. Am I really supposed to believe you bought yourself a NuMe hair wand, Whitening Lightning glosses, and a set of Sigma brushes this week? I don't mind vloggers making money from their work, but honest disclosure is everything.

3. Channel Focus. I love makeup channels, and I am okay with the occasional slip into nails or skincare. If I subscribe to your makeup channel, I want to see makeup, not candles, tooth brushing routines, or how to pack shoes in a suitcase.

I am always looking for more interesting beauty channels to subscribe to, but I have found that I am impatient with norm of the beauty "guru" personality. I don't want to listen to someone who blindly follows the zeitgeist and wastes the first three minutes of every video on an empty narrative. I watch vloggers to learn and fine tune application techniques, decide if I want to buy a product, or know if a product performs as promised.

In the Bachelor terminology (shhh I watch bad TV), I want a vlogger who creates content for the right reasons.

TL;DR: Smart, honest, focused ladies & gents rock my world

My top 5 beauty YouTube channels

I just got back from my honeymoon this week and dipped my toes into a longtime guilty pleasure while I unpacked - YouTube beauty channels. I spend quite a bit of time watching vloggers on YouTube and am always on the hunt for my next favorite channel.

So which channels (big & small) do I love and recommend? 

#5 - Kirsten / ItsKeerstin

Kirsten is a candid pottymouth with hauls, reviews, swatches, and more hauls. She's high energy and plainspoken - she has no trouble in videos admitting to going to multiple Sephoras to track down an item or saying she bought something and didn't use it. Best of all, if she feels strongly about a product, her honest feedback is compelling and thoughtful. I also appreciate her for her clarity on disclosures if a product was sent to her as a gift or if she bought it herself. 

Check her out for: Her "what I thought on stuff I bought" series where she goes back through old hauls and tells you how it worked for her. 

Must watch video: What I Thought On Stuff I Bought #17 (Thoughts on Hauls)

#4 - Karima McKimmie / Shameless Fripperies

Karima is a stylish Aussie with high end taste. She offers interesting tutorials interspersed with mini product reviews and has extensive knowledge of makeup brushes. Everything she produces, whether it be video or blog posts, is professional, artistic, and informative.

Check her out for: Interesting tutorials and high end brush info
Must watch video: Sweatproof Long-Wearing makeup Tutorial 

Keep reading to find out my favorite 3 channels at the moment