Beauty Secrets from "Cupcakes and Cashmere"

Published Aug 28, 2011

Emily Schuman, creator of the blog Cupcakes and Cashmere, loves beauty, food, fashion, furniture shopping, and most of all, her blog. "I've created a space that encapsulates all the things I'm passionate about, and I get to share those things with a really great, loyal audience," Emily says of her hugely successful website. We caught up with the lovely entrepreneur (she's releasing a book, and it has a beauty section!) for a look into her beauty cupboard and must-have products.

Q & A Emily schuman

Q: Tell us about your skin-care routine.

"Within the past year, I've become a lot more serious about taking care of my skin. I've sworn off the sun completely and now use Tan Towels. I also wear sunscreen on a daily basis and recently started using eye cream. Every morning when I wake up, I wash my face with Cetaphil and apply sunscreen. I like Neutrogena's Dry-Touch sunblock. I moisturize with Mario Badescu's The Moisture Magnet and then I usually just apply some tinted moisturizer and a swipe of black mascara, add a little color to my cheeks, and run out the door!"

Q: Which product could you not live without?

"I don't know what I'll do if Maybelline ever discontinues its "Coral Crush" lipstick. I've recommended it to dozens of friends, and it honestly flatters every skin tone. It's the ideal balance of pinkish coral, and it's really moisturizing. Nars Illuminator in Orgasm is my secret weapon. It's a pinkish bronze gel that I dab onto my face after I've applied my makeup. I put a little on my brow bone, down the bridge of my nose, and on my cheeks. It gives me a nice glow and makes my entire face look dewy and fresh."

Q: How about nails? What are your favorite colors?

"For light nails, I like OPI's Bubble Bath. If I'm going dark, I like Essie in Wicked or Revlon's Vixen. I always turn to Deborah Lippmann for fun, sparkly polishes and Orly for great brights. Estée Lauder has also been killing it this season with its jewel tones."

Q: What are your favorite makeup tricks and tips?

"Start with a good base. Your makeup looks so much better if your skin is exfoliated and properly hydrated. I also follow the less-is-more stance and find that just a little dewy lotion on the apples of my cheeks and a light pink gloss looks better than a heavily lined eye or a dark lip. The best tip, though, is for applying liquid eye liner: Make teeny little dots between every lash before you line your eyes. It makes your eyelashes look fuller without looking like you're wearing any makeup."

What new product are you looking forward to trying?

"It's actually a hair product from Oribe called Royal Blowout. I have a ton of hair that's wavy, frizzy, and color treated, so blow-drying can take up to 45 minutes. I just bought a bottle of this and hope it lives up to its promise of dramatically decreasing the time it takes hair to dry while also keeping it smooth."