'Bachelorette' Emily Maynard Dishes on Beauty Secrets and Love

(Thien La)

What's a girl to do when she’s having trouble finding Mr. Right? If you're Emily Maynard, you throw yourself into work.

After two failed chances at finding love on ABC's "The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette," the 27-year-old single mom is focusing on the launch of her new jewelry line, set to debut in May, and is busy dispensing advice on her blog, where she answers questions from readers and fans about everything from dealing with "first date freak out" to buying the perfect mascara on a budget.

We chatted with Maynard about her beauty secrets, her dating tips and what she really thinks about ex Sean Lowe's engagement.

You are a self-proclaimed beauty junkie. How can anyone look their best without breaking the bank? 

I can spend all day just waltzing through the beauty section at Target. A lot of the products are very similar to the high end ones, except they’re more affordable. I always read reviews online on certain products and see what has been the experience with other buyers. Sometimes it talks me out of buying something, which makes me glad I did my research.

If someone were to take a sneak peek inside your makeup bag, what would they find?

Oh my…it’s a mess in there. I don’t even know. About 50 lip glosses in the bottom of my pocket book. I don’t leave the house without concealer. I love Benefit’s They’re Real! mascara. That’s a staple for me.

Any hair secrets to share?

I use lots of dry shampoo. I have a curling wand that I love, which gives you more of a beach wave than a curl. I’m also an infomercial junkie. You know those commercials that come on at three in the morning? Everybody makes fun of me for it until they try it. I recently purchased a cleansing conditioner that helps my hair grow and makes my hair color lasts longer.

Could you tell us a little bit about your jewelry line?

Absolutely. It was started in Charlotte (North Carolina) for Towne & Reese. I’ve wore a lot of their pieces when we filmed "The Bachelorette" and I just really love them. Once everything settled down in my life after filming, they came and asked me if I wanted to do my own line with them. It’s been so much fun. It’s not like I was just putting my name on it and then walking away. It’s been a lot of work. I’ve been involved in every step of it and I’m really proud of it.

You've also started a lifestyle blog. What advice do you hope to give to other single mothers?

I’m just hoping for people to see a different side of me. The most common questions I get (from fans) are always about fashion, hair, makeup and all things girly. Everybody knows I’m a girly girl. I feel this is a space where single moms, married moms, single girls with no kids, just all women can come and get advice on how to make it work. Not that I have all the answers, not at all. But I wanted to have a little community where we can all cheer each other on.

One of your blog entries was about how dress up and avoid what you call a ‘first date freak out.’ What other fashion advice can you give to those who have no idea on what to wear for a first date?

For me, the most stressful part of a first date is figuring out what to wear. But I think the key is to be comfortable. You don’t want to be in heels that are too high for you to walk in. Avoid things you feel absolutely ridiculous in, like six-inch heels when you should be really wearing two. The other thing is to feel confident about yourself. I always say that when it comes to the right guy, it’s not going to matter whether you’re wearing sweatpants or an evening gown. He’s absolutely going to fall in love with you no matter what. And guys tend to worry way more than we do, so I try to remember that, too.

How do find time to be a full-time mom, while juggling your other projects and still date?

My daughter Ricki goes to bed by 7:30p.m. or 8:00p.m., so I usually go to bed pretty close to that time too because I’m so tired from juggling everything all day long. I just have to force myself to put on a cute dress, lipstick and go out. I’m always glad that I do. For me, it’s giving myself extra motivation to get up and go.

You've mentioned that you were putting love on hold this year. Is this still true?

Yes. It’s not my top priority. Every time I’ve talked to one of my friends who’s gotten married or a girlfriend who started dating a new guy, everybody says that it happens when you aren’t looking for it. I have so many things going on and I’ve realized that after going on '"The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette," I gave it a pretty good shot. I probably should start focusing on something else. Obviously I’m a mom before anything, so that’s my first focus.

What has "The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette" taught you about love?

So much. Watching yourself go on dates every Monday was a great learning experience. I was able to see what I did, both good and bad. It’s taught me a lot about what I want, what I don’t want and what I thought I wanted.

Looking back, what are your thoughts on "The Bachelor" today?

It was a great experience. I had the time of my life. I would never do it again (laughs), but I would absolutely encourage anybody to be on it for the first time because I made some great friends and I got to travel the world. It was a really great experience and it would be cool to tell my grandkids when they’re way older.

Why wouldn’t you do it again?

Well, I’ve done it twice and it hasn’t really worked out for me, so I feel like I should give it up. It’s just not the way I’m going to find my soulmate, at least I don’t think so. I should probably stick to dating in Charlotte from now on (laughs).

I’m sure you’ve heard of Sean Lowe’s engagement. Do you have any thoughts on that?

I’m so happy for him. They both look so happy and I couldn’t be happier for him. He’s a really great guy and he deserves happiness just as much as anybody.