My Go-To Nail Colors

My Go-To Nail Colors

Okay so this is a really deep post you guys so pay attention. Im sharing my GO-TO nail colors that are my favorites, the best of the best!

If you are like me, you're extremely picky about your nail colors. I don't pay for a gel manicure every 4-6 weeks (even though they recommend every 2, I cannot pay for new color thaaaat much. Priorities people.) to get a boring or unflattering color that I will be stuck with for another month. 

I have tried lots of colors over the years and always come back to my favorites in different categories. If I want a fun color, I have a fave for that. If I want a pretty neutral but never a boring one, I have my faves. And when I am in the mood for some darker moodier colors, I have my top faves in those categories.

I have posted a bunch on Insta stories and I get DM's asking "what was that color again?". You guys, I have gotten so many people asking in person or on insta what the name of my nail color was or just over the years with tons of compliments on certain ones. I compiled a list of the most popular ones below. These will be your future go-tos, promise!

See below for my favorites!

My Top 6 Go-To Nail Colors

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As you can see I am a huge fan of OPI nail colors. I love to look at other companies too but the colors from OPI just stand out a bit more to me. There are so many varying shades out there, but these specific colors are so great on! Just try your fave picks from above the next time you get your nails done (but get them done in the gel version!), you'll thank me:).

Which color is your favorite? I am pretty obessed with "Funny Bunny" and "I am What I Amethyst" currently!

Welp, My orange wine and sweet potato fries are waiting for me so I gotta go, but I'll see you in a couple days!

xo, Kim

Glycolic Masks- 3 Things to avoid

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Ahhhh glycolic acid. One of my favorite things to treat my skin with. If you guys have been following along, you'll know I have discussed glycolic pads (here) and how effective they are for all skin types. 

I love glycolic acid in products BC-

1. It retexturizes the skin

2. Rejuvenates the skin through cell turn over, forcing it to shed dead cells and produce new ones

3. Helps rid the skin of hyperpigmentation spots from acne or sun. 

Wellll, I loved this stuff so much, I went a little wild on it and learned a few lessons. Hopefully, my mistakes will help you to avoid some painful and embarrassing looking mistakes.

So here is what not to do:

1. Don't apply glycolic masks for any longer than the specified time! That may seem obvious but it's not. You may think you need a little extra treatment, as did I ONCE.  Soooo you leave it on for 45 minutes to realllllly treat your skin rather than the 10 minutes it suggests... Don't do that. Read the instructions and stick to them.

2. DO. NOT EXFOLIATE with any harsh brush or device prior to use! Im referring to something like a PMD (personal microdermabrasion handheld device) or even a Clarisonic if you have sensitive skin at all. I made this mistake (which now seems silly and obvious) and exfoliated prior to using the mask. When I put the mask on, my skin started to sting and it burnedddd and I thought, HA! It's working! No, it was burning my skin! When I took off the mask, my skin was a little pink and felt a bit like it had wind burn. The next morning I woke up with this dark brown/purplish scab down my face in a line, where I had dragged my exfoliator. It took two weeks to heal and left a scar for a while (adding to my collection of hyperpigmentation and hormonal acne spots that take forever to fade on my face!)

3.Rinse off fully with lukewarm water and rehydrate the skin with a very moisturizing serum or cream. I suggest doing this at night so you don't have to bother with the sun and SPF blah blah because that's one added step.( I don't like unnecessary steps.) I love to use a super moisturizing cream like Eminence Coconut Age Corrective Moisturizer or their Firm Skin Acai Moisturizer. Both of these creams are super moisturizing, organic, and calming to my skin with natural age defying products in them. Seriously in love with them.

If you use glycolic masks, which I SERIOUSLY advise from all of the research I've done, just make sure you follow instructions and don't try to combine too many products before or after. I am a skincare junkie these days and sometimes get a little too excited and ambitious when it comes to application. More is not always better when it comes to your skin.

I hope you guys can learn from my mistakes and get the benefits of Glycolic without the aftermath I faced from using too many amazing but non cohesive products and devices together. 

See you guys soon. xo,

Kim

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Dermaplane At Home Tell All

Okay ladies so I know for some of you, this sounds crazy and weird. Shaving your face? At home? Without a medical grade blade and a licensed aesthetician?

YES.

Allow me to back up for a sec. So I got dermaplane for the first time on my skin about 5 years ago and was amazed at how smooth and glowy your skin instantly looks. For those of you who don't know, dermaplaning is essentially when you get your face shaved with a medical grade blade, performed by an aesthetician. It is done at the beginning of facials to get rid of dull, dead, and dry skin as well as peach fuzz to allow the your skin to really absorb the products and to make you look smooth and fresh!

It's AMAZING. I love the way makeup goes on and how dewy and smooth I look for weeks. 

Sooooo then do I need to pay $125 for a facial everyyyytime my peach fuzz grows back?

NO. YOU DONT.

I was introduced to an eyebrow shaper that has the same effect and costs a few dollars! Now after having done this for 4 years, I can tell you it is the perfect option to keep you fresh and smooth while you wait to save up for another facial. My hair doesn't grow back darker or thicker as some fear. It is no different from what an aesthetician does although they get a closer shave to get more dull skin off, but it generally does the same thing.

I'll demonstrate how to do this yourself and what NOT to do and things to make sure of before you start. Okay, Now for the video.

 

I hope this clears things up a little bit and maybe makes it a little less scary to try. It might be worthwhile to get a facial first to understand the benefits of it so that when it starts to grow in again, you have a foundation on how its meant to feel etc. from a professional doing it.  Comment below with questions or concerns!

xo, Kim

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Pro Tip: Transluscent Setting Powder

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By a show of hands, I'd love to know who has known about this glorious thing called Transluscent Powder

Okay, just what I thought. We all kinda know about transluscent/setting powder and maybe even some of us have it in our arsenal of must-have products, but I truly didn't realize how effective and essential this powder was for me to look natural and flawless without too much makeup.

So let's rewind for a sec. I have been modeling a long time as many of you know and really feel like I have been introduced to almost every product under the sun. I have technically known about translucent powder/setting powder/finishing powder (so many names for it, they might all be different, but for me they essentially deliver the same results, flawless smooth matte skin) for a long time, but truthfully didn't quite get what it did... Like, does it cover up zits? Is it foundation? Is it powder? Why is there no color to it? Why do I need to "set" makeup anyway? Cant I just use bronzer over my foundation without this step?

Okay so here is the skinny:

I spoke with my sister in law who is a makeup artist (well I have two, but this sister is 19 and in the middle of training so is super knowledgeable on certain things because she is in the middle of her schooling and retaining lots of useful info! And she does the MOST AMAZING makeup, I am obsessed)

1. So setting powder is not like typical makeup. You don't use it to cover up like you would a foundation. You "set" the makeup with it, meaning its a finishing step. However, you can also use between foundation and bronzer/ blush to mattify and tone anything down.

2. You use it after liquid foundation or even foundation powder, to absorb oil and help mattify the face.

3. You would also use it to make the makeup last longer, blur fine lines and wrinkles, and get rid of any greasy looking shine. I feel like it really helps give a flawless cohesive look to my makeup when otherwise it can be randomly good, and then randomly a little too shiny which turns to grease midday. 

4. This type of powder is also great for using on the lids! I have the hardest time putting on eyeshadow evenly because, with the skin products I use prior to makeup application, my skin gets moisturized but also a little slick with product. I love dewy skin, but I don't love that my lids stay greasy and make any pigment impossible to look evenly distributed.  Setting powder is awesome for this purpose. It smooths and mattifies the lids so pigment is smoothly and evenly brushed over for a flawless and clean lid.

5. Minimizes spots and scars. My foundation does this for the most part, but when I evenly brush on my setting powder, any underlying color fades evenly and smoothly. I love this because it truly feels like the powder is doing its work by setting my look.

6. Setting powder isn't meant to be cover-up or foundation so it's not going to give strong coverage for things like zits or scars on its own, but paired with a cover-up or foundation, it will do a great job in blurring these imperfections.

7. You can use bronzer or blush immediately after foundation, but it might have a more dewy look and won't last as long. I love the dewy skin look but my skin starts dewy and ends greasy with mascara running down the side of my face. No good. I need setting powder.

I hope this helps you to have more clarity on what the heck this stuff actually does and why it's so useful! I was skeptical for a while thinking it was one more thing that we were being sold at makeup stores that were useless but I was so WRONG! 

I love this Laura Mercier Translucent Powder, and apparently so does a lot of people because it's the number one selling powder! Highly recommend.

If you guys are looking for a great transluscent powder to set your makeup and blur imperfections, this one is a great one! I linked ot throughout the post and you can also buy below by clicking on the link. I got you:) 

xo,

Kim

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My new must have product for Hormonal Acne

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Okay, so I don't know about you guys, but as I have gotten older, my skin has changed.... like A LOT. I was a little annoyed at first but thought, "eh, it'll go away and everyone gets little imperfections here and there so whatever." Welllll, not whatever.

For the last 6 months in a row, I have had major issues with my skin, on my face and body, from hives, breakouts, to cystic acne(I hate even typing that because it sounds so disgusting, but it's true and I don't like to sugar coat things). I could not go ONE MONTH without some major flare up that not only looked ugly but left a FREAKING SCAR, not to mention could be painful!

Does anyone know what I'm talking about? This was foreign to me at first, so I finally cracked and went to get a facial because I was getting desperate. Well as soon as I laid down, I got right into it with my aesthetician and started asking her a million questions and told her about my skin issues. She was nodding the entire time I was talking and finally said, "oh yeah your skin changes every 7-10 years, " ( Apparently due to skin regeneration and after around 7 years every skin cell in your body has been replaced). I DID NOT KNOW THIS. I felt so lucky to have had clear skin my entire life, and figured that was just my skin type. I can't tell you how frustrating it has been to get breakouts. It's really made me empathetic to people who have struggled with skin issues their entire life. Don't get me wrong, I have dealt with sensitive skin my whole life where one bug bite turns into 20 and my skin breaks out in hives, but acne hasn't been one of the main issues until recently.  It can take a huge toll on your confidence because whether you like it or not, we lead with our looks because that is what people see before we have a chance to speak. 

I asked my aesthetician what she recommended and she said she swears by a couple products:

CE FERULIC!! SHOP BY CLICKING

This is my all time favorite staple FYI. I want everyone to try it! It's that goooooood.

1. Skin Ceuticals CE FERULIC which you guys already know I LOVE and can read more about that HERE

2. iS CLINICAL ACTIVE SERUM which I knew nothing about and really had never heard of. Well she swore by it and said since I had acneic skin (Im sorry what?!) this would significantly help with clogged pores, bacteria, pigmentation, and fine lines and wrinkles! ALL AT THE SAME TIME.

IS CLINICAL ACTIVE SERUM- THE STAR OF THE SHOW

OKAY. So I was a little (ALOT) offended she said I basically had adult acne because truly it doesnt appear that I do, but it can be small clogged pores no one sees! But they are still there and can get worse, which mine were,

She also said since my skin was so hormonal, proven by my random cheek and chin breakouts every month, this serum would help calm those flare ups while targetting my hyperpigmentaion (from years of water polo in the sun), and fight aging all while softening my skin.

I didnt really think it would work thaaaaat great but I was desparate and, although pricey, decided to give it a try. 

I LOVE IT. Seriously, I LOVE IT. I am not sponsored or paid to say this, I really love this product and will purchase it again and again. I have seen a difference in my skin, especially the breaking out, and can feel it working. Upon application of iS Clinical Active Serum, it feels cold and tingly and smells great and is so soothing and medicating to the skin. I highly recommend it and am loving being able to control my breakouts. Just a dab of this stuff on my problem areas and each breakout healed quick, and without pain or scarring. 

If you are like me and experiencing hormonal breakouts, I would highly suggest trying this! I have been scarring from my zits and that is a no-can-do for me, so I am stoked on this new product.

I hope you loved this tip as much as I did! Comment below if you love it too or have tried another product that works similarly. I would love to get all your secrets! xo,

Kim

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Makeup For a Sun Kissed Glow

Hello everyone! As you read this, I am on my way to France to spend 10 days in the South of France and Ireland! I am so excited! I am so looking forward to spending some time in the sun and sipping on chilled rose! However, as much as I love to soak up the sun, I try my best to keep my face covered. So, I tend to need a little bit of bronzing on the makeup side to keep my face looking as golden and glowy as my sun kissed body! I packed these items on my trip to the Cote d'Azur so I can keep my face looking as fabulous and fresh as my  (hopefully) newly tanned body under the Mediterranean sun. CANNOT WAIT! 

1. CHANEL Soleil Tan De Chanel

2.HOURGLASS Bronzer

3. BOBBI BROWN Shimmer Brick

4. LAURA MERCIER Primer

5. BITE BEAUTY Lipgloss

6. RMS Master Mixer

7. RMS Magic Luminizer

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