Tag: simple

Best of 2016

Kat Pierre4 Comments

As the year wraps up, I thought it would be a good idea to compile a list of some of my favorite products throughout the year. These products include stuff that I have been reaching for throughout the year.

Face Products

 

Complexion Favorites 2016

 


I have been on the lookout for a new contour powder. I found that the one that I had was too warm for me in the winter months. When I went into Sephora, I explained to one of the representatives my issue, she referred me to the Smashbox Step-By-Step Contour Kit. This is the perfect contour kit for someone with deeper skin complexions. It includes three colors, a contour shade, bronze shade, and highlight shade. I bought the “medium/deep” shade. When I am wanting a warmer contour, I mix the bronze with the contour shades to preventing it from being too cool and muddy.

I hate to jump on the bandwagon, but I couldn’t help it. This powder is phenomenal. Under the eyes, it helps to lock in your concealer and prevent it from creasing. One thing I have noticed is the fact that it clung to my dry spots this winter. That’s to be expected, being that it includes talc. I would suggest people with dry skin to dust this powder on, rather than bake with it to prevent it from clinging to your dry patches.

I actually received this as a Christmas gift from my lovely sister, Linda. (You can get to know her through her YouTube channel here.) There are a variety of shades that makes this a very versatile palette for any highlighter junkie. As you would expect, the highlighters are creamy and easy to work with. If you’re willing to splurge, it’s definitely a palette that you should look into.

Churro
colourpop.com
Churro was an instant favorite of mine. Though I didn’t mention it in my “Highlighter Favorites” post earlier this year, I completely fell in love with this. Much like other ColourPop products, Churro has a silky texture. It’s not too golden and not too peachy, making it perfect for a variety of skin tones. And the best part? It’s only $8!
Foundations
Foundation Favorites 2016

 


Again, I’m jumping on the bandwagon with the L’Oreal Pro-Matte foundation. There are countless reviews on this, so I won’t go too in-depth with this. It’s perfect for my oily skin makeup fanatics.

If you haven’t heard about this foundation, I am skeptical. This is geared towards those of you that are on the dryer side. As stated in the name, it gives off a luminous finish. If you’re more on the oily side, you may not like this. I love the fact that it comes with a dropper, which makes it easy to dispense the perfect amount. All-in-all, if you haven’t tried this, you should definitely go to your local Sephora and ask for a sample.

Bobbi Brown Cosmetics long wearing foundation
macys.com
Foundation sticks were all the rage in 2016. Wanting to try one, I opted for the Bobbi Brown stick and it completely changed the game. It gives a buildable medium to full coverage without looking cake-y. Because I’m lazy and refuse to use more than one brush for my complexion, I use a BeautyBlender sponge to blend it out because I find it the best to blend out my concealer. But, with this particular product, I would suggest that you use a brush, as it can be difficult to blend out with a sponge.

Cover Fx Custom Cover Drops N90
$49 – farfetch.com
Skincare
Skincare Favorites

 


Masks have really helped improve my complexion this year. This Black Tea face mask is really interesting. It gives off a cooling sensation when you rinse it off. This is perfect for hydrating your skin, without leaving you greasy. It also helps with problematic acne-prone skin. I would definitely recommend this to anyone that’s struggling with these skin issues.

Juice Beauty Green Apple Peel Full Strength
bloomingdales.com
Every time I use this product, it completely blows my mind. I use it at night, before bed and when I wake up in the morning, I find that my skin is drastically improved. With this peel, I generally leave it on for 10-15 minutes and then rinse it off. This is perfect for acne-prone skin or if you struggle with dark marks. If you do purchase this, make sure you use it only once or twice a week. Anything more and you can run the risk of burning your skin. You don’t want to do that.

Simple Skincare Smoothing Facial Scrub
target.com
This was a surprising drugstore find. I love that it has exfoliants that give you a deep clean and removes your peaky dead skin. I love it so much that I even mentioned it in a previous post I dedicated completely to Simple Skincare.

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream Intense Therapy
sephora.com
I usually have oily skin, but the dry winter weather has really dried me out. This face cream has really assisted with restoring my skin. I generally pat it in over the dry patches on my forehead and temples at night. If you have dry skin, this may be your best friend.

The Detoxifying Black Cleanser was a spur of the moment purchase. I was really interested in adding charcoal to my skin care routine and a representative at Sephora pointed me to this. It’s a black gel that warms on the skins. At first, it was extremely weird, but when you work it into a lather and rinse it off, it leaves your skin feeling soft and toxin-free.
Clothes
Anyone that knows me is very aware of my obsession with outerwear. I feel that the perfect sweater or trench just really makes the your whole outfit. It helps to tie in everything together, while keeping you warm.
Outerwear Favorites
Outerwear Favorites by Me featuring coats

Cardigan
forever21.com
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For the past couple of months, no one has been able to get me out of this particular cardigan. It’s the perfect cardigan to keep you warm. I’m a big fan of longline coats and sweaters because it really elongates your frame, making you look taller. It’s also versatile enough to be able to pair with not only jeans and a shirt, but a short dress.

Coat
forever21.com
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I’ve gotten many questions about where I’ve gotten my go-to jacket. I feel bad explaining that I got it two years ago at Charlotte Russe, but I recently stumbled upon a similar jacket on Forever 21. I wear  this with just about every outfit. That’s what I love about trench coats. They help to dress up a laid-back outfit and also is the perfect statement piece for a midi dress or skirt. I love to pair this with high-waisted jeans and booties.

Coat
shoptailor.com
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This coat has been the best purchase I’ve made in Richmond. I fell in love with the dusty pink color. I find that depending on what you pair it with, it the color can come across either stone or a very light pink. Much like the previous trench, I love to pair this with high-waisted jeans and booties. I also like to pair it with a black dress. I also have to mention the owner of Shop Tailor, Taylor Alexis. She is the sweetest person and was so helpful when I was looking for the right trench. If you’re looking to purchase quality items from an awesome and down-to-earth person, you should definitely log onto ShopTailor.com.
I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and I hope your New Year is even better. Let me know what some  of your favorites of 2016 have been. I’d love to see what you love and what I should be picking up in 2017.

Sneaky Trick for Oily Skin

I’ve looked up all the tips and tricks for oily skin and I’ve found one that has really helped me with some of my oiliness throughout the day.

Kat PierreLeave a comment

I know I’m not the only one that struggles with their t-zone producing oils throughout the day. I’ve looked up all the tips and tricks for oily skin and I’ve found one that has really helped me with some of my oiliness throughout the day.

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Step One:
After washing and toning your face, the best thing to combat oils is to moisturize. The reason why your skins produce oils throughout the day is because your skin is is trying to compensate for a lack of moisture in your skin. (Weird right? You can read more about it in this article.)

I use the Simple Protecting Light Moisturizer SPF 15. It’s lightweight and it protects my skin from the sun.

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Step 2:
The next step is for you to prime your face. The reason for priming your face is because it allows you to fill in your press and create a smooth base for your foundation to go over. If you have oily skin, there are oil-control primers that help to keep your oils at bay.

I use the Make Up For Ever Step 1 Skin Equalizer Mattifying Primer. The trick with this is I don’t rub it into my skin. I apply it to my fingers, rub them in and press it into my skin. This allows it to sink into my pores and have the best results.

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Step 3:
Now that we’ve prepped out skin, we’re ready for foundation. As you can see, I have two different foundations on my hand. I have a mattifying one and a luminous one. I use the mattifying one in my t-zone to help with the oils that I produce throughout the day. I use the luminous foundation to go around the perimeter of my face to give me a healthy glow.

Here, I’m using the L’Oreal Infallible Pro-Matte 24 Hour Foundation, which I’m having a love/hate relationship with. I have some texture on my skin and I’m finding that throughout the day, it starts to get cake around that area.

I am also using the Becca Aqua Luminous Perfecting Foundation. It was in Allure’s Best of Beauty for a reason. It give a beautiful glow to your skin and I found that it doesn’t cake up throughout the day.

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Step 4:
If you couldn’t guess, the next step is to blend it all out. I start in the middle and work my way out, but you can go ahead and do it any way you’d like.

I’m using the Beauty Blender. It’s perfect for blending out foundations.

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Step 5:
After that, you can go ahead and finish up your makeup. (With crazy baking faces and all!)

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Lastly, go ahead and check your face! I found that through the summertime, my face looked less oily throughout the day when I did these tricks. I’m going to continue using these throughout the fall and winter.

Do you have any tricks and tips that you use to help keep your oils at bay? I’d love to know what products and steps you use.

Simple Skincare Review

My favorites from the drugstore brand.

Kat Pierre1 Comment

The great thing about sisters is how they always show you their must-have products. I remember that my oldest sister was constantly telling me about makeup remover wipes and after a while, I tried it. Long story short: I fell in love.

Simple has a wide range of products from cleansers to moisturizers. The best thing: Simple is a drugstore brand. (TGFDP- Thank God for Drugstore Prices!)

Here are a few that I thought you all should try out:

It’s fitting that I should talk about the Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes first. These are gentle, but powerful. I think I may like these more than the Simple Micellar Makeup Remover Wipes. The reason why is I feel as though the Cleansing Wipes are more saturated than the Micellar Wipes, which make me feel like I’m tugging at my skin.

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Meet the product that you never knew you needed. This is the Simple Foaming Cleanser. It does just as it says, it comes out as a thick foam that is perfect for removing your makeup. Is it just me that feels like I get a better clean when something foams up? I like to use this after I use a makeup remover wipe or some other kind of cleanser.

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This has completely changed the game for me. This Simple Smoothing Facial Scrub contains small exfoliants that really do give you a deep clean that you can see and feel. I’ve had this for several months and I haven’t put it down since.

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This product is another favorite of mine. this is the Simple Soothing Facial Toner. I love to apply a generous amount of this to a cotton pad and smoothing this over my skin after cleansing. It’s very soft on the skin.

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Another staple in my skin routine is the Simple Protecting Light Moisturizer SPF 15. It’s extremely lightweight and really replenishes my skin after cleansing and toning. The best part about it—it contains SPF to protect my skin throughout the day.

Overall, I have to say that I truly love the Simple Skincare line. I’ve tried almost the whole line and these are a couple of my favorites. I’d love to know if you have some favorites from the line that you think I should try.

Also if you have any questions about any other products I didn’t mention, please let me know. I’d love to give you my experiences with them.

*Photos have been pulled from SimpleSkincare.com. I do not own these images.