this summer (up until about two weeks ago), i had the luxury of having almost two months off from work.  it was totally rejuvenating to be able to spend time resting, working out, blogging, traveling and just being.  there is something so peaceful about waking up once i feel rested versus waking up to the sound of a blaring alarm clock.

many of my workouts this summer were spent outside.  while i typically gravitate towards cycling or a barre class, this summer, i swam every week.  i have always loved the water and it is the perfect workout for a plus sized girl like me because it is low impact while also getting in some activity that uses all parts of the body.  i have a confession to make: i was often doing these workouts with no sunscreen.

admittedly, i am one of those women that was fortunate enough to have a pretty low maintenance skincare routine.  i had pretty bad acne as an adolescent and my dad made it his mission to get that shit under control with facials multiple times a month and every dermologica product under the sun.  by the time i was an adult, i was able to just maintain my skin versus having to put in major work to get it to where i wanted.  with that being said, i am turning 30 and have become aware that i can’t have a low maintenance (or nonexistent) routine forever.  i have noticed shifts in my skin in the last year that never happened before, including being more susceptible to sunburn and some dry patches on my face.

so here is where my summer skincare essentials came in to save the day (and my face/neck):

ironically, both of these products were gifted to me by friends from high school.  perhaps, we are all becoming more aware of the importance of skincare now that we are all turning 30.

the gratitude face serum by zatik was in my love goodly box that i posted about a few months back.  little did i know that it would change my entire skin care routine.  it not only softens my skin and helps with lines/wrinkles, it hydrates my skin.  that is exactly what i need and it doesn’t require a trillion steps.  i am not a morning person so whatever my skincare routine includes cannot take 30 minutes – i am looking for something quick, easy and effective.  i have noticed how much more even my complexion looks after adding this to my daily routine.  over the last few days, i have also started using it at night before bed.  it is light, smells good and i appreciate that it is cruelty free.  special shout out to nicole for improving my life quality with this amazing serum.

now, carolynn is my friend that spends the most time in the sun.  so naturally, she is the person that gets on my case the most about not wearing sunscreen.  i explained all of the reasons why i hate it – from it leaving a weird residue on my skin, to making me look chalky, to having a weird scent, to not layering well with my makeup.  she made it her mission to not only find a sunscreen for me but research several that would work well for black women.  the next time i went to her house, i had my own bottle of sunscreen waiting for me.  let me introduce you to supergoop!

it is light, colorless, odorless and actually has the exact same consistency of the smashbox primer that i use on any day i have makeup on.  while i have not done this yet, many reviewers said they have gotten rid of their primers all together and use this instead.  all i know is that i have never looked forward to putting on sunscreen and i have never forgotten that i had it on.  it is clearly called the unseen sunscreen for a reason.

while i may have a bit of an advantage with skincare thanks to my black ancestors, i know that as i get older, neglecting my skin just isn’t an option.  i could not recommend these two products more.

what are some of your favorite skincare products?

xoxo,

k. tap

in the last three years, i have only added one new product to my makeup routine.  all of that changed a couple of weeks ago.

my friend stephanie swears by colourpop.  when i was visiting her in the bay, i tried these amazing shimmering dry oils (look out for a post on that soon).  i had never tried any of their products and was shook by how well it showed up on my skin.  naturally, i had to hit up my friend ashton because she works at colourpop and i wanted her to know that they are clearly making makeup for all shades.  after that, my love affair with colourpop began.

the two products i am featuring on today’s post are both from the shayla x colourpop collaboration.  the eye shadow palette is to die for.  the tones are warm with just enough sparkle.  it is called proceed with caution.

if you have been following me on instagram, you know i pretty much lived in the pool this summer so i am currently the darkest i have been all year.  even still, the shadows just pop off of my skin.  i did these swatches with my index finger and did not double swipe any of them.  there isn’t a single color i would not use.  and for $12, who could beat it?  get yours here.

now, onto the blush.  i have worn the exact same shade of mac blush since spring of 2009.  while i clearly love it, the blush from this shayla x colourpop collaboration has me thinking i might need a sidepiece.  construct could be best described as a rose gold shade that helps me glisten just enough.

the packaging is to die for and for just $8, how could you pass it up?  you can purchase construct here.

today on my eyes, i have hzrd as the main color covering my full lid, dead end underneath my brow bone and caution on my inner eye.  the blush i am wearing is construct (and i know it won’t be the last time i have it on).  i have had my makeup on since about 7:30 this morning and it hasn’t budged or creased!

i am excited to review more colourpop products as i try them.  even though i already know i love the shimmering oils, i don’t feel like that much glitter is work appropriate in my field so i will try to remember to document it this weekend.

do you have any products from colourpop?  if so, which are your favorites?

xoxo,

k. tap

when it comes to beauty, i keep it pretty simple during the work week unless i have parent meetings or special presentations and i tend to save my glam for the weekends or when i am vacationing.  whenever i have lashes on, i tend to get a ton of dms asking where i got them done or where they can be purchased.  while i have never had eyelash extensions (i don’t think i could handle the upkeep), i often wear strips when i am out on the town.  the only strips i wear are lilly lashes by lilly ghalichi.  i have been absolutely hooked since last november.

while i had heard of lilly lashes because i am a bravoholic and have watched every episode of shahs of sunset (how i was introduced to lilly ghalichi in the first place), i had never planned on purchasing a pair.  i used to just buy lashes from wherever and wear them once before discarding them.  then, my twin, anj, turned me onto the ardell wispies – they are beautiful and full strips without being too heavy.  they can be found at cvs, target or your local beauty supply and a pack of five sets is usually between $12 and $15. i remember liking that i could wear each pair at least twice and just loving the look.  that was until last november.  when anj was getting married, she made me a little gift bag and it included a set of lilly lashes to wear the day of the wedding.  the minute i saw them up close, i was in love.

there are TONS of lashes to choose from – all named after major cities across the world.  the pair i received (and have been wearing ever since) is called mykonos.  coincidentally, mykonos is one of my favorite places on earth.

i will admit – putting them on the first time was a bit of a struggle because the band that the lashes are attached to is on the thicker side and a little less flexible than what i was used to working with.  i now realize that this is a blessing for multiple reasons – they last much longer, are easier to clean for reuse and make my eyes look like they are naturally lined and i love the look of a sultry eye.

initially, i was wondering if they were going to be worth the $30 anj paid for them.  the answer is ABSOLUTELY.  i have worn the same pair of lashes from november about 30 times.  THIRTY TIMES.

i bought a second pair for my godsister’s wedding that was in may just so the makeup artist could have a fresh set to apply and after wearing the new pair once, i went back to wearing the old pair.

if you follow me on the gram, you know i was in mexico this past weekend on a cruise with my family celebrating my godmother’s birthday and father’s day with papa.  we had a more formal dinner on the ship one night and so i got a little dressed up.  naturally, i had to pull out my lilly lashes.

these are the same lashes that i have had since november 12th of 2018!  and honestly, i think i love them more and more after each use because they become even easier to apply and just curve to the shape of my eyes effortlessly.

we all have a beauty product that makes us feel like we are taking our look to the next level – for me, it is definitely my mykonos lilly lashes.  what product is it for you?

do you wear lilly lashes?  if so, what is your favorite pair?

xoxo,

k. tap

every single time i think that drybar cannot come up with anything else for me to be obsessed with, they prove me wrong.  from their bomb blowouts to unparalleled dry shampoo, they continue to kill the game.  now, as i discussed in my previous post about drybar, when my hair is not in braids, it is relaxed.  some days, it is cooperative and other days, it needs some extra help.  i find myself spending more time than i’d like straightening my hair.  typically, i have a brush in one hand and a straightener in the other.  it is totally exhausting and hurts my little t-rex arms (my arms are super short for my body so my brother calls me “t-rex”).  then, i found my new life saver…

the brush crush!

at first, it almost seemed too good to be true.  one tool that combined everything i needed.  one tool that could be placed on any surface because of the way it is made.  one tool that went up to 450 degrees, thus being able to straighten thicker hair like mine or someone with more fine/sensitive locks if set to a lower temperature.  how fast could this product actually work?  it was time to put it to the test.

this was it warming up to 450 (which it did in less than five minutes).

then, above was my face when i realized how pressed for time i was with my hair in a trash ass state and no makeup on.  if this brush didn’t work, i might be trying to wear a baseball cap to dinner and to a club in west hollywood to celebrate with angela, my newfound birthday twin.  i said a little prayer.  

within five minutes, my hair was sleek and chic.  20 minutes after that, my makeup was finished and i was ready to roll.

my usual brushing with one hand while trying to straighten with the other takes me about 20 minutes for my entire head on a good day.  to shave 75% of that time off? unreal and truly a blessing.

while this product can be found at any drybar location or on their website, mine was purchased at nordstrom by my magnificent mom as one of my birthday gifts.  after using this product the last four days straight and seeing little to no shedding, i am wondering how i ever lived without it.  when you get yours, let me know how you like it!

xoxo,

k. tap