Why I Skip Blush
*in collaboration with Sephora inside JCPenney, however all opinions are my own. Seriously though. I am really really obsessed with this stuff. #SephoraInJCP #KatVonDBeauty
Truth be told, I’ve gone for years without wearing foundation, unless it was for film or photoshoots. My reason is simple. I just never found one that didn’t either feel heavy or mask-like on my face, or that was light enough but would end up disappearing by 1pm.
However, when you get a chance to give a top-selling foundation (for 6 years) that every makeup artist you’ve ever worked with raves about a try, you take the opportunity to see what all the fuss is about. Which is exactly what happened when I discovered Kat Von D’s Lock-It Collection at Sephora inside JCPenney (by now it should be obvious this is my favorite destination for discovering new beauty brands that I continue to love), and decided to give it a run for its money. And let me tell you, the stuff is like nothing else.
And while I could tell you all about the product and how it gives flexible (key word here), full, 24-hr coverage, I thought I should just show you what kind of a difference it actually makes.
no makeup
This is me in the morning without a lick of makeup. You can see a few leftover scars from acne (my favorite is the one under my lip, I named her Josephine), some sexy under eye circles, sunspots on my cheeks and forehead from #livingmybestlife, and the remnants of a bonus neck rash that generously graced me with its presence for seemingly no reason.
(your) left has no makeup. (your) right has Kat Von D Lock-It foundation.
Next up, this is after using 1 pea sized drop of the good stuff (aka Kat Von D Lock-It foundation) on just the right side of my face. Already you’ll notice there’s less discoloration, Josephine is keeping quiet, and the neck rash is chilling TF out.
light foundation only of Kat Von D Lock-It foundation
And here we are with the full face done with just 1 pea-sized drop of Kat Von D Lock-It foundation over the entire face and neck. The thing I love about this is that virtually everything is minimized but it’s still lightweight coverage.
full foundation using the Kat Von D Lock-It Edge Foundation Brush
But because I am on camera sometimes and do need to achieve full coverage at times, I used the Kat Von D Lock-It Edge Foundation Brush to apply a little heavier coverage (literally just another pea-sized amount - applied mostly to the cheeks). I also love that this brush is vegan (as is the makeup), super soft, and that it’s tapered on both sides for 365 degree of application.
add Kat Von D’s Lock-It Concealer Creme to under eyes over foundation
To knock out the remainder of my under eye circles, I turned to Kat Von D’s Lock-It Concealer Creme and heavens to Betsy, color me impressed. Literally no creasing (even hours later after endless laughing), and it’s moisturizing, so no cakeyness whatsoever.
A quick tip: for that bright-eyed woke up like this look, go for two tones lighter than your skin. It will brighten you up but won’t be garishly different. Another tip is to go for one with peach tones, as that can counter the blue-ish grayness of your under eye circles.
with Lock-it Setting Powder applied
And then to lock it all down (figuratively and literally), I topped everything off with the Lock-it Setting Powder - which has way less weight to it than any other loose powder I’ve tried in the past - which means, natural looking skin - even in sunlight.
And since I was diving into Kat Von D’s makeup line for the first time, I figured I might as well give her famous Tattoo Liner a try while I was at it. Again, this is one of those products that I hear everyone raving about - but never got around to trying myself until now. And now I get the hype. Firstly, the application is flawless. I’ve never felt like I had more control over a liquid eyeliner pen before. Secondly, it’s high-pigment so if you’re going for black, you really do get black. Thirdly, it’s buildable! I started with tight, small lines, and then built out the wings a big for fun. Piece of cake. And lastly, it stayed all. day. long. Even through that cry laughing session I mentioned. Now that’s pretty priceless in an eyeliner pen…
The last thing I did was toss on some mascara, finished off the brows, and added the smallest swipe of bronzer. Here’s why I skipped the blush. While blush is actually one of my favorite things to apply for an instant boost, with this combo of foundation, concealer and powder, I really didn’t feel like I even needed it. The way Kat Von D’s Lock-It collection left my skin looking, I really felt as though my skin needed to be the main feature, which meant letting go of a few layers on top.
One of the things that I think makes Kat Von D’s Lock-It foundation stand out so much is the fact that it has 21% pigment in it (that’s a super high percentage for foundation). This means you need a LOT less of it, which in turn means you don’t get that cakey feel you do with other foundations. It also means the texture of your actual skin shines through - so if you’re a natural look lover like me, you can still feel like you’re letting your real self shine through. Plus, there’s over 30 shades so it’s suited for a wider range of women of color than a lot of other brands - and that’s something I’ll always get behind!
Have you tried Kat Von D’s Lock-It products yet? If not, I highly recommend stopping by your local Sephora inside JCPenney to try out this collection while supplies last, it’s one I’ll definitely be repurchasing.
Plus, I’m partnering with Sephora inside JCPenney to give the collection away to one lucky winner! Check my Instagram for all the details. Good luck!
xx,
Tienlyn
