Last week on Stories, I asked you to submit any beauty related questions. I’m so excited to share the answers to those questions in this post! Leave any other beauty questions below and I’ll share in my next Q+A. Best Beauty Products – Summer Beauty Q+A What is your favorite sunscreen? I love the Supergoop Glowscreen. I have a naturally tan/olive skin tone, so I find that it looks almost like a tinted moisturizer/highlighter on my skin. It gives me such a nice glow! Some people with lighter skin tones report that it’s too highlight-y for them, and I can definitely understand why (T has used mine before and it looks different on him than it does on me.) If you have a lighter skin tone, I’d say start by using a small amount at first. If it still looks too glowy on you, then I love the Supergoop Unseen sunscreen which is completely clear and glides on beautifully. What are your thoughts on dermaplaning? Dont’ do it! I bought a Tinkle after hearing so many bloggers rave about it, and it made my face hair grow back thicker!!! It was basically like I shaved my face because the hair grew back so quickly and coarser…not fun haha. While many other bloggers have reported that this does not happen to them with both the Tinkle and/or Dermaplane tool, it really backfired on me, so I would not recommend it. I would thread or wax any facial hair you want to get rid of! What is the best makeup that can handle the heat? I have never had an issue with the Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk foundation dripping/melting in heat. It has always stayed put and looked great even on the warmest day. I like to seal it in with the Givenchy setting powder, which prevents sweating and shine to create a flawless look. What is your favorite face cream? I feel like I change face creams every year, because, well I do haha! I am always trying a new face cream. Also, I need to do a whole blog post on face creams… This past year I was using Dr. Barbara Sturm’s face cream which I love because it’s a clean product, very lightweight and doesn’t irritate my skin. But I recently started using Farmacy’s lightweight moisturizer (I ran out of Sturm) and am beyond impressed with it. It’s less than half the price, also a clean product and I find it even more moisturizing. I like their ultra hydrating moisturizer as well, it just depends on how my skin is feeling and what the weather is like. What is your AM and PM skincare routine? This year, I actually really paired down my skincare routine. I didn’t wear as much makeup, and I knew I would be getting lasers/peels for the wedding, so I wanted to have a very simple, minimal set of products. In the AM, I wake up and splash cold water on my face, then pat it dry with a towel. I put the Farmacy moisturizer on, Dr. Barbara Sturm eye cream, and Supergoop Glowscreen. If I’m wearing makeup I then apply makeup on top of that, otherwise that’s it for the AM. At night, I wash my face with Elemis rose cleansing balm, apply Farmacy moisturizer, Dr. Barbara Sturm eye cream, and then 5 minutes later apply Vintners Daughter serum. For the past 3 years I was actually skipping the moisturizer and eye cream, and just applying the Vintners Daughter serum alone, but now I like to add it in because my skin feels drier. Some people apply the serum first to their skin (technically I think you’re “supposed to” before your face cream…), however I like to smell the strong essential oils in the serum right before I go to sleep. I’m a big believer in doing what you feel works for your skin, and this is just what I like and what has worked for me! If I feel REALLY dry in the AM, then I will sometimes apply a serum before my moisturizer. I love Tata Harper’s resurfacing serum. If I’m wearing a full face of makeup, I use the Dr. Dennis Gross peel pads to remove any excess makeup that my cleanser didn’t take off. Two to three times a week I exfoliate with the Dermalogica microfoliant. What is your haircare routine? I get a trim every 6 weeks (I ask for long face framing layers) and I have never colored my hair. So, I wash it twice a week. I use Dae shampoo + conditioner + leave in conditioner. Also, I use Oribe hair oil on the ends when they feel split. I use R+Co dry shampoo in between washes. If I feel like there’s a ton of build up and my hair is oilier than usual, I use the DP Hue apple cider vinegar shampoo + conditioner. I blow dry my hair maybe twice a year, only if I absolutely have to, and the rest of the time let it air dry. I use this Mason Pearson brush, Dyson hair dryer, and T3 curling wand. If I’m straightening my hair, this tool is amazing for creating super shiny, sleek locks. What deodorant do you use? I don’t use a deodorant! I actually haven’t worn deodorant in years. Also, I did a blog post on my favorite natural deodorants when I was wearing it. Luckily I don’t have strong body odor (it’s typically hereditary if you do, or comes from the food you eat/hormone imbalance.) I also found that once I stopped wearing it, my body stopped producing as much underarm sweat. It can be an uncomfortable 2 weeks to “detox” from deodorant, but SO worth it! How do you clean your makeup brushes? I use this Bobbi Brown brush cleaner. I turn on warm water, add a dime size of the cleanser to my palm, and individually scrub each brush in my palm, adding cleanser and thoroughly rinsing as needed. Then, I air dry my brushes on a washcloth for 24 hours in my bathroom. Technically you should be washing your brushes way more often than I do, but truthfully I wash them about every 5-6 weeks… What are your thoughts on La Mer? People rave about La Mer and I’ve only ever tried their face and eye creams. Sadly the face cream is way too thick for me and makes me breakout! I have sensitive skin and don’t do well with super thick creams. I used their eye cream for years, but then I developed these tiny bumps under my eye (I think because it was too rich – luckily they went away after I stopped using it.) What are your favorite products for a no-makeup makeup look? Supergoop Glowscreen, Armani Luminous silk foundation, a little Givenchy powder, Bobbi Brown “Bali Brown” blush, Charlotte Tilbury highlighter, Honest Beauty mascara, Laneige lip mask. What is your favorite foundation? Giorgio Armani Luminous silk foundation (I’ve used it for 10+ years) and recently Givenchy’s foundation because I love that it’s so hydrating and gives you more of a glow whereas the Armani one is more matte. What is your favorite cleanser? Elemis rose cleansing balm. Do you use a self tanner? Only for special occasions. I love the Tan Luxe drops in the lighter shade (just 1 drop goes a LONG way.) It does have a smell to it (all tanning drops do), but I find that mixing 1 drop with my face cream or body moisturizer really masks the smell and does the trick! Do you get microneedling/peels/lasers and what results have you seen from them? I had never gotten a laser treatment from a dermatologist until this year! For my wedding, my dermatologist, Dr. Rita Linkner, recommended I do a few extra treatments to give me an extra glow, so I did one session of; Vivace (microneedling), Ultherapy, and Clear + Brilliant (a baby fraxel.) The Vivace helped clear blackheads around my nose and gave me an instant glow. There was no down time which was great! The Ultherapy created collagen growth and tightened my jawline skin over the course of 3 months (it takes a long time to see results, but really exciting to see the subtle difference.) It was painful, but we used numbing cream and laughing gas which really helped and I was fine. The Clear + Brilliant facial gave me a beautiful glow. It felt and looked like a bad sunburn for the first 18 hours, and then my skin just felt a bit sand paper-y for the next 3 days. After that, my skin was SO bright and glowy – I was shocked. I had never seen it so fresh looking! These things were all special and one-off treatments I did for the big day. If I ever have another big event in the future, I would definitely do them again! I know some people like to get Clear + Brilliant or Vivace treatments a few times a year. It really just depends on what your skin needs are. What is your number 1 skincare beauty product? I love Vintners Daughter serum. It’s smells heavenly with all of the essential oils, always soothes my skin, has made my pores smaller and tighter, and skin clearer. It’s a really high quality product that I will rebuy again and again. What are your favorite lip products? I can’t get enough of the Laneige vanilla lip mask – I use it as a lip balm throughout the day! I also really like the Image Skincare lip balm! For a gloss, I have been using the Mac lipgloss in C-Thru for 15 years…best natural shade if you have really dark pink lips like I do! Also sold here. Do you use retinol, and if so, which products do you use? I don’t use a retinol at the moment. I have tried several retinol products and while I have liked them, I just feel like I’m not ready or willing to consistently keep using them (call it laziness!) My dermatologist told me I really should be using one, but I didn’t want to start or try any new products before the wedding, so I’ll definitely share if I incorporate one back into my routine! She recommended this Alastin 0.5 retinol. Do you buy any drugstore brands? Yes! A few I love are; Honest mascara, Simple skincare wipes for heavy eye makeup, and Neutrogena body sunscreen. My skin is so sensitive and breaks out constantly when I touch it or sweat, help! I constantly wipe down my phone with sanitizer wipes, don’t touch my face, and don’t wear makeup unless I have to! I would recommend visiting a dermatologist and bringing all of your skincare products and makeup so she can help you go through the labels and ingredients! Many of your products may have comedogenic oils in them that could be causing the breakouts. You can also do a simple search online to see which ingredients are comedogenic in each of your products. Do you still gua sha? Yes! If I have any facial tension or soreness, I love to take 5 minutes and rub face oil on my face and then massage it with a gua sha. It’s so important to massage the muscles in your face because they can be super tight from stress/clenching your jaw at night! The gua sha releases that tension, increases blood flow and lymph drainage, depuffs and helps to decrease fine lines. Last 5 items purchased at Sephora? Dr. Dennis gross peel pads, Tom Ford shimmering body oil, Necessaire body lotion, Charlotte Tilbury highlighter, and another Laneige lip mask.

Benefits of Taking CBDCBD has gained immense popularity in the past few years, and for good reason.  I first learned about CBD when I was living in LA.  Practically everyone I knew was touting the benefits!  So what is CBD?  CBD is a natural ingredient found within industrial hemp flowers. It is clinically proven to impact mental and physical well-being, when taken properly and consistently. It is a powerful health agent, but there is no discernible impairment (no high!)  Over the years, I tested and tried a few CBD products, but nothing ever wow’d me until I tried Equilibria products. Equilibria CBDQualityWhat impressed me the most about Equilibria is their ingredient transparency.  I love that they share a Certificate of Analysis for every single one of their products!  One of the things I learned about CBD early on, was that you should really pay attention to where it came from and it should always be organic.  Equilibria’s products are organic, and free of metals, solvents, and VOCs (volatile organic compounds).  Their products typically feature 3-4x the cannabinoids and terpenes found in other mainstream, over-the-counter CBD products. Favorite ProductsI’ve tried all of the Equilibria products and my favorites are the Daily Softgels, the Daily Treatment Oil, and the Relief Cream.  I love the Daily Softgels because they don’t upset my stomach (I have a very sensitive stomach to any sort of vitamins, supplements or pills) and they make me more relaxed.  I found that taking 1 pill after lunch everyday around the same time has really helped my anxiety levels in a very subtle way.  You won’t feel a sudden, crazy drastic change with these, but after about a week I could really feel a difference – I was just calmer. Probably my favorite benefit though, is that it really helps alleviate my period pain.  I get the worst cramps and am usually knocked out for the first 2 days.  The gels combined with the Relief Cream during my period has become such a nice self care ritual.  The Daily Treatment Oil is a gorgeous face oil that doesn’t break me out, and makes my skin feel bright and hydrated.  I like to use it alone or with my gua sha when I need a little boost or before a shoot. Dosage SpecialistEveryone’s body chemistry is different.  What works for me, may not work for you.  You may need more or less of the combination of CBD products that I take to feel the full effects.  This is why the dosage specialists are so amazing.  You get a free phone consultation with every purchase and unlimited email support.  Their site also has an extensive FAQ that really breaks down everything you need to know about CBD.  I highly recommend chatting with their specialist before you start taking the CBD, or a week or two after to really understand how your body is taking to it!  I’d love to know what your experience has been with CBD, and if you have any questions please feel free to leave them below and I will forward them to their team. Sale!Starting today 2/17 until 2/20 buy any Equilibria product and get the second one (of lesser value) for 50% off! This promo can also be combined with your 15% off code KATTANITA that always works!  I would personally start with the Brilliance box and then treat yourself to the Body box which has the relief cream, mineral soak, and face oil!