Hello and welcome! Thank you for reading my first post. I have never been one to share much of anything on the internet about myself. However, ever since launching the Beauty Loop things have changed a lot. I've started an Instagram account at @MyBeautyLoop and even now have my own YouTube channel (Beauty Loop).
I'm 44 years old and as I look back I realize who my top beauty influencer was and still is. No, it was not a social media guru. They didn't exist yet. Youtube, Facebook and Instagram were not around... I didn't even have a cell phone or even a computer!! Instead I learned about Beauty from my mom. My mom ...she is so gorgeous and you would never know she is 68 (mom if you are reading this, sorry to divulge your age). I loved watching her sit at her vanity and get ready for the day and see her put on her face creams at night. She taught me so much about skincare, makeup and everything beauty. We are always on the hunt for the best of the best in the beauty world and now I’d like to share what I’ve learned with you.
(Me and mom at a Paris Cafe...look how chic she is.)
I grew up in the 80's....and I was an 80’s girl in a big way!!! That meant big, HUGE hair!!! In fact I was a full 5 inches taller and it was all bangs!!! And that's no exaggerating!! I am only 5 feet tall so that extra five inches of bangs got me to my dream height. I also tanned a Lot! My mom told me not to but I didn't listen. (Why didn't I listen???) I thought having a tan looked so good back then. The prettiest girls in my school had tans and also most used Sun-In. Do you remember Sun-In? I would spray that in my hair to try to get as blonde as could be but ended up orange! The look we were going for was Christie Brinkley/ Heather Locklear. Instead I think I got closer to Chester the Cheetah. Gosh... those were the days! I'm so glad the 80's are over!!!
I really did tan a lot, I'd go to the beach multiple times during the week with NO SUNSCREEN!! In fact we used baby oil to attract the sun. My friends and I would have contests to see who could get the tannest!! Guess what?...I won!! Flash forward to when I was around 17. My mom said.."Karrie you are starting to get wrinkles” It was at that moment...I looked into her vanity mirror and saw them...those menacing lines stretching from the corners of my eyes.. .crows feet!!! at 17!!! I never sunbathed again! This leads me to my #1 Beauty Tip....... Stay out of the Sun!!
Now I wear Sunscreen every single day. Some of my favorites are Obagi Matte Sunscreen SPF 50, ZO Skincare Ooclipse 30 Sunscreen and Primer,(this one is beautiful without foundation because it has a light tint and blurs away skin imperfections) and I do like the Hourglass SPF primer 15 under makeup. I wish the SPF was higher in this one because it is my favorite with my foundation. I supplement it with the Peter Thomas Roth Sunscreen powder INSTANT MINERAL SPF 45 and apply this throughout the day. I am still searching for the perfect sunscreen that works well with makeup, if you have found it...please let me know.
(In Monoco....taking a picture with one of my style icons Princess Grace)
And hats. I love hats!! There is something about a wide brimmed hat that says sophistication to me. I feel like I am an old-school Hollywood star when I'm in mine with big Jackio-O glasses! My favorites are the Wallaroo hats.
I just love these hats so much. My mom does too and her favorite is the white with black dots. I like the navy one and the grey one for travel because they don't show dirt. It is the the perfect travel hat because it rolls up so nicely. I tuck it in my purse almost everyday.
(Me and my husband taking vacation selfies in my Wallaroo hat)
(Dubrovinik, Croatia)
(Our amazing room in Santorini Greece)
The other fun thing about these hats is if you have hat hair after a day of wearing...just roll up the sides....and you have an instant cowboy hat....and who doesn't like to rock a cowboy hat? (Pictured is me in the grey and white dot scrunchie style)
But..be careful, on a windy day while biking in Amsterdam, it can turn into a colonial hat which is a style I think only suited those in the 1700's!! (I went from being an 80's girl in my youth to a 1700's gal as woman...am I moving backwards??) The best thing about these hats is that they have SPF built right in them!!! So not only will you look adorable in it but you will be protecting your face too! My #1 tip..Keep your skin protected everyday from the sun and don't be like me and wait until 17….start early!!!
~Karrie