Taming Summer Frizz (and More!) with Katie Alm

The key to a successful wash & go is an amazing product to define your curls! I love using Taliah Waajid’s Apple & Aloe Curl Definer; it holds and defines my curls perfectly and keeps my hair looking extremely healthy. #Taliah Waajid - Green Apple & Aloe with Coconut Curl Definer[products]#[FiveStars] Eco Styler Gel always holds my curls in moments when I need that extra security! I highly suggest working in sections and thoroughly detangling your hair before adding products to get the best results possible!! Products usually stay white on my hair until it dries but thankfully once I let it dry completely it doesn’t leave white residue! I always mix my favorite oils together (Jamaican Black Castor Oil, Extra Virgin Olive Oil & Tea Tree Oil) but you can always use any oils you like! I hope this was helpful! Thank you so much for watching! #Washandgo #washandgotype4hair #curlyhairroutine #blackownedproducts #naturalhairtips

Alright guys...it has been SO LONG since I’ve done an overnight braid with wet hair. This is NOT a new trend and has been used for years, but I wanted to experiment this technique with a new curl product I have... Here are the steps I took to achieve these tight curls: Wash & towel-dry your hair! I have dry, thick, curly hair so I used a line of curl-friendly shampoo & conditioner. Comb a curl-finishing product through your hair. I would normally use a frizz control gel or cream, but I recently purchased the Coil Custard from Briogeo Briogeo - Curl Charisma Chia + Flax Seed Coil Custard and omg. It held my curls SO WELL and this huge tub is only $20! I only had to use a nickel to quarter size amount to cover my entire head of hair. Section your hair off. You can make your sections as large or as small as you want to—the smaller the sections, the tighter your curls will be. Start braiding each section. I personally did not use French braids as I wanted more volume. To make the sections/braids more manageable, put them in a bun or ponytail. This kept them out of my face until the next morning! Let air dry overnight. As you can see, my roots got super frizzy LOL. Take out the braids. The Curl Charisma coil custard really held them together! I’m not super stoked with how they turned out but when clipped back, my hair looks voluminous and I can always add water to my hair to normalize my curls. Style as you see fit! The possibilities are endless! Have you ever tried and overnight braid or curler? #CheriePartner

A good top coat is more than just clear nail polish! Tell me this—do you find your manicure always chips faster than you want it to? (I know, this makes gel manicures really tempting, but hear me out). 1) It makes your manicure last longer Nail polish top coat adds a glossy seal over the polish you’ve just put on, ensuring it doesn’t chip away as easily. 2) It helps your nails dry faster I don’t even consider a top coat these days if quick dry isn’t mentioned anywhere on the label.To put it simply, quick dry top coats work by literally solidifying faster, making bumps and nicks harder to make in the nail polish itself. 3) It can make your manicure look like gel Top coats add a more glossy finish and high shine to perfect nails, giving them the illusion of a thicker layer of polish that looks like gel. 4) It smooths any over application mistakes If you accidentally nick or smudge your nails, here’s no reason to stress—your perfect nails aren’t ruined! This is where the top coat comes in. It’ll smooth over and fill any tiny little nicks and bumps just enough so that they’re not noticeable, saving you from doing over your nails. 5) It makes your at-home nail art look pro It adds that finishing touch and makes everything look 100% better. Which top coat is best? A lot of people think that their nail polish chips because they’re using a cheap brand. The thing is, it doesn’t matter what brand of nail polish you use—if you’re using a good quality top coat and base coat, you can make ANY nail polish last (and look good!) for perfect nails. Here are my favourite top coats! Seche Vite Top Coat Seche - Vite Dry Fast Clear Top Coat Seche Vite Dry Fast top coat is a classic. There’s a good reason it comes so highly recommended—I don’t think I’ve ever had my nails look so much like gel before. However, it thickens very quickly and requires the Seche Restore brand thinner to use it again due to Seche Vite’s unique formula. Essie Good to Go essie - Good to Go Top Coat It dries quickly and super shiny, but doesn’t make nails look as gel-like as other top coats. However, it’s one that I relied on for a long time and I would happily recommend it. Essie Gel Setter Reviewessie - Gel Setter Top Coat It’s definitely similar to Good to Go, but to me has a little more plumping and a gel-like finish for nails. Sally Hansen Big Shiny Top Coat Sally Hansen - Big Shiny Top Coat I really, really liked the Sally Hansen Big Shiny Top Coat. It was Big, Shiny, and quick-drying—and easy to get and cheap. What’s not to love? So, what's the fastest way to dry nails again? Answer: with a top coat—so skip all those Pinterest hacks about putting your hands in iced water. Apply thin coats of nail polish, let it dry a little in between, and seal everything off with a good top coat (and your nails will probably look better and last longer than gel, too!) Here's to good manis and pedis ahead!

As a May 2020 graduate, I’ve been doing a lot of interviews and phone calls over the quarantine period for jobs and internships. Along the way I picked a few key tips for achieving a flawless, professional makeup look perfect for video calls. All I want is to make the impression that I’m put together and perfect for the role! Of course, everyone has different kinds of makeup looks, and specific parts of makeup that make it “signature” to them (like a strong winged liner, or bold lip, or even a super bare natural face!). But for me, my “signature” looks is something quite fresh-faced, glowy skin, defined eyes and a tinted lip! Tips: 1) Stay true to yourself! If you never wear a red lip, don’t wear a red lip to the interview. If you always have a beautiful eyeshadow look on, definitely put some eyeshadow on! The truth is, when you feel most like yourself, the more confident you will appear to others. 2) Video calls tend to wash you out, so if you’re applying a color product maybe add a little more than usual! Here is what I used: HOURGLASS - Illume Sheer Color Trio in Sunset This is a the perfect product to bronze, blush AND highlight the face! The formula is super creamy and soft, but definitely packs a punch with its pigment. The highlight also gives off a beautiful glow on camera! ESTĒE LAUDER - Double Wear Radiant Concealer I don’t feel the need for a foundation on camera as blemishes are generally not visible depending on video resolution. But I have really bad under eye circles that can make me look tired, so I always want a little concealer just to brighten up my face and eyes. This one is medium coverage with a natural finish on the skin. COLOURPOP - Brow Boss Pencil I always define my brows because they help to frame the face. This is an amazing inexpensive one that has the perfect waxy formula for adding fullness to the brows that looks natural. NUDESTIX - Magnetic Luminous Eyeshadow Defining my eyes is important to me because it’s a feature of my face that I really like. So a little glowy eyeshadow helps to bring attention to my eyes, helps me look a little more awake and defines it a little more. MAYBELLINE - Maybelline Lash Sensational Waterproof Mascara I know it’s near impossible to see individual lashes on video call but it helps a lot with defining my eyes! It also makes me feel more put together too just because I’d feel off if I had a full face of makeup and didn’t have mascara on. lisa eldridge - True Velvet Lipstick in Velvet Muse This is one of my favorite matte lipsticks because it’s super pigmented, non-drying but gives a matte finish. I add a little balm beforehand to keep my lips moisturized and to sheer the color a little. This is definitely a my-lips-but-better kind of shade.

step 1- CAUDALIE - Limited Edition Grape Water to prep the skin and get it damp before applying other products Step 2- #Valmont - Priming Hydrating Fluid[products]#[ThreeStars] First time trying something from this Valmont. Got this sample with my order from Rescue Spa a couple months ago. This is a primer, the formula is very light and watery and did feel hydrating on my skin. felt like it did an efficient job at priming however at this price point I would never purchase this! ❌ Way too overpriced for what it is. Step 3- DR. BARBARA STURM - Sun Drops lightweight chemical sunscreen serum that blends beautifully into the skin and leaves a lovely glow. I will purchase the full size when I run out for sure! This product makes me actually look forward to putting sunscreen on which is a first Step 4- WESTMAN ATELIER - Vital Skin Foundation Stick Atelier (for skin with undertones) shade ATELIER 1- First time trying Westman Atelier and this foundation is just as good as I expected it to be 😍 It blends so easily into the skin and gives full coverage without leaving that thick filmy feeling that I usually get from wearing foundations or tinted products. I was using the kosas tinted face oil before this but I will be throwing that away now- it left an oily finish on my face and barely gave any coverage compared to this. Overall this foundation is a 10/10 for me. I will definitely be trying more from this brand I love how fool-proof and easy this foundation is. And the finish is gorgeous! Not to mention the packaging. Blended with HOURGLASS - Vanish Foundation Brush Step 5- BY TERRY - Stylo Expert Hybrid Foundation Concealer shade 1 ROSY LIGHT- an easy concealer that also doesn’t feel too heavy or thick on my skin. Love this for covering up minor spots on my face and brightening my under eyes/brow bone/t zone ✨ it gives decent coverage as well. you can even wear this alone and use as a foundation if you want. Love the versatility of this formula and easy click-stick application Blended with CHANEL - LES PINCEAUX DE CHANEL Retractable Dual-Ended Concealer Brush N°105 Step 6- laura mercier - Translucent Loose Setting Powder This setting powder is so INCREDIBLE - it leaves my face airbrushed looking with a soft finish while also sealing/setting in my makeup so it will stay in place all day! Love love loveeee. Applied with a LUXIE brush I got as part of a set. #CheriePartner