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The Weekender: My Morning Skincare + Makeup Routine, Imposter Syndrome and Asian American Photography

Going Live in 3… 2…

If you were able to join me in my Instagram Live this week, thank you for being there! Your kind comments kept me going, and it felt like I was hanging out and chatting with my closest friends. And if you missed it, I shared my morning skincare and makeup routine in real time! You can view the Live in its entirety right here, if you’d like to see.

Scott snapped the photo of me, above, while I was trying to set up my camera and frantically texting with Sherry + Julia about which phone tripod they use (because mine is the actual worst, haha). I’ve since ordered a new tripod, so maybe we should do more Lives in the future? I had a blast hanging out with you!

My Everyday Skincare + Makeup Products

Below, I’ve rounded up all the products I talked about, including some alternating favorites. For reference, I have a warm, pale Asian complexion, normal-to-dry skin, and I’m 38-years-old. My eyebrows are microbladed (although they’re due for a touch-up!), and I’m a firm believer in over-hydrating at all times – both internally and topically.

  1. Clarins Double Serum | I start every day with this! I noticed a difference in the texture and softness of my skin right away, and there’s been a softening of discoloration.
  2. Revitalash Advanced | I’ve tried a few eyelash serums, and this one dramatically changed the length of my lashes!
  3. Sublime Defense SPF 50 | This sunscreen is lightweight and never breaks me out. I also mix in a dab of…
  4. saie Glowy Dewy Highlighter | This has the prettiest lit-from-within effect! Never glittery. Alternative to #3 and #4: Supergoop Glow Screen
  5. bareMinerals BAREPRO full coverage concealer | I love this concealer because it doesn’t settle into the fine lines around my eyes, is easy to work with and provides awesome coverage. Alternative: Glossier Stretch Concealer is more lightweight, but buildable, for casual days.
  6. it CC+ Cream with SPF 50 | I use this on days when I need a little something more fo my skin. A little goes a long way, and the coverage is amazing! Use with a damp beauty blender.
  7. Supreme Finisher Brush | This is the brush I use for loose powder and bronzer. It’s more full, so it covers my whole face effortlessly.
  8. mented Skin Silk Loose Setting Powder | After concealer and CC cream, I use this to set my face. Mented is also a wonderful Black owned business that supports a wide range of skin tones!
  9. Beautycounter Powder Highlighter | Although this is a highlighter, I use the Topaz color as a bronzer! There’s a bit of pretty shimmer, too.
  10. essence Pure Nude Highlighter | This $5 highly concentrated compact has lasted me years, and it’s my absolute favorite highlighter for that final glow. I swipe it down my nose, on the inside corners of my eyes, and just a dab above my lip.
  11. Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz | Everyone’s favorite brow pencil is also mine! I use it to fill in the thin spots where my microblading has faded, but it works great to imitate hair strokes for super sparse brows.
  12. it Superhero mascara | Hands down, my favorite mascara of all time. It lengthens and thickens, and it’s super buildable. Alternative: The closest drugstore match I’ve found is Maybelline Falsies!
  13. Stila waterproof liquid liner | If I need a boost, I’ll line this on the underside of my top lash line for a fuller lash look. It also makes for an awesome, precise cat eye.
  14. Glossier Cloud Paint | This is my favorite cheek tint! The trio you’ll find in my makeup bag is Beam, Puff and Spark.
  15. Maybelline Baby Lips in My Color | I use this chapstick before applying any other color. You’ll find a tube of this in every drawer and coat pocket throughout our home! I live and swear by this little tube for a tiny hint of color and a lot of moisture.
  16. Glossier Generation G sheer lipstick | I have this in a few colors, and I love it because it’s sheer, yet bright! I love a poppy lip, and Zip is my current go-to for a cheery look. I reapply throughout the day as needed.

PS: These are my spring pick-me-ups, the Sephora items I’m always stocking up on, and this is our 2020 favorite things list!

Other Things This Week!​​​​​​​

Awkward topic alert, but I just found my new favorite underwear! The Universal High-Rise Boyshorts are good.

For every one of us who has feelings of imposter syndrome (oh, hey!), let’s collectively remember this perspective from Michelle:

Here is the secret, I have been at probably every powerful table that you can think of, I have worked at nonprofits, I have been at foundations, I have worked in corporations, served on corporate boards, I have been at G-summits, I have sat in at the UN; they are not that smart.

— Michelle Obama via @soyouwanttotalkabout

Last week, I stumbled across a video of an Asian hate crime taking place. I shouldn’t have watched it. I try to avoid all of those videos, because I already know. Then I read this beautiful essay by Celeste Ng and pored over every one of these photos compiled by Asian Americans photographers, and I felt less alone.

photo by Ricardo Nagaoka

I bought my first weighted blanket (for a steal, and with this cover!), and I’ve been sleeping like a baby ever since.

A dog and his plush unicorn.

Toby + Dan’s half bath reveal hit Instagram last week! Toby salvaged all the beadboard you see here from his Victorian home, and when project creep snuck up on us, he found and refinished the hardwood floor beneath the old laminate tile.
—⁠⁠
See the full reveal right here, then keep swiping for the cutest surprise!

Weekend Sales

Have a Chill Weekend

Do you have any fun plans this weekend? Lucy is having a sleepover with her best friend (who also happens to be her nanny’s son), and Scott and I aren’t sure what we’re going to do with all that freedom! At the very least, there will be sleeping in, ice cream whenever we feel like it, and al fresco dining somewhere in the neighborhood.

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  • Julie4.9.21 - 10:39 AM

    So what new tripod did you get? We just had a night away with no kids and it was so quiet, almost too quiet by the end. I just had a restless night, so I might be ordering that weighted blanket today! Enjoy your weekend with lots of ice cream!ReplyCancel

    • Kim4.9.21 - 11:48 AM

      This one! It just came and we tested it with my phone to make sure it could handle the weight – and it passed the test! Great reviews.ReplyCancel

  • Michelle4.9.21 - 12:06 PM

    I clicked on the underwear link and my brain went LOOK AT THOSE BUTTS! I guess I don’t usually think about it, but seeing undies on real human bodies made me order some. :) ReplyCancel

    • Kim4.9.21 - 1:47 PM

      I love how inclusive their models are! I wish all brands would follow suit.ReplyCancel

  • Kirin4.16.21 - 1:12 PM

    Hi! A while back you shared a medicine cabinet sneak peek at the Treehouse and shared a lotion that Scott uses, noting it calms down redness. I’ve tried to find a link for it on your blog but I don’t see it. Would you mind sharing again? Thanks!ReplyCancel

  • Kara9.12.21 - 1:57 PM

    ok so i just spent like $300 on makeup :) i am somehow a 45 yo female who has never really learned how to do makeup – and for a lot of reasons, now is the time, so thank you so much for taking the time to pull this list/tutorial together, and for taking some of the insider-ness out of which brushes etc to use ;)  Curious if you have an update for wearing makeup with masks!ReplyCancel

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We’re Kim + Scott, Chicago based content creators behind the Home + Lifestyle brand Yellow Brick Home.

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