KAYA EMPIRE @kayaempire - Tumblr Blog

HOW IM PRACTICING SELF CARE IN 2019

bonus: most of these don’t involve spending money at all :)

subscribe please!!! i am almost at 6k subscribers and it would be so exciting if i hit that milestone this month. i make videos about chemistry based skincare and self care

💖💖💖VALENTINES DAY GIFT GUIDE💖💖💖

you dont have to spend money to practice self care but sometimes its fun to drop some $$$ on yourself !

get a manicure/pedicure- getting my nails done is one of my fav treat-yourself-moments because i never do it

romantic shirts from stargaze apparel- hand embroidered t-shirts with super cool minimalist designs, like two lovers kissing (use code KAYA10 for 10% off)

nourishing oil serum for brows from kyravi beauty- this brow serum is packed with superstar ingredients to condition hair follicles to promote stronger bolder brows (use code HEARTS for 15% off)

retinyl + frankincense restorative oil serum from vis viva skincare- such a beautiful pink serum that hydrates and brightens the skin (use code VALENTINE for 20% off)

coconut honey lip balm from vis viva skincare- one of my favorite lip balms, super hydrating and creamy without being sticky or greasy (use VALENTINE for 20% off)

pink blushes with a glow- hourglass blush, nars orgasm blush, glossier cloud paint

nazar jewelry from sayran- one of my favorite jewelry brands!

fresh flowers from your local grocery store- nothing brightens up a space more like fresh flowers

spend some time working on your skincare routine- check out my own skincare routines to get inspired

pay it forward!

bake some cupcakes (from scratch of course) and invite some friends over to enjoy them

take a bath with some cool bath bombs

buy a new book and devour it

have an indoor picnic (lets face it, its freezing outside) with your favorite foods and hot tea/coffee

BEST OF BEAUTY 2018

GOODBYE 2018!!!!!! rounding up all my ride or die favorites in skincare and makeup in this video 💖 💖 💖this is my last video of 2018! keep reading to see all the products mentioned

💖 SEPHORA SALE 101 💖

sale dates:

10/26-10/29 and 11/2-11/5 for rouge (use code ROUGEBONUS for 20% off) 11/9-11/12 for vib (use code VIBBONUS for 20% off) 11/16-11/19 for beauty insider (use code BIBONUS for 15% off)

SAVE ADDITIONAL $$$ USING EBATES!!!!! sign up for free here (and get a $10 free cash bonus added to your account when you make ur first purchase) and earn cash back on your ENTIRE sephora purchase. check out my ebates posts for more info

under $25:

fresh soy cleanser mini ($15): my fav luxe feeling cleanser

laneige water sleeping mask ($25): beautiful moisturizer for oily skin or overnight mask for dry skin (to use on top of regular moisturizer)

first aid beauty cleanser ($10-20) - super gentle cleanser, perfect for all skin types

tarte under eye patches ($22): a lovely cooling treat for your under eyes

fresh rose face mask mini ($25): one of my favorite masks for soft skin, ideal for an at home spa experience

living proof perfect hair day dry shampoo ($23): new HG dry shampoo for literally perfect hair

nars precision lip liner ($24): my favorite formula of lip liner

over $25:

bite beauty chai lipstick ($26): my favorite fall lipstick at the moment

natasha denona lila palette ($129): havent been able to stop using this palette since i bought it! see it in action here

hourglass caution mascara ($29): my new HG mascara

briogeo be gentle be kind conditioner ($28): smells amazing and makes my hair super soft

laura mercier candleglow foundation ($48): yep im still raving about this foundation, gives such a gorgeous luminous but not dewy finish

nars dolce vita lip gloss ($26): this has been a fav of mine for years, the perfect pink

fragrance

nest indigo ($74): floral and delicious! notes of moroccan tea, kashmir wood, cardamom, and wild fig

jo malone jasmine sambac and marigold (not bds safe) ($180): my mom wears this perfume and it smells like something an indian princess would wear, am obsessed and want one for myself

mon guerlain ($124): soooo feminine and yummy, strong notes of vanilla

Combatting Skin Dryness and Winter Blues

After our first cold snap, I figured it’s time to get cozy. It literally snowed and the temperature was almost freezing (the snow didnt quite stick to the ground, but I’ll let it slide). I normally don’t experience extreme skin dryness because usually the weather is pretty warm year round. The recent cold snap means drier air outside and very dry air inside due to heaters blasting.

I use a variety of methods to prevent my skin from drying out! For my face, I make sure to use a super gentle cleanser like my Alkmene tea tree oil cleanser. I also rely on rose hip seed oil or oil based serums to soften and prevent moisture loss in my skin. For my hands, I use a non-drying soap like the Aldo Vandini hand soap, which contains sodium laureth sulfate (a very gentle surfactant). If you use a harsh drying hand soap, no amount of hand cream will help repair your hands! After I wash my hands, I religiously apply some of my matching hand cream in the CHARMING scent to add extra hydration. The hand soap, hand cream, plus a nail brush are available at Sorelle Care on Amazon in a super cute hand care set, perfect for gifting to someone you love or yourself.

For my body, it’s important to use a non-drying shower gel, so I routinely use my Aldo Vandini shower gel in the PURE scent in the shower and then immediately follow with my favorite Aldo Vandini body fluid lotion. All of these products from Aldo Vandini are 15% off at Sorelle Care with code “HOLICARE” only until December 20!!! You get beautiful, luxury caliber products for a very affordable price, which I call a major win.

A great way to combat winter blues is to get some fresh flowers! I LOVE having flowers in my apartment year round, but especially during the wintertime. Flowers really perk me up and improve my mood. I also enjoy bundling up and going for a quick walk outside when its sunny. Another tip is to make your home as “hyggelig” as possible (can you tell I’ve been reading The Little Book of Hygge), which basically means making your home super cozy and inviting. For example, use candles, fairy lights, pillows, blankets, hot tea, fuzzy socks... all of those are excellent for building a cozy atmosphere. I got my blue teapot pictured above from World Market. If you’re a student, check out my Finals Survival Guide video for extra tips on how to stay sane during the stressfulness of finals season!

paula’s choice has 20% off and free gifts!

eligible products are 20% off at paulaschoice.com until 11/27! each day includes a free gift with purchase of $65+

watch my skincare routine to see my product recs from paula’s choice

free gifts: 11/21: resist eye gel travel size 11/22: clinical 1% retinol travel size 11/23: full-size resist lip gloss 11/24: best of brightening radiant skin collection (a $112 value) 11/25: 2% BHA liquid travel size 11/26: 2 resist cleanser travel sizes 11/27: full-size resist brightening essence (a $42 value)

code for today 11/21 is “GIFT2″ 💞💞💞

#skincare #paulas choice

THE IMPORTANCE OF PACKAGING

packaging really can make or break your skincare!! ingredients degrade faster when exposed to light, air, and heat. that means that your skincare products lose their efficacy much faster if they’re packaged poorly. you need to keep all skincare products in OPAQUE packaging (sorry, no pretty clear glass containers) because light degrades ingredients. I also recommend not keeping your skincare products by a window or in a bathroom. the heat from your showers can cause ingredients to degrade faster. the best place to store skincare is a cabinet or drawer away from sunlight and heat!

the first two products featured (numis med protective lotion and aldo vandini shower gel) have squeeze tube packaging, which is a stable form of packaging because the product is rarely exposed to the atmosphere or your fingers. also notice how the packaging is opaque! the next two products include my FAVORITE form of packaging, which is pump packaging. pumps are the ideal packaging because they keep the product nice and stable without prolonged exposure to air or bacteria, plus the pump dispenses a certain amount so you generally don’t accidentally spill or waste product. the absolute worst packaging is JAR PACKAGING 🙅🏽 jar packaging is awful because when you open the lid, you expose all the product to air, dirt, and dust, aaaaand getting the product out means dipping your fingers in. no matter how clean your hands are, your hands still have natural bacteria on them. jar packaging always leads to contamination and rapid degradation of skincare ingredients. you could have the MOST BOMB skincare product, but if it’s in a jar… that product will go bad quickly and be worthless.

the products featured in this post (from left to right) are the numis med protective lotion, aldo vandini PURE shower gel, and numis med feminine wash (40% off with code “FEMMCARE”) and numis med body wash. if you want to buy any of these things from @sorellecare on Amazon, you can use discount code “SCKAYA10” for 10% off!

#skincare #sorelle care

SAVE MONEY SHOPPING AT SEPHORA! plus my 2017 sephora sale guide 🎄

ive talked about ebates a lot because ive used it for years and never had an issue with security. i recently chose to redeem my cash back in the form of a sephora gift card, which ebates emailed to me (and added extra money to!!!). i used my gift card to get basically 50% off my entire purchase at sephora. shopping online with ebates really adds up over time and you can redeem your cash back as gift cards or ebates can send your cash back via paypal instantly or a check in the mail. sign up at ebates for free here! this is my referral link so if you use my link to sign up, it helps me out

MY SEPHORA SALE GUIDE:

under $25:

purity cleanser ($11-25) - my holy grail cleanser, perfect for all skin types

cover fx enhance click highlight ($18) - beautiful shimmering cream highlight, super forgiving to work with, my fav color is bubbly

bite beauty liquified lip gift set ($22) - these liquid lips are hydrating and pigmented and come in such a cute kit

bite beauty the perfect bite gift set ($25) - four beautiful colors!

first aid beauty cleanser ($10-20) - another HG cleanser, super gentle

hourglass mini lighting powder in luminous light ($22) - the most natural lit from within glow, doesnt emphasize texture at all

tarte pack your bags under eye gels ($22) - the best motivator to get out of bed early in the morning. so lovely to hydrate the under eye area

briogeo rosarco leave in conditioner ($9-20) - makes my hair sooo soft

too cool for school egg cream hydration mask ($6-24) - these are BOMB, super wet and hydrating

MUFE artist eyeshadow palette volume I nudes ($25) - one of my favorite palettes ever, i take it with me when i travel bc it has everything i need

under $50

bite beauty amuse bouche lipsticks ($26) - one of my favorite lipstick formulas of all time, richly pigmented and creamy but with staying power

nars lipstick in damage ($28) - im on my third tube, most beautiful red grape color. super flattering

nars dual intensity eyeshadow ($29) - i have the colors himalia and callisto! my fav to wear all over the lid

dior lip glow ($33) - my favorite everyday lip color, hydrating + pretty

givenchy le rouge ($36) - beautiful packaging and amazing lipstick

nars dual intensity blush ($45) - i love this formula for a glowing sheer wash of color on the cheeks

ABH modern renaissance ($42) - super hyped up but honestly so good

vib rouge: 20% off with “20FORROUGE” from nov 3-6 and nov 10-15 rouge: 20% off with “20FORVIB” from nov 10-15 beauty insider: 15% off with “INSIDER15″ from nov 10-15

very important fall vibes

HOW TO CREAM CONTOUR (including awesome drugstore cream contour products friendly for ALL skin tones!!)

Icy Pink Winter Makeup

This is hands down my absolute favorite winter makeup look!! I love working with the color pink because I find it very complementary to brown eyes and my complexion. Honestly, this makeup look could be perfect for spring too. This is also the same makeup look I wore in my Best of Beauty 2015 video for those asking!

Products used:

Simple Silver Winter Makeup | Chill GRWM

I was really feeling silver today, so I used cool tones in the crease, a grey-silver lid color, and a silver eyeliner in the waterline. Cold weather makes me gravitate towards icier silver shades, what can I say

This is a really informal video style, I was watching Gossip Girl and finishing my tea while I got ready for the day! I hope you guys enjoy watching!

Products used:

Winter Skincare Routine 2016

I decided to film a quick skincare update video for you all to fill you in on some info about the skincare products I like using during the wintertime when the air is colder and drier

Products mentioned:

BEST OF BEAUTY 2015

It’s here, people. Welcome to my best of beauty video where I tell you all about my favorite products that I was ride or die for in the year of 2015. Be sure to comment what made your own best of beauty list so that I know which products to try in 2016!

Products details:

Glitter Cut Crease NYE Makeup & My 2016 Resolutions

BYE 2015!!! It’s been such a wild year for me (I talk about my 2015 experience at the end of my video in case you’re curious) and I am so looking forward to the year of 2016

I created this intense, dramatic silver cut crease using the Urban Decay Naked Smoky palette and silver glitter. I think this eye look would look gorgeous on any eye color, but especially people with brown eyes!! I had so much fun creating this look, and I hope you love it as much as I do

Products used:

Metallic Topaz Holiday Party Makeup

I filmed this talk through video for this metallic holiday party look right before I left the house to drive for four hours to a family party in another city, and I have to say that my makeup indeed lasted all night! I didn't have to touch up my face at all. The only thing I did was go over my lips again in my lip pencil. I absolutely love this look, and I hope you guys enjoy!

Products used:

QUICK GRWM - Easy Versatile Makeup for ANY Occasion

I filmed a super quick condensed get ready with me for the look that I wore in my Sephora Holiday Haul video. This is an extremely wearable and versatile look that can be altered however you want! I just wanted a look that emphasized glowing skin and beautiful lashes.

In this video, I demonstrate cream contouring, but if you want a more in depth tutorial about how to cream contour, be sure to like this video and leave a comment down below!

Products used:

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