Y’all may know if you follow along on instagram that I’ve been cooking so many Half Baked Harvest recipes recently. I believe I discovered Tieghan through Brighton Butler.

A few of my personal favorites:

Burrata Caesar Salad Pizza

One Pot Melty Burrata Lemon Pesto Pasta

Honey Mustard Pretzel Chicken and Avocado Bacon Salad

Simple Baked Cheesy Italian Chicken Meatballs

I also love the lists she makes of her favorite recipes, or the most popular ones!

The only pair of shoes I brought on my two day planning session with Amanda were these boots. I am *so* happy with this purchase and absolutely love how they fit.

A pretty blue support tank that could be worn as a longline bra for low-impact workouts.

I wear my ugg slippers every single day.

A rain boot that isn’t clunky.

And here are a few things I mentioned on Instagram Stories recently that you may have missed:

Fearrington Village

Animal print jacket – so cute and warm!

Peloton

@jenniferborget – 16 books that celebrate diversity! I bought one that is coming in the mail soon!

Skinfix Eczema hand cream

Virtue Healing Oil

OnCloud Workout Shoes – really supportive, I love to wear them for walks, runs, and strength work outs

Cetaphil Facial Makeup Wipes

Amazon ring

Grey Turtleneck Sweater

Black Mockneck Sweater

Olive Green Rain Boots

Olive Color Liquid Eyeshadow – see more of my favorite green eye makeup picks on this post!

Lip Plumping Gloss

Bom Dia Bright Cream

Fluid Sheer Glow Enhancer – becoming a daily essential.

Milani Soft Focus Glow

@jordancarrolldavid – best stylist in Raleigh.

This week’s discount codes (#partnerships): 

amika: Use code SMALLTHINGS10 for 10% off your purchase

One-Third Clothing: Kate15 will give you 15% off

Bagging Rights: KATE10 gives you 10% off any items at BaggingRights.com

Miranda Frye: “Smallthings10” will get you 10% off and free shipping!

Spanx: Use code “KateXSpanx” for 10% off plus free shipping!

Beddy’s: Code “SmallThings” saves you 20%!

I was inspired by a beautiful green liquid eyeshadow I saw from Pixi to create an olive green eye makeup look. I cannot tell you how many messages I got about my eyes on the day I wore this look on Instagram so I’m rounding up some of the best olive green/army green eye products that I’ve found!

The eyeshadow I wore is admittedly quite subtle, so next on my list to try for a bolder look is the Sephora Shadow and Liner in Kaki. It looks very fun. Paired with a nude pink lip and lots of bronzer?! I can’t wait to try it.

These soft, muted greens would look amazing on hazel eyes, or even rich brown eyes. I was surprised to see how well it complimented my blue eyes too!

One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine. Ten. Eleven. Twelve.

The eye products I used in these images are Pixi by Petra EyeLift Max in olive, a tiny bit of a warm brown eyeshadow in the outer corner for depth, Urban Decay 24/7 glide on eyeliner in Stash, Lancome Lash Idole in black.

p.s. if you liked this post and are looking for a few other makeup recommendations, check out this post I shared with a few makeup essentials.

I had the pleasure of working with The Arranged Abode again for another organizing project. I hired them to help me clean out and organize my beauty closet at the old house, and then a different time to help me pack up a few spaces when we moved into this house.

I love a fresh start, so Justin and I have been working in a handful of places around the house to get it organized and edited down to what we actually need.

I did a big closet clean-out and organization project a few years ago, you can read about that here, and it’s still in a pretty good spot to this day!

There were a few closets that needed some attention, so I decided to hire The Arranged Abode again to help me tackle them. For me, getting started is the hardest part so the accountability of knowing someone who is skilled in organizing was going to help me work through the spaces in my home that I’ve really neglected was essential.

The first thing Sara did when she arrived is pull every single thing out of the closets and put them into piles. The floor was filled with piles of linens, cleaning supplies, and boxes of contact solution that I didn’t even know that I had so much of.

Once she sorted everything, I was able to go through and point to which piles needed to be donated, which could be trashed, and which needed to go back into the closet. There were also things that didn’t need to be in there, like bath bombs that my kids use in the linen closet by the primary bedroom. It was helpful to have Sara working on that closet while I was moving things out of there that didn’t need to be there.

While I am very grateful to have the chance to work with Arranged Abode, and would highly recommend them, I wanted to share a few things I’ve learned from the different cleanout and organizational projects I’ve done.

One. Take everything out of the space. This feels like you’re working backward, but it really allows you to see every single thing that you have so you can sort through what fits and what doesn’t work there.

Two. If you want to buy organizational containers, keep the receipt! I get it, I have much more fun shopping for organization supplies than actually doing the work to organize, but until you know the actual size and space of the container you may need, you should wait to purchase. One of the ways The Arranged Abode has worked with me on this is they will show up to projects with the boxes and containers they know I love and just bill me for whatever I decide to keep. So if you’re working on your own and want to purchase the containers first, just hang into your receipt and return what doesn’t fit right. The last thing you want is organizational efforts to turn into more clutter!

Three. Ask yourself, “if I needed to, could I replace this one day?”. If you’re on the fence about donating or tossing something out that you may possibly want one day, think really hard about what it would take to replace it. If it’s an irreplaceable item, find a good place to store it. If it’s something like an extra blanket or an alarm clock that you haven’t used in years, someone will likely enjoy it much more in real life than just letting it take up space in your closet.

Well, I’ve been having a bit of trouble sourcing one of my favorite sheer lip products which made me think it was discontinued. I loved the YSL Slim Sheer Matte Lipsticks all last year, and I see that they are still available at Nordstrom though there are only two shades available at Sephora. They are the perfect amount of color without any shine. It’s not overly hydrating, so you may want to top it with a balm if your lips get dry, but that would take away the “matte” nature of the finish. (I’m wearing 106 in the photo above)

I have a few other “wash of color” lip products that I love wearing so I thought I’d do a little round up for you here!

Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment (really ANY color but Rose and Petal are my favorites) – I’ve loved these for years. They are so easy to wear and I love the metal packaging too. The product lasts a very long time and it’s a sheer but buildable color.

Nars Afterglow Lip Balm (orgasm or fast lane) -the kind of lip balm that adds a youthful glow and wash of color to the lips while deeply hydrating at the same time.

YSL Rouge Volupte Shine Lipstick (in 44 or 150) -best tasting/smelling lip product ever.

Almay Tint & Treat Oil-in-Stick – this is on my short list to try! It comes HIGHLY reviewed! Rosy Glaze or Cake Walk look like the prettiest pinks!

Did you get a gift ard for Christmas?! Looking for new makeup to spice up your makeup bag? Here is how I would spend a $100 gift card at cosmetics from two different retailers.

to spend at Sephora on new makeup, here is what I would buy:

Nars Orgasm Liquid Blush ($30.00) – the prettiest, flattering pink

Urban Decay Stay Naked Weightless Foundation ($39.00) – easy to wear (and layer!) for flexible coverage

Naked 2 Basics Palette ($29.00) – a perfect mix of shades for literally any eye look you may need

total: $98.00

to spend at Target on new daily makeup, here is what I would buy:

Revlon Candid Glow foundation ($9.99) – a radiant, glowing foundation

Pixi Silky eyeliner ($12.00) – long lasting and glides on easily

Sky High Mascara ($8.99) – pretty impressive for lift and height with the lashes

NYX Microbrow pencil ($9.99) – I love how tiny this pencil is

Milani Baked Blush in Dolce Pink ($6.99) – a gorgeous pink that adds so much color and life to the face

Maybelline Color strike in Chase ($6.99) – a nice all

E.l.f No Budge Shadow Stick in Champagne Crystal ($5.00) – a nice neutral taupe for the lids

Milani Most Wanted Palettes Partner in Crime ($8.99) – easy colors to layer on top of cream eyeshadow

NYX Matte bronzer in Medium ($8.99) – love a matte bronzer

No7 Lift and Luminate concealer ($13.99) – a flexible and easy to blend concealer that helps brighten darkness under the eyes

ELF Sheer Slick lipstick ($5.00) – feels like a balm

total: $97.00

I love greys, tans, and deep sage greens all year long, but I especially love to mix them in the wintertime. After I had my “colors” done by Created Colorful, I learned that a darker charcoal grey is a better choice for me than a light heather grey. My whole life I’ve leaned towards white, light grey, and other “cool” tones but I can absolutely see the difference when I wear slightly more saturated, softer colors against my skin and hair.

So armed with that knowledge, I chose this dark charcoal jacket from Z Supply, found at Evereve, and it is such a great addition into my wardrobe. It’s cozy as heck, and truly the perfect weight for our mild winters here in Raleigh.

This green bag (similar in grey) was a recent find via Trunk Club. While I enjoy shopping, I also really love seeing what the stylists at Nordstrom would choose for me in my Trunks. You can click here to give it a try and get $50 off if you use my link.

The sunglasses I’m wearing are the Ashcroft sunglasses from Madewell and I wear them constantly. They are a nice mid-size frame, and aren’t too heavy on my face.

Find other outfits like this on my Instagram!

How was your week? Mine moved at a slower, relaxed pace and I’m grateful for that! After a busy few weeks in December, I’m appreciating the space to think, clean, and prep for the new year. Next week Amanda and I are going away for a few days to do a planning intensive for the year. I did this by myself last year and found it to be really valuable, so I’m looking forward to doing it again and bringing her along!

I’ve started reading this book(pictured above) and am enjoying it so far! It’s made me think a lot about how I fill my time, especially my spare time when I have it!

Cute wooden spoons!

I love the yellow on this bag, gives me all the summer vibes.

I get a lot of questions about the paper art I have hung in our family room. It’s a few years old from West Elm, but here is something kind of similar! This set also looks similar as well!

If 2022 is the year that you ditch uncomfortable bras and underwear, then check out my recommendations on this post!

And here are a few things I mentioned on Instagram Stories recently that you may have missed:

@halfbakedharvest cajun chicken pasta

Emily’s barbie house

Charlotte Tilbury Bronze and Glow Palette

OnCloud sneakers

Kate McLeod lotion body stones

No-show socks from Target

@TheArrangedAbode in Raleigh

Wander Beauty eyeshadow duo – the colors smitten and swoon are beautiful together or individually!

Grey Sweatshirt

Comfy Joggers

Quilted Bomber Jacket

Oversize Black Tee

This week’s discount codes (#partnerships): 

amika: Use code SMALLTHINGS10 for 10% off your purchase

One-Third Clothing: Kate15 will give you 15% off

Bagging Rights: KATE10 gives you 10% off any items at BaggingRights.com

Miranda Frye: “Smallthings10” will get you 10% off and free shipping!

Spanx: Use code “KateXSpanx” for 10% off plus free shipping!

Beddy’s: Code “SmallThings” saves you 20%!

I share *a lot* of products with you through this site and I can totally see how overwhelming it may be to sort through what could work best for you! I absolutely love the hunt for the best of the best, and I also enjoy using a variety of beauty products, but I can appreciate that some of you would just like to be told the 5-8 makeup essentials for an easy, daily look so I’m doing that for you today.

So, we’ll start with the basics. I’m focusing on just providing a product recommendation in each category for you, so don’t feel locked into the exact products pictured if you’ve tried them and they don’t work for you.

A good basic makeup kit includes foundation, concealer, eyebrow product, blush, bronzer, mascara, eyeliner, and eyeshadow.

Georgio Armani Luminous Silk Perfect Glow Flawless Oil-Free Foundation, NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer, Benefit Goof Proof Waterproof Easy Shape & Fill Eyebrow Pencil, Laura Mercier Caviar Stick Eyeshadow, Patrick Ta Major Beauty Headlines Cream and Powder Blush, Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzer, Ilia Fullest Volumizing Mascara, Charlotte Tillbury Rock n’ Kohl Eyeliner Pencil.

I love a medium coverage foundation for versatility. You can wear a thin layer for just a bit of coverage, or wear two layers if you need something a bit more full coverage. It seems to work better when I “thin” out medium coverage foundations with a moisturizer as opposed to trying to do that trick with a full coverage foundation.

A creamy, easy-to-blend concealer is essential for brightening under the eyes or covering blemishes.

A skinny brow pencil is the easiest tool to work with if you’re new or apprehensive about filling in or shaping your brows with products.

I love cream eyeshadow and Au Natural is one of the easiest shades to wear.

Blush and bronzer add life and color to the face. A good rule of thumb is if you apply foundation, you *must* apply blush and/or bronzer to add dimension back into your face.

Brown eyeliner and a nice volumizing mascara round out this “basics” kit!

If you’re looking to grow your makeup kit, or have some options for more glam looks, here are a few other products I would add to the basics kit.

Tartlette in Bloom Clay Eyeshadow Palette, Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder for Under Eyes, Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze and Glow Palette, Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette, Tarte Liquid Eyeliner, Makeup Forever Full Cover Concealer, Clinique Lower Lash Mascara, Lancome Lash Idol Mascara.

I added under eye setting powder (an absolute essential for making my under eye concealer stay put all day long), liquid liner for lining the base of my lashes, contour & highlight palette, an all-over highlighting palette, an eyeshadow palette with lots of easy to wear colors, a stronger concealer for blemishes, a lower lash mascara, and another favorite mascara.

Look at baby Emily!!!

When I was pregnant with David, Justin and I decided to get something significant that we could pass down to our son when he was of a certain age. We decided to get a watch, one that Justin would wear so David could recognize it as “dad’s watch” from photos or videos of when he was a child.

When I was pregnant with Luke, we didn’t know he was a boy until he was born, so shortly after Luke was born we picked out a second watch to pass down to him as well.

Justin alternates wearing both of these watches throughout the year, and has actually worn both of them (like one on each wrist) on all of his mountain climbs!

When I was pregnant with Emily, we didn’t know if she was a boy or girl until she was born as well, so after she joined our family, Justin took me to a jewelry store to choose my “Emily ring”. It’s the ring you can see in the photo above, I wear it on my right-hand ring finger. The only time I had it off for a bit was when it was being fixed at the jeweler, otherwise, I wear it every single day.

I talk to her about it and she’s tried it on a few times, and I’m glad it’ll be something special that I can pass down to her when she’s older.

I remember looking at my mom’s jewelry with my sister when we were young. And my mom has passed down a bracelet to me that I wore on my wedding day. I love the stories behind the jewelry, and I’m glad that Emily will be able to look at this ring and likely picture it on my finger.

This is a similar version to the ring I’m wearing in the photo.

The Small Things team is looking to hire a Content Assistant. Find all the details below and please send an e-mail to Careers@thesmallthingsblog.com . There are a few essential skills that are requirements so please read through the below job description to see if this is a potential fit for you.

Content Assistant 

Job Description:
The Small Things is looking to hire a part-time employee to assist with the production of visual and editorial content. This person would work closely with Kate, founder, and Amanda, Creative Operations Director. The work would be partially in-person and partially remote, but it’s required that they live within 1 hour of Raleigh, NC. 

Skills:
-photography (send portfolio)
-videography (iphone video skills okay)
-ability to work efficiently and stay on task during tight deadlines
-familiar with and comfortable using WordPress, Youtube, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Pinterest. Also helpful to have familiarity with Canva, and Basecamp

Essential Skills:
-knowledge and understanding of the Influencer Industry
-experience in a role that required you to be a self-motivated problem-solver
-self-learner
-close attention to detail
-creative
-experience as an assistant

Roughly 10-20 hours a week, available on Monday, Wednesday, or Friday for in-person content shoots ; on-call based as needed

If this sounds like a position that you would be a good fit for, please send the following to Careers @ thesmallthingsblog.com

1. A brief description of why you think you would be a good fit for this job. Please include any and all social media experience. 
2. Any visuals of digital content you’ve created in the past, including photography and video work.
3. Send Resume or previous work experience.

While I generally like to keep things light around here, I thought I would share my most repeated phrases that bounce around in my mind during any given day of the week.

“Good for her, not for me.” I don’t remember where I first heard this but it is a great exercise to help combat any feelings of envy that may creep in, especially when I’m scrolling through social media. A specific example is when I see families traveling all over the world, making it look effortless. While I *know* that I am only seeing a highlight reel, sometimes I feel envious of the experience and memories they are making. But frankly, neither Justin nor I have dreams to travel all over the world with young kids. We do plenty of local trips and have been out of state a handful of times with the kids, but we generally lean more towards creating memories at home than focusing on international travel. To be explicit, I am not saying one is better than the other, but simply sharing that knowing yourself, your family, etc. means you can release yourself from a thought of envy by affirming “good for her, not for me”. A keyword that is very intentionally missing from this phrase is the word “never”. I’m not saying “good for her, never for me” because things are always changing.

“Be where you are” (an iteration of the well-known Eckhart Tolle quote) I think about this a lot in regards to my kids. I’ve shared that Justin and I have chosen to hold off on sports/extracurriculars for our kids at this time. We’ve done swim classes and a short intro to Soccer camp, but beyond that our only weekly commitment is our meeting with our small group from church. I waffled, and still do occasionally, on this decision more than Justin did, and given our personal childhood sports commitments I’m genuinely surprised at his position on it. He did multiple sports throughout his youth. I played basketball for a millisecond in Kindergarten but I was the only one on the team who didn’t score a basket (I’ll wait while you get back into your chair from falling off in extreme shock). I was more artistic and crafty as a child, and I’m so glad that I had time after school to work on clay figures, beaded bracelets, or practice the Macarena dance. So for our kids, we’re waiting for them to take the lead. When they get to an age where they have an interest in exploring either a sport or another hobby, we will do what we can to make it happen! But for these brief years of elementary and pre-school, before hours of homework and hanging out with friends, we are opting for space and flexibility, and freedom for the kids. We’re rollerblading in the driveway together, or baking cookies on a random day of the week just because. I don’t believe there is one correct way to raise children or to manage your family’s commitments, but this is simply what we’ve chosen to do right now! So the “be where you are” comes into play when I take a breath and notice that we’re all home in the evenings together.

I find it much easier to be flexible, gracious, and accommodating when I take a moment to process something internally before forming my opinion. And these two phrases fit well into this season of my life, so I wanted to share in case it helps you too.

We’re so thankful to be able to celebrate Christmas with our family this year. The combination of getting older and also having time stolen from the pandemic means that I’m cherishing experiencing holidays with loved ones even more than I did before.

One of the greatest parts of my work is being able to connect with you online. I feel humbled that you continue to show up here and on social media to maybe learn something, or feel heard or validated. I’m in a unique and special position and it’s not lost on me that my life has been blessed by the opportunity to connect with so many of you.

The greatest events of my life happened over the past 10 years, and it’s been a joy to be able to share them with you. In the same way, sharing concerns or struggles with you and receiving messages of solidarity and encouragement has meant so much to me too. I don’t believe we were designed to live this life in isolation, so to have this community online to share with and learn from is a gift.

Thank you for being here. For engaging with me, for sharing blog posts or videos with friends who you think would enjoy them. For making me laugh and for sending me e-mails that touch my heart.

The people behind the screens are why I started, why I’m still here, and why I keep going.

I hope you have a wonderful holiday season, and I’ll see you in the new year!

You can read the first post I wrote about my microblading experience here!

My eyebrows are now just over 5 weeks out from being microbladed. They healed perfectly, and exactly how Sheila told me they would heal, and I have my touch-up appointment already scheduled for January 8th.

I’ve shared that I was nervous about having my eyebrows microbladed because, well, in so many words it’s a face tattoo. And while for many people it only lasts for 1-3 years, for others it can last much longer!

I imagined myself as a 68-year-old with the same exact eyebrows that I was going to get microbladed with and I wanted something conservative, natural, and realistic.

Sheila did *exactly* what I asked for. I told her that I wanted to continue to use eyebrow makeup on the days where I was wearing a full face of makeup, but I wanted my brows to look “complete” on days I was swimming, exercising, or skipping makeup.

Here is the result immediately after my first microblading.

My natural brows are very, very sparse and short, so I asked her to simply fill in the natural brow shape with tiny strokes that look like hair. And that is exactly what she did.

Here is what they look like right now:

While my brows are definitely on the conservative side, they are certainly more balanced and filled in compared to what I had to begin with. It’s easier to balance my eyebrows out with makeup when I’m using a pencil because I have a shape to follow.

For my touch-up, I’m willing to go a little bit thicker and perhaps add to the length a bit as well! And I’ll, of course, keep you posted on the full experience!

I’ll always inevitably leave off something MAJOR from this list, but as a general list, these are my top 10 beauty discoveries/loves of the year!

Skinceuticals Triple Lipid Restore 2:4:2 – I’ve chatted a bit about this moisturizer, and while it came in near the end of the year, it’s done wonders for my sensitive, dehydrated skin. My esthetician Sheila recommended it to me and it’s been such a perfect fit.

Shani Darden Retinol Reform – You can read my love letter to this product here!

Lancome Lash Idole Mascara – I love the curved brush, the dark black finish to the lashes, and how smoothly this mascara applies!

Olaplex 8 – such a fantastic deep conditioning treatment. It somehow nourishes my dry hair and also adds volume!?

Verb Texture Spray – it’s more intense than my typical texture spray (Amika Un.Done Volume and Matte Texture Spray) but perfect for really loading up on texture and grit when I want that look to my hair.

Dazzle Dry Nail System – I wrote all about my experience with this system here!

Armani Fluid Sheer Glow Enhancer in 2 – I love pumping this onto my foundation brush to mix in with my foundation. It adds such a beautiful glow to the skin.

Patrick Ta Blush Duo in She’s That Girl – Cream blush is always my top choice and this duo is everything I want in a blush!

YSL Slim Sheer Matte Lipstick – Oftentimes matte lipstick is a high-intensity color, but this sheer stick made matte lips easy to wear on lighter makeup days.

Lancome Teint Idole Foundation – a stunning full coverage foundation that lasts all day, doesn’t separate on the skin and looks natural.

I shared a youtube video earlier this week with a simple hack to fix the side-swept hairstyle that often uses bobby pins. Click here to watch it!

Every time I stumble across this jacket I fall more and more in love.

I shared this week that Sheila, my esthetician, recommended the Triple Lipid Restore moisturizer to me and it has truly helped my skin in the best way. It costs a pretty penny, but a little goes a long way and when you have sensitive, irritation-prone skin like me, it’s truly worth it to find a moisturizer that works for me.

I got a beautiful green quilted jacket from Madewell recently but it is totally sold out. I found a similar version at Old Navy in an equally beautiful green color!

If you’re looking ahead to a bit of free time at the end of the year, and you like to read, check out my list of books that I’ve read recently on Goodreads!

And here are a few things I mentioned on Instagram Stories recently that you may have missed: 

Georgio Armani Fluid Sheer Glow Enhancer in shade 2 – watch the demo here!

Hourglass Ambient Lighting palette

Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment Icon lip color

Pick-a-Flavor popcorn salt

@EstheticsbySheila – best of the best.

Varley leggings

Portable battery

Clear toiletry bags from Amazon – I love using clear bags for travel so I can easily see what contents are in each bag!

Sherpa jacket

No-show liners

Skin Ceuticals Triple Lipid Moisturizer – more dry skin favorites are on this post!

Gallery wrapped canvases MPix

Biltmore Wine Club

Quilted Zip Jacket

Colors from Created Colorful -really helped me see what colors suit my skintone best!

This week’s discount codes (#partnerships): 

Trade Coffee: Current promo is 10% off all coffee gifts

Loopy Cases: Use code smallthings10 for 10% off!

Billie Razors: Use my code KATE50 to get 50% off the starter kit!

ABLE: KATEBF25 gets you 25% off sitewide

Minted: 20% off and a free upgrade to priority shipping use code SMALLTHINGSCARDS

Rifle Paper Co + Summersalt – Code SMALLTHINGS20 for 20% off riflepaperco.com and $10 toward your next order of $95+ at Summersalt.com. Both codes are active until Dec. 31, 2021, and can not be combined with other offers.

amika: Use code SMALLTHINGS10 for 10% off your purchase

One-Third Clothing: Kate15 will give you 15% off

Bagging Rights: KATE10 gives you 10% off any items at BaggingRights.com

Miranda Frye: “Smallthings10” will get you 10% off and free shipping!

Spanx: Use code “KateXSpanx” for 10% off plus free shipping!

Beddy’s: Code “SmallThings” saves you 20%!

Skinfix Eczema+ Hand Repair Cream – I’m pretty picky about hand cream because I hate the feeling of greasy hands. This cream hydrates my parched hands so well, and dries/soaks in very quickly too.

Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask – This sounds dramatic but I promise it’s the truth: I can’t fall asleep unless my lips are slathered in this.

Skinceuticals Triple Lipid Restore 2:4:2 – My esthetician recommended this for me and it’s been the perfect remedy for my dry, sensitive skin. It’s as if it allowed my skin to heal from being on the edge of irritation for a long time. My skin is dehydrated, affected by hormonal breakouts, and prone to irritation, so it’s tough to test a lot of skincare products. I’m grateful to have been told about this moisturizer and use it daily.

Kate McLeod Breathe Stone – I must admit that I like the process of applying this to my skin. It’s a body stone that you rub on right after bathing. It’s deeply hydrating and I like that I can keep my hands clean but wrapping the stone in the muslin cloth that it comes with while I’m applying it.

If your hair is feeling dry or distressed, click here to learn about some conditioning treatments I recommend!

I always know when it’s time to share an updated makeup routine video when I start getting questions about what I’m doing differently every day on Instagram. Sometimes little changes go a long way, and I’ve added two different “glow enhancing” products into my routine lately and it shows.

You can watch the video by clicking right here!

Product List:

Gorgio Armani Luminous Silk Perfect Glow Flawless Oil-Free Foundation in 5.25 + 5.1 + the Fluid Sheer Glow Enhancer Highlighter in 2 – The addition of the Fluid Sheer Glow Enhancer is the first step in adding an all-over glow!

NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Vanilla

Benefit Precisely, My Brow Pencil Waterproof Eyebrow Definer in 2.5

Laura Mercier Caviar Eye Shadow Stick in Au Natural (probably the most flattering eyeshadow color I’ve ever used!)

Too Faced Natural Eyes Eyeshadow Palette

Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder for Under Eyes -an absolute essential!

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Waterproof Eyeliner Pencil in Demolition

Lancome Lash Idole Lash-Lifting & Volumizing Mascara in Black

Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara

Charlotte Tilbury Bronze and Glow Contour Duo in light/medium

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette in Volume 1- I run my powder brush over all 3 of these powders to mix together, then lightly dust on my skin!

NARS Liquid Blush in Orgasm

Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzer in Milk Chocolate – light to medium

Gorgio Armani Lip Power Long-Lasting Satin Lipstick in 503 Eccentrico

Fenty Beauty by Rihanna Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer

I’m winding down from a busy few months and feeling very grateful for this holiday season to be upon us. I’m looking forward to more time with family, looser schedules, and lots of fun.

Miranda Frye launched a fine jewelry collection and it is gorgeous!

This is a pretty color of these stretch, beaded bracelets.

Cute and comfy jumpsuit with a unique sleeve detail!

If you’re looking for a very discreet nylon sock to wear with booties or any shoe in the winter that may show some skin, these are great!

A versatile perfectly sized black bag.

And here are a few things I mentioned on Instagram Stories recently that you may have missed: 

Christmas Front Door Swag from Frontgate

Barcelona Wine Bar and Restaurant in Raleigh– so good, you must go!

Bittersweet Raleigh

Virtue Clarifying Shampoo

Guide Beauty Eyeliner Tool-I shared my first go with it on TikTok, I need more practice but I thought it was pretty cool!

Emily Lex Studios Watercolor Workbook

Behold The Lamb of God Tour by Andrew Peterson

King Richard movie

Skinfix Hand Repair Cream-perfect for the driest hands!

Good Days Shirt

Ainsworth Perfect Vintage

New Balance Sneakers

Varley Sweater with zippers– very warm and I love the zipper details.

Puzzle Table

Georgio Armani Fluid Sheer Glow Enhancer

Bobbi Brown Face Base

Andreea Ali @aliandreeamakeup

Giordanos Pizza gift

Sugarwish gift

Biltmore Wines

Henley from Z Supply

Perfect Vintage Stretchy Jeans in Melgrove wash

This week’s discount codes (#partnerships): 

Corkcicle: Use my code KATEB25 NOW FOR 25% OFF!

Aera: KATE20 is still live for 20% off diffusers!

Minted: 20% off and a free upgrade to priority shipping use code SMALLTHINGSCARDS

Rifle Paper Co + Summersalt – Code SMALLTHINGS20 for 20% off riflepaperco.com and $10 toward your next order of $95+ at Summersalt.com. Both codes are active until Dec. 31, 2021, and can not be combined with other offers.

amika: Use code SMALLTHINGS10 for 10% off your purchase

One-Third Clothing: Kate15 will give you 15% off

Bagging Rights: KATE10 gives you 10% off any items at BaggingRights.com

Miranda Frye: “Smallthings10” will get you 10% off and free shipping!

Spanx: Use code “KateXSpanx” for 10% off plus free shipping!

Beddy’s: Code “SmallThings” saves you 20%!

When I think of my childhood around the holidays, I always picture mom at the stove making caramels.

She shared a little more about where the recipe came from on the video we made together. You can click here to watch it!

While the ingredients and process is quite straight forward, it’s vital that you pay attention to the temperature of the caramels are your cooking them. My mom is a 248 degree caramel maker, and I like them a bit better at 247 (they’re softer). A digital thermometer that you can clip onto your pot is essential, you can shop for it right here.

Click here for the recipe!

You’ve likely heard the phrase “the right tool for the job” and that rings very true when it comes to makeup brushes. It’s absolutely essential to have good quality brushes that perform exactly the way you want them to perform, which means even distribution of product and no streaks or splotchiness.

I’ve been using Sephora Collection brushes for a long time. In fact, a few of my very favorite brushes that I’ve had for over 7-10 years are Sephora collection and they are still as good as new.

I thought it may be helpful to break down each brush in one of the Sephora Collection kits that will be on promo during the Sephora Beauty for All Event to explain how I use them and what other ways they can be used!

The Sephora Beauty for All Event runs from 12/3-12/12. Sephora Collection is 30% off, and Beauty Insiders also have the ability to use the promo code “GIFTEASY” for 20% your order one time. You can quickly and easily sign up to be a beauty insider by clicking right here! Not only will it give you access to this event, but you’ll earn points on purchases to use on anything from free gifts to saving money on future orders.

So, let’s break down these brushes!

I love a flat-top foundation brush. I find it easiest to buff foundation into the skin whether it’s a sheer, medium, or full coverage. I used to pump foundation onto the back of my hand and then dot my brush into it in order to transfer it onto my face, but lately, I’ve just been pumping a bit of foundation directly onto the bristles of the brush and then dotting it onto my face before buffing it in!

A flat concealer brush is not only very effective for applying and blending concealer under the eye, but it’s also a really great brush to use to clean up uneven winged eyeliner or shadow. Just pull the brush against the outside of your eye and you’ll have a cleaner line from your liner!

The powder, contour, and blush brushes in this set are the perfect sizes for all 3 of those steps. The blush brush isn’t too compact making it really easy to control the intensity of the product.

Lastly, the eye brushes are all you need for simple eyeshadow: flat and crease brushes. I use the flat brush with either powder or cream shadows, and the crease brush I use for, well, the crease!

Not only do great makeup brushes ensure that you aren’t wasting product and that you’re getting the best finish, but it helps your makeup last longer than if you used your fingertips since you don’t need to worry about any excess oil disturbing your products.

This is such a great time to get brushes, and other beauty essentials, but it’s also nice to restock a few other favorites with the 20% off one-time use code (“GIFTEASY”). A few fun extras to add to your makeup routine are a radiance booster, a new lip color, or a highlighting palette.

I’ve been adding 1 pump of the Armani Beauty Fluid Sheer Glow Enhancer Highlighter into my foundation routine lately. It adds a nice, all-over glow to the skin without being too shimmery. Another very popular product that adds a beautiful glow to the skin is the Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter. You can wear it alone, or mix it into your foundation and it adds a soft, light-reflecting look to the skin.

I’ve also been *loving* Armani Beauty Lip Power Long-Lasting Satin Lipstick in 503.

If you want to start 2022 off with a new fragrance, I highly recommend Gorgeous Gardenia from Gucci. It’s been my most worn scent for years!

Sephora Collection also has a nice cream lip stain set in rich, moody colors for the holidays!

Happy Shopping! And remember the 20% off code is one-time use so choose wisely!