It's the product junkie in me! I'm not a fan of the "franchise", but can't help but peruse and purchase the latest and "greatest" on KKW Beauty (and every other cosmetic site I can think of). There's something about the KKW Beauty brand AND it's not the makeup! Admittedly, I have fallen victim to the Kardashian world domination effort.

I love the KKW Beauty packaging. It's good quality and attractive. The brushes are great. They're dense, soft and a pretty shade of pink (me and pink is like a bull headed for a red flag). I haven't washed any of my brushes yet, so I might retract that statement..

I lost the instruction card that came with this light concealer kit, so I watched the KKW Beauty tutorial a few times to be sure I'm getting the application right. The tutorial shows Mario Dedivanovic applying Kim's makeup and explaining his process. Kim Kardashian starts off by saying that Mario doesn't want her to speak during the tutorial, but she continues to chime in.. No surprise there - she is royalty after all!

The concealer is nice. The color in the light kit is No. 4 and suits my pale, olive-toned skin nicely. The texture is medium and blends well. I would compare this concealer to the Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Ultra-Longwear Concealer (LOVE this one). The KKW Beauty concealer does have a strange chemical scent - Hmm.. This liquid concealer comes in a small 0.162 oz container and has a doe-foot applicator. It's not gonna last long.

As per the Mario Dedivanovic KKW Beauty tutorial, let the baking begin.. But first, lets put things into perspective here. Kim Kardashian has a near perfect base (no-makeup base) and doesn't have the same struggles as most of us. I'm pushing 40 and masking dark circles is the least of my worries.

I think women of a certain age should stop wearing eye liner and mascara under the eye - makeup is meant to accentuate and why would you want to call attention to your tired, puffy, wrinkled eyes? You don't! Thats is why I avoid powder in this area. It seeps into your wrinkles and creates a dried-up prune"ish" look.

KKW Beauty Baking Powder is no exception and not suitable for anyone with even one wrinkle. This stuff made me look dry AF and only accentuated my wrinkles. I let the baking powder sit for a about 10 minutes and tried to smooth out the result with my beautyblender, but the powder was relentless and caused serious streaks under my eyes.

Step 3 - I applied the Brightening Powder No. 1. I hoped this would finalize the application process and possibly make it look better, but NO! It's too light and I looked like an alien! It definitely covers dark circles, but unless you plan to pile on a ton of makeup, this look is too much. This is not a no-makeup-makeup kinda look.

I have NEVER experienced makeup "boogers" before and was checking may eyes all day to make sure none had returned. I had these pale clumps of goo in the corners of my eyes and am assuming it was the excessive powder under my eyes. GROSS!

Should women approaching or over 40 "bake" their under eyes? NO, keep the baking in the kitchen and I don't mean do your makeup in the kitchen. Women of a certain age should opt for minimal makeup. Eat healthy, drink water and get lots of sleep - leave the faux, too much makeup look to the youngins. Under eye makeup baking is a dangerous zone for most of us.

Albeit, I love the KKW Beauty brushes. The Dual Ended Sponge and Brush Applicator in the concealer kit is perfect for travel. The sponge is great for blending under the eyes and around the nose. This dual-ended brush has landed a permanent spot in my Cosmocube.

I'm sure the KKW brand was created and is backed by expert makeup artists and specialists and suitable for the younger generation, but this kit fell short of my "old" expectations. I was hoping for a perfect look, but ended up with prune face - I get botox three times a year and take good care of my skin, so if this kit accentuated my minimal wrinkles, I'd be cautious if I had a few.

JANUARY 19th - It's been a few days since my initial experience with this kit and my opinion has slightly changed. I'm still not a fan of the the baking powder, BUT I revisited the Brightening Powder No. 1 over my go-to concealers and LOVE the result. I apply Laura Mercier and Bobbi Brown concealers, let it sit and after 15-20 min, I gently swept the Brightening Powder No. 1 along the dark areas. This powder made my eyes look brighter and gave me a fresh look. I'm a fan!

..TOODLES 2018. It was a rough one emotionally, but my beauty exploration and fashion addiction survived the madness and remained strong and exciting! I'm heading into 2019 with a new attitude towards health and beauty. My shoe and handbag addiction will probably continue to be ridiculous (by some standards), but 2018 has taught me to make changes, embrace new brands and get creative with my style and makeup.

My biggest obsession is sunglasses. I purchased too many Chloé sunglasses this year! MIU MIU sunnies recently took over my looks, but Chloé reigns supreme on my sunnies shelf.

I just snagged these MIU MIU star embossed sunglasses and Swarovski crystal embellished sunglasses and glasses chain at Holt Renfrew in Toronto. LOVE! I'll be seeing stars in 2019!

My personal style remains the same - chic joggers and sock-style boots with printed t-shirts and sweatshirts. My favorite clothing brands are 3.1 Phillip Lim, Fenty X Puma, Tularosa, GRLFRND, Mother, Spell & The Gypsy Collective, For Love & Lemons, Monrow sweatpants , Karl Lagerfeld and Fiorucci (t-shirts and sweatshirts) and Nation LTD (to name a few).

My infatuation with designer shoes and handbags remains expensive! Louis Vuitton handbags are still taking over my collection. I finally found myself an LV sales representative in New York and she's fabulous. Some LV bags are impossible to get (unless you have a rep). She snagged me a Summer Trunk tote and Time Trunk Alma handbag as soon as they hit the sales floor. She's my handbag fairy!

After a five year hiatus, Gucci has made a comeback in my collection. My husband tracked down a Gucci bag I had been coveting for months and gave it to me for our 10 year anniversary. Best gift a girl could get! AND, of course, I'm still a Chloé girl and LOVE Chloé handbags.

I LOVE BOOTS! I'm still rocking Fendi Rockoko and Yeezy sock-style boots. I purchased too many Adidas sneakers in 2018, got some Chloé boots and a new pair of Fendi fur slides (possibly the best purchase of 2018). I'm looking forward to summer, so I can strut around in my mew Fendi slides.

Another year gone and while I spent most of my time shopping and exploring new beauty products, my go-to brands remain the same. For anti-aging, Neocutis is my favorite. I got a mini fridge for Christmas and am keeping my Neocutis products in there. Applying cold eye and face creams is new to me and I love it! AND, I still love Bobbi Brown Cosmetics Hydrating Face Cream (great for calming rosacea) and Extra Eye Repair Cream.

My favorite make-up brands list has changed a little. Benefit Cosmetics, Too Faced, Dior and beautyblender reign supreme in my Cosmocube. Oh and there's a few KKW Beauty products in there too - love the brushes. My long-time favorites, Bobbi Brown and Laura Mercier are still taking up some real estate in the cube.

I still get IPL (Intense Pulsed Light Treatment) and Clear + Brilliant laser Treatment. These two combined leave my skin looking fresh, vibrant and reduce the appearance of my rosacea. They are painful and expensive, but worth it. I'm also still doing botox. I've had a few botched jobs and am a little turned off, but I think it's about finding the right dermatologist..

My hair is finally back to normal. I suffered from botched hair for two years and it was a struggle. The silver lining is that I tried too many hair care products and shared my thoughts on b.a.gorgie.com. I hope my product reviews helped a few of you. Surprisingly, I introduced a new shampoo and conditioner to the routine in 2018. My long-time favorite Bumble and Bumble Hairdresser's Invisible Oil shampoo and conditioner still have a permanent spot in the shower, but now I'm alternating with Olaplex No. 4 Bond Maintenance shampoo and No. 5 Bond Maintenance conditioner. This stuff is amazing!

I tried Coolsculpting and got "minimal results". Highly disappointing. After waiting four months for maximum results and feeling like I spent too much money and wasted my time, I decided to start working out (there are no shortcuts). I also changed my eating habits. I'm eating healthier and smaller portions. I'm proud to say, I've lost 14 lbs. YUP! It was a slow process (took an entire year)! I have another 6 lbs to go and am hoping to get a MIRROR Home Gym in the 2019. HINT HINT.. I'm also considering the new fat reducing procedure Vanquish. I'll let ya know how it goes.

My favorite body wash and creams are Sol de Janeiro and Aveeno (for those sensitive days). The caramel-pistachio scent of Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Bum Bum body cream, Brazilian Crush body mist and Brazilian 4 Play moisturizing shower cream-gel are delicious! This cosmetic brand has made a few appearances on the blog and still reigns supreme.

That's my favorite cosmetics, procedures, fashion brands and style diary for 2018. I'm still a cosmetic junkie and am obsessed with shoes and handbags. I have a few trips in 2019 and am already planning my outfits..

Admittedly, I was hesitant about KKW Beauty. Of course the Kardashian clan would launch a thoughtful makeup line, but I'm not fan and am reluctant to support their world take-over. Eventually, I gave in and.. My first purchase included the KKW Beauty Powder Contour & Highlight Kit and Créme Liquid Lipstick Collection. I gotta say, the packaging is my favorite part (nice colors and good quality). AND the products are high quality too. Clearly the tribe of successful stylists and talented makeup artists surrounding the Kardashians had a lot of input in KKW Beauty.

I don't like lipgloss - AT ALL! It's often too sticky and I'm not a fan of shinny lips. The KKW Beauty Crème Liquid Lipstick Collection may look like gloss and comes in a 'lipgloss' tube with a doe foot applicator - it's definitely not a gloss. The Crème Liquid Lipstick has sheer to medium coverage, is creamy and non-sticky. This hydrating lipstick feels light on your lips. There are four colors - Kimberly, Kim, Kiki and Kimmie (she's not vain!).

The 'Kimberly' lipstick is a true nude and too light for me. I like barely-there makeup, but this color washes out my complexion. The 'Kim' lipstick is a light, peachy nude AND again, too light. The 'Kiki' lipstick is a pale, rose-tone and also very light. The 'Kimmie' lipstick is a deep nude. I like this one - it has a slight coral color to it and suits my complexion nicely. Of course, these shades will look different on everyone. Sheer lipsticks compliment your natural lip color, resulting in different effects on different people. I like this product, but am a little bummed that I'm stuck with three Créme Liquid Lipsticks that I will never use.

I like the KKW Beauty Powder Contour & Highlight Kit. The thoughtful packaging is sleek (good for travel) and dons the signature pinkish-nude shade, along with a huge mirror (love the mirror). The pans are large, so while this palette is expensive, you're getting a lot of product. The Powder Contour & Highlight Kit comes in three color combinations - light, medium and dark/deep dark.

I have pale skin, so I opted for the light kit. There is a lot of pigment in these powders - A LOT! The two matte contour shades have super-high pigment, but blend nicely. I suggest applying a little, blend and repeat until you get your desired look. The buildable powders are soft and kinda creamy. There is a lot of powder fall-off. The big pans are useful, cause you will loose a lot of product - I take back my 'you're getting a lot of product' comment.

The Contour I - Light Tan is a bit too warm for my skin tone. Maybe if I was tanned, this would work for me. The Contour II - Mid Tone Beige is suitable for my skin tone. I don't know how KKW Beauty came up with the name 'Mid Tone Beige'. This shade is nowhere close to being beige - it's a pale brown. I like the color. It is however a bit dark, so be careful not to apply too much. I'm not really a contour kinda girl, but a little around the hairline and jawline does amp up my barely-there makeup.

The Highlight I - Soft Champagne is a light shade, but there is a lot of pigment and it will give you serious highlight. I've seen bloggers with darker skin tones apply this highlighter and it looks too light, but on pale skin, it looks nice. Again, apply a little and blend. I like the Highlight II - Soft Peach more. Peach and coral shades look nice on my pale skin and compliment my black color-treated hair. This shade will run out long before the other powders.

I've read mixed reviews about the Duo Brush I and most beauty bloggers don't seem to like it. I really like this duo brush. It's pretty and the bristles are soft and dense. I think the brushes are a bit to big for highlighting and contouring, but I've found other uses for them. The rounded brush and angled brush can be removed - It is my understanding that KKW Beauty will release additional sponges and brushes that can be attached to the handle. Detaching the brushes is a bit challenging and may cause damage to the bristles over time.

The downside to many of the KKW Beauty products is that they are only available in kits. You're gonna end up with shades you don't like and this stuff is expensive! Albeit, I went on to purchase more KKW Beauty products. Stay tuned..