Prepared to be jealous, beauty lovers — Kandee Johnson was hanging out with us all weekend at Re:Make and we got to pick up some pretty killer beauty tips from the YouTube sensation. This pretty lady is known for her bubbly tutorials but she also has another video segment we’re kind of obsessed with: What’s In My Purse. Because who wouldn’t want to sneak a peek inside one of the world wide web’s most glamorous ladies? Since she was here we thought we’d ask if we could take a look-see inside her giant fringed bag for ourselves. Thankfully she obliged. Spoiler alert: This girl has lip liner for days! Here is what we found and what she says every woman should always have in her bag.
1. Concealer: The reason is simple: it makes your skin look good. We’ve all fallen victim to a blackhead or two. “If you have a blemish or you didn’t sleep it helps you look awake instantly.”
2. Black Eyeliner: “Rim your waterline for a quick look that’s instantly more glamorous,” Kandee tells us. For those of you who aren’t yet makeup mavens, “rimming you waterline” simply means outlining that little line of skin in between your lashes and eyeball.
3. Red lipstick and (lots o’) lip liner: “You can always do a clean winged liner but if you pump up your lips to a hot pink or red, it makes it so much more fun!” You need a good lip liner to keep your pucker color going all day or night and if you need one in a pinch, Kandee has every color imaginable stashed in her bag to help a sister out.
4. Skip the primer. This is going against all the beauty rules we’ve been told. But considering Kandee always looks like she jumped right out of a magazine, if she wants us to skip the primer, we’ll skip the primer! Here’s a little DIY trick she suggests instead for before you leave the house: use milk of magnesia – yup, the kind you can get at the drugstore! Apply it with a cotton ball all over your face so that it looks dry and chalky and then apply your foundation right on top of that.
5. Organic Lip Balm: Kandee uses an organic coconut oil lip balm as a dual duty product: for her lips (obvs) and also as an eye cream at night. Genius!
6. Gum: We can’t really top how Kandee summed this one up: “Gum should be considered a beauty product because beautiful breath is a nice gift.” We couldn’t agree more.
7. Snacks: Kandee tell us you’ll always find a granola bar or a packet of almond butter in her bag for those hunger emergencies. “It saved me from digging into a cupcake so many times.”
8. Sunglasses: Don’t think this qualifies as a beauty essential? Think again. Come on, what makes you feel like more of a beach babe/super starlette 24/7 than slipping on a sick pair of shades to run errands in? Kandee had about three or four pairs in her own bag. Maybe one of those was broken ;) #canrelate
9. A Fab Palette: Stash a makeup palette in your bag and you have a treasure trove of makeup options at the ready and a mirror for quick checkups. Kandee and our very own makeup mama Misty Spinney are both big fans of Urban Decay’s Naked palettes.
10. Your phone, duh: But, really. Budding beauty bloggers and any gal out there needs to have her phone accessible at all times for snapping pics of inspo wherever you may stumble across it. If you’re an on-the-go #girlboss like Kandee, find a case like hers that doubles as its own purse so you can ditch your bag, stay connected and be able to take that “do I have lipstick on my teeth?” selfie on the fly.
What are your beauty must haves? Do use any of the same products as Kandee?
It can be intimidating to step out on your own and build a business from the ground up. As part of our collaboration with Office Depot, we're talking with Selfmade alum and solopreneur Colette Lawrence, the faith-based motivator and relationship builder behind The M.E.E. Movement, about ways in which women in business can find success.
B + C: How did you know M.E.E. Movement was your business to start?
The M.E.E Movement represents motivation, empowerment, and encouragement for women. It is what represents me. I did not know at first that it was my business to start, but then the thought of monetizing what I loved came to me. It scared me, however. I registered the business in July 2020 and have been slowly building my wings since.
B + C: What's one strategy that's helped you start your business?
Thinking through and researching what the requirements are to start my business, and then asking questions of people who are in the business. Not all advice worked; however, it helped me to figure out what I needed to do and not to do.
B + C: Did you always know life coaching would be your entrepreneurial path?
(Smiles) No, I did not. I 'stumbled" on it. I knew that people were always coming to me for advice and I found that I loved having conversations with them, especially with women, young and old.
B + C: What was your most valuable takeaway from Selfmade?
My most valuable takeaway was the first day of training: Get out of your own way. There were a lot of great moments and important takeaways from every presenter. However, getting out of my own way, pushing past doubts, was for me my most valuable takeaway. Doing something that I had never done before took courage. If I do not focus on what is happening with me mentally then I cannot deliver to my clients successfully.
B + C: What's one piece of advice you would give to female entrepreneurs on the brink of starting?
Get out of your head. You have something to offer. You have what you need to succeed so go ahead and do it.
B + C: How do you stay motivated?
I stay motivated by listening to music and listening to motivational speakers, and sometimes someone will just reach out and talk about the impact that I made in their life. That adds the extra juice or sauce I need to pummel through the day.
B + C: What's your best organizational tip?
Keep a diary and journal. It's the best way for me to keep organized and it also provides a source motivation as I record not only my "losses" but my wins as well.
B + C: Who inspires you in the entrepreneurial space?
Shirley Toliver – She motivates and empowers and makes me always want to show up.
B + C: What has receiving the Office Depot scholarship to Selfmade done to help you start or grow your business?
The scholarship was a blessing in that all the areas that were covered offered valuable information that I needed, from social media to HR. As a new business owner, I needed to know this to increase my own personal awareness in what it takes to run a successful business. The candidness of the presenters made it easy to see myself in their shoes and helped me to realize that I can also get there.
Thanks Colette! You can follow The M.E.E. Movement on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Want to feel motivated to take the next step for your business? Let Office Depot OfficeMax give you the confidence you need with a suite of business services & solutions to help you put your best foot forward. Make a good first impression with business cards & build the business pitch of your dreams with custom presentations. With Office Depot OfficeMax you'll find the tools to reach new customers with confidence.
Head to Office Depot's Selfmade page to check out even more amazing business resources (and discounts!) to help you accomplish more on your entrepreneurial journey. These offers are available for a limited time only, so be sure to take advantage of all this goodness while supplies last. Want to join the next Selfmade cohort this summer? Check out all of the scholarship details right here.