intro by BR Tabatha
What she lacks in height she makes up for in enthusiasm. Beauty Review's Head Pixie, aka BR Kellie, is a bundle of energy who bounces even when she's sitting. She's most often seen caressing the products in the Beauty Review vault, while whispering sweet nothings in their proverbial ears. When she's not doing that, she'll be chatting about her latest beauty discovery, or looking out the window muttering something about 'thunderstorms' and 'it's about time we had one'. She's a beauty loving whirlwind and will talk your ear off if you give her half a chance... which is why we made her write her replies for this interview rather than sit her down for a proper chitchat.
So, Kellie, tell us about how you came to join the Beauty Review Crew.
To this day I marvel at how I came to join the crew. There I was, a mother to a baby, used to working under all sorts of pressure in my former job as a radio copywriter and now stuck in a routine of feeds and sleep. Then Beauty Review came along to add some joy to my day in the form of writing reviews about one of my passions - beauty products. Over time my efforts were noticed by Queenie and BR Nat, and they asked me to write the odd article. Then one day a position opened up and I was called in for an audience with The Queen. And the rest, as they say, is history.
How has it felt seeing Beauty Review grow over the years?
Amazing. That's the word for it. Seeing the site grow in members and scope, seeing friendships formed, while forming my own, has been wonderful. I never thought that from those early days of reviewing my then favourite deodorant that Beauty Review would become such an integral part of my world, but here we are.
What does your average Beauty Review day look like?
I tend to start the day catching up on beauty news, scouring the internet for new products - in fact this happens throughout my day, even in my own time. I'm obsessed with new tools, new trends, new formulations of products. In between that I'll write articles, keep track of the Vault. Reply to emails from members, and oversee the arrival of products going into and out of the warehouse.
What do you most love about being part of Beauty Review?
No one can tell me I'm a beauty addict because it's my job to be one, therefore all my time spent reading and money spent purchasing is entirely justified. At least that's what I tell myself.
On a more serious note, I love the community. My colleagues - Queenie, Nat, Amelia and Tabby - are brilliant human beings. The members are delightful and I love interacting with them whenever the opportunity arrives. And I still can't believe I get paid to write about something I love.
Care to share your favourite skincare, cosmetic and personal care products?
This changes all the time... however today my favourite deodorant is Mitchum - the unscented one. Although it being unscented makes it hard for me to remember if I've put it on or not when I go in for the sniff test. It's hardworking, goes the distance and never lets me get pongy, even after a morning of shifting boxes of beauty product.
My favourite skincare at the moment is the Dr LeWinn's Reversaderm Glycolic Cleanser. I've been using this on and off for years, and while I might try something new on occasion, I always go back to it. It cleanses so well and leaves my skin, which is prone to texture/pimples/everything-because-my-skin-hates-me smooth and clearer looking.
As for my favourite cosmetic? It's a toss up. I ADORE L'Oréal's new Plumping Tinted Serum Foundation. It goes on seamlessly, doesn't break up or make my skin look dry and patchy. However, my favourite blush that I can't seem to move away from is M.A.C's Warm Soul - it makes my pasty skin look alive without being obvious.
Do tell… What’s your best bit of beauty advice?
Having endured really bad acne in recent years, my best bit of beauty advice is that if you can afford to go to a doctor or dermatologist, or if your health insurance covers it, go see one. Life's too short to feel crap about the skin you're in and there are ways to improve it when all else fails.
Other than that... less is more when it comes to makeup. If you love to rock a full face, go for it, but I find the barely there look gives me the appearance of being more youthful than I am - and at my age, I'm all about that life.
Finally, what are your hopes for the future of Beauty Review?
I'm excited for the continued growth of Beauty Review. I love seeing beauty lovers join daily, new brands coming on board, and seeing our members interact with each other in such a joyful, heart-filling way. The last ten years have been brilliant; bring on the next ten!
So, do tell, what have been your high points of being a Beauty Review member? And if you have a favourite personal care item, what is it? As we like to say, sharing is caring, so get chatting below!
This is so cool, I love hearing the back stories of how kiwi women ended up doing what they do! And lovely to put a face to the BR name :)