Katey Denno's Holiday Wish List + 7 Days of Giveaways!

Last year, about this time, we fell head over heels for celebrity makeup artist and total sweetheart, Katey Denno. We squealed like our children when we discovered that she had featured some of our products on her beauty blog, The Beauty of It is...

Throughout the year, we have gotten to know Katey through emails and phone calls; sharing ideas, products knowledge and tips and have been delighted to share a small part of our company with Katey's mom friends and their babes, as well as her celebrity clients. 

Zoe Organics is a company run by moms (aka multi-tasking + sleep deprived women) who revel in all of Katey's quick tips for a fresh face. We also love that she strives to find balance in her life and in choosing natural, conscious products. 

When we started planning for the holidays and putting together our wish lists (did anyone else include sleep on theirs?) we couldn't help but think of our girl Katey and the fantastic products she has introduced us to. We also thought this interview would be a perfect way to share a side of Katey that maybe you haven't seen before and to kick off a very special week of giveaways, featuring Katey's top picks! You are all in for a real treat!!

Enjoy this little interview with Katey and then keep reading below for details of our Holiday Giveaway that kicks off on Monday!

ZO: Some of your friends have recently become mothers. How exciting! Having seen first-hand how time-consuming motherhood can be, what are a few quick, easy and effective beauty tricks that every sleep-deprived mama should know?
 

KD: 1. Moisturize your skin, 2. Curl your eyelashes, 3. Have a good concealer on hand for those days you need to look rested! and 4. Find a lip color that’s somewhere between a tinted lip balm and a lipstick that you love and makes you look pulled together…and make sure it’s 100% non toxic!

ZO: Being a make-up artist is definitely a creative job. What are some other ways you use your creativity in your life outside of work?



KD: I like to research and write both for my own blog and for a number of other publications. I like planning big picture projects and organizing the minutia of what needs to happen to see it to fruition. I’m also into instagram because I like taking pictures (who isn’t?)

ZO: The moms here at Zoe Organics have had countless discussions about how we find the balance in our everyday lives with choosing the best products for ourselves and our families. You have been a big advocate for natural and non-toxic beauty products in your work as a celebrity make-up artist as well as on your blog. You have also been known to use a conventional product if it out-performs a natural counterpart. Tell us about how you find the balance in making choices about the products you use.



KD: I like the general idea of subscribing to the 80/20 rule. 80% of the time I focus on keeping the products going into and onto my body as clean as possible. I definitely DON’T stress about it, though. My skin breaks out frequently. I treat it with all sorts of natural products and foods and supplements. At times, though, I run to my dermatologist – who respects my green-leaning tendencies, for a quick fix. I will always do this until I find a miracle cure in nature, and I won’t feel badly about it. I also love a really high performing mascara – lots of black, thick, long lashes. Until there’s one on the market that lives up to those criterion, I’m sticking with a non-natural one. There are often times when the color of dress my client or I’m wearing just needs a lip or eyeliner color that doesn’t exist in the green makeup market. Again, I’m not going to beat myself up for choosing a product I know isn’t 100% chemical free. It’s all about lowering my overall exposure to potentially harmful ingredients. I eat healthfully, stay away from things I know are not good for me, and I just trust that the more and more clean my body is, the more I’ll intuitively continue to stay away from those ingredients. I’ve come to be really turned off by artificial fragrances – even those I used to love!

ZO: When you get home from a long day of making celebrities more beautiful, what is your favorite way to unwind?



KD: I wish I could say I’m really good at this, and I have a few amazing rituals I do to bring myself back to homeostasis – but I’m really not great at unwinding. Some long standing favorites: a yoga class, listening to Krishna Das, getting lost in a series tv show (rare, but when I find one I like I love watching one each night), making, or going to dinner with friends or loved ones, or going for a bike ride.

ZO: Being an artist yourself, which other types of art do you enjoy?



KD: I love photography, oil paintings, the art of the written word, film, street art, and the art of good cooking!

ZO: If you were forced (who knows—it could happen!) to pick just 3 make-up/beauty products (generally speaking) that make the biggest impact on a fresh face, which 3 would you choose?



KD: 1. cream blush, 2. mascara, and 3. eyebrow pencil

ZO: You have featured Zoe Organics on your own blog and have shared lots of kind words about our products. Which ones are your favorites? Have you used any of our products on your celeb clients?



KD: I’m currently sitting on a plane, not far from the bathroom. I have your refresh oil all over my wrists and neck so that’s the only thing I’m smelling.  It’s my go-to when I have a headache, or need an afternoon pick me up, too.  I also love your everything balm – it’s the easiest to use, and most versatile form of moisture I carry- good for everything and everyone! Your insect repellant has kept me (and bugs LOVE biting me!) bite-free on countless occasions when I would’ve otherwise been eaten alive. I love using your (formerly extreme) cream on clients’ shoulders, decollate, hands, and legs for a deep hydration before sending them down the red carpet, or onto the stage.

Now that you know Katey a little bit better, stay tuned for a fun week of giveaways beginning on Cyber Monday, here on our blog! Katey put together her top 7 wish list items and each brand has generously agreed to give a lucky reader one of these items. A wish list item will be revealed each day at 8am PST and contest will be open until the following day at 8am PST when the next item is revealed. A winner will be chosen and announced each day. Are you as excited as we are?! 

Happy Happy Holidays from our conscientious family to yours!