KKW Body Makeup Honest Review

I love a tan.  Not a ‘90’s slathered with baby oil, a minute away from skin cancer’ tan.  More in a ‘healthy glow because I have a naturally perfect complexion and even if I didn’t I would look like this because of all the healthy things I do outside’ kind of way.  

I guess what I’m saying is the best thing about a tan is the healthy, consistent glow it gives and not an unnatural intense color.  The last time I stepped foot in a tanning bed was in 2003 and since then it’s been sunless tanner or spray tans.  Of course with those you need to plan ahead because you need to wait for it to develop enough to take a shower, and hopefully it looks natural, and then of course there are those one or two days where the spray is exfoliating from your body and it’s not the evenest thing.  So a spray tan isn’t perfect but it’s come a long way from where it used to be.

With COVID happening right now I don’t feel the safest going anywhere I don’t need to go so the spray tan fell by the wayside, along with manicures for the year 2020.  Luckily, I have something in my bathroom that helps the confidence of showing skin not having seen the sun in 10 months, KKW Body foundation.

I admit I was influenced.  Last year when KKW came out with the body makeup collection of foundation, shimmer, and powder I went online and bought a set, complete with brush, in the few minutes before it sold out.  I bought it because I loved the idea of having a healthy glow even if I hadn’t planned for it.  And to not have the commitment of a tan if it didn’t turn out so well.  So when you think about it, body foundation makes perfect sense.

What I Bought

I decided if I was going to buy it I wanted to try the trifecta –  the body foundation, the shimmer, and the powder.  I also bought the body brush because, why not?

Both the body foundation and the body shimmer come in 4 oz tubes.  Just slightly larger than is allowed in a carry-on of course, so that’s an annoyance.  Of course, one or two days’ worth of product can always be transferred to a smaller container, which is my go-to.

The powder shimmer is .49 oz of loose powder that comes in a container similar to a setting powder.  I bought the synthetic fiber body brush because it’s a different shape than anything I already owned,  approximately 1”x3”.

The foundation comes in 9 skin-matching colors.  When my skin hasn’t seen the sun in almost a year I can get pretty pale, but I have warm undertones so I went with “light”.

Both the body shimmer and the powder (which is called face & body) shimmer come in three different colors, you pick the color depending on what kind of radiance you are looking for.  I chose “pearl” which to me just felt glowy…not adding much color.

The Application

Right after the shower, I apply body lotion to make sure I’m moisturized and there are no dry patches.  I kind of approach body makeup the same way I do with face foundation and makeup.  I wouldn’t put foundation on a bare face, I need to apply moisturizer first.

I’ve tried applying the body foundation to my body and then using the brush to blend and also tried putting it directly on the brush.  I prefer the method of putting on body and then using the brush.  I feel like it uses less product this way. Also, I can place dots sporadically and then blend them all together.  When I put the product directly on the brush, I felt like the product got absorbed by the brush and I had to apply it a few times.

The body shimmer can be used on top of body foundation or alone.  After the foundation, I applied the shimmer where the light would naturally hit, like you would with highlighter on a face. I apply it the same way I do the body foundation, directly on the skin, and then blend with the same body brush.  Since I only use it as a highlighter I use a lot less of this product than the body foundation.

With the body powder, I took a big fluffy brush, twirled in the powder and tapped off the excess, and then put on the same spots as the shimmer.  I think of it almost like a shimmery setting power for where the light hits.  I would HIGHLY recommend putting this on before you dress.  It’s not that the shimmer comes off after applying, but with the application and tapping the brush, little shimmer particles get everywhere. Shimmer on clothes is not the look I’m going for.

So Does It Come Off?

This was a big question for me, you don’t want to be going around leaving marks where you’ve been.

The first time I tried it I was outside at a BBQ in 90 degrees heat for hours.  Nothing seemed odd by the end of the night but I could definitely see some on the inside of my clothes.

When I was taking photos for this post I purposely sat on a pure white towel.  Just sitting nothing came off but when I took the towel and rubbed a bit you could see some color.  

Overall I would say it does stay put pretty well but it is makeup and so think of it like that, if I just touch my face I don’t see anything on my hands, but if I blow my nose I might see some concealer on the tissue.

The Price

It’s not inexpensive, especially for something you don’t use every day.  But it’s also not too expensive that it seems ridiculous.  For not a ton of competition in the category and the quality of the product I think it’s priced reasonably.

For me, my height and size, I’ll get about 10 uses of the body foundation putting it on my legs only.  Since I use so much less of the shimmer each time I use there are a lot more uses in the tube.

Is It Worth It?

I really like the whole collection and would recommend it.  Anything that is non-invasive, non-permanent and helps me to feel more confident is a great thing.  While the collection does have a fragrance that I can smell, my husband couldn’t when he was right next to me.  Nonetheless, I wouldn’t apply perfume if I was wearing this because I think it could compete.

I’ll be honest, I don’t typically wear dresses or shorts when I don’t have a tan, but we’re in different times in COVID.  And even before that, the reason I bought it in the first place, is because I didn’t want to not wear something that I wanted to just because I didn’t have the foresight to get a spray tan.  

I think the body shimmer is an awesome product and use it on its own.  Shimmer on top of a spray tan is perfect.