Karah Katenkamp, Curve Mannequin | Into The Gloss

“I grew up in a city of 100 individuals in rural Ohio—the closest mall was an hour away—however once I was 13 my dad gained a visit to New York Metropolis. He was allowed to deliver one individual and he picked me. I used to be obsessive about town from the second we took our first taxi experience. I bought scouted on that journey, however being from rural Ohio, my dad stated, ‘Completely freaking not.’ I bought scouted once more at a espresso store in Cincinnati. I signed up for an old style modeling college that taught you issues like the best way to stroll and do your make-up. After I bought my first job modeling nursing scrubs, which was actually thrilling, the lady who was working the challenge supplied to attach me to individuals. She despatched me to New York to satisfy with businesses and right here I’m, nonetheless modeling and doing jobs for manufacturers like Fenty Magnificence, Calvin Klein, Skims, and Aerie, which was unbelievable as a result of the billboard appeared in Instances Sq.. Seeing myself three tales excessive? Simply enthusiastic about it makes me emotional as a result of I consider that 13-year-old who got here to town for the primary time and what she would’ve thought if she noticed herself.

On the finish of the day, I’m a mannequin, but it surely’s necessary for me to proceed saying that I’m a curve mannequin to emphasise that we’re nonetheless within the business and representing curvy ladies. I by no means noticed that rising up. I even keep in mind Googling curvy fashions to see ladies who appeared like me however I might by no means discover any. And by the best way, I don’t thoughts being known as ‘plus-size.’ I’ve all the time been robust and thick. After I got here to New York, I had an agent ask me about my ‘weight achieve story’ and that basically threw me off as a result of I’d all the time been this measurement—and it’s that manner for lots of ladies. There’s not essentially one thing that ‘occurred.’ We’re ladies. We’re curvy. That’s it. So, how did I get right here? Effectively, I used to be simply born. [Laughs]

I’ve needed to be taught to maintain my pores and skin nicely since I’m on set quite a bit. Meaning I don’t use a variety of energetic or actually intense components as a result of I’ve eczema and psoriasis, and my pores and skin can flare up fairly simply. That stated, among the finest elements about being a mannequin is that I get to attempt all types of merchandise. Each make-up artist swears by various things, and someplace alongside the best way I heard about La Roche-Posay’s Cicaplast Balm. It’s modified the sport for me. It’s so thick and hydrating, so I slather it on in a single day when my pores and skin is sad, and by the morning, my pores and skin’s texture is quite a bit higher.

I all the time return to Bioderma’s micellar water to take off my make-up—it by no means leaves a movie. My eye make-up remover—the Bi-Facil from Lancôme—is somewhat oily although. It’s what I seize once I put on heavy eye make-up at work, but it surely’s mild on the identical time. Osea’s Ocean cleanser is basically mild, too—and it smells actually good.

My aesthetician—I see Gosia at Williamsburg Magnificence Spa each two months or so—beneficial that I exploit Biojuve’s Residing Biome serum as soon as per week as a result of it has stay probiotics, that are useful with rosacea. I comply with it up with the Activating mist, which is meant to ‘activate’ the serum. And Weleda Pores and skin Meals Mild is my go-to moisturizer year-round. It all the time leaves me with a stupendous base for make-up.

I’m going to be sincere: I don’t put on sunscreen day by day. I’ve had a tough time discovering one which doesn’t break me out. But when I do know I’m going to be exterior for greater than 20 minutes, I like Supergoop!’s Each Single Face SPF 50. I like that it’s actually watery and goes on easily.

With regards to physique cleansers, I not too long ago found Avène’s XeraCalm A.D cleaning oil. I really feel like a variety of physique washes depart your pores and skin dry, however this one will not be stripping in any respect. And I exploit Eucerin’s Eczema Reduction Cream each morning and night time, however particularly when I’ve a photoshoot. It leaves this actually stunning glow on my pores and skin but it surely doesn’t make me look shiny both. Oh, and the Aquaphor therapeutic ointment? I apply it to every little thing: on my lips, on my arms, on my elbows. Typically I exploit a tiny bit to slug if my face is tremendous dry.

By the best way, I self-tan each two weeks, possibly somewhat bit extra ceaselessly within the winter as a result of I’m usually taking pictures summer season campaigns then so I must have some colour on me. I’m a professional at tanning by now. My favourite is the St. Tropez Self Tan Categorical Bronzing Mousse. It fades so steadily, it’s nice.

Instruments-wise, I like my TheraFace. I exploit it to prep for shoots. It has so many attachments, however my favourite is the chilly ring. I exploit a variety of ice on my face—typically I’ll dip my head in a bowl of water with a bunch of ice—but when I’ve sufficient time, I’ll seize the TheraFace or my gua sha cryo sticks. The TheraFace additionally has a sizzling ring that feels so nice on my masseters, which have a tendency to carry a variety of pressure. And I like the Omnilux contour pink gentle masks a lot. I attempt to use it for 10 minutes each night time and it helps a lot with my rosacea. Even when I’ve windburn, if I exploit it earlier than heading to mattress, it’s passed by the following day.

On a traditional day, I don’t put on make-up. I prefer to let my pores and skin breathe and have a relaxation from all of the make-up at work. If I do put on one thing on a break day, I simply curl my lashes and apply lip gloss and mascara. However I solely put on tubing mascara as a result of I wrestle with raccoon eyes. The primary time I found it, I actually wished to cry as a result of I used to hold round concealer and make-up wipes with me day by day. Caliray and No7 make nice ones. Caliray goes on a bit thicker so I exploit that one for extra glam seems, whereas No7 is best for castings as a result of it’s much less dramatic. It helps too that I tint my lashes each two weeks. I by no means thought I’d do this myself, however then I had a make-up artist inform me it was very easy and he or she was proper. It takes 5 minutes, too. And Fenty Magnificence makes my favourite gloss, the Gloss Bomb in Fu$$y. The shade’s not that far off from my precise lip colour—and I by no means need to stray too far. Oh, and for somewhat further contact as a result of I don’t have outlined lip strains, I like Mac’s liner in Stripdown. It’s a ‘90s traditional.

If I’m carrying a bit extra make-up for a casting, I am going for the Nars Gentle Matte concealer. It blends very well and provides me good protection. I’ve a few completely different shades as a result of I like to combine them to essentially match my pores and skin. Then I exploit the Nars Laguna bronzing cream in Laguna 02 on my eyelids. I picked this up from one other make-up artist: In case your eyelid is somewhat bit darker than your underneath eye, you appear like you don’t have darkish circles. The tails of my eyebrows don’t develop as thick as I’d like, so I fill them in with the Kosas Forehead Pop Nano pencil in Medium Brown. Then I do some contact of Advantage’s highlighter in Bounce, too. It’s somewhat pink and never too shimmery. For blush, I like Nudestix’s blush stick in Naked Again, a cool nude that appears so, so pure on me. And I prefer to depot all of my face merchandise and lipsticks into Vueset containers. It’s a lot simpler to journey or go to castings with two containers which are smaller than index playing cards than to pack a bunch of bottles.

On the hair entrance, I am going to David Bullen at Pearlita for cuts. However I don’t dye it—anymore. I went via a part in highschool the place I dyed the underside half of my head in all types of colours—the underside was mother saying ‘sure’ to dyeing it and the highest was to make my dad comfortable. However pink, blue, purple… You title it, I had it. That was sufficient for a lifetime. [Laughs]

I wash my hair virtually day by day, but when I wasn’t on set the entire time, I’d wash it twice per week. I like the Pacific Salty Wave shampoo and conditioner. They’re my secret discover. A bottle of every is barely $10. They do not have sulfates or parabens, however the shampoo nonetheless lathers, which is necessary to me as a result of I don’t really feel like I really washed my hair in any other case. And the saltiness offers my hair nice form and quantity. For styling, Redken’s Max Maintain is one of the best. I like the nozzle as a result of it sprays in a triangular mist, so it’s not too aggressive. And the ends of my hair actually love the Badger natural oil. It smells like almonds, which actually might be what actually will get me.

On the perfume entrance I like citrus-y, musky-but-light scents. I in the end need one thing that blends nicely with my pores and skin and doesn’t stand out an excessive amount of. I not too long ago found Lunamaris from Diptyque. It’s imagined to remind you of moonlight—it’s impressed by the moon reflecting on the ocean—and I assume it does. It has pink peppercorn, incense, and rockrose. I’m fairly conservative in spending, but it surely was definitely worth the splurge. The identical goes for Santa Maria Novella’s Cinquanta. I purchased it in Florence final November. It’s meant to be a mix of Japanese and Italian tradition, so it’s bought bergamot, grapefruit, and orange blossom as a nod to Florence and inexperienced tea as a nod to Kyoto. I discovered the model via TikTok really—everybody was posting about it in Florence—and it was my first actual introduction to high-end perfume. It’s insane that they’ve been round since 1221. 804 years? That’s loopy.”

—As instructed to Daise Bedolla

Photographed by Shana Trajanoska in Brooklyn on February 18, 2025