First Look Fridays: The Beauty of Life's Chief Technology Officer, Katie Reed

I am pleased and thrilled to bring you a very special edition of First Look Fridays. Loyal readers of The Beauty of Life will already know about my fabulous best friend and partner in crime, the lovely and talented Miss Katie Reed. Well, Katie has very graciously taken on the position of Chief Technology Officer for the site -- which means she helps with everything from font choices to HTML coding and, of course, throws in her two cents on products as well! Read on to discover more about this fascinating gal that I'm proud to call not only my best friend, but my Chief Technology Officer!

Can you tell me a bit about yourself?
I'm from the same place as our much-beloved "Beauty Chick!" We're both native Clevelanders, and have been friends since we were 10. After high school, I went to college at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA, where I studied Technical Writing. I worked for a few years as a web designer, and then moved to Boston and went to graduate school at Boston University for historic preservation. Now I'm Executive Director of a small non-profit that focuses on keeping historic neighborhood commercial districts vibrant.


When did you first become interested in makeup? What peaked your interest?
I loved to play dress-up with my grandma when I was a little girl. She would let me wear her lipstick and nail polishes -- and I was sure I looked fabulous! As a teen, I didn't wear a whole lot of makeup, although I did have a pretty good stash of supplies. I think it was because my mom wore makeup every day and I wanted to be different. As I've grown older, I've realized that makeup can be a fun way to accent your qualities and pamper yourself a bit. I like to wear light, fresh makeup on a daily basis, and jazz it up at night. I think being friends with Jamie and learning so much about makeup from her has made me an even bigger fan!

What is your daily beauty and skincare regimen?
I have oily skin and have fought acne since I was a preteen. I've got it mostly beaten by washing twice daily with Neutrogena Acne Wash. That stuff is a godsend. In the morning I use either Sonia Kashuk Tinted Moisturizer from Target or Clinique Superdefense. I use L'Oreal Telescopic Mascara in Brown, which is good for me because it adds length, not a lot of thickness. With my fair features, it's the best fit for me. I also line my eyes with NARS eyeshadow in brown or green to add some definition, but no harsh lines. At night I moisturize my legs, elbows and feet with Clinique Deep Comfort Body Butter.


What are your top 5 beauty essentials?

1) Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion -- Lives up to all the hype! Eyeshadow lasts all day.

2) Diesel Fuel for Life Pour Femme -- This woody, sexy scent is perfect no matter the season or the situation.

3) Maybelline Shiny-licious Lip Gloss -- The sparkles in this stuff give it a wet, glowy look. The scents are fun and the formula isn't the least bit sticky.

4) Philosophy Shampoo and Shower Gels -- I love baths, and I use this stuff to wash my hair in the tub while I soak. Hot Cocoa is my fave!

5) Nail Polish -- Anything from Wet 'n Wild and Sally Hansen to China Glaze and OPI -- fun and funky nail polish gives life an unexpected dash of color.


What brands can you simply not live without?
NARS
Clinique
M.A.C
Jo Malone
Bonne Bell
Jaqua
Kiehl's
China Glaze
Too Faced

When not working on The Beauty of Life, what do you do for fun?
I'm a big Cleveland Indians fan, and I love everything baseball-related -- books, movies, memorabilia, whatever! I'm a huge planning and architecture junkie, so I read a lot of books and magazines on those subjects. I also knit and crochet a lot -- the girls in my Stitch n Bitch are some of my closest friends in Boston. I like to swim, ski, do yoga and Pilates, and hit the spa whenever I have the cash. My husband and I lead pretty busy lives, but when we're together we love to cook and explore fun and funky urban neighborhoods.


Thanks so much to the fabulous Katie Reed -- The Beauty of Life's very own Chief Technology Officer -- for granting this interview! Be on the lookout for more of her ever-important work around the site!