Featured: Meet Karen

At BAZZAAL we have the pleasure of collaborating with influencers to provide you with beginner-friendly, curated skincare packages, namely BAZZAAL Box. Our influencers hand-pick, high-quality, but affordable products that actually work for you!

We had the pleasure of collaborating with @iamkareno for her Baby-Soft Skin Box. In honor of our third collaboration with Karen, we decided to give you a special treat! We had the opportunity of interviewing Karen, here's what she had to say: 

Karen Yeung (iamkareno) is an OG content creator, she has been creating content for over 10 years! Karen Yeung has earned 1.58 million subscribers on YouTube. Her content is centered around fashion, beauty, lifestyle, and vlog.

In your recent Vogue article, you discussed turning your dreams into reality. When you decided to pursue content creation as a full-time job did you get a lot of pushback from your friends and family?

From the very beginning, I am so grateful to have had the support of my family and friends. After I left my sales job to pursue YouTube, I gave myself a 3 month timeline. if I could pay my rent with my social media earnings after 3 months, I would continue. If I couldn’t make rent, then I promised myself I would go back to a corporate job. Luckily in month three, Michelle Phan noticed my work and reached out for me to join her company ipsy, and I’ve been a full-time content creator ever since!

What is the hardest aspect of being a content creator?

The hardest aspect of being a content creator is navigating who I am on screen and who I am off-screen. Social media is such a big part of everyone’s daily lives, and it can be a much needed entertainment escape.However it’s a different experience when your social media profile becomes your livelihood and is no longer a source of casual relaxation. I try to be understanding and sensitive to everyone online, but sometimes I make mistakes and receive harsh criticism from my followers. It’s a tough expectation to live up to. On one hand, I know I’d be nothing without my followers and I love them to death. On the other hand, there’s so many perspectives to consider that I feel I inevitably let some people down, even when just being myself. 

Your husband, Leo, is an amazing photographer. What’s it like being married to someone who is just as creative as you?

Thank you for the kind words! Leo is my biggest fan and was my earliest supporter. He used to work at LinkedIn as a web developer, and would come home after his workday to help me film my early YouTube videos. It’s amazing working with Leo because having another creative to bounce ideas off of and then actually have the skills to make it come to life is so rare and satisfying. We can think of a photoshoot idea one afternoon and be on set to shoot it the following morning. We both work quickly and have high expectations. It’s been a wild ride from college, where we met, until now. 

You’ve always been so vulnerable and open with your audience, how do you find a balance between what parts of your life to share and what parts to keep private? 

Social media, in a way, has always been therapy for me. It’s an outlet, a release. When something doesn’t feel right in my private life, I can usually turn to social media to find another person who’s going through something similar or an empathetic ear to listen. My followers have always been so supportive of me, which makes it easier to be supportive and transparent with them. Sometimes as an influencer it feels like I’m just creating posts and then posting into an abyss. But getting that warm support reminds me that we’re all interconnected on this planet and that social media is ultimately a force for good. I share, because sharing can help and has helped me in the past. 

You’ve been very open about your after baby body, have you noticed any major changes in your skin since becoming a mom? 

I’ve noticed that I’m more prone to sun spots and acne now. I joke that it’s because Dove took away some of my beauty for herself! But on a serious note, I am grateful that my skin has remained more or less the same after becoming a mom.

How has your life changed since moving to Hong Kong?

My life has changed in so many ways since moving to Hong Kong. It’s one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world, so feeling that energy every day is a stark contrast to the quiet suburban life back in Orange County. I’m grateful I can spend so much more time with my family out here. My grandparents love playing with Dove and living those moments becomes more important to me as I get older myself. Dove has also been growing so fast and interacting with the world around her. I love that she gets to lean into her Cantonese culture in Hong Kong. We’re getting her ready for school and it’s been a surreal experience looking back on everything.

What is something people may be surprised to know about you? 

Like many well-behaved children from Asian households, I play the piano quite well! Not at a professional level, but still well enough to entertain guests during a dinner party. I don’t often share this because it was my parents’ dream, not my own. But still something I’m very proud of being able to do.

This is your third curated box with BAZZAAL, what do you love most about working with us? 

I love that you guys always know what brands are up-and-coming and effective! I’ve learned about so many cool new brands that have become my own personal favorites through our partnership. And I also love that you focus on products that work! It warms my heart when my followers leave comments that their skin has improved after their own BAZZAAL box experience. Results matter, and I’m so grateful I can trust BAZZAAL with the best skincare recommendations.

 What is a skincare trend you’ve been loving recently?

A skincare trend I’ve been loving recently is consolidating our routines down from something like 10 steps down to just 4 steps. I’m all for a long-drawn out self-care moment, but sometimes you’re exhausted after a long day of work and just want something quick and effective.

What are some of your favorite add-ons on BAZZAAL BOX? 

- ROVECTIN Treatment Lotion
- SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Ampoule
- Huxley Secret of Sahara Sleep Mask Good Night
- Isntree Hyaluronic Acid Watery Sun Gel

What skincare secrets and advice will you be passing down to your daughter, Dove?

- Start early! Aging well means getting ahead of Father Time.
- Consistency is key. It’s ok to miss a night or two, but get back to it.
- Drink water. No sugars if you can help it.

For more BAZZAAL tips, tricks, and skincare hacks, check out our blog here! You can find Karen's curated box on our website!