Karrueche Tran knows a thing or two about style. Not only does the model-actress have her own beauty line, Femme Rosa, but she’s tried just about everything when it comes to her skincare routine. Tran sat down with Stylish to celebrate Curve for Men for the holidays and spilled her secrets to a sexy smelling man, her beauty secret that involves cutlery and even told Us the hairstyle she would never try again. Read on for the scoop!
Stylish: What do you look for in a men’s fragrance?
Tran: Me, personally, what attracts me to a man is scent, period. I’m all about what they smell like, they have to smell good. I prefer a men’s fragrance that exudes sexiness — it’s for a sharp man, a little spicy, pretty much what Curve is. It’s spicy with a little bit of woodsiness. That’s what everyone should start with when thinking of men’s fragrance, in my opinion.
I think a woman’s opinion on what her man smells like is very important, so I like to let a man know what I think about how he smells. I think going by personality is hard when trying to find a fragrance for someone else. It should come down to what smells good to you. I would tell my man, “Hey babe, I bought this new cologne for you,” in the nicest possible way. But a man has to smell good. And not too much — just a little, that’s all you need.
Stylish: What about you? What’s your fragrance preference?
Tran: I always have to have a fragrance on. I have to wear a fragrance before I go anywhere. For me, scent is everything. It’s a first impression. I love it when people tell me I’m smelling good and ask what I’m wearing. For me, it gives me that extra confidence and makes me feel grown.
Stylish: What about your beauty secrets? You once said Kiehl’s was your favorite — do you still use their products?
Tran: I am still a Kiehl’s girl, but I definitely try what else works for me. If I go into Sephora — I mean, I go crazy because they have a million different products. And I’m still learning about what works for me. I’ve been using a Chanel Serum recently and it’s been working really great. It’s so important to put a serum on before your moisturizer, it makes a difference. I love anything Peter Thomas Roth for masks, and I get puffy eyes sometimes so I use his cucumber eye mask. I love to take care of my skin. Masks, serums, oils, moisturizers … I’m into it. My face takes a lot of moisture, so I like to layer. And I always wash my face before bed and try to apply a night cream. Mario Badescu has a seaweed night cream that I use and I wake up and my skin is so soft.
Stylish: What’s Your Craziest Beauty Tip?
Tran: Because I get puffy eyes — that’s my main issue that I care about the most — so I keep two frozen spoons in the freezer and before I go on set or start my day, when I’ve washed my face and before my moisturizer, I take the spoons around my eyes for a little bit of tightening. I don’t know if it really makes a difference, but I feel like it works because I feel fresh.
Stylish: What about your drugstore beauty obsessions?
Tran: Aveeno cleansing pads are really good when I have more makeup on than usual. They’re so great, they get everything off.
Stylish: It’s the holidays — what beauty gift would you get a female friend?
Tran: I love to give my girlfriends fragrance, but I like to give people things that they will use. I gave a mini Conair facial steamer and a ton of masks for one of my friends, and she loves it. Or anything Pat McGrath or from my line Femme Rosa. Beauty is the best gift.
Stylish: Have any hair regrets to share?
Tran: I dyed my hair blonde a few years ago and I don’t know what I was thinking. I should have done a wig or a weave. Before I dyed it, it was so long and curly, but then I went platinum and it was totally fried. I’ve been using oil treatments ever since to help repair the damage and keep it moisturized. So, I learned the hard way — I won’t do that again. It’s only wigs if I want to be blonde.
Stylish: What’s a trend you think will be big next year in beauty and style? What are you ready to say goodbye to in 2018?
Tran: I’m really into newsboy hats and berets — they’re in right now but for the New Year, too. And I think anything orange will be big! I think the colors in makeup will be warmer. I think I’m ready to see overly contoured makeup be left behind. I think it’s going to be all about the fresh face.
