Mode Around the Globe: Katarina Zarutskie
Corazon Cabo Resort & Spa
Photographed by
RYAN HOUCHIN
& JUSTIN RINGSBY
Katarina Zarutskie
@katarinazarutskie
Where are you from and how does it differ from where you live now?
After being born and raised in Southern California and graduating high school in Houston, Texas, I relocated to Miami, Florida and haven’t looked back since! Beyond Miami’s perfect blend of ocean and tropical beach vibes, reminiscent of those I grew up with in California, Miami’s ever-present international culture, flare, and influence, and the flow of professional, technological, and economic opportunities provide many residents like myself seemingly unlimited opportunities and makes the city an incredible place to work, socialize, network, and live.
If you had to summarize your beauty routine in five steps, what would it be?
Step 1: Apply toner (either La Mer The Tonic or Perricone MD No:Rinse Micellar Cleansing Treatment) followed by applying Drunk Elephant C Firma Serum and then a moisturizer. I tend to use either Cerave AM Moisturizing Lotion or Drunk Elephant’s Polypeptide Firming Moisturizer, depending on how dry my skin is, and conclude with Tan Luxe drops to help match my face tan/tone to my body’s.
Step 2: Living in Miami, frequently shooting outside in the sun, and traveling to tropical locations makes sunscreen a must! My favorite face sunscreen right now is Elta MD UV Clear SPF 46 Tinted Face Sunscreen. Seriously life changing! If I’m going to Pilates, running errands, or working from home, I typically stop there, as I usually don’t like wearing makeup unless I have to for work or photo shoots.
Step 3: For my usual light natural makeup routine, I start with Supergoop! Glow Primer followed by Dior’s Forever Skin Glow Foundation, the Dior Forever Skin Correct Concealer, and Nars’ Bronzer for light contour on cheekbones and jawline and on the crease of my eyelid.
Step 4: For my brows, I like to use Anastasia Clear Brow Gel to tame my eyebrows then Nars blush. I am obsessed with Nude Stix Nudies Glow for the perfect summer glow I swipe over my cheekbones and cupids bow.
Step 5: I finish with either Dior lip oil or for color I add Nude Stix Nudies Bloom or any of my favorite lipsticks or glosses.
What’s your go to Showpo outfit for lunch with the girls this summer?
Definitely a cute dress or set with fun colorful heels and a colorful bag! Summer 2022 is all about color!
What are your favorite stores to shop, in store & online?
Ahhhh, where do I even start?? My favorite large retailers right now are probably Net-A-Porter, Farfetch, Revolve and FWRD, Moda Operandi, Saks, and Intermix. My favorite small/local retailer is Frankie Miami.
How did you develop the career you have today? What tips & tricks can you extend to someone aspiring to have a career like your own?
At the end of the day, I’ve found my success lies in my dedication and determination, never taking no for an answer. Go with your gut and follow your heart always! In regards to careers, make sure you do what you love, as the work you put in usually directly correlates with what you’ll get out. Being independent/self-employed, means you are your only boss and you need to push yourself because no one else will. Stay focused and disciplined. Stay focused on your independent journey/lane, don’t spend time comparing, and focus on you and your goals. Everybody’s path, timing, etc. is different. Take care of and support your fellow friends, entrepreneurs, and creators.
Who and what inspires you? Why?
My family and friends inspire me constantly. I’m very fortunate that I have many people in my life who are always reminding me what dedication, commitment, and a great work ethic looks like. I am endlessly inspired by nature, travel, music, adventure, and good vibes which fuels my creativity and the content I create!
A good book and/or TV show you read/watched recently?
Book-wise, I just finished The Seven Husbands of Evelen Hugo and WOW, it’s the best book I have read in a while! I highly recommend it. In terms of TV, Physical on Apple TV is back with season two and I love how it highlights a female and her business. It’s super funny and relatable!
What was your favorite part of the Modeliste getaway to Cabo Corazon?
My favorite part of the trip was definitely all the new friends I made! I feel like I made lifelong friends from this trip and loved being able to connect with people who all have similar passions, are so creative and talented, and I loved learning from them. I am so happy and grateful I was invited on the getaway, thank you so much Modeliste!
What’s a fun fact our Modeliste readers would be surprised to know about you?
Although my social media doesn’t really show it, people who know me say I am really funny and I am super easy to make fun of, as I am so extra sometimes it’s comical. Likewise, I’m very energetic, am easily approachable, and very easy to talk to. I have super open ears and I am always open to listen!
How do you hope to influence people through your social media platforms?
Both through socials and throughout my day-to-day life, I really hope and aim to spread love, kindness, and positivity through my life and platforms. I am a big advocate for spreading joy, empathy, and love wherever you go because you never know what someone is going through and how much a smile or compliment can do for another person. I hope I can help influence and aspire to contribute to a generation of love and kindness.
When’s the last time you cried happy tears?
At the launch of my swimwear capsule collection event with Cristalina and Capittana. I spent countless hours and many months developing the project from its (conceptual) ideation in Italy last summer to the designs and samples to finally shooting the campaign and hosting the launch event. It was such a joyous feeling of finally seeing a dream and vision come alive. And seeing all my friends and supporters wearing my bikinis was surreal! I’m very grateful for all who purchased!
What’s the craziest fan experience you’d ever had? What would you like to say to your fans?
Where do I even start? My fans and supporters mean everything to me and are a massive part of the reason I am able to experience incredible opportunities like talking with Modeliste today. I have had flowers and gifts sent to my office from fans which I love and it is super sweet. But the experience that stands out to me the most is probably when I was in Europe last summer and this group of teen girls who follow me spotted me in the airport in Spain. They asked for photos and then asked me to sign a few of their things. It was such a cool experience because I realized how international my community is and to meet them and talk to them was so fun! I love meeting fans in person! I would be nothing without the community we have built together and I am so thankful for all of you! One piece of advice I would give to all of my fans would be, you can be ANYTHING your heart desires! Don’t listen to anyone that tells you otherwise. Also, the middle and high school bullies are not forever, so just keep being YOU!
What would you title this chapter in your life?
Growth: I feel like this chapter in my life is all about growth, learning, and hard work. I have learned so much both in business and personally since moving to Miami in 2018, and I can’t wait to see where this chapter in my life takes me!
Are you working on any exciting projects you’d like to share?
So many new and exciting things are happening in the next few months! Some of the things I can share currently include:
I’m super excited to finally start posting on YouTube, as I really hope this will be a better way to engage with my supporters and community and better allow them to get to know me on a more personal level. I really hope to showcase more of who I am, my day to day life and travel, and various cool experiences I’m very fortunate to have. My team and I are also working on a big revamping and rebranding on all of my platforms, as well as the reintroduction of my old blog Vogue and Vegetables. It will include everything from lifestyle to fashion edits to healthy food and recipes, and so much more. Finally on the business side, I have a jewelry capsule collection in the works and am starting to develop my own elevated swim and resort wear line. Stay tuned!
