Your Name: Kim O’Neill
How many children do you have? 2, (Megan, who is eight; and, a boy, Flynn, who is nine.)
Your Business Name: Kim O’Neill
Brief Description of Your Business: I am a psychic channel, columnist, speaker, and author of Bond With Your Baby Before Birth (HCI, 2009); The Calling (Self-published, 2008), Discover Your Spiritual Destiny (HarperCollins, 1999), and How to Talk With Your Angels (HarperCollins, 1995)
When do you make time to run a business with your busy MOM schedule? Our home would be best described as organized chaos! After our son was born, my husband and I decided that it would be great for him to become a stay-at-home dad. Because I run so much of my business from home, it was going to allow both of us more time with our children. This was especially important to me because I became a first-time mom at 44, and then again at 45. My husband’s support at home has allowed me to begin my day at 4:00am writing my next book; then, I have a quick breakfast with the kids and help them get ready for school. Following that, I begin a series of hour-long private channeling sessions by phone. I also receive over 250 emails a day, which I answer personally; I write a monthly advice column called Ask Kim, and a monthly EMagazine Newsletter. I work until dinner, and then I help the children with their homework. I help them shower, and then I read them a story. This is my favorite time of the day, where we really reconnect and cuddle in bed with a good book. As much as I love my work, there is nothing as meaningful as playing with my babies…who are now almost as tall as I am! I realize that I’ll never have this time back again, and I appreciate every moment I have with my children…even when they’re bickering!
What is your favorite beauty tip? Before I had children, I used to exfoliate, accessorize, and I worked out like I was training for the Olympics to remain a size 2. Now, my philosophy is a bit more relaxed and practical: a twenty-minute workout, comfortable shoes, and I try to eat a balanced diet. (A girl can’t think straight if her feet hurt, or she’s hungry!) And, I don’t feel guilty if I’m a little naughty with my eating habits!
What did your mother teach you about beauty and fashion? My mother taught me that beauty radiates from the inside. We used to play “beauty parlor” when I was little, and she would do my nails and hair, and then we’d play dress-up. When I was sixteen, she took me to a professional make-up artist so that I could learn how to apply make-up on my own. She taught me to be happy with who I am; but, at the same time, to make the most of my potential.
What is your favorite outfit in your closet and why? My silk pajamas! I have them in different colors, and I wear the pajamas like a uniform every day while I work from home. They’re comfortable, luxurious, and machine washable.
What’s your favorite online site to shop for beauty or fashion? I love Kiehl’s products because they’re effective, made from pure ingredients…and they’re affordable! Plus, they offer free delivery and lots of generous samples. Kiehl’s also makes terrific baby products that I use on my kids. The adult’s super-rich body moisturizer, Creme de Corps, is absolutely dreamy, and makes an extraordinary gift for either men or women. Kiehl’s makes holidays shopping a breeze!
What motivates you to look your best? Thank God my husband likes the way I look naturally (or at least that what he tells me!), so I get dolled up only when I’m going to conduct a workshop, a book signing, or make a TV appearance. Since I work from home, I’d rather invest that grooming time with my children!
As a mom, “Me Time” is limited… what are your time saving beauty tips? I have developed a simple beauty routine that actually saves me 10-12 hours a week! I tweeze my eyebrows once a week; shave once a week; take a quick shower every day and then pull my hair into a ponytail; and, if I’m not seeing clients, I apply only blush and lipstick. I have also just discovered the joys of natural-looking solar nails which only require a one hour appointment once a month; my nails always look beautiful and I can fore-go a time-consuming weekly manicure.
Name one product you can’t live without: Besides hair color, it would have to be my Gentle Foaming Facial Cleanser from Kiehls.
Heels or flats? Describe your favorite pair. Flats! I have a pair of navy blue ballet flats that I wear with jeans, or with suits at full-day speaking events when I’m literally on my feet for ten-hour stretches. I don’t know what I’d do without them!
What has been your worst fashion faux pas? The outfit itself was a lovely, classic suit, but what happened one evening when I wore it was a disastrous, humiliating wardrobe malfunction! Years ago when I was still in corporate America, I was one of the only women attending a big business conference of male executives in ultra-conservative Houston, Texas, and I wanted to make a credible impression. When I stood in front of the big ballroom to make a speech, my skirt fell down around my ankles!
Lip gloss or Lip Stick? Do you have a favorite brand/color? I definitely prefer lipstick. I am very pale, so lip gloss alone makes me look like I have a tragic, wasting disease. My favorite is Estee Lauder long lasting lipstick in Nectarine. To maintain lipstick, I always apply foundation and loose powder to my lips first, followed by lip pencil, and then the lipstick right from the tube. (I don’t take the time to use a brush.) After about thirty minutes, I reapply the lipstick, and it stays perfectly for hours and hours.
Any additional comments on beauty and style you’d like to share: I’ve learned that beauty is reflected in the way a women feels about herself. One of my favorite stories revolves around a woman who was 75-ish, rather plain, and admittedly, a little overweight. Out having dinner with some girlfriends, she was waxing poetic about how sexy she was. One of her self-critical friends asked her why she thought so. The woman replied, “Well, when I take off my clothes and make love with my husband, I’m always the most beautiful women in the room!”
Editor’s Note: Thank you Kim for sharing! I love that Nectarine lip color! So rich! You have a wonderful, relaxed attitude that we should all reflect!
Readers, please take a peak at Kim’s new book, Bond with Your Baby Before Birth! It’s such a fun read for any expectant mom and it makes a fantastic shower gift!
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Nice to “meet” you, Kim! I love long-lasting lipstick too. I’ll have to try the Estee Lauder kind. Thus far, Revlon has been my favorite.