Quick answer: In this Fierce Aging episode, fashion and lifestyle creator Karina shares her breast cancer journey in her own words — a lump she found herself at 39, a mastectomy and reconstruction in 2018, five years cancer-free, and then the news that it had spread to her bones as stage 4. As they talk, Nikol gives Karina a soft, natural makeover using an eye primer, the Strong Brew palette, BB Cream, concealer, Nikita Banana powder and the 1975 lipstick. It is part testimony, part gentle tutorial.
Key takeaways
- Karina is a fashion and lifestyle creator (Karina Style Diaries) and host of the Karina Faith Diaries podcast — Nikol's youngest Fierce Aging guest at 45.
- She first felt a lump herself in the shower at 39; trusting that instinct and getting it checked quickly mattered.
- Five years after being told she was cancer-free, a scan showed the cancer had spread to her bones — she now lives with a stage 4 diagnosis while continuing to work, travel and ski.
- Her faith and her "find joy in today" mindset are the heart of the conversation.
- The makeover is deliberately soft and natural — Nikol lets Karina's real skin show through instead of masking it.
Hey ladies — this is one of the most personal episodes we have filmed in the Fierce Aging series. Nikol sits down with Karina, a fashion and lifestyle creator, who opens up about her cancer journey while Nikol quietly builds a fresh, natural look. If you have followed Karina or you are walking a hard road of your own, grab some tissues — and then stay for the makeup.
Who is Karina, and what is the Fierce Aging series?
Karina is a fashion and lifestyle content creator behind the blog Karina Style Diaries, best known on Instagram for her mix of high and low style — designer shoes and bags alongside affordable finds. She started blogging in 2012 and went full-time in 2018. She recently launched a podcast, the Karina Faith Diaries, releasing new episodes every Thursday on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube.
Fierce Aging is Nikol's interview-and-makeover series celebrating women of every age — from her 40s all the way to a guest who was 101. At 45, Karina is Nikol's youngest guest so far, which brings a fresh perspective: we can learn from our elders, and also from someone earlier in her journey.
What diagnosis did Karina not see coming?
Just a month after committing to content creation full-time, Karina felt a lump in the shower at age 39. A self-exam turned up another one with harder, uneven edges. She almost brushed it off, but a nudge from her husband sent her to get checked. The exam and biopsy moved fast, and the results came back two days later: breast cancer.
She had a mastectomy on July 5, 2018, followed by reconstruction with expanders, with her final surgery in November 2018. Because her cancer was estrogen- and progesterone-positive, she did blood work every few months and yearly check-ins over a five-year monitoring window. In 2023 she reached the five-year mark and was told she was cancer-free.
A month later, a new pain in her hip led to a CT scan in the ER. That is when she learned the cancer had metastasized to her bones — a stage 4 diagnosis she truly did not see coming. Throughout it all she has documented her story openly, so other women going through the same thing feel less alone.
A gentle note: this is Karina's personal health experience, shared in her own words to encourage others — it is not medical advice. If you notice a change like a lump or new pain, or you have questions about screening or treatment, please talk with a qualified healthcare professional about your own situation.
How does Karina live with a stage 4 diagnosis?
Karina credits her faith for the joy she has found, and says she tries not to "go there" worrying about a future no one can predict. Instead she focuses on living her best life right now — traveling, skiing, and not sweating the small stuff. She started the Karina Faith Diaries podcast after finding so much hope in Christian and testimonial podcasts herself; her goal is simply to encourage other people through their own hard seasons. If you would like to follow along, look for the Karina Faith Diaries on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube, and Karina Style Diaries on Instagram.
What are the steps in Karina's soft, fresh makeover?
Nikol keeps this one deliberately light so the focus stays on Karina — a little different from Karina's usual matte, bronzed look. Here is the order Nikol followed on camera:
- Prep the skin. Nikol starts with a newly launched cooling eye roller under the eyes (soothing after an emotional chat), then finishes skincare with an SPF 30 firming day lotion.
- Prime the lids. Using the vegan essential makeup brush kit and an angled concealer brush, she works the Eye Primer from the lash base up to the brow bone. It neutralizes the blues and grays that show on the lid as we age and helps shadow grip and last all day — a first for Karina, who had never used one.
- Build the eyes. With a flat shadow brush she lays the middle shade of the matte, talc-free Strong Brew palette across the lid, adds the bone shade as a brow highlight, then uses a short smudge "eraser" brush to shape a soft, lifted three-quarter wing. She defines the lash line with a dark chocolate waterproof eyeliner, cleans up with Almay pads, and coats lashes with the volume-up mascara.
- Add a little sheen and lashes. A touch of the shimmery Bottle Blonde palette pops the center of the lid, and a cut-down section of Ardell Naked Lashes (424) creates a winged, cat-eye finish without a full strip.
- Even the complexion. After a rose lip balm to hydrate, Nikol uses the Just Peachy color corrector on under-eye grays and pigmentation, then Creamy Concealer in light, airbrushed in with the angled brush.
- Tone with BB Cream. She buffs on the lightweight, fragrance-free BB Cream (light and medium with a drop of tan), letting Karina's real skin show through rather than masking it.
- Set and glow. A press of talc-free Nikita Banana brightening powder sets the concealer and BB Cream, then the Beach Glow palette (blush, highlighter and bronzer in one compact) warms the cheeks.
- Brows and lips. Nikol shapes Karina's brows with the Brownie skinny brow pencil and Milk Chocolate brow mascara, lines with the Cameo waterproof lip liner, and finishes with the warm, confident 1975 lipstick topped with Coco 13 gloss. A spritz of rose face mist ends the look.
The reveal is softer and less bronzed than Karina's signature style — closer to her true skin tone — and she loved the blush and lip color.
The bottom line
This episode is a reminder that strength and beauty are not diminished by hardship — they are revealed by it. Thank you to Karina for sharing her story so openly, and be sure to follow the Karina Faith Diaries podcast to hear more in her own words. Ready to recreate this soft, natural look? Explore our makeup collection, the face edit for that skin-through complexion, and eyes for the primer, palettes and liner Nikol used here.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Nikol's Fierce Aging series?
Fierce Aging is Nikol Johnson's interview and makeover series celebrating women of every age — from her 40s through a guest who was 101. Each episode pairs an honest conversation about life, resilience and beauty with a soft, natural makeover, keeping the focus on the woman in the chair rather than a heavy transformation.
Who is Karina and where can I follow her?
Karina is a fashion and lifestyle content creator behind the blog Karina Style Diaries, mainly active on Instagram. She also hosts the Karina Faith Diaries podcast, which releases new episodes every Thursday on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube, where she shares encouraging conversations about faith and overcoming life's challenges.
What makeup did Nikol use on Karina?
Nikol built a soft look using an Eye Primer, the matte Strong Brew palette, a dark chocolate eyeliner and volumizing mascara, then complexion with Just Peachy color corrector, Creamy Concealer, BB Cream set with Nikita Banana brightening powder, the Beach Glow palette for cheeks, brow products, and the 1975 lipstick topped with gloss.
Why choose a BB cream instead of full-coverage foundation?
Nikol picked the lightweight BB Cream so Karina's real skin still shows through. Rather than masking every freckle or bit of pigmentation, she used a color corrector and concealer only where needed. The result looks like living skin instead of a flat, heavy mask — exactly the natural, age-celebrating finish she was going for.
What does an eye primer actually do?
An eye primer preps the lid so eyeshadow grips and lasts through a long day without creasing or fading. Nikol also uses it to neutralize the blue and gray tones that can show on the lid as we age, so shadow reads truer to the colors in the pan. It was brand new to Karina.
Is this health information medical advice?
No. Karina shares her personal cancer experience in her own words to encourage others, and nothing here is medical advice. If you notice a change like a lump or new pain, or you have questions about screening and treatment, please speak with a qualified healthcare professional about your own situation.
