Hey, everybody! Now that 6* months have gone by, it's time to do my midpoint check-in for my 2023 low buy.
Back in February, I posted my plans for my 2nd annual makeup, nail polish, and clothing low buy to help myself engage in more conscious consumption. Just as I did halfway through 2022, I'll be updating you all today on how my low buy is going, what I've purchased so far, and any miscellaneous thoughts I've had. *Note: this blog post is late -- I meant to get it out at the beginning of July to truly be a midpoint check-in, but life just happened to be lifeing harder than expected. However, I'll still only be talking about any purchases from up until the end of June.
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I feel like I have my fall/winter style down pretty pat. Plaid trousers, corduroy pants, and turtlenecks layered under oversized knits are everyday staples for me, and I've got quite a distinct LookTM in the colder months.
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the warmer months. I often joke that I am fall/winter academia and spring/summer cottagecore, but to be completely honest, that's not 100% accurate. Despite the fact that I for sure have *more* summer clothes by gross number of pieces, the truth is that my summer style is not nearly as developed as my winter style. It's been a struggle to figure out both A) simply how I want to dress, and B) how I can achieve that IRL in a way that I'm happy with and feels truly expressive of me. If I had to guess the reason for this discrepancy, I'd give two reasons:
As I've realized my own dissatisfaction, I've become determined to very consciously develop my summer style. Today, I'll be going through my inspiration and how I'm translating that inspiration into actionable steps (what items to buy, styling, etc.). Welcome to academia-retro-adventure-princess-storybook-cottgage-Hobbitcore, baby. 5/29/2023 0 Comments 8 Makeup & Fashion Creators to Follow this Asian & Pacific American Heritage Month (and Also Every Month Ever because They’re Cool)
As the best month of the year (Asian & Pacific American Heritage Month, of course) comes to a close, I want to highlight some awesome Asian creators in the makeup + fashion spaces that I personally follow and enjoy. Most grew up and live in the United States, but they come from and live in a variety of countries across the world.
Of course, this is absolutely a non-exhaustive list, and there are SO many other people I could feature. It was really tough to narrow it down! I ended up settling on 8 because 8 is a lucky number in Chinese culture, so I guess it's fitting haha? The first 4 are beauty accounts, and the latter 4 are fashion accounts. Otherwise, this list is ordered arbitrarily because all these people are equally fabulous. For each creator, I give:
Look out for the accompanying Instagram Reel! 3/31/2023 0 Comments Mutually Creative: Kelly, AKA @ratboar -- Indie Eyeshadow, #HueFixation, and More
It's a rat! It's a boar! It's @ratboar!
Similarly to @watermelonflesh, Kelly of @ratboar is someone I've known through a makeup Discord for about 4 years now. She's a real quirky person with a great love for dimensional, shifty indie eyeshadows -- which I can wholeheartedly relate to. She hates getting pinged on Discord and people who are overly judgmental about makeup, but she sure loves blursed memes and scrumptious macro shots that show off every delicious bit of sparkle. While I've followed her Instagram account for even longer than I've had my own beauty account, in just the past couple of months, she's really elevated her content so much, and that has been so incredible to witness. Out of my mutuals, I often find her makeup looks to be the most "relatably"/realistically aspirational for me, especially as my collection and interest in makeup are heading more and more into those sporkly indie multichromes. We both have a tendency to do that same ol' reliable eyeshadow shape -- a gradient of mattes in the crease with a tasty shimmer all over the lid -- just in different color combos. Over Zoom, we talked about her experience getting into indie eyeshadows, the state of the indie makeup industry, reactions she's gotten as a Korean American, and her newly-created #HueFixation open makeup collab on Instagram. In this new series, I interview one of my internet mutuals about their makeup, fashion, or whatever cool, creative thing it is that they do. While some of them may consider themselves to be "influencers," many of them are everyday people who happen to have a skill and a hobby with a platform. However they self-identify, let's dig a little deeper into their creativity and style in "Mutually Creative."
The ultimate follower of fruit, the connoisseur of crimson, the obsessor of the orb with a passion for the produce: Madame @watermelonflesh herself.
We first "met" through a makeup Discord server about 4 years ago, close to when I had just gotten into makeup as a hobby. She was one of the people who inspired me to create the @glowymino account in the first place at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic; just like @tastefulcringe, she's one of the few makeup people I also follow on my personal Instagram. She's seen me through my makeup growing pains, developing my Instagram/blog, and even multiple boyfriends. At the beginning of my account, we actually did a watermelon-themed makeup collab together. While people often describe makeup as a creative medium, her makeup looks are LITERALLY art. She legit draws/paints on her face using makeup, and she can get inspired by pretty much anything and everything and turn it into a museum-worthy masterpiece on her eyeballs. Her cut creases are impeccable; the precise liner work in her graphic looks could make a grown man weep. She also doesn't limit herself to just her eyes, often extending her canvas across her forehead, nose, cheeks, and lips. Via Discord DMs, I asked about her artistic journey, painting your flesh (AKA doing creative, unconventional makeup), and the climate of the beauty community across international social media platforms. In 2022, I made a low buy for myself to control my beauty (makeup, skincare, and nail polish) and clothing spending. After that experience, I’m instating another low buy for 2023! This time around, I’ll be focusing just on makeup, nail polish, and clothing (no skincare). Today, I’ll be going through my why, along with my rules for each category.
Can you believe we're already in 2023? Well, call me Ripley because it's here whether you believe it or not!
With the end of 2022 also comes the end of my first-ever beauty and clothing low buy. I started this in February as a way to intentionally curb my spending and be more intentional about what I buy. I posted my plans/intro post in February, and my midpoint check-in came in July. As of July, I was doing really well within my criteria, and I was actually way below my set purchasing limits. Now that we're here at the year-end (actually 11-month) finale, let's see how my makeup, skincare, nail polish, and clothing low buy actually went!
Another year has passed, and it's time for a yearly favorites post! Both in my general life and my beauty consumption, 2022 brought some old, some new. Read on to see what stood out for me in the worlds of makeup, skincare, and nail polish this past year.
As many of you know, I am currently a college student. I've spent multiple semesters living in on-campus housing -- including in a dorm room with a roommate. The summer before I started university, I watched so many YouTube videos and literally spent weeks trying to figure out how best to store my makeup collection in my college dorm room, but there honestly aren't a whole lot of resources out there created by actual college students. Especially as a huge makeup hobbyist, I wanted to provide this guide drawing from my personal experiences.
7/14/2022 0 Comments Mutually Creative: @ellessentially_ -- Playfulness in Beauty, Content Creator vs. Influencer, and (Content Creators’) Workers’ RightsIn this new series, I interview one of my internet mutuals about their makeup, fashion, or whatever cool, creative thing it is that they do. While some of them may consider themselves to be "influencers," many of them are everyday people who happen to have a skill and a hobby with a platform. However they self-identify, let's dig a little deeper into their creativity and style in "Mutually Creative."
Out of all my Instagram mutuals, Elle of @ellesentially_ is one of the most "professional" as a content creator. With an impressive resume of beauty brand partnerships including Glow Recipe (skincare), Cirque Colors (nail polish), and L.A. Girl Cosmetics (makeup), she has built up a portfolio of work which she was actually paid real, American dollars to produce -- because exposure does not pay Sallie Mae.
Elle is probably best recognized for her macro shots and satisfying texture close-ups, but I also know her as someone who advocates for fair treatment of creators from beauty brands. Every so often, she will post on her IG story the exact rate information she sends to brands, putting on for public display the exact dollar amount she charges for content. From across the country via Zoom, we talked about being playful with beauty and beauty content, the role of content creators in marketing and consumerism, and her efforts in trying to get paid fairly by brands for her work. |
about @glowyminoI have dry skin and very dry and textured lips. I also have a medium-light skintone (somewhere in the realm of NC25-30) with strong warm yellow/olive undertones. I have a tendency to prefer a glowy, lightweight base and color cosmetics in shades of a warm undertone. Read more about me in the about page! Archives
July 2023
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