Tag Archives: f a s h i o n .

lipstick on your collar.

I am obsessed with lipstick.

I love lip products. I once became familiar with every drugstore lip product several years back. Whether it’s a liquid lip or a bullet, glossy, matte, or velvet, or a nice lip balm or a stain, I am constantly looking for new and better products that are both smudge-proof and kiss-proof.

I usually like to experiment with bold reds and deep purples. Sometimes, blues, greys, and browns make intriguing lip shades during the fall and winter months.

I definitely love an edgy look.

Currently, my favourite lip product is the DisneyxTHEFACESHOP watery lip tint collaboration. I use the shade #4 Red. Unfortunately, this product is no longer available, but it just the perfect shade of red. It smells like candy and leaves a slight stain, but needs to be reapplied after eating. It’s not the perfect lip product, but it isn’t terrible either.

My top two brands would have to be NYX and Etude House.

You can never go wrong with a bold, matte lip from NYX or a pretty, rose colour from Etude House.

A tip?

If you have several different shades of lipstick and you’re out shopping and you see a colour that you really love, don’t buy it because it’s very likely that you already have something similar.

top 5: 2020 holy grail skincare.

In no particular order, my top five holy grail skincare products of 2020 are:

  1. THE FACE SHOP Jeju Aloe Fresh Soothing Gel
  2. COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence
  3. COSRX AHA 7 Whitehead Power Liquid
  4. MISSHA Super Aqua Cell Renew Snail Cream
  5. Burt’s Bees Moisturizing Lip Balm

As somebody who has suffered from years of eczema and terrible acne, some of these products have truly been life changing.

  1. THE FACE SHOP Jeju Aloe Fresh Soothing Gel

I have been using the aloe vera gel from The Face Shop for just about a year and a half now. It claims to use 99% aloe vera in its product. Whether or not that is true, I cannot say, but I used to get extremely red patches on my face from who even knows what. It just happened. Even when I had outgrown the eczema and acne on my face, it just happened. Though I’ve seen many dermatologists over nearly 20 years for eczema, I never managed to find a solution for the aftermath: my blushing, hot red tomato face. The Face Shop’s aloe vera gel is the single product that has managed to calm any irritation and inflammation. This is a product that I will likely be using for the rest of my life.

2. COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence

Cosrx also makes wonderful skincare products! The two that I use are the snail and whitehead essences. The snail essence is gooey when applied and leaves my face shiny no matter how much powder I apply, so I use it during my night routine, but it is so moisturizing and does wonders for my skin.

3. COSRX AHA 7 Whitehead Power Liquid

The game changer, though, is the whitehead product, which supposedly exfoliates the skin by melting away dead skin cells. I didn’t believe this when I read the reviews, but it had so many amazing reviews from so many different people that I had to give it a try. I was skeptical when I tried it. I didn’t notice much difference at first, to be honest, but given a couple more days, my skin was so much softer and smoother. I don’t believe it’s actually meant for daily use, but my skin needs it daily. Too much of this product may cause irritation, but that just means using it less often. It’s not expensive, and if I had to pick one out of all of the products listed here, I would choose this essence.

4. MISSHA Super Aqua Cell Renew Snail Cream

The snail renew cream is a little more on the pricey end. It comes in quite a pleasing jar and it is extremely light and has a rather faint, sweet scent. I love this cream for daytime use as my skin is very oily. I can use a little bit more when needed, but just enough on those extra oily days. I haven’t been able to tell a difference in the texture of my skin, but it is a decent daily moisturizer.

5. Burt’s Bees Moisturizing Lip Balm

And of course, Burt’s Bees has some of the best lip balms out there.

I get super dry and chapped lips year round. Burt’s Bees has kept this from happening all year. I don’t have much to say about this product. It’s great. I’ve tested it and I will vouch for it. It comes in different flavours and different colours, for those who enjoy a slightly tinted balm or want something a little bit fun. It’s 100% natural, and although it is not a vegan product, they do not test on animals.

2020 has been a hectic year, but that doesn’t mean your skin needs to suffer as well!

another piercing?

My ears have been pierced since I was three years old.

That’s a long time ago, right?

I remember getting my ears pierced. I remember the day. I remember the place. I remember who I was with. I remember what the weather was like. I even remember people that I saw that day.

I got them pierced at Claire’s Accessories.

However, as a brief disclaimer, I do not condone Claire’s ear or nose piercings. I do not agree with piercings at the mall. I do not agree with piercing guns. Piercing guns are plastic and they cannot be sterilized meaning the piercings carry bacteria from every single person who has previously gotten a piercing using that gun. Piercing guns also use butterfly clip jewellery, which are terrible quality. The jewellery is forced into the ear, breaking the skin with blunt trauma. The piercers are also untrained and unqualified for this particular job.

Please see a professional piercer at a tattoo and piercing shop. Please take your children to see a professional piercer. It may cost slightly more, but it is so much better for your ears.

Thank you for listening to my safety spiel.

When I was sixteen, I decided I wanted to stretch my ears.

Of course, I was young. I was stupid. I was sixteen and eager to stretch my ears as fast as possible because I was impatient and my friend was doing it with me. My ears went through a lot of unnecessary pain, and fortunately (and very luckily), I did not end up with a blowout.

I stretched my ears to 0g or 8mm in the span of a couple of months.

And they stayed at this size for the next eight years.

About two years ago, I decided that I wanted to stretch my ears to 00g. That’s 10mm or one size up. I barely noticed the difference. It suddenly brought me back to high school when I was stretching my ears for the very first time. It became addicting. The jewellery, plugs and tunnels, are so detailed and breathtaking, at 14mm that I sized up another 4mm before I decided to stop.

And then I downsized.

I went back down to 10mm for a year when I was teaching in Korea, but I was so unhappy with it that I stretched back up. I used unsafe methods with masking tape and caused myself some problems, which in turn, caused me to downsize once more. I waited until I was home from Korea to begin my stretching journey for the fourth time.

But my ears are now at a happy 14mm.

I honestly have such a beautiful, extensive collection of plugs and tunnels.

Though some may not find it attractive and some may think it’s extreme or unfashionable, it’s become a large part of my identity as a fashion lover.

I would never want to give up my ears for anything.

i’m a bookworm.

For those who don’t already know, I’m quite an avid reader.

I love reading.

I love learning.

I love books.

I love the way they look. I love the way they feel. I love the touch of the crisp, new pages and the distinct smell of a well-loved novel.

I really love everything about them.

Could I argue that fashion books make books even better?

Maybe.

Maybe not.

I have to admit that I love a good novel more than anything, but fashion books are a close second… or third.

I don’t have many, myself, but I do own two very special ones written and illustrated by Megan Hess. She has published the most stunning books, inside and out, that I have ever had the pleasure of owning. I intend to collect the rest of her work, and hopefully, create a small fashion section in my future library.

I can’t wait to read them.

The thing about fashion books is that, just like the clothes themselves, the books are also, more often than not, beautifully designed and illustrated. Every part of a fashion publication screams magnificence and glamour. They’re great reads for anyone who loves fashion as I do and they make charming coffee table books.

What’s not to love about fashion books?