29 Dec 2021

2021, in 6 Minutes

It’s hard not to feel slightly emotional when looking back on 2021, right? I never felt like there was a separation between 2020 and 2021 – only two long years and as an individual incredibly stretched thin. I woke up this morning wondering if it wasn’t even necessary to have New Years resolutions. How can we set such goals when we don’t even know the state of the world in a week? In any case, I’m trying to remain hopeful. I always love these yearly recaps, but then I finish them feeling exhausted. Yes, I recognize that the video was also under 7 minutes.

24 Nov 2021

American Music Awards 2021 Red Carpet

Olivia Rodrigo in David Koma

For a solo artist, this was probably my favorite look of the night. Throughout this year and the release of “Sour,” Olivia has become sort of an icon for this generation. Having just snagged 7 Grammy nominations yesterday, it’s safe to say she’s going to have a long career ahead of her. This dress is fun, sparkly, and fitting for a new solo artist.

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08 Jun 2021

A First Look at Yeezy Gap

I didn’t really know what to expect when I learned about the Yeezy Gap collaboration, but we remained curious. To be honest, I actually forgot about this partnership until I saw this post today on [Fashionista] The fact that Yeezy Gap leans more to active wear isn’t all that surprising. I love this bright electric blue and while this puffer is unconventional, we don’t hate it. I’d love to see what this looks like after trying it on. For now, we’ve just got a glimpse of Kanye wearing it himself below:

30 May 2021

The Linda Lindas

We’ve been away from Yow Yow! for some time, but I promise this post was worth the wait! I got wind of The Linda Lindas recently when their performance spread across my Instagram stories. Intro’ing their song, they referenced a classmate of theirs who was both sexist and racist and if this wasn’t the theme song to all of our childhoods, I don’t know what is. In 2021, this is the energy that we aspire to have! Also, these young women have the coolness we all wish we had. Major props to them for this overly catchy track and may they continue to have a successful musical career. I heard this week they just got signed!

[Source]

17 May 2021

Bottlerock 2021

We are back to our regularly scheduled festival announcements again! While Bottlerock is historically in the springtime, they’ve rescheduled due to COVID to be at the end of summer instead. I’m not particularly excited about the headliners, but I miss concerts and festivals so much, I would consider buying a ticket. San Francisco festival goers will be thrilled to have Bottlerock and Outside Lands back to back in September and October. Locals will know that these tend to be our summer months anyways. Readers, do you feel comfortable yet attending large scale events like these? I’m curious to know! Luckily, we’re many months out until this event, but it feels like things are opening up safely again.

[Source]

17 May 2021

Beauty for Breakfast Pt. 39

If there’s anything that truly saved me during the pandemic it was the combination of Mighty Patch’s Micropoint for Dark Spots and Invisible+. My face wasn’t used to having a mask on along with everyone else! Essentially this further trapped the oils on our face underneath our pores, but once the maskne hit, I quickly found a solution. For years, I sampled different patch products never quite landing on a favorite. Along the way I learned about Hero Cosmetics and its founder, an Asian-American woman named Ju Rhyu. I did some internet research from their Instagram and reviews and found that products were easily purchasable through Amazon or at my local Target.

Within a couple of months, my maskne was clearing. For everyday use, Invisible+ is what I frequent the most. For the pesky ones, a combo of the two products works best. Sold at an affordable price point, I can’t say enough good things about Hero Cosmetics and it’s the one product I boast about the most. Plenty of product I’ve tried promise “invisibility,” but none quite like this. And if patches aren’t your thing, might I suggest using silk masks?

Hero Cosmetics is a brand I’m keeping my eye on. Since the release of the patches, it seems they’re exploring other avenues for skincare too!

16 May 2021

BHLDN x Free People Bridesmaids

Given how long these two have been under the same parent company, I’m surprised by how long it took for this collaboration to come together. What I’m not surprised about however is their powers combined to create a magnificent and whimsical collection. It embodies qualities that belong to both brands – the elegance of BHLDN and free-spiritedness of Free People. As I begin to rack up weddings in 2021, I’ve started to think about how these collections have evolved. And given the overlap in the two brands, it has the potential to be wildly successful!

The collection was released May 10th and will range in pricing from $168-$398.

Here are just a few of my favorite looks and colorways:

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16 May 2021

Moving Forward + Mask Wearing

Even as the country started re-opening, I never rushed to be first in line for anything. Whether it was outdoor or indoor dining, I was fine waiting until I was comfortable to take that next step. The CDC has been rather inconsistent so when they announced that fully vaccinated people can go without a mask, I had reservations. Retailers I follow on Instagram quickly came out with their own post that they still require masks indoors. Clearly, not everyone was comfortable with this change.

When asked how this would be enforced or verified, responses were “it’s an honesty policy.” Doesn’t it remind you of how individuals who committed anti-Asian hate crimes said it wasn’t racially motivated and people accepted that? When has an honesty policy ever worked? A rebuttal is that despite being vaccinated and continuing to wear masks, it signals that there’s something to be concerned about. I’ve learned from this whole process that no one will ever be on the same timeline. After traveling in Asia the last few years, I’ve observed that mask wearing is normalized as part of the culture. It signifies that one is being courteous to others or even protecting those around them. A friend mentioned to me that Americans sees masks as something to be cautious of. In television and movies, we see villains and robbers wearing masks to conceal themselves because they have something to hide.

You’re either up to no good or you feel like a piece of cloth is infringing on your freedom and rights. As we move forward, my concern is that because many Asians don’t find it discomforting to wear, they will continue to do so. It’s the kind of behavior that might continue to trigger the anti-Asian hate crime that we’ve been hearing about. And that brings this full circle to what we’ve seen in the last year. People don’t like to be told what to do. They want to be in control and they want those around them to behave the same way as they do. It’s never ending, isn’t it?