Since the pandemic started, I’ve had to reconsider many factors in my life. One of those things is where I choose to spend my money. Through the Black Lives Matter movement, retailers such as Reformation and Everlane were being outed for not being as ethical in the treatment of their employees. Former employees began speaking out against hypocritical statements being made by brands on social. If brands were able to make a commitment like this, why couldn’t they do the same for their own team members, people asked.
During my visit to Nordstrom, I spotted this beautiful yellow dress by Reformation. Aside from it being full-price, I felt like I couldn’t make the purchase because of the heat that was on them from earlier this summer. Their CEO, Yael Aflalo, had been accused of a number of racist incidents by former employees. In June, the accusations, which prompted an apology were still not enough and led to her stepping down as CEO. Brands speak louder than ever and in a way, so does our loyalty to them.
When I brought the dress in question up to my saleswoman, she suggested, “You could cut the label off?” True, but I would always know deep down where this dress came from. Reformation dresses aren’t that hard to spot either. When you’re a teenager, these things don’t matter as much. However, as adults, we make a deliberate choice. I didn’t feel good buying something from a brand that I felt was tarnished. I felt unhappy about buying from a brand that does not believe in ethical practices. Thus, I have decided that as a responsible consumer and a human being I would not buy from brands that may lack Ethical certification to prove that they treat their employees fairly and don’t resort to harmful methods of production.
Yes, I know this decision can throw me many challenges–I might have limited options. But that is alright! Though I don’t know how far I’m willing to take this quite yet, I can admit that things don’t feel the same and I am willing to make a small change. Anyway, to add fuel to the fire, Glossier, is now under fire.
But, what is it exactly? This week, Glossier announced via Instagram that they will be debuting “Glossier Play” next month. When you press the arrow, you might expect a video of some sort, but instead it’s their rotating icon on repeat. Honestly, we don’t know too much about what this new brand means for them or how it intertwines with their current beauty brand. What we do know is that Emily Weiss and team have been working on this for the last two years.
Jumping into this post, I thought that I wouldn’t have that much to share, but we’ve actually added quite a few products to our rotation in 2018. Generally, I’m loyal to products and brands though so the ones that I use, well – it’s for forever-ever. What I was hoping to try in 2018 was learning about newer brands like [Drunk Elephant], [Sunday Riley] or even [Fenty]. Ultimately, I discovered the brands that I liked and continued to buy more from them. Last year’s [post] had us claiming that in the new year we’d live with less. That resolution went down the drain fast. When I think of my spending habits, I don’t feel like it all went to beauty products. I think we latched onto some pretty good ones and we’ve been “conservative” with our usage so much that they’ll last the full year.
Honestly, I don’t love this product, but what do we call it when we still continue to use it daily? My biggest qualm with it is the application. I love chapsticks and lip balms that allow me to use the tube to directly apply, but when I try with Balm Dotcom, I end up getting the stuff on the sides (messy!) and hurting my lips. As a result, I have to apply with my finger. That being said, the one element that gives this product a leg up on my vaseline is the color. The rosy red is perfection and is a great top coat for my vaseline. What can we say? We love and we hate our products at the same time.
I was crushed when my Clinique lotion was confiscated by TSA exactly a year ago at the Airport. I had just began using it, but already knew that it was going to be a favorite of mine. Returning home, I was ready to purchase myself a replacement. It was after New Years and I was cleaning out products at the start of the year when I stumbled across this Missioni Perfumed Body Lotion lodged in the very back of my cabinet still in the box. How did this go unnoticed for so long? The packaging itself would make for a great decor piece. Maybe the lotion company would have sourced such beautiful product bokes from a cosmetic wholesale packaging firm that specializes in making them. Apart from that, the fragrance of the lotion is heavenly. It’s not the same consistency as my previous Clinique lotion because this one actually feels like a lotion, which is okay with us. The fragrance is sweet, but not strong or overpowering and doubles as a replacement for perfume.
I received this in a package from bareMinerals and while I’ve never had severe acne that needed treatment, I do get the monthly breakout – I have friends who have bad breakouts and use Private label cosmetics products infused with CBD which they claim have been effective in calming their inflammation down. This feels so gentle on my skin and when running with water, forms into a small lather. I typically like to make sure my face is wet first before using a quarter-sized dollop into my hand and massaging it into my face. It’s great for those moments when I feel something brewing on my face, but I’ve also started to use it as my nightly face wash.
Last year, I was introduced to Glossier’s Boy Brow and just started doing anything with my brows at all. While getting my makeup done for a holiday party, I was introduced to Benefit’s ka-BROW! line. Boy Brow’s gel was new to me and at the time, all that I thought I needed. While the product “helps” to fill, it doesn’t actually. It’s a great product for days when I wear my makeup more naturally. However, for days where I haven’t gotten my brows threaded in awhile, I turn to Benefit. Using the brush that doubles as its cap, I can pick up pieces of the cream gel and fill in in a natural way. What I loved was how easy the application was. It made a huge difference in return for time in my beauty routine. Honestly, when I first looked at the packaging of Benefit’s ka-BROW!, I was instantly impressed and thought that I would definitely give it a try. I was enchanted by the packaging being done with all the photos showing how the product can be used in different situations to create a completely different look. Usually, the “how to use” part is written in the back, but this brand defies that rule for good. I think that they have taken the help of professional packaging firms (who could be found with the help of companies like Impacked). In a nutshell, the packaging, as well as the effectiveness of the brow gel, is equally good– it is a win-win situation for the brand.
There are quite a few variations of this currently out, but I’m partial to these since they were my first! I actually wrote about these earlier this year so I’ll save you some time by directing you [here]. Acne and breakouts are the worst, but why does there have to be so many different kinds of it? Along with that are different kinds of way to treat them. I’m prone to getting breakouts underneath the skin which I’m not sure if that’s worse, but it means that they last much longer than the average. These covers have been great when I’m in a pinch and even though it’s a little gross, you have to admit seeing the results the next morning are somewhat satisfying.
We haven’t even hit Christmas yet, but I thought I would get a head start on some of the roundup posts I usually save for closer to New Year’s. My first thought when I saw this was that these aren’t even my favorite outfits! Like last year, this year’s current nine is outfit heavy. My first observation is that we’ve included two selfies from when I’ve tried on clothes at Aritzia. For years, I’ve read articles where selfies tend to do very well on Instagram or on dating profiles and I never could wrap my head around this. I prefer non-selfie photos of those I follow on Instagram way more than selfies, but what do you know – the data has spoken.
Another photo in this mix – smack dab in the center – wasn’t even taken in 2018. That’s simply a reminder to myself to make sure I’m posting with a relevant time period! And if I had to pick a favorite, well, I think y’all know. It’s obviously the one where my prop is a Taco Bell bag and my literal lunch for that day.
Earlier this week, the cult beauty brand announced that they were opening up shop in Los Angeles. Glossier is expanding…and fast! Already an icon in New York City, just a little over a month ago or so, Glossier took over one of my favorite sandwich shops in the Mission to make it’s own pop-up. I went there last week and it was madness. However, more on that later. Having raised just $52 million back in February for their Series C, it seems as though the brand is using this funding to expand out further not only in new products, but in brick-and-mortar spaces. This will be their 2nd permanent location after their one in New York City and it is slated to open this coming May.
2017 felt like the year that I was not only collecting products, but educating myself on them more than average. I was constantly talking with my friends about what they were using and getting feedback via Instagram and Instagram Stories on what was working and what wasn’t. In 2018, my hope is that I do the opposite. I learn to live with less! How can I become more creative and resourceful with what I already have to avoid spending more money – another New Year’s resolution that we’ll get to soon? One thing that I learned about myself this year is that I no longer need to have a facial once a season. I used to convince myself that this was what I needed because seasons in the Bay Area were so harsh on my skin and so different that I needed to restart and refresh my routine with a facial. Turns out, I was lying to myself and didn’t need it and making excuses. You can create your own facials at home and you can moisturize and exfoliate your skin without breaking the bank. My favorite products in 2017 did JUST that. They looked like they could’ve been more high-end, but were affordable and did the job and more.
2017 was the year that I discovered that I could do something with my eyebrows! While services like Vancouver Microblading are available readily in various beauty clinics, I wanted something temporary. I don’t know what took us so long, but just like everyone says, Boy Brow really is a game changer. A few swipes of this across my brows keeps everything together and more importantly, natural looking. I also learned how to fill in my own eyebrows this year as well, but it’s not something that I feel like I can pull off as an everyday look rather than more of a day to night. Boy Brow gives me that everyday feel, but also cuts down on my getting ready time. For $16, you’ll be happy with this purchase, I promise.
We don’t always time these posts with the end of the year, but it feels good, doesn’t it? Even as I search for photos it’s nice to be able to put something together that wraps up the end of the year and my feelings towards a new year. The start of this post doesn’t look anything like the end of this post, which I think is pretty different for a change. You can definitely tell that I’m feeling some sort of way by the end of this. What is it exactly? That I’m holding on to millennial pink? That I’ve got a love inanimate objects? Those things, but maybe a couple of other things that aren’t so obvious.
Is it silly that we feel a little bit sad that we no longer get to anticipate “getting ready for the start of school?” I used to scramble to the mailbox waiting for that piece of mail that told me all of the things I needed to buy for the school year back when I was in elementary. As the years went on, you were getting more sophisticated products like a larger 3-ring binder and switching out crayons for colored pencils. In college, I couldn’t wait to move back into my dorm room or check in with all of my friends to see when they’d be returning from summer vacay and were back in Seattle. It has been six years since I’ve had to do this for myself, but I can’t wait to someday be doing this with my own kids. This year, September is kind of like “whatever” for us. Labor Day Weekend means I get to go back to work on a Tuesday, but I won’t be putting my white pieces in storage just yet. Hello – there is such a thing as winter white. The fact that I don’t have to buy a new wardrobe for the start of the school year means I get to save a little bit of my own money, but I’m putting that towards a new coat living in San Francisco this year. August was so good to us. I’ve officially spent one month in the city and I ventured back home to experience a little bit of the Seattle summer before it left us. Let’s get into our monthly favorites!
Favorite TV Show – Siesta Key
MTV claims that this is the “new” Laguna Beach, but these kids can never replace our beloved LC, Stephen and Kristin. I had my doubts when I heard about the premiere of the show, but you can’t pass judgement until you’ve seen the first episode. I know that this isn’t nice to say, but I cannot tell the girls in this show apart for the life of me. Also, it seems as if the guys in the series, unfortunately, can’t complete a full sentence. It’s a rough life over there in Siesta Key, but it makes for great television. How these guys have so much drama in one summer away from college is beyond me, but that’s why people like me love a series like this so much. It’s not actually a true reality. Don’t knock it until you try it though despite how I’m writing about this show. In fact, my co-worker and I love this so much, we’re considering doing an Instagram Live or a Podcast on our commentary. We wouldn’t be committing to this if we didn’t believe in it.
Favorite Album – Tyler the Creator – Flower Boy
We almost grazed right over this! A friend of mine told me to check it out because his sound was different than what we’ve heard in the past. I normally wouldn’t gravitate towards Tyler, but I found myself really enjoying “Flower Boy” for its laid back vibe. My favorites on the album are:
So it took me 27 years to figure out that I could try using an eyebrow product. I have gone most of my life leaving them untamed and thought I was getting by just fine. That was until I discovered two products that would change my life and my brows forever. The first one that we’re talking about is Glossier’s Boy Brow. Everyone called this a cult favorite, but I didn’t want to believe the hype at least not immediately. I gave in and decided to take the plunge. The first time I used it, I wasn’t sold on it. Was I even using it right? How could I tell if it was even working? But it was! Boy Brow is a great everyday product. The pomade keeps all of your little stray hairs in place and additionally you can use it even as a filler if you’d like. I’m now their #1 fan. It feels abnormal to leave my house without even putting some kind of product onto them.
First off, I thought this was a bralette. I have never even seen/heard of the word brami until right this second! Whatever the case, I’m a fan. I actually bought this at the Free People in Stanford Shopping Center at the beginning of August and schlepped this with me over to Seattle on my trip where it was just too hot to wear a regular bra. This is so great for underneath tees or tank tops in which you want to show a little bit more, but don’t want to go without support or bra-less. I pair this with a plain Aritzia tee that I have that has a completely open back so that it adds a little something something. In extreme heat, like we’re experiencing this weekend, this is a life savor because it’s non-restricting and allows you to breathe.
In the month of January, we were all about “treating ourselves” so if you peruse this post, you may notice a lot more pampering than usual and we don’t really mind it! Why shouldn’t we deserve all of these things. Also while writing this, I’m realizing that these would make some pretty great Valentine’s Day gifts as well! *wink wink
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