Let’s first discuss my skin plumping and hydrating “holy grails.”

It’s a term I have been careful not to throw around as frivolously as I once did. I basically used to call anything I was obsessively using a holy grail, but these days I only grant that title once I’ve gone through at least three tubs or tubes of the product. I don’t know why three is the magic number here, but alas.

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Throughout my journey on accutane (which, frankly, has been far from easy but undeniably worthwhile), I’ve become something of a hydration expert.

If you didn’t know, accutane has a way of completely draining the moisture from your skin, leaving you drier than you thought humanly possible, and flaky. And as someone who’s struggled with scaly, eczema-prone skin since birth, that’s really saying something.

Rather than relying on one ultra rich cream, I’ve found that the key to lasting moisture is layering products of different weights and textures, because each works a little differently to hydrate and lock moisture into the skin.

Accutane is admittedly sort of a specific situation, but this is also a perfect routine for if you just have a generally dry disposition (my mom did my routine with me the other night and loved it,) or if you are someone who has just started tretinoin (or any other strong retinoid) and are trying to avoid the flakies.

So I do something like: light and watery toner→a serum that’s a lil thicker → something milky → moisturizer → aquaphor if it’s that serious.

It’s funny, this sort of layering technique is taking me back to the days of the ten step routine that originally got me into skincare. But in the case of accutane-induced dryness, this routine is actually fully necessary or you will suffer (and I mean suffer) the consequences.

And I’ll also add that all of these are products I used before accutane, when I was making sure everything was non-comedogenic and wouldn’t break me out. The only one I’d be a little more wary of is aquaphor.

I’m always hesitant to reshare skincare I’ve talked about before because I fear being insanely boring, but honestly, is there any greater testament to how much I love a product than continuing to go on and on and on about it?

The routine:

• Mediheal Madecassocide Pads are calming, toner-soaked square pads that are great for soothing redness and inflammation, and simply gorgeous as a first step. They also work as a sort of cleansing step in the morning to wipe off all the sweat and sleep from the night. Low effort, high result kind of thing.

• Prequel’s Multi-Quench is, in my humble opinion, one of the best hydrating serums out there - and it’s especially great for layering. It combines polyglutamic acid, glycerin, and ectoin to really drench the skin in hydration and support the barrier. It gives my skin this plumping, juicy effect that I love.

• Prequel’s Half and Half….just get it. It is the most perfect creamy, milky, peptide-and-ceramide-rich, emulsiony-toner. The brand calls it a liquid moisturizer, which I guess it could be for those who are looking for something lighter, but since I’m sooo dry, I use it underneath a moisturizer, and it’s heaven. I used Half and Half pre-accutane and it never broke me out, which was quite mystifying considering the conditioning, silky texture. I will purchase this again and again and again.

• Sofie Pavitt Moisturizer, which at the end of the day is still my all time favorite. I’ve tried everything, but nothing else gives me that ultra-rich, almost diaper rash cream thickness while still looking so beautiful underneath makeup. The fact that she formulated a cream this rich specifically for acne-prone skin... oh Sofie the genius that you are.

• Curel Intensive Moisture Cream is the only other moisturizer in my arsenal at the moment. My sister originally gave it to me and I loved it enough to buy two more tubs on my last trip to Japan. It’s not quite as slippery and rich as the Sofie Pavitt, but it’s still very thick and deeply hydrating. Less diaper cream / Weleda Skin Food-esque, and more plush and cushiony.

I’m on the hunt for a new lightly tinted sunscreen that sits well on top of all of this skincare. Let me know if you have any recommendations.

I randomly like this fancy, botanical-forward brand.

If we’re talking luxury skincare, I recently tried out some of the Monastery products, and well..color me intrigued.

Monastery was created by Athena Hewett, a facialist to celebrities like Chloe Sevigny, Kirsten Dunst, Greta Lee, and Sofia Coppola. With a clientele like that, it comes as no surprise that the products are packaged really beautifully, with cosmetically elegant, botanical-forward formulas. I heard her facials at her San Francisco based studio are fab.

It should be noted that Monastery is a spiritually Goop-y brand (and literally, they do retail there,) which is not typically my thing. It’s not that I can’t get Brentwood woo woo, because I can, it’s just that those types of products are usually crazy expensive and often rife with essential oils, which are some of the most irritating ingredients for my skin personally, even more so than a perfumey Chanel cream or something. But this particular formula is essential oil free.

Monastery’s “moisturizer”, called the Attar Floral Repair Concentrate, is something special. It’s thick, almost like a solid oil that melts as you massage it into your skin.

It uses floral waxes as well as rosehip and hazelnut oil to provide a blend of fatty acids and antioxidants, which basically all help support the skin barrier and slow down moisture loss. The floral waxes give the formula that beautiful occlusive quality that creates a soft seal over your skin (a botanical slug!) so all that hydration doesn’t immediately evaporate while you sleep.

Good heavens, I was completely unprepared for just how insanely glowing and bright my skin looked when I woke up. I went to sleep looking very greasy, but woke up with the softest, most radiant skin. I got so many compliments on my glow the following day.

It’s expensive, but the smallest bit of product does a lot.

My mom was so obsessed, she went ahead and bought a few other of the Monastery products. I tried the Rose Cleansing Oil, which also made my skin feel incredible the following day, but I should note that you have to use a muslin cloth to get the product off, and you should be prepared for a veil of oil to be left behind, but it’s meant to do that.

This is an oil-heavy brand. But if you’re someone that likes an oil, I have a feeling you are gonna be obsessed.

I love rediscovering really good stuff I forgot about.

I also unearthed a tub of Cosrx’s Snail Mucin Eye Patches in one of my toiletry bags a few weeks ago, and I’ve been using them religiously ever since. I forgot how good these guys are.

My under eyes have been darker than ever lately, which I suspect has something to do with the dryness I’ve been experiencing, compounded by some weird allergies that have been creeping up on me from spending too much time sitting in the garden. Something to know about me is that I have extremely sensitive eyes. The wrong sunscreen, and certainly the wrong eye cream, can leave me stinging and watering for days. It sounds like a minor inconvenience, but it actually gives me on-and-off headaches that suck.

Anyway, this was yet another reminder of just how good snail mucin can be for my super sensitive, ultra-dry skin. Mucin isn’t an explicitly brightening ingredient, but it has always had an almost illuminating effect on my complexion. It’s also incredibly soothing, healing, and plumping, which works especially well on my sunken, dehydrated under eyes.

I keep the patches in the fridge and throw them on in the morning, and the difference is noticeable, at least to me. My eyes look significantly more awake and alert, noticeably less puffy and dark, and less crepey.

There are two different sizes of patches in the tub, too, so you can decide whether you want to cover a larger area or just focus on the under eyes.

I’m a believer that snail mucin is one of those ingredients that either works for you or it doesn’t. But if it does, it’s a heavy hitter. So if it’s an ingredient that’s been good to you in the past but you’ve somehow forgotten about her, allow me to remind you that she is a true friend worth revisiting.

Turns out I’m a self tanner girl - who knew!

When I was in NYC in the spring doing magazine desksides, I’m not even exaggerating when I say at least three different beauty editors came in with the most beautiful, soft glow and subtle bronze to their skin. Since it was still freezing outside and everyone else was basically translucent, I asked where they’d been vacationing. Every single one admitted they hadn’t traveled anywhere, but they had been using Cyklar’s self tanning milky essence.

Now, a few things must be said here. I’m desperately avoiding the sun right now, so I was looking particularly pale for summer. I am also deeply afraid of self tanner. The idea of looking orange, streaky, or patchy is a nightmare. And because my skin is so dry at the moment, putting a traditional self tanner on top of it, only to have it cling to every dry patch and leave me looking scaly and reptilian was spooky.

But these girls looked so good. And lest I remind you, beauty editors are the real beauty influencers as far as I’m concerned. They all vouched for this stuff so enthusiastically that I finally decided to try it myself.

This stuff is great.

Cyklar’s self tanner is a fluid milk formula that goes on like skincare. Instead of feeling like a thick, super sticky self tanning lotion, it has this lightweight texture that spreads easily.

What really sold me, though, is how natural and forgiving it is. The pigment is buildable and develops gradually, so it’s much harder to accidentally overdo it. And the finish is a soft, glowy, healthy warmth rather than the dramatic orange color I’d gotten from many self tanners in the past.I have a feeling that has a lot to do with the moisture-rich formula, which seems to put as much emphasis on the hydrating skincare benefits as it does on the self tanning aspect.

It also doesn’t have that heinous cat litter self tanner smell. It’s definitely more subtle compared to others I’ve used (and regretted) in the past. And it didn’t stain my sheets!

It’s a good starter self tanner if you’re anything like me.

xo

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hi!!!!!

here’s a little ramble about beginning my quest to make art that feels creatively fulfilling for myself after spending years creating for companies, and going back to childhood to figure out what kind of art i even wanted to make in the first place.

watch the video here:

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My alcohol intake was pretty unremarkable that night, but I was loosey goosey with the way I consumed it. A glass of champagne during the ceremony gradually gave way to wine with dinner, followed by cocktails….you know the drill. At one point, my friend Jackson caught me at the bar taking shots and laughed. "Aren't you supposed to start with the straight shots and then pop bottles? You're doing it the wrong way around."

But I had fun. I liked my outfit. I didn’t say anything I regretted. I made an intimidating person laugh. I discovered some delicious but completely harmless gossip. I sat next to a girl I love but rarely see and we giggled the whole dinner. The lychee martini I had on the dance floor was divine and freezing cold. I smiled wistfully in the uber home as I rolled down the familiar, rain slick streets of Manhattan. I was in bed before 2am, with a big bottle of poland springs and advil on the side table.

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By every reasonable measure, the evening had been a success, which is really what had made the following day all the more cruel.

The stinging eyes and throbbing headache I woke up with were expected, I imagine every guest had some version of them, but I knew what would come next. For the past two years, every night of drinking had been followed by the same crushing sense of dread and all consuming hopelessness. Within the first hour of waking, I burst into tears. In that moment, everything about my life and myself felt irreparably wrong.

I texted my friend Sierra and told her how depressed I was feeling. Before she had the chance to respond, I cut myself off. “I know it’s not that serious,” I wrote. “I’m just being dramatic.”

“But maybe it is serious,” she replied.

This conversation led me to wonder what life might look like without alcohol, or at least with much less of it. I am now nearly 500 days alcohol free, and I’ve truly never felt better.

There really isn’t one “right” way to drink less. Some people are definitively sober and/or working a program. Others have mostly given up alcohol, save for the occasional drink here and there. Others swear off drinking, but might partake in a cheeky edible occasionally It really is a spectrum, depending on what your relationship with booze is like.

So I chatted with a handful of my friends who all have different relationships with alcohol to learn what’s changed for them and how each found a better relationship with it.

I wished I had something like this to read during the early days of quitting alcohol, so I hope this helps someone!

Rae, 32, Director & Writer

How long have you been alcohol free?

I’m alcohol free and have been for (at time of writing, a month shy of) 6 years!

When you were drinking, what was your drink of choice?

A Tommy’s Margarita

Did you have a hangover routine?

Question everything, eat, cry…

What made you want to quit?

Hangovers that enormously outweighed the amount of fun that had been had while drinking, and a growing awareness within that my relationship with alcohol didn’t match that of my friends.

The only way I can describe it is akin to financial disparity - the creeping realisation that I could not afford, emotionally, to drink, while others around me could.

What was the most helpful thing during the process of cutting alcohol?

I leant heavily into hobbies, particularly those that brought me childlike joy. I started drinking quite young, like so many big-city-natives whose circumstances ejected them from childhood. Whatever it is that cuts that naivety short, it’s usually a one way street, so it can feel radical to give yourself that time and space back. I watched cartoons, ate cereal and went ice skating.

I never went to AA and 6 years later I still think that was the appropriate decision, because it was more difficult socially than it was privately, but I have borrowed and referred to “just for today” in this and other areas of my life.

What’s changed since you stopped drinking?

I like myself now!

Is there anything about being alcohol free that you don’t like?

I tried really hard to think of something but honestly? Not really. Occasionally, on one of the 7 glorious summer days we have in London, I miss the combination of a pint and a cigarette as the sun sets.

What’s your favorite non alcoholic drink to make yourself or order out?

A Shirley temple, and Ideally not a fancy one. Just Canada Dry, grenadine, tonnes of ice and a maraschino cherry - I want to feel like a kid at a steakhouse.

Tiffany, 30, Perfumer

Are you sober or just alcohol free? For how long?

I’m alcohol-free, or what’s colloquially known as California sober. Per my app, I’ve been alcohol-free for 1,688 days – so basically 4 years, 7 months, and a fortnight.

When you were drinking, what was your drink of choice?

I loved a sweet drink. Piña coladas! The Pink Baby from Baby’s All Right. Beach Juice from Rippers on Rockaway Beach.

In hindsight all of the drinks of choice I’ve ever had were more about making the bitterness of the alcohol tolerable for the sake of having fun with my friends than actual enthusiasm for the alcohol, which should have clued me in a lot sooner.

Did you have a hangover routine?

Not really - just try not to drink enough to get hungover. At one point I was young enough that this mostly worked. Once you get to the 26 side of 25, not so much.

Was there a specific moment you can point to that caused you to quit, or was it more of an accumulation of small realizations that built up to quitting?

In December 2021 I accidentally overdid it at a corporate holiday party. Afterwards I experienced the worst spins of my life and puked silently out of an Uber window all the way from Dumbo to another party in Clinton Hill and knew to my bones, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that I would simply have to find another way to socialize because I never wanted to do that to myself again.

Also, my Pisces Saturn return from 2023-2026. I’d been preparing myself for it mentally and physically – purchasing pet insurance, establishing an invigorating and sustainable relationship to fitness, and I knew intuitively that my relationship with substances would also be up for review. So by the time my Saturn Return rolled around I’d had a year alcohol-free under my belt already which made the other lessons I needed to learn (and did) more accessible to me.

What helped you most during the early days of cutting alcohol?

I had to accept that my life was going to fundamentally change and that things might get weird socially for a time, which they did.

In therapy I did so much uncomfortable examination of my own people pleasing tendencies – e.g. why do I feel so guilty turning down a drink I don’t want just because someone purchased it for me? Am I still comfortable in these spaces and scenes where alcohol was previously intrinsic or at least implied in my involvement – and should I be? How many more times can I tolerate acquaintances assuming I’m newly pregnant just because I asked if a cocktail could be made virgin?

Another thing that helped me in the beginning was making sure I always had a ginger ale or seltzer with a slice of lime in my hand when I’d enter a party. It takes the pressure off of being offered one and gives you something to do with your hands.

What’s something you do now that you wouldn’t have been able to if you were still drinking?

After a loooooong hiatus, I slowly came back to riding horses, one of my life’s greatest passions, once I figured out how to make my hobby compatible with my actual lifestyle. It’s an enormous investment of time, money, energy, and love. Every Saturday I leave my house early to get to the barn by 12, which I couldn’t do if I still spent my Friday nights the way I once did.

As my nightlife days came to a halt, my daytime hobbies flourished as I reallocated my time and bandwidth to nurturing them. Similarly, I can’t say I’d have a dream job in perfume today had I not stopped drinking back then, freeing up a lot of focus and making me very available to whatever came next.

Is there anything about being alcohol free that you don’t like?

Openly examining my own maladaptive patterns has caused people around me to think differently about their own, in ways they maybe aren’t ready for. When I first stopped drinking, I had a lot of anxiety around how I could communicate the change in my lifestyle to those around me. When I’d give reasons like wanting to feel happier, healthier, be more present, use my limited time on Earth in a more productive way, I’d experience friction and awkwardness. It was delicate to discuss the things I wanted to leave behind when some of those things overlap.

I just realized that this interview is actually my first time ever publicly discussing this aspect of my life! I really try not to beat my drum too much or too hard because everyone’s needs and journey are different, but I do believe that there’s no such thing as a bad time to take honest self-inventory about the ways innocuous-seeming things we enjoy socially can unwittingly become destructive coping mechanisms.

As the timeless adage says: “...it gets to a point.” Know your point!

What’s your favorite non alcoholic drink to make yourself or order out?

I’d say a Shirley Temple, if anyone in this city really knew how to make one.

Aside from that, I generally judge restaurants by the quality of their mocktail menu - do they have one? Awesome, I feel cozy here! Are the mocktails cute and delicious? Great, the food probably will be, too! I like anything sweet (not sugary), fruity, or floral with a little sparkle to it. But fuck bitters…yuck.

Sierra, 31, Gallery Director

Are you sober or just alcohol free?

Totally sober. 2 years, 1 month, 4 days (as of writing this)

What would you partake in when you went out?

Vodka soda with adderall and/or coke.

Do you think alcohol enabled drug use?

Ugh it’s such a weirdly complicated question to me, but short answer yes. I would prefer to raw dog drugs, but I know if I picked up a drink now I would move the goal post to where I would allow myself to do more.

Did you have a hangover routine?

Another adderall, more coke.

What led you to getting sober?

Many many bargains. After every binge I would pray to god, not having ever been religious, to let me live through this one.

The last prayer was the same as the others. If I survive this, I won’t do it again. I was sick of that prayer.

What was the most helpful thing during the process of cutting alcohol? A mantra, support group, reddit thread, etc.

AA. Accepting I have an “allergy” and I can’t process drinking and drugs the same way as others.

What’s something you do now that you wouldn’t have been able to if you were still drinking?

Wake up, shower, go to work, get a haircut, make food, maintain a relationship, go to sleep, live…

Is there anything about being alcohol free that you don’t like?

I can’t have the easy fix to silence the noise in my head. I have to work at it now.

What’s your favorite non alcoholic drink to make yourself or order out?

Classic- Diet Coke.

Izzy, 32, Astrologer & Video Editor

When you were drinking, what was your drink of choice?

Well, I started drinking when Four Loko still had caffeine and probably battery acid in it, then I graduated to the $5 flasks of vodka that the senile polish man would sell me at the decrepit liquor store on India Street and Manhattan avenue.

Once I entered my 20’s I’ll humbly admit that I was heavily steeped in the “skin contact” and “chilled reds” of the world…

Did you have a hangover routine?

Agonize over the few things I remembered I said, anxiously text everyone I was with, go to my friends house with pints of ice cream to watch SATC and not move until the next day? Type shit…

Was there a specific moment you can point to that caused you to quit, or was it more of an accumulation of small realizations that built up to quitting?

Probably a mixture of both. I’ve always been a bit of an extremist, so when I do make a decision I stand on it and do it with my chest.

I really hated the anxiety I had after drinking, and a number of what some might call rock bottoms happened leading up to my decision to cut it out.

I would say I have, more than anything, I changed my relationship to alcohol as opposed to adhering to full-on sobriety. Like many of us, I used to believe that drinking was synonymous with socializing or necessary to connect deeply with someone, and I’ve since debunked that.

The first few years after I made this lifestyle change I was very strict about it - nary a drop was drunk. As time went on, I slowly started to have a sip here and there.

Being less restrictive about drinking has been very healing, though I do believe that the initial cold-turkey treatment allowed me to develop this new way of interacting with it. I’m grateful for the ever evolving process!

What was the most helpful thing during the process of cutting back on alcohol?

For one, I had a few friends who were recently in the program and their wisdom from that was super impactful and has stuck with me since. I was also shocked by how quickly my anxiety levels plummeted, my mood lifted, and my confidence went through the roof.

The proof was soooo clearly in the pudding. I had so many moments of genuine shock that I ever willingly allowed myself to feel that way on a regular basis. Cringe!

Frankly vanity can be a huge motivator for me and when I stopped drinking I had a huge self proclaimed glow up

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

What’s something you do now that you wouldn’t have if you were still drinking the way you used to?

I feel like the list grows daily. In the beginning, I noticed I was having deeper connections with my loved ones, my memory came back, I was able to focus on my goals and confidently see what I am capable of doing in so many areas of life.

I think the biggest gift not drinking has given me is presence and a way back to myself. I am not a super career-oriented person but after I stopped drinking regularly I got back in touch with my inner child and my inner light/confidence in a way that has allowed me to go after and achieve things I did not think were possible before.

Is there anything about being mostly alcohol free that you don’t like?

No mama. I feel great in my body, I feel clear in my mind, and I have more money in my bank account. Simple as!

What’s your favorite non alcoholic drink to make yourself or order out?

The girls know I am a functional beverage addict. When Kin came out I was genuinely first in line to purchase. I also really like Aplos and St. Argestis Phony Negroni and Amaro Falso. There’s a lot of non-alchoholic heat out there now tbh. I also rock with 0 proof micheladas (non-aclh beer with lime juice and a salted rim) cuz it really takes the edge off.

But what is amazing is that most drinks are non-alchoholic…The extent to which I am slurping down lemonades, little artisanal sodas, and I LOVEEEE a ginger beer down.

Dana, 31, Founder & CEO of Digital Media Architects

Are you sober or just alcohol free? How many days?

Alcohol free, not sober more broadly, I still smoke weed occasionally. As for days, I stopped drinking for real very early in college, so it’s been over a decade at this point!

When you were drinking, what was your drink of choice?

When I was drinking, it was definitely always a spicy margarita.

Did you have a hangover routine?

No hangover routine. A lot of alcohol intolerant people I knew would take allergy meds or Pepcid before drinking to dull the flush and push through it. I never wanted to medicate my way into being able to drink. If my body was telling me no that clearly, that was enough for me!

As far as an energy hangover goes from being social, the routine is just to sleep in, eat a deeelish brunch (bagel sandwich, breakfast burrito, etc) and lay horizontal with my dogs at home away from human interaction.

What made you want to quit?

It wasn’t exactly one moment. I stopped drinking because my body rejects alcohol / I have an alcohol intolerance. I would get super itchy, inflamed, red blotchy skin and severe congestion from even one sip of alcohol.

When I started drinking in high school (yeah, I grew up in Newport Beach), I genuinely thought everyone felt that way and pushed through. It wasn’t until early college where I understood that other people were actually enjoying it and I was just enduring it, there was no reason to keep going. It was not worth it– even with the social pressure from friends at parties, dinners, etc. I didn’t feel good.

What was the most helpful thing during the process of cutting alcohol?

Honestly, just how bad my body’s reaction was, the physical response was convincing enough for me. However, it was really helpful when I had friends who did not pressure me or make me feel guilty for not drinking at a party or sharing a bottle of wine.

What’s something you do now that you wouldn’t have been able to if you were still drinking?

Wake up feeling like myself, every single day. Monday, Friday, Saturday, doesn’t matter, the baseline is the same.

The only “hangover” I get now is a social battery hangover, or feeling swollen the next day after eating something super salty and delicious.

I get to actually use my mornings: wake up early (or not), lay in bed (or not), let my brain turn on before the day starts (or not). No matter what I choose, the lack of hangover gives me the agency to do what I want to every day I wake up.

Is there anything about being alcohol free that you don’t like?

Being alcohol free is way more normalized now, which is genuinely great, there’s so much less shame around it than there used to be. However, growing up it was more difficult to navigate.

In college, everyone needed a drink as their permission slip to be silly, dance, sing karaoke. I never had that cue, mine was just people, being around energy I liked made me come out of my shell, not alcohol. I could have fun sober and it wasn’t a big deal to me.

But it made me the go-to designated driver “DD the DD” and gave me this sort-of mom reputation I didn’t ask for among my friends. There’s a specific kind of underlying pressure that never fully goes away: dinners where it’s just me passing on wine and the server taking the wine glass away from my spot, the different looking cup when you order a non-alcoholic drink at a bar, one-on-one meals where someone else wants a drink and I don’t, etc. Everyone would say “no big deal” but there was always an awkwardness in those moments. It can feel like being left out of a social ritual, isolating in small ways even when no one means for it to be.

What’s your favorite non alcoholic drink to make yourself or order out?

Ginger beer on its own, soda water with bitters and lime, diet coke with lottttsa lime, or ginger beer with bitters! The bitters help with digestion and it’s lovely with dinner. Also, you can always ask for the “fun ice” in a cocktail cup so that you don’t feel/look left out as well.

xo

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a few months ago, i accidentally cut my hair into a very short, above-the-chin bob. i... wasn’t paying attention at the hair salon. a stressful email consumed me for most of the appointment, so i barely looked up from my phone. i only noticed the hair disaster once the blowout was finished and as the cape whisked off. i blame myself, not the stylist.

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but there was indeed a big silver lining: my hair felt incredibly healthy. healthier than it had in years.

i thought to myself, if i already did the big, hair-saving chop, i might as well go the extra mile and do a full rehabilitation. so when my hair grew out to just above my shoulder (my normal bob length), i returned to the dark side.

the thing i personally find most exhilarating about drastically dying my hair is that color starts behaving differently. shades you've worn for years wash you out, and products you never reached for before now suit you perfectly.

for a lot of people, that’s probably a total pain. but considering i own what feels like every lip liner ever invented and a healthy assortment of blushes, i absolutely love it. i get a genuine thrill out of experimenting and rediscovering products i’d written off.

so here are my favorite makeup discoveries since going dark.

black and deep brown kohl liner on the waterline looks less severe and more flattering.

i've always loved a waterline liner, but as a brunette, i find myself reaching for it more than ever. i used to reserve it for party makeup, but now it feels much more wearable.

when you have dark hair, there's already a lot of visual depth around your face, so the liner doesn't feel harsh. it’s like instead of competing with your features, it just reinforces them.

i have very sensitive eyes so i have to be kind of careful with eyeliner, and these have never irritated mine.

i really love the westman atelier liners in “noir” and “brun.”

i am also a fan of the glossier in “ink” and “frame.”

there's something about berry blush shades…they look extra good.

proper pinks can sometimes disappear or feel a little washed out with my dark hair, but berry shades have enough richness and depth to balance darker hair while still bringing life to your face. they also really mimic a natural flush. whether it’s a sheer berry stain or a deeper plum, it just works.

i don’t know if anyone else is locked into love island uk, but jasmine muller (my girl) pretty much only wears berry tones. her makeup always looks so harmonious because the lip and blush have enough depth to match the richness of her dark hair.

milk makeup’s jelly water tint in “splash” is quite literally the perfect vibrant, pinky, cool-toned berry shade. there’s a bit of a learning curve with the stain formula because it dries down quickly, so you have to work fast. but once you get the hang of it, it’s absolutely worth it. it lasts all day.

i also love rhode’s pocket blush in plum. the formula is creamy, incredibly pigmented, and a little goes a long way. it has deeper, browner undertones than milk’s, making it better for that richer, summertime, sunkissed flush.

what they both have in common, though, is their cool, purpley berry undertone that looks especially beautiful with dark hair.

i also always wear both on my lips, which just makes the whole makeup look more cohesive.

i’m using my coolest tone lip liners more than ever.

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in this week’s therapy session, i spent a majority of the allotted fifty minutes venting about all the ways AI has ruined my relationship with writing. specifically how it’s made me hate my writing.

let me explain.

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because of my job at the strategist, where i sat in a cubicle next to so many of new york mag’s talented and intimidating writers, i started my column hoping to create a tone of voice that was clear, authoritative, and distinct.

beauty was a topic that many (but primarily fuck ass men) had deemed unserious and deeply anti-intellectual, and i wanted to challenge that with writing that treated it more seriously.

a funny story about when i first started: i bumped into a former classmate from my college writing program at the west 4th subway station, and he actually laughed in my face when i told him i was writing about skincare for a magazine. he then cocked his head and gave me a condescending “awww.” it’s been years and i still hate him for it.

i got increasingly pissed and defensive because, beyond botox and filler and other explicitly yassifying beauty treatments, i could recognize skincare's capacity to genuinely help people, especially teens. after all, the main focus of my writing had always been teaching people about acne and what options they had for treating it.

because acne is often framed as a purely cosmetic concern - almost always by people who have never experienced it severely- it's easy to underestimate its impact. but did you know that one large study found that people with acne face a 63% higher risk of depression in the year following diagnosis?

i even became a licensed esthetician in part to add another layer of credibility to my work.

all this to say, the great, annoying irony is that i spent years trying to sand away every rough edge in my writing, and now those rough edges are one of the few things that prove a human hand touched the writing.

now when i sit down at my laptop to write i’m like ????

i’m realizing that the exact tone i spent so much of my adult life trying to cultivate and perfect is also the exact tone AI has been trained to imitate. yeah, yeah. i know. AI is still insanely corny and not as good yet. but emphasis on yet. i’d be dumb to think it’ll stay that way.

i read my work now, and i’m just like UGH. i shouldn’t, but i can’t help it. i also cannot fucking believe they took my beloved emdash from me.

so these days, i feel pressure to have my writing read less “done.” i find myself leaving typos, permitting sloppy phrasing, and avoiding certain punctuation because they’re signifiers that the writing actually came from me.

my therapist suggested that maybe all these years my “professionalism” was something i relied on to protect me, which is why i’m now panicked. like, when i wrote about skincare, feedback on my work felt directed at the science, the recommendations, or the beauty industry as a whole, rather than me as a person. that perhaps this more casual, stream-of-consciousness, no editing approach freaks me out because it’s ultimately more vulnerable and there’s more potential for people to mock or misunderstand who i am.

she might be onto something…

but i also feel like fun little treat is without a doubt the place on the internet i feel the safest. if i’m going to open up anywhere, it’s here. tiktok and instagram make me want to throw up.

i also think there’s a middle ground i haven’t really attempted to find.

there are big positives. this could actually be quite freeing, and it means i can spend less time polishing every sentence into oblivion and more time writing instinctively. maybe my writing process will feel even more fun and even less homeworky. maybe you guys will see a new side to me. it’s also fully possible this permission to let loose will encourage me to write more than i ever have.

i’m going to try.

i have to say i simply love typing in all lowercase.

xo

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And if I’m being completely honest, at least 70% of them eventually fade from the cultural conversation, disappearing into a drawer of mine. Or, in some instances, they get passed down to one of my experimental friends, only for them to eventually get tired of the gimmick as well, at which point it makes its way into one of their drawers, forgotten.

All this just to say, there are few skincare gadgets that I believe are genuinely worthwhile. And even fewer that have actually stayed in my routine long term. And folks, one of them is the ZIIP HALO at home microcurrent device.

This post was kindly sponsored by ZIIP. But before you consider clicking away in a rage at the possibility of this being in any way disingenuous, I need you all to understand that I have used this product religiously since 2020. And I have receipts to prove it!

You can use the code “RIOZIIP” for 10% off HALO and gels.

Let me just take a second to share some of the times I've written about my ZIIP HALO over the years, completely unprompted:

• Here’s me talking about how I used it on my wedding day

• I shouted it out in one of my updated Google Doc posts for The Strategist

• I even speculated not so long ago why I’m so obsessed with the ZIIP for acne, and tested out their other acne product

And please look at my old ZIIP HALO, weathered and bruised, a toiletry bag staple that has quite literally traveled the world and the seven seas with me:

Now that’s out of the way, let me talk about why I like it.

It helps you look good now and later.

If you’re not quite sure how it works, microcurrent is a low level electrical current that temporarily stimulates facial muscles, helping to lift, tone, and define the appearance of the face.

So much of skincare is about doing something today so your skin looks better a few months from now, but microcurrent, in my experience, offers both immediate and long term benefits, which rules.

So you can get an instant lift and sculpted contours right after you do a ZIIP treatment, but if you’re good about religiously using it, those results can actually last and become more noticeable over time.

I really love using the ZIIP HALO before a big event (like me before my wedding) but I also try and do it as often as possible so the effects stick around longer.

You can freestyle or follow a step-by-step guide.

What I’ve always liked best about the ZIIP HALO besides the really chic and sleek Apple mouse-y looking design, is that it connects to an app that allows you to choose from a big library of guided treatments, depending on what your skin issues are.

There are 17 different treatments available, so there’s pretty much something for every concern.

If you want to look snatched and chiseled for an event, they've got a treatment for that (their 6 minute Sculpt).

Same if you want brighter skin (try the Tone Corrector).

And interestingly, they even have acne focused options. They help calm redness and swelling, and there's one for all over use (Clear Skin treatment) and another for individual breakouts (their 90 second Pimple treatment). I've used both and love em.

They also have a comprehensive treatment (the Everything Facial) if you wanna get a little bit of it all. I try and do this one weekly.

But if connecting to the app sounds like a whole thing, you can also simply apply the gel and get moving to freestyle your sesh.

But I should note, it is really important to use the gel with it, otherwise it can actually kind of tingle and sting. I love both their Gold (if I’m feeling fancy) and Silver (if I’m feeling sensi) gels options.

It’s the only consistent anti-aging product I use in my routine, and it works.

Guys, I’ve spent so much time worried about my acne that I barely used anything for wrinkles or fine lines… besides this. I think I’ve always stuck with it because it’s been one of the few treatments where I could actually see the payoff, so it never left my routine.

Unlike my tretinoin, which I’ve gone on and off over the years depending on my skin barrier’s mood, my ZIIP has stayed with me through everything, including my Accutane journey, because it’s a way to soften some fine lines without irritating my tender, fragile skin.

Try a ZIIP HALO out for yourself ⋆˙⟡♡
Use the code “RIOZIIP” for 10% off HALO and Gels

xx
See you next time!

We'd been planning this Tokyo trip for months, and somehow it managed to exceed my already unreasonable expectations.

I came home feeling far more energized and inspired by the stuff ;) I'm working on, which was a welcome side effect.

That said, Tokyo is famously one of the world’s most influential beauty capitals, so any plans to completely disconnect were relatively short lived because within hours, I was back to researching, swatching, and testing everything that caught my eye, which was just about everything.

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Where I like to shop for beauty in Tokyo

With sooooo much to explore in Tokyo, narrowing down where to begin can feel genuinely overwhelming, especially when it comes to beauty.

If you do some research, the first beauty destination you’ll probably hear about is Don Quijote, a manic, often 24-hour, multi-level experience that pushes you through a disorienting maze where dildos, Sylvanian Families sets, and sheet masks all seem to be tumbling on top of one another.

Do I sometimes feel scared in there? Yes. But it’s also the best.

I actually like going to Don Quijote on the first day of a Tokyo trip, when the sheer chaos helps keep me awake long enough to power through the jet lag. And if you can brave the sensory overload, there’s a lot of great beauty hidden inside. From Canmake to Torriden to Beauty of Joseon, it’s all there..if you can find it.

Part of the fun of Don Quijote, though, is that you rarely leave with only what you went there for. Alongside the skincare and makeup, I always end up with a basket stuffed with stickers and Monchhichi keychains, green tea kit kats, pens, socks, and a million gifts for people.

My personal favorite place to shop for beauty, though, is Loft. It definitely offers a calmer and more curated experience than Don Quijote. It’s still busy, but nowhere near as chaotic.

The beauty floor at Loft’s Ginza location is especially good. It’s absolutely massive and seems to have everything you could possibly want: amazing makeup, popular skincare and skin gadgets, and wellness products like back rollers and bath soaks, all in one place. I also love that it carries both affordable drugstore favorites and more premium brands side by side. Financially… this was probably the most dangerous stop on the trip because I literally wanted to buy just about everything in sight.

Another favorite beauty destination in Tokyo is Tamburins, a Korean perfumery with stores across the city that feel more like immersive art installations than traditional fragrance boutiques. The interiors are surreal, sculptural, and incredible (you’ll find huge mushrooms, sculptures made of fake blonde hair, or a giant dachshund depending on where you go), and the scents are just as memorable as the spaces themselves. One of their recent perfume launches is a fragrance called "Puppy," which is creamy, woody, and cozy, and meant to smell like curling up with a dog under a blanket. The top note is paw accord. How cute!?

I picked up a lot of things with the intention of just experimenting, but the reality is that nearly every beauty product I brought home has found its way into my daily routine. I’ve been reaching for the skincare and makeup almost every day since, and there are very few misses in the bunch.

Not everything is available stateside, but I’ve linked the products that are.

Skincare

Curel Intense Moisture Spray - This product is incredible. If you go to Tokyo and you have dry skin, get this. My sister was actually the one who introduced me to it, which is a rare case of the teacher becoming the student.

It’s marketed as a “spray on moisturizer,” which is quite a fabulous concept. And while I’m not sure I would go that far - idk man my moisturizers are very thick - it is the richest facial spray I’ve ever used. Unlike most mists that feel like a sprinkle of water, this one dispenses a lot of product to actually saturate your face and the formula feels milkier and a lot more conditioning. And the moisture actually lasts. Plus, the spritz itself is very fine, which I can appreciate.

This has been an absolute lifesaver while I’ve been on Accutane. I keep it in my purse and whenever I notice dry patches or flakes starting to appear, I give myself a few sprays and it keeps my skin looking and feeling much better for at least an hour or so afterward.

Beauty of Joseon SPFs- I always take it upon myself to stock up on sunscreens when I’m in Asia. You guys probably already know all about this sunscreen, but it’s perfectly lightweight yet moisturizing, and sit well under most of my makeup.

Kose Clear Turn Uruuru Bomb Mask - These masks from Kose were everywhere in Tokyo, so I figured they must be popular for a reason. My skin is so beyond dry right now, and this particular formula is basically just a huge moisture bomb, jam packed with a super high concentration of hydrating ingredients, like amino acids and hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid and ceramide barrier support. I love this mask.

Lialuster Cica soothing mugwort mask- I’m also facing a lot of redness and irritation, and two of my favorite ingredients for that are centella and mugwort, both of which are in this mask. What makes this one interesting is that the sheet itself contains real crushed mugwort leaves - witchy! - so it has this nice truly botanical approach to calming redness, dryness, and generally cranky skin. It’s kind of like a big tea bag for your skin.

Anua Azelaic Acid Serum - Azelaic acid is one of the few actives my skin can tolerate. This one from Anua is especially nice because it has a lightweight, serum-y texture. Azelaic acid can be somewhat drying and make me prone to flaking, but this formula includes multiple types of hyaluronic acid, which helps give it a more cushioning, hydrating finish so less flakies happen.

DamDam Rice Silk Makeup Remover - Rice bran has been in Japanese skincare forever, because it has this really beautiful natural brightening quality to it. I love this cleansing oil because it’s great at removing sweat and sunscreen from the day, and it doesn’t leave a weird film behind, nor does it make my eyes blurry.

Makeup

Banila Cushion Highlighter - I think this is my favorite makeup purchase from Japan. It’s a cushion highlighter, and it’s every bit as brilliant as it sounds. It delivers a gorgeous glow, while still looking natural and pearlescent on the skin, rather than glittery or sparkly. I’ve used it every single day since I bought it. There’s something about the cushion formula and the process of pressing it into the skin with the included puff that creates this lived in, melted-in finish. Instead of sitting on top of the skin, it looks like it’s coming from within, giving you that glossy, natural look that so many powder highlighters struggle to achieve.

Naming Layered Fit Cushion - I’ve been on the hunt for a good cushion foundation for years, but most of the ones I’ve tried either looked super chalky on my skin or pilled like crazy. And listen, as is often the case with cushion foundations, the shade range here leaves a lot to be desired, so keep that in mind. But as far as formulas go, this one is very dewy and hydrating, and even though the shade 21Y is still a little too light for my skin, it’s not as chalky as others. But because my acne has mostly calmed down, I tend to use foundation primarily under my eyes and through the center of my face. The slightly lighter shade ends up acting almost like a brightening product, so it works surprisingly well for my routine.

Millfee x Monchhichi IRL Filter Blush- This is such a gorgeous mauve-y toned blush that I've been wearing almost daily since I got it. The formula is super sheer but very buildable, making it perfect for anyone who's wary of overly dramatic blush. This is something you could apply without a mirror and blend out with your fingers. It gives the cheeks a soft, almost sleepy (like you just woke up from a nap) looking flush that you can easily layer for more intensity. AND it’s Monchhichi and adorbs! I can’t find this exact one, but you can get their other shades.

Millfee Idol Highlighter Palette -I picked this up because it looked like a promising dupe for a Dior eyeshadow palette I lost years ago and have been mourning ever since. It's a bit more iridescent than the Dior version, but it's absolutely beautiful in its own right. I also love that it includes a blue shade.

Canmake Clear Veil Setting Powder - This is a mattifying powder with a subtle pearlescent finish, so it takes away greasy shine but somehow still keeps your skin glowy. It's kind of genius, actually.

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Yes, of course, the inflammation and pain is atrocious for the several days or weeks they’re active, but the residual marks left behind are often even more hellish, largely because they can linger, remaining visible months after the breakout itself has disappeared.

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I probably get more questions about post-acne marks than any other topic. But the reality is, improvement can’t really happen without first getting all the active acne under control. Otherwise, the cycle of inflammation and discoloration will just continue repeating itself over and over again.

So before reading this post, I recommend first heading over to the guide I shared a few weeks ago, which outlines my favorite go-to treatments, products, and strategies for managing acne itself before transitioning to stuff specifically targeted toward post-acne marks.

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I’m mainly going to get into post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation and post-inflammatory erythema. People tend to lump these together under the umbrella of “hyperpigmentation,” but they’re actually different things, and they’re also the types of acne marks you can improve pretty significantly at home.

I’ll very lightly touch on atrophic acne scarring below, which is when acne damages the deeper layers of the skin and leaves behind indented or pitted scars. But in general, atrophic scars tend to require more intensive in-office procedures than PIE or PIH. I also have information on atrophic scarring (and scarring in general!) in my book Let’s Face It: Secrets of a Skincare Obsessive.

This is my best attempt at simplification so that it’s easy to understand!

So here’s a quick rundown of the different types of post-acne marks + scarring:

Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH): Flat brown, gray, or dark spots that are left behind after a breakout goes away. This happens when the skin produces extra pigment as it recovers.

Post-inflammatory erythema (PIE): Flat pink or red marks that remain after acne. This is caused by leftover inflammation and visible blood vessels near the skin’s surface.

Atrophic scarring: Indented or pitted scars that happen when acne damages deeper layers of the skin, so it doesn’t fully heal back to a smooth surface.

Hypertrophic or keloid scarring: Raised, thick, or lumpy scars that form when the skin produces too much healing tissue after inflammation. We’re not really gonna get into this - though I will say my husband uses the Korean pharmacy gel Noscarna on a keloid scar on his arm and it works very well.

So let’s say you picked your skin, feel like a dummy, and you want to heal the scab as best as possible to ensure minimal post-acne discoloration.

So you picked your skin, there’s an oozing wound or crusty scab, and now you’re scared of the damage. Been there, my friend.

When you’re healing a scab, hydration is really what it’s all about.

Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize.

It can feel kind of counterintuitive because you’re like, well I want to dry it out so that the scab flakes off, but that’s actually the opposite of what’s best to avoid post-acne marks.

If you keep the area super hydrated, the skin can heal more smoothly and evenly. It’s less likely to crack or reopen, which helps it stay calm while it’s healing. That also means there’s less irritation, and it lowers the chances of getting bad post-acne marks afterward.

This particular process is something I’m really passionate about right now, because Accutane has made my skin soooooo ridiculously prone to discoloration. I can basically look at my acne wrong and it’ll leave a mark.

All hail the pimple patch.

What a pimple patch does is essentially create a sealed, moist environment over the blemish. It helps keep the area hydrated and protected, and it also makes sure that any scab comes off only when it’s truly ready, rather than being picked or disturbed prematurely.

Prior to being on accutane, I would keep pimple patch on for most of the day whenever possible. Whenever I have done this, I always, without fail, barely scar. I use a COSRX pimple patch at night and the Rhode ones during the day. I just swap it out every few hours.

Important disclaimer

Don’t do this if you know your skin is sensi to pimple patches. I used to think this was more of a rare, internet only thing. I’ve honestly never seen it happen IRL with friends or clients, even though I’ve seen TikToks of people saying they left a patch on too long and it left a mark. I figured maybe those patches were infused with actives like tea tree, or that those people just had unusually reactive skin.

But believe it or not I actually just experienced this myself while being on Accutane, which obviously made my skin more fragile and reactive. So I’d take that disclaimer more seriously than I used to. Even though it’s still not all that common, it can happen, especially if your skin barrier is already compromised or you’re using stronger hydrocolloid patches or leaving them on far longer than directed.

If you don’t like pimple patches

You can also use Aquaphor, which does a similar thing.

Just remember your skin MUST be squeaky clean before applying Aquaphor or a pimple patch.

The most, most, most important step here is SPF.

UV rays are one of the biggest contributors to the darkening of existing post-acne marks. So you reeeeeeeeally do need to be regimented about applying sunscreen if your goal is to prevent hyperpigmentation from forming or getting worse.

I know it can feel spooky scary to some, particularly if sunscreen has historically been a trigger for breakouts, but it truly is essential. Everything else in this routine is honestly kinda pointless if you’re not using sunscreen every single day. I like the Sofie Pavitt SPF and the SKIN1004 one.

Let’s say you had a pimple and now there’s a brown-ish, grey-ish mark left behind that won’t go away.

Yup, this is a post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation mark. These are marks left on the skin after inflammation, most commonly from zits (and the picking of zits).

PIH is, put very simply, caused by excess melanin being produced in the area where your skin is healing from a zit.

How I like to think about PIH treatments

There are lots of different ingredients for hyperpigmentation, but they work differently.

Some function by preventing the PIH forming in the first place (blockers), others work by fading existing marks (erasers), and some help your skin speed up cell turnover so that the marks go away quicker (speed racers).

Blockers / Erasers

Stop pigment from forming and fade existing pigment.
Use when: you’re still breaking out or your marks intensify easily.

Niacinamide helps by interrupting the process that moves excess pigment into your skin cells. Think of it as like, messing with the signal. It also calms reactivity. Niacinamide works amazingly for some, meh for others. I don’t see many big results from it personally, but I’ve never had a bad reaction.

Azelaic acid does something similar, but more. It reduces excess pigment production and also helps calm the inflammation that triggered the mark in the first place and treats active acne. So it treats PIH, PIE, and big, juicy swollen zits, all at once! Love her! I’d use this if you’re struggling with active acne and hyperpigmentation at the same time.

Tranexamic acid helps turn down the signals in your skin that keep dark spots hanging around, so it’s really good for those stubborn marks that just refuse to fade no matter how long you wait. I like this for people whose PIH sticks around for months and it’s driving them nuts.

Alpha arbutin basically tells your skin to calm tf down on making so much extra pigment after a breakout, so the mark doesn’t get as dark or stick around as long. I’d especially look at this one if your PIH gets very intense very quickly after a breakout, and to begin using it as soon as your pimple starts going down.

Vitamin C helps by acting as an antioxidant and interfering with pigment formation, while also boosting your skin’s radiance. Not really my first choice for getting rid of pesky, lingering marks, but I like it for overall brightness and maintenance.

Kojic acid works by inhibiting tyrosinase, the enzyme your skin uses to make melanin in the first place. This ingredient I’ve found works pretty well at erasing PIH, but it can also be little irritating. It’s totally fine on smaller areas, but if you’re dealing with PIH across your face, I’d personally choose a different one just because it can make you kinda dry and flakey.

Products:

• Pillowtalk Derm Major Fade is an alpha arbutin, tranexamic acid, and niacinamide cocktail. So it leans more toward a gentler, kinda well rounded approach that slowly fades pigment and prevents new marks from forming. These ingredients work well, but you gotta give it some time.

• SkinCeuticals Discoloration Defense a mixture of kojic acid, tranexamic acid, and niacinamide. This is a stronger, kinda more direct pigment targeting formula. It may act faster (not guaranteed), but it can also be more intense for some skin types - maybe not your journey if you are very sensi. I was hesitant to include this particular serum because of the price, but I feel I must. It brings me no joy to say that it is unfortunately very good.

• Paula’s Choice Azealaic Acid is my holy grail 4 life for PIH, PIE, and active acne. A good price too.

• The Ordinary Niacinamide Serum is cheap and gentle. A good starter.

• When I use a vitamin c I prefer to really go for it, so I love this Brightening and Firming Serum from Allies of Skin that’s 25% ethylated ascorbic acid and 10% THD. It’s great for brightening, but again, it’s a pretty high concentration so it could be irritating on your skin if you are very sensitive.

Speed Racers

Slough off dead skin / pigment and reset your skin.
Use when: you wanna give your whole skin renewal process a zhuzh.

AHAs (i.e. glycolic acid, mandelic acid, lactic acid) work on the surface of the skin by dissolving the bonds between dead skin cells. Since most of PIH sits in those upper layers, it sloughs off dead skin cells for faster shedding, helping fade PIH.

Retinoids are going deeper. They increases overall cell turnover and how the skin regenerates, meaning pigment gets brought to the surface and cleared out quicker.

Products:

• Sofie Pavitt Mandelic Acid Serum is great because it’s very gentle but also extremely effective and fading hyperpigmentation.

• Exuviance Performance Peel AP25 is a high concentration, 20% glycolic and mandelic, at-home peel I do once in a while versus daily. It’s amazing for that really deep exfoliation. I love using this when I want to give my skin a serious polishing effect whilst fading any PIH. FYI I work with this brand, but this is not sponsored by them.

• Of course, the notorious Biologique Recherche P50 uses lactic acid, but also has some breakout fighting BHAs, so it’s good for treating active acne and also fading PIH.

• Cosrx’s 7% glycolic acid Whitehead Powder Liquid if you want something gentler - this is one of my personal favorites because it never strips my skin barrier.

• Altretno Tretinoin is my go-to prescription retinoid. It’s more hydrating than standard tretinoins and also was formulated specifically with acne prone skin in mind.

• If you want a retinoid you can grab at Target, I like the one from Prequel, which is a really effective but pretty gentle OTC option available in two strengths.

And finally WEAR SUNSCREEN!!!!! <3

If the mark on your skin is more on the pink-ish side of things.

PIE actually functions very differently than PIH. It’s basically a vascular and inflammatory issue, rather than a melanin related one.

So, as I said earlier, PIE shows up as red or pink marks left behind after a breakout heals. They’re mainly caused by lingering inflammation and dilated or damaged tiny blood vessels near the surface of the skin.

As the skin recovers from damage, those blood vessels don’t always go back to the normal right away, which is what creates that persistent red or flushed appearance even after the pimple is gone.

It can also appear more intense when the skin is irritated or flushed like after exercise or sitting in the sun.

What PIE responds to

Since PIE is basically the aftermath of inflammation and lingering vascular redness, you’re generally looking for ingredients that calm inflammation, reduce visible redness, and help the skin recover.

Centella asiatica

A gorgeous ingredient for treating PIE, which makes sense, seeing as Centella’s whole thing is its ability to calm very angry, red skin. It works by soothing irritation and supporting repair of the skin barrier, reducing the inflammation that keeps PIE visible for longer.

Green tea

Another botanical ingredient that works wonders for soothing irritation and therefor PIE. It contains antioxidants that reduce inflammation and help calm reactive blood vessels, which is important since PIE is partly vascular in nature.

Snail mucin

On an anecdotal level, a lot of my friends and clients have had a really good response to Snail Mucin when it comes to treating their PIE. Snail mucin supports wound repair, reduces inflammation, and stimulates skin regeneration, which basically helps damaged capillaries and irritated skin bounce back.

Panthenol (Vitamin B5)

This ingredient is very hydrating and barrier repairing, it helps skin heal more efficiently so inflammation resolves faster instead of lingering as redness.

Azelaic acid

Discussed above. We know her. We love her.

Sunscreen (SPF 30+)

Duh!!!!!!!

Products for PIE:

• Mediheal Madecassoside Blemish Pads so good I literally use these everyday.

• Mixsoon Centella Essence a great formula, because it’s essentially just a bottle of pure, concentrated centella extract. I’ve finished two bottles of this before.

• Purito Centella Pimple Patches are a really smart option in a PIE situation, since you’re getting both protection and soothing support at the same time.

• Isntree Green Tea Toner, which is 80% Green Tea Extract but also has some allantoin and centella asiatica.

• Cosrx Snail Mucin duhhhh you know I love her.

• Ma:nyo Factory Panthetoin Essence Toner is such a beautiful, milky, seriously hydrating formula and it’s never made me breakout. The girls at Senti Senti put me on to this and I’m so grateful.

In Clinic Treatment Options!!

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I was staying in Brooklyn Heights, which was a bit dangerous in the sense that the sun was hitting the brownstones just right, there was a perfect breeze worthy of just a light trench coat, and as I wandered around with a L’Appartement 4F chocolate croissant and an iced coffee, I found myself thinking, “Well fuck… do I need to move back here?”

But alas, my cats will unionize and revolt if I try and make them go on a plane again after our traumatic eleven-and-a-half hour journey from London to LA.

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During my very brief trip, I managed to do all of the essentials like a stop at Senti Senti (formerly oo35mm) in Chinatown, buy a pair of sunglasses at Lara Koleji (formerly located in my old neighborhood of Greenpoint, but has since moved to the LES), order the exact same thing I’ve been getting from Lovely Day for—I’m really not kidding—fifteen years, and see all my best friends.

On the flight, I watched Wuthering Heights with minimal attention and did an interview with about my favorite fragrances, which you can read here.

Today we’ll be chatting about

• My skin update (duh)

• The new hair color I’m considering

• The only eczema lotion that’s ever worked on my perpetually dry, scaly legs

• The peptide injection for your skin I keep hearing about

First of all, an Accutane update. The last time I checked in, I was optimistic that I'd managed to avoid the drug's most dreaded side effect: the purge, which is a weeks-long period (or months long, if you're unlucky) where every existing breakout, plus every pimple lying dormant beneath the surface, comes to a head all at once. It’s hell, and often one of the main things preventing people from starting Accutane to begin with.I learned that it happens to roughly a third of Accutane users.

Throughout my first month-ish, I was certain I'd escaped it entirely. If anything, my skin had never looked clearer, just a bit dry.

Well, guys, that sure came to an end quickly. About 45 days into Accutane, I woke up one morning to dozens of closed comedones (those small, pebbly bumps that seem to linger forever) scattered across both sides of my face.

I figured since Accutane changes how my skin sheds and clears out pores, these might turn into tiny little whiteheads and go away quickly. But no. One by one, every single little closed comedone swelled up into a red, giant zit. And they just…sat there. They wouldn’t come to a head, wouldn’t disappear, they’d just grow in size and discomfort everyday.

None of the comedones developed into cysts (thank god). Each had a pore dotted at its center, a picker's telltale sign that a zit is extractable. That might sound like a good thing, but not for me. As someone desperately trying to quit picking, especially now that my skin scars at the slightest pressure due to the drug, this was seriously the greatest test of self restraint I've ever faced.

I relapsed a few times, which was always a complete disaster resulting in tears and ripped (yes ripped) skin. And I’ve been leaving the house covered in pimple patches - I’ve been into the Rhode daisy ones, as of lately - more than ever.

I just had to trust the process. And also visit Reddit support threads multiple times a day.

But I think maybe…just maybe, I’m on the other side of it. Knock on wood.

People who have finished Accutane are always like, “Take progress pics! It’s so rewarding to look back on later.” In this current moment, I find taking progress pics extremely disheartening, but I’m doing it with the hopes that one day I’ll review them with that same satisfaction.

So here I was this weekend at the airport:

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At the start of this year, I made a pledge to use what I have and attempt to hit pan on as many products as possible.

And it’s been going pretty well…. kind of.

But seeing as beauty is, at the end of the day, my greatest passion, I find it difficult to curb my yearning to try new, shiny formulas and products.

I can’t help it!!!! It’s just who I am!!!!

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But today, in a rare moment of maturity, I’ve decided to do the responsible thing, which is to write about what I want from the sale instead of actually buying it.

Also! Did you catch my massive roundup of my Sephora favorites from last season? If not, it’s perhaps worth a look.

So here’s a little list of stuff that’s currently tempting me.

• Out of all my beauty obsessions, my lip liner addiction is by far the most demented. But a friend of mine was wearing the m.ph shade “Cherry Cola” the other day, and it stopped me in my tracks. It’s a gorgeous warm brown, but instead of pulling orange, it leans red, so it’s more terracotta than brick. I’ve also heard nothing but good things about the formula, which isn’t helping my self control.

  

• I’m forever drawn to a sheer, glossy lip balm that leaves behind just a wash of color. The two I can’t seem to get out of my head right now are the m.ph “Love Bites” Lip Ciggy, a black currant shade that lives in the same moody, berry universe as my first love, Clinique “Black Honey,” and Westman Atelier Lip Suede Matte Lipstick “Bob”, a perfect rosy nude that’s sort of a classic kind of your-lips-but-better shade. There’s something about the Lip Ciggy’s tiny, slim design that I find so charming. It feels like the kind of thing you could tuck into even the tiniest pocket. Cute!!
  

• Mane’s “It’s Giving Body” thermal hot brush is, in my opinion, one of the best hot tools released in the past few years. It’s super user friendly (way more intuitive than a regular curling iron) and it actually smooths out my frizzy, poofy hair, which is no small feat considering Los Angeles water has me looking like I stuck my head in an electrical socket. Even when my hair was super long, I could do a full style in about ten minutes. I’m not tech savvy enough to explain why it performs so well, I just know it made all my other tools feel completely unnecessary. And now it comes in a cute, petite size! With my current chin-length bob, this little guy feels perfectly suited for quickly smoothing everything out and giving the hair a quick bend and the ends a lil flick. I also feel like this would be amazing for styling bangs.
  

• I’m sure you guys are all like, “We get it! You love this sunscreen! Shut up about it already!!!” But frankly, I’m already due for a restock of my Sofie Pavitt hydrating, non-comedogenic sunscreen, so this might actually be the perfect time to pick it up. If I’m going to break my no-buy promise, at least it’s for something genuinely practical….right?
  

• I’m fully under the spell of Fara Homidi’s brand, partly because the formulas, packaging, and thoughtful product launches are so well done, but also because I genuinely admire her as a makeup artist. That said, her products are painfully expensive. But I’ve long coveted Fara Homidi’s Essential Lip Refillable Compact Nude 2, which includes a balm primer and a rosey, neutral-toned matte shade. I tested this out the other day and, tapped onto your lips with your fingers, the finish is so pretty, bitten, and blurred.
  

• I love Soft Service’s “Theraplush” hand night cream for gently smoothing my cuticles and hydrating my hands overnight. They call it an overnight manicure, and that’s really what it is. I’m also obsessed with Dedcool’s “Xtra Milk” scent (I have the room spray and use it obsessively), so this Soft Services x DedCool Theraplush “Xtra Milk” Retinol Hand Repair Cream collaboration is really speaking to me deeply, and it’s taking a lot of restraint not to buy it.
  

• I’ve been looking for a small, cute, everyday hairbrush I can keep in my purse or car for quick touch ups like curbing flyaways or smoothing the back of my hair, which somehow always looks ungodly. I’m on the hunt for something high quality, but cheaper than a Mason Pearson brush. I’ve been doing some digging, and I’ve heard amazing things about the Crown Affair Mini Brush No. 001. It’s handmade in Italy and uses a mix of boar and nylon bristles. Apparently, the boar bristles help spread your natural scalp oils through your hair, which makes it shinier and smoother.
  
  xo

As for why I stopped drinking, there isn’t a particularly dramatic or sensational story behind it. It was the hangovers. And baby, a few years in the UK sure showed me how bad they can get.

Long story short, by the time I was twenty-five, I felt like I was experiencing the kind of hangovers people usually associate with being decades older. I legitimately could not understand how my friends were able to have a glass or two of wine and just carry on the next day. I would be a corpse. I’d have one cocktail and wake up with a throbbing headache, burning eyes, and, by far the worst side effect, depression that lasted for days.

At a certain point, it just stopped feeling worth it, so I finally decided it was time to call it quits. And today it’s officially been a year! I’m getting In-N-Out tonight to celebrate!!

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Today I’ll be discussing:

• My favorite digital yoga class

• The best hydrating sunscreen (maybe ever?)

• A foundation that’s actually making me wear foundation

• Recipes that will heal you (physically and emotionally)

• My blueberry matcha recipe

• A book with writing so good it’s pissing me off

My favorite yoga class is the one I do in my living room every week.
If you’re into yoga, especially if you do yoga in Los Angeles, you’ve likely come across Kyle Miller. I took my very first yoga class with her in 2015, and for many of us, I think, she served as an entry point into the practice.

She’s the kind of teacher who’s genuinely so funny and unpretentious, but still brings a soothing voice, a calm, grounded presence, and classes that are genuinely challenging.

During COVID, she was among the hundreds of instructors who tried to embrace Zoom and offer virtual classes . But unlike many pandemic-era habits and virtual classes that totally dissolved once we were all allowed to leave our house, her online sessions have really endured.

Everyone loves them, because they’re both super convenient (I more often than not roll out of bed and do them in my pajamas), and an excellent workout. They’ve been a consistent part of my week for years now.

Kyle’s classes were so successful that she ended up launching this online platform called , which not only gives you access to her live virtual Zoom classes, but a back catalogue of all of these recorded classes so you can do them whenever you want. There are so many incredible instructors on there too, not just Kyle.

This is like, my big workout investment and it’s money well spent. This is one of my main keys to regulating my nervous system at the beginning of the week.

This hydrating sunscreen rules.
We all know that Sofie Pavitt creates all her products with the acne prone girls top of mind. And her newest launch, Screentime Hydrating Sunscreen, I’m delighted to report, is no different.

I’m sympathetic to everyone who is scared to try new SPFs, because in the past they have also been the biggest culprit in some of my worst closed comedones breakouts. I get it, but this sunscreen is different. She’s special.

I don’t think I’ve ever tried a sunscreen formulated specifically for breakout prone skin that’s this hydrating. It very, very moisturizing and leaves the most glorious, beautiful glow to the skin. But I’ve been using it consistently for a while now (pre-accutane, even!) and I haven’t had any issues.

This is a home run product, and I don’t say that lightly. This has been a total godsend for me on accutane because my skin is dry as a bone, and also extremely sensitive to the sun, and this product takes care of both of those issues. I’m truly obsessed with it, and will without a doubt be repurchasing another when I run out of it.

I rarely like foundation, but I love this one.

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Walk with me…

My breakouts started in high school.

The first time a doctor recommended I go on Accutane, I was fifteen years old. And it’s been floated my way by dermatologists many times since.

If you don’t know what Accutane is, it’s an oral form of Vitamin A that targets the root causes of acne by reducing oil production, preventing clogged pores and calming inflammation. It’s really effective, but it can be pretty hardcore as far as side effects go. It’s a commitment, and while doable, I wouldn’t say it’s necessarily for the faint of heart.

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When I was younger, Accutane was suggested because my acne was severe. I had constant, painful cysts that erupted in clusters along my cheeks and jawline. It hurt to laugh or smile, and the swelling would linger for months on end. I opted out of Accutane and went on androgen blocking birth control instead out of fear of the extreme dryness, and perhaps even spookier, the infamous “Accutane purge.”

My on-and-off again relationship with acne.

Years later, my skin concerns shifted. It was no longer about severity, because I had dedicated so much time and essentially built a whole career around understanding my skin, and created a routine (really a large arsenal of products, treatments, and professionals) that helped a lot. I got very, very good at managing my breakouts.

But the truth is, my acne never really went away. My breakouts maybe weren’t as extreme, but they remained persistent.

My acne would subside just enough to restore a sense of control, only to resurface again a few months later. Over and over again. And while they were no longer as cystic or monstrous, I was still dealing with inflamed zits which would leave scarring, and worse, dense clusters of closed comedones that were utterly maddening.

When topicals are enough, and when they’re not.

The thing is, a lot of people don’t need Accutane.

Over the years, I’ve seen both myself and others get their skin to a much better, or even totally transformative, place without it. But sometimes you need more help to go from managing breakouts to actually targeting the root cause.

And when I say I have personally tried everything in the name of finding the underlying issue, I really mean it: naturopaths, blood tests, antibiotics, retinoids, androgen blocking medications like birth control and spironolactone, cutting dairy, cutting eggs, cutting sugar, cutting alcohol, every laser, every microneedling treatment, using a special shower head, changing my pillowcases daily, and testing just about every skincare product in existence.

I mean, I even became a licensed esthetician, in large part, to better understand my own acne.

Then my friend’s transformation rocked me.

So, back to 2026. I have a close friend I would regularly text about acne. A few months ago, I met her for lunch and her skin was entirely transformed, clear in a way that was almost startling. She told me she had finally gone on Accutane, and described it as the best decision she had ever made.

She explained that she finally felt freed from the constant cycle of waking up each morning to check for new breakouts, panicking over every new hair product, having comedogenic ingredient checker websites perpetually pulled up on her phone, and living in fear that her period would trigger a week long flare up.

But she said the very best part was that her life no longer revolved around acne. That hit me hard, because it was exactly how I’d been living, day in and day out, through every good skin phase and every bad one, for as long as I can remember.

Accutane for reccurrence rather than intensity.

I suppose I didn’t fully understand that persistence, not just severity, is one of its primary reasons for Accutane prescriptions. I assumed your skin had to be a certain level of “bad” in order to rationalize the intense side effects of the drug. So even when dermatologists told me I was a good candidate over the years, I dismissed it, thinking that because my skin had improved, it probably wasn’t worth the time and effort.

What I failed to grasp is that Accutane working at the level of the underlying causes of acne, rather than simply managing surface symptoms, is exactly why it can be so effective for people whose acne is less dramatic, but chronically recurring and resistant to everything else.

What to expect during the early days.

Accutane is, in many cases, nothing short of transformative. I mean, one scroll through the Reddit r/Accutane thread quickly makes that very clear. But it is important to understand that Accutane is a journey that can take around six months (or more), and it requires a serious commitment. It’s not a drug to start lightly, the side effects can be gnarly, but in my experience, it’s manageable.

It’s fairly common to experience a significant purge during the first couple of months in. And then, just when it feels like you’ve hit a new low, like clear skin might never be in reach, things begin to shift. From there, the acne usually steadily fades.

For many people, the results are long lasting. I actually personally know a handful who went from very severe acne to rarely dealing with it ever again. That said, “relapse” is still possible, and some do end up needing a second course.

Because you are controlling your body’s oil production, you get very, very dry all over: your eyes (which is utterly horrific), your lips (which is heinous) your hair (which is amazing, because you need to wash it less), your face and your body. You are constantly reapplying moisturizer and rehydrating your body throughout the day.

The side effects you’ve gotta know:

1. You absolutely cannot get pregnant while taking Accutane because it causes birth defects. This will be made very clear to you throughout the process of obtaining it.

2. You shouldn’t drink because it can cause liver damage (I don’t drink, so this wasn’t an issue.)

3. Even if you are just considering Accutane, I would start the process ASAP. There are several steps required before you can begin, including blood work, monitored pregnancy tests, and a mandatory waiting period through the iPledge program. It is all manageable, but the timeline can be slow, so it is better to get started sooner rather than later.

4. This drug can also cause serious mood swings and depression - and this is really not a joke, people - so I’m being hyper vigilant about this and making sure to keep my psychiatrist and therapist in the loop.

Some notes I’ve taken on my experience one month into 20mg of Accutane:

• My purge was really not bad. For the most part, I saw big improvement after the first two weeks. I know that’s incredibly lucky and not the case for everyone, and I’m sure some of you who had a rough purge want to throw tomatoes at me hearing that, but I think it’s important to say that while a purge is possible, it doesn’t happen to everyone. It was one of the main reasons I put off Accutane for so long, so I want to ease some of that anxiety. But I’m only one month in, so it could still happen!

• I eat a big scoop of peanut butter when I’m taking my Accutane (fat helps it process better) and I also take Claritin alongside it, which apparently helps with the purge - perhaps this is why mine hasn’t been so brutal.

• My skin is dry, especially on my chin, but slugging with Aquaphor has helped a lot.

• However my eyes are killing me. They’re so dry I have to use Systane eye drops frequently. It’s driving me nuts and I absolutely hate it.

• Lanolin Nipple Cream is THE BEST lip balm!

• My skincare routine is extremely boring now, but it’s working very well. In the evenings, I wash my face with Vanicream Gentle Wash and moisturize with the Prequel Barrier Therapy Moisturizer.

• Your skin is so much more fragile while on Accutane and heals a lot slower. I picked one pimple and created an absolute disaster, the likes of which I’d never seen before. I guess as a picker, I had to learn the hard way, but jeez I’m never doing that again.

• I have to wear giant sun hats and lots of sunscreen (the new Sofie Pavitt SPF is so hydrating and glorious) because I’m super duper sensitive to the sun now. This was hard for me because I’m a hiker.

• My joints were sore all the time and it made me feel like an old lady, but once I started taking high quality fish oil supplements it wasn’t so bad. These are expensive but I swear they are the best.

I will continue to keep you guys posted on my Accutane journey as it progresses. Please feel free to drop any questions below that you may have!

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Many years ago, I wrote about my favorite baby blue eye shadow in a piece for The Strategist. Someone commented, as they are wont to do in the comments sections of major publications when a young girl is writing, that they found it “disgusting,” that it made me look “trashy,” and that they “preferred more natural makeup on me.” Being a woman online is a joy!

It was, I think, intended to be venomous, but what the commenter didn’t realize is that I’ve worshiped at the church of John Waters since I was a teenager, and his work more or less built a fundamental understanding that, if your third eye is open, bad taste is good taste. I know this person didn’t set out to make me like blue eyeshadow more, but they did.

I guess the truth is that I’ve always sort of loved beauty trends that teeter on the knife’s edge between the aspirational and kitsch. The sort of things you might see on a grandma smoking at a slot machine in Las Vegas, and later on a heroine in a 1960s French New Wave film, or on a Nina Park muse at the Oscars today.

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There’s an obvious shared glamour in the space where things deemed tacky, editorial, and ethereal collide. A million examples of this exist, but peroxide hair comes to mind as an obvious one, overly applied peachy blush, too. But the people’s princess Dolly Parton remains, if not the definitive, then definitely the most celebrated example of this alchemy.

As far as specific beauty looks go, the reigning champion - to moi - has always been baby blue eyeshadow. I’ve always loved that it can feel icy and otherwordly and yet just as at home slapped on in a smoky, seedy motel. And both are just as fabulous to me.

I do think the through line is that the people who wear it tend to have a certain audacity on the runway, on the carpet, in film, and in real life. A boldness, mystique, and sometimes even a little wildness. Can you really deny that when you see someone wearing blue eyeshadow, some part of you is like, who tf are you? And these days, no matter what the context is, it does illicit this sort of old word aura to the person wearing it - a kinda beauty trend of forgotten times.

So let’s talk about some of my faves.

If I were to pinpoint my first fascination with blue eyeshadow, it would be Anna Karina in Une Femme Est Une Femme. It was easily one of the most formative " I <3 beauty moments” of my youth.

I watched it in my senior year film class, and I swiftly got bangs and wore nothing but blue eyeshadow for a year straight. The bangs were a disaster, but the blue eyehsadow remained.

Cher and Diana Ross have long been my beauty north stars and are always pinned to the proverbial mood board. What fascinates me is how far ahead of the curve and expressive both of them were, sartorially and with their beauty decisions. Their looks were playful and experimental but also totally authentic to their spirit, and despite their choices being so big, their glam never read as costume-y.

J’adore both of their blue eyeshadow here: Diana Ross with a matte periwinkle, Cher a bit more metallic and sparkly, and both perfectly complimenting their hair accessories.

Some more recent blues.

There’s a few different shades of blue (sky, icy , denim) and different ways to wear them. I’ve always found that the most “wearable”, for those wanting to try it out for the first time, is to lean a bit 60’s with a wash of a very, true baby blue all over the lid. And then- especially if you’re wearing it in the evening - add an eyeliner (cateye, tightlined, or both like Lily Rose Depp here) and mascara on top. I personally think it’s a good entry point because it allows you to experiment while still being anchored by the comfort of a tried-and-true liquid liner and lotsa mascara.

And then there’s me. I’ve gone through phases of wearing every shade of blue eyeshadow imaginable. As a kind of baby blue shadow historian, there was one from Glossier that I adored and that felt utterly of its moment. And then a very coveted collaboration between Make Beauty x Maryam Nassir Zadeh circa 2018, which was perhaps my first witnessing of a blue eyeshadow becomming shorthand for a certain downtown New York cachet (more on that in a sec, because there’s one of this moment!)

There’s a new “it” blue eyeshadow of the moment.

As it happens, I was just about to look something up when I saw that Vogue named blue eyeshadow one of its key trend forecasts for 2026. Look at that!

Now I would personally argue that blue eyesahdow is evergreen, as proven by its decades of wearers, but I will say that every few years a launch of a product brings baby blue eyeshadow back into the zeitgeist.

First up, we’ve got a big one, and a new one. With hundreds of beauty brands now crowding the landscape, it’s increasingly rare for a brand to hold a genuine cultural grip, to carry a kind of “It Girl” currency that money can’t buy and algorithms can’t teach. It’s being said a lot these days: noticing someone with this particular brand’s compact signals that they’re in the know.

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Today we’ll be discussing:

• How blocking social media apps radicalized me.

• Re-discovering a device that RULES for blind or cystic acne.

• A candle that smells like a Legend of Zelda temple.

Ethel Cain made me buy this candle.

For years, my bestie Kyle and I have loved Ethel Cain - daughters of Cain, if you will. Kyle also happens to be one of the people I most frequently consult for fragrance advice. So when Ethel Cain uploaded an hour and twenty minute YouTube video sharing her favorite scents it felt like a freaky, serendipitous alignment of interests. Kyle and I were practically paralyzed with excitement.

Her collection is quintissentially Ethel in that it’s a fascinating interplay of Yankee Candles and darkly seductive, spooky indie perfumes like “Poltergeist” from Heretic.

One candle in particular, though, caught our attention: an affordable Voluspa candle called Temple Moss, which Ethel said is what she imagines a temple from The Legend of Zelda to smell like. As Zelda players ourselves, never have Kyle and I added something to cart faster.

All of this to say, since watching the video a few months ago, I’ve gone through roughly five of these Temple Moss candles. There’s a crispness to the scent, with mossy notes that are damp and verdant without tipping into heaviness or earthiness. It smells like a spa tucked into the heart of a cool, misty forest, and the scent really projects, giving a very clean fragrance to the space. The 18oz really packs a punch and is only $40.

I think maybe my Brick device fixed my brain.

A group chat made up of two close confidants (three dumb bitches always telling eachother “exactlyyy”,) Jackson and Tiffany, finally convinced me to confront the depths of my abhorrent doom scrolling addiction and invest in a Brick device. Basically, it’s a small, cube-shaped device that locks you out of any apps you select. To regain access to Instagram, TikTok, or whatever you’ve blocked, you have to tap the Brick cube again. My personal strategy is to “Brick” my phone and then ask my husband to hide the cube, so even if temptation strikes, I literally have no idea where it is.

Last week, I went three days without opening any social media apps at all.

I started jotting notes on what I was feeling and noticing:

• I missed out on a cultural moment: the monkey being abandoned video. I can’t believe I’m even writing about this, but I must. It wasn’t a major one, it was no psychotic Harry-spitting-on-Chris-Pine-debate or whatever, but it was the first time I legit had no idea what someone was talking about when they brought up a viral sensation. I’m usually so attuned to the quickly shifting currents of the online zeitgeist - AKA I’m used to freely rotting my brain - but I knew the longer I remained detached, the more likely I was to start feeling tapped out. But to be totally honest, I didn’t care. Maybe I would have if the viral thing was more exciting (respectfully, to that monkey.)
  

• I still read the news and confront the hellscape of our existence, but then I move on. You guys, life is immeasurably better when you don’t have to wade through the deeply disturbed cesspool that is comment sections.
  

• The amount I have reflexively tried to open Instagram is disgusting and makes me want to scream at the top of my lungs.
  

• I find myself binge scrolling on Pinterest a lot, almost to try and get a similar high? It’s a much more pleasant experience, and I do find myself charmed by the “boards” I’ve created in the last few days, but it still makes me feel sort of repulsed that my thumbs and brain are trying everything they can to get a fix.
  

• Without a doubt, social media is a disaster for my ADD. Locking myself out of the apps didn’t magically cure it, but it quickly became glaringly obvious that scrolling is the absolute worst possible stimulus for my attention. I finish tasks so much quicker and with far less procrastination.
  

• Whenever I tell people about the Brick, every. single. person. says, “I wish I could do that, but I need it for work.” Like, sure, but if you’re not a social media manager or something, do you really need it 24/7? I used to think the same thing, and then I realized… do I even?
  

• I read more, and that’s something that without fail makes me happier.
  

• I suddenly like doing crossword puzzles.

I love this for getting rid of painful, “blind” pimples.

I’m not quite sure how it took me so long to invest in a high frequency device, because I’d always loved the results when using them on myself and on others back in esthetician school. But alas… I’m a dummy.

I stumbled across a really convincing Reddit testimonial (Because yes, we’re going back to the ancient texts, people. TikTok, be gone.) where one woman passionately raved that her high frequency device was the only thing that ever stopped blind pimples in their tracks. The comments were full of emphatic agreement.

Back to esty school: the purple glow in high frequency devices comes from argon gas, which produces a small amount of ozone. This has antibacterial effects, helping reduce inflammation and supporting faster healing.

So, after reading testimonial after testimonial, I got one. And wouldn’t you know it? A few days later, I got my period and a painful under the skin pimple sprouted up on my chin. I zapped it for about five minutes on clean skin, slapped on a pimple patch, and by the next morning it was nearly gone. I legit couldn’t even believe it. This is a tip for the books, people.

If you suffer from cystic acne, this might be worth trying. A caveat: the Reddit people noted it doesn’t work as well on non cystic acne, which is interesting, so keep that in mind.

I also just received “Lost Lambs” by Madeline Cash in the mail, courtesy of my best friend and genius book editor Jackson Howard. I’m looking forward to devouring it this afternoon with a cup of acne-friendly tea that I’ll be discussing in a bit.

It’s raining here in Los Angeles, which always massively stresses me out because everyone on the road suddenly drives like it’s their first time seeing a car. So I’ve barely left the house in 48 hours and I’m starting to get cabin fever.

Quick housekeeping: I’ve added some more dates for skincare consultations. Can’t wait to see you guys. <3

Today we’ll be discussing:

• A gorgeous Dior Nail Glow rival

• A shower cap that’s changed my hair - who knew!

• Kylie Cosmetics blushes

• Writing fiction + Stephen King “On Writing”

Do I like this polish more than Dior Nail Glow?

I recently found myself seated next to Holly Falcone, one of the founding creative directors of Celisse, an absurdly talented nail tech, and an all around fab person, at a dinner celebrating Sofie Pavitt (whose parties, it must be said, are always a good time).

When I told Holly that my favorite nail polish of all time was Dior Nail Glow (a high-shine, your-nails-but-better glossy polish that I’ve raved about for a decade now), she explained that I must try out Celisse’s polish “Babydoll”, as it’s sort of a more opaque interpretation of Nail Glow that has more coverage, and therefore leaves your nails looking that extra bit prettier.

It’s so good.

“Babydoll” has that same cool toned blue-pink hue Dior Nail Glow is known for, but with more richness in the pigment. It’s def more of a true polish than a gloss, but it’s still very sheer, buildable, and easy for a non-professional to use (I’m beyond useless at doing my own nails, though I do try my best!) It’s extremely easy to just brush on with your non-dominant hand.

• Celisse “Babydoll”

• Dior Nail Glow

It turns out, not all shower caps are created equal.

If you’re a bottle redhead who watches your color bleed the second it touches water, or just someone who cares enough about your hair to try to stretch out wash days, you probably own a shower cap. I did too, and honestly thought very little about it. But now that I’ve tried this, I literally can’t believe I settled for a flimsy plastic one for so long.

This is basically a satin-lined shower cap that actually seals your hair very easily in instead of forcing it into a messy bun with pieces poking out.

Okay, it’s a little hard to picture, but lemme try: you basically pull it on like a headband, gather your hair inside, then roll and secure the flexible back wire for a snug, fully waterproof fit.

It’s unbelievably easy to use, and not only does it keep your hair completely dry, the satin lining prevents humidity from sneaking in, so your strands stay smooth instead of turning frizzy and unruly. This has changed my shower experience, and my hair now easily lasts a week without showering and still looking good, which is fab.

• Kitsch Satin-Lined Flexi Shower Cap

Two cups of this tea has helped with hormonal acne.

So, if you didn’t know, spearmint tea is something that’s very often recommended for people who have struggle with hormonal acne because it’s been shown to have anti androgen effects, meaning it can help lower excess testosterone levels that trigger oil production, which is ultimately what causes breakouts especially along the jawline and chin.

I’ve started drinking a cup or two a day lately, and I’m actually quite floored at how I’ve genuinely noticed a difference in how many spots I get around my jawline, especially right before my period. I really recommend it! Plus it’s so nice, tasty, and cooling after dinner.

• Spearmint tea

I have a confession…

• “Ladybug”

• “Winter’s Kissed 2.0”

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But according to this Business of Fashion article, Pat’s recent decision to file for bankruptcy was a result of unsustainable financial structure, significant debt, and a last-ditch attempt to secure new investment that didn’t pan out. :(

If you’ve met Pat in person, you know she’s a larger-than-life presence who somehow makes you feel like the most important person in the room. She’s funny, brilliant, chic, camp… literally everything you want her to be.

And I’ll tell you something: what I don’t know about business, I make up for in knowledge about Pat’s work and her products. I’m a die-hard Dame Patricia McGrath fan and always have been. From her editorial work to truly groundbreaking runway looks (I mean, John Galliano S/S 2011 and Dior S/S 2010 Couture alone… c’monnnnn),all the way through to her beauty line. I’ve tried, and mostly loved, almost everything Pat McGrath Labs ever released. I even had the opportunity to work with her a few years ago, and that was a dream.

Pat is known for her exquisite attention to detail and innovative formulations - super duper pigmented eyeshadows, buttery powders, and flawless, glowy complexion products. And of course, gorg packaging.

Yes, her stuff is more expensive, but I’ve never regretted a single dollar I’ve spent on them. Every lip liner I’ve purchased is now a tiny little nub, and I’ve hit pan on so many of her powders, which I just need you to understand is objectively insane given that I have literal closets full of makeup. Not to mention, nearly every purse I own has at least one Pat product floating around.

Her products are the backbone of my makeup collection. I try new things for fun, but I always return to Pat. I mean, how many times have I mentioned her stuff on Fun Little Treat alone?

With the brand restructuring and its long-term future seeming very ????, it feels like a good moment to spotlight the Pat McGrath products that truly stand the test of time. And like, I don’t wanna be a Debbie downer here, but it might be worth stocking up on while you still can.

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Sublime Perfection Weightless Foundation “Light 5”
I adore this foundation because it has just enough coverage to neutralize redness and darkness and even out the skin, but it stays sheer and buildable, it never looks weird and cakey. It’s the kind of base you can comfortably wear during the day and still feel like your skin looks like skin. Like most of Pat’s complexion products, it leans hydrating with that signature softly blurring, brightening effect. I wear shade Light 5, and I’ve probably gone through around five bottles at this point.

Sublime Perfection Concealer “Light 5”
This is a pretty full coverage concealer, which it’s really great for concealing acne or dark circles, but it’s also very hydrating so it’s easy to blend and buff out.

Skin Fetish Divine Powder Blush "Divine Rose"
I love this powder formula. I actually think it’s one of Pat’s all time best products, and I wear it constantly. It’s super pigmented, has excellent staying power, and is unusually creamy for a powder. It gives the skin that soft, blurred finish Pat does so well. If I had to pick a favorite shade, which is honestly difficult, it would be Divine Rose, a neutral pink that somehow manages to be flattering on everyone I’ve ever used it on.

Pat McGrath Divine Cream Blush: Legendary Glow Color Balm in every shade- I kinda don’t understand how these blushes never exploded and sold out in some sort of viral craze. They’re a really beautiful, super balmy formula that’s ultra hydrating, but they actually last on the skin. “Alluring Nude” is one of my all-time favorites because it’s the prettiest nudey-rose shade. But honestly….. I think I own almost every color, and they’re all great. I love “Divine Rose,” “Peachy,” and “Sunkissed Seduction.” You truly can’t go wrong.

Skin Fetish Divine Glow Highlighter "Lunar Allure"
I think this highlighter is seconds from being discontinued, seeing as it was so difficult to find it in stock anywhere (there seem to be a few left at Nordstrom. RUN DON’T WALK!) That’s genuinely pretty devastating because it’s one of my favorite highlighting products ever. Anytime I wear it, I cannot believe how glowy and healthy my skin looks, both IRL and in pictures. It’s definitely on the brighter side, but somehow still reads incredibly natural, with a refined sheen rather than obvious sparkle. Pat is known for her luminous skin, so it’s no surprise that her highlighters are consistently next level. I’ve used this highlighter so much it’s truly shattered into a million tiny pieces. Nevertheless she persists (I still use it every time I go out.)

Skin Fetish: Divine Bronzer “Nude Honey”
An incredible bronzing formula, especially if you have very fair skin or you’re wary of bronzers turning weird or orange. A Pat product would never do that, she’s far too exacting for it. Nude Honey is def my favorite shade. It’s light enough to melt seamlessly into the skin without ever looking patchy or muddy, but it still does a beautiful job of warming up the complexion and adding subtle depth exactly where you want it.

Skin Fetish Sublime Perfection Blurring Under Eye Powder
One of the greatest under eye powders to ever exist, and I actually don’t know what I’d do if it were ever discontinued, so I’m kinda panicking… I can’t lie. I use it almost every day, especially when I know I’ll be out for hours, won’t have time for touch ups, or I’m getting my photo taken. It has this insane smoothing quality that completely blurs out any creasing under my eyes and gives a truly flawless, airbrushed finish. It’s beyond. It’s technically meant for the under eye area, but I use it all over like on my forehead and around my nose.

Legendary Longwear Lip Pencil “Contour”
Such a good nudey-browny shade that’s perfect for giving that sort of contoured, pouty lip effect. It has a gel-like formula so it glides on easily and has great staying power. Would have loved to photograph my little nub of a lip liner for the post, but unfortunately my sister stole my pencil!

Mothership V Eyeshadow Palette: Bronze Seduction
A Pat palette is truly something to behold, if you’ve never had the great luxury of using one before. They’re insanely pigmented, buttery formulas that have the most high impact effect. No one does iridescents like her. Mothership V is my favorite because it has all different kinds of iridescent and sparkly shades (the green-ish “Fire Ppal” shade is insane), but also a lot of wearable bronzey shades for more simple looks.

MatteTrance Lipstick “Elson 4”
If you’re a red lip kinda person, you gotta try Elson. This shade is Pat Mcgrath’s blue-red lipstick that’s beloved by many makeup artists and celebs alike, including the queen of red lip herself, Miss Swift.

Chronic cystic acne is a very specific kind of psychological warfare. Nearly all of my high school memories involve some version of strategically arranging my hair to hide breakouts along my cheeks, keeping a hand near my chin, or inventing illnesses on days when I thought my skin looked too bad to be seen in public. And that’s not even taking into account the actual physical harm I’ve done to myself when left alone with a mirror for too long, which I’ve written about before.

The breakouts became doubly humiliating once I became an adult and triply when I actually started working in beauty. My acne had generally improved - A LOT! - as I became professionally obsessed with skincare, but hormonal cystic acne is finicky, unpredictable, and famously a somewhat mysterious signal to internal dysregulation in your body. I still broke out, and when I did, it was almost always in noticeable, painful clusters.

But over the years, I’ve dealt with just about every type of acne. Lucky me. I’ve also tried what feels like every product ever made, and built much of my career around understanding how acne actually works. So today, I’m sharing with you everything I’ve learned over my nearly decade-long career, both as a beauty journalist and licensed esthetician, and someone who has had acne for as long as she can remember.

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A single, painful, under the skin bump.

This kind of acne is infuriating because, on top of being bright red and excruciating, there’s a certain kind of anticipatory agony knowing that its redness and swelling probably just continue to increase over the next few days. And there’s also something so sensorially unsatisfying about its kind of deep, under the skin pain. I hate that feeling when you laugh or move hair out of your face, and suddenly are struck with a sting that reminds you there’s a giant zit sitting there.

But fear not, I have some good holy grails for this scenario.

Skincare that can really help with a new cyst.

Peach Slices Microdart Patches are both good for shrinking cystic acne, and also psychologically helpful. These peach slices pimple patches have salicylic acid and tea tree infused microdart crystals on that, which allows for the treatment to go a bit deeper into the skin. I’ve seen great results with it, as far as flattening cystic pimples goes, especially when you apply them as soon as you feel one coming.

There’s also something oddly satisfying about the sensation itself. The microdarts aren’t painful, they feel more like Velcro on the skin. The tiny pokes actually feel kind of good, which is really strange but true. It’s basically the closest thing to picking at your skin without actually picking, so it scratches that itch without making things worse.

Beware of the siren song of cortisone injections (but know they are an option.)

These are a bit more complicated. Cortisone injections are an injection you can get at a medical spa or a dermatologist’s office that can technically reduce swelling in a cystic spot almost immediately. Doctors will tell you it can shrink the zit completely within 24–48 hours.

If that sounds a little too good to be true, it’s because it sort of is. In my experience, the results are kinda inconsistent. Sometimes they work incredibly, stupidly well and the zit goes down in a matter of hours. It’s totally thrilling and you want to ring bells in the street and scream war is over. Other times, they don’t seem to do much at all.

There’s also a much more stressful potential side effect: divots, which is when a small sunken area forms at the spot of injection. These are actually fairly common with cortisone injections. I’ve actually had this happen to me once before, but in my case, it filled back in within about a month, so it wasn’t permanent. But it scared the shit out of me. Everyone’s skin responds differently, which is why divots are absolutely worth keeping in mind.

If you’ve picked a cystic pimple, nothing “came out” and it’s a total mess and you want to die.

Man, I hate when this happens. I’ll paint you a picture: you have a deep, under the skin zit, assume it’ll resolve quicker if you try to extract it, and instead of anything useful coming out, you get a weird unsatisfying clear fluid. Suddenly it’s swelled up in size, angrier, and you know it’s going to look worse tomorrow. And most frustrating, it’s very much not going anywhere.

Stop looking at it - out of sight, out of mind.

In this instance, throw on a regular pimple patch for as long as possible. Cosrx OG pimple patches are really the best ones, and I’ve tried them all. Use a Cosrx pimple patch at night, and any cute ones like these Miffy guys for the daytime, so you don’t have to confront your self inflicted damage.

Keep it covered, no need to dwell on your mistake. Let the pimple patch do it’s job. Then, at night, I like to then use Panoxyl benzoyl peroxide face wash just on the zit as a kind of targeted antibacterial cleanse that also helps with swelling, and then Cosrx pimple patch on clean dry skin. If it doesn’t go away after weeks of doing this, this is when I would personally consider going to a derm for a cortisone injection.

People also really swear by the hot and cold combination for cystic zits. Icing helps with swelling, hot compresses help draw up the pus to the surface. But as a picker, I find if I use a hot compress I can’t help but try and extract and pick and it just makes everything worse. So if I do either I usually try to ice, and I really like Sofie Pavitt’s Nice Ice Toning Pods for this because they have acne fighting and anti-inflammatory ingredients like green tea and niacinamide infused in them.

You’ve started getting clusters of cystic breakouts or repeat cysts.

Alright, we need to take a deep breath here. Together. It is going to be okay. As far as the psychological turmoil around acne goes, this is quite frankly one of the worst scenarios. Again, I’m not talking visually, I’m talking spiritually.

Unlike a single cyst, which even when it is poked and prodded just feels annoying, a whole cluster can make it feel like this is your new reality. Like you are now a person who will live with cysts forever. And that is just not true!

Try some OTC skincare first.

Topicals like Paula’s Choice BHA or Panoxyl Face Wash can sometimes totally help in this scenario. I have also seen really great long term results from my Theraface LED light therapy mask, using both the red and blue light setting with very consistent use, but it takes time.

Also, sometimes, your skin will randomly respond incredibly well to one specific ingredient, and it feels like you have found a holy grail that suddenly pushes those cysts way back.

But it is also very normal for all of these products to eventually let you down in this situation. Clusters of hormonal cysts often means there is something deeper or more internal going on, and over the counter topicals can only do so much. If that is the case, this is where you have to lock in. And by that, I mean trying to find a dermatologist who takes your insurance.

Find a derm + oral options might be suggested to you.

In this situation, you and a derm can come up with a game plan, and also talk about the options for managing any internal imbalances that might be going on.

They can explain oral treatment options, which often do a lot of the heavy lifting. This can include antibiotics, Spironolactone, which many of my friends are on and love, and the most intense option with the most dramatic results, Accutane.

This is also when some people consider birth control - like, if you are already on or in need of contraception, you can select ones that specifically help with acne.

These are all things you should talk to your derm about, and be very honest with them about your lifestyle, budget, and any health concerns.

Slow burn (but helpful!) topical prescriptions.

Retinoids like Adapalene or Tretinoin can also be recommended by a dermatologist in these cases, but they tend to work more slowly. It’s a marathon not a sprint with them. Because of that, many people choose oral treatments since they can feel like a quicker fix.

A bunch of whiteheads.

Whiteheads are type of inflamed acne that usually mean the acne is not deep under the skin. Ideally, you would just leave these guys alone. You can use a pimple patch to pull out what is inside, or if you have the patience of a saint, it might even wash away in the shower.

But personally, I cannot live like that. I have to extract because I’m a sicko. However when I do pop these particular kinds of pimples, I try to use q-tips so I do not leave nail marks or increase the risk of scarring.

As far as treatments go, this type of acne really benefits from good old fashioned salicylic acid because it can get inside the pore and help dissolve the buildup that is causing the whitehead in the first place.

My favorite is the Paula’s Choice BHA, which is an exfoliating toner that helps keep pores clear and prevent new whiteheads from forming. This is also a good time to use Biologique Recherche P50, if you have it, since it exfoliates, helps speed up cell turnover, and brightens any marks left behind. You could also use a mandelic acid like the Sofie Pavitt Skin serum, which is a bit gentler and helps exfoliate the surface while reducing congestion over time.

Closed comedones or little pebbles everywhere, which sounds like a 2026 novel title.

Okay, honestly, these kinds of breakouts are, excuse my language, the bane of my fucking existence. And sadly for me, they are very often the type of acne I mostly get these days.

Do not pick these, I beg of you.

Visually, closed comedones are the breakouts that tend to show up in larger clusters, like five to ten at a time. They are little bumps that just sit under the skin and almost look like teeny tiny little pebbles or something. The most annoying part is that it can feel like you cannot get rid of them without extraction, which for someone with a really bad relationship with skin picking, is a nightmare. Picking these will create a ton of scarring, because you really have to dig to get them out. So really try not to.

Closed comedones form when dead skin cells, oil, and debris clog a pore. But unlike whiteheads, they are not red or inflamed because the pore is fully sealed. They also require very specific treatment, so if you have tried to get rid of them and all the things that usually work for your other breakouts are not working here, you’re not going insane there is a reason for that.

Unfortunately, this is important: figure out your trigger.

Spotting your triggers is a huge part of getting rid of closed comedones, which is heinous because it’s not always that easy to do. While genetics can play a role, in my experience most triggers are behavioral or environmental. Maybe your pillowcases aren’t being washed often enough, or your phone is a little grimy.

For me, haircare and skincare are the biggest culprits. Rich moisturizers, oils, emollients, and certain comedogenic ingredients can create buildup over time. Try and figure out what your trigger is by taking things out of your routine one at a time and see if you notice any changes. After that, focus on gentle, consistent exfoliation to clear out clogged pores.

Specific skincare for getting rid of them.

Sofie Pavitt’s Mandelic Acid is a favorite because it’s a mild, hydrating AHA that not only smooths the surface of your skin but also penetrates pores to dissolve the buildup causing the bumps. For an extra boost, a physical scrub like an enzyme based exfoliant can help manually release stubborn dead skin cells, though it’s best for skin without inflamed acne, so don’t do this if you have cysts or whiteheads.

And if you’re dealing with a combination of closed comedones and whiteheads, Paula’s Choice Azelaic Acid because it calms inflammation, clears pores, and also helps fade any leftover hyperpigmentation (more on that next post).

These treatments can help you target the root cause while preventing new comedones from forming.

Retinoids work well, but things can get worse before they get better.

Retinoids, like Adapalene and Tretinoin (I like Altreno best), work really well at preventing closed comedones from forming because they accelerate cell turnover, break down the keratin plugs that block pores, and keep skin from getting congested in the first place.

The catch is that retinoids can bring underlying congestion to the surface before clearing it, making active comedones more noticeable or even initially prompting new ones to appear.

When I interviewed Sofie Pavitt for The Strategist a while back, she explained that she often starts by treating her clients with gentle exfoliation to clear active closed comedones. Once those stubborn bumps have mostly resolved, she then introduces retinoids to prevent closed comedones from coming back. The idea is to tackle the existing congestion first, avoiding scary flare ups, and use retinoids to keep your skin looking smooth. I thought this was a really good tip!

Next, I’m going to be covering ACNE SCARRING! So please drop any questions you have on that topic that you’d like me to answer. <3

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Things are really spooky scary lately, so today I’m taking a break from biting my nails and reading the news and going ahead and writing about some non-terrifying, unserious things. Ya know? Just cozy.

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I phone detoxed for my birthday 🧚‍♂️

I just got back from a birthday trip to Big Sur with my husband, where we stayed in a cabin tucked into a shady spot along the coast, hidden among the redwoods, with absolutely no cell service. The hotel is called Deetjen’s Inn, which I’m sure some of you have been to, because it’s one of the only places in Big Sur that isn’t astronomical in price. It’s heaven!!

I’m slightly ashamed to admit how transformative the lack of cell service was. I genuinely can’t remember the last time I woke up and didn’t immediately reach for my phone. But there I was at 6:30, opening my book or scribbling ideas into my journal. It was the most regulated I’ve felt in a long time - my Oura ring literally couldn’t believe how un-stressed I was - and I found myself feeling kinda depressed when we were driving home and all the texts started rolling in. I always convince myself that I can’t leave my phone at home because I’m like “what if someone needs me!?”, but I didn’t have service for three days and nothing tragic happened. Good to know!

Scentmaxxing with my everything shower products
🧴⋅˚₊🫧

I honestly don’t know the exact genesis of the term “everything shower”, but I do know that just typing the words makes me tired. An everything shower is one of those intense, all-encompassing showers where you shave, scrub, lather, shampoo, hair mask…basically anything you can think of doing in the shower is done. By the time you get out, you’re thirstier than you’ve ever been in your life and feel like you might pass out on the bath mat.

Weirdly, everything showers make me nostalgic for first dates with Dom. There’s something about that hyper intense effort you put in at the beginning of relationships that I find very cozy and earnest.

Anywho, I’ve always thought of my everything showers as little scent journeys. I like keeping all of my in and out of shower body products within the same fragrance family. That kind of intention with the fragrance of your products sort of builds depth and, as a result, makes the smell linger on your skin all day.

I’ve done this before with vanilla and with rose, but I’m usually scrambling to track down body washes, lotions, and perfumes that smell similar enough. But more recently, I was sent a bunch of products from Cyklar (not sponsored, just genuinely vibing), and I loved that once you fall for one of their fragrances (their stuff smell soooooo goood), you can get it in essentially every body care format.

Using a body wash, body lotion, and perfume oil in the exact same scent pretty much guarantees longevity and projection. And I’ll be honest, I’m the kinda gal who loves being complimented on how I smell, so staying power and “throw,” as they call it, really matter to me.

From Cyklar, there are two scents I keep reaching for: Vanilla Verve, a warm, grown-up, date-night vanilla that isn’t overly gourmand, and Sacred Santal, which is creamy, woody, and a little sexy.

The rollerball perfume oils are cute, tiny, and perfect to toss in your bag for a night out. When they’re layered over a full body care routine in the same fragrance, the scent really blooms and projects, sticking around all day and well into the evening. I’ve been getting so many compliments lately on how I smell, which is music to my ears.

• Vanilla Verve body wash, lotion, and perfume oil

• Sacred Santal body wash, lotion, and perfume oil

Odds are, I’m wearing my LED mask.

I recently spoke to someone who tangentially knows Hailey Bieber, and they told me she practically lives under a red light mask. Like, to know her is to know she always has one nearby. On the plane, at shoots, at home - it’s omnipresent.

Whatever anyone thinks of her, it’s hard to argue with the results right in front of our eyes: her skin is gorg. People love to speculate and say, “Well, she’s had so much work done blah blah blah,” which, yes, maybe some lines are softened or frozen, or certain areas are plumped, who knows. But the truth is, things like clarity, radiance, and truly minimal texture aren’t really something Botox or filler can deliver. I suspect it’s a combination of genetics and really good skincare.

Whatever the case may be, this gossip inspired by me to be way more diligent with my LED therapy mask.

Anyone with a profesh background in skincare swears by LED light therapy. Used consistently, red light supports collagen production and healing, while blue light targets acne-causing bacteria. I need both, frankly.

I’ve tried a couple of different LED face masks in my day and the Therabody TheraFace Mask one is my favorite. This is very expensive (I bought it on sale), as a lot of LED face mask devices are, but demonstrably worth it. Its design, particularly the padded cushions around the eyes, makes a significant difference in wearability. It creates enough space and a barrier between my eyes and the light, so I can wear it while reading, writing, or folding laundry, without it sizzling my eyes. So this is the first one that has actually been wearable enough to inspire once a day masking without it feeling like a torture device. These results aren’t immediate, so I’ll keep you posted, but so far so good.

Savory breakfast egg and rice bowl

You’ll probably notice that my meals lately all have the same general vibe: protein, rice, lots of cilantro, and something saucy. For the longest time, even during this year where wellness content fully took over my internet, I was still drinking iced coffee on an empty stomach, feeling shaky and starving by 1pm and then eating everything in my kitchen at once.

Eventually I had to admit that I need to eat real breakfasts. Specifically warm, comforting ones. I don’t know if this is just me, but my algorithms right now are heavily Traditional Chinese Medicine–inspired cooking, which has basically taught me that everything I was doing before was wrong.

So I tried to make something hearty using ingredients I already had at home, and this is what I landed on. Now I eat it all the time. It’s also Dom’s favorite.

What you need

• 1–2 eggs (your call)

• 2 cups chicken broth (more if you want it soupier)

• 1 cup white rice

• Cilantro, as much as you like

• ½ avocado

• Sesame oil (eyeball it)

• Ponzu sauce (eyeball it)

• Furikake seasoning

How I make it

1. Cook the rice using 1 cup white rice and 2 cups chicken broth. If you want it extra cozy and a little soupy, add a splash more broth. Cook however you normally cook rice.

2. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Gently lower the eggs in and cook for 7 minutes, which is the perf amount of time for a jammy egg. When they’re done, run them under cold water so they’re easier to handle, then peel.

3. Once the rice is done, spoon it into a bowl. Roughly chop the cilantro.

4. Cut the eggs in half and place them on top of the rice. Add the avocado and cilantro.

5. Drizzle with sesame oil and ponzu, then finish with furikake.

Currently reading ⋆.˚📚⋆.˚

Empire of Orgasm: Sex, Power, and the Downfall of a Wellness Cult

Omfg. Y’all. This book is insane!!!

It’s about the rise and fall of OneTaste, a wellness company based in San Francisco that created something they called “Orgasmic Meditation (… yeah) which they also called OM.

The book is based on interviews with more than 125 people and traces how OneTaste, under founder Nicole Daedone, promised sexual empowerment and healing, only to slowly morph into a controlling, sinister, and abusive organization. Members were pressured to not only work for free, but cross extreme sexual boundaries, and spend enormous amounts of personal money, all framed as necessary for their spiritual growth.

It’s basically like true crime, but make it Gwyneth Paltrow. Fab!

That said, I want to preface today’s post with this: don’t feel bad about yourself if you’re struggling to pull yourself out of a reading slump. Seriously. Like, we are all deeply overextended and neurologically fried from endless scrolling, and I think returning to reading deserves the same kind of compassion we grant ourselves when trying to get back into the gym after a vacation or something. It’s just a muscle you gotta exercise, ya know?

Get a library card in 2026

I’m not usually one to tell people what they should or shouldn’t do, but I genuinely believe that every single person in 2026 should have a library card. The other day, as I peered over a tower of newly checked out books while struggling to open my front door, my neighbor asked how much my “library membership” costs. I feel so bad for us, man…. People! Libraries are free! They are one of the few remaining institutions that still make me feel like civilization isn’t entirely cooked.

I can really only speak to libraries in Los Angeles and London (I’m ashamed I never really got into my local libraries in Brooklyn), but I’ve loved weaving my local library into my neighborhood walks and routines. Beyond the obvious pleasure of reading books without having spend money on them (A reading habit can be expensive! Especially in this economy), libraries are also genuinely useful spaces for working and getting out of the house if you’re a remote worker like me. They also often has totally practical resources like printers and scanners when you inevitably need one for one reason or another.

How to retrain your fried brain to read

1. Set a twenty minute reading timer.
   Alright, I won’t lie, this can feel slightly demoralizing at first. There’s something profoundly unchic about having to set a timer just to read. But if you’ve taken a long break from reading and your brain feels… noisy, this is one of the most effective ways to rebuild focus. After years of scrolling, it’s genuinely shocking how difficult twenty uninterrupted minutes can be. It’s brutal and embarrassing but it’s definitely motivating.

• Start with something short n easy.
  If it’s been a while, you don’t have to immediately throw yourself into a dense classic or a book you know will require sustained cognitive labor. Choose something fast paced, gripping, and unintimidating in length. And I say this as someone who can be a bit of a snob about books, because after a long reading break I found myself struggling through a very literary 650 page novel. I was sort of embarrassed at first, but there is absolutely no shame in picking up a good airport mystery (or romance if that’s your thing!) to just get ya back on the horse. I’ve talked to a lot of people who find Stephen King’s books to be perfect for reading slumps because of how direct and fast he tends to pace his stories—he also has lots of short story collections that are amazing as well.

• Reread a book you love or feels symbolic of a time in your life
  It may sound boring, but it’s far more comforting than you expect, especially if you really love a book or if it’s nostalgic in some way. I do this constantly with The Cost of Living by Deborah Levy (more on that later). I read it for the first time—and literally could not put it down— when I was staying at a countryside cottage in Dorset. So whenever I pick it up back up again, I always think of what it was like to read it for that first time, spread out on a picnic blanket in a wisteria filled garden. It’s also one of the books that has shaped my writing the most, and that I’ve most heavily annotated. It’s perfect and I find new takeaways from it every time I read it.

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Did any of you explicitly ask for long list of book recommendations here, on this mainly beauty newsletter? No. But book recommendations are some of my favorite content follow on the internet, so I’m doing it anyways.

Today, I’m going to walk you through some of my favorite books from the past year (and change), loosely categorized by kinda broad, funky themes. Noticeably absent are witchy, esoteric books but I’ll save those for another post.

Books about beauty, obsession, and the social construct of perfection.

Since this is, at the end of the day, a beauty leaning newsletter, I thought I would start here. Some of these books are darkly funny, some surreal, some a little too real, but they all get at the ways society teaches us to chase perfection, and what that chase costs.

Mona Awad — Rouge
This is a surreal novel about a woman grieving her mother who gets pulled into an eerie luxury skincare clinic that promises intense transformation. But it becomes clear that there’s something..obsessive, dark, and culty going on. There are lots of fun references in this book (Awad either genuinely loves skincare herself, or did a lot of great research), and it’s a fun, trippy, good time.

Frances Cha — If I Had Your Face
Okay this is a gripping, fast paced read that I think is totally ideal for pulling someone out of a reading slump. And if you love beauty, you’ll sink your teeth into it so easily. This book follows several young women in Seoul whose lives are shaped by beauty standards, plastic surgery, and social hierarchy. It’s really interesting, and sheds a light on how appearance and unattainable beauty standards quietly dictate opportunity, relationships, and safety. A Korean friend once described this as a K-drama in novel form, which feels accurate. It’s undeniably melodramatic, but still a compelling and very compelling read.

Oscar Wilde — The Picture of Dorian Gray
Per my recent post, I am all about reading classics as a way of realizing that you’re not that special. In fact, people have been dealing with the same issues you’re freaking out over right now, for decades.

I didn’t really appreciate how good this book was when I first read it in high school (many such cases), but rereading it as an adult is a completely different story. If you happened to have missed this junior year English class, The Picture of Dorian Gray is about a man that remains young and beautiful forever while a hidden portrait ages and records his moral decay. It is about vanity, excess, and what happens when appearance matters more than character. Anytime I’m feeling old and ugly, I pick this up and it humbles me instantly.

Ling Ling Huang — Natural Beauty
Kinda similar to Rouge in some ways, this novel follows a talented pianist who gives up her dreams of becoming a musician and takes a job at a fancy wellness store selling impossible beauty promises. The story slowly exposes how wellness culture can become controlling, cultish, and dangerous. It’s sexy, creepy, and bisexual. A really fun read.

Jeff Weiss — Waiting for Britney
Okay, this one isn’t explicitly about beauty, but it is about celebrity and cultural criticism in a way that feels very relevant to this category. It’s a semi-autobiographical story written from the author’s perspective during his time working as a tabloid reporter in Los Angeles. The book orbits around Britney Spears at the height of her pop stardom, while more broadly examining fame, celebrity, and the way magazines shaped public consciousness in the early 2000s. I’m obsessed with Britney Spears, so I found this utterly fascinating and completely gripping. Plus, seedy, weird Los Angeles in the naughties is such a fun backdrop.

Books where something spooky, mysterious, or freaky happens

I’m a spooky scary kinda girl when it’s all said and done.

Liz Moore — The God of the Woods
This is a great mystery set at a summer camp. A camper disappears, and the story moves between timelines and perspectives to uncover what happened, as well as what has happened over the years, at this camp where kids seem to go missing. The woodsy, sweaty, summery setting does a lot of the work and keeps everything feeling tense and unsettled the whole time.

Dizz Tate — Brutes
Set in a small Florida town, this follows a group of girls orbiting the aftermath of a preacher’s daughter going missing. It has an ominous southern gothic undertone to it, but at the same time has all of these very tender vignettes of girlhood. You can practically smell the lip gloss and sunscreen through the pages.

Stephen King — The Shining
It can sometimes be difficult to read books that later turned-beloved-movies because you can’t stop picturing the film or the actors as you read. I really assumed this would be the case with the Shining, especially considering Kubrick’s adaptation was a movie I was so beyond obsessed with as a teenager. Surprisingly, this wasn’t really the case, in large part because one of Stephen King’s great strengths as a writer is how he weaves dense lore and backstories into his tales, so I learned lots of context not divulged in the movie that really deepened and added so much texture to the unraveling of the protagonist Jack.

If you’ve never seen the movie, this story is about a family that movies into a remote hotel for the winter, where isolation and supernatural forces slowly drive the father towards madness and violence. It’s a 600 page book, but it’s very fast paced and easy to just tear through.

Chris Whitaker — All the Colors of the Dark
I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to include this on the list yet because I’m actually not finishing reading it, but I genuinely just cannot put this book down so I had to add it to this list (though TBD on how it wraps up!)

My childhood babysitter is now the librarian at my old elementary school (how cute is that?) She’s still a very close friend and reads absolutely everything, so when she called this her favorite book of the year, I knew it was going to be major.

This book is about two childhood best friends, Patch and Saint, in a small Missouri town, centered on a decades-spanning mystery involving a kidnapping and serial killer, set against a backdrop in the 1970s. It’s moving, it’s sad, it’s gripping, and takes some really interesting twists and turns.

Emily Fridlund — History of Wolves
This is probably one of my favorite books of all time. The writing is painfully, utterly beautiful, and the story itself is haunting in a way that lingers long after you finish. I literally find myself thinking about this book all the time. Set in a small, remote, lakeside town in rural Minnesota, it’s told from the perspective of a lonely teenage girl who babysits for a mysterious neighbor family. Very early on (like page two), you learn that something terrible happens to the child she’s caring for, and from there the tension builds quietly but relentlessly, with consequences that are heavy, harrowing, and impossible to forget.

Louise Erdrich — The Round House
I really loved this book, and ripped through this on a flight from New York to LA a few years ago. Something terrible happens to the mother of a small boy on a Native American reservation, and he’ll stop at nothing to figure out who did it. It blends suspense with a sharp look at justice, law, and most interestingly, Native identity. I really loved how integral Native American folklore is to the story.

Thought daughter books

The best category. This is for all the people here who were called sensitive or overemotional as a kid and grew up turning that into a permanent way of being. Love you twin. <3

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If you’ve been reading my writing for a while, you might reasonably assume I’m ~focused~ at best or snarky at worst, an impression I’ve always sort of assumed has been shaped, in part, by years of writing under a magazine known for that particular tone. And while that’s, frankly, not entirely inaccurate - though I like to think I’m not all that judgmental - but it’s really only part of the picture. There’s another side of me, that some might find surprising: I’m sorta deeply, unapologetically woo-woo. Like, I make moon water every full moon to bathe in later and stir spells into my coffee each morning. Over the past few years, nearly half of the new friendships I’ve formed have grown out of some shared, non-religious (heavy on non-religious) spiritual inclination, whether that’s a mutual enthusiasm for tinctures, tarot, astrology, crafts, journaling practices, meditation, or other small rituals of attention.

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Because of that, the winter solstice has come to feel more like a true New Year than January first ever has. It’s a collective turning inward and a moment when nature itself seems to sanction recalibration.

Today we’ll be discussing:

• a new year / winter solstice ritual

• iphone widgets for daily manifestation

• my pantry hyperfixation meal

• hiking and crafting as my main priorities for 2026

Join a collective (virtual or IRL) and get connected with new people

One of my favorite developments of 2025 has been my infiltration into a little ecosystem of fifteen-ish women. We were all previously about one degree of separation from one another, friend group wise, and it has become a space virtually and IRL in Los Angeles where conversations often orbit around esoteric rituals, readings, practices, and the small lifestyle habits that give life texture. On any given day, someone might share a Yule altar ASMR YouTube video, a newly discovered flower extract tincture, an interesting podcast episode, or a journal prompt that really struck a nerve.

More than anything, it’s made me realize how deeply enriching it is to have a space where people are consistently recommending things that genuinely motivate me to live better and also remind me to TOUCH GRASS!!! LOG OFF!!!! There’s something actually really meaningful about being in community with women who are invested in improving one another’s lives, especially when so much of what’s shared exists largely offline. These practices feel stimulating both intellectually and spiritually, grounding, and, quite simply….make me feel better! And isn’t that all we wanna feel in this current hellscape? So I thought I would share this little winter solstice / New Year ritual my friend sent in our chat.

In general I’ve found there to be something so extremely exhilarating about doing burning and freezing rituals, using the elements to your advantage like this is almost like taking touching grass to a new level.

It turns out my phone isn’t entirely evil

I’m not someone who always remembers to manifest through journaling, or even saying things out loud. I’m forgetful, and sometimes even lazy in my practice, as I think a lot of us are! But I’ve found a way to integrate it into my every day without having to actually to actually do anything at all.

Basically, the homepage of my phone is jam packed with widgets (it’s an absurdly easy, quick google to learn how to do this) that help me feel grounded, inspired, and motivated. Basically, I spent a fun afternoon creating a Pinterest vision board for 2026 filled with quotes and graphics that embody what I want to bring into the New Year with me. This vision board widget rotates through all these images hourly, so it’s constantly changing throughout the day.

I was dreading working out the other day, and did that horrible thing where I soothed these thoughts by instinctively opening my phone to doom scroll. But I was stopped in my tracks by a graphic that immediately popped up saying “I am disciplined and I am consistent,” becasue confidently counting on myself to show up is a big part of my 2026 resolutions. And, ya know what? I got myself right over to the park to do a little hike, which in the end I was soooo grateful to have done because it’s raining for the next few days and I won’t really be able to get out of the house.

Also, it’s been 261 days since I’ve had a sip of alcohol! Yay! Though “sober” is a bit misleading because I am one to partake in an extremely low dose gummy before bed sometimes.

Co-star I also love having be a part of my phone homepage, because I do think it’s helpful to look to the stars whenever you’re feeling a little “off”.

Do you still care about beauty?

I’ve been thinking a lot about Fun Little Treat and how I want it to evolve. Lately I have found myself in an interesting place with beauty, capital B. First of all, it is something I will always, always, always love, play with, and write about with obsessive curiosity. That part I don’t think will literally ever change. Can’t get rid of me that easy!!

However, what has changed, I think, is how people engage with it. It feels like so many of us are much more informed about skincare + makeup than we were even a few years ago, which is genuinely a good thing. People know their routines. They know what works for them. There is a lot more confidence there.

I still really enjoy doing skincare consultations because even with all that knowledge, there is still so much curiosity around how to make products work for individual skin and how routines should shift over time. That interest is very much still there.

But when it comes to new products and beauty content though, it feels like the relationship is a little different now. A lot of people seem happy refining what they already use rather than constantly looking for the next thing. Not bored, just more settled.

So I am curious. How does beauty fit into your life right now? What kind of beauty content do you still enjoy reading, watching, or coming back to?

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My hyperfixation meal when I don’t have any groceries

BTW I won’t stand for tuna slander!!

I’m really all about healthy lunches I can make out of things from my pantry when I haven’t done a proper shop, and this meal, which was inspired by my friend Maya, is one of my all time favorites.

• trader joes canned albacore tuna in spring water

• trader joes canned pitted green olives roughly chopped

• squeeze half a lemon

• herbs (I didn’t have any today, but any herbs will do)

• olive oil, which I just eyeball

• a lil tapatio hot sauce

• black pepper

• quarter of chopped red onion

Eat it scooped up with apple cider vinegar kettle chips. SO GOOD!!!

Crafting + hiking are my big priorities in 2026

This is the first time in my life I have ever been consistent with working out because instead to forcing myself to watch YouTube workout videos and roll around on my apartment floor, I’ve made hiking my main form of exercise—one of the greatest perks of moving to LA, without a doubt.

I work from home, so I have to constantly remind myself to get out of the house and stretch my legs otherwise I’ll just hunch over my computer all day long. But now that I’ve started hiking, I get to leave the house, fit some cardio in (I hate cardio in literally any other form besides this) and (most importantly!) be in nature, which is by far the most healing thing for my spirit I have ever done.

Like most forms of exercise, hiking sucked a little at first, and I was so embarrassingly dead and out of breath, but it only really took a couple of hikes on the same trail to start getting better at it.

Crafting is also something I’ve been doing a lot more to try and force myself to get off my phone, and I got this little vintage Snoopy craft box that’s really leveled everything up. My most recent crafting project was my Christmas gifting wrapping. Since my presents weren’t very big or flashy this year, I tried to put some extra love into the wrapping, to let people know that, while this may just be a notebook or pair of socks, it was wrapped with a lot of love!