February Favorites
What I have been wearing, eating, doing, using, seeing, listening to, and loving! NYFW, mango x2, eBay scavenging, Maggie Rogers, to name a few
February may be the shortest month of the year, but this month's list of favorites is anything but short. I hope to continue this format monthly, as it lets me reflect on how I chose to spend my month (as a writer) and provides a glimpse into my personal life (for you all).
1. NYFW
I was originally going to dedicate a whole newsletter to NYFW but I never got to it, so I'll just highlight a few of my favorite moments from this season's shows.
Sandy Liang continues her feminine cool girl theme this season with large rose motifs, her signature ballet flats, voluminous dresses and skirts, and quite a neutral color palette with the occasional baby pinks, pastel blues, and bold reds. What really stood out to me was the hair styling, taking the bow trend to a new level by adorning models' hairs with a multitude of tiny bows.
Metallic goth evil fairy. That is the description that came to my mind when I saw Rodarte's FW23 show. I loved all the metallic looks (a trend I want to incorporate this spring), flowy long dresses, and bold dark eye makeup. I really enjoy how dramatic and almost costume-like the looks are, satisfying my love for fantasy and make-believe.
I attended my first (hopefully first of many) NYFW show this season with Asia Fashion Collection at Spring Studios! AFC showcases five Asian designers every season, each presenting very distinct looks. It was a great show and I was so excited to have been invited. See my look for the evening captured on film:
2. Wearing
I bought a pair of maroon red tights, mostly for my valentine's day look, but I found myself reaching for them even after the holiday. Something as simple as a colorful tight, as opposed to the standard black ones, automatically adds an interest to your look (also kind of makes me feel like a cartoon character). I really like the ones I got from Tabio, and will probably order them in other colors.
Obviously eBay has been a thing for a long time, but I have recently gravitated to it for buying secondhand fashion (over other platforms like Depop and Poshmark). eBay is definitely harder to search for good items if you do not know what you are looking for. But if you do know, you can often find very good deals, with prices lower than other platforms (thinking about writing a newsletter on buying secondhand on eBay). I have been wearing my two eBay finds nonstop this month (1. Sandy Liang fleece for $120, a steal considering how many secondhand Sandy fleeces go for a minimum of $200; 2. Vintage Guess leather shoulder bag for $30)
3. Eats
I have been having an obsession with the Mango Juice Sago & Pomelo with coconut ice cream dessert from Mango Mango this month. My favorite fruit is mango; combining that with the creaminess of the coconut ice cream and QQ texture of the sago is just the tropical flavor combination I need to get me through the remaining weeks of winter.
I finally tried out Monsieur Vo this month. The brother restaurant to the East Village pho spot, Madame Vo, Monsieur Vo serves more meat and seafood forward large dishes. Their bone marrow appetizer was amazing and quite a big portion. And their crab fried rice was so good, I could have eaten the whole thing by myself.
Paid a visit to La Cabra, after a year of absence, and I had almost forgotten how good their cardamum buns are. The cardamum flavor is distinct but not overwhelming, and the texture of the bun is so pillowy. Definitely need to make La Cabra trips a more frequent thing.
4. Beauty/Skincare
Armani liquid eyeshadows (gifted): Great pigment and wears beautifully throughout the day. I like using the matte liquid shadows with a small angled brush for a subtle wing and the shimmer liquid shadows all over my lid, almost up to my brow bone.
JVN volumizing shampoo (gifted): I struggle with an oily scalp and as a result of that, flat hair. This shampoo is the first one I have tried that actually solves my problem. My hair does not get oily as quickly after using it and volumizes the top of my hair, without feeling dry.
The Ordinary Niacinamide + Zinc serum: This serum is great for acne spots. Make sure to only apply it to specific spots and not all over, and layer a moisturizer on afterwards. For the low price and how well it works, this is for sure a skincare staple.
5. Hobbies
I got my film camera (Olympus AF-10) late last year, but really started playing with it this month. I have been enjoying trying out different types of film to see how they capture images differently. I used Cinestill 800Tungsten film in my most recent roll; this film does best in dark lighting, intensifying the colors when taken at night. Here are some of my favorite shots from this month:
My goal of reading more this year is going strong; I read Other People's Clothes by Calla Henkel this month and quite enjoyed it. It reminds me of the Netflix show You, with similar themes of mystery, murder, stalking, and like the new season of the show, takes place in Europe. It also reminded me of another book I read recently, Happy Hour by Marlowe Granados, although not for the same reasons. Like Happy Hour, Other People's Clothes follows two female friends on their adventures as young adults, one friend being the chaotic, no regard for responsibility half, and the other friend being the voice of reason half.
6. NYC Spots
If you want to feel like a cultured, hip, main character, pay a visit to Metrograph, a vintage style movie theater located in Chinatown. Metrograph has an everchanging selection of old films and features a lot of foreign films (I saw Taipei Story in January). This month, I saw Videodrome, a 1980's sci-fi horror film that was disturbing, scary, funny, and thought-provoking all at the same time. Although both times I visited Metrograph was with *gasp* a boy, I think it would also be a really good place for a solo date.
7. Music
This month I relistened to Maggie Rogers' Heard it in a Past Life album, discovered Del Water Gap through his feature on Maggie's song "New Song", prepared myself to see Inhaler in concert next month by listening to their new rock album, and danced to Tennis' synth-heavy pop songs.