My Obsession with Pomelo is Getting Out of Hand

What happens when a serial impulsive buyer is left to her own devices?

With the pandemic rendering me helplessly stuck within endless cycles of existential crises (yes, plural), there’s little to do within the confines of my home but to scroll through my phone and find something to give me just that hit of dopamine my deprived brain has been looking for.

If you haven’t guessed already, I’m a serial impulsive shopper, which doesn’t help my case when it comes to quarantine boredom. Mix those two together and you’ve got yourself a gagita that can’t stop ordering clothes online despite the fact that she has nowhere to go–for now. But, until the fateful day that I do, in fact, have plans to go out, you better believe that I’d want to be dressed to impress, hence the premature shopping. At least, that’s what I like to tell myself before clicking “Checkout”.

With ZALORA as the main culprit to my impulses–plus their monthly budol-inducing sales–the call for retail therapy has never been so strong. The brand Pomelo, in particular, has become one of the most defining brands within my closet as of late, so much so that I forget which ones aren’t from Pomelo in the first place.

Luckily, my 2021 purchases are still as bright as day in my memory. Just as they bring joy to me, I wanted to showcase my gastadora tendencies with you as well to maybe bring you the same feeling getting budol-ed by sales–then proceeding to take a mini photoshoot by myself in my bedroom–gives me: a moment of pure, unabashed bliss.

Disclaimer: if you were thinking this was a sponsored post (asa pa ‘ko), let me clear the air. As much as I’d love to be sponsored by Pomelo, these pieces were all bought with my own hard-earned money because I thought they were–and are–definitely worth the treat. When I say Pomelo has me by my metaphorical balls, I mean it. Plus, if I’m going down, I’m taking you guys down with me.

Check, Please

I’ve always been a sucker for checkered pants. There’s just something about its eye-catching nature that calls to me. Perhaps stemming from an obsession with all things plaid back in high school, my love for this pattern has to cease. I love this pair of pants in particular because it’s brighter, livelier, and highly reminiscent of pajamas–but like outdoor pajamas. Pambahaycore chic, if you will.

Lines, Lines, Lines

Crop tops are everything to me. Regular t-shirts? We don’t know her in this house. It must. Be. Cropped. I don’t know when my Leo heart crossed the line of being bored with regular t-shirts and opting for more belly-out pieces, but if I can wear a crop top, I will. With this piece, what drew me to it was the trendy line detailing and the knotted center–makes for the perfect IBTC top, IMO.

Little Lilac

Everyone needs their little black dress, right? But what happens when you already have one? Get one in pastel! Duh. I don’t think I’ve mentioned this before, but lilac is one of my favorite colors (followed closely by neon green and teal, but that’s beside the point). This dainty mini dress is the epitome of adorable yet classic, mildly sexy yet pabebe. New date night dress? Check.

Stay Blazing

A cropped blazer? Yes, please. If I could have this blazer in a complete range of ROYBGV colors, I would die a happy corporate slave. It puts a cute little touch to professionalism, giving you the freedom to dress up a regular old pair of jeans or go for a smarter look with some slacks. Plus, wearing it over a bralette–my favorite thing to do with any open garment–is just so easy yet so chic that it’s a no-brainer for Zoom meetings that call for having your video camera on. Just keep the button closed, darling.

**Patchwork It, B*tch**

Surprise, surprise: another crop top. In my defense though, look how cute this is! That’s it. That’s the statement. Jokes aside, its patchwork design with its mini puffed sleeves and boob-enhancing cut makes for the perfect summery top that makes even itty bittiest of titties look like they’re doing their best. Pair it with shorts, jeans, leather pants–you name it. Its pop of color does wonders for any ol’ pair of neutral bottoms.

Do the Splits

As I mentioned, I have a penchant for checked pieces, so color me ecstatic when I chanced upon this gorgeous two-tone, split-style pair of trousers. Not only are there two different hues of tan on each leg, but one leg has a gorgeous check design that I couldn’t resist. I’ve also been experimenting with my sense of style as of late, so this unique pair was something I could not miss out on.

Skrrt, Skrrt

With a closet generally filled with lazy-girl denim shorts, I thought adding a cute little skirt to the mix would help brighten up my wardrobe. I love the scallop hemline and its high waist–perfect for looking put together at the office or hoe-ing it out with a bralette as per usual. Its lilac hue makes it easy to pair with any neutrals in your closet, making it a must-have for whatever occasion may come. Date night? Office attire? Smart casual events? Check, check, and check.

To Tye Dye For

This dress? With the open back? With the waist slits? With the balloon sleeves? Come on. My would-rather-be-naked-24/7 Leo self couldn’t resist adding to my cart. Big bonus: it’s so comfortable and soft that I wouldn’t be against having it as one of my many outfit changes at my funeral. Oh yes, I’m not dying in one outfit, thank you.

Off-White All Night

No, not the brand. This off-white dress is a little more covered up than I’m used to, but I couldn’t resist the puffy sleeves. The criss-crossed tie design on the sleeves also piqued my interest, and as I’ve never owned a dress like this before, I thought I’d give it a go. Guess I know what I’m wearing to my next formal event–or another date, perhaps? It is a tad warm though, being of heavier nature than the rest of my purchases, but its cottagecore prairie-girl aesthetic was much too fab to pass up.

And there you have it! My lovely little haul from Pomelo that I hope got you raring to shop as well. Plus, my own mini photoshoot to satiate my endless vanity. Could you blame me when the clothes look so damn good, though?

Anyway, as usual, slay safe, babes.

Get Botox With Me—Beauty Girl Bianca Mascenon

Fine lines, be gone.

Quick background—I’m Bianca, a newly-minted entrepreneur coming from the depths of the fashion and beauty industry. I’m a big beauty girl who just got BOTOX for the first time. I was 23 when my dermatologist first brought Botox up. “You’ll never get wrinkles,” she said. I was a baby with not a single line in sight.

I remember considering it, even posting on a beauty Facebook group if I should take the plunge. It’s a pretty polarizing thing, with some people telling me they wish they had started sooner, and others shocked to find me thinking about it way too early.

Botulinum Toxin, more commonly known as Botox after one of the more popular brands, is a neurotoxin that temporarily paralyzes muscles. In the world of cosmetic procedures, this temporary paralysis allows experienced injectors to manipulate face and body shapes, create looks, and prevent wrinkles.

At 27, I still don’t have any prominent wrinkles, but I did start to get bothered when one of my nose lines—a horizontal line right between my eyes—started to linger on my face longer than it used to whenever I’d *involuntarily* scrunch my nose.

I ran to my dermatologist. It was time.

Botox, when used in the context of wrinkle prevention, paralyzes the muscles that pull on the skin. Less pulling equates to a lesser likelihood of developing wrinkles. Of course, I could just stay stoic for the rest of my life and never develop any lines—but that’s a lot easier said than done!

My dermatologist, Dr. Windie Villarica-Hayano, is a master injector who was able to use botox to improve my face as a whole. You can watch my video and she’ll explain each and every detail so much better than I could!

I got injections on my forehead, around my eyes, and on my nose. I didn’t even know I was causing all these wrinkles, but THE DIFFERENCE it made. Wow. I was in awe.

It was super subtle, and my face isn’t frozen at all, but I do feel like I look so much younger when I talk because my face no longer creates lines whenever I make expressions. It is definitely what I was expecting it to be…and so much more than that too.

It only really lasts for about 4 months, and then you’ll have to do it again if you want to keep the effect going. If you ask me, I’ll definitely be back. BOTOX IS YOUR BEST FRIEND.

BUSTING BOTOX MYTHS

When I told my family I was getting Botox, I had a bunch of violent reactions. All ranging from you don’t need it to it’s bad. Botox has such a bad rap—everything from botched and overly done housewives of (insert city here).

I can assure you, if you go to a good injector, that wouldn’t happen!

Myth #1: You’ll look frozen

White Chicks is to blame for this—don’t worry! You absolutely won’t. You’ll still be able to move your face like you used to, but less involuntarily. This means you could still intentionally raise your eyebrows, but they won’t keep moving as you talk. Less movement = less wrinkles.

Myth #2: You’ll have to do it forever

No pressure! You can do this once, and never again if you don’t want to. Temporarily paralyzing your muscles just saves you a bit of time… but you know what they say: a stitch in time, saves nine.

Myth #3: You’re too young

There’s actually no right or wrong age to start getting botox. There’s also no right or wrong time. You could start very early and prevent everything from happening, or you could also wait for the first line to form.

Myth #4: It’s too expensive

It’s actually pretty affordable compared to other anti-aging treatments in the market. One unit of Botox will set you back PHP400–PHP700 depending on the clinic. I got 24 units done because I wanted to cover a lot of areas, but you could start as low as 10 units!

I hope you enjoyed reading about my Botox journey 🌻 If you have any other questions about it or anything beauty related—hit me up on my Instagram @biancaalecxis 💖 I hope you also enjoyed the video—if you want to see more of that, subscribe to my YouTube channel.

🌻 bianca

A big beauty girl, Bianca Mascenon is a newly-minted entrepreneur coming from the depths of the fashion and beauty industry. When she’s not napping or being a beauty *influencer* you can find her on TikTok or watching reality tv shows.

GRANDMA APPROVES: Pieces Your Grandchildren Will Love

Because grandma knows best.

It feels like it was just yesterday when Bianca Mascenon and I were driving to Pasig for a shoot (of many). Between the early morning traffic, our brain cells trying to wake up, coffee (on my part), and the low hum of K-Pop or ‘90s RnB in the background, our usual chatter took a turn towards one (again, of many) of our favorite topics: FASHION. To be more precise, clothes, brand-building, and the hunt for the perfect tailor.

I can’t accurately tell you how we got there, but I can tell for sure that it involved one of us griping about ill-fitting clothes, being in-between sizes, our version of perfect clothes not existing, and having to look for a good mananahi who just gets us.

Since that fateful drive, wheels had begun turning and through some divine providence—stars and planets aligning, the Universe giving its blessing—Bianca is debuting her first lineup of timeless pieces with her grandma.

This grandmother-granddaughter duo grounds their ethos in high-quality craftsmanship made with the finest materials for comfort and longevity. No, really—your grandchildren will thank you for bequeathing these pieces to them.

With Bianca at the brand’s helm, I can guarantee you that her Virgo-perfectionist eye for detail will not even let one loose thread hang out of place.

If you need more convincing, here’s a quick peek at the debut pieces from Grandma Approves:

BOSOM BABY TEE

The white tee to end all white tees. The Bosom Baby Tee has a classic baby tee cut that hugs you in all the right places. An embroidered playful Grandma Approves logo emblazons the under bust. Wear it with anything and everything, anywhere and everywhere.

BABY BLAZER

Level up your wardrobe essentials with this long silhouette. It’s hard to pin down which aspect of design is my fave but Bianca’s right: the devil’s in the details! Check out the matte-brushed gold buttons, the contrast-lined pockets, the curved pockets. Each particular detail pulls it in all together to create a gorgeous piece that could be worn as a blazer OR a dress 💫

AL CAPONE BUTTON-DOWN

Named after Bianca’s grandfather this asymmetrical, block-colored piece is an ode to alter egos and 1980s Latin America. I can’t help but ooh-and-ahh over the duchess charmeuse silk that just flows. This versatile piece is ready to take you from day ‘fit to night chic in a snap.

BAMBI TIE TOP

Peek a boob! As a hubadera, I’ve got my eye on this piece. We’re living for that beautiful winged collar that works perfectly with the meticulously draped cowl neck. The gorgeous and well-thought-of placement of the embroidered logo has me swooning. And those exaggeratedly long ties for a nipped waist? Babe, I’ve already checked it out while writing this.

So grateful to have been privy to the process, even more honored to be part of the journey (the trust is real 🥺👉🏼👈🏼). Congratulations and let the champagne (or her fave tinto de verano) flow for my fave Bianca Mascenon and her Grandma Approves baby.

In true lola fashion: hija head on over to grandmaapproves.co and check out their new lineup of finely-crafted clothing.

Slay safely in them loves 😉 We know you will.

PS. Check out their Instagram too!

✨ jazz

A 24-year-old writer, producer, and stylist who’s got the starry-eyes of a shopaholic with an irrefutable love-hate relationship with carbs and wine.

Wardrobe Heist: Pieces We’ve Swiped from the Fam

Cue James Bond theme song.

After life had thrown us into a whirlpool of “WTF is happening”, we’re glad to be out of hiatus (for now) with a new rampa article!

Armed with our ring lights, Julia’s attic, some cellophane, a random chair, and lots of caffeine, we’ve brewed yet another excuse to dress up.

This time, we’re showcasing revamped, repurposed, and reborn pieces that we’ve been able to swipe from the wardrobes of our families. As retro is back with a vengeance in a sweater vest, we think it’s definitely safe to say that old is the new new (Benito, 2021).

Diving through other people’s closets is one type of retail therapy that can’t hurt our pockets. We’re gonna come out and say it right from the get go: clothes are just our type of heirlooms. Plus, when you live in a house full of your family members, it’s inevitable that their clothes mysteriously happen to appear in your wardrobes—sometimes by accident, many times by design (sorry, not sorry).

Buckle up, because your fave gagitas have prepped for a wild ride!

*from the closet of Jazz’s paternal grandmother*

DRESS TO IMPRESS

Fun Fact: this is part of a dress ensemble, it was originally a cover up with the stiffest shoulder pads I’ve ever seen. I have the dress hidden away in my closet (altered to have a shorter, more fun hem of course 😉).

I grew up fascinated with this brown crepe fabric. I would see my grandmother, who I fondly call mommy, wear this at least every other weekend. I’m quite surprised it has withstood use long enough for me to “inherit” the piece.

Of course, when it finally changed hands, it needed a new lease on life, aka my own hubadera spin on things.

*from the closet of Julia’s paternal grandmother (may she rest in peace)*

SUNDAY BEST

I’m usually not one for dresses, but as you may have seen in our thrifted-clothes article, I have a penchant for old-timey looking pieces. This modest dress may need to be taken in (and hiked up, as the Leo in me knows not of dresses that go below my knees), but I’m just so in love with the Peter Pan collar and tropophobia-inducing pattern that I know I’m going to be keeping this for a long, long time.

70’s GLAM

Cue: will.i.am’s I Got It From My Momma! If we’re pointing fingers at the main influence of my quirky—dare I even say, eccentric—style, hands down I’ll be shoving you into my mother’s direction. She has always had a distinct sense of style and affinity for making statements but in a put-together, classy way.

While this may be just one of the dresses that survived her great purge (aka Spring Cleaning), it is by far my definite favorite. It’s no mystery why when you have a piece that just screams CLASSIC: an A-line silhouette, the pockets, the versatility of use, and the fabric.

Mixed together with flared sleeves, white boots, a scarf-turned-headband, and some cool ala-Audrey Hepburn sunnies, girl I’m ready for disco fever whenever you are!

SUBTLE SKIN

Mesh is something I’ve been obsessed with since 2019, so color me surprised when I saw this chic mesh cover-up in lola’s old stuff! Never thought you were one to be a hubadera, La, but I love it –– is she where that trait came from? While it’s too late to ask her, I love this piece so much more because it shows me a side to my grandmother that I don’t usually see.

In my memories, she’s always been the epitome of high class. Gorgeous dresses, jewelry 24/7, hair colored and groomed to perfection—that’s my lola! With this piece, I get to see a little bit of a daring side that I may have not known she had.

You’d better believe I’m wearing this with a bralette every chance I can get!

WONG KAR WAI

I am a sucker for coats, jackets, and outerwear. Unfortunately, the impyerno-level heat of our beautiful Philippines can’t seem to comprehend that. No matter. As my mother would say “Tiis ganda, hija,” (Bare it for beauty.) It’s why this beaut ended up in my hands.

I don’t know the rhyme, reason, or story of where this beautiful brocade outerwear came from or how it got into my mommy’s hands, but I’m living for it 🔥. The lightweight silk, the standard Mandarin buttons, the length, the Chinese collar—every inch screams like a set costume for a Cantonese film and I’m here for it!

A little Jazz magic (couldn’t be helped) for higher slits plus an adieu to the shoulder pads goodbye, and I was born ready to strut this amazing steal from my mommy’s closet—come hell or high water (or baked-potato heat).

JUST VIBES

Truth be told, when my sister told me that we were going to go through lola’s old clothes, I was fully prepared for a mountain of typical Marks and Spencer floral blouses. While I was partially correct, I was also so surprised to find a plethora of pieces that were 100% my style (no offense, Lolas of Marks and Spencer).

The cellophane (did we mention we shot this using cellophane on PHONE?) did wash the color out, but this piece is an adorable multi-color striped button-down with vintage-style shoulder pads: perfect for wearing both closed and open!

Jazz and I tried to fully embody the vintage vibe with a headscarf courtesy of one of her shopping trips on Shopee to top it all off.

ASIAN NOVELA

My grandmother’s not short on her stories of traveling with my grandfather, jet setting here and there, and meeting dignitaries and diplomats. So it comes to be of little surprise to find this tucked away in the attic (by extension, her closet)—a modern Hanbok set gifted to my grandmother during one of her many trips to South Korea.

The moment I saw the jegori (top) and chima (skirt) hanging at the back of her closet, I immediately knew how it would fit into my own overflowing wardrobe (an understatement). I set a trip to my trusty mananahi and we were sorted out. All the original embroidery was kept for the sanctity of its meanings. I kept most of the original elements of the Hanbok as intended by original design but had been transfigured for a more updated look and better fit to my petite frame.

I love using the jegori as a cropped jacket for windier days or even as its own top (paired with denim jeans or a skirt, ugh cute)!

TWEEDLE DEE

Alas, another piece I’ve been trying to siphon into my own closet for years! This Chanel-esque tweed blazer gives me all the opulence I want to feel, sans the wild excavation into my savings. My sister and I aren’t the same size, so this is definitely a little looser than a blazer should be, but I think it’s part of the charm.

Scrunch up the sleeves and put it on top of a—say it with me, now—bralette and you’re golden! It’s one of the items I pull out when I’m scheduled for a Zoom meeting and I want to look a little less like I’m secretly just wearing pambahay bottoms and a little more mamahalin than usual.

WERQ ‘FIT

My dad has *the* most clothes I have ever seen. All I’m going to say is that he can wear a new outfit for the whole year without repeating. Let that sink in, friendships.

If there’s one thing I love, though, about my dad’s fashion madness, it’s his meticulous penchant and eye for quality. It’s why I’ve hoarded (and arbored) so many of his work pants. I love how soft the fabrics are while the fall and structure still stand XX years later—a true testament to his care for his clothes plus the money he invests in them.

These cool linen pants are my go-to comfy trousers for slouchy but sophisticated fashion-insider chic because they can go from 9-to-5 or Saturday morning brunch with just the right top.

I’m a proud owner of a couple more of my dad’s office/work trousers (all retro-fitted for me of course). Although, now that he’s seen the new life I’ve breathed into them, I think he wants most of them back 🤔.

*from the closet of Julia’s sister (may she—CHAROT LANG HAHAHAHA)*

LAYER UP

I’ve been stealing things from my sister since the dawn of time, from clothes to makeup to skincare. However, this one was always one of my favorites to yoink (yes, I’ve taken this multiple times. Sorry, ‘te).

This sleeveless knitted piece was at its heyday when my sister was still working an office job. In hindsight, that seems so long ago now that she’s a fully-fledged business woman of multiple ventures AND a diving instructor at the same time, but that’s besides the point. However long it may have lived in these closets, I loved and still love to put it on top of casual ‘fits just to add some extra flair.

If you’ve been following us for a while, you’d know we love layers, but layers in the Philippines do not love us. This piece, however, cuts out the sadness of being unable to don coats in the tropics by being sleeveless!

HIGH MAINTENANCE

If that subheading doesn’t say something about me, I don’t know what does. ½ charot (only because my mother says that about me most days 😜). Another one from my mother’s closet that survived her great purge, this skirt is one that highlights my best asset: my waist.

Fishing this out from the back of my mother’s closet reminded me that every girl needs a maxi pencil skirt to pair with her fave bikini top or bralette for hot-girl-summer chic or just the usual classy, hubadera elegance. It strikes just the perfect balance with a skin-baring top. But also, who would ever pass on the chance to have a skirt that could be the highest waist you’ve ever owned? This quirky little one isn’t about to say no to that!

from the closet of Julia’s father or brother-in-law
(TBH she has no idea but she found it and here we are)

I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again: I’m a really lazy dresser. Anything that can be put on top of just a bra and shorts is immediately my go-to. So, when I chanced upon this ginormous blazer I found in the recesses of the extra closet in my room (my family kind of just stores old stuff in there), I immediately thought of turning it into a dress.

So, I did.

From a blazer to an off-shoulder mini dress belted off for shape, this piece is my favorite in terms of transformation. Pairing it off with some fun sunnies (shoutout to @queerkyph on Insta), nude shorts—not flashing anyone today!—and some knee-high socks really brought together that “I don’t care whose it is; I’m still wearing it” vibe that I am completely enamored with.

*from the closet of Jazz’s maternal aunt*

GUCCI BALLSACKS

These came to my hands after a fashion ayuda from one of my maternal aunts. It’s intended for bigger sizes, but the oversized sweater-dress look just speaks to me.

The fabric is deceptively heavy, but for the weight of it (and the brand logo emblazoned on it in crystals), it is surprisingly very breathable. The voluminous amount of fabric does dwarf the more petite gagitas that wear it, concealing any curves or assets that we could’ve flaunted. Although somewhat shapeless, it is not without its charms, especially when we’re channeling our inner tweedle-dum, tweedle-dee—with matching leather platforms to boot!

Make way darlings, because Gucci’s ballsacks will definitely be back with more kalat (soon!)—so keep on slaying safe.

✨ jazz

A 24-year-old writer, producer, and stylist who’s got the starry-eyes of a shopaholic with an irrefutable love-hate relationship with carbs and wine.

💋 julia

A 25-year-old writer with an obsession for beauty and an ineffable love for all things sharp—from cacti to hedgehogs to intense winged liner.

#PCOSDiaries: My Hormonal Acne vs COSRX AC Collection

Hormonal acne is such a pain in the butt. So I road-tested the COSRX AC Collection to help kick acne’s ass to the curb.

When I gained an alarming amount of weight during my dancing days and my teen acne had somehow come back full force, I didn’t think that it was a hormonal problem at the very least. I thought the acne came with the sudden weight gain—a sign that I was just unhealthy and needed to get back on my diet.

I wasn’t 100% wrong. I was unhealthy. But nothing I was doing on my own was working, not even my tried-and-tested regimen of workouts and diets—that was until I ran into my tita who just so happened to be an OB-GYN. On the spot, she told me I most likely had Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). She invited me for a checkup and advised me to get an ultrasound. A couple of tests later confirmed her diagnosis. A deeper dive into my journey as a cyster or a PCOS-diagnosed patient is a story for another day.

One of the main symptoms that I’ve been dealing with is hormonal acne. It is the worst. It comes and goes and has a mind of its own. There are seasons when my skin is glowing, but also the very rare moments where I look like giant pus (bad mental image, shoo). The only positive thing to come out of my battle with hormonal acne? I get to test drive a ton of products to see what works best for me. Side note: birth control pills do work, but sometimes need a little help to heal the ongoing breakouts.

That being said, I’ve been a big COSRX fan since they first launched as they’ve been able to help me deal with my skin troubles. I’ve been able to slowly go through their product list to play around and learn. So far, I’ve loved most of their products and keep my faves well-stocked. When the #14DayMiracle #AcneChallenge came out, I thought it was a great opportunity to be able to test drive their latest AC Collection meant to target acne-prone skin.

Before starting the 14-day journey, I was already at my wits’ end and so close to crying because of my painful, active acne and just all-around bad skin. I’d already tried almost everything at this point—TikTok hydrocolloid bandages, babying my skin, changing a couple of products, cutting out products, plant-based diet, about 10 packs of the COSRX master patches, MORE water—but hormonal acne exacerbated by the use of face masks? A really, really mean opponent! But hey, if I can still mask despite my acne, so can you! So no excuse, mask up when you go out!

look at how horrible these active pimples are

A quick disclaimer before giving my two-cents on each product: in conjunction with the trial sets, I’ve already been using the Calming Foam Cleanser, the Ultimate Spot Cream, the Blemish Spot Clearing Serum, and the Acne Patches—all from the brand’s AC Collection. I really went for the full experience 😅 I was also prescribed Hyaluronic Acid by my doctor to help battle the maskne.

I wasn’t sure which one would work best for my normal (occasionally acne-prone) skin type so I decided to cop both the Mild and Intense variants when it went on P1 sale on their official store on Shopee. I was determined to get rid of my active acne and turnover healthier skin with COSRX.

Just like the rest of the brand’s product lineup, this is formulated for skincare to be more clinically effective, straight to the point, and at a reasonable price point.

CALMING FOAM CLEANSER

Hailed as the leveled-up version of their Salicylic Daily Cleanser, this Calming Foam Cleanser is formulated with not just salicylic acid, but with asiatic acid, and madecassic acid as well to purify, cleanse, and calm the skin. It comes in a minimalist, straight-to-the-point white tube packaging with COSRX’s signature clinical branding. It’s sealed with silver foil (which I always appreciate even with the trial-sizes).

THE JAZZY VERDICT: Feel-wise, there’s not much difference from the Salicylic Daily Cleanser that I’ve known and loved. BUT (and it’s a big but), my skin definitely feels cleaner (without the squeaky feeling!) and more purified with the Calming Foam Cleanser. The scent is slightly more herbaceous than the Salicylic Daily Cleanser, but definitely faint enough that you forget that it has a scent (until you sniff the product on purpose from the tube, hehehe). I use this twice a day when I do my cleansing routine.

💸 💸 💸 💸 💸 This is a definite repurchase for me and may finally have stolen me away from my first cleanser fave—the Salicylic Daily Cleanser, lol!

CALMING LIQUID

The Calming Liquid Intensive is a fast-action liquid (toner?) that refreshes and purifies acne-prone skin for a cool, clear complexion. Its ingredient list includes some skin-loving components: propolis extract, lactic acid, tea tree oil, asiatic acid, madecassic acid. It’s the upgraded version of the brand’s Natural BHA Skin Returning A-Sol, so it’s definitely got a good amount of AHAs/BHAs to help bust acne-like music to my ears! It’s also got plant-derived alcohol to clarify the skin.

On the other hand, the Calming Liquid Mild is the gentle, soothing daily version with pretty much the same skin-loving, calming ingredient list that removes excess sebum and prevents further breakouts. It is free from any alcohols to help the skin maintain oil-moisture balance and calm any irritation. It’s EWG green grade (cool!), which means that it’s non-comedogenic, fragrance-free, silicone-free, oil-free, and gluten-free. The trial-sized bottle that it came in was translucent, showcasing the clear liquid inside.

THE JAZZY VERDICT: I found that each variation of the liquid is distinctive due to the scent, first and foremost. You could definitely smell the alcohols in the Intensive variant compared to the Mild. The scent of the alcohols honestly made my eyes water a bit and my nose scrunch.

I applied either variant with clean hands and no cotton pads—save the environment and also get the most bang for your buck! I found myself leaning towards the Intensive liquid during the evenings when my skin felt like it needed a little more help to purify and when I was producing too much sebum in a short amount of time. I opted for the Mild variant on the days (and nights) that my acne was more active and angry, thus my skin needed more calming and baby-ing. Listening to my skin and feeling it out day-to-day definitely helped with the balancing act.

Overall, I loved both variants equally. Okay, that’s a lie. I loved the Mild variant a touch more—but just because the alcohol and scent in the Intensive variant still has me scrunching my nose even after two weeks.

💸 💸 💸 I’m still on the fence about this for the time being and I’m not too sure I want to let go of my ride-or-die Son&Park Beauty Water just yet, but I do think a couple more weeks using this product might just change my tune.

BLEMISH SPOT CLEARING SERUM

This multifunctional serum made with a specialized formula clears traces of acne, dark spots, and scars by utilizing a new, methodical approach that controls excess sebum and balances the skin’s natural pH levels at the same time. Powerful ingredients enlist epidermal growth factor (EGF) to help acne skin to boost the production of collagen and elastin, 4% niacinamide to refine dullness and reduce hyperpigmentation caused by acne, and centella asiatica, and natural moisturizing factors (NMF) to calm irritated skin.

THE JAZZY VERDICT: It has a watery consistency that feels like a toner. I apply this by patting it into my skin with clean, bare hands—post Calming Liquid. There is no sting, no tingle, no indication of it even being a disturbing presence in my routine. The serum absorbs quickly with no sticky finish. I love this so much that I use it in the AM and the PM since it is gentle enough for both.

It’s definitely overturned my skin and lessened the current damage that this round of hormonal acne has wrecked upon me. This product has absolutely calmed down redness and has pushed to clear any evidence of acne. A couple weeks more with it, and I’m sure that it’d be as if I never had a bad breakout.

💸 💸 💸 💸 💸 This is definitely something I’ll be repurchasing when I finally run out—even if just to keep in reach in case my acne decides to flare up again 🙃

ULTIMATE SPOT CREAM

This toothpaste-looking spot treatment adheres to growing acne, effectively and quickly overcoming areas of concern! It’s formulated with not one, not two, BUT THREE legendary healing ingredients—madecassic acid, asiatica acid, and asiaticoside (is anyone else seeing a pattern?). It gently and effectively dries out visible acne overnight using a skin-recovery blend of Zinc Oxide, Calamine, CentellAC-RX Complex, and Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Water. If this last rundown of ingredients made you go “???” then fret not, it’s all skin-loving ingredients!

The instructions that come with it advise to apply thickly on the spot of concern.

THE JAZZY VERDICT: It definitely heals without the weird tingly feeling that I usually got in spot treatments, but it’s not as magical as we would all want it to be. It doesn’t banish the spot overnight by some miracle. But it’s so close! For my small marks, it does the job and effectively dries it out quickly, BUT the bigger, and angrier the spot then the longer it takes to work! Although, using it for two weeks did prove some really great results. I do wake up with calmer spots of concerns. IF USED EVERY NIGHT.

💸 💸 💸 💸 Of all the spot treatments that I have tried, this is definitely on the same level as the Innisfree Bija Cica Gel in terms of being able to calm down an angry zit overnight, so I would still definitely repurchase it as an alternative to the aforementioned.

LIGHTWEIGHT SOOTHING MOISTURIZER

This nourishing facial moisturizer for acne-prone skin can keep skin balanced and healthy. It gives a light and non-sticky moisturizing sensation that calms and cools heat-sensitive and acne-prone skin. It is also EWG green grade, which means that it’s non-comedogenic, fragrance-free, silicone-free, oil-free, and gluten-free. The product is housed in a tube similar to that of the foaming cleanser—so similar, you could almost mistake them for each other if you’re not looking!

THE JAZZY VERDICT: There were days where it felt amazing to slather on my skin post-cleanse for that extra hydration lock. Unfortunately, after the first week, my skin was overturning and clearing from the niacinamide courtesy of the Blemish Spot Clearing Serum, so the moisturizer (plus my SPF) wasn’t sinking into my skin as much as usual while my skin was sloughing off. I would get weird filmy little balls of product throughout the day whenever I accidentally rubbed a finger against my jaw or the side of my nose. I panicked for a tiny bit of course, but nothing a little assurance from skincare veterans and former beauty editors couldn’t placate. With their advice, I opted to hit pause on using any moisturizer for the time being while my skin was adjusting to this routine.

💸 💸 💸 This moisturizer might be the next thing I purchase should my current tube (also on pause) of Embryolisse Lait-Creme Concentrate run out. I love the very lightweight consistency of it and the ease with which my skin can absorb the product. It really lives up to its product name!

ACNE PATCH

Each pack comes with 26 pieces of colloidal patches that work to heal acne overnight, sucking out all that bacteria and gunk from active pimples. COSRX has three variants, including this pack that’s dedicated to acne skin. Each patch is oval-shaped and is suitable for covering several acne spots at once AND for covering body acne. It comes in three different sizes that can cover from small pimples to even cystic acne. The border of the patch is thinner—compared to its predecessors—to strongly adhere to curved areas such as jawline and hairline.

THE JAZZY VERDICT: From the whole AC Collection lineup, this has got to be my favorite product—and not because I went through 8 packs of these in just 1 month (please send my skin some help). The adhesive grips better compared to the original patches and doesn’t slide around after application. Plastering on the acne patch really helps me stop picking at my active acne (which is a huge no-no, it can lead to scarring)

I love how the shape is more conducive and flexible to healing broader areas that have acne concerns. And honestly? Much like those colloidal bandages that TikTok made me buy, this worked as soon as I applied them. You could really see the gunk being pulled from the acne and into its colloidal-adhesive embrace (that sounded weird, 😅).

💸 💸 💸 💸 💸 I honestly regret not listening and taking Bianca’s (one of my fave people I trust with skincare and my momma 🦙) word every time I complained about any acne. Would purchase these in a heartbeat 💕—in fact, I already have a shipment of restock on the way 😗.

THE FINAL VERDICT

In the 14 days that I’ve road-tested these products, I can confidently tell you that there was a huge improvement in my skin that I did not expect to happen within just two weeks. I do still have a couple of tiny active pimples (like 1 or 2) and some marks that still need fading, but my skin is definitely not as problematic as it was when I first began the COSRX #14DayMiracle #AcneChallenge. Check out the results below:

I could cry now for totally different reasons aside from despairing about my skin. I’m so happy that my complexion has calmed down, gotten healthier, is glowing, has evened out, and is “turning over a new leaf”. I always knew that I could count on COSRX to help me right any skin concerns or issues I have—especially when I’m dealing with something as erratic as my hormonal acne.

I definitely recommend the AC Collection line to any one of you who might be experiencing what I experienced or just have sensitive skin and have found nothing working for you just yet. COSRX has been a brand that I really stand behind and laud praises about any time, anywhere—I’m so glad that the AC Collection continued to prove what a great brand COSRX is.

I’m leaving y’all with some great tips that I’ve garnered through learning, listening to beauty gurus, and experiencing firsthand when dealing with acne-prone skin or active breakouts.

🧖🏼‍♀️ Always wash your hands before washing your face. You don’t want whatever nasty germs you touched before to rub and contaminate your skin.

🧖🏼‍♀️ Don’t change your WHOLE routine abruptly when dealing with sensitive or acne-prone skin. Identify which products are becoming your “pain points” while your skin is sensitive or while you have an active breakout. Switch them out for calming products and ingredients.

🧖🏼‍♀️ If it stings or itches, gurl, then STOP USING THE PRODUCT AND BABY YOUR SKIN!

Have a great day, night, and week ahead! I wish you glowing skin and luscious hair, you beautiful sunshine you!

Slay safe, babes!

✨ Jazz

✨ jazz

A 24-year-old creative who’s got the starry-eyes of a shopaholic with an irrefutable love-hate relationship with carbs and wine .

Getting Nosy with Le Nez Parfumerie: A Peek at My First Entrepreneurial Venture

Julia lets us in on her latest headach–uh, we mean, heart-thumper: Le Nez Parfumerie!

If you’ve been following me (Julia, lol) on my personal social media accounts, I’m sure you’ve already been bombarded by my promotions of a little ol’ brand called Le Nez Parfumerie. While I can’t apologize for that–your girl has to make sales somehow–I will take this time to let you guys have a sneak peek into the brand that has so quickly burrowed a nest into my heart.

For those that aren’t aware yet, Le Nez (pronounced more like “luh nuh”, but we’re Filipino, so I think we can get a pass at just saying “leh nehz“) is one of my latest brain babies, launched alongside my sisters, Joyce and Bea–though Bea is non-biological, she’s a sister nonetheless!

Behind the Brand: A Walk Through Grasse

Shoutout to the cutest nails from **Kuko Ko**

As much as I’d love to take credit for the brand, the idea of it all really came from my sister, Joyce. She had always had an entrepreneurial spirit, making and selling different things through her passion for finding new ways to make a little dough. She had sold perfume years ago, but had never really put a name to the bottles–until Bea and I came into the mix.

She approached us with her latest idea: a brand of local handcrafted luxury perfumes that could stand against the richness and longevity of expensive brand names while making sure our customers’ pockets didn’t bleed at the expense. As we sat down to brainstorm (but let’s be real: most of our ideation really came from 2AM WhatsApp conversations starting with “OMG WHAT IF?”), we realized that this brand was much more than just perfume. It was an experience–Ate Joyce’s experience, to be precise–that we wanted everyone else to be a part of.

See, many years ago, my ate went on a soul-searching trip to Grasse, France with my tita. There, her love for perfume was exacerbated. She had always loved perfumes, even when we were little; she would collect luxurious fragrances and would bring me to stores to show me the scents that she loved, therefore bringing me to love perfumes as well. However, Grasse materialized it into something much more. Being in the epicenter of the fragrance capital of France, she saw (and smelled) just how lovingly each little perfumery bottled their products. There she learned that the boutiques (each with their own master perfumers called “le nez”) specially made each scent for their customers, gauging their preferences to craft a bottle unique to them, then labelling it with their name to give them a once-in-a-lifetime scent experience.

With that story, our brand was born! And while we can’t replicate the exact ways of Grasse, we can do our best by giving you scents crafted meticulously by hand, sniffed endlessly until perfection was deemed, and tested over and over again to make sure that you get the same feeling of opulence that you would with branded items. We also wanted to replicate the homey, small-town feel of Grasse, so we’re doing our best to represent that through our eco-friendly and reusable pouches, recyclable seaweed paper wrap, and a little bit of twine to tie it all together–packed individually by hand, by the way, by our lovely Bea.

Our little three-person company does everything we can to work together to bring you only the best. While we shiver in our own respective singular-person-run departments, we absolutely love what we do, so we hope that you feel it too in every spritz of our perfumes.

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A post shared by Le Nez Parfumerie (@lenezparfumerie)

Le Nez: Tell Us About It

While I wouldn’t want to bore you with all the little details, I would like to let you in on what we have and why you need (yes, need) to try it out.

First of all, we have 12 staple scents to choose from that each come in varying sizes to accommodate your needs. While there are scents whose notes may be generally geared towards either men or women, we like to let you decide for yourself. Though many of our scents are actually unisex in nature, as I said above, we like to show off all of our scents sans the gendered label. For example, there are some masculine scents, such as Tease (deep, musky, and the right amount of spicy), that actually work well with my personal preferences. That being said, we like to allow you to discover the scent that best suits you, as a unique individual, with our androgynous descriptions, packaging, and overall brand sense.

Let’s get into sizing. Want the most bang for your buck? A 50ml spray bottle of the scent of your choosing is perfect. Just a few sprays is enough to last you the whole day, so you’re sure to make the most of your purchase. Travelling or need something convenient for your purse? We have 10mls and 5mls that are sitting pretty on our shelves just waiting for their perfect perfume lover to snag! Bonus tip: since our 10ml and 5ml bottles are rollers, it’s ideal for controlling the amount of perfume you’d like to apply. For example, you’d like your scent to come off a little stronger, then layering it on is literally just one roll away.

Each scent is made with high concentrations of imported French oils–only the good stuff for our lovely customers, of course! This high concentration also means that it lasts longer on the skin. Whether you’re out all day or staying in all night (iykwim), our scents will stay put. This is tried and tested, mind you! A few spritzes on the wrist and pulse points would give me a lovely scent that lingered from the moment I’d leave my house in the morning to the second I’d take my nightly showers.

While I’d love to chat your ear off about each scent, it may be best to give our socials (@lenezparfumerie on Facebook and Instagram) a follow to get a feel of each of them lest I make this article take twenty hours to read.

We also let you personalize your 50ml bottles with handwritten calligraphy (courtesy of our multi-talented sales head, Bea) to give you a Grasse-esque experience. Plus, it’s adorable for gifting to your loved ones! Who doesn’t like things with their name on it? It just makes things feel more personal, you know?

What’s Next for Le Nez?

A LOT! This is a Julia Benito guarantee: there is SO MUCH more to come from our three-month-old brand, so do make sure to stay updated. Of course, I can’t reveal too much right now, but one of the most exciting things we can say is that we have many new scents (maybe new products?) in the making!

We’ve actually released two just the other day: Maverick and Valentine. These two were practically made for February date nights, so if you’re hoping to woo a special someone, a little whiff of these scents is all you need send them into a sensual frenzy. Warning: this may or may not be confirmed by The Ladies of Le Nez. Hahaha! Because this is such a new scent, we even decided to mark it down for you for its opening month! Buy 1 scent each (so 1 Maverick and 1 Valentine) in 5ml bottles for only P350 until the end of the month only–I know, right? Such a steal.

Aside from the new scents, you can expect some freebies along the way! This February, we’ll be giving out some Le Nez tote bags to those that buy two 50ml bottles of any scent of their choosing. Why? Well, why not? Everyone loves tote bags! Got errands? Going to the gym? Hitting up a beach? Tote. Bag. Plus, it’s the season of love, so think of it as a little Valentine’s Day present from us to you for supporting us through and through.

What’s Your Fave?

This is literally so hard for me because I genuinely like all of the scents we made–duh, otherwise I wouldn’t sell them, LOL! But if push comes to shove, I would name my top three to be: 1) Eclipse, 2) Valentine (new, but so good!), and 3) Delirium.

I’m not one to typically gravitate towards bright, citrusy scents. So, when earthy, neutral, and kind of spicy scents like Eclipse and Delirium hit my nostrils, I am a goner. Valentine is a newbie in the lineup, but the initial soft, floral-but-not-lola-floral scent hits your skin, it really gets you in a flirty kinda mood. It makes me feel some kinda way, you know? Then, as it sits and melds into your skin and body heat, it gives off a deeper, vanilla note that’s perfect for getting cozy with my mans–hi, babe, if you’re reading.

I hope that little deep dive into Le Nez Parfumerie was interesting for you! For the supporters who followed us from day one to those that just got aboard the fragrance train, I deeply, deeply thank you. Words will never be enough to express how much this brand, being the first actual entrepreneurial venture I’ve ever had that was my OWN, means to me and my family.

From the stone cold recesses of my heart, I, the Marketing Department of Le Nez, thank you.

Now, go on and slay safe, babes! Don’t forget to drop a follow on your friendly local luxury parfumerie’s socials if you want more scentacular updates!

💋 julia

A 25-year-old writer with an obsession for beauty and an ineffable love for all things sharp—from cacti to hedgehogs to intense winged liner.

Two-Toned Holiday Looks Using Our 12.12 Makeup Haul

Sleigh bells are ringing, these bitches are slaying it too~~ 🎶 We’re celebrating the holidays the best way we know how: our stockings stuffed and our faces dolled (up)

There are few things that make our hearts flutter more than freshly delivered packages and a fun, full-face of makeup. With the irresistible 12.12 deals and an non-existent amount of self-control (we really did try, but failed miserably), your resident Talkers (lmao) brought together our love for online shopping and beauty to drop some looks we’ve been itching to try for the holidays! 🎄 We pooled together our beauty knowledge, research, and sharing-is-caring logic to weather out all the amazing deals from the recent sale!

Santa’s Beauty Helpers Reporting for Duty

See how we prepped for the hoe-lidays with the sulit self-love selection we procured during the sale below!

Jazz’s “If the Grinch was a Pretty Hoe and Didn’t Hate People”

Christmas has been the holiday I have rocked since I was a kid! I really think that it is the most wonderful time of the year: castanas being roasted, Simbang Gabi mass traditions, and all the family reunions rolled into two weeks of holiday cheer! Many of my nearest and dearest are well aware that my top love language is gifting, it’s why I’m the designated Christmas Elf in the family (lol)! 🧝🏼‍♀️ Disclaimer: I’m not materialistic, I just really love the thought and efforts that go into each present.

I decided to take a little spin on my gifting elf persona by taking on Dr. Who’s Grinch for a little holiday look inspiration.

This 12.12 did not see me hold back from a little vanity update but they were all amazing deals, I promise! I will spare you most of the deets, but this sale season saw me finally able to update my usual warm, pink toned palettes with more colors and hues of the rainbow. With my usual routine for base, I’m proud to happily announce that this is such an easy look to cop because I only used, quite literally, a handful of products.

I was initially aiming for the Morphe x James Charles Artistry Palette (that Julia has), but that was a bit outside of my budget this season! So when I chanced upon the sale of the UCANBE Splashy Candies palette over on Shopee, then it’s an understatement to say that I was giddy beyond belief. This is a 54-pan palette filled with a variety of color stories that you would ever need to fulfill a variety of looks. It was literally all the colors of the rainbow and then some! Each pan is about the size of a P1 coin with high pigmentation. The mattes were creamy and easily blendable; on the other hand, the shimmers do adhere quite well but take some time to build up. Reviews online (thank you, Youtube and bloggers) likened it to having all the color stories of Colourpop in one big ass palette! But wait, there’s more! This sweet (and new fave) addition to my kit only cut me back around P450 + shipping fee! WHAT A FREAKING STEAL!

As some of you may already know, we love glitters and shimmers and anything high wattage that would scream: shining, shimmering, splendid! So my next purchase just makes absolute sense: UCANBE Kaleidoscope Highlighter Palette, retailing at a discounted price of just P225! Yes, you read that right! This is acclaimed to be the drugstore dupe of the Anastasia Beverly Hills Highlighter Palettes. This palette contains nine (9) cute varieties of color, each one a creamy formula of high wattage shimmer.

I began by putting washi tape (hehe) on the outer corner of my eyelids to avoid any untoward fallout (which, to be honest the UCANBE palettes said: fallout who? We don’t know her). Please note that the UCANBE palettes have no names and so I have taken to naming them myself, for your sake and mine! 😛

I used a C brush to then swipe and blend a forestry, Christmas Tree green (very Grinch) onto my creases. To make the cut crease sharp and the color more blinding, I patted on some Urban Decay Concealer. While the concealer was still a bit tacky, I then took a fluffy eyeshadow brush to mix silver and white highlighter across my whole lid and finished my eyes off by tapping some green glitter (flecked with gold) across my eyes. I played around with my eyeliner and did a little fox eye on my inner lids. Tip: go in with the eyeliner little by little, and don’t over do it!

I took the chance to take the Grinch concept to another level by using an angled brush to fill in my tamed eyebrows (via TDT Brow Soap) with more of the Christmas Tree green. Again, I added some holiday cheer via green glitter! I also used the same Christmas Tree green and green glitter as my “drunk” blush.

I had buffed on some concealer on my lips during my base routine to amplify the colors. When that had settled, I took a clear Floss My New Favorite Lip Gloss in Yul as a kind of grip for the eyeshadow powder. This is what I love to call: going the full Sheego effect with a tinsel twist. This time I used a lip brush to take the same Christmas Tree green on my upper lips and the white highlighter on my lower lips. I was very very careful not to smack and rub so that they don’t combine!

The metaphorical ribbon on my little makeup lewk was the pretty pressed glitter from Andy Mack. I rubbed in the opal, holographic glitter to my hair for some glitter dandruff. In real life, you don’t have to go as hard as I did, alas circumstances called for more as the glitter was not as visually present on camera as it initially was.

Julia’s “If Mrs. Claus was a Flirty 24-Year-Old”

When I think of Christmas, I always think of trees dripping in red and gold baubles–mostly because my family has had the same holiday color scheme for as long as I can remember. New decor or–god forbid–a different set of ornaments? We don’t know her.

With this look, I wanted to take all of what I just said and essentially just slap my face with it. While I really only bought 2 things during the 12.12 sale (be proud of me), these goodies that I found did an excellent job–especially when you check the price tag! To get an eyeshadow palette with an impressive variety of colors as well as a shimmer quad for under P600 (in total!), it’s needless to say that I am very, very pleased with myself.

This beautiful 36-pan eyeshadow Chalice palette from IMagic is such a steal. Aside from its aesthetic mythology-inspired double-door cover, it contains a mixture of impressive matte and shimmer shades, both of which deliver solid pigmentation without unsightly fallout. For this simple look, I only used three shades: Energy, Encourage, and Affection–literally everything we all need after the sh*tshow that was this year, am I right?

I started by laying down Energy, a copper shade, all over the lid then blending it out. I then packed Affection (sana all) over it to deepen the color and add definition to the outer edges of my eyes. Then, I got an eyeliner brush and lined out my crease with Encourage. With my pinky, I dotted my inner corners with the golden shimmer for the brightening pop that I cannot for the life of me stop doing in all of my makeup looks.

For my lips, I actually used two things. I started with the Maybelline SuperStay liquid lippie in Pathfinder, but found that it was way too impressive of a shade of ruby that I needed to tone it down to make it match my eyes. To give it a more brown tone, I dabbed a tiny bit of the Maybelline Chocoholic bullet lippie on top of my upper lip and blended it out. The bottom lip is actually just Pathfinder with a generous amount of Encourage (the golden shimmer from a while ago) layered on top while the lipstick was still wet.

My second purchase, the Been Anna Moon Maiden quad (isn’t the holographic packaging the cutest?) helped me achieve the glittery dandruff effect, like when you step outside from Santa’s workshop into a light snowfall for a yosi break. Was that too specific? Lmao. All I had to do was rub my (clean) fingers into the first pan, which is a chunky holo glitter, and pressed it into my hair while praying to the heavens that my curls didn’t swallow them whole. And they didn’t! Hurrah!

As a final step, I pressed a light layer of the Been Anna Moon Maiden’s gold-ish shade under my brows, on top of my cheek highlight, and a little bit over the cupid’s bow. To be honest, I expected it to have a more noticeable hue and an eyeshadow-esque finish as it appeared like a packed brown in the pan (hence the -ish), but it turned out to spread like a neutral golden sprinkle, making it great for putting on top of things to add shimmer without mixing other colors in.

Got anything you love during the 12.12 sale too? Let us know in the comments! Hope you liked our festive looks and, as usual, slay safe, babes!

✨ jazz

A 24-year-old writer, producer, and stylist who’s got the starry-eyes of a shopaholic with an irrefutable love-hate relationship with carbs and wine.

💋 julia

A 25-year-old writer with an obsession for beauty and an ineffable love for all things sharp—from cacti to hedgehogs to intense winged liner.

Greta’s Junk Shop: The Cutest Junk We Put in Our Trunk

We’ve got our shopping goggles trained on Greta’s Junkshop for all the cutest and well-curated finds we could ask for!

With the holidays looming in and our wallets at the ready to be emptied out in the spirit of Christmas, we’ve been on the lookout for the cutest new local brands and businesses to get our holiday shopping done quick and easy from the comforts of our little bed nests. While the economy is still weaning off of its quarantine crutches (albeit in a excruciatingly haggard and clutch manner) and COVID cases still prevalent left and right, we’ve foregone the annual rat race to the malls and turned our shopping goggles towards online stores for safer (and infinitely more convenient) gift-getting. Plus, supporting small, local businesses always puts a smile on our gastadora faces–especially when the wares are oh-so cute!

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A post shared by Greta’s Junk Shop (@gretasjunkshop)

That’s why we’ve decided to let y’all know about this new store we’ve fallen in love with: Greta’s Junkshop! Now, those that may know Julia would probably have heard of the lovely woman who runs this shop before; Gretchen Gatan (known to her cousin as Greta, hence the name) was her boss turned dear friend, mentor, meme supplier, and chismis dealer all in one. To say Julia owed a great deal of her self-growth to Gretchen is a grave understatement, as those who have read our article on the ex-bosses that have changed our lives for the better may have already known.

Aside from showing our ceaseless support for our friends and local business (two birds in one stone, yay!), we wanted to be able to also shed a little spotlight all the people behind the products and why our hearts–and wallets–adore them so much. In today’s spotlight, we’ve asked the beauty blogger, editorial writer, influencer, entrepreneur, and girl boss herself to let us into how her shop came to be. Maybe you’ll be just as inspired as we are to start your own biz!

So we’re letting Gretchen take the screen to give you an insider access to who’s been supplying the cutest junk in our trunk!

Who is Gretchen Gatan?

I’m a writer and editor based in Metro Manila, and the blogger behind Greta’s Junkyard. Greta’s Junkyard actually started as a Tumblr back in 2009. At that time, it was mostly a dump of fandom-related or emo posts. Haha! Greta isn’t actually my real name, but more of a nickname that my cousins and friends used to tease me. And then Junkyard—because it was literally a dumpsite of my thoughts and feelings! The logo, which shows a little kid inside a trash can, was randomly drawn by my best friend when we were in high school. And it just felt so perfect to use for my brand—because it captures who I am as a quirky introvert who loves to write about her favorite things.

In 2013, right after I graduated from college where I majored in Creative Writing, I ended up working for a digital marketing agency as my first job. I wasn’t able to write as much as I used to, and so my boyfriend (now husband) built what is now GretasJunkyard.com, so I could still write about my favorite things on the side—just on a bigger and better platform. And that’s basically how Greta’s Junkyard started!

What is Greta’s Junk Shop?

Greta’s Junk Shop was something I already had in the pipeline as early as 2016. In fact, the e-commerce section was ready (thanks to my boyfriend-turned-husband who also built it). But at that time, I didn’t have enough capital nor did I have a clear direction for the shop. I thought about starting my own beauty brand—but didn’t think I could pull it off. Then I considered self-publishing my own short stories and novels, and selling them on the shop—but I wasn’t emotionally ready to put my work out there. And so plans for the shop just stayed under the “Parked Projects” list of my personal Trello board.

When the pandemic forced the country to go on lockdown, and I was furloughed from my latest full-time job, it put things into perspective for me. I knew it was a huge risk letting go of a fixed income, but I decided to resign anyway and focus on the passion projects I had parked instead—which included Greta’s Junk Shop!

The ideas just kept coming as I was putting the plan together. Similar to how I started Greta’s Junkyard, which was writing about topics close to my heart, I wanted to sell items that I know I would love and use. I stuck to three categories: Fashion and Accessories, Home and Lifestyle, and Pet Fashion and Care. If you visit every product page, you’ll find a quick backstory on how the item is an extension of who I am. And because the blog was celebrating its 7th anniversary last September 2020, I thought it was the perfect time to launch Greta’s Junk Shop: a curation of my favorite things!

Inside the Junk Shop

How do you curate the items for sale?

I would research on different local suppliers and get in touch with the ones that fit my brand. Every time I see something, I think to myself, “Is this something that I myself would want to have?” And that’s how I make the decisions when it comes to curating and selling items in the shop!

Why did you want to start selling these things?

I’ve always been an avid fan of online shopping ever since I got into the e-commerce industry in 2014. I know and understand the giddy feeling of finding something unique and affordable with good quality—and I wanted to replicate this experience for my readers and customers. I used to always joke that shopping online is just your past self buying a gift for your future self, which explains why every package from Greta’s Junk Shop is prepared like a gift using sustainable materials.

Do you have inspiration when it comes to the things you sell?

I find my inspiration in the things and people I love. For example—all items under Pet Fashion and Care are inspired by my fur babies, Booboo and Bellatrix. The floral house clothes were inspired by the dresses that my grandmother started making for me during the quarantine to keep herself productive. The sports bras—because I saw how the lockdown encouraged my sister and cousins to keep themselves physically fit and healthy by working out everyday. And the pajamas? Because I love wearing pajamas all day, everyday! So yeah—all items really do have a backstory behind them.

When your dogs are more stylish than you are

Literally nothing makes us more enticed to exercise than cute equipment

What else can we expect in the future?

I plan to continue looking for and supporting local suppliers. I intend to keep growing my portfolio of products under the three categories—especially as I’m entering different chapters of my life. Maybe someday, I can have a category for Baby Fashion and Care! And hopefully, when I’m ready, I can finally self-publish my short stories and novels, and make them available on Greta’s Junk Shop.

Our Cute Junk

If you’ve ventured inside her store already, you’d already see just how adorably curated these finds are. From workout wear to pajamas to fluffy slippers to cute polos for your own little fur baby, this shop definitely lets you get some useful and aesthetically pleasing items all while having a peek into Gretchen’s personality. Just take a look at the “Never Too Cold for Iced Coffee Shirt”–big mood. Getting our hands on some of the cutest junk from her shop brings us such happiness that these thoughtfully curated finds already have a special place in our closets! 😍

Penelope Pajama Sets

Whether you’re doing socially distanced slumber parties, working from home, or simply contemplating your nth existential crisis of the day, loungewear is undoubtedly the unforeseen trend of 2020. With that, we’re hopping on the bandwagon of living in our very own sets of loungewear!

The Penelope Pajama Sets definitely has us switching out our usual oversized ratty tees for something much cuter! Our match-y sets are the definition of ultimate comfort, so we’re sorry (not sorry) that you’ll have to pry out our cold dead bodies from these PJs. 🌼 They’re literally so comfortable we’ve now declared them as our new second skin.

With cute orange hues are very relaxing for the eyes, coupled with the floral line art that are just 100% aesthetically pretty, it makes for super cute gifts for all the girls in your life–your sister, your best friend, your mom, your S/O, or even for yourself (because we all know you deserve some TLC)!

Pauline Yoga Sports Bra

Even before the pandemic hit us early this year, our number one motivation to get us moving has always been the excuse of being able to purchase and wear cute sports ‘fits. Our go to workout ‘fits are usually yoga pants and sports bra! So color us extremely kilig when we were able to add these super comfy, stretchy, and versatile sports bras to each of our growing collections of sportswear. These are obviously the best of excuses to get off our asses to work out and look cute!

Peep these baby “trainees” in action featuring our new workout staple! (Hello, we’re open to being scouted, char!)

Pineapple Jewelry Tray

We all have our go-to jewelries and precious trinkets that really are just our ride-or-die. These could be gifts from loved ones, heirloom pieces, or even cute self-care gifts from your favorite IG shop! So it just makes the most logical sense that they are kept in an easily accessible trinket tray so you don’t have to go fishing for them in your baul of treasures. Also, what an added bonus it is if you’re a bit clumsy like us and are always loosing a couple small things here and there! Keeping track of your tiny trinkets and treasures is made easy with this lovely tray!

This locally-made wooden tray deserves the fanfare as it serves both form and function with this adorable pineapple shape!

Clawed by Ming Press-On Nails

While we didn’t get this from the store as we ordered our set from the very, very talented Ming herself (follow @clawed_byming and you’ll be dying for 10 sets yourself, we swear), we were pleasantly surprised that Greta’s Junkshop housed these on her site as well!

I live for nails that poke my eye out but with dainty clouds and sparkles

Whimsical and dreamy is my default, only fitting that the nails match the b*tch

We’ve posted them on our page before, but in the event that showing them to you again would be the budol sign you need to add to cart, then here you go sis! You won’t be disappointed. These sturdy, beautifully hand-painted gems are EVERYTHING, especially if you need a little reminder on what kind of irreplaceable bad b*tch you really are.

Now, it is only fitting that, as your friendly neighborhood enablers, we cheer you on as you browse and shop for the cutest junk at Greta’s Junkshop. BUT WAIT! There’s more! As a super cute and merry little gift to you, our lovely readers, Gretchen has graciously provided a discount code exclusive for Talk Tayo readers and followers. Hop on over to Greta’s Junkshop and addu-to-carteu 🛒 to get P150 off on your first purchase (for a minimum spend of P1,000). Use code TALKTAYO when you check out your goodies 🛍!

Happy shopping and merry hols babes 🥰 Remember to slay safe always!

✨ jazz

A 24-year-old writer, producer, and stylist who’s got the starry-eyes of a shopaholic with an irrefutable love-hate relationship with carbs and wine.

💋 julia

A 25-year-old writer with an obsession for beauty and an ineffable love for all things sharp—from cacti to hedgehogs to intense winged liner.

To Dew Today: Gettin’ Glossed, A Makeup Review

All glossed up and nowhere to go–but we lookin’ damn fine 💁🏻‍♀️

We’ve got drawers and pouches and organizers (each) worth of makeup, but there’s one staple in both our collections that has long been missing: a lip gloss. You’d think that since so many brands carry glosses that it would be an easy thing to find, but we’ve scoured high and low but have yet to find one that we can truly call HG. And we’ve gone through a lot; trust us on this.

Last week, we’ve been graced with the presence of the Gloss Boss (@racheldotph) as she sat down to talk about her brain baby, To Dew Today (@todewtoday), and her SHE-EO experiences (check it out here). As we love supporting our friends and believe in girls building up other girls, we’ve bought a couple products from her brand that we took for a test run for a couple weeks now.

While we cannot hide our bias for this brand, it’s with our utmost honesty that we continuously rave about these products and have collectively tried to convince everyone who would listen that this is something they need–whether they’re looking to replenish their beauty stash or just to look and feel good!

Without further ado, let’s get glossy and share with you all the reasons why you should #SupportLocal and slide your order forms into To Dew Today’s DMs.

A GLOSS:ARY OF THOUGHTS

With minimalist yet refreshing packaging and an innate sense of bright positivity that emanates throughout the brand’s core, it’s next to impossible not to be drawn into what it has to offer. To Dew Today’s overall branding ethos is grounded on giving beauty support for people who love to do their own thing. Each product that’s currently available is unequivocal in the fact that they are easy-to-use and effortlessly acclimatizes to the user’s lifestyle and beauty style

Above all else, we’re so in love with the fact that To Dew Today is the brainchild by a former HMUA who definitely knows and understands what many look for in a beauty product–having tested and used many herself.

ON THE GLOSS

Lip gloss is a staple in the arsenal of many a beauty lover. Whether you’re a kid with her first Barbie doll, a teenager walking into the halls of high school, or even as a school graduate a couple years down the road trying their damndest to be an adult, you need to have a trusty lip gloss on hand at all times.

Therefore, when we set our sights on the Lip Dew, we knew we had to try it. The goods arrived in a cute holo pouch, housed in a frosted tube with a pink cap. It comes with a doe foot applicator for easy use. Jazz’s favorite part is the cute little silver butterflies mixed into the gloss

So the real question is, what makes the gloss from To Dew Today special and set apart from existing ones on the market? GUHRL. It does the one thing that many lip balms and lip glosses can’t do: it’s multi-beneficial. Besides the obvious high-octane buildable shine, it actually does something more than sit pretty on our lips. In one of our earlier articles, we advised to ease up on the lipstick and lip gloss because no one was going to see it anyway thanks to the quarantine season protocols. Boy, do we take that back now that we’ve got To Dew Today in our corner! The Lip Dew is so light and wearable that you can gloss under a full PPE-clad ensemble (tried and tested, by the way).

Aside from having the incredible ability not to stick to masks, it also feels so lightweight on the lips that you can hardly even feel that it’s there at all. As girls who have tried countless glosses only to end up scowling at the sticky feeling and–worse yet–the annoyance of having a mouthful of hair stick to your lips with the slightest bit of wind, we appreciated how amiable this gloss was.

Plus, it’s so hydrating that you’ll definitely bid those cracked lips adieu with continuous use! Julia’s perpetually chapped lips have finally met a worthy adversary! It’s also knocked a lot of cult fave balms off of Jazz’s dresser–we’re not kidding!

ON THE TDT BROW AND GROOM

The To Dew Today Brow and Groom is literally a fresh launch (say maybe a week new?), so it was a good thing that Jazz was in the market for a new brow soap and brow gel. She got so kilig when the SHE-EO herself personally delivered the goods. The sweetest!

The brow duo, like the glosses, arrived in a holo zip reusable pouch. The Brow Dew is housed in an unfrosted version of the tube similar to the Lip Dew but comes with a black, brow spoolie. Meanwhile, the TDT Brow Soap comes in a metallic case like your usual brow soap containers. It also comes with two pink reusable angled spoolies–very on brand and very cute!

While having nice brows has more pros than cons (thanks to their beautiful moments in the sun), keeping them tamed and in line–whether for a beat or just on a daily basis–can get quite a bit troublesome. Jazz personally loves using the Brow Soap for when she’s going full out for a face so she could get some extra help in getting her brows to stay in line and fluffed up. It’s so easy to use; just a little spritz of water and you’re ready to swipe and style! For the record, Jazz really loves how her brows don’t harden from the soap, compared to other brow setting products out there, and is very light to wear–a feat!

As seen in the photo series above, Jazz filled in her brows with just a little bit of The Browgal once the TDT Brow Soap had had a chance to dry down and set. She did go in with a spoolie once more to keep her brows fluffy after the fill in.

On the daily, Jazz has taken a liking to using the Brow Dew for a little extra added oomph to her day. It gets her brows appearing well groomed without the hold and won’t necessarily set the hairs in any direction like a brow soap. It’s so simple and easy to use, even a newbie can ace it. Overall, this brow duo is definitely something people should cop and have in their arsenal. Even if you aren’t a brow gal, you’d love having this in your kit!

ALL GLOSSED UP

The way we styled our outfits and the beauty look for this article really reflects our personalities and preferences really well. We’re a well balanced out duo that way: Julia’s smokey edginess (a baddie in training) to Jazz’s airy and light freshness.

JAZZ. As someone who prefers a fresh look when it comes to makeup, I went through a lot of inspos that really reflected warmth and glitter. The lewk I settled on to project was a peachy red look that really highlighted the multi-purpose use of To Dew Today Lip Dew. And when I mean highlight, I mean really put her in the spotlight.

For that dewy skin we were chasing, I primed my skin with the Laneige Glowy Makeup Serum–which I love for how hydrating and smoothing it is, without a sticky finish–before putting on a layer of my holy grail base: the Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay In Place Makeup. To get the maximum glow and shine, I changed up my usual setting powder for the Laura Mercier Translucent Glow Setting Powder.

Obviously, I brought out all things that screamed glitter and shining, shimmering, splendid from my kit: highlighters in varying texture, loose shimmer powder, pressed glitters, metallic liquid lippies, and my trusty To Dew Today Lip Dew! Overall, this is one look that’s very simple and easy to nail down.

For my eyes–the focal point of my lewk–I swiped on some Pony Effect Metallic Matte Lip Color in Gold Digger (hehe) using the doe applicator that it comes with–layering it twice as much to build intensity and opacity. You want to apply as you would using a normal C brush as if you’re using eyeshadow. On my outer lids, near my brow bone and crease, I had pat on my favorite Kaja Beauty Bento Bouncy Shimmer Trio in Orange Blossom with a fluffy brush. Going towards my inner corners, I blended in a tiny amount of Sundays Moderne Beauty Highlighter in Phoebe with my ring finger. I was looking to go blind from shine, so don’t be afraid to blend and build intensity!

I created a very thin, tightlined wing with my trusty L’Oreal Flash Cat Eye by Infallible, I usually start from the middle of my lids then follow the contour of my eyelid until the corner. I find that going in more than once will thicken the eyeliner (as is the curse), so I tried my very best to get this in just one go (I am very proud of myself and this skill).

Just before I finished off my eyes, I swiped on some mascara so that the gloss doesn’t stick to the wand or my lashes. I polished off the highlight of my look by adding layers of quite a lot of To Dew Today Lip Dew on my lids to really give it that intense and glossy shine. To keep my doe foot applicator pristine and my Lip Dew free from pigments and contaminants, I used a very thin cotton bud from MINISO to apply my layers upon layers of gloss. Safe to say, I really went ham with the gloss. A warning to many, be very careful when applying gloss on your eye makeup: don’t open too early and make sure everything else is set and dry before you go in with a gloss.

I swiped on a really great MLBB, Nudestix in Belle, before tying it all off with a top coating of more lip dew gloss. Et voila!

There’s always something about having highlighter dusted over every inch of my face that makes me so genuinely happy. I love drama; I love shine–this look really tells you all you need to know about me!

When conceptualizing this look, we both knew we wanted something that really, really glistened on camera; so naturally, I reached for my Too Faced Love Light Prismatic Highlighter (aka my most prized possession) and clutched it close to me, whispering, “This is it. It’s your moment.”

Dramatics aside, this look was all about capturing the essence of wetness, so while my hair could not hold the wet look (our spray bottle of water was no match for my uncooperative twists), I needed to make sure that my skin shimmered in absolutely every angle. To achieve this, I needed the help of a couple items before laying on the highlighter thick. First up, I needed my Smashbox Smooth and Blur Primer (shoutout to my Ate who just left this with me one day, LOL) to make sure the surface of my skin was all smoothed out. Then, I needed the L’Oreal Fresh Wear Foundation for a nice demi-matte finish; my favorite thing about this foundation is how much nicer it looks the more you wear it, giving you a gorgeous natural glow all on its own after a couple hours of wear.

Because Jazz was going for a fresh peachy red look with a glossy lid, I thought it would make a good contrast to go in the opposite direction: a dramatic smokey eye and a nude lip. For this, my trusted James Charles x Morphe Palette came to save the day, as per usual. I built a brown base to start with, then slowly packed on the blacks on the outer corners to give the look more dimension. I topped the center, brow bone, and the inner corner with a golden shimmer, then finished it off with a generous helping of eye liner–the thicker and more dramatic, the better!

For the lips, I wanted to keep it simple, focusing mainly on the To Dew Today Lip Dew. I popped on a tiny bit of the Sunnies Lip Dip in Femmebot just to give a little life to my ghastly lips before layering on the Lip Dew to achieve a glorious gleaming glow!

We’d love to hear your thoughts on your fave glossy looks (here or of all time)! Drop them in the comments below or share them with us on our socials! 😘

Glow all out but slay safe, loves 🤘🏻

💋 julia

A 24-year-old writer and content associate with an obsession for beauty and an ineffable love for all things sharp–from cacti to hedgehogs to intense winged liner.

✨ jazz

A 23-year-old writer and producer who’s got the starry-eyes of a shopaholic with an irrefutable love-hate relationship with carbs and wine .

To Dew Today: Meeting the Gloss Boss

Meet the new gloss boss on the block: Rachel Torres. 😘

Finding (and creating) the perfect lip gloss isn’t easy. Creating a brand from scratch isn’t easy. Yet, over the past couple of months, we found one of our friends doing both and nailing it at the same time. Though we were first introduced to To Dew Today as our new go-to brand for lip-loving glosses, it has become much more than that in such a small amount of time, making both of us always so excited to see what’s coming next!

But enough chatter from us! We’re both beyond lucky and grateful that this brand’s very own gloss boss has come over to tell us her story, and so although we’d love to babble our mouths off about how much we love this brand (we’ve already purchased glosses for ourselves and will review them very, very soon), we’d love for you to read all about it from the She-EO herself! 💋

INTRODUCING: GLOSS BOSS RACHEL TORRES

I’m Rachel Torres and I used to be (as of now, I think that I will be using past-tense for this) a hair and makeup artist. I was a HMUA for 5 years, and with my job I found that a common problem I always had was what my client would touch up with after having applied the lipstick from my kit.

I usually would ask what the client would have on hand and I would pattern the shade from that, and sometimes they wouldn’t have lipstick at all (who’s to blame them; they pay for my service and products for a reason, right?). With that, I always knew I wanted to have my own simple lipstick line so that I would have something to give my client to touch up with during their event after we work together.

Let me expound on what I said: “former hair and makeup artist”. Unfortunately, because of the pandemic, many events are cancelled and even if I have been invited to work for some shoots, I don’t feel safe going to a shoot in an alien environment alongside working with several people. Especially with my role in productions, I would have to get up close and personal with a model. Hence, I thought that this may be my sign to pack up this chapter of my career because it may be a while until I would feel comfortable to go back to work and shoots knowing that I come home to senior citizens and an infant.

It’s not all bad, only because I’m lucky enough that my parents are still willing to provide for me knowing my source of income took a halt. A few months into the pandemic, people started to have small Instagram businesses on the side: selling cookies, old clothes, stickers, bracelets, and hand-crafted products. I took this as a sign that maybe I could use this down time to finally start what I’ve been dreaming of—my own brand for beauty. Although it’s not as easy as finding the ingredients and popping them into the oven or something I could YouTube overnight. It took a few months and almost my whole bank account just to start and experiment on a few products.

THE LAUNCH OF TO DEW TODAY

In spite of the level of difficulty, I present my brain-child, my brand baby, To Dew Today. It is currently a small cosmetic and skin care brand, locally and Filipina made. I launched To Dew Today with the birth of the perfect gloss duo. Lip Dew is a subtle, shiny, clear gloss that is very moisturizing on the lips. The OG, on the other hand, is made with thicker consistency for those who want to pack in more gloss and shine. Both feel very nourishing on the lips because they’re pumped with Vitamin E and natural oils like sunflower oil and Moroccan argan oil. I made sure when making these two that they were vegan, paraben-free, and, of course, cruelty-free. (We don’t test on bunnies, we test on hunnies 🍯)

Just a few days ago, I officially unveiled my second set called the Brow and Groom (a cute play on the phrase Bride and Groom). They consist of an easy and clear brow gel called Brow Dew and the TDT Brow Soap, which I think is self explanatory. Brow soaps are very trendy now, with people going for the bushy brushed-up brow look. Although I never forget those who just want simple-to-use products, that is why I am first coming out with sets to make sure I tap both markets: those who are beginning and first playing with makeup while they have the time, and those who are makeup savvy and are adding to their collection.

A PEEK BEHIND THE CURTAINS

Starting a beauty brand isn’t easy because people are so picky with what they put on their face. It’s even harder starting with lip products in the middle of a pandemic when everybody’s wearing a mask. This didn’t hinder me because my target market is younger people who are staying home, in online calls and meetings, and taking selfies. (I should emphasize that everybody should be staying home, not just my target market!)

With that, To Dew Today values confidence, individuality, and outspokenness—a few of the values underscored when taking a selfie. The first set of girls that I chose to represent the brand are girls who do their own thing, unapologetically who they are, and speak up for their own values and interests. Hopefully this radiates throughout my brand and that other people see these values from the way To Dew Today is presented.

WHAT IS IT LIKE BEING A SHE-EO?

The thought of Miranda Priestly of Devil Wears Prada comes to mind—the heels, the fabulous office. Or! The young Sophia Marlowe of the Netflix series Girlboss—easy, and lots of fun. Ugh, how I wish! I have to be brutally honest and say: it’s un-glamorously hard!

I don’t think about it–the label CEO–as I’m so busy focusing on the brand and working on its growth. Actually, I don’t even feel it. It doesn’t feel so strong-independent-woman and girl-boss-like when my bank account is depleting from the capital’s needs and I’m still trying to break even, which is still a looong way to go!

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A post shared by Disco 72 Beauty (@disco72beauty)

When you’re starting, especially starting a brand alone, there’s nothing easy and fabulous about being your own research and development team, social media manager, marketing director, and more. Everything’s on me, fortunately and unfortunately.

But you know what? I’m in my mid-20’s and alone I own my own cosmetic brand. That’s crazy! I could only dream of being a CEO of anything, really. I didn’t plan this, but life comes at us unexpectedly. I am so grateful for the growth of my brand, it’s slow but steady. I’m not in a rush to be at the top, I know I’m still in the process of building myself and my brand up, that’s why I accept my current state as well as my brand, and my bank account is in.

It may be un-glamorously hard, as I said, but I’m honestly having a lot of fun. I get to talk to so many people and I get to receive many positive feedback from customers which truly fills my heart. I appreciate all the help and support I’m getting from friends and strangers who buy from my brand and I can only hope to continue to produce good products to reach a larger audience to enjoy.

If any of her products caught your eye (as they should; because they’re GORGEOUS), do feel free to hop on over to To Dew Today’s Instagram (@todewtoday) to order for yourselves! Before we go, we wanted to give as many virtual hugs as our combined Internet bandwidths can allow to Rachel for letting us have an up-close look at her brainchild. Congratulations on the launch; we’re both so proud of you!

As usual, slay safe and stay cute, loves! 😘

💄 rachel

A 20-something year old Cancer-Leo cusp, hobbyist, artist, and life-explorer who collects stickers and never sticks them anywhere.