Shortlist 001: Winter/Spring

It’s been tough finding my writing voice again. In the last three months, I toyed with a few publishing tools and drafted a newsletter only to realise it felt less like the personal home on the internet I’ve been craving for a while.

I’ve been reflecting that I’ve had a website or web identity for the last two decades. Somewhere along the way, I gave up personal blogging for posting on Instagram, then not posting at all. As I watched commodification seep into every corner where we post snippets of ourselves online, I realised it doesn’t sit well with me — I don’t consider posting on Instagram personal expression anymore. So, I’m here, planting some seeds and hoping to make a good effort of it this time.

Anyway, here are some things on my list:

Fiction

• The Satisfaction Cafe, Kathy Wang
• Butter, Asako Yuzuki
• The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Taylor Jenkins Reid

Non-fiction:

• The Japanese Pantry, Emiko Davies
• Time is On My Side, Frank Chimero

Books for designers

Inspired by my ever lively chats with Laura VD, who breaks my router with the quality of her conversation

• The Staff Designer, Catt Smalls (pre-order)
• Org Design for Design Orgs
• Liftoff!
• Business Thinking for Designers

Not books, also for designers

• The End of Navel Gazing, Paul Adams

Other things

My spending spree on beauty started last year with a desire to try all the new things. After being out of the loop for years with a super minimal stash (one blush, concealer, etc) I started researching cream blushes, bronzer powders, skin tints, what have you. When times are bad, consume. Make-up is now part of my self-care, I’ve said multiple times to Matthew. Anyway, I’ve managed to control myself this year and have concluded that these are my favourites (coincidentally, all make-up artist owned):

Blush: Westman Atelier Baby Cheeks

This cream-to-powder formula is blendable, never patchy, long lasting and straight out wonderful to use. My favourite shades are Garçonne, a tawny mauve; Bichette, a cool berry red; and Petal, a warm, brightening pink.

Primer: Danessa Myricks Blurring Balm in Universal

As someone with combination skin, I can’t apply my base without first priming my T-zone with this blurring balm. The Universal shade is transparent; the product does an amazing job of sucking up oil from the oilier areas, maintaining a matte look for 8–12 hours. It really breaks my look when I don’t use this blurring balm—my makeup starts to slide off my face like melted candle wax. Truly holy grail status, as they say.

Base: Lisa Eldridge Seamless Skin Tint

Lisa Eldridge is one of my GOATs in makeup. My friend Jojo recommended Lisa’s YouTube channel to me in 2016 and I followed her foundation routine for my wedding in 2017. The skin tint is a sheer liquid that brightens and evens out my skin tone, and is almost infinitely layerable because of that sheerness. It never pills on me and doesn’t go on patchy or thick like some dewier skin tints tend to.

Lips: Fara Homidi Lip Pencil in Bruni

This pencil, by makeup artist Fara Homidi, is beautiful. I chose the darkest shade, Bruni. The texture is just the right amount of waxy and creamy, making it easy to blend for a 90s style lip. I’m kind of coveting all of her products, if I have to be honest.

I’m looking forward to…

• Springtime pottery throwing sessions in my garage — planning more jars, utensil holders, yunomi and fànwǎn (rice bowls)
• Checking out new cafés, like Recess
• Everything in the garden coming back to life
• Making this strawberry jelly panna cotta by Helen Goh
• Making more recipes from The Japanese Pantry, Emiko Davies’s newest cookbook