6 things

Some things I’m loving lately, and you might, too: 2024 predictions, long coats, less is more makeup trends, Substack favourites, 25-minute wonton soup, and Ins/Outs.

I don’t know if it’s the snow, freezing cold temperatures, or just the exhaustion spilling over from the holidays, but January has felt pretty dreary. Doing just about anything feels like it takes a lot of effort. Working. Exercising. Figuring out what’s for dinner.

I’m doing what I can to find motivation in the simple things, like cleaning out my closet and making plans with friends I haven’t seen in a while. By doing these things, I can feel better and more productive, and it’s just a matter of keeping the momentum going.

Here are a few other things getting me through the month and what I’m loving right now.

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2024 Predictions

I recently listened to an episode of the Honestly with Bari Weiss podcast on What to Expect in 2024. The episode included experts from different fields sharing their predictions for the year ahead. Although some predictions were ominous, the first half covered much lighter topics like health, culture, and language trends, and even included fashion insights from Leandra Medine Cohen.

Some highlights

• Three general ways get healthier: Committing to more exercise, being disciplined about taking vacations from social media and electronics, and rethinking our drinking habits.

• While there could be some benefits to trends like red light therapy and cold plunges, there’s not enough scientific evidence on their impact on your health. On another note, Ozempic won’t be going away in 2024.

• Dating apps and meeting online are out—meeting IRL is in. “Girl” trends (e.g., “girl dinners,” “girl math,” and “hot girl walks”) will be replaced with the trend of “romanticizing your life.”

• Wellness is over, so we can say bye to wheatgrass smoothies, drinking collagen, etc. The Beyond Meat fad will decline, and eating real meat, dairy, and grains will be all the rage.

• Leandra says the colour red has hit its peak, and the next colour to pay attention to is the pistachio shade. Also, more brown pants, less black pants.

• We’ve lost the plot when it comes to fashion. The turnover for trends is so quick, and there’s no central point of focus, which makes it hard to understand the way the cycle is working and where the trends are deriving from.

• The most fun part (which also made me feel so old) was when they dissected the newest slang words with linguist John McWhorter. Did you know “Rizz” was the word of the year for 2023? Neither did I nor did I know what it meant.

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Long coats

It’s been snowing non-stop, and most days, I avoid going outside unless I have to (for school drop-offs and pick-ups), in which case I’m usually bundled up from head to toe. I normally feel too lazy to put any effort into what I’m wearing this time of year, but I’ve noticed that getting dressed has helped with my mood. So, when the opportunity arises, like when I meet a friend for lunch, I try to strike a balance between comfort and feeling put together, and a long black coat has been my favourite thing to wear.

Balancing comfort (layers and baggy sweater + ribbed socks + Uggs) with feeling put together (black jeans + coat + earrings + bag).

I previously mentioned how my coat was the best deal I got last year. Initially, I was unsure about the length and wondered if it was too oversized for me. But now I love how long it is because it keeps me SO warm. It’s also roomy enough to wear with lots of layers and big sweaters, and I just love how it elevates my look whenever I swap out my parka for it.

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Less is more makeup trends

Photo: @merit

This week, Greta Lee was glowing at the Critic’s Choice Awards wearing minimal makeup (which I just found out consisted of MERIT products.) At the Golden Globes, Kylie Jenner, who built an empire off her cosmetics brand, also garnered a lot of attention with her barely-there makeup look. I know the no-makeup makeup trend is nothing new, but this idea of less is more when it comes to beauty is really sticking with me.

Over the holidays, my Gen Z niece, who grew up on Kylie Lip Kits and watching beauty tutorials on YouTube, revealed she no longer wears makeup. When I asked her for advice on what products to buy, she nonchalantly replied, “Oh, I actually don’t wear makeup anymore. I just do skincare.” For your reference, her version of “doing skincare” means a daily regimen consisting of a few Korean skincare products, and that’s it.

This trend of forgoing makeup crosses generations—remember when Pamela Anderson made headlines last year for going makeup-free during Paris Fashion Week?

Evan Ross Katz

did an interesting write-up exploring the context surrounding her decision to go au naturel, which included excerpts from a 10-minute short film on Vogue France’s YouTube channel, where she shared this:

“You kinda have to challenge beauty sometimes. If we all chase youth, or are chasing our idea of what beauty is in fashion magazines, we’re only going to be disappointed or maybe a little bit sad.”

Will I stop using makeup any time soon? I don’t know. But I’m definitely inspired to go with a lot less (and to look into this Korean skincare regimen my niece swears by.)

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Favourite Substacks

Something that’s been on my mind about Substack: Many of the newsletters I subscribe to are focused on style and shopping, yet very few are written by women who look like me. Filipinas and Asian women. Maybe there aren’t many of us on Substack? Or maybe people just haven’t discovered these voices yet?

In a Substack chat a few weeks ago, everyone was sharing their favourite style/shopping newsletters, and a lot of the same names popped up. Names synonymous with the fashion world, and many of whom, I’m a big fan of, too. But afterwards, it dawned on me that there’s an opportunity to broaden the perspectives we turn to in these areas.

There are so many talented and successful Asian women who have something to offer with their unique taste and style—they’re just not talked about as much. I can only speak for myself, but I love finding other Filipinas on Instagram and seeing them share not only their impeccable style but also the parts of their lives connected to our culture, whether it’s eating chicken adobo or hanging out with their Lolas. I’d love to find more of them, especially on Substack, where there’s more opportunity for connection and sharing stories of who we are underneath the clothes.

Some of you may already subscribe to them, but I thought I’d share some of my favourite style/shopping newsletters written by Asian women:

• Stylist

  Irene Kim (김애린)
  (from Toronto!) writes In Moda Veritas

• No one asked by fellow Filipina

  jordan santos

• Meja by

  Sasha Mei
  (also from Toronto!)

• Sarah
  ’s personal Substack

If you have any other recommendations for Substacks to follow or subscribe to, I’d love to hear them.

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25-minute Wonton Soup

Photo: Half-Baked Harvest

Soups are one of my favourite things to make (and eat), especially this time of year when someone in the house is always sick. I used to make chicken noodle soup from scratch in the Instant Pot, but now that our kids are in activities almost every night of the week, I just don’t have the time.

This Wonton Soup from Half-Baked Harvest is so quick to whip up and provides the same comfort as a big bowl of chicken noodle soup. We use the Farm Boy Chicken Dumplings, and our kids can’t get enough (my 7-year-old can eat three bowls of this.)  

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Ins and Outs

Did you make one for this year? I didn’t, but I stumbled upon this one shared by @inspiredtowrite, and it resonated with me deeply. Being a writer can be such a trip, and it’s easy to get discouraged when you overthink your work.

I currently have these Ins and Outs as my desktop background as a reminder of where I want to put my energy and what I want to let go of this year.

Souce: @inspiredtowrite

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One last thing

Just wanted to say a quick thanks for subscribing and reading these newsletters. Writing them brings me so much joy, as does hearing from you and knowing you liked reading them, too. So, if you can…

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