Anyone get déjà vu from the title of this post? If so, I don’t blame you. A few months ago I tried to start a weekly blog series where I posted every Monday about things I had bought, loved, wanted, or thought about. That series quickly fizzled out because, quite honestly, every week was too frequent and I didn’t have enough things to share. After some thought, I’ve decided to return to the “mélange,” however with a new iteration: monthly posts rather than weekly. Hopefully this change will ensure the posts remain consistent and interesting. So let’s get the clapper ready for Take Two of the newly renamed “Monthly Mélange” and start discussing September!
This month was an exciting one because it marked the post-summer break return of my favorite podcast (and, well, the only one I listen to) called The Fringe of It. Each week influencers Liv Purvis and Charlotte Jacklin discuss topics ranging from their personal career trajectories to weird preferences and quirks they have. They also touch on the TV shows, music, clothing, and food they’re loving at the moment. I love tuning in because it feels like I’m having a conversation with friends, rather than simply listening to other people talk. I do want to get more into the podcast sphere, so if you have any recommendations, drop them in the comments below.
The past month has also been made better by following the Fashion Month madness through social media. As someone who has loved fashion their whole life, social media platforms (mostly Instagram and YouTube) have made Fashion Week seem so much more accessible. From my favorite bloggers and influencers posting IG stories from shows and events to them uploading YouTube videos where they interview fashion industry biggies, I feel so much closer to Fashion Month proceedings now than I ever have before. In particular, I’ve loved Caro Daur, Xenia Adonts, Slip Into Style, and In The Frow’s feeds!
Unfortunately, one thing that didn’t feel 100% right about this Fashion Month was Paris Fashion Week. As the grand finale of Fashion Month in the city of couture, you’d think PFW would be the best of the best, but something was amiss this year around. From Hedi Slimane’s reinvention of Céline (which took social media by storm) to Thom Browne’s gagged and bound models and the overall lack of diversity on Parisian runways in comparison to shows in other cities, PFW was a bit problematic to say the least.
Going back to more positive things… I have made major progress with my skin in the past month. For almost two years now, I’ve dealt with acne on both of my cheeks and despite numerous products and facials, it’s been a non-stop cycle of bad acne, a few days of good skin, and back to pimples and puss (sorry if that was gross but the opportunity for alliteration was too good to give up). At the beginning of the month I started using the Organic Soothing Gel from Dr. Alkaitis and it has stopped my blemishes dead in their tracks. It’s actually quite unbelievable and I’m kicking myself that I didn’t try this brand, which is known for being anti-bacterial, earlier. My plan for the next month is to get a handle on the post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation that still plagues my face. If you know any good products for this, let me know!
Finally, I want to end this post by sharing one of my favorite things from the past two months and that is the movie Crazy Rich Asians. I saw the film three times in the cinema because it was that good! From amazing acting and interesting characters to a feel-good story and beautiful locations, this movie had so much to love. Plus, it felt wonderful to see an all-Asian movie cast on the big-screen for the first time in my lifetime. Between Crazy Rich Asians and Black Panther, this year has been a fantastic one for representation in Hollywood and I hope that we see many more films like this.
What things have occupied your interest and time this past month? Let me know in the comments below because I love a good chat!
