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Because Makeup Is Also Fashion🌙

 Zara Larsson’s “Midnight Sun” Tour Glam by Sophia Sinot

Everyone has been talking about Zara Larsson’s tour makeup—the looks that have officially “put an end to the clean girl era.”

The MUA behind it all is Sophia Sinot. She’s previously worked with artists like JT, Becky G, Doja Cat and more. She’s known for her bold, experimental aesthetic, and pushing the boundaries of beauty by “blending hyper-feminine glamour with a subcultural edge, creating viral looks that reverberate across the industry.” For Zara’s Midnight Sun Tour, she uses nature and space as her muse. As she puts it, "i don't think people realise how much i love space and nature, like i literally just ask @zaralarsson: can we do this today for makeup? and this is all she gets lmao.”

These looks are absolutely stunning. Every face is unique and intricate, yet everything feels so cohesive together. I love how clearly you can see the Y2K and ’80s references, but it all still feels fresh and modern. I hope this is a sign that bright, bold, MAKEUP makeup is coming back– I’ve felt so alone in a world addicted to “clean girl” and soft glam. Sinot’s make up style is so fab, so chic and so fashionable because it complements Zara’s looks and artistic expression for the Midnight Sun era. Click here to see more of Sophia Sinot and Zara Larsson’s work.

Fashion Reflects Life (part 1)🎪

When we think of fashion’s history, we have almost infinite pathways in which we can take it. We can explore mainstream fashion trends and how they’ve evolved over time, or we can examine the rise of counterculture and all of the aesthetics and values that attribute to it. Although clothing itself was likely developed somewhere from 100,000 to 500,000 years ago to serve functional purposes, like protecting from weather conditions, it has now evolved into something bigger. It is political, it is societal, it is emotional, and it reflects more about our current culture than we often realize.

So…what does fashion say about our current time period? With the emergence of technology, the trend cycle moves fast, but if we stop to examine consistencies among our latest trends, it can be quite revealing.

Specifically, a lot of contemporary trends and “aesthetics” that have become popular feel like a nod towards a larger world shift: the rise of conservatism.

First, it was cottagecore. Then, it was the “old money” aesthetic. And of course, “clean girl” aesthetics have been working their way into social media trends for at least five years now. We are seeing “preppy” come back in a big way, especially with recent praise over Ralph Lauren’s latest collections. All of these trends, while not necessarily directly related to conservatism, reflect tradition, modesty, and minimalism.

Next week, we’ll dig into why, exactly, our closets are skewing this way–and what that shift might be saying about us

Cyber Week is officially the Super Bowl of girlshopping🏈

and this year’s deals are actually giving– it’s a weeklong celebration, not just Black Friday's leftovers!

Dyson is offering up to $200 off on select haircare products, so my blowout baddies: head their way immediately! Lululemon’s gear is on cue for the best Black Friday deals (the Jacquard Align leggings are to die for). 

For the electronic girlies, the Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen) in Starlight is marked down to around $129 at Walmart–about $40 off the usual price, and easily the chicest way to track your steps and your screen time. And across the board, laptops, earbuds, and tablets are seeing some of their best markdowns of the year, so it’s the perfect time to finally upgrade that one device you’ve been complaining about since midterms.

The vibe: treat yourself now, apologize to your bank app later. If it’s been sitting in your saved items since September, this is your sign to check out!

Is this the cutest heating pad ever?

Meet the Menstruation Crustacean—the microwaveable, ultra-soothing lobster heating pad that brings major comfort and a little comic relief. Just pop this plush crustacean in the microwave and let its warm weight melt away period cramps, backaches, or any random aches life throws at you. Plus, it features a soothing lavender scent to boost your mood when it’s that time of the month. This little guy is hilarious and functional – the perfect Secret Santa gift or stocking stuffer for this holiday season! Check out the rest of the Menstruation Crustacean gang, too.

Get your Menstruation Crustacean here!

The Art of the Lived-In Bag🏘️

In my eyes, the bag a woman lugs around day and night is an acute indicator of her maturity, her style, and her future. One of my biggest style and life muses, Jane Birkin, changed the course of fashion with the way that she wore her bags. She defied the myth that fashion excludes practicality. When in fact, the chic-est styling choices are nothing but practical. 

I want to make it clear that it is not essential to have an Hérmes bag to wear it like Jane Birkin. It is also unnecessary to purchase pre-made key chains to make your bag look “cool.” The commodification of the personalized bag defies the genuine aspect of personalization that made the Birkin bag iconic. A well-done tribute does not require you to buy expensive new toys to hang from your expensive new bag. 

Though I believe there is no real formula to recreate Birkin’s look, a personal rendition is easier to achieve than we might think. Just find old key chains in your desk drawers, a bandana you no longer wear, your grandmother’s rosary, a long lost key to an unknown door and hang them from the handle of your everyday bag. Now, don’t guard it with your life. Fill it and wear it until its last leg. There you have it, your very own Birkin!

IS IT REPETITION OR SIMPLY A SIGNATURE?

Click-and-mortar reigns supreme over November’s hottest couple: Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Consumers aspire to have their soul match their stomach; seeking a gluttonous state of satisfaction as the accumulation of each “great purchase” and additional side of Thanksgiving meal climax to a paralyzing state of overconsumption. 

Jeans, unlike genes, are passed down from generation to generation much like the classic Thanksgiving meals of the prior week. The “I got beans, greens, potatoes, tomatoes” social media meme has become as annual of a Thanksgiving tradition as your classic sweet potato pie, mac and cheese, and of course, the turkey. No matter how many times you’ve had it on Thanksgiving, it’s just as delectable as the year before, and is cemented as a staple on your dinner table.

When we apply this same principle to a mere clothing item or outfit, it becomes “cheugy” or “outdated”. Yet, one of the most popular trends on fashion TikTok surrounds an opinionated discussion on “Things I Find Chic”, which often infuses adjectives of linguistic parallels like “classic” or “timeless”. Ralph Lauren, Loro Piana, and Brunello Cuccinnelli acclaimed silent awards for achieving the exact principle as your average person practices: repetition. 

And while we all know the answer to this polarizing perspective is simply classism, I invite you to change your perspective on repetition as a whole. In a famous rebuttal to her arch nemesis Kate, Lizzie McGuire brilliantly argues, “I may be an outfit repeater, but you’re an outfit rememberer, which is just as pathetic!” If we see outfits as a form of spaced repetition, these elements become synonymous to us and our identity: our signature.

Creative director Anthony Vaccarello frequents this principle throughout all of his collections on Saint Laurent runways. As opposed to highly diverse garments, Vaccarello plays with color, fabric, and subtle varying architectural designs to create memorable runway shows that actively combat choice overload.

A signature is a means of branding, an outward expression of ourselves that can be refined to a look or item. Who would Anna Wintour be without her bob and sunglasses, or Yves Saint Laurent be without his signature frames and suit? Repetition is a signature; it's a brand, it's an identity– and it's uniquely you.

Threads of Desires and Dreams📖

Lynn Nottage’s Intimate Apparel is more than a story about sewing. It’s about longing, connection, and the quiet weight of emotions left unspoken. Esther, a Black seamstress in 1905 New York, stitches delicate lingerie for clients across the city. Yet each piece carries more than fabric–it holds hope, desire, and the invisible labor of women striving for love and independence.

The play doesn’t just follow Esther; it’s full of intertwined, intimate storylines, with characters navigating longing, secrecy, and the risks of expressing feelings that society asks them to hide. Nottage captures how hard it is to say, feel, and live certain truths, especially in a world that demands restraint and discretion.

What moves me is how the personal becomes universal. Every quiet glance, every folded letter, every hidden stitch reflects the courage it takes to live fully and love honestly. Intimate Apparel reminds us that intimacy isn’t just about romance–t’s about acknowledging our deepest emotions and the resilience required to hold them, even when the world may not see, or want to see, them.

Sentimental Pastel🎨

Welcome back to The Interlude–otherwise known as Quiet Parts, the Column–with art and poetry pairings for the busy patron. 

Feeling imaginative in the bare bones of almost-winter, missing the November nocturnes of the Midwest, and back in Boston for the last fall finals of my undergraduate years. Here’s one of Lynette Yiadom-Boakye’s fictional paintings that comes closest to capturing that sentiment:

See you next week!