MODA Blog Favorites: October 2019
Welcome to MODA Blog Favorites! This is our monthly series where MODA Bloggers, photographers and editors let you know what we’re loving this month! Here’s what the team is loving, hopefully bringing you a monthly dosage of inspiration.
Andrew
Euphoria on HBO
Probably the most groundbreaking show to drop this year, HBO’s Euphoria earns a coveted spot on this month’s favorites. From its riveting storyline focusing on the strifes of adolescence, to the amazing hair, makeup and styling teams to the most beautiful cinematography I’ve seen on television in years; Euphoria exemplifies what is possible for a television show today. Seriously, if you haven’t watched it yet, you’re missing out. I highly recommend.
COSRX Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence
Over the summer, I really decided to invest a little bit more into my skincare and adopt a stricter regiment when it comes to my skin. While researching products for my particular skin concerns, I stumbled across the Korean Brand COSRX, which is known for their cruelty free, and highly effective products including their holy grail Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence. Containing a whopping 96% snail mucin, this essence hydrates and repairs dry, damaged and hyperpigmented skin, and I’ve found that it makes my skin feel much softer.
Hanskin PHA Pore Cleansing Oil
Awarded one of SokoGlam’s coveted Best of KBeauty Awards this year, Hanskin’s PHA Pore Cleansing Oil is a game changer. It is so important to oil cleanse especially when removing makeup, because it’s the most effective way to remove oil based impurities. What I’ve noticed about this PHA oil is that despite having a chemical exfoliant, the product itself is quite gentle, so much so that I can use it daily. If you’re looking for an oil cleanser that’ll hydrate as it cleanses, especially for Chicago’s dry season, this cleanser comes highly recommended.
Joseph
Niche Halloween Costumes
O… you are an angel? how pedestrian. I’m am Reese Witherspoon playing Madeleine Mackenzie in Big Little Lies dressed as Audrey Hepburn playing Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffanies. You don’t get it? its called culture: look it up.
Bojack Horseman S6
My favourite show is back for its final season which is bittersweet to say the least. Regardless, the first half of season 6, which dropped October 25, has been great. The last half of the season will only be released at the end of January, and I am really looking forward to it.
Trader Joe’s Thai Shrimp Gyoza
Trader Joe’s opening 2 blocks away from me has been dangerous… and delicious. I love their frozen foods for being both healthy and delicious when you are not feeling up to making your own dinner, with the shrimp gyoza being a standout option.
Alexandra
Matcha lattes
My favorite autumnal beverage is in fact unassociated with pumpkins! To me, matcha invokes the feeling of a rainy day, wool peacoats, and the crunching of a patchwork of colored leaves scattered along the sidewalk. My favorite on-campus matcha latte is from Grounds of Being because they serve it sweetened and I’m a not-so-lowkey sugar addict. Plein Air comes in a close second place, great autumn vibes.
Tim Burton’s entire filmography
Nothing gets me in the Halloween mood like a good Tim Burton movie. If I can have spooky creatures, romance and musical numbers in one film, I’m set! When it comes to horror movies I’m quite picky and easily bored, but Tim Burton’s intensely curated aesthetics and sweet misfits warrant infinite rewatches. My Halloween staples are Beetlejuice, Corpse Bride, Dark Shadows and the Nightmare Before Christmas (which is definitively not a Christmas movie).
Clementines & mandarins
Two strains of petite citrus fruit that I recently discovered are not, in fact, the same! I bought a bag of at least 50 of small citrus fruit (still unsure of which is which) when the new Trader Joes opened. I worried I wouldn’t eat them all, then proceeded to polish them all off over one weekend as I came down with a cold. Vitamin C is key!
Elizabeth
Honey Bee Skin Healing Cream
I found this moisturizer at upstate New York’s Erie County Fair and haven’t looked back since. Despite the less-than-glamorous website, Honey Bee’s cream is everything I look for in a moisturizer. It’s light enough that my skin (usually very sensitive) never feels greasy after using it, it works for hands and face, and is made without chemicals. The company keeps their own bees, which ensures humane methods of gathering the honey and royal jelly that – along with aloe vera, ginseng, and a Native American herbal mixture – are the moisturizer’s only ingredients. It protects, heals, and energizes all in one beautiful-smelling package, and I cannot recommend it highly enough. As Chicago winter approaches, your skin (and bank account) will thank you for using this cream.
Image via here,
Michelle
Kiehl’s Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado
As a native Arizonan, I was not prepared for the harsh Chicago winters that seemed to suck every bit of moisture from my skin. Poor weather combined with the lack of sleep from the quarter system put my skin in dire need of moisture and rejuvenation. After finding this eye cream, I noticed a major difference in my eye bags. Also, despite being labeled an eye cream, I found that this product is also very helpful when dabbed onto dry patches of skin.
Luo Yang
Named “one of the rising stars of Chinese photography” in 2012, Luo Yang’s work depicts women in ways that challenge Chinese gender norms and expectations. Yang’s photography captures different expressions of gender and sexuality to show different representations that come together to represent the identity of the Chinese woman. While aesthetically beautiful, each photograph also delivers a powerful story.
Bestdressed x En Route Jewelry
Like everyone else, I am always skeptical of collaborations with YouTubers. However, when one of my favorite YouTubers released a jewelry line in collaboration with En Route Jewelry, I knew I had to get my hands on it! The unique pieces have a timeless look to them and the quality did not disappoint! The pictured earrings are so versatile and accentuates even the most basic outfit!
Featured image via
