new | Pomelo girl thoughts

Mitsouko vs. Mitsouko

Posted on October 23, 2015 by elemonated

I have been reassured by several reliable-enough sources on the internet that 1989 Mitsouko counts as vintage, THEREFORE.

AND I have also received my Surrender to Chance sample of Mitsouko which I’m 99.5% certain is not a vintage in any way, though I don’t know what batch it is, so it’s time to compare them and, perhaps, contrast them!

I visited Twisted Lily tonight for their Sniffapalooza kick-off gathering and drenched myself in niche juice, so here’s to hoping that the shower I just took helps mitigate any interference. Also touching the wrist pad of my laptop makes my wrists come away with a rather unappetizing rubber scent, so I’ve been trying not to do that. Read More

H&M features hijab-wearing model in new campaign

Posted on October 3, 2015 by elemonated

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/30/fashion/trends/hm-features-hijab-wearing-model-mariah-idrissi-in-new-campaign.html?_r=0

This new campaign of H&M’s is pretty insane if we’re looking at where the fashion industry, where the people featured in these series are either considered “fringe” or not considered at all. Beyond Mariah Idrissi’s hijab, the video features a young man wearing a simple pencil skirt, full-blown cross-dressers, Japanese lolita dress, traditional Japanese dress, Sikh turbans, mouth guards, a sheikh, and an amputee boxer.

Personally, having attended one of the most diverse universities in the world, where I’ve fostered friendships all across the board, and where the Muslim Girl blog got its beginnings, I actually think there are other characters way more interesting to me. I’d like the US to stop being so surprised that people who look and dress differently exist within their worlds, and I honestly thought we were getting somewhere with Muslim and Sikh dress, but I guess that’s just within the bubble of my university life and my friend group. Figures.

One thing that surprised me a little is that Elnaz Barari maintains that H&M does not take political or religious stands; unfortunately for Ms. Barari, the H&M’s board, and Ms. Idrissi, this, and everything else they’ve been doing to create a sustainable business model, is a political stand. Showcasing fringe and saying that everyone is welcome is taking a stand. At least according to conservatives it would be. And so here we are, where “It might be because hijab fashion has boomed in the last few years and to finally see a hijabi in mainstream fashion is a big achievement.”

Makeup for the selfie generation

Posted on September 22, 2015 by elemonated

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/24/fashion/selfie-new-test-makeup.html?smid=tw-nytimes&smtyp=cur&_r=1

I take a lot of selfies. I don’t usually post them because my phone’s camera quality is around potato, but when I’m bored or when I’m messaging Mr. Chokkattu, my friends, or my parents, I will take at least one picture of my self to relieve my boredom, or show people where I am just in case I get kidnapped. However, I do really like when Mr. Chokkattu takes my picture and have used his pictures for professional profiles before; namely my freelance profile. Read More

Iceland Day 0

Posted on August 4, 2015 by elemonated

Mr. Chokkattu and I will be heading to Iceland tonight! In preparation, we’ve laid out some cursory plans, including a map lovingly and frustratingly prepared by yours truly:

Twisted Lily Haul: My Favorites

Posted on August 3, 2015 by elemonated

Before I begin, I will say that these are probably my current favorite fragrances, and thank you Twisted Lily for introducing me to Apoketer Tepe (though I wish I could stroll into Harlem and talk to the source, but perhaps that’s an ambition for another day) Apoketer Tepe’s After the Flood is a new darling, but I have no idea what took me so long to write about L’Artisan’s Tea for Two. They remind me of the best quiet emotions of spring and autumn. Having one on each wrist brings me some odd solace that only makes sense if you’re as obsessed as I am about the physical portrayals of transitions as a literary motif.

Buly 1803

Posted on July 14, 2015 by elemonated

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/10/fashion/perfume-buly-1803-paris.html

Buly 1803 opened as a cosmetic and fragrance store on Rue Saint-Honoré in Paris. Founded by Jean-Vincent Bully, who had a reputation for welcoming scientific breakthroughs into his cosmetic developing methods, in contrast to many of the old-school perfumers who treated perfumery as artistry and preserved and kept secret old traditions in favor of the new. He invented new methods and new formulas for his products, and was well-regarded as a distiller, perfumer, and cosmetician.

Coldbrew’s on its way out

Posted on June 17, 2015 by elemonated

http://www.seriouseats.com/2014/05/whats-the-best-way-to-brew-iced-coffee.html

Last summer’s ice coffee method sweetheart is slowly becoming both mainstream (since Starbucks has picked it up) and losing the favor of hipsters all across the country in favor of a method that’s a lot faster and requires way less planning: the pour-ov– I mean, the Japanese method.

Let’s talk about beauty

Posted on April 22, 2015 by elemonated

The beauty industry was something that, to a tiny, chubby, poor girl with limited artistic talent, seemed rather unapproachable. There seemed to me a certain limit to beauty, and if you go beyond it, it’s simply not beauty anymore, but becomes humdrum or “fucking weird” and while beauty is subjective, even if you openly deny the traditional ideas of beauty in your particular culture, you still know what they are.

Thankfully, even something seemingly as set and unchanging as the ideas of beauty get a facelift, as over the years we’ve seen ethnic faces in the crowd become the norm of any fashion show, and plus-size models take the runway and the covers of magazines. The acknowledgment of the beauty of the transgendered in huge “traditional” places such as Barneys New York.

Update: Neopets put out a statement!

Posted on March 9, 2015 by elemonated

Some of my account details left in for credibility. This is on The Official Neopets Team Message Board (link obviously only works if you have an account.)

It makes me feel a little better, but they fired a ton of the content providers and writers. What was the issue with the old content providers that they had to issue lay-offs, and who are they getting to replace them? What exactly are these “new goals”?

If the above is difficult to read, I C&Ped the content:

To our Neopets Members and Community:

Unfortunately, a recent restructuring of our resources means a number of respected employees working on Neopets are no longer with the company. JumpStart appreciates each and every one of our employees, and it was a sad day to have to say goodbye to our friends. While it’s disheartening to see team members leaving the company, we are incredibly thankful for everything they have done to create Neopets.com and the passionate community that surrounds the site.

Moving forward, we want to make it absolutely and unequivocally clear that we are committed to Neopets! Neopets is NOT CLOSING in any way. To the contrary, we plan to produce new content, update the site, and dedicate valuable resources towards improving site functionality, including lag and site stability. In fact, the recent launch of Neopets Ghoul Catchers on the iTunes and Facebook platforms confirms our dedication to launching new and exciting content for existing and new Neopets users.

As we move forward and establish new goals for Neopets, we want the community to know that we are fully committed to the success of Neopets. We will work to support, improve and expand Neopets with our best resources and most creative minds. We thank you for your unwavering support of Neopets and we believe you will be as excited about the future as we are.

We wish all of the amazing former Neopets team members the very best life has to offer and we are grateful for their time at Jumpstart.

– David Lord, CEO of JumpStart

Avon’s Haiku

Posted on February 19, 2015 by elemonated

This was probably my second blind buy ever, and it was because someone mentioned how gorgeous the bottle was and that it was a strong white floral. Since I agreed that the bottle was pretty enough just to decorate my desk if I didn’t end up liking the scent, I’m a sucker for white florals, and the bottle with shipping cost me like $11, I took the tiny jump and got it.

“I must have flowers, always, and always.” – Claude Monet

Avon’s Haiku

Wet: lily, yuzu, water, musk
Dry: lily, jasmine, pineapple, musk, water, yuzu

Haiku is a very girly, fruity iced drink, all cold floral notes and a slightly tart sweetness, kind of like a frozen margarita if the recipe included yuzu, pineapple, and some essential oils stripped from flowers. It’s a strong floral with a fruity bite to it, and I think it’s very approachable without being boring. It gets to be like a lotion smell when it warms up a little, which should prove very pleasant to some people. I just wish there was something dirty or salty about it. That, I think, would make this a really wonderful fragrance. I’ll take it to the beach with me this summer and find out.

Happy Lunar New Year, guys!

Baaaa.