TRASH | TREASURE

Living on a college campus is great for dumpster diving once the school year ends. I have no shame in snatching up free things that other people don't want. Last year I literally found a paper bag full of trendy clothes from brands, like Nasty Gal, Topshop and Zara. It was just lying in my apartment’s trash room, so I ended up with 10 new clothing items that day. In that bag was the black romper that I’m wearing underneath my skirt. This is a backless romper by the British label, Glamorous. It has a caged back that reminds me of the lingerie and sportswear company, Chromat.

The other “trash” item that I’m wearing is my MRKT heels from DSW. These are a pair of shoes that I found lying in my trashcan. Throughout college I’ve been blessed with roommates who give me the clothes that they don’t want. One of my old roommates tends to do a lot of closet cleaning, so I would occasionally come home and see cute stuff in our trashcan. These are the perfect shoes for any occasion, and my favorite part is how comfortable they are. The neutral color matches with anything, and it works with both casual and formal outfits.

+ Lipstick | MAC’s Hang-Up

+ Cardigan | Forever 21

+ Romper | Glamorous (dumpster dived)

+ Skirt | Wilster (Marshalls)

+ Heels | MRKT (hand-me-down)

+ Choker | Amazon

+ Statement Necklace | Forever 21

Photography | Anand Patel

xx

Dana

I HAVE A PROBLEM

Those who know me know that I’m a devoted MAC customer when it comes to lipstick. I love their bold colors, black packaging and affordable prices. Over the past few years I have collected 7 tubes of lipstick (and counting). I tend to gravitate towards their dark matte colors. Here’s a look of my MAC lipstick collection and how each of them look on.

As you can tell from the stubby tube, this was the first MAC lipstick I’ve ever purchased. I actually wore it so much that the lipstick broke in half. It’s a maroon color, but with a hint of pink. 

This is my new favorite color, and it basically became my everyday lipstick. It’s a warm brown that’s perfect for fall, but I’ve been wearing it all winter. 

The tube looks like a plum color, but against my skin tone it looks magenta. I’m not usually a fan of pink lipstick, so this is the only pink color I own.  

So this purchase was a mistake, and I thought I was ordering MAC and Lorde's collaboration lipstick. Little did I know that Pure Heroine was the actual name of Lorde's lipstick and that it was a limited edition. In contrast to Pure Heroine's dark plum, Heroine is a candy purple.

This is a deep burgundy that’s perfect for the holidays. It’s a romantic and vampy color that's my substitute for a traditional red. 

Before purchasing black lipstick, I wanted to transition to it by trying a shade that was almost as dark. At first glance it looks black, but it's actually an ultra deep violet. 

I’ve been waiting for MAC to come out with another black lipstick for years. Every time I try to purchase it, it sells out, but this year I finally got it. What I love about this black is that it has a hint of gold speckles in it. 

Of course, my MAC collection doesn’t end there. Now I’m on the lookout for a bright red and nude lipstick. Please feel free to comment below with your MAC favorites! I'm always open to trying new colors.

Photography | Dana Nguyen + Anand Patel

xx 

Dana

PEELING AWAY THE LAYERS

Flashback to sophomore year of college, and here I am all decked out in Zara for Valentine’s Day. 

Disclaimer: I used to work at Zara, so having an employee discount plus knowing when the sales were, equals a closet full of Zara. Now that I don’t work there anymore, I never shop at Zara, since getting overcharged for fast fashion ain’t my thing.

During my underclassmen years I would frequently shop online at fast fashion retail stores, but after my fashion courses exposed me to the world of cheap labor and toxic landfills, I unsubscribed from all of those companies. I’m not going to sit here and pretend like I don’t own any fast fashion. 90% of this outfit is just that, but I made a vow to myself to slowly stop shopping fast fashion altogether. First, I’m cutting off the big guys, like Forever 21 and H&M.

This doesn’t mean that I would never wear these brands again. Instead, I will just continue my method of purchasing them secondhand. Thrift shopping is the cheapest way to shop ethically. It allows me to recycle thrown away clothes and reduce landfills.

+ Lipstick | MAC’s Party Line 

+ Beanie | Zara Kids 

+ Coat | Forever 21 

+ Vest | Hand-me-down 

+ Top | Zara 

+ Jeggings | DL1961 (Buffalo Exchange)

+ Boots | Merona (Salvation Army) 

+ Messenger Bag | Zara 

+ Necklace | Forever 21 

+ Fan Earrings | Zara 

+ Stud Earrings | Brandy Melville 

Photography | Anand Patel

xx

Dana

SILVER LINING

Before | After

Last week I stumbled across i-D magazine’s video on the tattoo artist, Grace Neutral. Neutral has a series of body modifications, including purple eyes, elf ears and a forked tongue. Although I would never go as far as getting plastic surgery or being decked out in tattoos from head-to-toe, Neutral made a point that really resonated with me:

“Just imagine, if everyone was themselves, how different everyone would be, and how refreshing it would be to walk out the door everyday, and the people that you would meet, no one would be scared…When you’re 100% yourself, I think you’re as beautiful as you can be.” 

After watching this video, I immediately got a “fuck the world” mentality. I knew that I had to start checking off everything I’ve been putting off just because of what other people would think. One of those things was this haircut. I’ve been waiting to get the Skrillex cut for years, but always had second-guesses on whether the style would compliment my face. 

My orange hair has also been bothering me, so I thought this was a great opportunity to dye it a pastel color. Silver was on my list of colors to try, since I love the idea of having a gradient from black to grey.

I ended up getting my hair done in Chinatown, since the prices are so much cheaper there. I went to Kevin’s Beauty Salon, which my boyfriend recommended. 6 cups of bleach and 4.5 hours later, my hair was finally done. Even though the result clearly wasn’t perfect, this was the happiest I’ve ever been with a new color. My hair isn’t fried or falling out, and aside from the blond lining, the rest of the color is really even. I couldn't have thought of a better way to start off Chinese New Year!

+ Lipstick | MAC's Black Night

+ Necklace | Forever 21

+ Threader Earrings | Forever 21

+ Hoop Earrings | Asian jewelry shop

+ Stud Earrings | Brandy Melville

Photography | Anand Patel

xx

Dana