Minimalist WIP | Second Decluttering of 2017

A few days ago I decided to go through my clothings once more to see what are the clothes I haven’t worn in a month or I no longer wish to wear. This is the pile I was able to compile.

Here’s the list and reasons why:

• Sun hat - I seldom use it
• Short dress - too short for my current tastes
• Duvet cover - too childish, I prefer solid colors or minimal patterns/prints
• 1 pair of socks - size too big, it was a gift
• Two pairs of denim pants - seldom use it, and whenever I do get to wear them, they make me not want to wear them (do you have clothes that makes you feel like that?)
• Pink hoodie - second hand from a friend, I realized I had more than enough hoodies in my wardrobe. It’s not needed.
• Black jeggins - worn out and has holes
• Black winter jacket (not pictured) - wasn’t happy with it, no zippered pockets, too tight around shoulders (I have pretty broad shoulders for person my size/height...)

Most of these items I was able to give away to my landlady. She loves taking things from me, yet tells me I am wasteful. However, in my perspective, if I am able to give it to someone who can give it more use, it is not wasteful. It is wasted on me, if anything. What do you think?

Cruelty-free Make Up Review: alima PURE - Pressed Foundation With Rosehip Antioxidant Complex

Alima PURE - Pressed Foundation With Rosehip Antioxidant Complex

Product Brand: alima PURE

Website: https://www.alimapure.com/

Line/Collection: Pressed Foundation with Rosehip Antioxidant Complex

Shade: GINGER (works for those who use the loose powder formula in Warm 2 and/or Warm 3)

Volume: 0.31 oz or 9.0g
Price: $34 USD

Made in Italy

Ingredients (taken from print on the box packaging):

Mica, Oryza Sativa Powder, Zinc Stearate, Squalane, Tocopherol, Benzyl alcohol, Parfum, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Dehydroacetic Acid, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Butyrospermum,, Parkii Butter, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Rosa Rubiginosa Seed Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Vitis Vinifera Leaf Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Dextrin , Aqua, Maltodextrin, Citric Acid, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Limonene, Linalool [+/- CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499, CI 77891]

Packaging: The packaging is mostly recyclable, as the box itself is made out of paper and cardboard and the sponge applicator and the pressed powder foundation were packaged in plastic.  

My experience with the product:

My skin: combination (oily/dry depending on season/temperature)

Undertone: warm/neutral

Other useful information: acne prone skin; large pores on T-zone and cheeks

First impressions:

• I dislike the puff/round applicator. It’s texture likens the makeup sponge/square/wedge applicators. And the thought having it touching the pressed powder after every use is off putting. Applies unevenly in the skin.
• Applies better with a brush, though be gentle when you swipe your brush across, you may end up loosening too much powder than you need.
• Light and pleasant scent.
• Matte finish and may end in a dewy finish if you have oily/combination skin.

Pros (things I liked about this product):

• Light to medium coverage,
• Matte finish (I also like how it becomes somewhat dewy as it settles during the day - similar to some BB cream/Cushion’s finish).
• My skin did not break out during or after use.
• Reusable compact - only need to repurchase the pressed powder tin.

Cons (things I did not like about this product):

• Cakes up and clings to dead skin - so make sure you exfoliate regularly.
• Sponge round applicator - I like using a brush to apply the product instead.
• Price of the product when you first buy it with the compact

Verdict:

• Will I repurchase the product? Yes - as I currently like what this company stands for as well as the quality of the product. I will probably repurchase the refill product, not the compact itself as it is reusable (just what I love about this company).
• Will I try another product from the same line/collection? Probably.
• Will I recommend this product? Yes!

This is my first pressed powder foundation that I have ever owned and used. All this time I have only used liquid foundations (esp. BB Creams, CC creams, and BB Cushions) - switching to a different kind of foundation was somewhat difficult to decide. As most beauty junkies know, eastern beauty products usually aims to be more “natural” and have more skin care properties - hence I love BB creams so much. And the application process is so effortless - does not necessarily require you to purchase tools. It is engrained in our minds that these are the better products in comparison to most of their western counterparts. Well, at least, I thought so. However, my way as a consumer has changed. Personally, I now believe that less product is better (psst, I am doing the minimalist thing here too) and of course, the more natural the product, the better. Since I already have skin care products, I do not see the need to purchase a beauty product that contains skin care properties - I just need it to not damage my skin and cover what I need it to cover. And maybe sunscreen properties would be nice.

• How did I come across the brand? YouTube reseach on cruelty-free products
• What made me decide to switch to mineral makeup? The small number of cruelty-free Korean products and the lack of access of them. Maybe mineral makeup is better in terms of less chemicals, less likely to clog pores, works better during summer.
• How did I find my shade/color? I know that I am a warm undertone so ordered samples of the loose powder formula that is similar what I thought to my skin tone. I ended up ordering Olive 2, Warm 3, and Warm 4 - I matched Warm 3 pretty well. Then I decided that the compact is a better option for me, and Ginger was the closest thing to Warm 3 - as it was stated in its description on the website.

Arelistical rating: 8/10

Have you tried this product or this brand before? Any thoughts or questions? Let me know in the comments!

Minilmalist WIP | Minimalism vs Cosplay - An unusual battle of extremes

Minimalism has changed my life in many ways. I am sure many are bored to hear the same thing. But it is true, this lifestyle will not only change the way how you live in general but it will change the way you think. Individuals who have converted to or casually followed this lifestyle can easily tell you how it has impacted them in how they see things now. One of the major change in us minimalists is ethics.

At least to me, the ethics in the clothing making industry - or simply fast fashion - affects me greatly. I am in no way an expert in this topic nor I have the figures to argue with you, so I will leave the floor to the people I follow on YouTube to provide some insight on it:

• My Green Closet on “Affordable Sustainable Fashion - Conscious Shopping”
• TED x Talks on “Fast Fashion’s Effect on People, The Planet, & You” by Patrick Woodyard

For now, I’ll give you two of my favourite channels - there are more, but you can start with those. I am not necessarily an avid fashion-oriented consumer, but I used to be in that fast and cheap fashion trap. After learning the things involving how a single garment is made - I recently have changed the way on how I shop or obtain wardrobe items. I started to accept hand-me-downs and go to thrift shops.

In case you are curious, the thrift shops I mainly shop at are Beacon’s Closet and No Relations Vintage in Brooklyn, NY.

Now, the reason why I brought up this topic is because I enjoy cosplay. For readers not familiar with this term, a cosplayer is simply a person who dons a costume of fictional character. And the term “cosplay” refers to the exhibit of the costume - it comes from the words “costume” and “play”. This hobby is mainly appreciated and practiced by audiences who like Japanese animation, a.k.a. Anime. In the early 2000s, cosplay was steadily on the rise, especially in Japan. However, it wasn’t as popular in the west - it was not surprising that the availability of these costumes are non-existent. The only way to have access to a costume was to make it.

When I first started cosplaying, I did what most in the cosplay community would now frown upon, closet cosplay. Which is to use what you have in your closet or ready made clothes (bought from stores) to wear as a costume that in a way are similar to the character you are intending to portray. From what I have heard, most have started like that - so I did not pay too much attention it. After my first closet cosplay, I decided to invest in a sewing machine and start to make my own costumes from then on - that lasted about two years - and resulted in 10+ costumes! What a ride!

Now that my views in regards to cosplay has changed, it certainly made me question my hobby a lot. Cosplay has definitely made me a more skilled person, I can mend my own clothes, know how to operate a sewing machine and a serger, alter clothing items, make cloth items, etc. It has given me fun and sad memories. The list can go on, but I digress - the point I want to make is that cosplay has made me hoarder for keeping around all the unused fabrics, scraps, mock costumes, buttons, two sewing machines, wigs, costumes, makeup, etc. for about 4 years.

I live with roommates, and in the past, I was told multiple times that I have way too many things for one person. Why I didn’t listen to them?  To a person who lives on his/her own, collection of things and hoarding things are practically a dead weight. It is hard to move around with a mountain of things. And living on my own, even without the hobby, there are other things that are essential in my life that I still have to keep with me whenever I move. To tie this in with fast fashion, this hobby also creates a lot of waste - textile waste is one of the major pollutants on the planet. Therefore I do not want to add on to the pollution problem... or at least try reduce the amount of waste I am producing.

I am in no way trying to condemn the hobby, I LOVE cosplay - the hobby sparks a unique joy in me that no other hobbies can - but now it is time for me to think of other ways to compromise it with my new lifestyle and values.

Currently, I do not cosplay often. It is simply a hobby I only enjoy with friends and attending conventions. I used to own about 10+ costumes and possibly 20+ wigs - and since I have started practicing minimalism, I have donated or sold most of my handmade costumes and wigs. I freed myself from the ones I am not satisfied with, ones I do not want to wear anymore, and ones that I have bitter memories of. I have only kept the ones that are my favorite ones and comfortable ones.

Here are the methods on how I would want to approach cosplay as a minimalist:

• Purchase second hand costumes from other cosplayers;
• Closet cosplay;
• Thrift and alter clothing into cosplay (in Japan cosplayers used to be very creative and make their own version/interpretation of a character); and
• Re-use old favorite cosplays.

I have also been looking into @fabscrap on Instagram - FABSCRAP is an organization in NYC (yay! it's near me) that provides pickup and recycling of fabric scraps from design, fashion, and entertainment companies. I believe one can volunteer and get some of the fabrics fer free :D I may give it a try one day!

If you have other suggestions - please kindly let me know!

Re: The Fear of Empty Space by Tisha Morris

As I scrolled down through my newsfeed on Facebook, I’ve noticed The Minimalists have shared a blog post from Tisha Morris, titled “The Fear of Empty Space.” I immediately clicked on the link to read the post - my initial thought was “do I have a fear of empty space?” Much of the things I personally find interesting are readings that can help me understand myself and the human nature better. This was one of them.

It was a well thought-out and short post. I love those - always to the point and easy to understand. Morris poses different questions and ideas of why she thinks people have a paradoxical fear and yearn towards emptiness, space, void, etc. One particular line resonated with me the most:

“Fear breeds in empty space. It’s where we can hear our thoughts. [It] forces us to look at our life. We have to witness the choices we’ve made. We have to remember the ungrieved past.”

Morris points out that we avoid emptiness because it can invoke our real voices/thoughts - they can make us reminiscence the poor choices that we’ve made in the past or force us to view our decaying present and dim future. This is the kind fear that I’ve felt after I’ve forsaken most of the things/stuff I had in my room. It unearthed a “self” - found a “self” of me that is unkind and toxic to my own self.

For the past week, after I have decluttered my things from my room - it gave me more time and physical space. The one thing I didn’t mind was the physical empty space that decluttering rewarded me with. However, a negative energy surged and enveloped my mind, it felt clouded - like how the weather has been lately (rainy, windy, and cold).  Thoughts of comparing myself to my peers and friends and family creeping into my mind, uncertain future vs my indecisive personality, etc. These were the reasons I did not post last Monday. I think I’ve been experiencing more of an emotional clutter now that I don’t have physical clutter that is distracting me from thinking about it.

“The void is also where creation is born. The same place we find our fears is also the place we find our soul. Follow the fear and you will find your authentic self. This is what we’re truly afraid of. Finding our true self comes with moving out of our comfort zone, changing family beliefs, taking risks, being seen, and vulnerability. The more these words scare you, the deeper your piles of clutter.” - Tisha Morris

Then, do I have a fear of empty space? I don’t believe so. I think of empty spaces as part of aesthetic aspect of life and it can reflect the aspect of a person too. It can go so many ways - I like empty spaces, more so when they are used beautifully. Life can be empty, but it can be full of life. If you get what I mean. Now, the problem is the emotional clutter that I have started noticing. At this moment, I will have to work on letting go of feelings (which does not sound easy). Maybe, as Morris says, I should somehow work on my mind in the arts (to induce creativity).

The Burning House Project | 2014

To many who are not familiar with art or photography in particular, I introduce you the “Burning House Project.” It is a photography project in which the subject is to answer the question: “What would you take with you if your house is burning?”

This project was introduced to me when I was still a student in college and was taking a course in photography. It was such a fun class, we got to use film SLR cameras to take photographs and develop them in a dark room. Good times! Anyways, so my professor talked about this brilliant assignment in class and proposed us to take on it.

The photograph above was taken in 2014 as part of my photography class portfolio. It was somewhat fun to think about the scenario, but it was also difficult. That year I still owned a lot of things - it was definitely during pre-minimalism time there. I owned a lot of stuff then, and sorting out my lot to come up with the things I would bolt out with during emergency was… a chore. I would imagine that I will end up dying because I needed to gather all these things. So, most things in the photograph were sentimental things that I would take with me if my house was in flames.

Here, I’ll list them for you (from left to right):

1. Box of letters and cards (I used to exchange handwritten letters with my best friend)
2. Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 Digital Camera (no longer have it as of today - sold)
3. Plush toy (Mokona/Larg from XxxHolic)
4. Photo album
5. Peter Pan book (present from friend)
6. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows book
7. The Clow Book (Toy from Cardcaptor Sakura anime)
8. 1 TB HD (I have already started to digitalize documents/photos)
9. Leather military boots (to be donated - see from previous blog post)

Now that I assess the 2014 Burning House photograph, I am certain that I won’t be reaching for the same things again. I am planning to do another quick shoot of the Burning House project soon, so I am posting this old project now to later use to to compare it with the new project. Currently, I am not sure how it will be nor what items will I be taking with me this year (if my place burns) - but I am looking forward to see how it turns out!