Welcome to My Substack!

Here's what you'll get

Hi all, and welcome to yet another corner of my online world, my Substack.

So, how will this be different from the podcast, Instagram and newsletter? This is a deeper and longer-format look into what I’m covering on my channels, and why; the things that I ruminate on while driving and just can’t stop circling the drain on; deep questions and thoughts on life; and superficial-ass b**** stuff like the outfits I’m wearing and the beauty products I’m slathering on my face.

Say it with me: We contain multitudes! Therefore, so does this Substack.

On that highly philosophical note, let’s kick off this publication with some things that are decidedly superficial—a serum that I decided to start using again that’s working wonders for my skin; the pair of jeans you need if you’re 35+ and want to jump into the 90s trend but don’t want to look like a hopeless old lady grasping at her fastly-fading youth (who me?); and round things off with a rant on why I feel highly unqualified to share fashion advice, but will be doing so anyway.

Onward!

The Serum that De-Gunks My Pores

It took me until well into my third decade of life to realize I have big pores—not giant, but… larger than the average pore.

I’ve therefore been on a quest to keep said pores cleaned out, as I find product buildup is a real thing for those of us who deal with this issue. One of the ingredients that plays the best with my skin is salicylic acid. It keeps my cell turnover running faster than an Olympian sprinter, with no irritation.

I recently dug into my Beauty Closet (this vortex of shame and pride deserves its own post… stay tuned!) and pulled out this beauty—the Tata Harper Resurfacing Serum.

Since I’ve put this back into my routine, the gunk is gone and I no longer have blackheads/whiteheads to pop. A plus for my skin, a minus for my OCD.

Try it if you’ve got the same pore-ssues… pore-plications… pore-blems (okay that one works best) as me. I use only at night after cleansing. Cleanse, apply to dry skin, use a moisturizer on top if you need to.

I’m Not a Regular Jean Mom, I’m a Cool Jean Mom

Aah, I have such a complicated relationship with dressing “on trend.” So much of me wants to dive headfirst into the 90s trends of my youth, but then I think, Who wants to be that try-hard mom? And then I slip on a pair of loose-fitting jeans and decide that yes, it’s worth looking like a try-hard buffoon to have this level of comfort (and cool!) with denim.

If you’ve been shying away from the looser jean trend because you’re old like me—which by the way, love being old and love that for us—then please get this pair of jeans, which somehow manages to strike that balance between being on-trend and also appropriate enough for someone who saw this trend for the first time in the actual 1990s.

They’re so cute, promise! When I turn into a Real Fashion Blogger I’ll snap a pic of how I style them, but I’m not mentally there yet.

And Finally, Talking Fashion

Slap a crown on me and call me Queen of Imposter Syndrome because there is nothing that makes me more acutely nauseous than fashioning myself (see what I did there?) as a fashionable person who deserves to be sharing fashion advice.

Like, that’s for the Julia Berolzheimers of the world!

But!!!

I have been linking to some stuff on my blog lately and it seems like you guys like what I put out, so I’m going to share more of it. Baby want, baby get!

If there’s any particular category of clothing or favorites you want me to share, let me know.

That’s all for now… going to dry heave over the toilet after writing that last sentence.

Thanks for being here, and talk soon!

P.S. The podcast is up and cranking and if you’re in the mood for some celebrity gossip about someone with the initials T.S., you need to check out the latest episode with gossip guru Deuxmoi.