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hey girls
Happy Scorpio season, and countdown to 2022!

Before you get into this month's issue, inhale for 3 seconds, hold for 3 seconds, and exhale for 3 seconds. 

Now let's jump in!
 


how my cat inspires me


It's Scorpio season! There are 2 very important Scorpios (VIS's) in this world - Tracee Ellis Ross & my cat Junie.
I wanted to write a short love letter to my cat, who will never read this. She turns 2 this month (November 17th), and she has no idea how much I love her. She's my first pet and a huge deal. But most of all, she's actually taught me a lot? I think the way in which we regard our domesticated pets in the Western world leans quite authoritarian. I try my absolute best to let her do what feels right to her, because in a way, that level of self assuredness is what we all seek in this life - these animals just do it so well! "Raising" my cat for the past 8 months has taught me that these little guys are more intuitive than you can ever imagine. It's a blessing to share space with a such self-directed, instinctive, stubborn, and loving cat. Here are a few things that she's taught me in the past eight months that I think you should know:
  1. Set boundaries. Junie doesn't shy away from her boundaries, and she reinforces them heavily. Do not fold on this.
  2. Don't be afraid to ask for what you need from the people you love. When you identify your needs, fulfill them (and in Junie's case, pester until they are fulfilled).
  3. Rest. Set aside enough time for rest each day dependent on what you do, and do not negotiate this. If you're anything like Junie, you'll rest all day.
  4. Get active. Getting active at least once a day is extremely important for releasing pent up energy. Junie, on the other hand, has zoomies at least twice a day.
Furthermore, here are some pics of my sweet Juniper photographed by my friend Jaylen (IG: @jovianmoons) - love this cat so much & I'm ready for her terrible 2's! PS: Bonus pics if you email me pics of your cat!
 
 

seasonal depression for dummies


If you've known me over the past few years, you know I went to college in Boston, MA. If you know Boston, MA, you know that it's very cold. Like, this cold:

It's so cold out here you can get rob with a water gun R - )

And with cold, comes fall. And with fall, comes winter. And if you're like me? With winter, comes seasonal depression.
If you're not familiar with seasonal depression, it's basically this -

As someone that grew up in Texas for most of my life and bears roots in tropical, sunny Ghana - it truly feels like there's something in my DNA that genetically programs my heart to wrench as I feel the sun set at 4pm and prepare myself for 16 hours of darkness everyday. 
But as someone that is in a really dynamic period of life (aka - my early twenties), I'm learning that change is truly the most inevitable part of life, and to resist it is inherently, well, anti-natural.
In the past few months alone, I've quit what I thought was a dream job (which was eventually extremely toxic to my physical and mental health), started my own business (heyyy shameless plug), excitingly traveled to LA and NYC for new work - and those are just the bigger changes.
On a larger scale, the lesson is that you can't run away from change. I've learned through this year's struggles that you can't just count on good things to happen to you in order for you to be happy. Unless there are unique chemical mental processes occurring (acknowledging neurodivergence here!) - deliberately choosing happiness can at times be an act of choosing yourself. In a tearful conversation a few weeks ago upon quitting my job, my dad told me, "Sometimes, in order to free yourself, you have to keep going." Winter literally always comes but my body still tries to run away from it. However, in learning the early-20s lesson over and over that change is inevitable - I've decided to embrace the winter for the first time ever. So with that, here's my:
 
!!!!!Seasonal Depression Survival Guide!!!!
1.  Vitamin D supplements - I have to start the list off with this because your body is extremely important and it's been researched that Vitamin D has significant health benefits when it comes to accommodating clinically diagnosed Seasonal Affective Disorder.
2. Get active - Speaking of your body, I've found that it helps to pick one physical activity and stick to it. In my last year of college, I did a lot of yoga because it was free at my university, and it was a huge treat for my body to move around at least once a week. Try to commit for at least a month. I'm going to start doing that tomorrow (lol).
3. Clean up - This should be a year round thing. But I know it truly helps for me to stay tidied in order to feel like I have physical mobility in my home sometimes. Much like we groom ourselves daily, we should groom our spaces almost daily.
4. Purge your closet - Speaking of tidying. I like to archive my summer clothes so that my closet is mainly fall & winter clothes. And in the opposite season, I do vice versa.
5. Friends - Remember that it's okay to talk to them on FaceTime or face to face. In the winter, I have to force myself more and more to speak to my friends instead of self isolate. However, I love you guys and thanks for always being there for me ;) Know overall that the physical act of smiling is so good for you.
6. Invest in comfort - You're in your home a lot more now, so try to get a really nice pair of fuzzy slippers or a set of great socks, or your favorite hot chocolate, or a really nice smelling $30 candle. Or some wood for that fireplace you've never used. You're worth investing in! It makes a huge difference.
7. Break your routine - This one is huge. If you settle into the same thing everyday/week, you might lose yourself in your routine. Remember that spontaneity is not just for summer/fall! Get creative!

It's time for us to take control of our happiness no matter what time of year. Similarly, it's time for us to default to optimism independent of daily circumstances (within your capability). Overall, take care of yourself and have a happy winter. :) We're in this together!

 

apple cidaaaa recipeeeee


Lastly, I thought I'd share with y'all my fave apple cider recipe as it gets colder - let me know if you make it!
  • 3 cups of store bought plain apple cider
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 teaspoon of cloves
  • 1 teaspoon brown sugar or maple syrup
Put the cloves & cinnamon sticks in an empty tea bag and steep in hot apple cider. Then, add brown sugar or maple syrup. Serve hot or iced! 
This is literally what I've been drinking in the mornings in lieu of my regular matcha, since coffee literally goes through me like water. Anyways, hope you enjoy!


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Thank you for reading this month's issue of ajiswriting! It's always a pleasure to share this with y'all. As always, feel free to tip your writer for the free newsletter (venmo: AJ-Addae, cashapp: $AJAddae), reach out to me by responding to this email, or follow me on twitter or instagram.

Until next time,
AJ
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hey friends🏿,

nice to e-meet you! my name is AJ, i'm a pisces sun + capricorn moon + virgo rising, and this is my monthly curation.

hey girls
It's the end of July! So you can't say I missed July, because I didn't. ;)

Before you get into this month's issue, inhale for 3 seconds, hold for 3 seconds, and exhale for 3 seconds. I just feel like you may have needed to do that today. 

Now let's jump in!
 


@shopbabesplug - the future of fashion


A few months ago, the founder of @babesplugofficial reached out to me about their designs, and I fell in love. Customization is truly the new black. In my digital IG life, I've seen custom businesses for everything - from custom skincare products formulated via quizzes, to custom makeup shades to suit individual skin tones. 
Babes Plug Fashion House has taken this creative concept, added a cute Jamaican spin, and brought it to fashion. The fashion guru, Nicola Ellis, sells authentic handmade designs, meaning there is only one made per size. If that doesn't sell you, the clothes are handmade with no restocks (sustainable, baby!), and designed and handmade in Jamaica.
Lucky for all of you, the spring & summer collection just dropped on the website. Don't you want to be exclusive and 1 of 1?

Here is me in a custom Babes Plug top dressed in three ways:
 

work x babes plug


casual x babes plug


randomly looking at a tree x babes plug

So the the lesson of the day is that if you're not wearing your 1 of 1 Babes Plug, you're really behind on the times.

If you're looking for more information, follow the girlies on Twitter and Instagram. 

xoxo,
AJ

calling out your friends


I'm AJ,  and I'm learning a new skill called calling out my friends. 

I remember a few years ago, a tweet about emotional capacity blew up widely on Twitter. Unbeknownst to them, Twitter user @fyeahmfabello sparked what came to be a long and admittedly painful conversation about friendship boundaries.
 

Naturally, such a tweet was met with extensive discourse in the replies. And I mean, talk about a polarized audience. From what I recall, there was everything from extreme vitriol for the way Dr. Fabello responded, to smug affirmation that "we don't owe anyone anything", to headlines parsing out the scene such as i-D's "Is this tweet about emotional labour sociopathic or just self-care?"
Much like with any tweet that blows up on Twitter, I pretty much chalked it up to nuance, and found it difficult to pick a side as to who was "correct." On one hand, I totally understand Dr. Fabello. They're tired, and at capacity. They were, at the very least, honest. But on the other hand, it would be obtuse to not acknowledge the slight stab in the gut that comes with a response like this from someone you care about, not to mention the mental preparation that it may have taken to reach out for help.

So logically, at least one friend has to get a little uncomfortable in order for things to progress right?

This question has been loosely on my mind for the past few weeks. Recently, I've made it a point to call out my friends more. While I couldn't tell you when or why the shift happened, I've had an inkling that it's been a long time coming.

There is someone very close and special to me in my life, and they are well loved and sought after in their community. As a self-proclaimed a stan of them, I admire them as well. A lot. Through our time knowing each other, it took me almost no time to notice a certain quality about them: they're extremely selfish.

Not selfish in the way that would make someone unbearable to be around. They're quite literally the definition of the word: self-ish. Admirably, they care very deeply about showing up for their community. However, one of the ways in which they seem to do so is by literally making sure that they are as okay and comfortable as possible in life. In other words, they put theirself first. While some may call it main character syndrome, I've lately drawn from this person's quality as a sense of inspiration.

 As a Pisces (lol) and a Black girl that is constantly mindful of stepping on others' toes for fear of coming across as aggressive, I'd say that I tend to let stuff slide the first time. And the second time. And unfortunately, the third time. And while practicing restraint is cute and all, it's truly not cute when you let things slide, and then you realize everything that's slid has now piled up. Upon chatting with one of my homegirls recently about her deep reluctancy to confront her friend on a matter that bothered her, I was reminded that the automatic tendency that a lot of us have (especially those that aren't men) of tiptoeing and being light on our feet, is not serving us. And while it doesn't serve you when it's with a stranger, it especially does not serve you with those that you love and hold near and dear to you.

And in that moment, my friends, is when I realized: why don't we let our friends know that something they did deeply bothered or hurt us the first time? Here's a list of answers that aren't good excuses:

1. Because I don't want them to dislike me.
2. Because I don't want to make things "weird."
3. Because I don't want to come across as sensitive.
4. Because I don't want them to get mad.

Don't you think you deserve better than those responses? Don't you think you deserve better than to hold everything in? Don't you want to be free? 

A relationship that you care about should be met with intention and care. If your friends love you, they will respect you. And if they respect you, they will learn to treat you the way you want to be treated, or in a way that is healthy for your friendship dynamic. The person I mentioned earlier, the one that everyone loves, has taught me that I deserve to express how I feel. Furthermore, I deserve to be heard from those that love and care about me, because, although not always easy, I must do the same for them. Besides, standing in yourself with those you love, gives you the fuel to stand in yourself with those that may not have the best intentions in mind.

As for Dr. Fabello's tweet, I'd love to hear from you all, the readers, about your thoughts on the tweet. Is it selfish to respond for someone this way if you don't have the space for them? Furthermore, is it healthy? Based off of everything I have written about, what do you think?

cats of st. croix


This month, I traveled to St. Croix, US Virgin Islands for vacation! And instead of showing y'all vacation pics of me at the beach, I feel like I need to show you something earth shattering: the cats I saw on the streets of St. Croix. So, to close out this newsletter, here are the cats for your viewing pleasure: 
 

 


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Thank you for reading this month's issue of ajiswriting! It's always a pleasure to share this with y'all. As always, feel free to tip your writer for the free newsletter (venmo: AJ-Addae, cashapp: $AJAddae), reach out to me by responding to this email, or follow me on twitter or instagram.

Until next time,
AJ
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 






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*|LIST:ADDRESSLINE|*

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(Please) view this email in your browser - it's prettier that way.


hey friends🏿,

nice to e-meet you! my name is AJ, i'm a pisces sun + capricorn moon + virgo rising, and this is my monthly curation.

welcome back
soooo it's been a while;
since the last time we've talked i've:
  • graduated from college
  • moved into my own apartment
  • adopted a cat
  • faced the doomed reality about things like student loans and credit scores
  • faced a quarter life crisis
  • started a full time job as a research scientist (in the dermatology industry!)
it's truly been an experience in which you are just on a rollercoaster ride and there's nothing you can do about it but try your best not to fall off. i've written this newsletter over and over and over and truly the only thing that really feels authentic to me at the moment to speak about is burnout.

in this newsletter, i explore the ethics of work + home, solange's new film, and a few other treats.
thanks for sticking it out with me - let's dive in.
 


Your Next Favorite Piece is on IG


And that's what it's starting to feel like. Here are big faves I've saved in my IG archive the past few months.

what it is: breda studios watch
Why I love it: This looks like a very futuristic take of the classic Casio watch. I'm not typically a watch wearer, but this is stunning.

 
 
what it is: cold picnic rug
Why I love it: Everyone knows Cold Picnic is a classic 2020s rug/textile staple. The prices are seriously bananas, but mark my words: I will have a Cold Picnic rug someday.
 



what it is: flex's lingerie campaign for bras n things
Why I love it: What's not to love here? Let me know.
 



what it is: whatever tracee elliss ross is wearing in this IG video
Why I love it: 2 things. First, Tracee Ellis Ross. Second, it's kinda giving Solange?

 

what it is: mirrors by @xtrajumbo on IG
Why I love it: I've been following the artist for a while now on Twitter and Insta and not only is she super funny, but her art is really really dear to me.



what it is: the wolf circus penny necklace
Why I love it: It's obvious - sage green and checkers are the color/pattern combo of 2021.

 


what it is: alexis taylor's painting in rootwork journal
Why I love it: This journal has a lot of amazing, awe-inspiring work from Black artists that aren't only Basquiat and Carrie Mae Weems (although they're both great).




what it is: this sweet angel bijou's hair & brows
Why I love it: Simply because they're the baddest. 



what it is: @philipt43's pic on insta
Why I love it: I've been really into this angle circulating around instagram in which the torso is smaller and the legs are long and towering. It's super powerful and Philip does it so well.

when work from home becomes your lifestyle + the ethics of self-space


as of this past weekend, here is a raw, very lived in, snapshot of my home:


Last weekend, I completed the daunting and rewarding task of remodeling my living room. I replaced the rug in the living room (and moved it to my bedroom), spray painted my living room coffee table (which was a very very tall task), got a few new candles, hung up some lights, and a few other things. Doing so gave me a certain level of fulfillment and wholeness -- sort of like when you send those emails you've been meaning to send for a few days? Or in my case sometimes, weeks?
I spend a significant amount of time in this 545 square foot apartment. Since the beginning of moving into my own place, my apartment has become my personal yoga studio, work office, chemistry lab, kickback space, and anything else that I previously thought was unimaginable otherwise. In fact, if I really wanted to, my weekdays could look a little something like this:
  • 7:00 am: Wake up for an hour-long yoga workout. (@ home)
  • 8:00am: Shower, make a good breakfast, and read the socials a little bit before work. (@ home)
  • 9:00am-12:00pm: Work (@ home)
  • 12:00pm-1:00pm: Have some sort of lunch/catch up on the socials/news, but still have an eye on my emails. (@ home)
  • 1:00pm-5:00pm: Squeeze out some more work. (@ home)
  • After 5:00pm: dinner, shower, read, write, do creative things. talk to friends, and everything I wish I could have been doing earlier in the day (@ home)
To my personal embarrassment, quite a few days out of the week look like this. As a slight disclaimer, I totally understand that a lot of people's days have looked like this over the past year. But I think I'm truly beginning to understand why Gen Xers beg their younger counterparts to not let their lives pass by. This newsletter section has gone through at least 6 iterations (one for every month missed), almost all of them centered on work: the ethics of it, why and how it demands so much from us, how it feels, what it does to us, and so much more. Truthfully, I'm still navigating the work environment in an ever-changing cultural shift, along with the politics of "professionalism." But above all, I can't help but think that the physical workplace itself is no longer the source of "the bypassing of precious time" that Gen Xers warn us about; the home may be as well. Take this for example: As I write this, I am sitting on the same couch that I relax into after a long, tough workday. Which is the same couch that I work on during said workday. Which is the same couch that I relax on while eating dinner. Which is the same couch that I am writing on in this moment.
When COVID-19 made its grand and devastating emergence, many became further aware of the deep seated effects that capitalism and the workforce have on our sense of comfort. Since then, many corporations have presented to us a compromise that has brought about an unfamiliar level of existentialism for me: enmeshing the workplace into the home front.
It feels as if each compromise offered to us from those that also inherently oppress us unearths layers of questions on personal liberation. Where does the "work" end and the "home" begin? Why does this accelerate my burnout? Where can I go?

It's complex. I love working from home because I can work in comfort, and I wouldn't want to be back at he office, but I'm concerned that each time I'm home doing nothing, I feel that I should be doing work since this is my "office." Recently, I've abandoned working from home, and started working in coffee shops around my new city. There is something satisfying about the illusion of choice -- that we believe we are the ones in control of our work, when we contort our bodies and lifestyles into infinite positions to accomodate it. Some may say the solution is easy: work outside and rest at home! But...with a year's worth of pandemic-related trauma, a complete lifestyle shift for most of us, and a new social variable to consider for the forseeable future...is it truly that easy? And above all, what does it truly look like to rest in America's 2021?
       


I have officially tired of cute and quirky "girlboss" podcasts and publications interrogating and wrestling with the concept of "normal." I don't believe there ever was a normal, and that if there was, we should be ashamed to say so. Like many of my thinky thoughts, I have very little solutions to offer. But what I do know is that the best thing I could do for myself in this time is asking myself what I need just as many times as I ask my boss, the people around me, and my friends.
Some of my best resilience has come as a result of self care. And I mean real, true, raw self care. On Gen Xers, referring to the bypassing time as "precious" is not something that I want to do out of fear, but rather out of gratitude. It is a strange thing that we pay a monthly price tag for space, comfort, and basic utilities. It is an even stranger thing that it is normalized for the painstaking effects of capitalism to trickle into what we call our homes. What has healed me most recently is saying yes to myself even when I have the guilt-drenched gut wrenching instinct not to. I have seen more graduation posts on my timeline this year than I've ever seen (my pics included), which reminds me that there are many of us stepping into this world that continues to ask so much from us for the rest of our lives. It is both exciting and deeply terrifying. It always has been, and in result, we tend to hold each other closer than we thought we would.
Reader, I encourage you to make your space as you as your resources can allow. Hang up that note your mom wrote you years ago, buy a pair of fuzzy slippers from Home Goods, and get a nice, cozy weighted blanket. Close your laptop at 5pm on the dot and know that the work can always wait, but your body cannot. I think we can do this.

solange + st. heron's "passage"



If you didn't already know, Solange has done it again.
Solange & Standing on the Corner (an NYC-based jazz music group) teamed up to deliver to us a short film called Passage, which presents the 2021 Woolmark Prize finalists. For those who are unfamiliar, the International Woolmark Prize, originally developed to promote wool to the global textile market, is a highly competitive fashion design competition that has lent merit to fashion empires such as Ralph Lauren and Karl Lagerfeld. 
"Passage further explores my interest in theatrical production through the translation of identity, spirit, philosophy, and creation." Solange said in a press release. Now if there's one thing (among many) that Solange knows how to do, it's create a sensory experience. Everyone knows that I know just about everything about Solange - and I mean everything - so consider me an expert here. 
 
 
The film presents the finalists' textiles through embedding models in sensory experiences such as wind chimes, running water, and breathing air. And obviously, as always, the models were wonderfully selected, the cameos were well-done, and the music was just divine. Everything in this film feels like it's sitting a millimeter away from my fingertips. I can feel the textiles on my hand as the models slowly contort their bodies. I can hear the hinge of Dionne Warwick's neck as she tilts toward the camera maintaining authoritative eye contact. I can feel the engulfment of the scene in nature as the music twiddles in the background to create more texture in this film.  We can accredit the dissonant music to Standing on the Corner, which you should definitely check out sometime.
 
 
My favorite treat about Solange's installation experiences is that she always involves stairs. Oh, you don't remember? Allow me to refer to the iconic Jimmy Fallon performance in which she does the When I Get Home Medley:
 
Solange | Clash Magazine
 
Or the 2019 Sydney Opera House performance in which she brings back "Losing You":
 
And now, in Passage:
 
While I know Solange has her own artistic reasoning behind the usage of stairs, it always comes back to elevation for me. Movement, reaching heights, reimagining, and reclaiming have always been at the core of Solange's work. To me, the stairs are a reminder that movement is inevitable. Solange's backup dancers and models don't just climb up the stairs - they descend, sit, dance, and make a home of it. She does so much with so little, and that, ladies and gays, is where the art is.

So whether you're there for the music, the Solange, the story, or the textiles, I encourage you to watch Passage. If not Passage, then at least one of Solange's installations. I have always said that I feel very personally seen by her; that she just gets me. But I also know that this work was. not solely the fruit of Solange - it's Dominique Jackson, SahBabii, Ib Kamara, Wu Tsang, and so many others. Ultimately, this collaboration of voices has married into something that, like all of Solange's works, will stay special to me for a very long time.

The Woolmark Prize winner will be announced on June 10.


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Thank you for reading this month's issue of ajiswriting! It's always a pleasure to share this with y'all. As always, feel free to tip your writer for the free newsletter (venmo: AJ-Addae, cashapp: $AJAddae), reach out to me by responding to this email, or follow me on twitter or instagram.

Until next time,
AJ
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(Please) view this email in your browser - it's prettier that way.


hey friends🏿,

nice to e-meet you! my name is AJ, i'm a pisces sun + capricorn moon + virgo rising, and this is my monthly curation.

it was time for a new look
it's officially been a year of this newsletter, and i decided that season 2 called for a new look + a little gift from me to you. answer the question @ at the bottom of this email (in response), and i'll draw a name from whoever gets it right and mail a custom beanie, knit by me! 

in personal news, i'm graduating from college next week (so feel free to send grad gifts), secured a post-grad full time job (as a scientist in the skincare industry, duh), and while i have no real interest in "adulting," i'm just glad that i'm officially done with school.
well, for now.

also, you know when you have a ~covid symptom~ and you spend at least half the day asking yourself "is this covid or is my nose running because the weather is changing or maybe it's the bad allergies i've had my whole life??" yeah that's happened to me like 6 times this month alone. needless to say, i've gotten like 4 tests and they've all been negative. my nose is literally running as i type this.

but in newsletter news, i interview a tiktok star, compile a list of things i want so badly but can't buy right now, and introduce you to orangutan jungle school.


so read all about it. ↴


everything i want this month but cannot afford

 

this walkman rug from mowalola even though i'm too young to really remember general walkman usage

 
 
the goober candle



this insanely expensive sheet set from buffy (why is it like over $200)

 

this flared heel from maison margiela (it's literally $1,000 i'm sick)


the ugg fluff yeah slide that's actually super out of character for me



this yearly planner from alter planning co (black owned small biz!) that's currently out of stock but gives me serotonin from just looking at it...

 
yeah, so this is final-draft-editing AJ here, saying maybe i just have outrageously expensive taste in simple things because i don't think i could ever justify paying $42 for a journal, but simply, i just need it.

jacinda, aka @adultsdrink from tiktok, on hypersexualization of the black body, and how the beauty industry underpays black creatives

jacinda, shot by jordan douglas


the nanosecond the zoom call connected between jacinda (pronouns: they/them) and i, it was instant radiance. despite their usual serious face in their photos and editorial work, jacinda had an insanely warm presence and was such an open person. while that may be accredited to them being a pisces (we both screamed when we discovered we were both pisces), it's safe to say overall that they've got a memorable, down to earth presence. they even asked me, timidly but charmingly, "can i curse?"
apparently, the whole internet feels the same. jacinda has 80.1k followers on instagram, and 290.1k followers on tiktok, both of which are a result of their famous tiktok lipstick videos. 
 

jacinda's tiktok
 
jacinda: i've been on social media since fucking facebook. but in the last 3 years, i started taking it seriously. i had tiktok for like a year. i didn't really post on it, but since the pandemic started, i was bored. i like lipsticks and making lipstick looks, and it just blew up. people really fucked with it. 

and they did. because of jacinda's work, they've been able to secure partnerships with Milk Makeup and Girlfriend Collective, and even content creation with Fenty Beauty. but despite all the accolades, what i found the most interesting when i scoured their social media profile before interviewing them, was that they spoke frequently about their body as a spectacle, and the simultaneous dilemma of being perceived.

jacinda: when i was in middle school, puberty hit and curves started appearing. one day, i wore a certain shirt to school when i was 13. i had big breasts, and obviously i couldn't control that. i literally got dress coded for wearing a regular shirt because my boobs were big, and i was told to take it off. even now online, i experience sexualization from weird ass people. but i realized i can't control my body being sexualized. so....i just post whatever makes me feel good. 
 

jacinda in vogue

and that, along with jacinda's talent, brought them from their hometown in atlanta, to LA, currently. 

jacinda: as soon as i landed in LA, i started to get emails. i used to freelance every blue moon, and i was working a 9 to 5 job for 14 months. i was also in college and balancing a lot of shit. when i was back home in georgia 6 months ago, i told myself, "i'm moving to LA, full time freelancing." and it worked out.

but even while they're living the dream, jacinda says there are obstacles concerning visibility. this time, it's about being a black creator versus being the conventional white beauty influencer on the internet in this digital age.

jacinda: shit does not pay the bills sometimes. i'm kinda over free products now, because i have bills. and let me tell you, these brands can be stingy as fuck. i found out that a lot of these brands pay white creative influencers more than black creatives. this brand paid a black creative $500 and a white creative $1000 for the same shit. of course, i'm not just doing this for the money, which is why i'm passionate about it. but damn.

but despite it all, jacinda says that they have a good feeling that their career is only going up from here. and honestly, i do too.

jacinda: i wanna start my own lipstick brand. i just love lipsticks. i actually just love seeing black people wearing shit. i'll never forget when ASAP Rocky said red lipstick doesn't look good on dark skinned women. like who said that??? dark skin looks damn good with red lipstick, and obviously i do too.

while jacinda can't tell us what they have in store next (obviously big things!!!!), i think i might have a new fave that i'll be seeing in every campaign in 2021. they even inspired me to get a red lipstick, which is something i definitely wouldn't have done before they empowered me to.

but of course, that's the job of an influencer, right? 

you can follow jacinda on twitter at @brokebackboys, tiktok at @adultsdrink, and instagram at @adultsdrink.


 

including orangutan jungle school


 
1. like this is the best thing i've ever seen. last month, i referenced Girlfriends as a tv show i've been lovingggggg; this month, i bring you @everyoutfitofgirlfriends on insta.
2. y'all know i love ceramics, and @rachelsaundersceramics is blowing my minddddd, like people make these things with their hands??
 

3. i know i mentioned alter planning co earlier, but i'd say i'm obsessed. they're a black owned small business that makes planners, and my eyes are on the 30 day planner, as well as the freebie downloads they have online that help sort out your finances.


 
4. really random, but i came across this youtube series on the smithsonian channel called Orangutan Jungle School about these rescued orangutans in Borneo from different age groups that learn from humans (in substitution for the mother that they were wrongfully separated from) how to survive in the jungle! and they're eventually released when they're "ready." it's really wholesome and my mom and i have been binging it together.

i've attached this really cute snippet of an episode in which orangutans are taught to fear snakes, because apparently, in primates, while recognition of snakes is instinctive, fear of snakes is learned.

5. this podcast that a friend put me onto called Take This To Your Grave, in which the podcast hosts have listeners send in secrets that they'd take to their graves. be warned though, as a lot of embarrassing secrets are, a lot of these are quite erotic.

6. and speaking of friends, my very talented musician friend Anton (who literally plays every instrument imaginable) made this playlist JUST FOR YOU! for your listening pleasure. i asked him to describe this playlist in three words and he said:
do you want me to knit you a hat? / gofundmes


of course you do! just answer this question in response to this email, and i'll draw a name and send a hat, made with love, to keep your ears n head warm!

QUESTION: a lot's happened this year. a global pandemic, a resurgence of protests on so many levels, a presidential election, megan thee stallion and beyonce creating the song of the year, and that's just the widescale climate. if you had to choose one, what's the #1 biggest lesson you've learned this year?


aaaand scene! 
happy new year, happy holidays, and i genuinely hope y'all stay safe and warm and healthy. next time i email y'all, i will be a GRADUATED WOMAN!

and if you're feeling in the holiday mood to give back during this tough time for everyone, here are some gofundme's from black women you could donate to in order to help meet their goal for the holidays:
  • help olive pay their tuition bill (goal: $12,500)
  • help mariah secure safe housing and medication (goal: $3,600 - she's almost there!!)
  • help 2 queer black women organizers in ATL get a new car after theirs was stolen during hurricane zeta (goal: $15,000)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

did you read anything that really stuck with you? what about something you want me to talk about next month? reach out! and feel free to follow me on twitter or instagram:)

and until next time, 

Love,
AJ 






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hey friends🏿,

nice to e-meet you! my name is AJ, i'm a pisces sun + capricorn moon + virgo rising, and this is my monthly curation.

don't forget to vote
WHAT! A! MONTH! i voted for the first time, bought a brand new pair of jeans, received an iMac from a celebrity, got in trouble with my parents (what's new), submitted my Fulbright application, and interviewed Theeeeeeee Taylor Crumpton.


so read all about it. ↴


Sinead O'Connor Bought me An iMac??

 
this month's "the looks" section unconventionally features a pair of Levi's & my brand new 2014 iMac, which i am editing this newsletter on right now.

the jeans

 
a few weeks ago, my friend Kam & I set out on the journey to find the perfect pair of jeans. i've been wearing the same pair since my senior year of high school, as i am a petite person that grows .00000001 of an inch yearly. i found a pair of Lazy Sunday jeans during Levi's friends & family sale, which make the perfect high waisted mom jeans that you can tuck a sweater into. in fact, Kam bought a pair too.

the iMac
you'll love this story. 
last month, literally the week after sending my last newsletter, my 2015 Macbook Air stopped working. she had a good run.
i, in true AJ fashion, panicked, and decided that the only way out (amidst the cost of my med school apps) was through a GoFundMe. I saw that one of my neighbors was selling an iMac for $500 on our neighborhood forum, so i set out to buy it. i tweeted, once again in true AJ fashion, that i started a GoFundMe for a new device.
not even 10 minutes later, Sinead O'Connor responded with:
 

that same day, i was able to buy the iMac, and now, i have a new baby:
 

thee hot girl journalist

 
ladies, gents, theys & thems, this is huge.
this month, i achieved a texas girl's dream. i interviewed thee person of my dreams, none other thee hot girl journalist, (an homage to Megan Thee Stallion), Taylor Crumpton.
Taylor Crumpton (she/they), pop culture, music, and politics extraordinaire, is a journalist transplanted in Oakland, originally from Dallas, baby. which just shows that the most magical people (Taylor, Solange, Meg, Beyonce, me) come from Texas. Taylor's written some thought provoking stuff for some of your favorite publications, including a Brief History of the Yeehaw Agenda (Afropunk), Have White People Stolen Rap Concerts, Too? (Paper Magazine), Beto O'Rourke Won With Texas's Black Women Because We Are Still The Moral Compass Of United States Politics (Teen Vogue), and finally, my favorite, With When I Get Home, Solange Transforms Houston Into A Southern Black Paradise (MTV News).
and yes, folks, she's taking commissions.


AJ: So, hot girl journalist, tell us who you are.
Taylor: My journalism career started when in was I undergrad & so pissed at the school newspaper. I went to Abilene Christian University, and they ran this "Blue Lives Matter" article -- I wasn’t their ideal student. I remember there was this email at the bottom that said, "If you want to write a response, please do." I hadn’t gone to any journalism training but I had written an op ed (my first) titled “There is No War on Police” -- bullshit. Don't pit Malcolm X and MLK against each other.
I was very much the girl from Dear White People, and the student activist for black people. I was trained to write OpEds (written by those who have the time to read the newspaper, people in position of power), and I shot my shot at Glamour Magazine.
That resulted in me getting out there, and my first beat was news & politics. After writing in that beat for a couple of years and after Trump, I got tired of writing about white supremacy. I got on Twitter and asked if anyone wanted me to write about music. My first listicle was trash but I was really happy to be humbled -- I wanted this to be my new beat, asked for feedback & critiques, and I spent time perfecting my music journalism, and I’m now a culture writer.

AJ: So how do you see your music writing as activism? 
Taylor: Music is an institution -- pop music is an institution. Hip hop is a Black American institution. When you view it as an institution, you can really get in and play with it and tinker with it. A great source for me is what Joan Morgan did, making the late 90's Sister Souljah period to really analyze and define the tensions in hiphop as a black woman. Our love is what funnels our critique, our disappointments and everything that pushes the movement forward.

AJ: Who are your influences?
Taylor: Well, I’ve been working so much on a book. Book writing is a little different from article writing -- I have the advanced copy of Regina Bradley’s Chronicling Stankonia: The Rise Of The Hip-Hop South. The way that Auntie Gina (as she allows me to call her) is able to blend her experiences with growing up in the south + what Outkast was doing, with Atlanta in a post civil rights movement. Like how do you even write this?


AJ: You write a lot about home. And you and I really have that in common (Texas). What is it about our home that inspires you?
Taylor: Prior to When I Get Home (Solange's fourth Studio album), I was on Twitter begging for someone to let me write about this as a Black woman from Texas. A friend from Teen Vogue sent my tweet to the music editor and asked if I wanted to review When I Get Home for MTV news. I didn’t have access to the album ahead of time like most music editors so I had to wait until midnight.
You really got to hear Solange's love for home. There was so much Houston, DJ Screw, and so on. She had these elements that were so distinctive for her hometown. She filmed all over Texas as a whole (Abilene, Fort Worth). When the album came out, there wasn’t a lot of mainstream acceptance because they wanted a seat at the table. But the album was super familiar and home-y. 
As Black people in the south we’re socialized to go to the coasts in order to succeed. Solange was the quirky, hipster alternative black girl that went to NYC, cut off her hair, felt out of place, white liberal women yelling at her, and her being in New York made her want to go back home.
For me, stories like that reflect what I went through. There was a point in time when I was ashamed of being from Texas, and my mentor always knew I’d come back to Texas. I had to be on the west coast to appreciate my Texas identity and where I was raised. Having live on the east and west coasts, I’ve developed a greater pride for this state. For me, home is a source of inspiration.

AJ: That's so wonderful. What have you been loving, reading, and watching lately?
Taylor: My lil cheat treat in between articles has been Saweetie’s Youtube series, which reminds me of the current movement of pop culture to invoke the 2000’s aesthetics (low rise jeans, etc). I really like the familiarity. Those are always fascinating to me. As a music journalist, you always wanna get to know about their inner workings so that you know what to write about.

AJ: What are your tips, if any, for freelancers?
Taylor: Be paid for your labor. Don’t just expect any rate to say you got your foot in the door. I think so much about Nicki Minaj and her lil MTV documentary where she was going off about the Kool Aid Pickles. Walk with the energy of the Kool Aid Pickles. If you’re starting a relationship with any publication & they lowball you, they’re always gonna hold you at that lowball. 


To carry on the tradition from the previous interview with Katonya Breaux, here's Taylor's This Or That:
 
Spotify vs. Apple Music
Sweet vs. Savory
East Coast vs. West Coast
Earth Tones vs. Pastels
Blonde vs. Channel Orange
A Seat at The Table vs. When I Get Home
Tea vs. Coffee
Apartment vs. House
Docs vs. Word

art/media you *need* to know


here are some things that made me go "wow":
 
  • this month, i bit the bullet. i bought a Kindle. and girl, it's definitely going on december's top 10 purchases of the year. on my Kindle, i've been reading Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo; a 2019 Booker Prize winning book (first Black woman & British author to win it) about "a magnificent portrayal of the intersections of identity and a moving and hopeful story of an interconnected group of Black British women that paints a vivid portrait of the state of contemporary Britain and looks back to the legacy of Britain’s colonial history in Africa and the Caribbean. (Grove Atlantic)"
  • i feel like it's appropriate to provide a bullet point specifically for my new kindle. i was pretty worried about not being able to preserve the "feeling" that holding a physical book gives you, but i'm not gonna lie -- I'm a gen-z-er, and the digital format might have been the missing piece to make me read more. needless to say, i have been devouring books & pdfs on this thing. and it's a pretty great investment for bookworms like me travel quite a lot.
  
  • last month's issue of Vogue: even though it's soooooo last month, i really enjoyed this issue, as they had 2 covers painted by my good faves Kerry James Marshall & Jordan Casteel. in fact, i enjoyed Kerry's cover so much that i hung it up on my wall.
  • this picture of a baby with a pumpkin painted on his lil butt. i don't think i need to explain myself.
  • this article for Mic in which Vanessa Taylor interviewed me and five other people of color that are first time voters on our thoughts on the election.
  • lastly, this episode of Girls Like Us Show in which the podcasters finally interview author Lisi Harrison to get into her head about her thought process during writing The Clique series. it's super entertaining, and i thoroughly enjoyed it!
 
 

Juju's Astrology Corner


This month, I teamed up with my good pal Juju (they/them), to deliver an astrology column. Juju is a writer, Aries, and a 22 year old transplant from the United States Virgin Islands. Their writing focuses on the intersections of blackness, queerness and “if that were a garden, what would grow from it”. Oh yeah, and they've been featured in Buzzfeed, Teen Vogue, and the anti-seasonal depression party I threw back before parties were banned.
 
The word according to Juju,

"Mercury is in retrograde AGAIN beloveds, but this isn’t just any Mercury retrograde. This retrograde will last from October 13th until November 3rd, and in that time, Mercury will retrograde across the exact same degrees as the Venus retrograde of 2018. While any average Mercury retrograde would send an old flame walking back into your life, this retrograde spares no plesantries in letting you know that this point in your life has come to an end and you can not pack dead weight in your carry-on for the next part of your journey. Look back to September through December 2018. What were you doing then? Have any unresolved lessons from that time been coming up for you?

2020 has been a year full of astrological upsets. Cycles are ending. New eras are being ushered in and after all the chaos of this year, wouldn’t it be a waste if we didn’t transform? 

 

Tarot Pulls By Modality 

 

Mutable signs (Virgo, Sag, Gemini, Pisces):
  The Empress

Beauty, Nurturing, Abundance. The Empress is a reminder to create beauty in your life. Abundance is coming to you. Will you accept with open arms?

Cardinal signs (Aries, Capricorn, Libra, Cancer): 
Nine of Swords (Reversed)

Fear, Secrets, Releasing worries. This has been a challenging year specifically for Cardinal signs, so, understandably, these themes are coming up for them. The Nine of Swords reversed is a reminder that we are more in control of our destiny than we believe. What’s getting in the way of your desire? Destroy it. 

Fixed signs (Leo, Taurus, Aquarius, Scorpio): 
Eight of Cups

Disappointment, Escape, Withdrawal. The Eight of Cups invites you to have a funeral for what is no longer serving you. Has there been anything that you have been repeatedly disappointed by? It is time to let go of it."

 

This Month's Medicine

if you see a Black cat on the street, 
wish her well. She has a long journey ahead of her,
 and when your time comes, she will do the same for you."


 




aaand scene! i hope this fed you during the quarantine! let me know any cool art you see, and cool things to read. stay safe!

here are some resources for helping the cause right now:
  • virtual protesting
  • Ways To Help Master Spreadsheet
  • On Revolution: The Necessary Road to Antiblackness this is my favorite, most informative source when it comes to understanding your role in a revolution.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

did you read anything that really stuck with you or resonated with you? what about something you want me to talk about next month? i love community, so y'all already know what to do! (reach out!) feel free to follow me on twitter or instagram:)

and until next time, 

Love,
AJ 
 





 
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(Please) view this email in your browser - it's prettier that way.
 


 

hey friends🏿,

nice to e-meet you! my name is AJ, i'm a pisces sun + capricorn moon + virgo rising, and this is my monthly curation.
 

laziness won this month
 
laziness won this month, and so did impostor syndrome. this month, i created a cumulative video version of this newsletter that goes hand in hand with the actual newsletter. ideally, you'd watch the video and read the newsletter to supplement it. however, i created both components in mind assuming that you'd only have time for one of the other. so bear with me during this experimental time! thanks so much for sticking around with me while we ride out a mf pandemic and figure things out together. it means the .



so with all that being said let's hop in. ↴


your home can be your sanctuary

 
no, but for real. normally this portion of this newsletter is reserved for things that i've been wearing or just visually inspired by. recently, i've had this huge "home improvement" kick in which i've pretty much just kept adding to my room to reflect the amount of productivity that i want to achieve. i'm a firm believer that your environment can feed into your mood, so if you have the means, personalize your space so that it can be a genuinely comforting home for you to return to. 
i'm no longer in the business of compromising my comfort and denying myself pleasure. so, here are some of the purchases i've made this month in order to maximize the comfort in my space:
 

lap desk
 
if there is ONE THING that you take from this month's newsletter issue, i hope it's this lap desk from amazon that i bought last week. truly one of the best purchases i've made in a while. i'm a chronic workaholic and this definitely allows me to do more work while in bed. which is def unhealthy but at least it's really cozy.
 


this utility cart from IKEA
 
this utility cart from ikea, also known as a "raskog", is such an excellent addition to my space. i took out the white bookcase that was previously here and replaced it with this cart because i believe that even your storage can be functional (does the storage) and also aesthetically pleasing (matches the rest of the room). also it was super fun to DIY and a great piece of furniture without breaking the bank. it literally transformed that corner of my room.

 

 
my memory box
 
this little storage box made out of recycled material is actually my favorite purchase this month even though it's not necessarily furniture. as i cleaned out my closet i found a ton of pics, stickers, and other memorabilia throughout my lifetime and decided that at my big age of 20, it might be important to start appropriately collecting these. i took a trip to the container store and found the perfect box, which isn't necessarily shoebox size, but a little bit larger. i was looking for something that i could essentially keep for the rest of my life, and this was really cool and exciting. 

 

 
a fun mirror
 
rule number ONE of how to turn a room around completely is get a nice, fun mirror. i promise it'll bring your room to life. the one i have pictured here is from a little store called tuesday morning, which i actually mounted on my wall to replace and old vintage mirror i had in my room. it was exactly what i needed.
 

my matcha lemonade recipe
 
if you want to know the real thinky thoughts of the month, feel free to listen to the youtube video attached to the top of this newsletter in which i talk about my debilitating impostor syndrome, as well as deconstructing the way we see ourselves outside of ourselves.

if you don't want to know the real thinky thoughts, let me treat you to my current matcha lemonade recipe that i've been making every morning. it's the last thing that i can really hold onto to pretend that it's still summer.
 

 

AJ's matcha lemonade recipe:

-mix 2 tbsps of matcha powder in hot water

-pour it over some ice in a glass

-add 8 oz. of cold water to the glass

-squeeze 1/2 a lemon into the glass

-mix & drank

art/media you *need* to know


here are some things that made me go "wow":
  • this hilarious video snippet with Azealia Banks & The Breakfast Club has been playing through my mind nonstop all month so it's more than fitting to add here.
  • Clean: The New Science of Skin by James Hamblin - if you're into skin science like i am, this book about the skin microbiome (and whether or not we really, truly need to shower and do skincare) is so interesting. i opened it up at Barnes & Noble and immediately saw the word "Glossier" in a chapter and knew i had to buy it.
  • usually this is the bulletpoint where i'd put Henry's playlist, but I started making a playlist for black women artists and i'm actually so geeked. usually, "black girl magic playlists" have artists that i don't normally listen to, and eventually i just turn them off. but this one is super short and has music that i've been playing every morning to start my day. and it's been working.
  • the Youtube video attached to the top of this newsletter has some additional art/media things such as three podcasts i've been listening to, including one that literally has been blowing my mind.
 

tarot card of the month:

 




aaand scene! i hope this fed you during the quarantine! let me know any cool art you see, and cool things to read. stay safe!

here are some resources for helping the cause right now:
  • virtual protesting
  • Ways To Help Master Spreadsheet
  • On Revolution: The Necessary Road to Antiblackness this is my favorite, most informative source when it comes to understanding your role in a revolution.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

did you read anything that really stuck with you or resonated with you? what about something you want me to talk about next month? i love community, so y'all already know what to do! (reach out!) feel free to follow me on twitter or instagram:)

and until next time, 

Love,
AJ 
 





 
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(Please) view this email in your browser - it's prettier that way.
 


hey friends🏿,

nice to e-meet you! my name is AJ, i'm a pisces sun + capricorn moon + virgo rising, and this is my monthly curation.

feel like a brand new persooooon
 
what. the. f*ck. last time, there were around 560 of you receiving this newsletter - and now there are almost 700 of you receiving this newsletter!! how did that even happen!! this newsletter has only been running since november 2019! keep on spreading the word, tell ya friends, kick back, and relax for the august 2020 newsletter!

anyways,

first and foremost, I TOOK THE MCAT! which explains the absence from last month -- i just couldn't do it, in short. but i'm back, and honestly just *appalled* at how simultaneously quickly and slowly time is moving in this plane of existence.

next, i've rebranded as a "girl who tries new things" now. wanna hear more about it? read on. 

so with all that being said let's hop in. ↴


cool black shit


last time, i compiled a list of black owned companies that i love. this time, i'm presenting to y'all A List of Cool Black Shit I've Acquired And Been Into Over The Past Two Months.

 

mithsuca's BLM t shirt
 
my talented friend mithsuca released a black lives matter t-shirt on instagram in partnership with "Ink to The People", a t-shirt fundraising platform that donates profits to a cause. this t-shirt is not only adorable (i cropped it too), but it is also a mithsuca berry *original*, as well as a way to donate to bail funds and distribution into black bail fund initiatives. oh yeah, and did i mention it's adorable?
 


rodeo skate
 
i follow this really sick (like, too-cool-for-me) person on twitter named jade who started a skate collective for poc women and tqgnc (trans, queer, gender nonconforming) in the dallas area called rodeo skate. i recently picked up rollerskating as a hobby and have been looking into really cool women-centered skate collectives. this combines two things that i love: texas, and (now,) skating! rodeo skate is selling 5-inch logo stickers in which the proceeds go directly to local black skaters in needs of boards or skates. AND, they're only $5! it's literally the coolest thing i've seen this month.

 
black girl apparel purse
 
are you kidding me?? this is so precious! i'm not usually a huge fan of stuff like this but i feel like this purse is so cute??? and dainty?? and also, true????? and $40! shoutout to black girl apparel for this purse, this is the ultimate summer purse!
 

 
shop thrftd cowboy tee
shopthrftd is this really cool platform based in austin, tx run by @mariahbtw on instagram. they're an online sustainable thrift/upcycle store that sells all kinds of cool thrift finds. i bought this adorable cowboy tee because, if you haven't noticed, i'm from texas. that wasn't the first cow purchase i've had this month either. i also got a jellycat cow plush from amazon, a pair of cow shaped earrings, and of course, a cow print case. i guess it's a phase.
 


azealia banks

umm hell yeah are you kidding me, queen ms. azealia banks, phd?? i've recently been into her first EP (1991) and it. is. amazing. i'm not necessarily into pop music all the time, but there's something so empowering, carefree, and cool-girl about azealia banks. i firmly stand by the fact that she's so ahead of her time, and always has been. 
 
flex whatever i want podcast
 
if you know me, you know that i voraciously devour bobo & flex, a cross-continental podcast between ghanaian-australian DJ and DIY-artist @flexmami on instagram, and south-african social media influencer and human-think-tank @bobo.matjila on instagram. love their work. flex recently came out with her own podcast called "whatever i want" where she records a streamline of thoughts whatever she wants, whenever she wants, with whoever she wants. it's a great podcast to listen to in the mornings while brushing your teeth, while painting your nails, or even before bed.
 
 

i'm a whole new person now
 
for real, i'm not the same person i was when you received my last newsletter. as i alluded to in the Cool Black Shit section, i've been rollerskating! this is a recent thing i've started doing, and it's changed my life. well, sort of.
naturally, i'm not the type of person to try new things. i eat the same thing for breakfast every morning, i have the exact same routine everyday, i paint my nails the same color every single week, i've had the same thai food order for the past 13 years (spicy pad see eiw with no eggs + fried tofu) and i don't like taking new routes when i drive. even if it's an easier route. in other words, i'm a woman of routine. or as i frequently tell my friends, "i'm a simple gal!" my routines are often really safe and as i like to say, life-proof. in other words, i'm pretty interested in doing the "safest" thing possible.
recently, as quarantine has done for all of us, i've picked up new hobbies. i've picked up new phases. here's a list of brand new things i've been picking up since the last newsletter:
  • cow print on *everything*
  • crocheting
  • rollerskating
  • yoga
  • started a podcast
  • reading books frequently (i know)
  • watching anime
and that's the bulk of it. you'll notice that there are 2 things on there that require patience and quite a lot of skill -- rollerskating and crocheting. through these two things, i've realized a large chunk of the source behind my need for routine. i want to be good at things the first few times. and with some thought, i've realized that it's sort of a childish behavior that eventually needs to be grown out of. throughout my life, my parents have tried to wrap me in some sort of metaphorical bubble wrap. even when i began to rollerskate at my big age of 20, my dad was still definitely a little nervous. this means i wasn't outside a lot as a child, i usually had a book in my hands, and there's no way i could even think about rollerskating. the only thing that's given me, however, is legs with almost no scars on them. 
i'd like to have more scars (not really, but you get it). i've learned that i have so much fun rollerskating, i *love* crocheting, and i am in LOVE with this anime called Hunter x Hunter. it's all i watch. but really, i'm realizing that there's a whole world out there that i haven't even experienced because i'm so comfortable and content in a world of my own. and that's not to say that's bad, but i'm starting to become fulfilled with leaning toward an equilibrium of my own constructed comfort, and feeding my brain with new stimuli.
i've also learned that it's not necessarily everyday you have to be good at things. you can suck at things. i sucked at rollerskating for a FAT minute. but you have to get out of your comfort zone if you want to try new things. and you have to try new things if you want to enrich yourself. and you have to enrich yourself (if you can) if you want to grow. and who doesn't want to grow?

art/media you *need* to know


here are some things that made me go "wow":
  • this isn't art/media centered, but i HAAAAAVE to tell y'all about this! in light of trying new things, i've been using a menstrual cup! BIG shoutout to my friend anneke for putting me on. and you know this is a body-positive/accepting newsletter, so y'all know i have to talk about it. if you have periods and have never used a menstrual cup, you HAVE to try it. Anneke and I have a podcast episode talking about the cup, our experiences with it [including horror stories] and why you should make the switch (it's better for the environment, your periods will be 10x better, and it's so simple). the one i've been using is the saalt soft cup from target.
  • More Than Enough: Claiming Space For Who You Are (No Matter What They Say) by Elaine Welteroth - elaine welteroth is a conde nast editor and Editor in Chief of Teen Vogue. this book is a really spectacular read, ESPECIALLY for young black people out there that want a book about race, identity, friendship, love, compassion, and so on. 
  • Hunter x Hunter - have i mentioned i've been watching Hunter x Hunter? it's the most adorable anime you'll ever see. i'm hooked. studies have shown that my friends have not heard from me in weeks.
  • and last but not least, Henry's monthly playlist. this month, it's featuring outkast.
 

tarot card of the month:

 

 




aaand scene! i hope this fed you during the quarantine! let me know any cool art you see, and cool things to read. stay safe!

here are some resources for helping the cause right now:
  • virtual protesting
  • Ways To Help Master Spreadsheet
  • On Revolution: The Necessary Road to Antiblackness this is my favorite, most informative source when it comes to understanding your role in a revolution.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

did you read anything that really stuck with you or resonated with you? what about something you want me to talk about next month? i love community, so y'all already know what to do! (reach out!) feel free to follow me on twitter or instagram:)

and until next time, 

Love,
AJ 
 





 
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hey friends🏿,

nice to e-meet you! my name is AJ, i'm a pisces sun + capricorn moon + virgo rising, and this is my monthly curation.

it's been rough
 
before i get into it, there are almost 600 of you receiving this newsletter!! how did that even happen!! this newsletter has only been running since november 2019, so i'm so geeked. thanks for reading. :)

anyways,

it's been a month but it feels like it's been years. and to be honest, i wasn't even sure how to write this month's newsletter - hence why it's so late. from protesting to med school apps to the pandemic, it's been a lot. oh, and i started a podcast with my girl Anneke and it's available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. but we'll get more into that later.
overall, it's been a difficult month for the black community. in fact, it's always been difficult - none of this started this month. and so i believe that now is a very appropriate time for me to hold space as a black woman and creator and share this newsletter with y'all as a form of solidarity and leadership.
so with all that being said let's hop in. ↴


the looks


since we're finally deciding as an overall community to put our dollars to black owned designers and beauty and fashion, i've compiled a master list of black owned companies i looooooove down below.

 
telfar

y'all know i'm obsessed with telfar clemmens and can't even do a list like this without him. telfar clemmens is the owner of the unisex (but mostly menswear) brand, telfar, that he started when he was a teenager. you may have heard of telfar from their famous telfar bag, also sometimes referred to as "the bushwick birkin." i talk a little bit more about it in this podcast episode with Anneke, but although pricey, this bag is a must.
 

slashed by tia
 
again, a little bit on the pricier side. but in my opinion, 100% worth it. slashed by tia has this incredible mask that i absolutely ADORE. it looks so brilliant on the model here. in fact, these ruffles have been worn on Queen Lizzo herself.
Tia, the designer and founder of this brand, was featured in Teen Vogue's 21 Under 21 Class of 2018. she's from Nigeria, was raised in London, and is now based in New York. in other words, we stan.
 
 


yowie
 
another no-brainer. yowie is incredible - from the design to the execution to the ethics of the brand. i can't say a single wrong thing about them. which is probably why most everything on their website is sold out. yowie is a home + lifestyle shop based in Pennsylvania that highlights collections from independent artists. the founder, Shannon Maldonado, is also a bad bitch.

 
sincerely tommy
 
While i'm in love with this brand, i did debate whether or not to include it because it's extremely expensive. However, i think that there's a point to make when it comes to designer brands - we often accept the heavy price tags of the Guccis and the Pradas and the Burberrys but we don't lend the same consideration to black designers. so when you get your money up, shop Sincerely Tommy. this is a brilliantly composed style & lifestyle concept store based in brooklyn. oh, and they also have an in-house coffee bar.
 

 
unoeth
 
handmade leather bags straight from ethiopia. need i say more?? i'm absolutely floored by the execution of this brand. just look at the beautiful photo itself! this is a father-daughter brand based in Oakland, California, and was also recently featured many times on Issa's shoulder during this season of Insecure!
 


hyper skin
first of all, free shipping on every order, always. 
this brand is an amazing skincare brand focused on treating hyperpigmentation in darker skin tones. 
 
unsun cosmetics
 
speaking of treating dark spots, you'll definitely need sunscreen. if you didn't read the last issue of my newsletter, i interviewed the founder of this brand, Ms. Katonya Breaux. Unsun Cosmetics was formulated for dark skin (and all skin tones) without the grease or white cast. 
 
golde
i. love. this. brand. last year, i worked for a skincare company and Golde sent some samples of their products over to us. this brand was born in brooklyn and is dedicated to making superfood-boosted essentials for health and beauty. i highly recommend this face mask for brightening and exfoliation.
 

oma the label
is that not the most beautiful person you've ever seen in your life? or is it just me. either way, oma the label is a basics line that just launched a new jewelry collection. so if you want in on all the unisex gold jewelry trends, this is a great place to start.

how i stay sane in this insane time
 
two things: iced matcha lattes, and bullet journaling.
I don't know about y'all, but i still want to be able to enjoy things as a black woman even while my humanity is constantly called into question. throughout the month, i had many ideas to what this section would be: it started off around women getting cancelled harder than men in light of the doja cat situation, then it was going to be how black women are often discredited and talked over in organizing spaces. but now, i just want to talk about what's keeping me sane. i want to be able to experience joy without feeling guilty that i'm not at a protest. even if i have done far more than my fair share of organizing, protesting, and etc. this month. so i present to you:

the iced matcha latte recipe that i've been doing at least twice a day:
super simple. i'm not a coffee drinker. in fact, i'm a tea person. but this simple recipe is a MUST. (and also featured on my new breakfast IG)

here's what you'll need:
1. 5 tablespoons of matcha powder (or however strong you'd like it)
2. an insane amount of ice cubes
3. two teaspoons of vanilla extract
4. some water (just enough to dissolve the 5 tablespoons of matcha powder)
5. a whisk or spoon to stir the matcha
6. a glass
7. some almond milk (or your milk of choice)

here's what you'll do:
1. heat some water in a cup (i usually do 1 min in the microwave).
2. put the matcha in a separate measuring cup. after the water is heated, pour it into the measuring cup with the matcha, and stir or whisk to dissolve.
3. put the ice cubes in the glass.
4. pour your milk of choice into the glass until it's 3/4 full (or 1/4 empty. i'm an optimist)
5. pour the matcha + water solution into the milk and mix.
6. add the vanilla extract and mix.

and voila! your very own iced matcha latte. 
 

the bullet journal:
get ready for the most organized you'll ever be. bullet journaling is a system that turns a simple dotted journal into your everything journal. it gets rid of the need for you to have a separate planner, a diary, and notepad. the best part is, it's entirely up to the author what goes in the journal. my bullet journal consists of:
  • a yearly overview spread (like a calendar)
  • a finance spread - how much i spend and earn every month
  • a brain dump spread for each newsletter throughout the end of the year
  • a creative brain dump spread for my podcast, newsletter, and other creative things that i do
  • a weekly planner spread that i update as the weeks pass (pictured above)
  • a goals page: defining my monthly and yearly goals
  • a wishlist page: keeping track of things that i want (so far, it consists of a fitbit, denim cutoff shorts from mango, and a bullet journal)
  • a diary/journal portion
if you need some more direction and this sounds helpful to your life, i highly recommend this youtube video to help you get started.

bonus: if you're super into journaling or documenting, definitely get this 5 year journal that you update everyday for 5 years straight.

some honorable mentions that have been keeping me sane: yoga with adrienne, this netflix show about an indian-american teenage girl growing up in california, and the occasional walk in the park. yes, with a mask.

art/media you *need* to know


here are some things that made me go "wow":
  • yes, i have a podcast! even though i'm super against podcasts - it's here. B*tch Podcast is a digitally interactive podcast between me and my good friend Anneke, where we discuss fashion trends, culture, media, and frivolous lifestyle things. because we can enjoy things. the idea is that we talk about things, and we have accompanying visuals on our instagram to go with it. neat, right? it's available on both Spotify and Apple Music.
  • @pig.malion on insta - PJ Harper is this insaaaaaaanely talented sculptor that sculpts black women primarily. you must follow.
  • man repeller - your go-to source for things women care about from a place of openness and humor. they pride themselves on the idea that an interest in fashion and beauty does not minimize one's intellect. love this website - this is actually where i discovered the five year journal!
  • this boob pot i bought from Depop last week - it's adorable.
  • and last but not least, Henry's monthly playlist. this month, it's an all black playlist, and i specifically requested some solange presence. 
 

tarot card of the month:

 

 




aaand scene! i hope this fed you during the quarantine! let me know any cool art you see, and cool things to read. stay safe!

here are some resources for helping the cause right now:
  • virtual protesting
  • Ways To Help Master Spreadsheet
  • On Revolution: The Necessary Road to Antiblackness this is my favorite, most informative source when it comes to understanding your role in a revolution.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

did you read anything that really stuck with you or resonated with you? what about something you want me to talk about next month? i love community, so y'all already know what to do! (reach out!) feel free to follow me on twitter or instagram:)

and until next time, 

Love,
AJ 
 





 
This email was sent to *|EMAIL|*
why did I get this?    unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences
*|LIST:ADDRESSLINE|*

*|REWARDS|*
(Please) view this email in your browser - it's prettier that way.
 


hey friends🏿,

nice to e-meet you! my name is AJ and this is my monthly curation of thoughts, art, poems, fashion, visuals, reading, community, etc. it's a whirlwind but i'm a pisces sun & capricorn moon, so it's an organized, passionate whirlwind. thanks for sticking along with me. i hope you find something that you love + something to think about!

why was march long af and april was 3 days long
 
what. a. month.
this month, i finished up my third year of college, ordered more thai food than i ever have in my life during finals week (spicy pad see ewe with no eggs and fried tofu), and started off my medical school applications. 
i also caught up with a ton of old friends, went through some life changes, and oh, interviewed frank ocean's mom on instagram live.
so let's hop in. ↴


the looks:

earlier this month on instagram, i made a poll asking what you guys would rather read: fashion trends i'm not a fan of right now, or what i've been splurging on during quarantine. 
aaaand "fashion i hate rn" won! i've been picking up on a ton of fashion trends via instagram, twitter, whowhatwear, youtube, and so on. i've seen quite a few that i like, and quite a few that....don't make the cut for me. as a disclaimer - none of these trends or items are things i "hate" particularly, but rather things i would pass on.
so, let's get down to it: 

 
tie dye
 
i just can't see myself wearing it, not even casually. not even a little bit. i can't tell if it's because i don't see tie dye working well with my closet, or clashing with my dark skin. but it's just totally too loud of a print for me, and borders streetwear way more than i'm comfortable with.
 

leather pants
 
trust me when i say i really wanted to like this one. i actually think this looks great on others, but just not on me. but this is more of a conceptual beef. ever since fast fashion got ahold of the trend and pushed out low-quality replications of it, i've been anti-leather pants. am i the only one that doesn't see this one happening?


 

 

leggings with slits in the ankles
 
do i need to explain this one.

 
short cropped jeans? long denim shorts?
 
i actually feel like this is not that bad if you have the legs for it. i just happen to be 5'5 and this would swallow me. 


super chunky sneakers
remember the fila disruptor II epidemic of 2019? i'll admit i tried it out - but i resold the shoes because they were just no longer practical to me. ever since then, i have not favored super chunky sneakers.
 


heeled loafers
a few months ago, i included loafers in my "fashion predictions of 2020" issue of my newsletter. while i was 100% right on trend with the loafers - obviously it's gotten too out of hand.
 

padded headbands
i've seen this one look cute on people, but DEFINITELY not for my kinky hair. this one only works if your hair is pretty much straight, or if you're the duchess of cambridge.

so, what do you think? do i have beef with a trend you like? did i convince you at all? let me know what you think.
 

interviewing Katonya Breaux???
you may know her as the founder and CEO of dark skinned-friendly sunscreen brand UnSun Cosmetics. you may know her as the proud mother of Frank Ocean and Ryan Breaux. i simply know her as my sweet pal Katonya Breaux. the first time i met her was for a brand partnership for a skincare company i used to work for. if you work in the skincare or beauty industry, you know that it's not always easy - oftentimes, landing a partnership with a successful company is harder than you think. sometimes, however, you might get lucky. i'd say i struck gold with Ms. Katonya Breaux, one of the warmest, kindest people i've had the pleasure of meeting. ever since then, she's been my go-to for questions on navigating the skin care industry as a woman of color (as a cosmetic chemist myself), or even a good friend to go to when a good sunscreen company is needed for a partnership or a shoutout.
last week, i sat down with Ms. Katonya Breaux on Instagram Live for MÜD, an online tech-based skincare platform made with people of color in mind. i interviewed her for MÜD's first birthday celebration in which we discussed self care, being an entrepreneur, how she stays so beautiful, and mom life. not surprisingly, the interview picked up a lot of attention from a few outlets such as Complex, Bossip, Worldstar, and Snapchat due to the controversial Frank Ocean question she answered in the latter half of the interview.

AJ Addae: tell us a little bit about UnSun Cosmetics.
Katonya Breaux: Well, I moved to LA after working in a construction company. A friend of mine has a haircare company and I said "hook me up with your chemist." I just wanted to create a formulation for me so that I didn't have to deal with [dark splotches on my skin]. Once I learned this information, I wasn't even going outside to get the newspaper without sunscreen because I didn't want a face full of moles in my 40s, or my 50s. Hell, I don't want them at all! Now, I know the way to curb that. So, I became obsessed with sunscreen. 
AJ: On May 16, 2013, you tweeted, "Can someone make brown sunscreen? Please? Must I look like a clown to protect my skin? #BlackFolkBurnToo". I remember a few months you were actually telling me about this - today, UnSun is the winner of GQ accolades, an Allure Breakthrough Beauty Award, and much more. How did you go from that tweet to the empire of a whole company?
Katonya: That's a message to you young people. What you put out there in the world, it can be found seven years later! 
It was a tedious process. It wasn't an intention. I spent 20 years in construction, and I knew that when I moved home, I wasn't going to do construction anymore. I didn't know what I was going to do. When I sought out this sunscreen, I really wasn't thinking a business. I was thinking something easy and clean for myself. Most large black families, we have shades and skintones from the "redbones" all the way to the "chocolate, chocolate chip." Between my sisters and my cousins, this formulation was weird because it just blended in with so many different skintones. That entrepreneurial brain started thinking "Hey girl!" It manifested into UnSun, and that's how UnSun was born. 
AJ: Tell us a little bit about navigating the beauty and cosmetics community as a woman of color. How would you say it's impacted your experience?
Katonya: I'd like to think that UnSun came on the scene as one of the first to really see this whole diversity thing start to happen. I'm not Rihanna, so I didn't get that kind of splash, but when Fenty came it exploded. You know, being a woman of color is a thing where people are trying to get on board. We need to be considered in the board rooms and in the labs, and all of that. The thing is though, you can't give us garbage, or sunscreen with a bunch of poison in it. Give us tinted sunscreen that we can wear! Don't just give us something to cater to women of color. Give us the good ish. We want to make sure that we're not only being thought about, but we're being thought about in ways that matter.
AJ: Did you see yourself ten years ago where you see yourself now? Have you always had plans for being in the beauty industry?
Katonya: I had a masters in arts administration - I was either going to be a museum curator or a label exec. I started my construction company right before graduation, and it happened so randomly. We have to live with an open heart and an open mind. When an opportunity comes, it may not be what we thought would happen, but we just have to be open. Things don't always go according to plan. If that doesn't happen, then you're blocking your blessings! You have to just really say, "Huh! That's an opportunity, that could work!"
AJ: So you mentioned that you wanted to do museum curation. Would you say art runs in your family?
Katonya: I'm not creative. I'd say my boys are creative. Ryan sketches beautifully, he's in fashion, he has style. I have this older son, you guys don't know him, but he's creative. He's nobody important. ;) I guess I have some creativity, but nothing like that!
AJ: So, you're successful, beautiful, a mom of two, a dog mom, and have a skincare company. That's a lot! How do you indulge in self care?
Katonya: Girl, I went swimming the other day, I have at least biweekly massages, I love to read, I love quiet time, I love to travel! And when I travel, I just walk. I was in Paris in December and it was 42 degrees, and I walked 18,000 steps. It was just so beautiful! I do not cosign the belief that you should work so hard that you neglect yourself. Whatever brings you a little calm and allows you to reflect, I'm all for it. I'm not a big shopper or anything like that. The things that I like to do are things that involve touch or activity. I love a massage, honey! 
AJ: What are you reading right now?
Katonya: Oh, I just finished American Dirt! I just had a book club about it! It's so good. We live in California, so we live around a lot of people from Mexico, and migrants period. I'm generally sympathetic, and it allows you to be more empathetic to their stories, their plights, and what they're going through, and what they're trying to achieve in their lives. 
AJ: You look beautiful, by the way. What are some of your holy grail beauty products? If you had to go on a deserted island and only bring five products, what would they be?
Katonya: One that I've been using for years is the Skinceutical C E Ferulic Acid. It's really, really great and it fights free radical damage, sun damage, and it's made a different in my skin. And then, I use UnSun. In the winter, I use a moisturizer, but I haven't committed to one yet. As long as there's a hyaluronic acid in it, I'm good. I just started using the African Botanics Retinal Night Cream, and Mara makes a Retinol Serum. So, when you get to my age, retinol makes a huge difference because it just helps the skin cells turn over. I mean, if I'm deserted, I'll be rescued at some point, and I want my skin to be fresh and supple!
AJ: So, tell us a beauty secret that you swear by!
Katonya: Well honestly, I don't even know what you'd expect me to say differently - wear sunscreen! The sun can wreak havoc on your skin. You cutie pies may not see it at 20 or 30, but the early you start including sunscreen in your regimen, the longer your skin is gonna look great. Check on me in 20 years and thank me!
AJ: So, let's play a game of this or that. For example, Coke or Pepsi?
Katonya: Ew, soda? My lips would never touch soda. But Coke. I like their logo better.
AJ: LA or NYC?
Katonya: I love NYC but LA is home.
AJ: 80's fashion or 90's fashion?
Katonya: 90's had the big jeans right? 80's.
AJ: Would you never wear skincare again or never wear makeup again?
Katonya: Girl, makeup! Look at Alicia Keys, she doesn't wear makeup and her skin is poppin.
AJ: Gold jewelry or silver jewelry?
Katonya: Chocolate skin in gold? Girllllll, gold honey!
AJ: Blonde by Frank Ocean or Channel Orange by Frank Ocean!
Katonya: Channel Or-- hmm. Oh shoot. Ummmm, Ch-. Blonde. No, wait. They were both so good! This is crazy! But, I will probably say Blonde. I love Pink + White. Okay, Blonde. I love Pink + White, Beyonce's on Pink + White! And I love Nights! Oh, White Ferrari? What?? So, okay. We'll say Blonde.
AJ: Only get your nails done for the rest of your life, or only get your toes done for the rest of your life?
Katonya: Does that include a foot massage? Toes.
AJ: Vacation in Paris, or vacation in Venice?
Katonya: Paris. That's my favourite city.
AJ: Winter or summer?
Katonya: Summer. The summer's in LA. Even though it's really hot during the day, by the time you get off, the evenings are so beautiful. Winters in LA. I just love LA. 


as y'all can see, this is the most precious, and most lively person ever! i had such a wonderful time interviewing Ms. Katonya. if it's tl;dr for you, or you simply need some takeaways:
  • wear sunscreen.
  • don't block your blessings.
  • blonde > channel orange.
or, what do you think? vote down below. ↴ 
blonde, or channel orange?
*|SURVEY: blonde|*
*|SURVEY: channel orange|*

 

art/media you *need* to know

here are some things that made me go "wow":
  • this month, i asked my music-connoisseur friend henry to curate a playlist to share with y'all. henry is a 21 year old fashion model, and music genius from newark, new jersey. i've actually never received more carefully-curated playlists than i have from this guy. click here to check out his curated spotify playlist. oh, and in the words of henry, "if you're not using spotify (and using apple music): grow up."
  • speaking of spotify, this month i discovered these 2-minute daily horoscope parcasts for every zodiac sign. you can even turn on notifications to get your daily briefing. 
  • supporting the amazon worker strike but still want books quickly? i recently discovered this instagram page/platform called bookshop.org that centralizes local bookstores. you can type in your zipcode, and local bookstores up to 50 miles from your location will be able to sell you books!
  • this month's sponsored product is Elix Healing. if you're anything like me and have extremely painful periods and symptoms, you definitely want to get your hands on this. it's an herbal supplement that you drop in some water for seven days leading up to the first day of your monthly cycle, and boom. you're cramp free and worry free after three months of use. TRUST ME, it works. would i lie to y'all?


 

tarot card of the month:

 

 




aaand scene! i hope this fed you during the quarantine! let me know any cool art you see, and cool things to read. stay safe!

ps: did you read anything that really stuck with you or resonated with you? what about something you want me to talk about next month? i love community, so y'all already know what to do! (reach out!) feel free to follow me on twitter or instagram:)

and until next time, 

Love,
AJ 
 





 
This email was sent to *|EMAIL|*
why did I get this?    unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences
*|LIST:ADDRESSLINE|*

*|REWARDS|*
(Please) view this email in your browser - it's prettier that way.
 


hey friends🏿,

nice to e-meet you! my name is AJ and this is my monthly curation of thoughts, art, poems, fashion, visuals, reading, community, etc. it's a whirlwind but i'm a pisces sun & capricorn moon, so it's an organized, passionate whirlwind. thanks for sticking along with me. i hope you find something that you love + something to think about!

why was march long af and april was 3 days long
 
what. a. month.
this month, i finished up my third year of college, ordered more thai food than i ever have in my life during finals week (spicy pad see ewe with no eggs and fried tofu), and started off my medical school applications. 
i also caught up with a ton of old friends, went through some life changes, and oh, interviewed frank ocean's mom on instagram live.
so let's hop in. ↴


the looks:

earlier this month on instagram, i made a poll asking what you guys would rather read: fashion trends i'm not a fan of right now, or what i've been splurging on during quarantine. 
aaaand "fashion i hate rn" won! i've been picking up on a ton of fashion trends via instagram, twitter, whowhatwear, youtube, and so on. i've seen quite a few that i like, and quite a few that....don't make the cut for me. as a disclaimer - none of these trends or items are things i "hate" particularly, but rather things i would pass on.
so, let's get down to it: 

 
tie dye
 
i just can't see myself wearing it, not even casually. not even a little bit. i can't tell if it's because i don't see tie dye working well with my closet, or clashing with my dark skin. but it's just totally too loud of a print for me, and borders streetwear way more than i'm comfortable with.
 

leather pants
 
trust me when i say i really wanted to like this one. i actually think this looks great on others, but just not on me. but this is more of a conceptual beef. ever since fast fashion got ahold of the trend and pushed out low-quality replications of it, i've been anti-leather pants. am i the only one that doesn't see this one happening?


 

 

leggings with slits in the ankles
 
do i need to explain this one.

 
short cropped jeans? long denim shorts?
 
i actually feel like this is not that bad if you have the legs for it. i just happen to be 5'5 and this would swallow me. 


super chunky sneakers
remember the fila disruptor II epidemic of 2019? i'll admit i tried it out - but i resold the shoes because they were just no longer practical to me. ever since then, i have not favored super chunky sneakers.
 


heeled loafers
a few months ago, i included loafers in my "fashion predictions of 2020" issue of my newsletter. while i was 100% right on trend with the loafers - obviously it's gotten too out of hand.
 

padded headbands
i've seen this one look cute on people, but DEFINITELY not for my kinky hair. this one only works if your hair is pretty much straight, or if you're the duchess of cambridge.

so, what do you think? do i have beef with a trend you like? did i convince you at all? let me know what you think.
 

interviewing Katonya Breaux???
you may know her as the founder and CEO of dark skinned-friendly sunscreen brand UnSun Cosmetics. you may know her as the proud mother of Frank Ocean and Ryan Breaux. i simply know her as my sweet pal Katonya Breaux. the first time i met her was for a brand partnership for a skincare company i used to work for. if you work in the skincare or beauty industry, you know that it's not always easy - oftentimes, landing a partnership with a successful company is harder than you think. sometimes, however, you might get lucky. i'd say i struck gold with Ms. Katonya Breaux, one of the warmest, kindest people i've had the pleasure of meeting. ever since then, she's been my go-to for questions on navigating the skin care industry as a woman of color (as a cosmetic chemist myself), or even a good friend to go to when a good sunscreen company is needed for a partnership or a shoutout.
last week, i sat down with Ms. Katonya Breaux on Instagram Live for MÜD, an online tech-based skincare platform made with people of color in mind. i interviewed her for MÜD's first birthday celebration in which we discussed self care, being an entrepreneur, how she stays so beautiful, and mom life. not surprisingly, the interview picked up a lot of attention from a few outlets such as Complex, Bossip, Worldstar, and Snapchat due to the controversial Frank Ocean question she answered in the latter half of the interview.

AJ Addae: tell us a little bit about UnSun Cosmetics.
Katonya Breaux: Well, I moved to LA after working in a construction company. A friend of mine has a haircare company and I said "hook me up with your chemist." I just wanted to create a formulation for me so that I didn't have to deal with [dark splotches on my skin]. Once I learned this information, I wasn't even going outside to get the newspaper without sunscreen because I didn't want a face full of moles in my 40s, or my 50s. Hell, I don't want them at all! Now, I know the way to curb that. So, I became obsessed with sunscreen. 
AJ: On May 16, 2013, you tweeted, "Can someone make brown sunscreen? Please? Must I look like a clown to protect my skin? #BlackFolkBurnToo". I remember a few months you were actually telling me about this - today, UnSun is the winner of GQ accolades, an Allure Breakthrough Beauty Award, and much more. How did you go from that tweet to the empire of a whole company?
Katonya: That's a message to you young people. What you put out there in the world, it can be found seven years later! 
It was a tedious process. It wasn't an intention. I spent 20 years in construction, and I knew that when I moved home, I wasn't going to do construction anymore. I didn't know what I was going to do. When I sought out this sunscreen, I really wasn't thinking a business. I was thinking something easy and clean for myself. Most large black families, we have shades and skintones from the "redbones" all the way to the "chocolate, chocolate chip." Between my sisters and my cousins, this formulation was weird because it just blended in with so many different skintones. That entrepreneurial brain started thinking "Hey girl!" It manifested into UnSun, and that's how UnSun was born. 
AJ: Tell us a little bit about navigating the beauty and cosmetics community as a woman of color. How would you say it's impacted your experience?
Katonya: I'd like to think that UnSun came on the scene as one of the first to really see this whole diversity thing start to happen. I'm not Rihanna, so I didn't get that kind of splash, but when Fenty came it exploded. You know, being a woman of color is a thing where people are trying to get on board. We need to be considered in the board rooms and in the labs, and all of that. The thing is though, you can't give us garbage, or sunscreen with a bunch of poison in it. Give us tinted sunscreen that we can wear! Don't just give us something to cater to women of color. Give us the good ish. We want to make sure that we're not only being thought about, but we're being thought about in ways that matter.
AJ: Did you see yourself ten years ago where you see yourself now? Have you always had plans for being in the beauty industry?
Katonya: I had a masters in arts administration - I was either going to be a museum curator or a label exec. I started my construction company right before graduation, and it happened so randomly. We have to live with an open heart and an open mind. When an opportunity comes, it may not be what we thought would happen, but we just have to be open. Things don't always go according to plan. If that doesn't happen, then you're blocking your blessings! You have to just really say, "Huh! That's an opportunity, that could work!"
AJ: So you mentioned that you wanted to do museum curation. Would you say art runs in your family?
Katonya: I'm not creative. I'd say my boys are creative. Ryan sketches beautifully, he's in fashion, he has style. I have this older son, you guys don't know him, but he's creative. He's nobody important. ;) I guess I have some creativity, but nothing like that!
AJ: So, you're successful, beautiful, a mom of two, a dog mom, and have a skincare company. That's a lot! How do you indulge in self care?
Katonya: Girl, I went swimming the other day, I have at least biweekly massages, I love to read, I love quiet time, I love to travel! And when I travel, I just walk. I was in Paris in December and it was 42 degrees, and I walked 18,000 steps. It was just so beautiful! I do not cosign the belief that you should work so hard that you neglect yourself. Whatever brings you a little calm and allows you to reflect, I'm all for it. I'm not a big shopper or anything like that. The things that I like to do are things that involve touch or activity. I love a massage, honey! 
AJ: What are you reading right now?
Katonya: Oh, I just finished American Dirt! I just had a book club about it! It's so good. We live in California, so we live around a lot of people from Mexico, and migrants period. I'm generally sympathetic, and it allows you to be more empathetic to their stories, their plights, and what they're going through, and what they're trying to achieve in their lives. 
AJ: You look beautiful, by the way. What are some of your holy grail beauty products? If you had to go on a deserted island and only bring five products, what would they be?
Katonya: One that I've been using for years is the Skinceutical C E Ferulic Acid. It's really, really great and it fights free radical damage, sun damage, and it's made a different in my skin. And then, I use UnSun. In the winter, I use a moisturizer, but I haven't committed to one yet. As long as there's a hyaluronic acid in it, I'm good. I just started using the African Botanics Retinal Night Cream, and Mara makes a Retinol Serum. So, when you get to my age, retinol makes a huge difference because it just helps the skin cells turn over. I mean, if I'm deserted, I'll be rescued at some point, and I want my skin to be fresh and supple!
AJ: So, tell us a beauty secret that you swear by!
Katonya: Well honestly, I don't even know what you'd expect me to say differently - wear sunscreen! The sun can wreak havoc on your skin. You cutie pies may not see it at 20 or 30, but the early you start including sunscreen in your regimen, the longer your skin is gonna look great. Check on me in 20 years and thank me!
AJ: So, let's play a game of this or that. For example, Coke or Pepsi?
Katonya: Ew, soda? My lips would never touch soda. But Coke. I like their logo better.
AJ: LA or NYC?
Katonya: I love NYC but LA is home.
AJ: 80's fashion or 90's fashion?
Katonya: 90's had the big jeans right? 80's.
AJ: Would you never wear skincare again or never wear makeup again?
Katonya: Girl, makeup! Look at Alicia Keys, she doesn't wear makeup and her skin is poppin.
AJ: Gold jewelry or silver jewelry?
Katonya: Chocolate skin in gold? Girllllll, gold honey!
AJ: Blonde by Frank Ocean or Channel Orange by Frank Ocean!
Katonya: Channel Or-- hmm. Oh shoot. Ummmm, Ch-. Blonde. No, wait. They were both so good! This is crazy! But, I will probably say Blonde. I love Pink + White. Okay, Blonde. I love Pink + White, Beyonce's on Pink + White! And I love Nights! Oh, White Ferrari? What?? So, okay. We'll say Blonde.
AJ: Only get your nails done for the rest of your life, or only get your toes done for the rest of your life?
Katonya: Does that include a foot massage? Toes.
AJ: Vacation in Paris, or vacation in Venice?
Katonya: Paris. That's my favourite city.
AJ: Winter or summer?
Katonya: Summer. The summer's in LA. Even though it's really hot during the day, by the time you get off, the evenings are so beautiful. Winters in LA. I just love LA. 


as y'all can see, this is the most precious, and most lively person ever! i had such a wonderful time interviewing Ms. Katonya. if it's tl;dr for you, or you simply need some takeaways:
  • wear sunscreen.
  • don't block your blessings.
  • blonde > channel orange.
or, what do you think? vote down below. ↴ 
blonde, or channel orange?
*|SURVEY: blonde|*
*|SURVEY: channel orange|*

 

art/media you *need* to know

here are some things that made me go "wow":
  • this month, i asked my music-connoisseur friend henry to curate a playlist to share with y'all. henry is a 21 year old fashion model, and music genius from newark, new jersey. i've actually never received more carefully-curated playlists than i have from this guy. click here to check out his curated spotify playlist. oh, and in the words of henry, "if you're not using spotify (and using apple music): grow up."
  • speaking of spotify, this month i discovered these 2-minute daily horoscope parcasts for every zodiac sign. you can even turn on notifications to get your daily briefing. 
  • supporting the amazon worker strike but still want books quickly? i recently discovered this instagram page/platform called bookshop.org that centralizes local bookstores. you can type in your zipcode, and local bookstores up to 50 miles from your location will be able to sell you books!
  • this month's sponsored product is Elix Healing. if you're anything like me and have extremely painful periods and symptoms, you definitely want to get your hands on this. it's an herbal supplement that you drop in some water for seven days leading up to the first day of your monthly cycle, and boom. you're cramp free and worry free after three months of use. TRUST ME, it works. would i lie to y'all?


 

tarot card of the month:

 

 




aaand scene! i hope this fed you during the quarantine! let me know any cool art you see, and cool things to read. stay safe!

ps: did you read anything that really stuck with you or resonated with you? what about something you want me to talk about next month? i love community, so y'all already know what to do! (reach out!) feel free to follow me on twitter or instagram:)

and until next time, 

Love,
AJ 
 





 
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hey friends🏿,

nice to e-meet you! my name is AJ and this is my monthly curation of thoughts, art, poems, fashion, visuals, reading, community, etc. it's a whirlwind but i'm a pisces sun & capricorn moon, so it's an organized, passionate whirlwind. thanks for sticking along with me. i hope you find something that you love + something to think about!

wtf is going on
 
sooooo, where have i been? in the past two months, i've been:
1. turning 20 years old
2. living my dreams in paris
3. being evicted from my college campus due to a global pandemic
4. became a mom to an adorable betta fish in efforts to keep myself company during quarantine
in a nutshell.
second of all, march 2020 was the longest year of my life. from being evicted to readjusting at home (Texas), and redoing my entire life - it's been a lot.
second of all, stay at home! wash your hands! y'all know what to do. this newsletter has been inspired by quarantine boredom, online shopping, paris fashion week, and much, much, more. so without further ado, let's hop in. ↴


the looks:

i mentioned earlier that i traveled to paris for the first time earlier last month for sprang break before the height of the COVID-19 outbreak in europe. of course it was paris fashion week, so i did a little (a lot) of research and shopping to reflect the upcoming trends of 2020, since you know, france is always first. in addition, according to Byrdie, Refinery29, and Into The Gloss, france is *notorious* for their super effective, luxurious pharmacy skincare. soooo, i had to stock up.
below, i've listed all the fashion trends i spotted, the amazing skincare that i picked up, and All The Lifestyle Things I've Been Absolutely Loving Because I'm A Consumer:

french fashion trends:
 
lilac
 
not lavender, but lilac. THIS is THE colour of spring 2020. not only did i see it in all the french boutiques, but also the paris fashion week models, all of the stores in the shopping districts, and pretty much everywhere on my Net A Porter wishlist. if you want to stay ahead of the fashion curve, this is the 100% pastel of the year, with puffy sleeves to match. 

 

loafers
 
i hope y'all wrote down my 2020 fashion prediction in the January Newsletter because if you don't have a pair of loafers yet, you're already late. my new philosophy is that if it was in the store fronts at paris, it's in my shopping cart. 

french pharmacy skincare favourites:
 

 

caudalie beauty elixir
 
what do you think about toners & essences? genuinely, i want to know. scientifically, they're supposed to give you a boost of hydration in order to make your moisturizers and humectant serums more hydrating. but like, is that necessary? i'm not sure, but this is the first essence i've ever bought, and the first one that's ever made me feel like it's *doing* something. it's also considered a french pharmacy skincare must-have, and tbh, with this amazing lightweight feel and citrusy smell, i get it.
nuxe oil
not to be *that* girl, but i get my fair share of instagram DMs asking me to share my skincare routine. this oil is my new skincare routine. just this oil alone. yes, it's worth every dollar. pro tip: put this on your face before you go to bed. your morning face will thank you.


bioderma micellar water
i never ever EVER in a million years saw myself as someone using micellar water, but this product alone replaced my AM face cleanser. i literally put this on a reusable cotton pad, put it on my face, and my face is just as clean and fresh. apparently this micellar water is on the shelves of many professional makeup artists, and i kid you not, it will replace your AM cleanser. don't know what micellar water is used for? neither did i - but this short article from allure will sum it up for you. 

Things I Have Been Absolutely Loving Over The Past Two Months Because I'm A Consumer:
 


fragrance: dedcool - taunt 01  /  by rosie jane - lake
i actually hate perfume and fragrances and i always have growing up, since i'm used to smelling very strong, flowery, fruity, or expensive fragrances. but these two fragrances 10000000% changed the game for me, and it's gotten to the point where i spray them on my pillow before i go to sleep. when i read perfume ads online i usually roll my eyes because you can't smell it - but THESE are the perfect combination of vanilla, cinnamon, sandalwood, brown sugar, etc. i also really love these brands because they disclose their fragrance sources, they're nontoxic, and their founders are so cool.
 

pinqponq backpack
so in my experience, either you love how these look or you hate how these look. i personally love them. i saw this backpack in an ad and they were on sale for half off (they're outrageously expensive) and they're WILDLY sleek and handy (and super sustainable/from germany!!). like i feel like a hydroflask girl when i wear this backpack to class (lol remember classes?). i bought the cubik small in the colour monochrome and you can NEVER lose anything in this backpack because it's THAT organized.
 

marble planters as storage
this is a fantastic lifestyle hack - if your space is cluttered and you're like me and can't stand that, order marble planters online (yes, for plants) or get them at your local hardware store to organize ANYTHING beautifully! marble does wonders for a living space. for example, i did so for my skincare products below:


 

mahogany l. browne's hand sanitizer recipe
all the bad bitches know who mahogany l. browne is, and it turns out, not only is she an amazing writer and organizer, but apparently she's also an alchemist. i've been making this easy-to-make hand sanitizer at home since the stores have run out. not only is it moisturizing, but it's natural and very pleasant!

why it's okay that no one likes you (or the things you like)
i'm joking - i'm sure plenty of folks like you. but being "likable" is something that women and fems get to focus on a lot. i don't blame us - unfortunately, that's where we're socialized to believe a large part of our social capital comes from under the ~patriarchy~. from how you present yourself, down to your actual interests. (re: job interviews) when you're a cis/hetero man (and all of the other privileged intersectionalities), it seems that it's easy to be likable for doing the bare minimum (see: white boy of the month). when you're not...it seems that *anything* you do can make you unlikable. 
last month, i read a chapter of Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay called Not Here to Make Friends. she describes a character named Mavis from the movie Young Adult as "beautiful, cold, calculating, self-absorbed, full of odd tics, insensitive, and largely dysfunctional in nearly every aspect of her life." sounds like anyone you know? 
roxane goes on to describe the criticism on Mavis received as "required explanations" for Mavis' behaviour - "They require a diagnosis for her unlikability in order to tolerate her. The simplest explanation, of Mavis as human, will not suffice." 
now of course, none of these traits sound particularly likable - but i do agree with roxane's frustration. she says, "In many ways, likability is a very elaborate lie, a performance, a code of conduct dictating the proper way to be. Characters who don't follow this code become unlikable." idk about you, but i've certainly consumed my fair share of media in which the main character is a really, really shitty guy. and gets away with it. in fact, i've met my fair share of really shitty guys that get away with it just fine. easily redeemable by society. but god forbid a person that's not a white man messes up in the public eye. 

a few days ago, i tweeted about how i was fed up with how much men are so quick shit on astrology, or pop music, or etc. i've often wondered throughout my life why the things that the #girls and #gays tend to find fun and likable are often seen as "shallow" or boring or non-intellectual. a few people replied saying that they've experienced some disgust in response to publicly claiming that they like things like pop music....you know, "things girls like."
conversely, i grew up with a close girl friend of mine that *loves* dragon ball z, kendrick lamar, pokemon, you know..."things guys like." and she got many praises for that. but let a person say they *actually* like taylor swift (although i'm side eye-ing you if you do), or they *actually* believe in astrology - it comes off as a guilty pleasure confessional. but the truth is - what you like isn't lame! men and patriarchal-adjacent things tend to receive more cultural capital because...you know. 

i say all this to say, likability in many cases, can be fair. it's just a part of human decency. but we don't tend to think about how much "likability" is informed by harmful standards. that goes for you and the things you like. as a black girl, i find myself having to validate or "explain" who i am and the things i like *a lot*. Iman and Sabria from my favourite podcast, Black Girl Brunch, put it wonderfully as they discuss an 'unlikable', yet interesting character that Sabria had written for a screenplay, "we don't have to be likable...when a woman is being assertive she's called a bitch, but when a man is being assertive, it's a boss." (Episode 62, Feminine Toast Crunch) they go on to offer many examples of shitty yet highly acclaimed characters such as the main character from wolf of wall street. and of course, they're all white men. "that movie was about white straight male privilege...how they can just climb up because they don't have to worry about those things as much...you might as well just do your own thing as long as you're not hurting anyone because no matter what you like, you're gonna be called unlikable," Iman says. "Not even my fictional black characters could just fucking be." Sabria responds.
And I agree. Roxane and the Black Girl Brunch ladies make an excellent reminder - in a world where the ball is usually in a white man's court, we pressure ourselves to make more explanations for who we are in order to remove ourselves from our stereotypes. but what's *wrong* with who you are? ask yourself.

art/media you *need* to know

here are some things that made me go "wow":
  • ethels club: if you don't already know, now you know. ethel's club is an online and social platform designed to celebrate the health and wellness of people of colour. they reached out to me a few days ago to become a Digital Programming Ambassador - and i couldn't recommend them enough! they've recently launched a digital membership in which you have amazing access to meditations with wellness practitioners of colour, workshops about art and culture, and skillshares lead by fellow creators. did i also mention that their branding is absolutely gorgeous?? now that i'm working from home, this is the *perfect* place to have a community of likeminded artistic individuals surrounding me.
  • rian phin - they're back babyyyyy! rian phin has an amazing youtube channel that i've been watching since high school, and i'm in LOVE. if you're into design, environmental ethics, critical thought, black feminist ideology, and creativity, you have to watch. thi