“I love my job. I’m a creative editor for Instagram’s own account, @instagram, which means I work with creators and other creatives to feature them and their work. Outside of that, I’m also a model. I’ve done a lot of work for beauty brands like Kosas and Peach and Lily, as well as some runway. I just walked for Rui Zhou, and I walked for Kim Shui, Pronounce, and Eckahus Latta in the past.
Through my job, I go to a lot of events, but I also love to eat, so my perfect night out is eating out with my friends and having a laugh. I love Chinese food. Che Li is really good. Uluh on 9th and 2nd Avenue is also great. If it’s not Chinese, I like going to Commerce Inn. It has an old school British vibe. Buvette and I Sodi are also in the rotation. And I really love Ha’s Đặc Biệt. It’s a pop-up. They just did a month-long one at Gem. It’s some of the best food in New York City.
For a late night out, my friends and I are going to Basement or Paragon in Bushwick. Then, if I want a snack when I’m home, I usually have pizza. There’s 2 Bros and Village Square. I also love the vegan burger and waffle fries from Jerrell’s Betr Brgr. They have a vegan cookies and cream shake that’s amazing. It’s made with oat milk, but it tastes just like a normal milkshake.
SKINCARE
I do a full skincare routine before I go out. The first thing I use is Biologique Recherche’s micellar water, followed by their cleansing milk VIP O2. The cleansing milk has a great slip, so I like to use my gua sha with it. Double cleansing has been great for me. My pores look a lot smaller since I started doing it. Then I use either Aēsop’s Lucent Facial Concentrate, which is a really good vitamin C, or Ranu’s Copper Brightening Serum, which my facialist, Kristyn Smith, recommended. I also really like Biologique Recherche’s Oligo-Protéines Marines for brightening. And I love their Amniotique VG Sérum for hydration and the Lotion P50 PIGM 400 for exfoliating. I feel like my face looks tighter after I use it. For eye cream, I really like Officine Universelle Buly’s Vide Poche. It has more of a serum consistency and comes in a roll-on.
I love how the Sulwhasoo Ginseng Cream smells. I grew up drinking and eating ginseng, so I love having it in my beauty products, too. Also, the texture is really good—it’s worth the price tag. If it’s still light out, I’ll put on my La Mer SPF 50 on my face and neck. I know some people love La Mer and others don’t like it at all, but I’ve tried other sunscreens, and this one is my favorite. It doesn’t leave a white cast. Then, if I’m wearing a dress, I’ll put on Kiehl’s Whipped Body Butter. It’s really hydrating and makes your skin look so fresh.
MAKEUP
Whenever I go out, I have to have lip liner. I love Charlotte Tilbury lip liner in Pillow Talk. Then I add a little bit of the Dior Addict Lip Glow in 12 Rosewood. It has more of a balm consistency, and I like it because it’s light. If I want lip gloss on top, I wear Fenty Beauty’s Lip Luminizer in Fenty Glow Heat. You should definitely use it if you want your lips to be plump, which I love. It stings a little, but it’s manageable.
I use concealer very sparingly, but if I need to cover up a blemish, I like the Radiant Creamy Concealer from NARS. I use shade M2 Ginger. It’s so light and never cakey. I also love Pat McGrath’s Skin Fetish Highlighter & Balm Duo. I use the Bronze version. It’s a stick, so it’s really easy to use and carry with you. The highlighter adds the perfect touch of sparkle on my cheekbones, and sometimes I’ll run the balm on my eyelids for a dewy vibe. If I want actual eyeshadow, I use Dior’s Backstage Palette in 002 Cool Neutrals. I blend it all with my fingers. The fewer tools, the better.
The only curler that works for my super straight lashes is the one from Shu Uemura. And I only use brown eyeliner. I don’t like using black; it’s too intense. I’ve gotten all of my makeup tips from my friends, and one of them told me that Asians should only use brown eyeliner. I don’t even really know why. He’s also Asian and really into makeup, so I do what he tells me. Dior’s liquid eyeliner is my favorite.
HAIR
I usually wash my hair once a week. I like Oribe’s Signature Shampoo and Conditioner. I love the smell, and they make my hair feel luscious. Their Gold Lust Nourishing Hair Oil is my go-to for my ends—I never apply it on my roots—but I also love the Huile Magique d’Argan Bio from Le Jardin de Sidi B. It’s an argan oil I picked up from Morocco. My hair is naturally very straight—I don’t own a straightener—so I just go with it. I just brush it through with a wild boar bristle brush from Officine Universelle. I also use one of their Architect combs to do my center part.
FRAGRANCE
I like feminine perfumes with a twist. Like, I want a floral but not straight on. Byredo’s Inflorescence has that vibe. It has rose petals, lily of the valley, and magnolia, but it’s not overly sweet. I also wear Gold Leaves from Régime des Fleurs. It’s very unique, still floral but it also has amber and cardamom. Angeli di Firenze from Santa Maria Novella is also really nice, but that one’s more fruity. When it comes to candles, I turn to Hawthorne, which was co-founded by one of my friends. I really love Aromatic and Woody and Botanic Blur. Otherwise, I’m burning Ptolemy Aromatique from Aēsop.”
—As told to Daise Bedolla
Photographed by Alexandra Genova in New York on March 14, 2024