December Bibliography
Welcome to this month's bibliography — the best of what we've been reading, watching, and listening to recently.
Hello from Alexi ☃︎⋆꙳•❅*ִ Happy Holidays and Happy New Year! So happy to be going into 2025 with all of you and wishing you all the best ~
2024 Pop Megamixes
This was the year I became an unapologetic music poptimist. For some years now, my music taste has been a mix of k-pop with tasteful twee indie/post-rock and 1960s oldies (more on that later), but this year I really let myself enjoy contemporary pop music to the fullest extent— how could I not?! It's also been so girltastic— Chappell, Sabrina, Addison, Charli, Gaga — which has warmed my feminist heart in the most basic sense. To celebrate the sonic achievements of this past year, my friends and I have had great fun sitting down and watching pop megamix mashups on YouTube. My two favorites are ATE by Andy Wu, which is totally deranged and really made my head spin, and Club 2024 by Adamusic, which is slightly higher quality and less random. Both also include this year's film highlights, resulting in bizarre/powerful moments like Glinda and Elphaba lezzing out to "Pink Pony Club" x "Die with a Smile" ... watch at your own risk.
The Pleat by Sophia Dowling on Substack
I'd been following Sophia on TikTok for a while before I met her at a house party earlier this year— I was totally starstruck, and even more so when I found out she actually listens to the pod! Not only does she have the most amazing vintage-influenced personal style, but she also shares our passion for fashion research and sustainable thinking. I'm always inspired by her outfits and her writing; I especially loved her history of opera pumps and her piece on Elizabeth Hawes and the history of dupes.
Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys was famously obsessed with the song "Be My Baby" by the Ronettes, calling it "the greatest record ever written" (read more about its effect on him here), and I feel p much the same way. Beyond their incredible sound, I'm also addicted to the Ronettes' visual— their hyper-teased hair, super-dark makeup, and adorable matchy co-ords are the epitome of '60s girl group glam. A few weeks ago, I read a charming anecdote about their iconic frontwoman, Ronnie Spector, sneaking the Beatles out of the back exit of their hotel at the height of their popularity and whisking them away to Harlem to eat barbecue, which inspired me to pick up her memoir. It's been a really great beach read— while there are plenty of fun, groovy moments, it also chronicles her abusive relationship with mad scientist producer Phil Spector. Ronnie passed away nearly three years ago (RIP queen!!), and this memoir was scheduled to be turned into an A24 biopic starring Zendaya ... not sure if that's still happening, but deffo recommend either way!
Misc. Beauty Favorites
Thanks so much for the positive feedback on these last time (and for all the love on my GRWM, that really warmed my heart omg!). Here are a few more recs:
These have really cleared my skin up after a series of rough breakouts in November! More than anything, I find the packaging/format to be super user friendly, far easier to incorporate into my routine than pouring toner onto a cotton round, which is a step I truly CBA with at this point.
I like to think of myself as a connoisseur in the body exfoliant genre— I usually don't feel clean until I scrub tf out of my body with like three different devices/products, but this microcrystal exfoliant bar is really a one-step wonder. It's ROUGH ... but I love that. It's been great for KP, wintry dry patches, and razor burn.
Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat Blur Face Primer
This one's annoyingly spenny but tends to last me ages, and I've yet to find anything else like it on the market! I don't use this every day— it performs better in warmer/more humid weather, I'll always bring it to Belize with me for les holidays. But it has the most unique high-tech slippery smooth silicone texture that really does blur your pores and makes makeup apply like a dream.
