Things I left in 2024

Viral TikTok beauty, boring facials, and over-editing.

I hope you guys have done the perfect amount of rotting these last few weeks. I sure have.

So yeah, I officially live in Los Angeles! And as I’ve said before, I’m so beyond stoked to explore all the beauty secrets and destinations this gargantuan, freaky city has to offer. That said, I woke up today with one of the worst cases of the Sunday scaries I’ve had in a while, so I thought it might help to sit down and share some thoughts that have been bouncing around in my head these past few weeks. Specifically, all the things I’ve decided to leave behind now that we’re finally in 2025.

Basic facials
This year, if I’m shelling out my hard earned doll hairs for a treatment, it’s really gotta take it there. No more hydro-jelly masks, oil facial massages, or basic extractions—I want my facials to deliver results I could never achieve on my own. Ideally, they’ll leave my skin so transformed that I’ll need to go into hiding for a few days after.

I was recently chatting with someone very capital-H Hollywood, and they mentioned that while, yes, celebrities obviously use injectables, people often overlook just how much regular chemical peels and laser treatments contribute to the brightness and snatch-nessed of their skin. Apparently, actresses go nuts with laser treatments before filming—especially for roles with minimal makeup and lots of close-ups—because it’s a way to plump the skin, even out tone, and soften wrinkles without risking the loss of mobility that comes with Botox, which is always a concern. I love a chemical peel—my favorite is the BioRePeel for acne and hyperpigmentation which I got with Nicolette in Beverly Hills—but I’ve decided that I’m totally skipping the “glazed-donut”, “juicy skin”, facials this year and investing in lasers like PicoWay, IPL, Coolaser, and Clear and Brilliant. I love Laser Genesis as an introduction (Center Aesthetic in NYC is great for this), but there’s just so much more to learn.

Basing what’s popular in beauty on what’s viral on TikTok
My relationship with TikTok has never been worse. I’ve actually learned a lot of helpful things from the app—like how to make the water pressure in my shower better without having to change the shower head—but I generally think it’s one of the worst things that’s ever happened to my brain and probably humanity.

I also hate the effect TikTok has had on the beauty industry. Not to sound 200 years old, but back in the day—like, the heyday of Top Shelf culture circa 2017 and prior—beauty trends were what you’d witness out in the wild. You’d walk around downtown New York and notice every hot girl pulling the same lipstick out of their purse (the label would be faded, so you’d have to do some detective work to figure out what it was), or everyone gravitating towards a similar style of makeup out at a party, or see the same crinkled, used-up moisturizer tube in all your friend’s bathrooms. I’m not saying trends don’t exist IRL anymore, but it’s almost like we’re more focused on things being viral than we are focused on things being beloved. Your algorithm will feed you 100 TikTok videos of people “trying out a viral sheet mask,” which might make you think the product is genuinely popular. And sure, its sales might’ve spiked, but that doesn’t necessarily mean people actually like it. In many cases, people buy these products just for the video and never use them again. And the cycle of content moves so fast, there’s a new “viral product” before you even know. So I’ve decided in 2025, I’m not longer referencing viral beauty TikToks, unless it’s something that I’ve actually seen at least four friends, colleagues, or straight up strangers using or doing in the real world. I want to feel that old spooked out sensation of “Omg! There it is again!” You know what, I should probably just delete TikTok all together.

Speculating if someone is on Ozempic
I kinda think if you have to ask, it’s a yes. Moving on!

Daily shaving
I told you I’m obsessed with lasers right now, and that extends to hair removal. Now remember, laser works differently on different people, depending on your skin, hair texture, and hair color— for some people, it only softens the intensity or your hair growth, for others it’ll basically blast it into oblivion and you never see hair there again. When I lived in New York City, I did about about five-or-so armpit sessions with Claudia and Bare Body Laser uptown and it was a total game changer (I went to LaserAway prior and it was awful). It’s simply incredible to throw on a tank top last minute and not have to worry about whether or not you shaved. So I’ve decided I’m going to take it to the next level and do my legs . I just need to find somewhere to go in LA…will sniff around and report back with my findings.

Alcohol maybe? Idk.
I feel like I was the first among my friends to start getting really awful hangovers around the age of 25. Even after just two drinks, I’d wake up feeling sad and scared, with a pounding headache and stinging eyes, and it would take me a full two days to feel normal again. I never like to put hard rules on myself, otherwise I break them in some weird act of rebellion, but I’m definitely foreseeing a future with a whole lot less drinking in it. I just know this is going to make me start stocking Diet Cokes in my fridge again.. Has anyone else cut alcohol out recently? How are you feeling?

Over-editing this Substack
I think I’ve been too precious about this newsletter in general. There have been so many times this past year where I’ve written a whole Substack post and scrapped it last minute because it didn’t feel right, or I didn’t think my writing was good, or I thought it might be boring. This year, I’m just going to post. So forgive the incoming typos, I’m running wild.

Signing off with something I’m definitely taking into 2025: My skincare consultations! We’re back baby!!! For those who may not know, I offer virtual skincare consultations where I help folks curate or edit their skincare routines to ensure all of their products make sense for their unique goals and skin type. So if you’re having a particularly rough time with your skin, feel overwhelmed with your products, or if you have a special event (like a wedding!) that you want to prepare your skin for, I can help you. You can book an appointment with me here.

So now, I wanna ask you guys: What things do you want to see on Fun Little Treat in 2025?