Gracie 🦢

All of my everyday essentials as an illustrator who is serious about living a romantic life. The heavy portion of my workload is sitting down on a desk, but the creation process all happens with my supplies that can fit into my bag. Sometimes the best ideas come to you on a whim!

When it's our own money we are spending, it's just different! The recommendations throughout social media can be hard to decipher between gifted collabs, sponsorships, and even trendy products. As someone who considers herself hard to be influenced (because I have extremely sensitive skin!) AND as someone who spends her own money, here are all of my latest purchases. I've always tried my best to be intentional with my spending. Self Care is a category I truly treasure. April is the first month that I splurged as there are a variety of sales going on. Here is what I bought with my own money!

NO B.S.! A complete list of my TOP favs! Tried and true Sephora Sale picks, from a girl who actually cares about where her money goes! I have very sensitive, acne-prone skin so I'm selective and careful of what I choose to buy. Here is the complete megalist of products from Sephora I ALWAYS recommend! Art: Sephora Digital Gift Messaging 2025 by Kaja Merle.

Okay I'm gonna be honest… I am a mouth breather. Anyone following my health journey knows that I have been struggling with TMJ Disorder. That means I have weird contraptions trying to juxtaposition my top and bottom jaw so the joints can heal and the blood vessels supplying blood to my brain are not constricted. So is this a lip balm rec video? Yes. But is it deeper than that? Of course! People can have a variety of reasons for having crusty lips. Having them moisturized is very important! Dry and cracked lips can not only cause pain, but it can lower your confidence. Having tried a plethora of lip balms and masks, I have spent way too much money trying to find the perfect ones. Some are too thick, some just sit on top of your lips and don't help them hydrate. Art: Girl with a Pearl Earring by Johannes Vermeer.

Money money money! When you're a student, you’re young, full of energy, eager to learn, but Money! The one thing you don't have. It goes to books, school supplies, academic fees, sports equipment, and so much more. And honestly, I think that's a fantastic thing. It means you're learning, bettering yourself, and acquiring the skills that will set you up for success in the future. But just because school is expensive doesn't mean you can't look your best :) as an acne-prone and sensitive skin girl who takes her glam very seriously, I have the best recs for you. Cost does not always equal quality, and I have selected both KBeauty and Western Makeup picks so you can still feel your best to do your best in school! For OliveYoung and Yesstyle links, use OLXJEAN1 or JEANY22 to get a little extra off your order. Art: "The Remaining Moon" (残月) Ayana Otake (大竹彩奈), Norman Rockwell Little Girl with Lipstick.

“WHY is my hair falling out so much?!” is something I would say in the shower almost daily. My hair was thinning, dull, and lifeless. Turns out, not only am I prone to fungal acne on my face, the same issue occurs on my scalp! It even seems to begin there. The best free habits to prevent hair loss are: drinking water and sleeping well. The most important habit from my experience, however, is cleanliness. Make sure to sleep with clean hair - that means washing EVERY day. Waiting between washes absolutely does not work for us Asians who have thick hair. Ensure no heavy or occlusive products are applied before bed and make sure the hair is 80-90% dry - prolonged moisture is bad news for your scalp. If you do these habits and try these products, I promise you will see a huge difference (and you do not have to be asian to follow this routine!). Now I barely lose hair in the shower. Anywhere from 10-20 strands is the average. Try for yourself! Artwork: Goyo Hashiguchi (1880-1921) 橋口五葉 - - "Woman Combing her Hair - 髪すける女"

My entire life I had no idea that the occasional intensely itchy rashy acne on my face was actually fungal acne! A more accurate term would be folliculitis. It is an overgrowth of yeast that naturally lives on our skin. Some people like me are more prone to these overgrowths and some skincare can further feed this yeast called Malassezia, resulting in a never-ending cycle of breakouts and frustration :( Whether you’re going through a flare up or trying to form a safe skincare routine for your sensitive skin, everything on this list will help you minimize redness, irritation, and keep the malasezzia in check ✅ Art: Asako Eguchi 1952

Our hands do so much for us. This has been a brutal winter so far and it's showing up in my hands. In my case, I use my hands ALL DAY. Illustrating, calligraphy, baking, house chores - my hands are constantly dry and cracked. And for some reason my cats think I am giant chew toy. I am back on my hand care regimen and want to share it with you. Let's take better care of our hands in 2026 together. Art - John Singer Sargent

Ulta is becoming a K Beauty carrier force to be reckoned with. Perhaps the reason why Sephora announced their decision to partner up with Oliveyoung! At the moment, the best place you can order K Beauty from and have access to easy returns is Ulta. And they seem to be expanding the brands they carry every single day! This is why we love competition in capitalism. Due to the FDA limiting the sale of UV filters I will not link any sunscreens. I believe you should purchase directly from Korean retailers like OliveYoung to ensure you get the latest UV filter technology. Check out the list here.

Sephora said turn up the heat! With Ulta launching new KBeauty brands into high gear, it seems like Sephora is not backing down without a fight. I spy brand new products and Korean brands that are gracing their online shelves! They have a brand that I have been swearing by and is lesser known by the masses. I MUST share them with you! This list will be fantastic for the sensitive skin people.

The Sephora sale is here! Stretching out our dollar as beauty lovers is important. These are all staples in my routine that I have been using daily. I can attest to their performance. My skin is FAR from perfect. I have a lot to work around and that is why I try to find the best products for you. I think these are 100% worth restocking even at full price! Sensitive, acne prone skin routine.

Recently I have been going to a TMJ Specialist who is an expert in his field. The very front of his office says “NO Fragrance”. The office is extremely strict and will send patients home immediately if they are wearing any scented products. Being a fragrance lover, you might think I was offended. I actually appreciated it SO much. You see, I suffer from intense headaches. This is the exact reason why I love softer, lighter scents. If you are like me and you WANT to enjoy perfume, but have immense trouble navigating the booming perfume market: you are at the right place. I have delved deep into this hobby, determined to find fragrances that are not only soft, but wearable all day long. The key trick is this: the lighter the better. Longevity? We could not care less, in fact, we want it to be as light as can be. Simply reapply as needed. Eau De Toilettes, Water Based Perfume, Hand Creams and Hair Mists are what we are looking for! Feel free to jot down scents you want to try or gift to your loved ones.

By request, here are ALL the perfume I've purchased with my own money and received from PR in 2025! Those who follow me know just how selective I am about adding to my collection. Check out my “2025 Perfume Wrapped” on Tiktok and Youtube. For those who prefer to sample first, don't worry I have them all listed for you! Please note NOT ALL of these links are affiliated - I just want to go the extra mile and create an easy-to-shop list for you. I like to keep things all in once place and organized, especially when shopping. Very thankful for the support if you choose to shop through my links! Thank you and Happy Shopping :)

This year was an important birthday. I decided to purchase a fragrance for myself to commemorate! My Devotion is a wonderful peony fragrance that opens up soft, round, and fresh. It has sweetness from the vanilla and I have chosen it to remember the end of my 20s. A bittersweet goodbye. They say your 20s is the end of your youth, and yet I feel like life is only beginning to get better! I am reminded of how fleeting our time is and inspired to spend it with just as much vibrancy as I have thus far. I have linked the perfume from various retailers if you would like to try. This is not sponsored by the brand at all, just thought I would share an easily shoppable list with you after people inquired about the perfume in my Bday video :)

Art books! Debated whether to make this list or not because art is so subjective and it’s very seldom that everyone’s tastes align completely. But one thing I know about artists is their never ending search for inspiration. If it would help anyone, it would certainly help artists! Unfortunately, art books are expensive to keep in print. There will be many books that will eventually go out of print from the time of this posting. Nevertheless, we will continue to collect! Cover art of this listing: J W Waterhouse, John Singer Sargent, Edmund Dulac.

Do you have an artist dear to you? Sometimes it's hard to find that perfect gift for this person. Do not fret, you've come to the perfect list. Curated by an artist, these are very unique and thoughtful gifts they'll cherish. I've found throughout my entire life, artistic people rarely get gifts related to art. Perhaps due to the buyer's not having access to art stores, not knowing where to buy or what to buy. And unfortunately maybe the fact that art supplies are quite intimidating in price. Thankfully Blick is having an amazing sale and I have tiered the entire list by price for your budget. When your artist uses these gifts, they will think of you and use them with a full heart!

I think it would be hard to find someone unaffected by the current events. There is so much injustice and everyone is hurting. Despite the dark times, I am so proud to see how many people are standing up. To deepen our understanding of historical events and compare them to our circumstances today, I think it is very important to watch the following movies. They will not be easy to watch, but you will take away many lessons.

Humanity's love letter to Orchids: Ice Cubes…? You can see the beauty of orchids everywhere! Grocery stores, malls, hotels, and our homes! So beloved, and yet so hard to grow… or is it? Orchids are the biggest victims to houseplant care misinformation. I mean seriously, ice cubes on a tropical plant? Come on! Like any gardening advice, what one person says is not 100% true for another person in a different climate and region. What I want to focus on for this guide is growing a very easy to grow (yes, easy!) Phalaeonopsis Orchid indoors at around 70F degrees, on a windowsill with low humidity. I do not grow many houseplants due to my cats loving to chew on any plant for the sake of driving me mad. Orchids, however, are non-toxic and will provide beautiful blooms! If I can do it, you can do it, too.

Everyone told me to stop spending so much on coffee when I went out. But listen, as someone who's vice is coffee - that is the wrong thing to tell me. Each time I heard it, I got more and more frustrated. So one day I looked into it. Just how much could I save? Well, I can say that after over a year of drinking coffee at home daily, not only does it taste better because I can make it exactly to my liking, but it has paid for itself and then some! Calculated by pricing $7/cup every day! As much as I wish they were wrong, I have to hand it to them. Not only were they right, but my quality of life has increased significantly. A coffee fiend with the power of infinite lattes at her fingertips! That could be you.

Fall to me is particularly special. Not just because most of my family celebrates birthdays in the upcoming months, but because of the Mid-Autumn Festival. We celebrate with the glowing harvest moon and take in all of the fruits we've sowed at the beginning of this season. As we are officially winding down for the holidays, I want to share my cozy home picks. Wishing you a comforting rest of the year as you wind down during these colder months.

My poor vintage Coach bag has been needing a break. I’ve been lugging it around 24/7 and it’s been showing serious signs of wear. Don’t get me wrong it’s SO cute and I get compliments on it all the time, but the bag has sentimental value. My mom’s old friend who was battling cancer and preparing for serious treatment gave it to me as a gift when she moved away. It is a bag I hope to pass down in the future in her honor. For this reason I’ve been searching for a new every-day bag. My requirements for the bag are: high quality, ~$100-400, no loud logos, fits sketchbook and pencil case.

I take my sleepwear very seriously! In my years of working many odd jobs, one of the more enjoyable ones has to be when I used to work for an Intimate & Sleepwear brand. That's when I learned that comfort is key to a good night's rest. Not only that, but cute PJs are something all women want. So why compromise on either?

For the person who has children with four fuzzy paws. These are staples that my cats have grown to love. Whether you're just starting out as a cat parent or you're an experienced butler, I can assure you that you'll find some new gems for your kitties to enjoy!