here’s the thing about acne scar I never realized when I had (more frequent, sigh) acne: you don’t get acne scars unless you pick/poke/squeeze/generally bother your spots. that is why it’s imperative —imperative, I tell you!—to just resist all urges to squeeze your spots, grin and bear them, and let them go away on their own. anyway, I’ll get off my soapbox. the best thing for scars is, of course, the most expensive: laser. for most, I realize, that’s not a viable option so here are the others: *retinol: will take some time to work (which it does by increasing skin cell turnover), but great for all-around anti-antiaging. I use a prescription one (Renova) twice a week. *dark spot correctors: Clinique’s really is very good, as is Garnier’s. they take time to work, naturally, so be patient. and speaking of patience: time and SPF (if your skin gets tan, so too do the scars)! and hooray for Palm Springs—it’s my favorite place in the world. something about the mountain & desert combination, sigh. that and the Desert Hills premium outlet nearby ^_^ (for tips on my favorite places, check out my foursquare)

oh my goodness, just reading your question made me want to dip my face in a vat of face cream. poor you! sounds uncomfortable (and, yes, incredibly attractive, haha). basically, your skin is crying out “feed me! feed me! I’m thirsty!” because the dry air and cold weather are like vacuum cleaners for moisture. so here’s my four step plan for you: a) install a humidifier in the room(s) you spend the most time in. I use this one, but really any one will do. it doesn’t have to be super spendy. b) in the morning, add a serum to your routine. apply it before your moisturizer, let it marinate for a minute, then apply your regular moisturizer over it. as a 15 year old, I’m going to assume your budget won’t allow for La Mer. but most of your favorite drugstore brands will offer serums. I’m partial to this fragrance-free Olay one, personally. c) in the evening, add a face oil—yes! oil!—to your routine before your moisturizer. I promise promise promise it won’t make you break out. Clarins actually makes one for oily skin, if you’re scared of oil. and lastly, d) hydrate from within. add a fish oil supplement or two to your diet every day (I take three, personally). it sounds odd, but—really and truly—your skin (and brain! and energy level!) will thank you

oooh, I’ve always wanted to be a guru. so thank you for that! ^_^ to be honest, the bags are—in my opinion, at least—rather different bags. the PS1 is slouchy, softer in feeling, more casual in feeling. the Trapeze is more structured and slightly more formal, perhaps more “grown up”. so this is what I think: evaluate your lifestyle and your wardrobe. what will you use more often? that’s the one you should start with. I know from personal experience: I remember in the heyday of Gossip Girl (that was a longgg time ago. I can’t bear to watch the show anymore! it’s gone downhill, no?) I bought the most classic little Chanel bag ever, a super Upper East Side style that, um, I haven’t used more than five times (one of them was for Halloween when I dressed up as Blair Waldorf in, like, 2008). I’m sure I’ll break it out when I’m in my fifties (it’s that classic), but I should’ve evaluated my lifestyle and realized that I’m much more of a downtown, casual-cool person! anyway… have fun choosing: you can’t really go wrong with either!

oh, my darling, you could substitute the words “college student on a budget” with “NYC girl working in the magazine/web world” (AKA me) and the question would be the same. expensive, lovely taste is expensive lovely taste no matter what age. anyway! my advice to you is to scour sites like The Outnet, Yoox, eBay (of course), and make friends with salespeople at your favorite stores (don’t be sheepish about asking when their sales start. hey, a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do). most importantly, really evaluate your spending. do you really neeeeed that Starbucks Frappucino? and, on the flip side, is the item you’re coveting on e that you’ll still love in a month, three months, six months, a year? I’ve made the foolish mistake of getting obsessed with items that just a little while later I’m totally and unequivocally over. look for items that will withstand the test of item. (ps: the first designer purchase I ever made myself was a pair of Miu Miu kitten heels ^_^ they’d still be chic today… except my dog Otto ate them T_T)

I’ve always wanted stereotypical Asian hair—deliciously dark and deliciously thick. but, sigh, you and I are hair twins. my hair is ultra fine (and medium brown to boot!). I’ve actually gotten a perm before—twice in fact—and I loved it. when most people hear that, they immediately picture Legally Blonde’s perm girl. no! no, not the case. the first time I got a perm, I ended up with long, loose waves (very California boho). the second time, I had shorter hair, so my hair had a softer Alexa Chung quality to it. I loved it both times and would absolutely do it again (but now that I color my hair, I can’t… I don’t want to double process my hair. side note: coloring hair often gives hair a thicker feel as well, since the cuticle is lifted a bit). the key, as with anything beauty, is to go to someone you trust. I went to Damian Santiago at Mizu, a perm expert in NYC (he also cuts my hair), but perhaps ask/call around in your local area’s Japan/Koreatown areas. have them use a wider barrel (which will give you a looser curl), and remember, it takes a few days for the curl to “settle”—so the way the curls look on days one, two, and three, will look different in a week! tag me on twitter or instagram with a pic! I want to see! ^_^