February 2026 Empties!

 

This year, I’m trying to be more intentional about posting regularly and using up the products I already own. So far, I think I’ve been doing pretty well, and I’ve managed to finish several items. Most of them were K-beauty products, and a few are things I would definitely repurchase.

I finished two products from the brand Banobagi: the Rejuvenating Vital Serum and the Rejuvenating Vital Cream. Interestingly, I didn’t purchase them at the same time, and I didn’t even realize they were from the same brand while I was using them. Both products were great quality and very affordable. The serum and moisturizer were unscented, lightweight, and surprisingly moisturizing. The Vital Cream, in particular, felt very luxe and left my skin feeling incredibly soft.

The Araceli eyeliner lasted forever until I accidentally left the cap off. It was very dark and applied smoothly along my lash line. It ended up being one of my favorite finds of the year.

The Gillian Instant Renew Amazon Clay Mask with Tsubaki Oil was gifted to me by a friend who toured a skincare factory and received samples to try. She gave one to me since she had two. I wasn’t familiar with the brand, but I was excited to test it out. The clay mask worked well and wasn’t overly drying. It left my skin feeling soft and smooth after use. I would get this again.

Have you tried anything new this month that you’ve been loving?

Book Review - The Perfect Home by Daniel Kenitz

 

The Perfect Home by Daniel Kenitz follows a picture-perfect couple who struggle with infertility and a husband desperate to have the family he’s always wanted. Dawn Decker and her husband, Wyatt, are the hosts of a popular Tennessee-based home renovation reality show, The Perfect Home. The two are complete opposites—Dawn is the salt to Wyatt’s sweet, media-friendly, sunshine persona.

Dawn isn’t interested in their celebrity lifestyle and would prefer a quieter, more private existence. Wyatt, on the other hand, thrives on fame and wishes they were more than just D-list celebrities. The couple is eager to start a family, but they face infertility challenges due to Wyatt’s low sperm count. Desperate, Wyatt secretly orders an experimental fertility drug. When Dawn becomes pregnant, they should be celebrating—but instead, Dawn finds herself living in fear. Wyatt’s cheerful demeanor begins to unravel, revealing a darker, more controlling, moody, and even cruel side.

When Dawn discovers that Wyatt is plotting a tragedy involving their infant twins to boost their fame, she decides to escape and go on the run. Wyatt, using his celebrity image, appears on national television to plead for her return, portraying her as an unstable woman suffering from postpartum psychosis. His charm is so convincing that even Dawn’s closest friends begin to doubt her. If Dawn wants to protect her children, she must outsmart Wyatt and beat him at his own game.

The novel was an okay read. It's told from alternating perspectives—Dawn’s and Wyatt’s—which added some depth. There were a few unexpected twists and turns, but for the most part, the plot was predictable. I didn’t care much for most of the characters. Dawn’s actions sometimes felt over-the-top. While I understood her desire to protect her children, she didn’t even attempt to gather proof before going on the run. As a result, everyone turned on her, and yet, things still conveniently worked out in her favor.

The book also felt repetitive at times. I grew tired of reading constant praise about Wyatt’s handsomeness while Dawn was repeatedly described as a plain, unattractive woman. The plot felt unrealistic and contrived, and overall, the story didn’t fully land for me.

Book Review - The Gay Icon’s Guide to Life by Michael Joosten

 

The Gay Icon’s Guide to Life by Michael Joosten is a witty, illustrated collection of life lessons, sass, and inspiration drawn from legendary LGBTQ+ icons, offering readers fabulous advice for navigating the world with pride and confidence. The book features over 70 quotes from a variety of iconic figures.

It’s more of a coffee table book than one meant to be read cover to cover. Each page pairs a quote with an illustration of the person who said it, making it a great resource for anyone in need of a little inspiration or an emotional pick-me-up. It was a quick read—I finished it in under an hour—and found it both fun and uplifting. Some of the quotes really resonated with me, and it’s the kind of book I’ll keep nearby for the days when nothing seems to be going right.

Book Review - Mapping the Darkness: The Visionary Scientists Who Unlocked the Mysteries of Sleep by Kenneth Mille

 

Mapping the Darkness: The Visionary Scientists Who Unlocked the Mysteries of Sleep by Kenneth Miller chronicles the groundbreaking work of pioneering scientists who transformed our understanding of sleep, revealing its vital role in health, memory, and human consciousness. A century ago, our knowledge of sleep was extremely limited; it was often considered a passive state of "nothingness," and some scientists even saw it as a habit people should try to eliminate.

In 1938, a scientist and his assistant spent a month in a dark cave in Kentucky, an experiment that made headlines across the nation. This unusual study changed the way both the public and scientists thought about sleep. The first dedicated sleep lab was founded by Nathaniel Kleitman in the 1920s at the University of Chicago, where he conducted sleep and sleep deprivation experiments on research participants—including himself. His cave experiment paved the way for other breakthroughs in the field. For example, Kleitman mentored Eugene Aserinsky, who discovered REM sleep and revealed that the brain remains active during dreaming.

As someone who suffers from insomnia, I picked up this book hoping to find tips to improve my sleep. It started off interesting—I enjoyed learning about the different types of experiments scientists performed to better understand the brain. I’ll admit that some of the scientific terms went over my head, and I found myself glazing over those sections. At times, I also found the book a bit dry and tedious due to the detailed focus on the history of sleep science. I think readers with a strong interest in the history of sleep research would appreciate this book more than I did.

Book Review - In Limbo by Deb J.J. Lee

 

In In Limbo by Deb J.J. Lee, a Korean American teenager navigates the pressures of identity, mental health, and family expectations in a deeply personal memoir. Deborah (Jung-Jin) Lee has always known she’s different from her peers ever since her family emigrated from South Korea. She often feels like she doesn’t fit in. Her teachers mispronounce her Korean name, her English isn’t perfect, and her classmates tease her for her appearance—especially her eyes, which look different from theirs.

As high school draws to a close, the pressure to get into a good college and maintain strong grades begins to take a toll on Deb. To make things worse, her friendships are shifting, and she feels like her friends are leaving her behind. School becomes a place of alienation, but home offers no relief. Tensions with her mother escalate, and Deb begins to feel like she’s spiraling out of control.

I thought the graphic novel was okay. It's difficult to critique someone’s real-life experiences, so I approached it as if it were a fictionalized story. I had a hard time connecting with Deb at times. The narrative would occasionally jump back and forth, making it hard to follow certain events. Sometimes the story hinted at deeper issues but didn’t fully explore them, and some events seemed to happen abruptly without enough buildup.

That said, I sympathize with Deb and saw parallels between her experiences and my own. When my family moved from South America, I was also teased for my unique name. It was difficult to balance my heritage with my new American identity and to feel like I truly belonged. Deb also explores emotional trauma in her relationships with friends and family, and I could relate to some of those struggles.

While the illustration style was appealing, I personally would have preferred a more colorful palette.