After barely surviving the trenches of my medical boards, I embarked on the new adventure of having a vacation block where I virtually had nothing to do. I spent a lot of my newly found free time wandering and window shopping which led to me trying new things out and finding new favorite items ranging from makeup to books. So, keep reading to see what new items I discovered.
1. Billie Razors
This discovery was made after I had forgotten to pack my razor when I took a trip to Minneapolis. The local CVS there had a few choices, however, Billie Razors stood out to me because I remembered that they were one of the razor brands that displayed hair on their models for their advertisements. The starter shaving kit has a fun colored handle, two refill blades, and a magnetic holder for about 10 dollars. I have been using the razor for about a week and it is helping prevent ingrown hairs. The blade comes with a built-in aloe moisturizer that leaves your skin feeling smooth and hydrated afterward. The handle has a matte finish to prevent slipping in the shower. I love that the kit came with a magnetic holder so now it has its own place in my shower to dry properly. Billie razors have converted me to start using metal blades rather than disposable razors.
2. R.E.M. Beauty Hypernova Satin Matte Blush
As an Ariana Grande stan, I have been wanting to purchase some items from her makeup brand, R.E.M Beauty. When I heard that she came out with new blushes in the new chapter, I knew I had to get my hands on one. The blushes had been marketed as a beautifully blurred soft-focus finish with easy blend-ability. I was hooked after I saw Ariana create an ombre blush look with two of the shades. I decided to purchase the shade “Sun Pop” which is a vibrant coral blush as I am missing a coral shade from my makeup kit. The blush is truly buttery soft and has a matte finish. I have used it on top of foundation as well as on my natural skin and it blends out beautifully both ways. You can get a pigmented look with only one swipe of the blush and continue to build its vibrancy. This Hypernova blush has made its place as my go-to blush for the spring.
3. Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer in the shade “Fuchsia Flex”
As a Fenty Beauty supporter from day one when Rihanna released 40 shades of her well-loved foundation, I love the Gloss Bomb Lip gloss in many shades. However, when it was announced that the popular shade, “Fuchsia Flex” was making a comeback, I needed to snatch one up. The context between this deep fuchsia shade is that it was primarily limitedly released in the Fenty Beauty holiday lip set a few years ago and was not made into a permanent shade. However, due to its popularity, Fenty Beauty decided to make a permanent shade this year and it has been flying off the shelves. I had 3 different Sephora orders canceled on me because the shade went out of stock. However, in the end, Ulta Beauty was able to ship one to my home. It arrived a little late from Valentine’s Day, which is where I had intended to wear it, however, the beautiful holographic shade has made it into my favorite lippies rotation.
4. Doc Martens Zebzag Suede Casual Slingback Platform Mules
Mules are making their comeback after Birkenstock came out with their own versions of them. I was on the fence with the trend, however, I was in the market for a new set of slip-on shoes to wear with my scrubs. I stumbled upon the muted purple Zebzag Mules on TikTok and realized that I had found my match. All I had to do now was wait to see if the muted purple ones would make it to the Doc Martens stores in the United States and they did. Immediately after they were available, I ordered my pair and waited impatiently for them to be delivered. The muted purple shade was not as bold as I was thinking which helped me pair more outfits with them. The shoes are wide-feet friendly and the air-cushioned soles are very comfy.
5. Happy Place by Emily Henry
During my vacation block, I re-entered my reading era and decided to make a huge dent in my TBR list. I have loved reading Emily Henry’s previous books and was excited to pick Happy Place up. I found myself relating to the main character a lot as she was a surgery resident unsure of whether or not she was in love with her career. The book follows Harriet and Wyn, who broke up months ago, however, they have not told their friends yet which leads them to share a room during their friend groups’ last yearly trip to their cottage in Maine. They are so different from each other as Harriet is a hard-working, driven surgical intern, while Wyn is laid back and conceals all his worries. Happy Place currently ranks second in my list of Emily Henry books, with Book Lovers being number one.
6. Doctor Slump on Netflix
I found a lot of comfort in this Netflix K-drama when I was burnt out from studying for my medical boards. The K-drama follows two medical school academic rivals who find each other later when their careers have hit rock bottom and they are burnt out. Nam Ha-Neul is an anesthesiologist who is depressed and anxious and decides to quit her job after being mistreated by her seniors. Yeo Jeong-Woo is a popular plastic surgeon who finds himself in the middle of a mysterious malpractice suit and is mentally pushed to the edge. Nam Ha-Neul and Yeo Jeong-Woo relate to each other and learn to find comfort within each other. There was one scene that particularly stood out to me and it includes when Nam Ha-Neul describes saving her favorite foods to eat last and how she applied that to her career where she should have a stress-free life after she became an attending. I related to this scene a lot because that is how I have been treating my career where I have convinced myself that after all this studying, life will get a lot easier, which is not the case.
Here are some of my favorites that I discovered as I wandered around during my vacation block. It feels very free to have time to try new things out and not be stressed about medical school. I hope you can try something new from my list and fall in love with it like I have.