NOVEMBER ROUNDUP + an update
Previously, on Gen x Taste...
Hi. Um. What’s up?
I am sure a lot of feelings are swirling. We had the election. Halloween. Daylight Savings. I have also been dealing with some huge, unexpected personal issues. Big changes. Stress. Also, after 2 years, I have decided to push pause on my other Substack publication, The Yellow Pages. Read more about my decision here.
So I’ve been restructuring and rethinking. Trying, in general, to show myself and others compassion as we process our new realities.
Over the last decade, I’ve become acutely familiar with trauma and grief. I know, for me, that it’s a windy road and can take a long time to heal. And so I’ve been watching what I ingest both physically and mentally, whilst actively making changes and planning for the future without spiraling into “what if’s?” But also trying to stay present! It’s exhausting, especially since I haven’t slept more than 5-6 hours (perimenopause) for over 3 months now.
I’m trying not to overshare, but I will be transparent and admit that I’m looking for a full-time job, something I haven’t done in several decades. I’m used to rejection as an actress, but attempting to re-enter the work force this “late” in life is a challenging and humbling reality.
Here is my LinkedIn profile for anyone who may be hiring; if my skills make sense for your company please reach out. I’m not picky about starting over at entry level, but ideally, it would be a work-from-home situation. Miles needs me and I need him, too.
The dream, of course, would be that many of you would upgrade your subscription here to a paid one and I wouldn’t have to keep looking. But I don’t think reaching that goal is going to happen, nor do I ever expect it to.
When it comes to being an artist… I’m kinda done dreaming. That may sound super depressing, but in the last few years, I’ve found it to be kinda empowering. It has released the pressure valve that has driven me for most of my career and allowed me to feel extra grateful for the times when I do get paid for my work, or am recognized for it. And to enjoy/celebrate the energy I put into creating that art, rather than worrying when/if I get to do it again.
I’m rethinking what GEN X TASTE will look like — how much time would I have to devote here if I did find more hours filled, working for someone else? I’d definitely have to do much shorter, much less involved weekly posts. So for now, I’m honoring my promise to those of you who are supporting me financially, by making at least one of those paywalled. And I always state at the end of every post — my goal is NOT to have any sponsored content. I’m really trying to avoid that (it was always my least favorite part when I was food blogging full time) but if that becomes something I need to take into consideration, I promise to be transparent.
And if I ever need to push pause here or reduce the frequency of how often I write on this Substack too, I of course will let you know. Thank you, as always for welcoming me into your inboxes. Here’s this month’s roundup.
Things I Wrote This Month
There’s a lot more regular randomness over at the GXT Instagram, like concert footage, makeup tutorials, OOTD’s and my first ride in driverless car:
Things I Want to Buy (but won’t b/c I’m looking for a job)
Kacey Musgraves x Reformation — one of my favorite musicians and one of my favorite clothing lines have collaborated! AAAAAAH! I would really love this coat or this cashmere two-piece.
The Sephora Insider Sale ends Monday. Here are all my favorites from there, but if I had to call out five random products that I’ve been continually reaching for a while now, they would be 1. Living Proof Triple Bond Complex 2. EADEM Lip Softening Balm 3. Westman Atelier’s Contour Stick in “Biscuit” 4. Rare Beauty Eye Brightener Concealer and 5. Sephora Collection Glow Peel Pads. Use code SAVINGS at checkout (you must be an “Insider” member — it’s free to join).
The Ulta Early Black Friday sale is still going strong though! Up to 40% off weekly deals through November 23rd.
I rented this Kule “Central Park” sweatshirt from clothing rental site Nuuly (more on that in a future post) and it has been SO SOFT AND COMFY but it’s also $178. They are having a sale though through November 15th (20% off using code COZYINKULE) and if I were going to take advantage of it, I’d probably go with a plain sweatshirt (can you tell I’ve been feeling kinda grey lately)?
Things I Was Gifted by PR (and my honest opinion)
🧴 Abe and I were already huge fans of Red Flower’s hair products and were thrilled when they asked if they could send some body lotions/oils for the winter. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again — I absolutely adore this female-founded environmentally-friendly and botanically-based company, because they just make beautiful, delicious-smelling products that feel good on the body and are all natural. Especially love this spritzable Cardamom Amber Oil and been lighting this Palo Santo candle daily for peace. Use code LYNN20 for 20% off your next order, valid now thru 11/30 (site-wide free shipping). A lot of their stuff is also available on Amazon, too, but my code won’t work there.
🎄 TONYMOLY has a bunch of beauty stocking stuffers, which look like they’re geared towards JHS-ers but aren’t as juvenile-y scented as their packaging seems to imply. I’m surprised how much I like their Ginger Snap Jelly Lip Belt (it’s moisturizing and bounces against my finger every time I apply it; delightful!) and a bunch of fun food-themed masks for face/hands/feet. I’ve been using the collagen mini ones.
🍄 NOON is an Asian, female-founded company and they sent a few cans of their functional mushroom gummies over to try. As mentioned before (second time in just this post!) I’ve had perimenopause related insomnia so of course I was like, “GIVE ME THE SLEEP ONES.” I haven’t noticed a crazy difference but Abe did take some last night and slept long and hard. And the fact that I didn’t have a full blown panic attack this past week? Maybe that has something to do with their CHILL gummy?!
Things I’ve Been Reading/Watching/Listening To
📚 Abe and I have been having our own two-person book club lately. Actually, our first pick was prompted by our local
who started a monthly, “One Book One Block” community reading initiative. October’s was “Colored Television” and we got to meet the author, Danzy Senna and tell her how much we loved her writing. It’s a must for anyone who works in the literary or TV industry in Los Angeles. The second book we finished around the same time was (no surprise) Sally Rooney’s “Intermezzo” which I actually found much easier to listen to, since she doesn’t use quotation marks. I also enjoyed ’s “I’m Mostly Here to Enjoy Myself,” Susan Seidelman’s “Desperately Seeking Something” (one of my earliest posts here was about her movie) and most importantly — my dear friend/vegan chef contributed all the vegan recipes to ’s “Eat Like a Girl” which made the NYT Bestsellers list!!!1🎶 We went to see Nilüfer Yanya live and I have been going through her older albums. I’ve decided “Midnight Sun” sounds a lot like a Radiohead cover, but is there anything wrong with that?
did a great interview with her about writing her current album. I’ve also been going through many albums by Jackson Browne, just because I was like, I don’t know much Jackson Browne. I find his voice so calming and his melodies are soothing. Even when I listened to “Lives in the Balance” on November 6th.2🎥 I knew I’d cry watching Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield in “We Live in Time” (which I had down in the calendar as “We Live in a Time”) but I didn’t expect to break down during the happiest moments of the movie. Afterwards I really wanted Weetabix and was thrilled to discover there is a gluten-free version, but it’s like $18 for a box. Also enjoyed crying while watching “My Old Ass.” Other favorites this month: “Anora” (my friend Samantha Quan produced it), “Ali Wong: Single Lady,”3 “His Three Daughters” and a re-watch of the 1998 B&W documentary “The Cruise.”4
🎧 The “We Can Do Hard Things” podcast has been helping me process so much lately, as have the myriad of podcasts
has been a guest on. What she recently said about “No cherished outcomes” on Tim Ferris’ show has helped me think about friendships differently. And speaking of podcasts… for the most part I’m still very annoyed by AI, but Google’s NotebookLM — which basically takes any website, YouTube, pdf etc. and turns it into a podcast — is blowing my mind. My husband Abe surprised me recently by turning ME into one (even though GXT already has a show), and I kinda feel seen!Please note: I do use affiliate links and may earn a commission when you purchase something, at no extra cost to you. If you choose to ShopMy Shelf or Amazon Storefront, thanks for the support! I write more about why I’ve decided to paywall my posts here.
Ali listed my movie “Saving Face” as her AAPI fave film in this interview recently!
My full film diary is on Letterboxd
I am sure the opportunity is already heading your way 🍀. If I hear of something I will semd it to you. Which sector would work for you? Media, copywriting, strategy, non-profits, ...
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and your life with us. I hope you find something that allows your creativity and your light to reach more people.