chérie liquor

Kiko Mizuhara in Helter Skelter (2012)

Berets are one of the most classic items in millinery history and have been woven into the heart of Western fashion for almost a century.

You'll frequently catch me sporting one or cuddling a hoard of ten at any given retail store, which is why I'm often asked by friends about them. I decided to create this post to answer the questions beret virgins may have when starting on their quest to channel their inner early 20th century French actress self.

Would I look good in a beret? 

Much like how your skin betrays you by making it apparent to the world that you're stressed or having hormonal imbalances, berets, although most of the time look good on anyone, can have their bad days too. These hats pair well with any race, gender, hairstyle, wardrobe style, body type, forehead size, etc., but if they look wonky the one day you try them on, don't give up. In my case, if my hair isn't perfectly clean and it falls a bit flat, it's just not happening for me. You'll find the right time and fit for you one way or another.

How do I wear a beret?

The most common styling of a beret is to fit it on your head 1-2 inches from your hairline (easier to navigate if you have bangs) and fixing it to rest most of the material toward one side or the other. This is to detract from the flying saucer effect most berets create when centered, which might still look cute especially if you have a smaller head.

If you'd like, you can pull the beret down to cover your forehead and/or the tops of your ears for warmth or a different style as well. If you have a smaller forehead or arched eyebrows this might not be as flattering depending on your own preferences.

How do I style a beret? / What can I wear a beret with?

Anything. But if you're really banging your head against the wall looking for inspiration, I've come equipped with suggestions based on the different types of berets out there.

Missguided

Christy Turlington

Saima Chowdhury

Here's the go to beret for beginners. Most are made with wool or felt so they pair well with all other materials thanks to their soft, matte appearance. $17 reformation.com / $9 amazon.com

Wear with: mom jeans, gingham, high-waisted shorts, long pleated skirts, flowy or form-fitting dresses, simple jewelry, leather pants.

Rihanna

Sixty Six

Angelababy for Marie Claire China

To add a tough, sexy, Rihanna-esque element to any look, swap out the wool for a sleek leather beret. These look especially favorable on those with curls or wavy hair. $39 urbanoutfitters.com / $11 charlotterusse.com

Wear with: thin chokers, oversized denim jackets, dark skinnies or trousers, ankle boots, bright lips.

Elsa Hosk

IU

Pretty AnntoiNet's

The quickest way to add a pop of color to any outfit is with a colored beret. Red is the second most sought after beret color after black, but colors like camel, burgundy, hunter green, pink, and navy are flattering on everyone as well. You can also go for matching head to toe if you want to seem extra chic and put-together. $28 freepeople.com / $16 asos.com

Wear with: matching sets, faux fur, overalls, vintage (sun)glasses, off-the-shoulder sweaters, vegan leather handbags.

Photo by Nabile Quenum

Photo by Emily Malan

Photo by Imaxtree

Sometimes you need some structure in your life. The base of the beret is held together by leather and offers more shape to the hat so that it isn't subjected to your head shape or gravity. I've seen a lot of these worn by East Asian celebrities and fashion weeks goers. $19 urbanoutfitters.com /

Wear with: belted blazers, corduroy skirts, plaid trousers, tights or thigh-highs, long earrings, sheer layering pieces.

Adwoa Aboah

Krystal and Jessica Jung

STYLENANDA

T-shirts aren't the only way to make a statement. Try a beret with a quote or saying that interests or represents you. These look especially nice in cursive handwriting but bolder fonts are great for short, blunt political text. They can also feature pictures or logos. Some berets even have embellishments like pearls or metal rings attached, which prove perfect when you're feeling lazy about accessorizing. $18 stylenanda.com / $34 mixxmixx.com

Wear with: plain t-shirts, bomber jackets, loafers, raw hem denim, comfy t-shirt or bodycon dresses, small hoops, fuzzy crop tops, bucket bags.

Sex & The City

Korean singer-songwriter, Jang Da-Hye aka Heize (pronounced "Hay-Ju" or "Haze") has carved her way into hearts and charts over the last few years with R&B influences, rainy day appeal, doll-like visuals, and warm personality.

Her most recent comeback Wish & Wind continues her dreamy but real stories of lost love and breakups, but rather than glowing houses on the moon and fights with life-size teddy bears, lead single "Jenga" puts her heart right into the losing side of the well-known board game.

In the song she talks about taking the risk of putting your all into building a love that's still fragile and how one false move from her lover could have her collapsing much like the tower of blocks in the original game.

"Is it Okay?" has a melody reminiscent of her OST for the drama Prison Playbook, both sound pretty and sweet all while talking about losing in love. The song takes the place of the dump-ee asking the dump-er if they would really be fine with them breaking up and never seeing them, touching them, hearing them again. It's pretty bold to have this confrontational setup especially as a woman, all while having still a soft, almost passive aggressive deliverance.


Heize's second single, "Didn't Know Me" or the literal translation "I'm Worse" covers the after thoughts and regret of the previous track. When relationships don't end on bad terms, is it right to express your pain and put it all on your ex's lap? Heize asks this of herself while thinking back to the body language reacting to her barrage of resentful texts. The song paired with its music video especially gives off cinematic rom-com ending credit vibes.

Davii is a close friend of Heize and has done a lot of producing and features with her. He helped on all fronts with this entire mini album in particular and if you've listened through, give a listen to his own single "Navigation" and you can map out just what his music style is about.

"Wish You Well" is the healing and closure chapter of Wish & Wind. Davii joins Heize and the two voices come to your ears like honey as they have nothing but praises and best wishes for each other in the future.

The interlude "Wind" is a gorgeous two minute piano trip that takes you to the jazz age and brings you back to that vision of Heize in the fedora and suit in glimpses of the "Jenga" music video.


For me, Heize saved the best for last. When we thought she was apologetic and embarrassed of her own emotions she steps in with the playfully sarcastic "Sorry."
she addresses her own foolish feelings and disdain for not being like those on TV who are so good at putting on a fake smile and pretending to be happy. If you were a fan of old school Lily Allen, this has a lot of that spunk and flair. The video features a robot Heize being spectated closely by dozens of cameras before frying and burning out, representing the happy facade coming apart. She's too cool.

The EP is available on iTunes/Apple Music and Spotify along with physical CDs on Amazon

Sheet masks have made their way into the Western world as a skincare staple at a steady pace over the past few years, and have found a very fond spot in my heart as well.

If you're looking for a show to make you struggle to keep a steady grip on your wine glass from exhilarating suspense, JTBC's Misty is here for your viewing pleasure.


For those unfamiliar with South Korean dramas, there are a lot of cliches to make one hesitant about dipping their toes into the thousands of one-season shows out there. I can attest to there being many rom-coms fitting the bill, but fear not.. Misty is a romance-thriller featuring a feisty, powerful female lead guaranteed to make you feel on edge by the end of the hour.

The premise of the show follows Go Hye-Ran, a prime time news anchor at the top of the game, who becomes the suspect in a celebrity athlete's murder case. Her husband, Kang Tae-Wook, is a former prosecutor with a powerful family background, who takes on defending his wife while attempting to rekindle their feelings for each other.

Without giving away the whole plot so far, ooh boy, am I sweating with anticipation for each new episode.


Kim Nam-Joo who portrays Hye-Ran in the show is driven, go-getting, and all around woman crush material. It's the perfect role for the actress making her small-screen comeback after half a decade. Throughout the show, she tackles sexism in a male-driven industry while exuding extreme professionalism in her pursuit of delivering the absolute truth to the public.

The chemistry between Nam-Joo and her co-star Ji Jin-Hee is fiery and full of sexual and emotional tension, even while they barely graze past each other on set. Another great aspect about the mature themes of this drama, is the lack of lovey-dovey fluff scenes and focus on real life struggles in the lives of working middle-aged spouses.

Viewership has been high for the smaller network and Misty has been at the top of search results and brand power in Korean media since it started in early February. The show is about halfway through and still on air Friday and Saturday nights. If you're interested (as you should be) you can catch up on DramaFever now with English, Spanish, and Portuguese subtitles available!

Though the Parisian fashion week has not yet come to a close, I thought I'd jump start on my top ten collections before I'm caught dazed in my PR internship bubble once more.

Danai Gurira

Tami Williams

Oh Song Hwa

Kiki Willems

Alécia Morais

Grace Bol

Shin Hyun Ji

Adut Akech

Chiharu Okunugi

The quest to end under-eye creasing required a long process of trial and error, but ALAS, the solution has arrived.

I will note that my skin type is combination (T-zone gets oily as the day goes on but cheeks and forehead are normal) and my pores are unfortunately large. The occasional breakout comes my way mostly due to hormonal changes and my skin is sensitive for the most part.

Skincare and make-up aren't something to put 100% of your trust into the words of someone else because what works for your face is only able to be determined upon actually trying products for yourself. It sucks, but just know you're not alone when you make a hopeful purchase and it backfires big time.


Under-eye creasing can be solved a number of ways depending on the actual crease line size and depth and skin type of an individual. Some people can just bake their face in loose powder or spritz a few rounds of setting spray to survive the day in crease-less peace, while others, like myself, have to seek other methods.

The product that has been the most effective at reducing the awful BB cream build-up under my eyes is surprisingly eye cream. It's best to buy a lightweight or gel-based eye cream/moisturizer that absorbs into your skin within 30 seconds to ensure it won't make the crease situation even worse. What light eye creams do is create a hydration barrier over the thin, fragile under-eye skin to combat the dryness derived from stress, wind, pollutants, and tiredness throughout the day that cause your makeup to slip into the cracks and create those unsightly tiger stripes.


My current favorite is Nature Republic's Polynesia Lagoon Water Hydro Eye Cream ($14, beautyboxkorea.com).

It smells fresh and reminiscent of the lagoon water description while not being too overpowering or full of perfumes. The product is not sticky or greasy and leaves no film/residue upon application.

Obviously in warmer, more humid climates you'll still experience creasing issues, but the addition of this eye cream prior to your primer and base makeup can tremendously help to minimize the problem.