0 - WELCOME

Yassou!

Welcome to another month of my newsletter, and hello to the new faces! I can’t believe that we’re halfway through the year — where did time go? This month, I’m writing to you from Antiparos in Greece. It’s my first time on this island and it’s absolutely beautiful! I’m here for a friend’s wedding and will be heading to Prague afterwards. It has been great to relax after a whirlwind couple of weeks in my personal and work life.

As always, thanks for reading, and apologies for the delay in sending this newsletter out (Squarespace’s app and mobile site glitched). If you have any suggestions for future topics or general feedback, feel free to send a DM or email at jc@jacquelinechiu.com!

1 - FASHION

Summer Sandals

For me, everyday sandals fall into two categories: functional/chunky, and simple/more precious. Once warmer weather hits, I am always in (flat) sandals — long gone are flats, loafers and sneakers. Given that the weather for most of the year in NYC lends itself to sandals, I like to make sure that I have a robust collection. Comfort is key, as I need them to withstand 10K+ daily steps. Here are my favourite sandals in the market right now:

Beach Hats

The sun is shining in Antiparos, and I’ve been spending a lot of time outdoors. Sunscreen is a given — my favourites are from EltaMD and Supergoop. Hats are also mandatory, especially for beach days. Here are my beach hat picks to keep those harmful rays away:

Buying & Selling Secondhand

You all know that I love to shop, but I also love to clean out my closet. I’m a strong proponent of selling clothes that are no longer worn — don’t let pieces languish in your closet! Similarly, I enjoy buying secondhand when they are in great condition. Here are my go-to places to buy and sell secondhand:

• Vestiaire Collective: VC is my top choice for selling pre-owned items; I’ve found a lot of success here. Selling on VC takes some time/effort as you have to take photos and provide product details yourself. VC is also great because you can often find rare/limited-edition items from previous seasons/designers. VC’s commission is generally 18%

• The RealReal: TRR is my go-to when I’m feeling lazy, or if my items don’t sell on VC. It’s really easy to sell here because you just mail in your items (or bring them to a store). TRR then photographs them, provides details and holds the inventory. However, TRR sets the price and takes a much higher commission than VC (anywhere between 12-80%). So, if your goal is to make some money from your consigned items, this probably isn’t the best route. I buy on TRR as well — just keep in mind that you’ll have to pay for shipping and returns, and that handbags are always final sale!

• Poshmark: I use Poshmark very often to sell lower-priced items (generally $150 and below). Poshmark is similar to VC in that you have to take the photos and provide product details yourself. Poshmark’s commission is 20%

• Fashionphile: I love Fashionphile, but they only accept certain brands and categories (handbags, shoes, and accessories), so I don’t sell here that often. Fashionphile is my favourite place to buy pre-owned items — they have a generous return policy and their product descriptions/photos are clear and accurate. Fashionphile’s commission is 30% for items with a sale price up to $3000 USD, and 15% for the portion over

• VSP Consignment: VSP is a Canadian consignment store — I love browsing their selection and shopping here, as they have a great curation. However, VSP charges 50% commission for most items, which is quite steep — so I prefer trying other options first if I’m looking to sell my pieces

Five Things I Bought

Below are five things that I bought and loved last month:

2 - BEAUTY

Travel Beauty Essentials

As I am often traveling for work and pleasure, I spend a decent amount of time thinking about beauty products to pack so that my skincare routine isn’t interrupted. Of course, they have to be the right size and play double (or triple) duty since space is limited. Here are my tips/tricks, along with my favourite products:

• Always get samples: To my boyfriend’s chagrin, I hoard beauty samples. Whenever I shop at Sephora, I always order free skincare samples and get extra ones using points. I also like to take advantage of “Gift with Purchase” offers at various retailers so that I can stock up (e.g., at La Prairie and Augustinus Bader in the photo above). Travelling is my favourite time to try new products

• Bring items that can play double+ duty: When space is limited, I like to use multi-purpose products like Embryolisse’s Lait Creme Concentre (can be used as a makeup remover, makeup primer, facial mask, or cream), Venn’s Red Oil Serum (replaces both an oil and serum) and Supergoop’s Unseen Sunscreen (replaces sunscreen and makeup primer)

• Swap facial cleanser for a balm: Cleansers have historically taken up room in my carry-on liquids, but I have since switched to balms, which are just as effective. I love Farmacy’s Cleansing Balm

• Buy travel-sized containers: If you can’t live without a certain product, your local drugstore probably has empty travel-sized containers that you can buy. I’ve done that with shampoo and conditioner a few times

3 - OTHER

4 - PARTING NOTE

2023 seems to be the year of concerts and music festivals. I’m a die-hard Drake fan (as are most Canadians, I think) and I’ll be seeing him in NYC later this month! I can’t wait to sing my heart out.

Until next month, friends.