spice corner 013
Kickstarting 2026 with cautious optimism, January's reflections, silent vlog recs, and must-read Substack articles.
Hey guys, welcome to my first monthly segment of 2026! 🎇 January has felt like the fastest long month already. I am getting into gear for the execution of new plans this year - Q1 is about to be very interesting to say the least. You can think of this segment as the calm before the storm. A good (hopefully) kind of storm. Without further ado, let’s get right into reflections and media recommendations from January!
monthly reflections
I’ve been on autopilot mode over the last year and didn’t invest much into my physical appearance other than dyeing my hair and getting dolled up for my cousin’s wedding last September. It’s usually compliments from kind strangers that remind me that even though my brain is constantly whirring, my outer shell is pretty cute too. My go-to makeup look is always natural glam and lately, I thought I’d spice it up by trying to achieve a “bitten lip” matte look. I bought the Burt Bees Tinted Lip Balm in Red Dahlia and Charlotte Tilbury’s Lip Cheat Lip Liner in Pillow Talk Deep. It’s such a beautiful combination that pairs perfectly with winged eyeliner for the ultimate dark feminine look!
It’s been a long month of hearing log kya kahenge (“What will people say?”) from family members, which is an exhausting battle on its own. It really beats me as to why some people would rather believe in comfortable lies than hear the bitter truth, and I can’t help but notice that the scripts these family members have followed their whole lives has led to discontentment and misery. I refuse to follow the life advice of people who dread waking up to their own life everyday. The hard part is delivering the truth to them in a kind way when they don’t care about upholding good character in return.
Speaking of log kya kahenge, I started doing deep dives into the faith I grew up in and have realized that the “rules” I’ve seen adults weaponizing against “subordinates” my whole life weren’t actually even rules after all - they were prime examples of culture being conflated with religion. This knowledge has been a soothing balm over the deep gash of religious trauma I’ve carried within me all my life. I’ve always thought of spirituality as a private connection between an individual and a higher power and it’s been cathartic realizing that there are academics and scholars who second my perception.
what I’ve been watching
I’ve been romanticizing the mundane lifestyles of people all over the world in the form of silent vlogs. Silent vlogs were extremely popular during the COVID-19 pandemic as they allowed people to find beauty in their everyday lives. I was in graduate school during this time and would watch these as a “ritual of sanity” on an everyday basis. I ran out of TV shows to watch lately so I decided to go back to the YouTubers I love.
Plan D is my favorite vlogger out of this entire list! She lives in Seoul, South Korea, and is a very talented woman who can whip up a feast out of frozen leftover ingredients and also has a passion for sewing and other crafts! I’ve seen her make purses, clothing, jewelry, and many other items with impressive craftsmanship. She also takes the viewer on a tour at times to explore new places to eat as well as small gift shops with niche decor.
Shin lives such an interesting life in Turkey! I love her daily routines, her aesthetic editing, and her stationery hauls. She also has electronics unboxing and home decor content! I used to journal a lot in graduate school and had a large collection of washi tapes, card stock, pens, and stickers that Shin put me on.
Khairultbh is based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Men who silent vlog are rare so it was refreshing to discover him a few years ago! It’s so cool to have seen him grow from working a job he disliked to living his best life on camera. He lives in a country that is predominantly Muslim so I really enjoy watching his Ramadan and Eid content.
top monthly reads
So fun fact about me is that I hate situationships to the point that I would never let one touch me within a five mile radius. I got to that point at the relatively young age of 23 years old because I basically was in a devastating one in which I had a lot of firsts with that person…only for them to completely flip their behavior overnight. I was not mature or self-respecting enough myself at the time to end things at the first bad sign which kind of led to a “sometimes on, sometimes off” mess for a few years. Olive’s essay reminded me of how far I’ve come from back then and how a really bad situationship can be a complete game changer in terms of how one goes about dating.
There’s nothing more annoying than a South Asian wedding that drags on for 7-10 events. Pakistani weddings in particular have become more ostentatious thanks to the censorious gaze of social media. What used to be just three days has now expanded to include bachelorette parties, bridal showers, etc. I’m not trying to say that we should follow a narrow traditional template for our weddings but rather that it’s foolish to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on this stuff only for people to say things like her dress wasn’t all that and the food sucked. I have long been an advocate for having a one-and-done event but in a culture that prioritizes weddings as the most important day of of a woman’s life, it’s understandable most people want a multi-day celebration.
music
Aaand that’s a wrap. If you made it this far, let me know how January went for you. For everyone celebrating in a few weeks, happy early Valentine’s Day. ♥️ I hope you all had a lovely month and I will catch you in my next post!
ahh I've also reverted to getting back to my older joys of watching my YouTuber's cooking and day-in-a-life routines-- especially to keep the momentum going during a dreaded chore or cooking or embroidering. It helps to feel productive if I see productive, haha!
I totally relate to being on autopilot about my appearance, I'm trying to pick it up a little because I remember how good it made me feel to take care of myself a little more. I did impulsively cut some bangs this month to feel something. Would not do it again, but you can't knock it till you try it right?!