I love birthdays and believe in celebrating them all month long rather than just on one day (because why not?). So, I dedicated the entire month of September to birthday festivities. I didn’t always make a big deal out of birthdays, but now I anticipate September and Libra season so I can be as extra as possible and celebrate a day solely dedicated to me! Let’s dive into some of the things I did during my birthday month.

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I Got Microblading.

I’ve been putting off microblading for years, even though my sparse brows really needed it. Lately, I realized my makeup routine was taking way too long, mainly because of the time I spent filling in and shaping my brows. Since I don’t have much brow to work with, I’ve been practically creating them from scratch every day since I started wearing makeup at 13, and the 10 minutes it took was getting frustrating. So, I decided to gift myself microblading for my birthday this year.

I’d been following a brow studio on Instagram for a while, and after reviewing their work, I finally felt confident enough to take the plunge and put down a deposit to get my brows done. I got combination brows; a mix between microblading and microshading. The process was quicker than I expected. I thought it would take around two hours, but I was out in just about an hour. The artist first outlined a rough draft of how she thought my brows should look, and after I approved the shape, she started the shading process. The pain was minimal overall and I could barely feel the needle.

Honestly, I’m still unsure about how I feel about my brows. I wasn’t ecstatic when I first saw them, but I didn’t hate them either—I felt pretty neutral. I hope that I’ll notice a bigger difference once they fully heal. The only con is that the area around my brows broke out a lot and was red for an entire week which was inevitable since I have sensitive skin. On the bright side, it’s definitely been saving me time on my makeup routine, so that’s a win. My final thoughts on my microblading are to still be determined…

I Got a New Bag.

I had my heart set on getting my dream bag, the Takashi Murakami x Louis Vuitton Speedy 25, which I’ve been eyeing for the past five years. I’m usually not into pre-owned bags, but I found the exact one I wanted on Fashionphile, which is in excellent condition and at a decent price. But due to my indecisiveness, it sold out. Still determined to get a Speedy, I asked for the regular Speedy 25 as a birthday gift.

I used to have the speedy 30 but I found it to be entirely too big for someone who only carries one to three items in their purse. I find that the speedy in general is slowly making a comeback with the speedy soft that’s been incorporated in Louis Vuitton’s most recent collections, so I’m super excited to add another classic to my bag collection.

I’ve also been really into bag charms lately. Some people might think they’re tacky, but honestly, a well-chosen charm or even a simple scarf can add so much personality to your bags—if you know how to accessorize the right way.

I Went to Dinner at Eddie V’s.

As crazy as it sounds, I wasn’t the biggest fan of my makeup on my birthday, so I didn’t take many pictures aside from the ones below. However, I loved my outfit, so I’ll still share a cropped picture of what I wore to dinner. Norma Kamali is one of my all-time favorite brands, and she never misses with her dresses. Especially if you’re petite like me, her dresses fit like a glove! I have the Tara dress in a variety of colors but this specific material has got to be my favorite, predominantly during the cooler months.

Shop My Outfit:

I dined at Bobby V’s, a well-known seafood spot in the DMV. It was okay—not mind-blowing, but decent. As a seafood lover and pescatarian, I’m always on the hunt for seafood-focused restaurants that impress without being steakhouses. While it didn’t quite live up to Truluck’s, it was still a solid experience.

In Conclusion…

I hope you all enjoyed this mini personal blog post and celebrating my birthday with me! Stay tuned for upcoming travel posts and more personal content that I plan to incorporate.