luella’s world

shout out to Evie for influencing me on basically every product X

disclaimer: i am by no means a makeup artist or enthusiast, but i do know what works for me, and it might work for you too!

ALSO: a lot of these products are drugstore. i like to keep my makeup routine affordable.

things i feel are worth spending on:

- makeup brushes! they don’t need to be top of the line, but the cheapy ones always break! i personally use Napoleon and Morphe

- blush and bronzer/contour. the ones i use are not the cheapest, but i can trust that they’ll show up and show out. they have also lasted me longer than i thought they would (i own all minis)

not worth spending on:

- mascara. find the one that works for you and STICK TO IT. likelihood is that the cheaper ones actually last longer and look better.

- foundation. again, find the one that works for you. this will take more trial and error, but once you get to know your skin, you’ll know which foundations will work well with you.

- pressed/loose powders. good formulas aren’t always expensive. there are good drugstore and budget makeup lines that provide fantastic powders for a fraction of the cost!

SEE MAKEUP PRODUCTS BELOW

skincare:

- cleanser: la roche posay [toleraine ph balanced cleanser] with softymo oil cleanser 1x weekly

- moisturiser: avene

- SPF: mecca cosmetics save face SPF 50+

base products:

- primer: maybelline grippy serum

- foundation: maybelline fit me (098), haus labs foundation (070)

- concealer: mcobeauty (fair) [i sometimes wear this on its own when i’m feeling lazy]

cream products:

- makeup by mario contour stick (medium)

- makeup by mario blush stick (pale petal)

powders:

- nars bronzer (laguna 02)

- nars blush (orgasm)

- mcobeauty miracle flawless (translucent)

- morphe loose powder (translucent)

sprays:

- mcobeauty miracle flawless setting spray

- quick flick SPF setting spray (day)

- urban decay setting spray ~the purple one lol (night)

eyes:

- morphe black mascara

- whatever brow gel/pencil suits you! i like benefit (3)

lips:

- mecca max pout pencil (lavish)

- lanolips 101 ointment $

- summer fridays (pink sugar) $$

- dior lip oil $$$

tools used:

- morphe portrait mode brush set

- triangle powder puff [i got mine from shein]

polka dots in fashion and accessory: OUT. just like any other fast fashion trend, this one unfortunately fell victim to 2025. i fear we won’t see polka dots as much in 2026. actually, i don’t fear, i’m glad. many fast fashion brands did this wrong and it looked tacky all year. i’m glad it will be over, i’m upset as i know even more clothing is going into landfill.

streaming services: OUT. people are starting to realise they are paying for something that they will never own. to better support artists and even own the music you love, i wish people knew more about how little streaming services pay back artists for their work. and with that said…

physical media: IN. i hope this won’t become a trend for 2026 and then phase out again. we have become so used to the convenience of every song/show/movie at the tap of a card and on a screen, the appreciation for artists must come back. i love a good collection and there’s nothing better than collecting your favourite art and media!

gym membership: OUT. basically stealing your money. go outside, go to your public pool, a hike… i don’t know! ditch the walls, the world is waiting for you to go and explore!

sunset/summer ‘aesthetic’: IN. thank youuuu Zara Larsson! this is judt beginning for the midnight sun. in all seriousness, with the nostalgia of 2016; summer vibes, bright colours and fun is IN for 2026!

they don’t need to be uncomfortable,

they don’t need to be painful, and,

they don’t need to be dramatic

DELIND EXCLUSIF - PARFUMS DE MARLY

all fragrances below can be found on lknu.com.au

CIO CIO SAN - MDCI

BALLERINA No.1 - LES PARFUMS DE ROSINE

IN LOVE WITH EVERYTHING - IMAGINARY AUTHORS

SANTAL-BASMATI - AFFINESSENCE

MANAKARA - INDULT

BUT NOT TODAY - UNUM

[this is not about the US Army policy]

tonight i've been thinking about encounters in my life where people have talking about sexuality and how i've noticed that different age groups have different reactions when personal sexuality is the subject of conversation.

this is what i've noticed from being in crowds where i'm either the oldest, or the youngest (literally no in-between)

~ age >20 normalises personal sexuality and the topic of sexuality. open about thoughts, feelings and ask questions without fear.

~ age <20 are quite the opposite and don't like to talk about or disclose personal info about themselves or others, don't ask questions either.

growing up in the 2010's and living my adolescence in the 2020's i've found that people my age and younger are extremely open about themselves, and not afraid to ask others of their identity or sexuality. i believe i might sit on the cusp of people that doesn't like to be so open, and people that couldn't care less about who knows about their identity and sexual preference.

instance one is in and around the school environment. close friends, friends, and people i had only spoken to less than once in my life would come up to me and ask me such questions. "you gay?" "yeah you're bi" "so what are you?" "so you're asexual right?" "oh yeah i heard you're pan". one friend would ask me if i was fruity just about every week because i never gave a concrete answer. for the record, i have never explicitly come out as anything, nor do i plan on doing so. through these statements and questions from just about everyone in my inner/outer circle i have grown used to such questions and really don't think anything of them- like it's invasive, but you never have to tell anyone anything if you don't want to. i still don't know how to handle them though, i just shrug it off or say something like "nope, where did you hear that?" "who said that?" "i don't really know to be honest" stuff like that. i can see how it's invasive and weird, but i can also see how it's normalised and i think kids just want to know, as if it were a question like what's your favourite colour. (desensitised to the topic in a way) i think that like kids in the 2010's have grown up being taught not to care who's who and who's what and the majority know to love and accept either way.

instance two was at a karen's diner and i was with a friend. being karen's, it's already a casual and rude/invasive/wrong setting. my friend was wearing sunglasses that look like 'the fame' album cover. one worker came up to us and goes "oh my god are those, like, lady gaga" and my friend goes "oh so you're girlypop." and i go "omg yeah" and the worker blows up at my friend and i for asking that threatening to kick us out for breaching their respect code. i had so many thoughts running through my mind, like how come its normal between younger peers but with older peers its completely inappropriate? (i'm talking 15-19 being younger and 20-25 being older) why is this guy blowing up at my friend like this because its not like we care, but then again why did we need to ask? i believe the waiter was 18 or a little older, i feel really bad for him and i know my friend didn't want to upset him, but then again in a setting full of young people the question is so normalised that neither of us expected that reaction from him. talking to this friend, we don't believe young people ask someones sexuality as a malicious thing as it was in the past. sexuality is something that people are still fighting for today, but something that has been normalised in western cultures and through young education etc kids now are only asking because they are curious and want to know. this waiter was definitely still a teenager but was probably the youngest in their group of people in the workplace. they had an older co-worker also there speaking on their behalf, which could have influenced their reaction?

instance three was tonight (the reason why i'm writing this post actually) talking to my manager at work about instance two. the look of disgust on his face, i had lost all thoughts from my head and as much as i kept saying to save the conversation- i really couldn't say anything because i didn't realise how it was just so normalised within my age group. i've said "you can't just ask someone that" and he shuts his eyes and shakes his head in agreement. we sort of left the conversation at that, the shift was over and we went our separate ways, but i still felt like i needed to talk more about it. (so hence i'm writing this post)

in the car driving home, i was thinking asking that type of question isn't okay, especially if it's someone you don't know well enough- like it's personal info that no one is entitled to know. but why is it so normalised in my age group to simply ask and tell? like no one cares, like asking what your favourite colour is (and yes i do know its deeper than that, but genz really doesn't make it feel that way) also why isn't it normalised with people in their 20's/older? i believe they find it offensive? and there's no real conclusion to this post as everyone has their own thoughts and are 100% entitled to their own opinions. i'm just sharing this as i might find common ground with people? like if this is noticeable or if its something only i think- i really hope its not though. i believe it should be normalised? but then again i can 100% see how the question is invasive and wrong to ask (because i literally find it uncomfortable to answer) but if someone asks me like i won't be offended as i don't think its deep enough to be offended over? lol i don't even know what to think i hope someone relates to or understands this

the beginning of writing this, i was going to just do a list. a straight up list. then upon writing i added some extra words, leading to minimal captions for the first few songs... then i got extremely analytical because i'm just obsessed with gaga and her music. enjoy!

< i have also linked my playlist of my fav gaga songs at the bottom of the post! >

my top favourite lady gaga songs and why:

1. poker face - she’s as timeless as bisexuality can be, this was the first lady gaga song i had ever heard and honestly the first song i had ever heard at the ripe age of 3. this was on my dad’s hottest summer hits of 2008 and oh my god, this man is pretty homophobic yet he let me absolutely JAM to this song every day from when i was 3-5. this was the only song on the cd that i listened to, liked, LOVED. and i would be lying if i said i didn’t love it today. this song introduced me to gaga!!!! (hey girl xx), set my music standards waaay too high and wholly shaped me as a person.

2. born this way - of course it is the world number one! this song is for everyone. for freedom, rights, love and acceptance, the blueprint for the gay community, the inventor of all things homosexual, the acceptor of all people. lady gaga’s fan base is limited to NO ONE and she makes it extremely clear. the bible said it: god makes no mistakes; lady gaga just repeats it. she proved to the whole world that preaching music, love, dance, acceptance and most importantly, individuality is easy. it really is! she told the people of the world to start loving the people of the world. as the world should be.

3. just dance - also in the universal top three lady gaga songs of all time, just dance started the whole of gaga’s reign upon the world. this song embodies the ideology of an innocent feminine presence in a wild setting. she doesn't know what is going on, she has had too much, where are my keys? i lost my phone! how'd i turn my shirt inside out? although, through this time of uncertainty, she is smart enough to keep dancing, to push on and stay with the crowd, gonna be okay. this doesn't have to limit to the clueless feminine though, it appeals to anyone, helps anyone to realise that whatever troubles they may be in, it's okay to just dance. it will be okay. i feel like this is why lady gaga's songs are so captivating and addicting, and why just dance took the whole world by storm in 2008. the lyrics to her songs can be subconsciously understood by anyone and pleasing the mind through house & dance beats leading them to have a more positive mindset.

4. judas - it is no doubt that lady gaga doesn’t just produce music, she produces art. and art is always up for interpretation, so i may be wrong here, but this is my interpretation of this masterpiece. this song serves as some sort of a big fuck you to the (white) christian community (i feel in today, 2022) and how they shun upon people who ‘do evil’ even though they most definitely ‘do evil’ themselves. the chorus full of rage. she’s a holy fool, looked down upon by the community because of what she is doing, but she can’t help herself, she’s still in love with judas, the evil that the community shuns her upon. after reading material on this song, i wanted to confirm if what i typed was right and i learned that it is a metaphor: “So the song is about washing the feet of both good and evil and understanding and forgiving the demons from your past in order to move into the greatness of your future.” - pop culture as a religion… (MSN, 2011) & i believe i somewhat hit the mark on this!

5. babylon - gayest shit i have ever heard in my LIFE. i love every moment of the song, i love screaming it in the car by myself & with my friends. when i first found the song, i was going thru a pretty dramatic time in my life and i just realised that gaga is right. let them talk, babble on, battle for their lives, babylon! i don’t have to take any part in it, and honestly, from that moment forward i was in no dramas with anything & my life really started to be the most positive it had ever been! chromatica is the blueprint for healing, and this song is a perfect end to the album, representing that there is pain in healing, it is a journey, and in the end one can always come out on top through personal discovery. just like the ancient city of babylon.

6. sexxx dreams - this song got me hooked straight back onto gaga. i was not always so obsessed with her, i would always have at LEAST one of her songs in my playlists (i mean it’s gaga how could you not?) my friend posted this song to one of his instagram stories and i was like SHIT THIS IS GOOD so i went onto artpop, i will admit i didn’t really like the album at first (probs cuz i was 8 years old) but oml almost 10 years on i discovered it and artpop was the only music i would go on to listen to for the next two months. i was HOOKED. i messaged gaga about 1000 times telling her about how her music is just so incredible and how she is a walking work of art, i think she knows it but like, she needs to know it more.

7. swine - this song just killed me. the first time i heard it, i knew it was a direct response to what had happened to her in the past & the pain she was feeling. i felt it too. the rage that radiated from every word she sung, every beat that hit, every note that played just radiated the most FUCK YOU energy i have ever felt. i would do anything to hear it again for the first time on max volume. artpop was so ahead of its time that it’s not funny. it’s really not! it’s such a direct response to the pain that she has gone through during being a star, within her first five years! i’m so glad that she expressed it through art. gaga is an exceptional artist. she is able to draw out her own personal emotion in her music in the most profound way, which the audience can perceive as absolutely anything that they personally feel, or bias with, leading to the most broad, most likely wrong, analysis. gaga's performance of swine at south by southwest (Doritos BOLD campaign) is the perfect example of this. i would do anything to go back in time and see that performance.

8. fashion! - looking good and feeling fine is now my blueprint for self confidence. on a personal level, this song has helped me so much. i have always struggled with self consciousness and social anxiety, and after hearing this song it helped me to realise that we only live once, no one cares about anyone except themselves. this song has helped me grow into myself and helped me find my own personal style, that doesn’t take from the current fast fashion-esque trending styles. look at me now, i feel on top of the world in my fashion! this song draws attention to oneself, while showing the onlooker that they have no say in my fashion, i’m upbeat, i’m looking good, and i’m feeling fine! and that’s all that matters. …this is coming from 2022, where most lgbtq+ teenagers are addicted to the word slay. not sure the real origin of this word, but since i am biased i lead myself to believe that lady gaga did in fact start this too. the backing vocals in fashion repeat ‘slay, slay,’ which makes me so excited as a queer teenager today. eeee! gaga has been saying this since 2013!!!! and girl hasn’t stop slaying since x

:this is obviously all personal opinion and you are 100% free to disagree with me! this is how i personally feel with her songs & my knowledge on gaga and her music as a fan ♡:

fangirl moment: gaga receiving backlash and creating controversy over this that and the other… i don't care. she is the most authentic, genuine, amazing artist, musician on this earth. growing up partially in the church and going to a christian school for 13 years, i NEVER felt connected to god, especially the christian one. when i had to pray, i decided that i would pray to lord lady gaga as i know she’s real, and she’s out there watching over all her little monsters. thank you lady gaga. i love you and your music so much and it is my dream to one day meet you and tell you this in person, even if i am the millionth person to do so.