#toner

8/18/26.

"Speculative Fiction" is Smirk's third LP and it has been released by Smoking Room Records. When I think of this label I always think of Tony Molina - and that pans out. The first mention of the label here on the blog is 2019 when “Songs From San Mateo County” and "West Bay Grease" were discussed.

But the label has also released Toner, Hotline TNT, Zzzahara, Good Flying Birds and Ex Pilots. Smirk is focused around the work of Nick Vicario who has been in numerous bands, many of which tended to be harder (Crisis Man, for example, on Digital Regress, IS hardcore). I've never really listened to Vicario's pre-Smirk work, but it must have been pretty harsh because Smoking Room describes "Speculative Fiction" as, "a refined, focused and less chaotic approach to punk with an eye on pop-sensibility, mirroring Vicario’s new lifestyle outside of the fast lane and behind a white picket fence."

new summer loves: they happened so fast

cerave ultra-light moisturizing gel

peach & lily power cocktail lactic acid repair serum

anua heartleaf 77% soothing toner

i have fallen in love with these light and hydrating products. the feeling of the cerave gel moisturizer that i bought in a pinch when i ran out of my cerave pm was one of the best decisions i made so far this summer. i am generous with this and apply three pumps since i have combination skin. i chose the anua heartleaf to try something new for a toner instead of my tried-and-true hada labo gokujyun premium. though very different in viscosity from the hada labo toner, which is thick and juicy, this one has the consistency of water. i use my palms to gently press it into my skin. i have noticed a significant difference in my skin since using these. my skin tone and texture are more even, my acne less frequent, my face feels hydrated. that might also be because the peach & lily lactic acid serum has been in the mix as well. i’m applying the serum twice weekly and taking a short break from retinol. TBA: an update once i have a longer journey with these lovers. but so far, so good.

bonus: the shaving heroes

billie shave glaze

megababe après shave

do not sleep on these! i don’t have a complete review either yet since i just used them for the first time this evening, but i really enjoyed the ease at which i was able to shave with a “glaze” instead of a cream (not to mention, it smells divine), and the roll-on aftershave from megababe is absolutely revolutionary.

x