Island & Hills

February 8, 2016 / 0 Comments

I&H Guides: Clear Skin

For the last ten years, I have struggled with moderate acne and sensitive, combination skin. Solving these skin problems has been one of my biggest recurring resolutions, with no lasting results… until now. After eight months on a strict, prescribed regimen, I can happily say that my skin is clearer and healthier than it has been since puberty.

#iwenttosleeplikethis

My goal for this post is to help others dealing with the same issues save some of the time (and money) I wasted (and avoid the mistakes I made along the way).

If you suffer from acne (or know of someone who does), here are my tips for clearer skin:

WALK OUT OF THE DRUGSTORE AND INTO THE DERMATOLOGIST’S OFFICE

I have spent hundreds of dollars on skincare products with hopes that I would land on that “miracle” treatment that would solve all my problems. For a long time, I foolishly believed that dermatologist visits were not affordable and would do little to cure my acne. It wasn’t until I found a dermatologist in New York (and visited her consistently) that I started seeing lasting results. I have pretty basic health insurance and each appointment costs me $40 out of pocket. She prescribed me two topical treatments (Aczone and Tazorac) that were a bit pricey, but have saved me so much in the long run. So step out of the drugstore aisle, click out of the millions of tabs open on your desktop, and stop trying to self-prescribe the perfect formula; there are professionals who will do that for you.

January 11, 2016 / 0 Comments

Pop Culture Corner: Golden Globes 2016

This year’s Golden Globes were the perfect combination of glamorous Hollywood moments and career-making surprises. Before going into my personal favorite highlights and awards, I wanted to explain the difference between the Golden Globes and the Academy Awards (the Oscars) because it can definitely be confusing with so many award shows with what seems like very similar nominees. The Golden Globes are voted on by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), which is an esteemed group of top print and television journalists from around the world. The Oscars, on the other hand, are voted on by the Academy, which consists of fellow actors, directors, editors and other filmmakers – so it’s more of a peer vote. Additionally, the Golden Globes are the only award show that include both film & television.

I thought Ricky Gervais did a great job and unlike most award shows, I was happy whenever he re-appeared on stage and I really do appreciate his sense of Hollywood-deprecating humor, and the fact that he says what everyone is thinking in a totally unapologetic way. Although I did feel like his bit about the award show being long and boring was a bit overdone after the second time. Another early highlight was Jonah Hill dressed as the bear from The Revenant, but at the same time it also felt like a lame attempt to re-remind everyone that he’s friends with Leonardo Dicaprio so, it’s cool guys, he can joke about the alleged bear rape scene.

I was thrilled that Kate Winslet won for Jobs, she was great in that role and she’s just an overall gem in my heart. Her winning the same year as Leo was the cherry on top. So was this moment caught by the cameras during commercial break:

December 31, 2015 / 0 Comments

2015: Year in Review

As we move forward into 2016, we’d like to say a quick thanks to everyone who has supported us in our first year. Since our launch date this past June, we have accumulated over 4,800 total views on Island & Hills, with readers in more than 59 countries. We are so blown away by these numbers and truly appreciate your readership and feedback. We have tons of new content in store for 2016 and can’t wait to share this next chapter of Island & Hills with you all. Wishing you & yours a fantastic new year!

Sincerely,

Aditi & Maddie

December 14, 2015 / 0 Comments

I&H Spotlight: Rachel Koretsky

Meet Rachel Koretsky, 23, the Founder and CEO for her startup upace. We talked to Rachel about the exciting new fitness app, and what it’s like to be an entrepreneur and leader in her career.

Maddie: What is upace?
Rachel: upace is a management mobile and online app to help individuals find the optimal time and resources to live a healthier lifestyle. The software will allow the university to analyze data that will assist in meeting campus needs. Our mission is to help students find fitness resources on campus at the right time to fit within their individual needs. In fact, that is how we created our name – find your pace.

M: Describe your role.
R: I am the founder and CEO of upace.

December 8, 2015 / 0 Comments

Wish List + Resolutions

I have had a lot of deep thoughts about mortality lately. Probably not the cheeriest way to kick off a post about the holidays, but I’ve promised authenticity on I&H, and that’s where my head has been these past several weeks. These thoughts started with the attacks in Paris, made worse by the threat on New York City, and the shootings in Colorado Springs and San Bernardino. I was taking my life for granted before these events. Now, my frame of mind is different.

December 4, 2015 / 0 Comments

December Favorites: LA

DECEMBER 5TH – LOS ANGELES HARBOR HOLIDAY AFLOAT PARADE

This holiday tradition has been around for over 50 years and features elaborately decorated boats. The Battleship Iowa hosts guests to watch the event with cocoa, cookies, carolers, cocktails, and a visit from Santa.

DECEMBER 10TH – HOLIDAY HAPPY HOUR @ LA ZOO LIGHTS

Starting at 6:30pm, guests can enjoy a heated private lounge with complimentary snacks, wine & beer. There are even special holiday cocktails for purchase. What’s better than Christmas lights, animals & booze?

Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/la-zoo-lights-holiday-happy-hour-21-tickets-1895847029

December 2, 2015 / 0 Comments

Get Inspired

A wise woman once told me “fake it ’til you make it”; I’ve found that one of the best ways to do this is through consistent study of other people’s work. When making a living in a creative field, it’s important to gather as many sources of inspiration as possible. While Instagram, Pinterest and Tumblr can all be good starting points, I have compiled a handful of my favorite “alternative” inspiration sites. The need for visual inspiration isn’t exclusive to designers. The next time you’re stuck on a problem, idea or brainstorm, take a break and explore; designspiration.net has an incredible search function (type anything in — or search by color! — and you’ll get results). Friends of Type and Fonts in Use are amazing for the typography junkie and rookie alike (they’ll make you look at type differently). Oh Beautiful Beer has been a longtime favorite (and secret dream job) of mine. See the full list below:

The Pattern Library

The Dieline

Designspiration

Friends of Type

Fonts in Use

Nowness

Oh Beautiful Beer

What inspires you? How do you get “unstuck”? We want to know in the comments below!

November 20, 2015 / 1 Comment

Love at First Listen: Orla Gartland, JR JR & more

As the days get shorter, I am mentally preparing myself for the forthcoming New York City winter. I was unprepared for the last one (my first ever as a resident here), so I am doing everything I can to keep a good attitude about the fast approaching season ~~of doom~~. This means creating a winter bucket list (concerts, movies and museums are all fun things you can do indoors) AND gearing up my Spotify with some happier, more upbeat tunes. Today’s Love at First Listen post is a collection of my favorite feel goods*, a proven antidote for weather/career/general life-related blues.

Kate Bush/Cyndi Lauper Mashup, Orla Gartland

November 11, 2015 / 2 Comments

Tinder Ambiguity

A couple nights ago, I went to dinner with one of my closest friends in the city. Over a couple of amazing cocktails, we swapped stories of our current dating highs and lows. I shared my most recent dilemma with her: when meeting people through apps (especially on Tinder), it is really hard to know what someone is looking for. Rarely is it ever explicitly stated in a person’s profile, which makes every first date feel like some sort of psychological study; while chatting about our backgrounds, interests and lives in New York, I am constantly pulling for subtext. If he mentions an old girlfriend, does that mean he wants something more serious? If he picks a spot three blocks from his apartment, does that mean he’s only interested in the Netflix and chill part of the evening?

To be clear, I’m not looking for any sort of serious relationship right now, but I’m also not interested in a casual, one-time fling. I want to get to know someone to the point where I feel like I can trust them before anything physical happens; that’s just how I roll.

Sharing these thoughts with my friend, we realized we were in the same boat and came up with an interesting experiment. Rather than continuing to navigate this grey area, we decided to cut to the chase and see what happened. We each pulled out our phones, logged onto our respective apps (Bumble for her, Tinder for me), and typed the following to our most recent connections:

“Out of curiosity, what are you looking for on [name of app]?”

I blindly swiped right on at least twenty guys and asked them all the same question (maybe this will affect my Tinder karma… can someone tell me if Tinder karma exists and, if so, will I lose Super Likes because of this?)

November 6, 2015 / 0 Comments

Pop Culture Corner: Must-See Fall Films

SUFFRAGETTE

October 23, 2015
Directed by Sarah Gavron

Trailer:

STARRING

Carey Mulligan
Helena Bonham Carter
Meryl Streep

The timing for Suffragette couldn’t be better. I think it’s an important story and I’m happy to see it being told on screen with three strong female leads. It’s the kind of movie that makes you appreciate the past and feel hopeful about the future. I think Landslide playing in the background of this trailer is making me feel all warm and emotional inside…