A Day In My Life Featuring Tima

What is one thing people instantly recognize about your content?

I personally couldn’t really put a name to it, but I’ve asked this question on my stories and someone wrote “cutesy coquettish vibes with some late 2000’s computer visuals”, which makes me sound cooler than I thought, haha.

What does a typical content day look like for you right now in Shanghai?

Honestly, most of my days spent doing anything are by myself. My makeup, vlogs and OOTDs are usually just me, my tripod and a lot of delusion. However, if I need or want to film something requiring help, or I’m going to some kind of event, I have my content besties, who help me overcome my social anxiety and bad lighting.

What’s something about your daily life that feels unique to living there?

Shanghai is quite different from Seoul or any other place I’ve lived in. My apartment is in a very beautiful, chic area, full of trees, cafes and fashionable people.  I’d say Shanghai is the definition of a melting pot
city. There are so many styles, foods and events happening at all times—it can be a bit overwhelming sometimes. However, it is quite easy to tune into the rhythm and feel like you belong here.

Has your style changed since living there?

Oh yes. I feel like 2020-2023 in Korea was a trial and error stage for me. Honestly, too many errors. Most of the time I get a “here is you 3-4 years ago” from my iPhone, the cringe overwhelmes the nostalgia. Though I still find those times quite precious. As for my life in Shanghai, 2023-present, I feel like I finally know who I am.

My fashion, my makeup style and skills have settled on an aesthetic that is true to my soul. I can’t necessarily put a name to it, as I still feel compelled to revise and polish what I put out into the world and what kind of a person I wish to be from time to time. Shanghai is a good place for it, since people are quite experimental with themselves, and not too judgy at what you do.

Your makeup tutorials are always very beautiful. Are there any products, techniques, or trends you’ve picked up?

I have to admit, I am still a K-beauty devotee. What I admire most about many modern makeup and skincare brands is their dedication to story building and visual curation. As a fashion design major, I feel inspired from the campaigns and products being put out by brands like Fwee, Laka or even legacy brands like Clio (especially their semi-recent K-Royal heritage).

Some of my recent faves have been Nuse Liquid Blush in 04, Tirtir Ruby Nesh Cushion, Fwee Dirty Cola 30% and Heart Percent Lip Pencil in 09.
However, I must say, C-beauty has a bunch of bangers as well. Brands like Flower Knows combine their aesthetic driven products with actually good quality. Their palettes and liquid blushes are my faves. My favorite C-beauty foundation is Judydoll Moisturizing Cushion—I would compare it to Tirtir, though a pinch lighter in coverage.

When it comes to trends and techniques, I’m still thankful that the glass-skin-clean-girl wave ripped me away from the clutches of 2018 matte makeup. I spend quite a bit of time prepping my sensitive, dehydrated skin. After moisturizing skincare, glowy sunscreen, I love using a hydrating water spay or even something with more substance, like Knock’s Serum Mist. As for my favorite makeup techniques, right now I love blurred out lip contour with a tint and a gloss right in the center of the lips.

How does your environment influence your content or style?

I’d say being connected to three distinct social media spheres, Chinese, Korean and Western, gives me a lot of inspiration for content. I can try one thing on one platform, if it doesn’t resonate with my audience there, I can always try to post it on the other. I try not to get too harsh on myself if something doesn’t perform well, I put more emphasis on visuals and ideas behind it and if I find it interesting and aesthetically pleasing. And whenever I will cringe looking back at it in a couple of months or not.

Are there places, aesthetics, or details that inspire you daily?

Indeed, I try to find something to inspire me daily. Digitally, it is mostly on Instagram (like fashion and beauty campaigns or other content creators), also Pinterest. For my university projects I have to gather a lot of visual inspirations, so Pinterest is an ideal tool. When it comes to places, it is not necessarily a specific area, but the atmosphere.

My ideal environment to gather inspiration and, for example, editing my content, is at a coffee shop, alone. I am at my best and most creative when I am alone with my thoughts and headphones, but in a softly stimulating environment, like a good cafe. I cannot for the life of me be productive at my own home, I just want to sleep and doomscroll. So, multiple times a week I go out to work on content or my other projects and a coffee shop, I’m an expert at finding very good ones.

Is there something you’ve discovered that you now can’t live without?

Honestly, I cannot live without or leave my house without perfume. If something smells of vanilla, makeup powder or white florals, put it on my body. There are two brands that don’t have a single perfume that I couldn’t appreciate, Diptyque and BornToStandOut. Right now my go-to’s from them are Eau Duelle and Indiscent Cherry.

What advice would you give to creators who want to build their content while living in a new or unfamiliar place?

I think that is a great opportunity to start something new. Reinvent your profile, your style, even your personality, there is always a way to grow into something new and interesting. However, something that I personally am trying to do is keep my humanity visible to anyone who follows me. People tend to curate their online media too much, making it seem too perfect. My fear is for people to meet me while expecting something different from reality. Also, mental health is crucial for creating consistently good content and it is hard to achieve if you feel like you’re presenting a lie.

Check out Tima’s TikTok here: @tima_feifei