crystal gemp
Meet Crystal Gemp, a vibrant and dynamic trendsetter with an insatiable passion for travel and lifestyle. Through her engaging online presence, Crystal Gemp has carved out a space to share her musings, stories, and unique perspective on the world.
Crystal’s platform is a delightful mix of fashion inspiration, everyday and special occasion outfit ideas, travel tips and itineraries, beauty insights, lifestyle advice, and self-care recommendations—all served with a healthy dose of humor and heartfelt authenticity. Crystal’s philosophy is simple: life is too short for dull content, and her posts aim to spark joy, inspire adventures, and bring a smile to your face.
When she’s not curating her next post, Crystal Gemp juggles a multifaceted life. She works tirelessly in trauma and emergency medicine, caring for patients with compassion and expertise. Outside the hospital, you’ll find her hiking scenic trails, exploring new destinations, enjoying the company of her two dogs and guinea pigs, getting lost in a good book, sweating it out in a hot yoga class, or catching up with friends over a round of French 75s.
Crystal thrives on discovering and sharing new experiences, always bringing her audience along for the ride. So whether you’re looking for style tips, travel inspiration, or just a fresh perspective on life, Crystal’s world is the perfect place to start. Grab your favorite drink, settle in, and join her on this exciting journey!
Crystal, welcome to Four Columns, and tell my readers something unique about you.
Thank you for having me! Something unique about me is that I have a deep love for both fashion and emergency/trauma and acute care medicine—two worlds that seem completely different but share a common thread: the ability to think on your feet, adapt, and stay composed under pressure. Whether curating the perfect outfit or making critical decisions in high-stakes situations, I thrive in spaces where creativity and strategy collide.
Additional fun fact about me: I have a HUGE passion for animals and am a big advocate for humane animal rights. When I’m not working, traveling, shopping, or blogging, you can probably find me volunteering at the local humane society (name drop: Humane Rescue Alliance in DC). I walk dogs here as often as possible, and occasionally post the adoptable pets to my social channels to help increase their visibility, showcase their personalities in real-time, and raise their chances for adoption. I also have a bunch of pets at home. Two dogs (Jayce, a 10 y/o labrador/husky mix, and Dakota, a 12 y/o jack-russell/chihuahua mix), one guinea pig named Soup (his bonded mate Salad recently sadly passed away), and one betta fish named Hank. They are my family and keep me sane.
Talk to me about your blog and why we should read it.
My blog is a curated space for fashion, beauty, lifestyle, and travel, designed for women who appreciate a mix of trendy, classy, and fashion-forward aesthetics. If you love effortless elegance, staying ahead of fashion trends, and discovering beauty hacks that enhance your natural glow, my blog is for you. Fashion is important to me because I spend a lot of time in the left-brained world of medicine, and therefore fashion is my creative outlet and means of daily self-expression. Curating my outfits each day is empowering to me, and allows me to showcase my independent personality, makes me feel more confident in my skin, and enables me to embrace my femininity. I want to share this powerful feeling with my female subscribers.
I also love to explore new destinations. I haven’t yet ventured outside of the United States, so my travel content is US-based and tailored specifically for solo female travelers. Again, evoking that sense of empowerment and inner confidence.
It’s 2025. Help me understand the fashion trends for women. What should women look forward to wearing?
Well, I can’t give away ALL of my future content now, can I? I will say though, that 2025 fashion is all about intentional dressing; wearing pieces that not only look good but feel good, too. ‘
In January so far, the cherry red color and “cherry-coded” theme is VERY popular. I will be dropping a blog article and some YouTube content on this trend around the 26th of this month.
I think going forward we can also look toward a lot of structural tailoring (so, blazers/coats with structured, but still feminine silhouettes). Some good examples of this are the oversized blazers that a lot of the fashion industry, celebs, and influencers have been styling with form-fitting belts at the waistline and so on. High-glam minimalism will likely continue to be popular (that quiet luxury vibe that I love so very much). Retro-futurism is another trend to be on the lookout for. The late 90s/early 2000s is having a COMEBACK right now and I think the nostalgia will continue to live through the fashion of this year.
Last but not least, eco-chic and sustainable fashion will continue to be emphasized. Therefore, timeless investment pieces are important. Fewer items, better quality, more longevity.
In terms of makeup, 2024 was defined by Sunset Blush. In 2025, will we be taking a walk down memory lane into the 80s bold inspiration?
You know, I never actually jumped onto the sunset blush trend! I’m still working on improving my beauty content and diving more into this type of material.
I do, however, think that there will be an incorporation of the bold features of the 80s when it comes to beauty. I think we’re already seeing some of these aspects in current trends, but in a more subtle tribute. For instance, high shine and glossy finishes for the lips and lids, and I can see colorful eyeliner having a moment at some point this upcoming year.
We have covered clothes and makeup. Are bags in or out?
Bags will ALWAYS be in. Circling back to sustainability, however, I do think that we will see a shift in how handbags are worn and designed. Multi-functional for instance; designs that can be worn in multiple ways. A lot of designers right now are embracing eco-conscious materials and creating sustainable bags that will later become luxury staples.
Additionally, when thinking about how bags are used with transient trends, handbags will likely continue to be used as statement accessories, with more emphasis on sculptural and artistic shapes.
You work in emergency medicine. Help me understand some of the challenges and one unique situation.
Working in emergency medicine means every day is unpredictable. I never know what I’m going to walk into for any given shift. Whether that be volume or the severity of someone’s condition. You have to be prepared for anything and constantly alert and on top of your game.
I’d have to say that some of the biggest challenges, (for me at least) include high-stress decision-making. I work part-time in an emergency department where I see any given number of conditions and situations, and then I work full-time in trauma surgery. When it comes to trauma surgery, we often have seconds to make the right call. One small mistake can be catastrophic for the patient. Every move matters, and we have to balance speed with precision. There’s little room for error.
Regarding my experiences in the field, they’re all unique. Every single patient has their own unique story to tell, comes from very different backgrounds, and has very different sentiments on different things. I enjoy being able to educate my patients so that they have a solid understanding of their current situation and what to expect; whether it’s a positive or negative outcome. I think that so many individuals in my field can lose sight of the fact that we are taking care of other human beings. Human beings with real feelings, real emotions, and real fears. It is so very important that we treat them as such and allow them to navigate any condition they are facing with grace and respect.
I only have a couple of days to visit the US. What are your top recommendations and why?
With only a couple of days to visit, I recommend cities that have a little bit of everything. You need to be able to experience the culture, fashion, food, and any other iconic experience that the US has to offer. I think that this also depends on the type of person you are and your personality.
For instance, if you love fashion, food, and hustle-bustle, then I would highly recommend New York City. NYC has the ultimate mix of all of these things. You have the MET which is iconic in and of itself, you can shop on Fifth Ave, and there are so many restaurants around in which you can experience world-class dining all in 24 hours. I haven’t covered New York yet on my blog, but this is making me feel like I really should, and soon.
Chicago is also a great option. Beautiful architecture, their fashion scene is completely underrated, and also, deep-dish pizza is a must.
What does women’s empowerment mean to you?
To me, women’s empowerment is about choice, confidence, and community. It’s about having the freedom to define success on our terms—whether that means running a business, excelling in a career, embracing motherhood, or all of the above.
With the heavily divided and highly politicized environment that has become the US over the past several years, women are feeling the effects and ANGER regarding their life-long oppression. It’s not always blatant or loud, and often much more subtle, but it’s definitely there, and we’re frequently reminded in the smallest of ways. It’s so important that we continue to support one another and continue to work toward equality. We cannot give up. We need to continue to lift each other up. When one woman succeeds, it paves the way for others to do the same.
You have flawless skin. Give us your routine.
Ah! Thank you! I tend to change it up quite frequently, but the steps are always the same! Consistency and simplicity are KEY. It’s also important to remember that everyone’s body is different, and what works well for me, may not be the best option for your skin type and composition!
In the mornings, I typically use a gentle cleanser (my current favorite is Fenty’s Jelly cleanser called “Melt-Awf”), followed by a vitamin C serum for brightness. I utilize a lightweight moisturizer and then complete the routine with a lightweight SPF cream if my moisturizer doesn’t already contain SPF. SPF is so so so important.
At night I do a double cleanse. Once, to take off my make-up, and then again to remove any remaining oil and dirt trapped deep in my pores. Follow this up with a retinol or any hydrating serum. I typically apply an eye cream next (when it comes to skincare, you want to apply the lightweight products first and seal everything in with your heavier moisturizers at the end). Lastly, I top all of this off with a moisturizer. I’ve been using a moisturizer from a brand called Laurens. It’s been doing a great job so far with the cold weather months! I’ll do a face mask right after a cleanse as well once or twice throughout the week!
Above all though, it’s really important to stay hydrated. Make sure you’re getting at least 8 cups of water (64 oz) per day, eating foods that are nourishing for your body, and getting at least 7-9 hours of sleep per night. Good skin starts from within!
