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    WEEKEND READING LIST: 6.12.26

    Savannah HeraldBy 6 Mins Read
    WEEKEND READING LIST: 6.12.26

    Style Spotlight: Looks, Trends & Fashion Inspiration

    Key takeaways
    • Roundup of the best burgers in NYC, including Emily, Raoul's, and Swoony's, great places to bookmark.
    • FDA approved new filter Parsol Shield (bemotrizinol), promising lighter, less chalky sunscreens; products could arrive this summer.
    • Peak tomato season advice: seek heirloom varieties like Brandywine and Cherokee Purple, beefsteaks for slicing, plums for sauce.
    • Former monk reframes scrolling: ask, does this content expand or shrink you, then unfollow accordingly.
    • Oral history of Steven Spielberg from collaborators like Tom Hanks and George Lucas, plus rave reviews for Disclosure Day.

    1. CULTURE

    This article on the “Influencer-ification of the Bridal Party” does a great job capturing how strange and expensive it’s gotten to be a bridesmaid! The bridesmaid proposal box started as a sweet gesture to ask your closest friends to stand beside you at the altar, but has evolved into something that looks a lot more like a brand PR mailer – think full-size Nécessaire bodywashes, silk pillowcases, Maison Margiela candles, and custom wax-sealed calligraphy notes… all before the bachelorette party has even been planned! And then the bachelorette has its OWN welcome bags, themed itineraries, and custom logos printed on literally everything! As someone who has received (and genuinely appreciated) my share of PR packages, I get the appeal of a beautifully curated box. But the detail that really stuck with me was the bride who felt like her proposal fell flat because she asked her best friend on a park bench — no swag, nothing Instagrammable. Her words: “The moment felt small because the internet makes it so large.” The products are fun. But your best friend saying yes? That’s the whole thing!

    2. NYC

    As a New Yorker who takes her burgers seriously, this roundup of the best burgers in NYC is a fun one to bookmark. A few highlights: the burger at Emily in the West Village is described as almost “filthy” in the best way, Raoul’s in SoHo which only makes 12 burgers a night at the bar, and Swoony’s in Brooklyn which I already know and love, also made the cut. Lots of new ones on this list for me to try out! (And if you want to know where I’d personally send you, my own NYC burger picks are here for paid subscribers!)

    3. BEAUTY

    The FDA has finally approved a new sunscreen filter for the first time since 1999, and this is huge news for anyone who has ever envied the silky, weightless sunscreens available in Europe and Asia! The new filter, called Parsol Shield (the brand name for bemotrizinol), has been used in international formulas for decades – it’s actually the active ingredient in the cult Japanese sunscreen Bioré UV! Sunscreens made with it feel better on skin, work at lower concentrations, and leave far less of that chalky white cast we’ve all been complaining about forever. One company spent an estimated $20 million navigating FDA requirements to make this happen, and we should probably all thank them! Expect to see products on shelves as early as this summer. It’s not a full sunscreen renaissance yet, but it’s a very promising start!

    4. COOKING

    Peak tomato season is almost here, and this breakdown of every tomato variety is a great one to have in your back pocket before hitting the farmers’ market! The short version: grocery store tomatoes often taste like nothing because they’re bred for durability and shelf life, not flavor. Typically they are picked unripe then sprayed with ethylene gas to induce reddening and softening. Heirloom tomatoes (uneven, colorful, with interesting names like Brandywine and Cherokee Purple) are the ones worth seeking out at peak season! Beefsteaks are best for slicing and plum tomatoes are well suited for sauce. Basically, if it’s summer and you see tomatoes at a farmers’ market…stop and buy some! I predict more pan con tomate in my future…

    5. MENTAL HEALTH

    This piece written by a former monk reframes phone scrolling in a way that really struck me: every time you open an app, you’re directing your attention toward something and saying “this matters” – and the algorithm that answers doesn’t have your well-being in mind. The practical takeaway is simple: go through the accounts you follow and ask yourself one question: does this expand me or shrink me? Not whether it’s entertaining, but how you feel afterward. More curious and grounded, or more anxious and numb? Unfollow accordingly. I’m not about to delete my apps, but the “expand or shrink” question feels like a worthwhile gut check and a powerful question to sit with next time you’re doing a social media audit!

    6. MOVIES

    If you’re a movie buff, you’ll enjoy this oral history of Steven Spielberg, told by the actors, directors, and collaborators who were there! Over 30 people, including Tom Hanks, George Lucas, Whoopi Goldberg, and Liam Neeson, share their firsthand memories across his entire career. What comes through clearly is that he’s not just a technical genius behind the camera, but a genuinely warm collaborator who is well loved in the film community. It’s a long read but absolutely worth it, especially if you grew up watching his movies! Btw I can’t wait to see his newest film, Disclosure Day – it’s been getting rave reviews and hits theaters today!

    + WHAT I’M EYEING

    JUICY SUMMER HUES

    (top) MINI DRESS // BUTTON DOWN TOP AND SKIRT // DRAPED TOP // SWEATER TEE // SHORT SLEEVE TEE (bottom) BALLOON SKIRT // WIDE LEG PANTS // MAXI SKIRT // SKORT // PANTS

    BUDGET FRIENDLY SUMMER LOOK

    DRESS // BAG // EARRINGS // SANDALS

    + END OF WEEK EXTRAS

    The post WEEKEND READING LIST: 6.12.26 appeared first on Merritt Beck.

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