WEEKEND READING: 10.9.26 – Merritt Beck

1. FRIENDSHIP

I think a lot of us assume that more contact automatically means closer friendships, but this piece makes the scientific case that it’s actually the opposite — time apart can genuinely bring people closer! According to researchers small, personal, intermittent touch points turn out to matter more than constant contact when it comes to friendship. Just like penguins collect and present smooth, shiny stones during the courting process, us humans also “pebble” each other by sending memes and links. The content might be insignificant, but the act is not! Pebbling is actually proven to help us solidify and sustain friendships! So the next time you feel guilty about not calling enough, remember: that meme you sent last week counts for something!

2. MOVIES

I saw Verity last weekend, so I was interested in this breakdown of the costume design! Costume designer Jacqueline Demeterio (who’s worked with Anne Hathaway since The Intern) built the entire visual language around character psychology. Verity is all high-end knitwear and red — tomato cardigans, striped raspberry sweaters, bold red lips — because red is “confident and villainous.” Lowen arrives in layers and sweaters specifically because they’re her “protective layer,” and as she slowly becomes more entangled in Verity’s world, the layers come off! And a fun easter egg: both women wear nearly identical Versace dresses in different scenes, a deliberate choice to make Jeremy and the audience do a double take. The on-screen style really is an accomplice in the crime! (I shared my thoughts on the movie here!)

3. INTERIOR DESIGN

As someone who has been slowly figuring out how to make a New York City apartment feel intentional rather than just full, this guide to visual clutter removal is full of good advice! The key insight is that visual clutter isn’t always about having too much stuff, sometimes it’s about too many things competing for attention at once. A few good tips: floating furniture off the floor instantly makes a space feel less cramped, sticking to a limited color palette creates a sense of calm even in a layered room, and not every surface needs to be styled (negative space is a feature, not an oversight!)

4. INDUSTRY

This is a really interesting look at the platform that’s quietly become the backbone of creator commerce! ShopMy was founded in 2020 and most recently valued at $1.5 billion, and it’s essentially built the infrastructure for word-of-mouth shopping at scale. The president, Tiffany Lopinsky, started as a food influencer at Harvard before pivoting to the business side, which gives her a genuine insider’s understanding of how creators think. The piece does a good job explaining what makes ShopMy different from traditional affiliate programs — it’s less about sponsored content and more about trusted recommendations, essentially bringing the “sales associate” model to the internet! As someone who links products through both ShopMy and LTK, it’s fascinating to see how the business side is evolving!

5. BEAUTY

Retinol, retinal, tretinoin — if you keep confusing the three, this breakdown explains the difference in a way that actually makes sense! The short version: all three are retinoids (vitamin A derivatives), but they vary in how many steps it takes for your skin to convert them into their active form! Retinol requires the most conversions, making it the gentlest and most beginner-friendly. Retinal is one step closer and stronger, the most potent option available without a prescription. Tretinoin skips all the conversions entirely — it’s the most powerful, but also the most likely to cause redness and peeling while your skin adjusts. The key takeaway from the dermatologists quoted: stronger isn’t necessarily better! A retinoid you can tolerate and use consistently will always outperform a stronger one that makes your skin miserable!

6. CELEBRITY

I’m kind of obsessed with Lili Reinhart at the moment, so I loved this profile of her in Harper’s Bazaar! She executive produced The Love Hypothesis in addition to starring in it, and was really passionate about getting it right. She pushed for key dialogue to be included and championed the female gaze in the intimacy scenes! She’s also super candid about the harder parts of the Riverdale years where she rose to fame, and learning the hard way how little control she had over her own public image. I still haven’t watched it yet, but my friend Becca said The Love Hypothesis was cute so definitely going to make time to stream it when I’m back home!

LUXE FALL/WINTER NEUTRALS: LEOPARD COAT // SLEEVELESS TOP // BLACK JEANS // FUR TRIM TOP // LEOPARD SKIRT // TOTE BAG // EARRINGS // EMBOSSED CLUTCH // ZEBRA SHOES // SUNGLASSES // BLACK DRESS // LEATHER TRIM CLUTCH // CALF HAIR BAG // SKIRT // TURTLENECK // EARRINGS // SHEARLING-LINED LOAFERS