Hello!
Hope everyone is enjoying a lovely week so far.
Since I’ve last written here, my boyfriend and I have discovered two cats (a mom and kitten!) living behind our apartment. They are adorable and we often stare at them through the window, sometimes (usually) moving between rooms to get a better view.
Our own cats are probably jealous but we give them enough attention as-is.
Anyways— onto the recs! This week (as with my first recs post), there is no unifying theme except my own interests. Sorry (but not really).
Skin Care: Is Anti-Aging a Scam? (podcast episode)
I am quickly becoming a skincare truther. The more I learn about skincare science, the more I feel like I’ve taken the red pill and now see through beauty marketing.
Gimlet Media’s podcast, Science Vs, did an episode on anti-aging skincare and it’s… illuminating.
Basically, most of these skincare products (and their fancy ingredients) are ineffective. They’re all bluff and no substance. In order for ingredients to have an effect on your skin, they have to 1) be fat-soluble and 2) contain small enough molecules to penetrate your skin. Most don’t meet these requirements. This means that most ingredients simply sit on top of your skin, doing nothing, until they get washed off with your facial cleanser.
If you’re totally shocked that your $40 collagen serum is essentially useless, you should listen to the full episode. They tell you which ingredients actually work. But also: don’t let the beauty industry prey on your insecurities! You’re beautiful and don’t need these products in order to love yourself.
Tank tops from The Foundationals
I love a good tank top. They are the most-worn pieces in my closet, even in the winter. If you’re worried about wearing a tank top in the cold, pair it with a puffer vest! It won’t 100% make sense but you will look cute and feel *slightly* warmer.
My favorite tank tops are from this brand called The Foundationals. I’m really not exaggerating when I say that these are the best tank tops to exist. They’re made of a heavy-weight ribbed fabric and have a slightly cropped hem and the fit is absolutely perfect. They’re comfortable, thick enough that you can wear them with or without a bra, and they come in a ton of colors. Plus! They’re made of organic cotton, the company is a big proponent of sustainability, and you can even tour the socially responsible factories they use.
The tanks are slightly more expensive ($38 each, or $98 for a three-pack) and sell out often. But I bought a three-pack two years ago and have worn them every single week. They’ve held up well throughout wears and washes and are 100% worth the money. If you can afford it and are in the market for new tank tops— it’s bare-shoulder season after all!— you should consider these.
Severance (the book not the show)
Before I get into my love for (book) Severance, I will explain my dislike of (TV show) Severance.
So. I do not like the show Severance. I think it’s long, boring, and should’ve been a feature film instead of a multi-season series. I watched the first three episodes on a flight and then read a Wikipedia summary for the rest of season one. And basically nothing happened! I’m fine with slow burns, but this was glacial. It looks beautiful and has an interesting premise but I really do not need to watch five continuous minutes of Adam Scott walking down winding office hallways every episode.
All the power to you if you enjoy Severance, but I wanted to make my opinion known before I dive into the other Severance.
Other Severance is a book! It was released in 2018 and is written by Ling Ma. It’s totally unrelated to the show and very, very good. I’m not finished yet, so it’s possible that it might take a left turn into bad, but I’m halfway in and would highly recommend it thus far.
Our narrator, Candace, has survived a deadly and mysterious plague that has infected most of the world. The plague causes them to repeat old routines compulsively and thoughtlessly until they die (relatable). During this pandemic, she navigates the world with a group of other survivors. We switch between Candace’s apocalyptic present and her past when she worked at a book publishing company and oversaw Bible production.
It’s a send-up of modern life and fun to read and I think you’d enjoy it too!
Paige Wassel for interior design inspo
I recently (five months ago) moved into a new apartment. With this, I’ve been buying new decor and furniture in an attempt to make it feel like a home. I’m planning to live here for a while, so I’m taking the process low and slow (for the sake of style longevity and budgetary constraints). A big style inspiration is Paige Wassel. She’s a prop stylist in Los Angeles with impeccable taste. She has massively influenced me when it comes to design. I feel like I’m in that one Mean Girls scene when I talk about her— “Paige Wassel said she hates limewashed walls, so now I hate limewashed walls”.
Paige makes videos about her own home (she also recently moved to a new apartment!), her prop styling job (she works for places like Architectural Digest and Joybird), and design in general (the trends she loves/hates, reviewing subscribers’ homes, etc). She approaches design in a way that actually feels realistic and liveable.
Sometimes the homes I see online (on sites like AD or Apartment Therapy) feel mass market or simply unattainable, and Paige provides a ton of examples and suggestions to avoid those pitfalls. Her videos are well worth the watch if you have ten-ish minutes to spare. I’d especially recommend this video on furnishing her home office/garage.
Okay, that’s it for this week. Bye for now!
xoxo, Mia