"There's a strong correlation between being a romance reader and liking your spouse"
A bid for romance, the most popular nail polish for summer, and a gentle reminder to scrub your scalp
Hi all! Happy Friday!
Short letter today because it’s MDW! But I have a few tabs open and think you’ll find something good.
The most popular summer nail polish is a throwback
Real ones will remember the Into The Gloss blog post about Essie Clambake, wherein the author explains that everyone low-key wears this exact orange-y red polish, from Alison Roman to “the Senior Digital Marketing Manager at your burgeoning beauty startup.” It had me in a chokehold, and seemingly, Meredith Hayden (of Wishbone Kitchen), too. The polish was quietly discontinued but has just been re-released for summer in partnership with Wishbone Kitchen (kinda brilliant). I’d jump on this one. There are currently 1,553 people shopping it on Ulta, so it could sell out…forever.
Why you should be reading romance
I was watching this conversation with Caroline Cambers (a cookbook author I love) and Annabel Monaghan (the author of It’s A Love Story — a new romance novel out next week). Early in their chat, Caroline explained exactly why she’s a proud romance reader: “There's a strong correlation between being a romance reader and liking your spouse” She goes on to say that when you have young kids (she has three with a fourth on the way), your relationship can feel like going through the motions, and in her experience, reading romance begets romance. “You have to invite it in,” she explains.
I’m not sure there’s any science to back it, but romance (and smut) often get a bad rap for being cheesy or lowbrow, so I appreciate this take. Caroline says all of Annabel’s books are amazing. Her favorite is Nora Goes Off Script. I immediately placed a hold on Libby (6 weeks wait:/), but It’s A Love Story sounds pretty cute, too.
A blouse that could pass for Ulla Johnson
It’s J.Crew! And it’s on sale! I love her. It also comes in black and a few prints, but I like antique white.
Do you know what’s going on at Roanoke?
Last May, I read about the mysterious cancer surge traced to Roanoak College, a small liberal arts school in Virginia. Now, there’s a part two.
In an email published by Airmail this week, writer Clara Molot wrote:
Since publishing the story, we’ve heard from many Roanoke students, alumni, and their families with their own stories to share. Over a dozen more cases of cancer have been brought to our attention, and we continue to receive messages each day.
On Tuesday, Roanoke’s president responded to our story with a letter stating that the school would be conducting an investigation into the high cancer incidence rate among its alumni, working with an environmental services company as well as the Virginia Department of Health.”
It’s heartbreaking. I’m also curious how this will affect admissions…I keep getting served those funny college acceptance (and rejection) cake videos on TikTok.
A gentle reminder to exfoliate your scalp
On Thursday afternoon, I went to the Aman Spa to try a new scalp treatment by Miriam Quevedo, a Barcelona-based haircare brand focused on hair aging. Before my scalp massage (10 minutes of bliss), I got a scalp analysis, a close-up look at my hair follicles. I learned that each follicle naturally has three strands growing out of it, but we lose some through aging, so you might see a follicle with just one or two strands (I had a few of those).
My follicle count was not of concern, but the analysis showed my scalp could benefit from added exfoliation, which makes sense because my hair feels limp and heavy lately. You have to exfoliate your scalp just like your face. I’ve been slacking, but now I have this baby in my shower. Also, a good tip: Leave your shampoo or scalp scrub on for a minute or two before rinsing, especially if it’s expensive. Let those ingredients do the work.
Okay, I’m shutting my laptop and turning on the Summer House finale. Have a fabulous long weekend!
Love,
Megan