Nightcap: Notes from my Notes app...
Bryce Dallas Howard on Nicole Kidman, anklets for the summer, a perfect necklace, and more.
I accidentally gave myself the week off. When you write for a living, sometimes the desire to work doesn’t quite match your actual ability to put words to paper. And that’s fine—or at least, that’s what I’m trying to remind myself. I’m also telling myself this week was like that for everyone… right? Right.
We’ll be back to our regularly scheduled twice-a-week newsletters next week, but in the spirit of rest—and honoring the creative slumps that sometimes come with it—I’m giving you a quick peek into my Notes App. I’m always jotting things down: stuff I want to buy, links I want to revisit, names I don’t want to forget. So today, you’re getting a handful of recent favorites and must-reads you can dive into, whether you’re beachside or apartment-bound. Let’s get into it…
What I’m Loving…
Anklets are soooo back. I won’t give you photos of my feet (that’s behind the paywall… JK). But imagine an anklet with a fresh pedicure? Chic. I’m eyeing this one from Jenny Bird and this one (that you can wrap around your ankle three times!) from Éliou.
Speaking of jewelry, I saw this droplet necklace on
at Ghia, Merit, and Don’t Let Disco’s beading party a few weeks ago, and it went straight to the top of my wishlist.I’ve been reaching for this Dior gloss balm more than any other right now. Toffee, a nude beige, is a Daise Color™️. It gives you the perfect amount of shine, and it smells (and tastes) delicious. And the Dior charm?! Cuuuuuute.
Mutha’s body melt leaves my body silk-soft. I’m hooked. It’s the lighter version of their hero body butter. I went through my tube so quickly and need them to make a larger version ASAP. [Use DAISE15 for 15% off across the site.]
I lost my favorite sunglasses in May, and I’m genuinely still heartbroken. I bought them in 2018 for just under $50 at Madewell when I needed a pair—an impulsive purchase that quickly became one of my best. They suited my face so well, but more than anything, when something—even an accessory—has been with you for so long, it becomes part of your identity. I mean, they were on my head almost every single day for seven summers. I’m hoping I can get very (very) lucky and find a pair on Depop or Poshmark, but I’m also trying to move on... evolve and grow or whatever. I’ve replaced them (so far) with this pair from Warby Parker.
Your Sunday Reading…
Bryce Dallas Howard’s Top Shelf
The Black Mirror and Jurassic World actor stars in Deep Cover, a British comedy about improv actors who accidentally find themselves going undercover, alongside Orlando Bloom and Nick Mohammed. She also told me about her earliest beauty memory, which involves Nicole Kidman. How many of us can say that? (Maybe just her.)
’s Top Shelf
I interviewed the recipe developer in celebration of her debut cookbook, Third Culture Cooking: Classic Recipes for a New Generation. She grew up in New Jersey, but both of her parents are Indian and her grandmother is from East Africa. So, what’s third culture cooking? She told me, “If you’re the child of immigrants—or come from a family that recently immigrated—the term third culture kid really resonates. For a long time, I couldn’t make sense of the tension of being from two places. That in-between space is real, but different, and there’s no blueprint for how to exist in it. So when I first heard the term, I felt an immediate sense of peace. It was like, Oh—I don’t have to pick. I exist here. And that’s enough. My cooking is third culture cooking. I’m not exclusively doing American classics, and I’m not strictly recreating my grandmother’s recipes either. A term like fusion might sound similar, but it feels hollow and it lacks context. Third culture cooking has layers—there’s history, storytelling, and meaning.”
’s The Face
I’ve been excited to share this piece for a while. I love vintage clothing, but I don’t have the patience to sort through it—and I love when I discover people like Alexia, who sources and sells vintage shoes. And now… she’s made her own! The first pair, a vintage-inspired peep-toe pump in leopard pony hair, already sold out, but her second and third pairs are dropping this month. I guess this is a foot newsletter now, but I just have to share what she said about her French pedicures: “Honestly, I think they help me sell shoes. They’re memorable and definitely part of my brand DNA.
x DB
I loveee the Body Butter Melt!!
“Accidentally gave myself the week off” REAL (me)