Happy Friday. I have been a little bit down for the count (a terrible migraine + nausea) the past couple days. I am not sure what’s going on — might just be my body telling me I need rest, so that is what I’ve done the past couple days. It’s a big weekend ahead (my niece’s birthday is today and we are hosting a Halloween party tomorrow night), so hopefully I am feeling better by the time you read this.
Before we dive in, The twice-yearly big Sephora Sale is happening now! My extremely lengthy blog post has all of my picks. Don’t sleep on this Bader set, my current favorite lipstick, a does-everything serum. But truly — the post is basically an encyclopedia of every product I love, broken down by category.
Today I thought we could chat about the joy of routine. This is not a cool thing to admit but man do I love my routine! When I am in a routine, I am my best self: thriving! healthy! happy! When I am out of my routine, I struggle. I have been way (way!) out of my routine for the past month and a half. First there was a ton of travel, then I hosted a party, then more travel, then there were one million events for work (plus a trunk show at my home!). All very fun, I’m not complaining, I don’t regret any of it… but I wore myself out. It shows in my skin and in my body: I just feel puffy and tired. This week (save for not feeling well for part of it), it felt like I was more or less back in my routine which felt great.
In some elements of my life, I love variety. I am an adventurous eater and I like mixing up my wardrobe. In other ways, I am a creature of habit: when I find a piece of clothing I love, I buy it in multiples. During the work day, I rotate between three lunch orders. I pretty much always drink the same cocktail (tequila, soda, extra lime).
I am a rule follower and love structure. I especially like my weeks to have structure. I worked in the corporate world for twelve years before going out on my own and I feel happiest when I work similar “desk job” hours. Wake up, work out. Getting in a good sweat sets the tone for the day. Get ready for the work day and then film content and/or take calls with brand partners. From 1-5, Carly comes over. Usually, we work quietly at the dining table. Sometimes, my photographer or videographer join us for a shoot. Everyone leaves, I do a little more work, and then it is usually either out, dinner with my family, or staying home. I like it best when my days are all structured similarly. The work day was created for a reason!
On The Stripe (my blog!) this week.
We started out the week with a big review of Amazon favorites. This is a good one. It is all things I personally bought and own and love… so many favorites across fashion/beauty//home and more.
I also did a longer review of Dagne Dover (+ a code, today’s the last day to use it!) and why I love their bags so much. Last but not least, my weekly outfit diary. And then of course today’s big post with all of my Sephora picks.
This Week in Reading:
I am finally reading A Court of Silver Flames (the fifth book in the ACOTAR series). I had been saving it as a treat!
I didn’t get very far as Britney’s book came in the mail and that took over. It is a fast read, and while there were a lot of spoilers (I did try to intentionally avoid reading spoilers, but they were everywhere!), I would definitely recommend it.
Speaking of spoilers…. if you haven’t read it and are planning to, scroll past this part! (I’m not going to talk about any of the more salacious, juicy parts.)
Broadly: this book is really sad. For all of her success, she’s had a pretty shit support system. Think about it: ultimately, every single person in her life had ulterior motives of some sort. That alone could break a person.
Variety’s review (I read several reviews; this one is very good) describes the book as an explanation of how she survived the men in her life and I think that is very true. Her father, Justin, Kevin… the paparazzi (mostly men), late-night talk show hosts, creepy interviewers, a sexist media narrative, etc. This is a woman who is/was so incredibly talented and has accomplished so much yet had to beg (publicly, in court!) for her freedom. (All the while living on a $2,000/month allowance as her parents took millions of dollars from her!). A woman who has been made the butt of countless jokes. (As Amy Odell puts it, “It’s hard not to feel guilty as a fan who followed her during this terrible time in her life through the sexist narrative the press made available to us.”). I think (at least I hope) that our society is slowly waking up to how horribly we have treated so many women over the years (Monica Lewinsky and Pamela Anderson stand out to me here as well). We still have a long way to go.
My net takeaway: The book is well worth the read. It isn’t very long, so you’ll be able to devour it in a couple hours. It has lots of juicy and salacious parts, it’s got a lot of nostalgia if you were a fan, but mostly — it’s very sad.
A Reader Question!
(if you have a question for a future newsletter, please email grace@thestripe.com - it helps if you are specific and include budget, your personal style, etc.)
Q. What shoes are we wearing this fall with jeans? I’ve been wearing Veja sneakers and I want something a little more dressed up. Black or brown. I prefer to spend around $150 per pair of shoes and would LOVE a few different options.
A. Here are some that I would wear with jeans!
I am a big fan of Sam Edelman’s Loraine Loafers. They are timeless and elegant, with big Gucci energy.
A cute $50 sock bootie.
These Franco Sarto loafers are so fun. Love the pointy toe.
A simple kitten heel boot.
Love the hardware on these skimmer slingbacks.
Over your budget but worth it to upgrade (especially boots!) these under $200 ankle boots,
A Chanel-esque slingback.