FROM AROUND THE WEB

AS SEEN ON IG

This summer is jam-packed with big Bask moments, and to kick off our season, two exciting announcements! The Mineral Sunscreen Serum is here - the rare mineral SPF that doesn't ghost you white - an effortless glide that disappears in moments. Glycerin provides intense hydration, improves skin elasticity & softness, and antioxidants do the rest (enhance your skin's natural defenses, reduce free radicals & environmental stressors). And as of this month you can find Bask at Bluemercury in-store and online. Stock accordingly!

BEACH READS FROM NICOLE PEARCE

• Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
  Follows a man living in a small Irish town and explores themes of empathy, memory, and morality. Beautifully written and incredibly effective as a novella. The only downside is that it leaves you wanting even more, especially about what’s happening inside the convent at the center of the story.

• The Body by Stephen King
  One of the novellas from Different Seasons. A group of boys sets out to find a dead body, but the story is really about friendship, growing up, and loss of innocence. Not horror in the traditional Stephen King sense, just proof of how incredible he is at character-driven storytelling.

• Apt Pupil by Stephen King
  Also from Different Seasons, and definitely not for everyone. Extremely disturbing and psychologically dark, following the toxic relationship between a young boy and an old man. The way the story escalates is incredibly well done, even though the subject matter is deeply unsettling.

• Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption by Stephen King
  Another standout from Different Seasons. It almost feels impossible not to mention this one because it’s such a classic. Emotional, hopeful, and absolutely worth reading even if you’ve seen the film adaptation.

• The Grownup by Gillian Flynn
  A quirky short story about a con artist. It’s fun, strange, and very different in tone from Flynn’s darker, more intense novels. Maybe not life-changing, but definitely entertaining.

• Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin
  Set in 1950s Paris, this follows an American expat grappling with identity, desire, and love. Baldwin’s writing is absolutely stunning and the emotional depth of the story really lingers with you.

• Swimming in the Dark by Tomasz Jedrowski
  A beautifully written gay love story set in 1980s communist Poland. Lyrical, emotional, and atmospheric with a strong sense of longing throughout.

• The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
  A very quick but incredibly effective short story. Creepy and unsettling while also serving as commentary on women’s mental health and the treatment of women more broadly. Easy to read in one sitting and absolutely worth it.

FOUNDER FAVES

• I have officially entered my beach hat era, and here are two high/low picks I’ve been loving: the Janessa Leone Suni Bucket in raffia for the beach club, and the J.Crew Wide-brim Packable Straw Hat for everywhere else. The Janessa Leone is the one I reach for when I'm dressing for the day. It’s handcrafted and elegant with a strap so it doesn't fly off on the boat. The J.Crew is the more affordable everyday option. It’s packable so it survives a suitcase, holds its shape, and is the one I grab for a more relaxed beach run with the kids. Honestly worth having both.

• Flashlight by Susan Choi. Booker shortlist, Women's Prize shortlist, and exactly the kind of layered, sweeping novel I want on the beach when I have the time to properly beach rot. A young academic disappears off a beach and his ten-year-old daughter is the only one found.

• I have The Naghedi St. Barths Medium Tote in Ecru and it has officially replaced every other beach bag in the house (I really like the Salt and Onyx colors too). The neoprene-and-raffia weave is genuinely waterproof, shakes off sand, and folds flat in a carry-on. It is the rare bag that looks polished at brunch and survives a boat day.

• We just had our second, and I signed up for Motherhood Meals It's a Miami-based meal delivery service that's very tasty and designed to specifically support mothers in their postpartum journey.

  Mikey

• The best sandwiches in the Grove right now are from BANH at Books & Books in Coconut Grove. It’s a banh mi shop by Chef Phuoc Vo that opened inside the café at Books & Books last fall. All of the sandwiches I’ve had are great. The Lê Dunk (sous vide short rib with a 24-hour pho broth to dip it in) and Don’t Cluck With Me are my go-tos so far. They’re somehow both light and savory with a whole dance of tropical flavors and perfectly balanced heat cutting through. They also carry Cafe Du Monde cold brew.

• This is technically a running shirt, but I’ve worn it out for walks on a hot day and tennis too. Very nice looking, UPF 50+, “VentAir cooling weave” (whatever that means, but it is cool!). It’s become my warm-weather workout shirt, and any layer that does UPF work is a major plus in my book.

• The Wager by David Grann (author of Killers of the Flower Moon) is one I finally got around to on a flight back from a work trip. I’m a sucker for narrative nonfiction, and it's the true story of an 18th-century British warship that wrecks off the coast of Patagonia, the castaway months that follow, and the court martial that tries to sort out who's actually telling the truth. Scorsese and DiCaprio are turning it into a movie.

• I’ve written about these Rivieras shoes in the past, but I am writing about them again because, one, it’s easily the most clicked link I’ve ever shared in my Founder Faves; and, two, I just reloaded for the season. They’re just so perfectly chill and versatile. They work in almost any setting - from the pool and beach, to a Sunday stroll, to a night out with jeans and a button down - and they’re at a great price point. They’re the heaviest shoe in my rotation, and I own them in multiple colorways and styles.
  

CLASSIFIEDS