Hello love,
Why did being smart become cool 20 years after my high school years? Are you kidding me? My inner child is finally healed and embracing the fact that she’s a cutie nerd girl, and NOW the IT GIRLS MADE IT COOL??
Gtfo.
Kidding, kind of. Don’t go being offended now. It was a rough time. I’m sure there are readers here that agree. All those school bullies with mean girl antics can go cancel themselves now, because the beautiful late bloomers are taking center stage.
Everyone suddenly wants to be an intellectual it-girl.
I don't think it's random. The more we talk about AI, constant scrolling, short attention spans, and how much thinking we outsource every day, the more there comes a concern for human intellect and the preservation of critical thinking. Book clubs are hot trends and reading a physical copy of something is taking center stage.
Reading feels different, it slows you down, lets you immerse yourself in someone else’s world.
Long-form writing, slow media, sitting with ideas instead of skimming them, it's all being framed as a kind of resistance. Reading isn't just a hobby anymore. It's almost a statement.
You see it everywhere. People posting selfies with books. BookTok is king (or queen). Reading on the subway is the perfect meet-cute, just look at Dua Lipa and Callum Turner. Going to a café just to sit there and finish a chapter is self-care. A few years ago that felt niche. Now it's kind of the moment.
The flex isn't just about having good taste anymore. It's about knowing why you like what you like.
This little nerd girl is so happy that we’re celebrating the intellectual.
Speaking of celebrations…
I just want to say how grateful I am to everyone who came to Sequins & Spuds. It truly was such a beautiful afternoon. The energy, the conversations, that feeling of being exactly where you're supposed to be. We loved spending that time with you, and I so so look forward to connecting with the community again, because yes…. I am cooking up something new! (all I can say right now is save March 8!)
You’re going to want to be in on this one!
Sending a reminder that each and every one of you sparkle from the inside out!
Without further ado, here’s the tea I've seen brewing:
THIS WEEK’S MOOD <3
♡ This Week's Mood ♡
Already dreaming up the next event
Embracing my intellectual it-girl era
Love is in the air this week
Business & Marketing
Laneige Juicepop Lip Tint Studio. The K-beauty brand brought an immersive Juicepop experience to New York, inspired by KATSEYE's music video. Think oversized product decor, photo booths, a shade-trying station for all 8 lip tints, and endless photo ops. A masterclass in experiential beauty marketing.
Sabrina Carpenter x Pringles. Sabrina Carpenter finds her "perfect man" in Pringles' Super Bowl ad, blending humor, pop culture, and brand personality in a way that feels completely internet-native.
Naturium Alpine Club. Naturium introduced the Alpine Club, a four-day adventure celebrating the launch of its first ever mist, the Barrier Bounce Mist. A smart move blending community, wellness, and product storytelling into a full lifestyle moment.
Culture & Lifestyle
Lacoste Café Opens in Paris. Lacoste opened a permanent café in Paris, signaling a deeper expansion into lifestyle and hospitality. Fashion brands continue to move beyond product into physical, experience-driven spaces. And honestly, we love to see it.
Is Arab Beauty the Next Big Wave After K-Beauty?. K-beauty dominated global markets for years. As beauty narratives diversify, some voices are asking whether Arab beauty might be the next influential aesthetic category, shaped by unique ingredients, storytelling, and cultural identity. Worth watching.
Bad Bunny's Super Bowl Halftime Show Was a Cultural Moment. Bad Bunny's Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show went beyond entertainment. He blended high-energy performance with cultural storytelling, celebrating Latin music and identity on the biggest stage in American sports. This wasn't just a performance. It was a statement about who gets to take up space in mainstream culture.
Tech & Leadership
Alibaba Launches Open-Source AI Model for Robotics. Alibaba's DAMO Academy released RynnBrain, a new open-source AI model designed to help robots understand and interact with physical environments. This positions them in direct competition with Google and Nvidia in the AI race.
Selena Gomez Celebrates Rare Beauty's Ulta Launch With Purpose. Rare Beauty officially launched in all 1,500+ Ulta Beauty stores and online, marking its first major expansion into mass specialty retail. To celebrate, the brand introduced a February donation initiative allowing shoppers to round up purchases at checkout, with proceeds supporting youth mental health through the Rare Impact Fund.
Kindred Raises $125M to Scale Home Swapping. Home-swapping startup Kindred raised $125 million in new funding to expand its alternative to traditional hotels, as travelers look for more affordable and community-driven ways to explore.
The Bigger Pattern We're Watching
Brands are moving from selling products to building cultural moments people want to join
Experiences are becoming the primary marketing channel, designed for memory, content, and community
Culture platforms are evolving into spaces for social voice, not just entertainment
Celebrity influence is shifting from endorsement to ownership and leadership
Global culture is redefining success beyond geography or language
The winning signal right now is participation over promotion and storytelling over spectacle
THE MHOB PODCAST
EPISODE OF THE WEEK
In this conversation:
AI isn't replacing jobs, it's replacing people who refuse to learn how to use it as a competitive advantage in their careers
You've been training AI and giving away your data for free for years through Amazon, Spotify, Instagram, and every online platform you touch
The biggest risk isn't using AI, it's using it sloppily without checking output quality or understanding when you're sharing proprietary information
AI forces you to think critically and ask better questions instead of just memorizing information or going through repetitive motions
The global workforce is now truly borderless, which means top talent can live anywhere and companies can source skills from anywhere at different price points
Using AI for therapy, love advice, or medical guidance is a dangerous gray area; it mirrors your own biases back to you and shouldn't replace professional help
Have ideas for future newsletters?
Hit reply and let me know what you'd like to see! I actually reply!
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