TODAY I WILL:

Treat myself to a Glow Reviver Plumping Lip Oil (or two) from e.l.f Cosmetics… After all, they’re only $9!*

FOR THE MUSIC LOVER: Do you hear what I hear? If your friend logged thousands of hours on Spotify this year, we’ve got you covered on gift suggestions. You can’t go wrong with a gift card they can use toward their next concert. This waterproof speaker will ensure their jam sessions don’t end just because it’s time to take a shower. And for wearable proof of her love of music, gift her this customizable cassette necklace.

It’s just another Friday, and we’re chatting about banning fur, decoding ghosting, and defending our chaotic Spotify Wrapped. 

• Manifesting a ~neutral~ 2026. 

• Fur is officially out at New York Fashion Week.

• Unfortunately, 2025 still has some toxic dating trends to offer. 

• Yes, your brain changes with age—and it’s not all bad news.

• Is your music taste aging gracefully—or stuck in 2012?

Talk Your Way to a Younger Brain

According to new research studying over 86k adults across 27 European countries, it seriously pays to be multilingual when it comes to brain health. In fact, people who speak more than one language have a 30% lower risk of accelerated aging over time. 

Why? Essentially, every time you switch between languages, it creates a mini workout for your brain—juggling vocabulary, grammar rules, and cultural context. Doing this exercise regularly strengthens your cognitive resilience, which makes your brain more agile, flexible, and resistant to age-related decline. Going deeper, the research also suggests that knowing (and using) more languages creates more of an advantage. Each extra language adds another layer of protection. 

The good news is, even if you don’t already know a second (or third) language, it’s not too late to start. Start small by learning one word or phrase in another language (apps like Duolingo make it feel like a game). Over time, you might not just broaden your vocabulary—but also help keep your brain healthier, sharper, and younger.

Goodbye, Job Hopping. Hello, Job Hugging.

The Great Resignation is officially over, and the workforce is holding on for dear life. In fact, recent surveys show that about half of U.S. workers are planning to stay put at their current job—for comfort, stability, or out of fear. And even more (75%) expect to be in the same role two years from now. This may seem like loyalty, but the majority of those polled seemed to be choosing to stay out of an abundance of caution because of things like economic instability and layoff fears.

The problem is that the lack of movement can stagnate growth. Experts warn that job hugging might lead to less financial gains due to a lack of internal promotion and low turnover. Eventually, holding too tight onto your current gig might mean boredom and monotony, in addition to the monetary concerns. So, keep on hugging for as long as it actually makes sense… then, get hopping!

If you’ve ever felt like investing wasn’t meant for you—too complicated, too intimidating, or just too boring—Eve Halimi and Anam Lakhani are here to change that narrative. 

As the co-founders of Alinea Invest, Eve and Anam are rewriting the rules of finance for beginners, effectively making investing actually fun with their AI-powered app that makes wealth-building accessible one “playlist” at a time. Alinea empowers its users (mostly Gen Z women) to grow their money and their confidence through themed portfolios, financial education, and a community-first approach.

In our conversation with Eve and Anam, the co-founders tell The Newsette about everything from leaving Wall Street to build their dream startup to why investing should be treated like a form of wellness.

What was the exact moment you realized you had to build Alinea?

Alinea started as a classroom project at Barnard. One of our classmates shared how he had been investing from a young age and had already made thousands of dollars. We thought: Why didn’t anyone teach us this in school, and why weren’t we encouraged as young women to invest as well? We were frustrated, and in talking with our other female friends and classmates, we realized we weren’t alone.

How did you come up with the idea for playlists, and what role does personalization play in helping your users build wealth?

We built Alinea with one simple idea in mind: Meet people where they already are. For Gen Z, that place is social media, specifically TikTok—fast, fun, and endlessly shareable. We asked ourselves, why can’t investing feel the same way? That’s where the concept of our investing playlists was born. Just like you’d put together a playlist of songs for a mood or moment, we wanted to build playlists of investments that reflect your passions and values.

Instead of sifting through a sea of individual stocks, users can choose themes that resonate with them—like clean energy, women-led companies, or tech innovation. It makes investing feel personal, intuitive, and even exciting. When people see their money aligned with what they care about, they form an emotional connection. That connection keeps them engaged, turning investing into more than a financial habit—it becomes part of their identity and something they want to nurture as it grows.

With 92% women and 70% Gen Z users, Alinea clearly resonates with a historically overlooked audience. What do you think traditional finance platforms still don’t understand about this demographic?

Most platforms still treat investing as purely transactional, but Gen Z demands more. They care about education, values, and about seeing their money align with the brands and causes they recognize in their everyday lives.