MAR 5, 2026

INSIDE: Love Notes, Voice Notes, and Conversation Starters.

TODAY I WILL:

Romanticize the chapter I’m in—not just the one I’m chasing.

We’re crying it out, petting our dogs, pausing for 90 seconds—and then plating something extravagant.

• Turns out, it might be a good thing to be a big crier.

• Having a dog is a huge longevity booster.

• Traitors is over, but Rob is still entertaining us.

• Have you tried doing nothing for 90 seconds?

• Beef Wellington is making a comeback.

Talk to me nice.

Voice notes are becoming the most intimate form of modern communication. In a world of perfectly curated texts and overthought punctuation, hitting record feels vulnerable. You can hear the hesitation, the laugh mid-sentence, the background noise of someone’s actual life. It’s less polished, more human. And that’s exactly the point.

On apps like WhatsApp, iMessage, and Instagram DMs, voice notes have shifted from “too much” to deeply intentional. It’s estimated that over 7 billion voice notes are sent per day, just on WhatsApp. They’re being used for everything from late-night confessions to midday check-ins. A 45-second ramble carries tone in a way a “thinking of you” text simply can’t.

But there’s also a subtle rebellion happening here. Yes, typing is efficient, but voice notes are immersive. They ask you to slow down, to listen, and receive. For long-distance friendships and relationships, especially, they create closeness without the pressure of a live call. 

In 2026, romance isn’t always grand gestures. Sometimes it’s just, “I didn’t feel like typing this.”

How do you really use voice notes?

This month, Literie is celebrating five years of turning memories into magic. Founded by Erica Werber on the belief that scent can transport us to the places we miss, the moments we cherish, and the stories we hold close—Literie has transformed everyday experiences into love letters in wax. 

From candles inspired by bodega coffee runs and Central Park strolls to buzzy collaborations with Mean Girls, Clueless, and Emily in Paris, Literie’s storytelling has proven that fragrance is more than a product. In our conversation with Erica, she shares how a deeply personal idea sparked a fast-growing brand, the pop culture launch that sold out in days, and why staying scrappy is still her superpower.

What sparked the idea to turn the scent of NYC into a candle?

Literie was created as a pandemic hobby that I never thought would go anywhere. The original idea was to capture the scents of NYC that I missed when we were all locked up at home during the pandemic, especially the smell of the hot roasted nut carts in NYC. My father used to always stop by one of those carts on his way to visit me before he passed, so the aroma is very meaningful to me. Other things I missed, like Mr. Softee, flower shopping in Chelsea, and a coffee from the bodega, rounded out our initial candle offering. Once we launched, it was clear that there were many other people who missed these scents and were nostalgic for special memories the candles evoke, and we haven’t stopped growing since!

Your candles are basically love letters in wax—how do you choose which places, moments, or pop culture nods to turn into a scent?

Every candle that we create is something I have personally experienced. It allows the development of that candle, from the illustrations to the description on the back of the box, to be genuine and heartfelt. I think our customers recognize that, especially if they've experienced that moment themselves as well. 

What’s one candle you launched on a cultural whim that totally surprised you in how well it did?

Without question, it's our "I'm Coming to the Cottage" candle. It was created on a whim after I watched Heated Rivalry and then saw how much the show… was present on social media, especially TikTok. We've done a few candles around pop culture moments, but none compare to the volume of sales we saw in a matter of days for this one. We've had to increase our production numbers on that candle three times already.

You’re still running Literie with a lean, all-female team. What’s been your secret to scaling smart and staying scrappy?

As the founder of a small business, it's always important to stay humble and never feel like you're above any of the grunt work. I'm still taping up boxes, printing shipping labels, and even hand-labeling candles to get things out the door and keep the ship moving at high speeds. I always thought by this point in my career, I would go at least a week without an injury from a tape gun, but that's not the case. More importantly, it's hiring people who are willing to do the same and can seamlessly stop what they are doing to quickly bang out something else that needs attention. Not everyone has the urgency skill that's needed for a business like this, and so I definitely have that high on my list of priorities when it comes to hiring.

You’ve crushed collabs with the US Open, Emily in Paris, and even Taylor Swift-inspired candles. How do you move so fast on trending moments?

I would say having a team that can mock up an idea super fast. Our head of marketing created the packaging for our Taylor Swift-inspired candles an hour after the engagement was announced. And I think the millennial internet sleuth in me can find the contact information for the right person that we need to partner with at those brands quickly. Our biggest partnerships all started with a cold message on LinkedIn. 

What’s next for Literie? Any dream collabs or scent concepts you’re manifesting in 2026?

Our scents are going more international for the summer of 2026, so we are excited to unveil that in the next couple of months.  

If every person who lights a Literie candle takes away one feeling or message, what do you hope it is?

That the candle they are lighting was truly created from the heart. It was developed because that single experience is something that I cherish and understand, and the team that designed that candle is a group of talented women who love what they do.

EYEING: These sneaker mules, this silk skirt, and this bomber jacket.