September
There’s a novelty to experiencing the changing of seasons in a new city. I’m living my first autumn in Paris and while it’s beautiful and new, it is also a little bittersweet. Life has been moving quickly and the constant change is exciting but I can’t help but feel like I wish I could stay in each moment a little longer.
I was planning a move to Milan in November so that I can stay there for my remaining months in Europe but I discovered that in order for me to fly Mika to Asia in the Spring (more on this soon), she’d have to have already been in a group 2 country for 180 days.
I was really looking forward to experiencing Milan again but it looks like it’ll just have to be a trip rather than a move. I’m still adapting to the idea of being in Paris longer than expected but the city has given me many reasons to love it. No complaints from me—I still want to make the most of my Parisian life.
This past week, I’ve been taking evening walks as a way to signify to my body the end of my work day. With Janice gone, Mika and I have been doing a lot more wandering for the sake of wandering. There’s so much of our arrondisement that we haven’t explored and I’m determined to map it with our steps.
So far I’ve stumbled upon the cutest little gift shop called Les Fleurs, tucked away on Passage Josset. It carries the most amazing assortment of knick knacks, jewelry, and small home items. if you’re a colour lover (or a whimsy lover), it’s one of those stores that feel impossible not to enter.
I also found a really promising laptop-friendly cafe called Araku Coffee. It’s on my list to check out next week. I’m thinking of doing a round up post on all my favorite spots in Paris to read/write/work from, so if you’d like to see that, comment and let me know!
The theme of this past month has been adapting—in more ways than one. I’ve always welcomed change and I’m nothing but thankful for all the different directions my life has taken in the last year. F/W 2026 now feels like it’s going to be a brand new adventure and I can’t wait to watch it unfold.
Loving
ACM Azaelic acid
I’ve been seeing this one floating around “French pharmacy musts” videos for a while but finally picked it up this summer. I’ve been a bit hesitant to try a new active while I was still figuring out what was causing my acne but oh my gosh has this worked WONDERS.
I started using this shortly before I went to Hong Kong and this paired with all the extra moisture I was getting from the humidity left my skin glowing for the entire week. Since being back to France, the dry air + hard water has definitely made my skin a little more angsty but every time I have a new break out, it reduces significantly after a night with this cream.
ALBION Skin Conditioner Essential
I found out about this product because my boyfriend’s mom had asked him to pick one up for him on his way back from Japan so he ended up getting me one to try as well. It’s a Japanese ‘medicated’ skin conditioning lotion with Job’s tears (or coix seed) as the hero ingredient and a licorice-derived anti-inflammatory ingredient as the active.
It does have alcohol in the ingredients as well but not enough to feel like it’s stripping my skin when I use it. I’ve been putting it on a cotton pad and gently swiping it over my skin before the rest of my skincare which feels like it calms my skin and refreshes it before I apply anything else.
Aesop Solais hand serum
This is a complete luxury, I’m not even going to pretend like I need this product. But I tried the Aesop Solais hand serum in Hong Kong and picked it up instantly. I have the dryest hands alive (yes I’m trying to drink more water) and this paired with my favorite Reverence hand cream by them leaves my skin feeling baby soft.
Consuming
After many years of watching my favorite book creators talk about their booker prize favorites, I’ve finally subscribed to the excitement. This one is on the 2026 longlist and boy was it a strange little read. I read a few reviews after and it seems like some people loved the ending while others hated it. I sit somewhere in the middle. I enjoyed the experience of reading this but the ending didn’t quite hit for me.
Longlisted last year, I actually heard quite a bit of buzz about this online. I think it’s important to read books that challenge the way we think, what we believe, and how we see the world. Delecroix did a great job at that with this one.
Making
Sophie Hood
We are SOOO back on our fall knitting game. I wanted to start off with a smaller project so that I can prove to myself that I’ll actually finish something so I’m currently working on the Sophie Hood while listening to The Things We Leave Unfinished by Rebecca Yarros. Also have to shoutout Libby for free audiobooks. I’m on waitlist for a few books but I love the idea of browsing through my libraries catalogue to find my next listen.
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Angel xo