Says who? Says me. It’s not that orchids are “out” (I’ll be keeping mine), it’s more that butterflies are now in with the orchids, and the lilies, and the dolphins, and anything else Zara Larsson in her Midnight Sun era. In case you missed it: last summer, I was all about the orchid. I ate it up; I had massive orchid earrings, I wore an orchid tank top to death. Now, Zara Larsson’s Midnight Sun aesthetic is going mainstream. It’s giving the Lisa Frank designs of our youth, or, hear me out, the dolphin bathroom aesthetic. You know the one. The official name is Frutigero Aero, you might know it as Aqua Core. Me? I know it as my Zia Rita’s bathroom. So, stay with me: Frutigero Aero meets Lisa Frank meets 2026, bingo, you’re at Midnight Sun aesthetic and you’re wearing lots and lots of butterflies.

2. Buying a birthday outfit is hard work

Why do shops only let you filter for wedding guest options? I’ve got more important things in my future than attending other people’s weddings! Like the annual to do that is my birthday!!! HELLO?! My birthday isn’t until July but it’s the big 3️⃣0️⃣, so I’m already deep in planning my birthday party outfit. The party is Y2K themed, and I want everyone dressed up as their favs from our youth. We’re talking Hannah Montana, Lizzie McGuire, it’s Britney bitch, it’s Justin Bieber’s One Less Lonely Girl. And, delightfully, what I’ve found is so many flowers and butterflies, and cute shit that 10 year old Sabrina would have eaten up. The problem is it’s all over random shops online. The US has the midnight sun aesthetic down, it’s gone mainstream, it’s easy-ish to shop for.

Over here in the UK, I’m having to scour high street shops’ festival look lists to find something that fits my vision. I’m begging for a birthday outfit toggle on the high street shop websites. It should sit there right along with wedding guest, but instead of classy midi dresses, it’s short mini skirts with a bit of sparkle sparkle. I’ve done the work though, so if you’re looking for some cute dopamine heavy options, keep an eye on your inbox.

3. I am watching my first K drama and this might be it for me

Listennnnnnnn, listen. Hear me out. You’re either someone who is like: why the fuck would you watch a k drama, or you’ve been watching them and you’re like: why the fuck have you never watched a k drama before?

If there’s one thing you need to know about me it’s the fact I fucking love a romance. I know it’s not realistic. That is not the point. When I was 10 years old I read Pride & Prejudice on a family holiday, and I’ve been desperate for a lil yearning ever since (I did want her to get with Wickham on the first read though… didn’t quite pick up the nuance that time). Northanger Abbey remains my favourite book. So, why on earth am I only getting to the k dramas now? I knew it was a slippery slope.

If you’re wondering what K drama pushed me to watch, it was the Perfect Crown. It seems to have an oscar level marketing budget - I saw so many reels of it on Instagram, I couldn’t resist anymore. I had to give in. I’m falling down the slippery slope into the k drama hole. The Perfect Crown is currently on on Disney+ and coming out weekly — anyone for a Friday night watch party? (SAY YES)

PS send me your top k drama recs

4. We want to know your enneagram

Enneagram is a ‘personality type’ that gets thrown around a lot on the internet. Do I know if the science behind it really robust? That’s none of my business! I took the enneagram ‘test’ (survey) on my plane to Paris and unsurprisingly I’m an 8: “The Challenger” - the powerful, dominating type: self-confident, decisive, willful, and confrontational.

Like any of these tests, I don’t think it’s that reflective of my personality but it’s definitely how I lean. More importantly, I find it so interesting to hear what my friends’ enneagrams are. Sometimes, what’s obvious to them is not what I would have guessed!

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my favourites this week

1. my lil travel journal; this one is just one of those cheap paper based ones, but it’s flexi and it fits in my bags and I love getting it out to write a page or two when I’m travelling. here’s a similar one from MUJI

2. noah kahan’s the great divide; was on the same tram as one of my friends but we both agreed to ignore each other so we could listen to the album. this is the sign of good music.

3. dinto lip tint; this arrived in the mail last week and now I’m using it every day!! love it. it’s glossy when first applied and then leaves a nice stain

4. magasin du nord cheetah print jacket; I got this last year in copenhagen when I was on the hunt for a spring jacket that wasn’t just a standard jean jacket and I’m still wearing it all the time. It’s sold out just now (sorry!) but they have some other options

5. elf brown liquid liner; this is my new daily staple.

6. rimmel bronzer stick; bought this when exploring some cream based bronzers and blushes. it goes on really dark but buffs out perfectly and lasts so long!

7. rimmel multi-task blush stick; see above, this is also fab!

8. my new flowy skirt from mango; mango have sooooo much cute stuff in for spring. i spent a pretty penny in there in paris, this is one of my fav things i bought. it’s so flowy (albeit a little see through). it has a matching top that i’m considering buying, but i think it might be cuter on it’s own

9. star barrettes; i bought these for the upcoming marathon and i am loooovin them, they’re so cute

wishlist

• I need to get one of these woven bags already. why are they all like £200+?!? I found this tote from anthropologie currently on sale, might buy it. But also love the [smaller version](https://www.anthropologie.com/en-gb/shop/hybrid/calla-woven-shoulder-bag?color=021&searchparams=q=woven%2520bag&_gl=1*1uiq8o3*_up*MQ.._gsNQ..&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIzb3Lu7WflAMVsYlQBh1gehp8EAAYASAAEgKMTvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds&type=REGULAR&size=One+Size&quantity=1) - this is the closest I’ve found to the dragon diffusion shape

• this top from asos

Hot from the girl chat: Boots have a recycling scheme where you get £1 worth of Advantage Points per item you bring in. Items have to be ‘hard to recycle’ but can be any kind of beauty item — toothpaste counts! You can drop in 5 items per day, you just need the ‘Recycle at Boots’ app. You upload photos of the items you want to recycle in the app, they get reviewed and approved (or denied - for example, you can’t recycle aerosol bottles). You can submit as many items as you like and, once approved, you bring five to your local Boots and scan the QR code on their recycling box using your app, select the items you’re recycling, drop them in, and you’re done! Such a good way to recycle items and get some £ in return.

2. teetotal finds

Marathon training throws my IBS into high gear, plus I’m running every weekend morning, so just I don’t drink during my training block. This year, I’ve found so many good drinks I can have on the odd chance I’m at a pub on the weekend, and little bevvies for home too. Favourites include:

• Trip (elderflower CBD and their strawberry magnesium are my fav)

• Caffeine free fizzy drinks

• Alc free lager - Tennents zero is… not my fav

• Guinness zero

With all my options, I foresee far fewer drinks in my future. Plus: teetotal is such a fun word. Would consider not drinking again just to keep saying it.

3. I’m on the Korean skincare train

Yes, I’m off to Paris , yes, I have a few French skincare items on my shopping list. But! On the recommendation of the girlies, I’m finally hopping on the Korean skincare train. As you’ll know from last week’s favourites, I have recently binged XO Kitty. As a first stop I had to buy these lip glosses Ryu Han-bi wears in the show bc it is just the perfect lollipop stain lip look. I spotted her makeup artist’s post on ig and immediately bought it (will let you know what I think when it arrives). Then, bought this cleanser on a whim and love it, and was recommended this spf as one that doesnt smell, sting, or cause breakouts and it ticks all the boxes! I’m also using the Beauty of Joseon spf and loving it. I’ve made an order for some more bits that you can’t really find over here — one of which promises to get rid of the milia under my eyes. Will report back!!

4. Regular IRL girl time

Around a month ago I was on a long run and just started crying uncontrollably (🤠) and immediately texted my girl group chat to see if they could come over sometime soon. Nothing was immediately wrong in a massive way, I didn’t have a huge life update that needed unpacking, it was just that there were a lot of smaller rubbish life things starting to pile on top of each other. Mostly things that don’t really make sense for a text blast — and also — texting and talking are just not the same.

My mom’s friend coming over for Sunday tea (actual tea) and fresh bakes was a staple growing up. After I moved out, I thought that was just a style of catch up that suited them where they were at in life. Well girlies, call me middle aged because it suits me now too! There are some life updates you just don’t want to share at the pub or a house party. We need down time to lounge and chat together. My friends showed up for me that week (obv), but we’ve also kept a regularly chill catch up in the diary too. Every few weeks we meet up, rotating between each other’s flats, and we have snacks, and we chat shite. It’s good for the soul.

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my favourites this week

1. beauty of joseon sunscreen; this was a hot tip from one of the run club girlies. a sun cream that doesn’t feel too much like sun cream!!

2. 500 miles by peter paul and mary; move over noah kahan, peter paul and mary did it first. tiktok brought this song back into my life right when it’s been far far far too long since i’ve gone home (nearly 3 years). then leaving on a jet plane came on shuffle. mom: imagine how i sobbed (it was hard). great tunes tho hey

3. magazines; i’m currently sat on a flight to paris with a copy of cyclist and vogue tucked in the seat in front of me. you just cant beat a magazine for travelling!

4. m&s pink satin ballet flats; these are new and i’m hoping they dont wreck my feet because they’re SO cute and will be in heavy rotation on this paris trip

5. sephora is back in the uk baby!!!!; i created my uk sephora account (sad i had points in canada) and bought some of those sparkly freckles for my marathon. if u still have to set up an account pls use my referral link so i get free money here 🤑

6. trip magnesium drinks (see above!!!); i love the strawberry and the elderflower, but i’m currently sipping the raspberry and orange one on the plane. how have i never thought to do this before?

7. aerie clothes; sorry to the uk girlies. we don’t get aerie. it’s a brand owned by american eagle and it basically makes similar stuff to the actually cool (and not too weird) fp movement stuff. i placed an order to my mom’s house so she will bring it when she sees me next month. aerie, if you’re reading this, come to the uk. we’ll love u.

8. my new iphone wristlet/charm; i finally hopped on that train. mine is from next, and i’m hoping it’ll stop me from losing my phone in paris (knock on wood, i am a liability)

9. my new next top; while we’re at it, why tf not. i’ve been on the hunt for a broderie blouse that gives french, effortless, chic (and not too granny or too tight). i got this one. i am currently wearing it. i LOVE the little satin blue bow, i honestly might get the green too.

10. tirtir glow tint in lovable; bought this with the freckles in my sephora order bc it was a classic “costs as much as shipping and will get me free shipping” — it’s actually great? big win for me

11. my new and other stories ring (unfortunately sold out online); it is chunky and fits perfectly on my pointer finger. i think i might be converting back to silver?

enemies list:

• work. i am officially too frazzled to function. but it’s ok! i’m on holiday!

• sleep. probably bc of the frazzled thing, i keep waking up at 3am and obsessing over things ive not done yet at work. a sure sign that i am mentally ok.

Spring has been temperamental so far this year. At the end of March I was in London and it was a balmy 20 degrees outside. Then, over Easter weekend, I got caught in a snowstorm in Edinburgh. Where I come from, Spring is marked by a lot of slushy snow. When I moved to Scotland I was always amazed at just how warm it is here this time of year — that novelty has worn off this year. Maybe the Canadian coloured glasses are starting to fade, maybe it’s been a particularly cold start to the year, but either way: we are all keeping an eye on the trees. The day they bloom into beautiful pink blossoms, we’ll know Spring is here to stay. And, my god, we will rejoice.

2. let’s bring back old school youtube makeup tutorials

Over the weekend I came across this TikTok which went full old school style makeup tutorial and allllll the comments were loving it. Same!!!!! I feel like in the last five years my makeup knowledge has started to dwindle and this is so unlike me. I was the 12 year old girl sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of the mirror in my bedroom, trying out a Miley Cyrus inspired look by a YouTuber. Alexa Chung’s sponsored video with L’Oreal single handedly taught me how to do a liquid cat eye — I still do it the same way nearly 15 years later. Most videos now just highlight one, single product as they’re sponsored ads for new items/collections. It’s made me really fall out of love with makeup because no one really shows, start to finish, how we’re supposed to be doing things. And if they do, it’s like 15 million steps long and costs an arm and a leg!

Speaking of, I may or may not have spend £106 exactly at Boots after watching that video. I’m trying out lip liners, cream based blush, cream based bronzer, and a new eyebrow tool (amongst a lot of other stuff). Will let you know how I get on!!!!

3. who needs a top when you can fake one!

I’m sure you’ll have seen the second coming of the lace trim tank top that ran rampent in my youth. It looks like this:

A little lace triangle poking out underneath another top. When this first hit the scene it was an actual lace top layered underneath the top, but now you can just buy a little waist scarf that creates the illusion. You know I love an accessory so you know I love this…… except after I bought one and tried it on I just inexplicably feel so so so uncomfortable in it. I will persevere, but if you see me out in it, just know I feel weird.

4. are our slick backs giving us baby hairs?

The girls have unanimously decided slick backs must die on account of our new found baby hairs. Too much gel, too tight of a pull back: it’s wreaking our hairline!!!!! Across the board, we’re experiencing a level of breakage we’ve never experienced before. And, before you get on me about my shampoo, I use a fantastic and very expensive shampoo and my parting has never. been. frizzier. And it’s really frizzy to begin with. This is a double edged sword because the frizzier it gets, the more tempted I am to load it up with hairspray and gel and slick those flyaways back!

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my favourites this week

1. charlotte tilbury pillowtalk lipstick; a classic for a reason! it always comes back into my bag this time of year

2. xo kitty s3; this is one of my guilty pleasure tv shows. it’s so cringe in the best way ever

3. my yellow fleece gilet; I got this at a boutique in biarritz last summer and haven’t worn in tons…… until now. spring(ish) weather is perfect for it! This is the v expensive american vintage ones it’s based off of, but you can get similar ones at Uniqlo and other places.

4. Ouai medium shampoo & conditioner; might as well tell you what I use. I looooove this stuff, used it for years (though I do cycle through a different bottle every once in awhile just to switch it up).

5. VIEVE lip dew (original); I’ve been pairing this over all my usual lipsticks and love itttt, it never fails

6. manicurist active super manicure set; I was gifted this by the manicurist but oml I am loving it sm. Current mix is two coats of active shine, and one coat of raspberry. V low maintenance and cute!!! [ad aff link gets you 15% off]

7. UO homeware; I came across this whilst looking for a media unit for our records and record players and I’ve never looked back. currently obsessed with the bath mats, I can’t pick between the geese, the flower, or the delft cat!

8. sock curls; I spoke w my hairdresser about these last time I was at the salon as they always fall to nothing by midday for me, and she told me I need to spray with hairspray and put them in whilst still a bit damp, then spray again before brushing them out, then again after brushing out. She knows what’s up!! Changed my heatless curl game completely.

9. my new glasses; admittedly I’m hot and cold on these. but I do like the place I got them from - very affordable so felt fairly low commitment!

10. hoka mach 6s; my longtime running shoe!!! and now officially the old model, so, you guessed it, on sale!!!!!!!! get em before they’re gone.

11. tk maxx beaded bags; these are all over my tiktok TL so obvi I had to see if I could get one for my summer holidays.

my enemies list

1. Evri will always be Hermes to me: sorry babes, why in the world do you think delivering to me = delivering it to any shop in the general vicinity of my flat????

2. my fitness watch: I had (emphasis on the past tense here!!!!) the wahoo elemnt rival. Within one year, it broke. Within two more years, the GPS completely stopped working. Meanwhile my mom’s old fitbit, which is now going on like year 4 or 5, is far more reliable!!!!!

What came first, the cutesy pimple patch or the trendy printed plasters? It has to be the plaster, or as my Canadian heart will always call them, the kiddy band aids. I think we can all agree it’s the band aid right? I used to love a spiderman band aid. A floral band aid. Any band aid that had a little pizzazz to make my little cut sting a little less. Well, last week I got a bad cut, needed some band aids, went to boots, and saw, god rest my heart, cutesy band aids for adults. That’s right folks, no longer must we use boring skin coloured band aids!!! I was actually, genuinely considering a set of spiderman kids band aids when I saw them: paisley bandana print band aids. If you’d told the wtgaoa 27 me, who wrote “3. paisley bandana print is officially on everything” that this would extend to band aids, oh her mind would be blown. Now look at me, adorned with a paisley bandana print band aid. How quickly life changes.

2. stickers are the new gifs

If you’re not using reaction stickers instead of reaction gifs……….. Hello grandma! Are you well? How are your knees feeling these days? I was introduced to the world of reaction stickers by my dear, and much cooler than me, Brazilian friend who started dropping these hilarious stickers in our chats. Now I am obsessed. I make my own stickers, I save her stickers, and occasionally appeal to the sticker gods to make me a good sticker (I don’t want the white boarder!!! How do I make one without the boarder!).

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3. work sucks for everyone right now

Just in case it sucks for you, I thought I’d let you know you’re not alone. I did my usual scroll through whatsapp to see any hot threads I might have missed for this week’s newsletter and instead of a hot take, what I found is that we are all a bit depressed and we all are really struggling with work. This winter has been grey and dark! Our purpose was (surprise!) not to sit on a laptop for 9 hours every day. These two things in combination? Two words: No bueno.

4. ebay has the best jewellery boxes

I got my jewellery box on ebay back in November after a very lengthy back and forth with one of my friends who has a stackers jewellery box (she loves it). I have a lot of jewellery and it was spread out across a bunch of trinket trays and boxes. It would have cost me a fortune to get a stackers box big enough for it all. Instead, I took to ebay to find some vintage options and BOY did it deliver! Mine is made of wood and doubles as a music box which feels very nostalgic, it has a ton of little compartments, and reminds me of my mom’s jewellery box - a coveted item shrouded in luxury and mystery in my youth. The brand name is “Mele” so if you want to find good ones, search that up on ebay.

my favourites this week

1. bridgerton season 4; it has to be on here. part two of the season just dropped and betty (my cat) and I are loooooving our girly tv time in the evenings

2. leuchtturm1917 notebooks; forget the moleskine, these puppies are my fav. also their pens are so good. I think I might be entering my stationary era.

3. diptyque hand cream; in the scent “do son”. smells like jasmine, calms me to my core, and makes me feel that little bit fancy.

4. wuthering heights film soundtrack; have I seen the film? no. have I listened to the soundtrack? a lot.

5. Garnier Hyaluron Barrier Repair Soothing Cream; I’m in my thrifty era. I needed a new face cream that was old school drug store affordable and I picked this one up. It’s light, but it does the job well!

6. my new charm bracelet from accessorize; I bought the chain and four charms for it and built my charm bracelet whilst watching bridgerton. honestly. unbeatable girly evening in with my cat. my fav charms are:

   1. sacred heart

   2. leo

   3. hibiscus (they didn’t have this when I looked!!! now I want it!!!)

   4. pearl

   5. snake (they need to make a horse)

7. neutrogena norwegian formula lip care; was on my way on a day out to glasgow sans lip balm so I picked this up in boots for £3 and i love it. and I am v choosy about lip balms. they always feel drying!

enemies list:

• the iphone keyboard. tell me why my keyboard stopped typing like it normally should, and then autocorrect went and broke too? I’ve gone old school guys. No swipe text, no auto correct, just full reliance on me and my brain to type.

• the iphone camera. it is ALWAYS blurry. the camera on the pro 16 might have THREE lenses but it is so so so much worse than the old iphone 6 I had for years! make it make sense!

Just in case anyone is keeping track, I am a long time lululemon lover, but I branched out to TALA recently to get a new hoodie and the verdict is in. I love it. so much. It’s soft and bouncy fabric, cloud like even. The waist is really tight which I LOVE, it makes me feel hugged and supported, but that’s maybe not for everyone. I do think I could have sized up for a bit of a slouchier look but it wasn’t enough to make me want to return it for a bigger size. Now I’m v tempted by their fleeces and their leggings!

2. lululemon strikes back with a strong sale

I got these new leggings from lululemon for twenty nine great british pounds. Talk about bargain!!! Yes the design is very loud and not super ‘me’ but when you run 4x a week, most times in leggings, and you love lulu leggings…… you’ll wear what you gotta wear. And you’ll jump on those sales. The less ‘out there’ colours are slightly more expensive (of course).

what went wrong w colin bridgerton

3. I am reinventing my bedroom

I’m not sure if this is a universal experience, so just hear me out on this one. Sometimes I look up from my phone, my laptop, or just my usual routine of life and I feel like I actually see the stuff around me. Usually all of it is more like background noise that I don’t really notice or think about.

When we moved into this flat I did the basics: repainting, replastering where needed, we’re getting the bathroom tiles redone (needed). In terms of decor, I don’t have the will to argue with my partner and find a middle ground, so instead we just sort of leave stuff as it is. No longer! A fire was lit within me this week (driven by my cat’s kidney disease diagnosis) to sort out the bedroom and make it a nice space to hang out. I’m starting with the bed and the wall hangings, and will transform it from your friend’s mom’s room in the 90s, to a cute room that I like. See below for Canva inspo.

4. What went wrong with Colin Bridgerton?

Having recently binged season 4 part 1 of Bridgerton, I then felt the need to rewatch my favourite season (2) which then ticked over into season 3 and…. my god. How did so much go wrong there?! I have a lot of thoughts on this and I’ve been hounding my friends about it so much so that one has agreed to do a deep dive podcast episode with me. We are both rewatching the season and reading the book to prepare. If you have opinions here, share them with me on Instagram! We’ll be recording the pod the w/c Feb 23, to go out when part 2 comes out that Friday.

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my favourites this week

1. Tatti lashes 1 step pre-glued lash kit; why would I spend nearly £60 getting my lashes lifted when I could spend £15 and stick some of these on when I go out instead??

2. Primark spring range; I went in to kill time, I spotted at least three things I wanted to take home. They have some super cute broderie blouses that would be like £45 in & other stories for the same quality. They also have some v COS adjacent looks in.

3. P!NK; that’s all there is to it. She came up on a playlist I was listening to in Spotify and I was like damn pink, I forgot how hard you go.

4. My new Dunelm pillows; these are medium firm and tbh I might be calling it early because they literally just arrived and I haven’t actually slept on them, but they tick the “I want to feel like I’m sleeping in a hotel” box.

5. L’Oréal Paris Lip Tint/Stain in the shade ‘tea time’; tiktok ads got me again ok. I did actually buy this in Boots though, and I’m sorry to say I really do love it.

6. Rimmel ‘thrill seeker’ mascara; after binning my too faced crap (see below) I picked this up as a non-tubing mascara option, in brown so it’d match the lashes (see above). pleasantly surprised with the quality of this! It wears so much better than the too faced one.

7. The sun. She finally showed her face. I’d forgotten how bright my flat can be at midday!

8. mahjong; last week it was chess… this really is the natural progression. I have absolutely no idea if there’s any tactical way to play mahjong against the computer on my phone, but I do it nonetheless.

9. my DIY charm necklace; from accessorize in the airport ages ago but I still love it sm and wear it all the time. Might be tempted to buy some new charms for it, or a bracelet! (Confirmed: Just got distracted and bought new charms, a bracelet, and a new necklace - all for £30!).

my enemies list

1. Too faced better than sex mascara is officially IN THE BIN. It has wrecked one too many looks! I don’t understand why or when they changed the formula. I hadn’t used it in a few years but I used to love it, now every time I wear it it ends up caked under my eyes.

In announcing MP3, her latest album called florescence, Maisie Peters recruited the one, the only, George Groome, of ‘Angus Thongs and Perfect Snogging’ persuasion to help her announce it. If you haven’t seen the video yet, go watch it. I for one have taken it as a sign I need to rewatch this fantastic film tonight.

2. I’ve made my first TALA purchase

Growing up in Canada, lululemon was social currency. I’ve branched out to Sweaty Betty and Axelgro, but neither of their leggings are quite like lulu. I’ve come to accept that lulu will remain my go-to for leggings, but I’ve been told that TALA quality is great for a fraction of the price. Well, they’ve been hitting me hard with ads for their cocoon hoodie, and I happen to be in the market for a bat sleeved hoodie since my favourite one has grown just that bit too well worn. So, on pay day I took the plunge and paid £57 (10% off first orders!) for a new hoodie. Will let you know if I think it’s worth it.

PS what’s everyone’s take on Adanola???

3. Cottage cheese: love it or hate it?

It’s a weird food, I think we can agree on that. When I was little my mom would put it on spaghetti to cool it down so we would eat it, so it’s a comfort food for me. Nowadays, I’ll whack it in a bowl with pretty much anything, as long as I have some chilli crisp to add on top I’ll be happy with it. Recent combinations include:

• gigantes beans, cottage cheese, and chilli crisp.

• beans, tuna, corn (this comes in a little pot like cat food lol), cottage cheese, chopped celery, and chilli crisp.

• ravioli, pasta sauce, and, of course, cottage cheese.

4. Bestsellers at River Island are rlly cute

It’s SO rare that I scroll through a website or walk through a shop and actually like most of what I see. I’ve chalked this up to getting older, but probably also it’s just that the more recent trends haven’t been for me. Maybe this is changing, or maybe River Island is just speaking to me for some reason. I’m loving the cuts, the earth tones, the plaid and tartan touches — it’s all just so good. Some personal favs:

• This check set is what first got me! I already have an almost identical skirt though

• A gorgeous satin top; good for a day in the office or unbuttoned on a night out

• Studded shoulder bag; love where the studs are on this one! That’s something so many designs get wrong imo

• Brown halter top; simple and sophisticated

5. Nothing makes me hate my job more than Ali Wood

Court jester (comedian) Ali Wood’s routine on the corporate world made me realise the only thing i hate more than my job is people who don’t have to play the game anymore. not all of us are funny; Ali!!! we cannot all become comedians!!! some of us must keep tapping our keyboards and crying over mean slack messages in order to keep this gorgeous, godforsaken capitalist kingdom going!

my favourites this week

1. Louis Tomlinson’s new album; long may i love this man and his music

2. the manicurist ‘active’ nail varnish set; gifted to me and i couldn’t be happier about it

3. chess; for real, like old school chess. angus and i play each other on every night rn.

4. orange juice; idk why it never occurred to me that orange juice in a glass full of ice is not something that is limited to having in a restaurant at brunch

5. death in paradise the tv show is back and i believe it’s what people call a guilty pleasure. i love it sm idc what anyone says, i want to be on st marie all the time.

6. lulu super high rise flared leggings; i can’t call these underrated, so i’ll just say i can’t say how much i love these enough. perfect for wfh days!

7. pacsun bikinis, specifically this style (sold out sorry) of top; i bought one in the end of season sale last summer and i wore it for the first time this weekend to a sauna, and i LOVE it. unfortunately does not include the abs and ass

8. aesop face cream; very unfortunately a free sample has worked its magic on me! and the full sized product is expensive!!!! I don’t even really know which cream it was, i’m going to have to go in and ask 😟 p sure it’s the one I linked though

9. charlotte tilbury pillowtalk lipstick; an oldie but a goodie! I found this in my makeup bag and started using it again and omg I forgot what a classic it is.

my wishlist

• fubuki boots; it never snows here so i really have no need, but these do call out to my canadian heart

including me! That’s where I’ve been. I’ve been sick basically since the end of December, and it’s just been a revolving door of colds and flus. I’m not even really replying all that regularly in my girly group chats because between the colds, flus, and complete lack of vitamin D, I am so so so out of energy for everything. Also if you live in the uk you better be washing your hands bc norovirus is doing the rounds and hand sanitizer does not kill the virus!!!!

2. taking up handmade and homemade hobbies, and ditching doom scrolling

I know more than one girl friend who has spent over £40 on a little square piece of plastic called a Brick. These Bricks block social media on your phone. You set a limit, once you cross it, you’re locked out for the day. Every time I get an ad for one (always on Instagram, they know their audience) I think I just cannot justify spending money on it. I know I need to stop scrolling, but surely I have the willpower? Especially if £40 is at risk? SURELY????? (I do not).

At the same time, I’ve been getting texts from friends I haven’t heard from in ages and getting a proper catch up in. They’re taking up new hobbies: knitting, reading, and they’re all trying to spend less time on socials. As someone with more than a few handmade jumpers, I can confirm that any hobby where you tangibly get something you made at the end is so rewarding. I knitted Angus some of the Sailor Slippers that have been doing the rounds on KnitTok for Christmas, and now I’m back at work on a Lopi jumper.

3. paisley bandana print is officially on everything

The design that was strictly reserved for bandanas a few decades ago is now on literally anything and everything. Especially the red style, which as a child I was encouraged not to wear due to its association with gangs (this annoyed me because I’ve always thought it was very cute!), is now on bags, jackets, scrunchies, you name it! Part of me finds it refreshing to see an old print used in a new way, but the other part of me can’t get behind buying big ticket items in this print because it feels like it’ll get dated very quickly. I do hope we’ll see the popularisation of paisley though - it feels like the natural next step to the western trends that have been going around.

4. girls can and do like sports and let’s just stop pretending otherwise, okay?

As part of my vendetta against my phone, I became a season ticket holder for the local football team. It is honestly a gorgeous part of my weekend routine to get a 20 minute walk to the stadium, 90 minutes of entertainment with a snack halfway through, and 20 minute walk home, all without really ever looking at my phone. It makes me feel like a more active part of my community, it gives me something new to talk about, and lets me meet people I otherwise never would - all wins! Except, it confuses everyone around me.

I am, at heart, a girls girl. I look like a girl’s girl, I act like a girl’s girl. I also enjoy sports. This baffles the men surrounding me at the football matches, and the girls who don’t know me very well who find out I’m a season ticket holder. The men sitting next to me at matches have on occasion (in a friendly manner) asked if I played football. This seems to be the only reason they could imagine I’d want to be there, and explains how I, a woman, can understand what’s going on. Fair play, I did grow up playing pretty much every sport popular in Canada - soccer is not one of them. It’s not rocket science though! What I’m trying to get at here is: sports are very, very important to culture and society. The longer we all pretend that sports are only for boys, the longer we’re cutting ourselves off from that. Let’s stop okay!!

my favourites this week

1. betty, my cat; she has been working overtime lately on her cuddling and she hasn’t complained once

2. the traitors (uk); this season has been great. It felt fresh compared to previous seasons, and I haven’t missed an episode yet!

3. the body shop lip and cheek tint; an absolute staple in my makeup bag rn, does both of its jobs perfectly

4. amazon bala bangle dupes; bought these post-christmas and i love them! they’re a fraction of the cost of real bala bangles but I can’t tell what the benefits would be of paying for the real deal

5. boat shoes from schuh; £8 in the january sales and i absolutely love them they’re so cute

6. M&S january jumper sale; a lot of great options, I went for an oversized grey cable knit jumper, I think it was £15 and I’ve already worn it like 5x. sold out now but there are some other cute ones

7. zara barrel leg jeans; not on sale, but I felt like these looked more slouchy than full barrel leg which really suits me!

8. benefit brow gel; I switched back to this on a whim recently and I am so glad I did. Perfect brows every time I use it!

9. Phizz 3-in-1 tablets; I was gifted these from Holland & Barrett, they have your day’s worth of vitamins B1, B2, B5, B12 (and more) and I’m lovin having one in the afternoon after a gym session or a run

my enemies list

• this cough that wont go away

• too faced mascara. tell me why this is always rubbing off under my eyes!!!!!!

Sabre Paris has been around for over 30 years, but recently the perfect storm has catapulted it to stardom. Five years ago only those with a special interest in high quality cutlery would have known and loved Sabre. Since HAY brought homewares mainstream, homeware has started popping up in every European tourist hot spot. TikTok has amplified this even more, with the algorithm bumping up location based listicle videos like “five places you have to eat when you visit Amsterdam” or “where to shop like a local in Paris”. Enter: Sabre Paris. It’s on every single tourist souvenir TikTok on my feed, and believe me, there are loads. With over 17 million visitors per year and video becoming the latest and greatest search result, that’s a lot of people influenced to go to Sabre.

The result? A million and one dupes of these gorgeous cutlery sets! I’ve spotted them at H&M, M&S, and even Amazon (though I wouldn’t recommend the latter). And, if you’re in Paris, by all means head to Sabre’s shop and build your own set. In Edinburgh, they stock these at Nordic Living in Bruntsfield.

2. buy (and take) your winter vitamins

One of my most influential influencer moments of the year in 2025 was my haul from a gifted shop at Holland and Barrett! Ridiculous. But, the girls were influenced! Here’s my pitch: If you don’t know what vitamins you should be taking this winter, here’s what I, not a doctor, not a pharmacist, not any kind of health professional, take. Based entirely off my mother’s advice (also not a health professional).

• Vitamin D! This is not optional if you live in Scotland. We do not get enough sunlight in the winter to get enough vitamin D. If you’re not taking it, you’re not getting enough.

• Echinacea, this, I have been told, is good for when you’re getting a cold. Idk

• Vitamin C, also good for when you’re getting a cold. I like these Zooki ones that are liquid, I think I’d been told that means I absorb them better.

• Oil of oregano, absolutely no idea if this is true or just placebo, but in my heart of hearts I believe it will rid me of any cold.

• Omega-3 or another fish oil, I take this periodically because my mom tells me to.

• Vitamin B complex, I take this because my nails went a bit wonky and I googled it and it said Vitamin B. My nails have been getting better since I started taking it!

The great thing about H&B is that all of the workers are trained to give good advice on the vitamins that might help you, based on how you’re feeling and what you need. What works for me maybe won’t work for you, but ask the staff, they’re super helpful!

3. the nutcracker collection at Anthropologie

It has taken everything in me not to buy the rat plate from the Nutcracker NYC Ballet collection at Anthropologie this year. I am hoping and praying I can get it discounted on Boxing Day (and if I can’t, I will cry). There’s something so classically Christmassy about this collection, I want it all. Now that I type this and look for the link, I see that it is entirely sold out online!!!!!!!!!! Dare I make my way to Anthropologie tomorrow and pay full price, in case I miss out entirely? I think I have to.

4. things you can do for attention that aren’t getting married or having a baby

My friends and I were out for a festive mulled wine and cheese plate last Saturday night and got to talking about what we can do for attention, as people who aren’t getting married or having babies anytime soon. (And yes, we confidently believe that some people do just get married and just have babies for attention… respect). Now, here are some of our ideas that are far less commitment:

• Get a fringe and don’t tell anyone. I did this once and I debuted my fringe at my friends’ co-birthday party just to be a real freak about it. It worked.

• Get a new job. Both these friends used to work with me and recently got new jobs. See, this works because now I want to know about their new jobs and if they like their new work friends more than they like me, but also then they have to talk about work outside of work (booooo!)

• Really celebrate a birthday. It doesn’t even have to be your birthday. Sure, I made my husband coincide our last holiday with my birthday so that I could call it “my birthday trip”, but you could also do this for your partner! Next year, maybe we take the trip four days later and I say ‘oh yeah we’re going away for Angus’ birthday!’ and then people will ask all about it for ages.

• Have a long engagement. People only really care about the ring anyways! Keep them wondering. Keep them asking. When will you get married? Who knows! Doesn’t matter. That’s not the point.

• Host a seasonal party. This is one I’ve observed in the last week as it’s actually my least favourite part about hosting parties that people ask me about it a lot. I love telling other people about my Cookies and Cocktails, and now, Canapes Christmas party, but I hate when they then ask more about it because actually it’s not that interesting and I’m not that great of a host. But, hear me out, if you are a good host? This is a great way to get attention. And, let’s be honest, feel like people are celebrating you.

That’s what it’s all about at the end of the day, isn’t it? As women, marriage and babies are traditionally the two times people really act all that interested in your life. It’s sad, let’s throw more parties!

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my favourites this week

1. All of the vitamins I listed above, plus these de-stress ones from Olly that are single-handedly holding me together rn.

2. Avant skincare day and night creams. These were both gifted to me but omg they are genuinely gorgeous and have let me cut down so much on my skincare routine. They opened a new clinic in Edinburgh and used a microcurrent on me in my facial and truly my face has never been that snatched.

3. Vanilla Laneige sleep mask.

4. My new Damson Madder jacket

5. Ouai leave in conditioner - I’ve finally replaced this after months without it and truly nothing compares

6. Curling hair dryer - It doesn’t dry your hair well from fully wet but it’s great for giving a very quick and easy blow dry look if you let your hair dry a bit first

7. VIEVE lip dew - perfect on its own or layered on top of another colour

8. Christmas time? That colour is this dior red lip that I love

9. Jake Bugg’s first album because apparently I miss tumblr but it really hits in that cosy, nostalgic way you know!!!

10. Red lace tights - You know I love a little touch that really livens up an outfit and these tights from stradivarius are it!

Disclaimer: When I say I don’t really want or need anything, I do mean it. I like to use the season to see more of my friends and be merry and bright and all that, but I don’t particularly enjoy the sheer amount of money we spend on stuff at Christmas.

Naturally, I’ve made a Christmas list. First and foremost, you will find the charities closest to my heart. I genuinely would prefer you donate to them, rather than gift to me. If you insist upon buying for me, the rest of this guide will give you an idea of the things on my shopping list.

View the full slideshow on Canva here. 🎅🏻

The full Christmas list with links:

Charity

• Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home Christmas appeal

• Hibernian Community foundation Christmas appeal

• Refuweegee

• Edinburgh Food Project reverse advent calendar, and Christmas appeal

Skincare + pharmacy

• cicaplast cream

• hyaluronic acid (the ordinary)

• boots wax stripes (face)

• essie gel couture nail varnish

• rituals body cream refill

• diptyque baies candle

• wild fig fragrance stick refill

• manicurist gift set

• briogeo don’t despair repair hair mask

• tanning mit

Makeup and beauty

• Better than sex mascara

• Rhode lip balm

• MAC Face & Body Foundation

• VIEVE blush balm (cherub)

• Benefit brow wax

• VIEVE skin nova

• Glossier perfume

• Diptyque hand sanitizer

• Ouai dry shampoo

• Ouai leave-in condition

• Gisou hair oil

Wellness

• Bala bangles

• Oura ring (gold)

• Owala sip bottle

• NEOM magnesium cream

Clothing

• Aran jumper (Peregrine) (link)

• Liu Coat (Damson Madder) (link)

• Genuine leather belt (link)

• Boat shoes (link)

• Woven leather bag (link)

• Rat betty ring (link)

Homewares and tech

• john lewis towels set (2x bath towels, 1x hand towels)

• mid century teak sideboard

• soak & sleep firm pillow set

• soak & sleep square pillow set

• hetty vacuum cleaner

• john lewis egyptian cotton sheets (cream)

• sidekick (or flip phone)

• cutesy turntable for living room

• everybody scream vinyl

• fortnum + mason hamper

• bone conducting headphoners (running)

Toys

• Mind puzzles (link)

• Jigsaw puzzles (link)

• Wavelength game (link)

Planning my outfit for a party is honestly even more fun than actually wearing it and going to the party. I love meticulously planning a vision for my outfit — colours, cuts, textures, general vibe, and then deep diving the internet to find various options and eventually putting them all together. I sent my sister no less than 10 different dress options for my annual Cookies, Cocktails, and Canapés Christmas Party. The tenth one I found was the one, but it was sold out in my size - and then I found a four month old listing for it on Vinted! Bought. Ready. Vision is coming together.

Her? She’s planning a classy, cosy look: tights, sequined skirt, and black high neck top. When we went shopping for it we noticed all the sequined skirts are shorts this year, which I might pick up on for another night out I have. I’m thinking: sequined hot pants with an oversized top or jumper? Only thing I need to check is if the hot pants actually stay down. I’m too old to have my cheeks out.

2. what to gift your friends at key life moments

As I look down the barrel of the last six months of my twenties, the friends around me are buying flats, getting married, having babies, turning big ages. One key thing I’ve learned in my twenties is how to gift the right kind of gift for each milestone. I present to you:

1. The new baby: If there is no registry, buy something practical for baby, and something nice (and practical) for new mom. My go-tos are baby books or something for their development, and a big stanley style cup for mom if she doesn’t have one — apparently they’re really easy to drink from when you’re not super mobile (post C-section, breastfeeding), and they hold a lot of water! I bet the Owala sip one is good too.

2. The new flat: Key thing to consider here is how expensive it is to buy your first flat. If you (like me) don’t have super posh friends who can kit it out themselves, a great gift is a really nice version of something they won’t have money to buy for themselves. If you know what size bed they have, really nice sheets are great. If not, really plush towels from John Lewis.

3. The big birthday: These are fun. I consider what I would spend on a wedding, a new flat, a new baby, etc, and I make sure that whatever I gift them is on par. Not everyone will have a baby or get married, so it’s important to celebrate your friends whenever you get the chance! I’ve gifted luxurious experiences, but a go-to for me is a really nice bag. Especially if they don’t usually buy themselves stuff like that. You want them to go “Oh wow! 😮” when they open it!

4. The wedding: This is a tricky one for me! Norms for gifts are different between Canada and Scotland, so I adapt to whoever’s wedding I’m going to. Also, if I’m going to a Canadian wedding, I’m usually spending a lot to travel there, so the rule of “paying for your plate” doesn’t necessarily apply the same. The one rule I have is: If I know they’re someone who will want to have something that they got ‘on their wedding day’, I get them a proper gift. If they aren’t, and they don’t have a registry, it’s cash!

3. Florence and the Machine’s latest album

Honestly. What can we say about this album that will be enough. Florence and the Machine’s last album Dance Fever, has been my absolute favourite album of all time since it came out (only slight competition from Highway 61 Revisited). Their newest release Everybody Scream is a strong contender. I’ve been listening to it start to finish, no skips. I’ll need a few more weeks to properly digest all of it, but suffice to say I’m looooooving it. She said in an interview that her songs start as poems, and then craft the music to create a visual and that comes across so well; the lyrics and music are completely cohesive in a way that creates a full piece of art.

my favourites this week

• vieve lip gloss

• black ankle boots

• as symmetrical necklines

• brown eyeliner

• slicked back hair

• tanning water

• skirts and tights with jumpers

• glossier solid perfume

• hourglass ambient lighting palette

on my enemies list

• black liquid liner. how did i used to wear this every day?? it’s seems so much darker than I remember

• red lipstick. it makes my teeth look so yellow (i’ve got whitening strips to try now though, wish me luck)

• rare beauty blush: TWICE it’s somehow gotten in my hair and stained it pink when getting ready for a night out. it keeps leaking liquid when i put the lid on. it has since gone in the bin.

1. Get my black boots resoled. These are a solid 10 years old, made of leather, great boots. But the bottoms need more grip, and they’ve needed more grip for the last 10 years. It’s time.

2. Wardrobe and knick knack clear out. I am a magpie. I love a little trinket. But, they are starting to consume my whole flat. I will do the usual wardrobe clear out, but this time I’m throwing some knick knacks, mugs, etc with them.

3. Finish painting 1. I’ve started painting a bit canvas for my spare bedroom, which is a super fun hobby, but easy for me to forget about for ages. I want to get this one done before 2026!

4. Get my lululemon leggings hemmed. These are three years old, and they’ve always been too long to wear! I wear them in the flat, but I get free hemming at lululemon for goodness’ sake. It’s time!!!!

5. Start calling my mom regularly. My husband calls his parents on his walk home every day, and I’ve always wanted to do something similar, but timezones get in the way! I’m already making headway on this one though. At least I now have my mom’s work schedule!

6. Bring film to get developed. I have three rolls to develop from the summer. I’m great at taking pictures, I’m awful at getting them developed!

7. Start budgeting in earnest. A lot of the stuff on this list are things I’ve put off because I don’t want to justify the expense (resoling boots, getting film developed). I need to start looking at where my money is going in earnest - less knick knacks, less clutter, more purpose to my spending.

8. Get back to fighting fit. In August I got cold after cold, until finally mid-August I caught covid. I have pretty bad asthma, so I was in bed for a week, then in and out of the Dr’s office for about a month having my asthma reviewed, then on antibiotics for a lingering chest infection. I didn’t run for about two months while I recovered, I lost a lot of my fitness and my entire workout schedule. The routine of exercise is the most important bit of this to me, but I do also want to be able to exercise without my lungs aching again!

Some of these are really simple things to do, like finish the painting, or start walking everywhere again > taking the bus (this will help me get fit faster!). Others, like the budgeting and calling my mom regularly, I need to be more conscious of and break routine. I’ll let you know in January how I’ve gotten on with everything!

Anything you’re looking to start doing? Habits you want to change? Inspire me in the comments!

Day one

Rug Bakery

Whether you arrive by train or plane, you’ll likely start your time in Copenhagen at the Central Station. Cross the road to Rug Bakery for coffee and pastry break before you do anything else. My favourite is the cookie topped with chocolate ganache so it looks like a flower - underrated!

Drop your bags at your hotel (no point lugging those around!) then head to the city centre. Even if you’re tempted to walk off the jet lag, you should know that Copenhagen has a great transit system! You can ride the bus or the subway using the DOT Ticket App.

Thrift shopping

There’s no shortage of secondhand shops in Denmark’s capital. You’ll find countless TikTok’s that outline the scene, but these are the heavy hitters:

• Wilén Store

• lot #99

• Decades

• Tootsie

• CRU$H Vintage

• Second Wardrobe

Lunch at Studio x Kitchen

Popular on socials, but not overrated. I had the folded eggs with caesar salad and it was perfect for a light lunch (second lunch yet to come). This spot is also super conveniently located near the….

Danish Design Museum

Underrated spot! Or maybe, perfectly rated. The Danish Design Museum takes you through the best of Danish design throughout history. It has a kitchen section that I still think about. I even have a notes app note that says “Things I want in my future kitchen” that I made while looking at it. Plus, of course, an entire room of chairs.

Afternoon break at Atelier September

It’s not a trip to Denmark without a classic Danish breakfast plate. Boiled egg (with salt and pepper), a slice of bread, jam, whipped butter, and a slice of comté cheese (my fav!). You can’t beat this. You’ll find it at most of the breakfast/lunch cafe spots - take every opportunity to have it. I’ve tried recreating it at home, but obviously it’s not the same.

Shopping in the city centre

You’ll find all the usual suspects in the city centre, but you’ll also find some shops that you only get in Copenhagen. Ones you’ll want to visit include:

• Studio Arhoj: Really, at the end of the day, it’s pottery shop and studio. But the colours are vibrant and the designs are cooky. I have a little purple americano mug I picked up here on my first trip to Copenhagen, and I still use it nearly every day.

• HAY house: The current ‘it girl’ of interior decor, if you don’t own anything by HAY, you probably own things that ripped off their designs. Those colourful crates? HAY made those first. This is their mecca. The shop has three floors full of home decor and homeware. I personally love their washbags for travel, and their slippers!

• Pico: A small shop where you’ll find popular accessories like giant scrunchies and cute hair clips.

Visit the Rundetaarn (Round Tower)

Copenhagen has no shortage of towers and tourists spots where you can build up your appetite. The round tower is one of a kind — go for the architecture and the views.

Dinner and drinks in Nyhavn

There are a lot of tourist traps in Nyhavn, so do your research ahead of time! I’ve always gone to Nyhavn 14 for pizza, but that’s because my sister has celiac disease and it does gluten free pizzas. Really good pizza though!

Apollo Bar is another one you’ll see on TikTok. It’s got a decent wine selection and the courtyard seating is nice in the summer air.

Day 2: Time to hit the bakeries hard

Pre-breakfast pastries at Hart Bageri

You’re in Copenhagen! It’s time to start eating like it! Book the earliest slow at the Church of Our Saviour, and head to Hart Bageri to get some food and coffee for the walk over. There are loads of locations around Copenhagen, so hopefully you can pick one close to you!

Walk up the Church of Our Saviour Tower

Who doesn’t want an adrenaline rush in the morning? I’m proud to say that one morning I was the very first person on top of the Church of Our Saviour tower. What I didn’t realise on my way up was that it doesn’t actually have a platform at the top. The open air walkway just gets narrower and narrower until it just… ends! And yes, it’s even scarier going down.

Breakfast at Grød

It’s super close to the church, has great granola (and gluten free options) and matcha. Enjoy your breakfast while you wait for GANNI outlet around the corner to open

GANNI outlet

I feel obligated to go every time I’m in Copenhagen. Sometimes I’m lucky and find a gem, othertimes I just enjoy browsing. GANNI was one of the first Copenhagen fashion brands to really break through and start making a noise for Copenhagen fashion, and the outlet is where you can find GANNI at great prices.

Walk around Freetown

No pictures, please! Freetown Christiania is an independent, anarchist commune and inventor of the cargo bike you see all around Copenhagen (and increasingly, here in Edinburgh too!). There’s a lot of cool graffiti art to check out, plus shops and cafes too. Go to Pusher Street to seen the best of the best. While you’re there, pleaser respect the community by not taking photos in the no-photo zones.

More pastries at Lille bakery

It’s easy to hop on a bus over to Lille Bakery from Freetown. Otherwise, it’s a bit of a walk over to Holmen. Lille bakery is a tourist hotspot, so expect to queue to order. Thankfully, there’s plenty of seats so you should usually be able to find a spot to sit and eat.

Build your appetite at Copenhagen Contemporary

Copenhagen Contemporary is the city’s contemporary art gallery. It’s super family friendly with activities for kids, and a slide from the upper level to the lower one. If you’re travelling with kids, I’d say this is a must-hit!

Reffen for lunch

Just around the corner from Copenhagen Contemporary you’ll find the Reffen food market. Here you’ll find all kinds of different cuisines, places to sit and drink in the sun, and you can take a much needed break from walking with a pint and some food.

Cycle back to Nyhavn

Now you have the lay of the land, hop on one of Copenhagen’s many rentable bikes and cycle your way back to Nyhavn. If you want, take a pitstop to see The Little Mermaid first. Make sure you’ve brushed up on your cycling etiquette first though!

Nyhavn boat tour

Listen, there’s no point in pretending you’re not a tourist! You’ve seen a lot of Copenhagen from land, now it’s time to get a guided tour by sea. Learn about the buildings you’ve cycled past and get a little insight into the history of the city. (Affiliate link).

Palazzo Diner for dinner

Back near Tivoli and the train station you’ll find Palazzo Diner. This an Italian restaurant that serves up heaping plates of pasta, and chocolate dusted tiramisu. Sit inside or outdoors, depending on the weather!

Day 3

Morning swim

Time to brave the cold waters! Islands Brygge and Bryggebroen are great places to take a quick dip if you can handle a swim without a sauna. If you’re desperate for a sauna, you can head to La Banchina, but beware, you need to book well in advance. Places like CopenHot are another option, but you aren’t able to swim in the actual water from there! You just get cold plunge pools.

Post-swim sweet treats

It’s hard for me to just recommend one place to visit for breakfast, so here’s a full list of my favourite cafes and bakeries in Copenhagen. My move is to add all of these to a Google maps and then cross reference it with where I’m staying and go somewhere convenient. Last time I was there I stayed at Bryggen Guldsmeden, so I started my day at either Hart Bageri or Anderson Bakery. These are good options if you’re doing your morning dip at Islands Brygge!

Pick your journey: Malmö, Louisiana Art, or Tivoli

With only three days in Copenhagen and a lot of sights to see, it’s best to pick what suits your interests best. You’ve had a lot of time to relax, eat, and explore, but now you’re down to your last day: what will you do with it?

Take the train to Sweden

As a big fan of the TV show The Bridge, this was my first choice. The train to Malmö runs over a bridge that connects the two countries. In under 40 minutes, you’re already in another country! Malmö has a lot to offer too as a quieter city. It’s good for a half day, or a day trip. Make sure you pick up a pastry or two for your train journey!

Visit the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art

I’ve never met an art lover who went to Copenhagen and regretted going to Louisiana. If you didn’t get your fill of art with Copenhagen Contemporary, it’s worth hopping on a train to Louisiana. You’ll find a museum full of modern art, in a gorgeous setting on the coast.

Hit the tourist it spot, Tivoli Gardens

Famously, Tivoli Gardens inspired Walt Disney to create Disneyland. If you’re not a fan of amusement rides, it might not be for you. That said, I’m not big on rollercoasters and I went on my own. I didn’t go on a single ride, but I walked around the park, had a glass of rosé and watched the world go by. It’s a beautiful park, and has a lot to offer, but if you’re on a budget, it might not be the place for you! Entry costs at Tivoli depend on the day, but cost even more if you want to ride. (Affiliate links)

Dinner at Dua Lipa’s favourite chicken sando spot

There’s a lot of great dinner options in Copenhagen, but Poulette was made famous by Dua Lipa. Naturally, it now often has long lines, but is apparently worth the wait. Also nearby in Nørrebro is Paesàno (another one on my list) and loads of other dinner options.

Share your recommendations in the comments!

I’m going back to Copenhagen in May ‘26 for the marathon, and I’m always on the hunt for new things to do and eat.

When I was having a really hard time earlier this year, I bailed on a week long hiking trip and instead booked a round trip flight to Copenhagen for a few days of solitude, art, and, most importantly, pastries.

Here are my honest thoughts on the hottest Copenhagen bakeries:

1. Hart Bageri; loads of locations, great options. Will visit again

2. Rug Bakery; thought it would be overrated, think it’s actually, if possible, underrated. My favourite.

3. Andersen Bakery; extortionate prices for matcha but worth every penny. Bakes are unreal.

4. Andersen & Maillard; yum.

5. BUKA Bakery; definitely a bit of a tourist trap pricing wise, but a pastry is a pastry.

6. Lille Bakery; full tourist trap. I’m sure they have some nice things, but my focaccia was inedible :(

7. Bodenhoffs Bageri; a chain, but fine if you want a basic pastry

8. Lagahuset; also a chain, but my preferred chain.

9. HANS Coffee; great matcha, yummy pastries.

10. Sonny; not really a bakery but I’m adding it because I see it on other lists. I hold a grudge because I paid £8 for a mid matcha.

Bakeries I’ve yet to go to, but they’re high on my list:

1. Københavns Bageri

2. Juno the Bakery

3. H.U.G Bageri

4. Collective Bakery

5. ORSA

6. Skt. Peders Bageri

Any to add? Leave them in the comments! I’m running the Copenhagen Marathon next year, and I’ll need to do a lot of carb loading before that.

1. the life of a showgirl

Whether they’ve listened or not, liked it or not, all the girls are on about Taylor’s new album. The Life of a Showgirl is definitely dividing opinions. Most of my girl group chats are either sending lists of songs they actually like from the album or lyrics that they absolutely can’t stand. Personally? Big Opalite fan. The song lyrics that I can’t stand (and therefore pretend to ignore while dancing along) are too many to count. Never stopped me before though!

2. chunky pinky rings and charm jewellery

Charm necklaces have definitely been on the rise for awhile now, but where before you had to go to niche shops to ‘build your own necklace’, you can now build these on the high street!!! While waiting for my flight to Canada, I stumbled into Accessorize (as one does) and found they had a whole charm necklace/bracelet section. I made one with three charms for £20! Love it! Wear it most days! The other thing I think is going to make a big wave soon is chunky pinky rings with a stone. Forget the posh signet rings of yore, I’m talking an east west set mini ring. My friend and jeweller Cat, @ ellen catherine jewellery on instagram, wears one that she made as a tester for a client. The client happened to have tiny fingers, so she wears it on her pinky ring, and it’s so cool.

3. bringing back mall shopping w the girls

Being vulnerable for a moment: in the past year or so I’ve felt particularly old because none of the shops seem to sell anything I think is cute anymore. I used to have a really strong sense of style, but I grew out of it, and never really found a way to mature it without looking mumsy. Well. The girls are loving the autumn wardrobe selection this year. For the first time in maybe five years I actually messaged the chat to see if anyone wanted to do an autumn wardrobe shopping day, because I’d genuinely just enjoy walking through the shops to get inspiration for my own wardrobe, and maybe pick up a bit or two along the way!

4. the summer of yearning

Seeing as we took a summer break, it wouldn’t be right to come back without mentioning the elephant in the room that is conrad fisher. The summer I turned pretty dominated my girl chats for the three months that those episodes trickled out each wednesday. It was honestly criminal that the last episode, when, spoiler alert, spoiler alert, conrad and belly finally get together…. I was abroad for a wedding so couldn’t host my usual weekly watch party. Believe you me, there would have been SCREECHING in the room! The thing the girls and I couldn’t get passed (and to be fair, there were lots), is simply that men generally don’t actually yearn like this. I mean, maybe we’re just jaded, maybe we’re just old, but conrad fisher is so obviously written by a woman, it’s too intense of yearning at times. Still, I do and will always want a man to yearn for me in that mr darcy, conrad fisher way.

And that brings us to the end of today’s episode! As ever, thank you as well for listening. Thank you as well to everyone who has given us a 5* rating on spotify, or subscribed on Substack. If you haven’t already please please please do! It is the main way you can share the love and it is so appreciated.

my favourites this week

1. cicaplast; I have been religious in my use over the summer and the breakouts (of acne or eczema!) have been miraculously minimal

2. boots wax strips; I’m bringing this one back to the list because I just used them again last night and once again, I’m reminded how great it is that i can do my brows at home and don’t have to pay someone to do them in a way i don’t even like.

3. dior red lipstick; tis the season! the red lip is back. this one from Dior was spenny, but I bought it as a treat while in Paris, and it really does wear so well. I’m actually tempted to try a 2014 berry dark red again!

4. earl of east smoke & musk candle; replaced this after I burned mine out last winter - it’s the perfect scent for a cosy afternoon in, when it’s raining outside

5. emily henry books; I have been hammering through these for a bit of respite. there’s something so great about reading a book that I would normally reserve for holidays during the middle of the week. also, they’re included on spotify premium as audio books.

6. elf power grip primer; bought this on a whim bc i needed new primer and it was cheap and omg i actually really rate it! Not had a breakout because of it (my usual problem with primers), and I’m nearly done the bottle!

7. the halcyon album from kingfishr; been a perfect autumn album to stick on whilst working with the rain hammering on the window

8. my trusty antique buchanan tbco scarf; i’ve had this for six years now, I always bring it out this time of year and never fail to find a million ways to wear it, and get compliments.

9. my trusty blundstones; similar to my tbco scarf. I’ve had these for 7 years, worn them to absolute death but they’re still kicking! every once in awhile I top them up with fresh black boot polish and they keep crackin on. been wearing them loads in the rainy weather lately.

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1. Recycle beauty items for free money!

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve finished a beauty product and thought ‘I don’t know how to recycle this!’ Well, nowadays there’s tons of beauty recycling programmes. My favourite is at HBeauty, where you’ll get 500 points when you recycle 5 items. Over the weekend I dropped my five off when I went to pick up a gift for a friend - they just have buckets at the checkout counter, you pop your items in, scan your card, and you’re good to go! You can do the same thing at Boots with a program called ‘Recycle at Boots’ and for every five qualifying items you recycle, you'll receive Advantage points, worth £5 (when you spend £10). That’s just free money!

2. stop trying to make dusty swag happen

In the pandemic I followed a TikToker called Lydia Keating who lived in Rhode Island and ate random fruit and talked a lot about a style called ‘dusty swag’. Dusty swag is like, slip on merrells with cut off shorts and oakleys — clothes that were super cool in the 90s in midwestern/New England, and Canada. It’s exactly how I remember my parents dressing with bright, multi coloured fleece sweaters and socks and sandals. Anyways, I saw these Teva shoes on ASOS last week - £32 down from £85 and I was like these are peak dusty swag, I gotta get ‘em. But suffice to say, no one else is on board.

Also… I thought they were green when I bought them. My colourblind!!!! husband corrected me and now I like them less. He rightly argues that the grey colour makes them space station-esque. 😟

3. custom fits are underrated

At the end of August my sister is getting married, and I am one of her lucky bridesmaids! Instead of doing expensive matchy bridesmaid dresses, she gave us a colour palette and sent us on our merry way. I ordered a gorgeous dress, new with tags, on Vinted but the bust just didn’t fit right. In my closet, I had another two dresses with the same problem - fits perfect at the hips, way too big on the bust/waist. Also in my closet is a single pair of gingham shorts that I had altered to fit my hips and waist perfectly. They’re five years old, and I still love them to bits. So, I bit the bullet, found a seamstress, tried on all my dresses in there on a muggy, rainy July morning, and one week later I have three new dresses, custom to my body. It cost £42 to get them all altered, which in my view is an absolute bargain!

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my favourites this week

1. my sun cream; the trusty rudolph care sun balm - worn throughout the heatwave all day in the sun, no reapplication and still no burns!

2. firmoo glasses; I spent less than £90 and got TWO new pairs of prescription glasses. shipping included!

3. my morrisons bag; you can’t beat a woven bag in a heatwave. a lil peak of a book and sun cream through the bag? please!!! it’s screaming summer. Can’t buy it online though, you’re just gonna have to get it w your next food shop.

4. moody bee lip balm; a close second to my rituals spf lip balm. This one is made in canada!

5. oysho clothes; they do athletic apparel that doubles as v cute every day wear, especially when it’s hot out! their skort and tank top are my go-to hot day combo

6. hourglass ambient lighting palette; an absolute classic! gives a nice healthy glow but v light and shimmery for a summer day. I can’t stand having layers of product on when it’s hot and sticky out

7. flower clip; bought this on a rainy day in san sebastian last year and it’s never let me down. v cute when you need your hair off your neck, but equally as cute when clipped on your bag!

8. gracie abram’s the secret of us deluxe album; this came out when i was in Amsterdam during a heatwave last june so now whenever it’s hot out i have to listen to it. perf songs for stomping around a city in heat!!!! I told you things remains my fav

9. my green cardi from UO; cannot for the life of me find my more neon one online, and I was actually hunting for this pistachio coloured one linked here when I bought mine!!! very annoying. still, goes with everything. I guess kiwi/matcha is the new butter yellow after all?

My wishlist and recent buys

Oh, what’s this?! A new section! I just did a lot of shopping this week so I thought I’d share what I got/what I’m thinking of getting

1. rituals hydrating day cream moisturiser; this is my second refill of this. I love rituals.

2. rituals spf lip balm; obv replacing bc I lost mine and I love it

3. another cardi bc im wearing mine too much - I want the lilac/purple or the black!

4. bag from zara; went in for a tote to travel with, ended up with a bucket bag. It’s so cute!!! The leather seems decent quality, so do the finishes.

5. blouses from stradivarius; all on sale for £9.99 in-store and will get tons of wear out of them the next time the heat hits!

6. deep action pimple patches; I was replacing the mightypatches that I have but these were £2 cheaper for 60 more patches per pack!

7. elf soft glam foundation; trying this because MAC was out of my shade in the face and body foundation. I’ve worn it twice since buying - it’s fine. It’s definitely not an equal dupe.

8. carrie bradshaw esque heels; bought these puppies for my sister’s wedding - going to test them out at my bday drinks this weekend so fingers crossed that they’re comfy!

9. orchid earrings; these are GIVING summer

Listen to this article in the audio above, or on Spotify here.

Where I used to have ‘What I was on about in [insert month], we now have monthly hits and misses! As always, I’m looking back at my month on a more personal note, but now adding in my biggest recommendations (hits!) for the month, and my biggest de-influencing moments for the month (misses!).

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Dopamine dressing: Hit

I started June with a new spring jacket from Magasin du Nord. It’s cheetah print. It’s perfect. Then I got this lime green cardi from Urban Outfitters and I was SET. All month I’ve been mixing and matching colours, prints, and textures. I used to be a strictly ‘dark academia’ styled girly and when I started outgrowing that I really struggled to find a style that felt me. Dopamine dressing as a concept became a big thing since then, and I’ve found it’s helped me buy things that I would have thought were too ‘out there’ to get enough wear out of before. Turns out, cheetah print jackets go with everything!

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Last Monday I barely woke up. It was like I’d been run over by a train and I mean that it the realest of senses. I crawled my way to our spare room (ok that’s hyperbole), sat at my desk, went to clear my messages before I made coffee and I couldn’t because I couldn’t read the screen. My eyes were too sleepy. My head hit the desk and I thought: little screen will be better. Checked my phone only to see a notification from my period tracking app ‘Stardust’ saying:

“Are your arms begging to fold themselves into a pillow for your head at your desk? That’s progesterone, baby!”

Turns out it was the first day of my luteal phase and that massive hit of progesterone was like I’d popped three Benadryls. There’s no escaping the luteal phase, ok! One of my friends is off on holiday this week and was sooooo happy she’d be in a bikini in the first week of her cycle. She neglected to consider, however, that this meant the week before her trip to Italy she would be in the snacky, must eat everything in sight phase of her cycle. Me? I can once again function, but I am due to get my period on the same day I plan to wake up in a tent in the Cairngorms, 20km from civilisaiton. Woooooooo!!!!

2. Is everyone in on ‘girls go mild’ without me?

I am one of three sisters, the eldest of which is getting married this August in a city just outside of Toronto. Now, I live Scotland, my eldest sister (the one getting married) lives in southern Ontario, and my other sister lives in our hometown. The whole distance and cost of travel made it hard to plan a big hen before her wedding, so instead we’re doing a bachelorette two days before the wedding. Alll very normal, right? But when my sister (the other bridesmaid) messaged me to ask what we should do and I said girl idk, she said “What about girls gone mild?” And I fully thought she was bullying my eldest sister. I thought she was being like “ugh idk she’s so boring, couldn’t even be girls gone wild”

No. Turns out that’s a very common theme for a hen in Canada? It’s like spa time, chill vibes bachlorette party. Dear readers: is this a thing in the UK? Am I just super out of the loop? I just think that wouldn’t land over here, I was so sure she was being mean when she said it! Is this a sign that UK drinking culture has gotten to me????

3. I have a new sixth sense

Not one but two of my dear sweet friends have told me recently that they’re having a baby (!!!). In the past I was 3/3 on guessing the gender of my friends’ and family’s unborn babies. But, my last friend had a girl when I was so sure she was having a boy and now I’m convinced I’ve lost my touch. What I have gained, though, is an eery sense of “she’s going to tell me she’s pregnant” before I meet my friends. I’m 2/2 so far.

4. The great labubu debate

I get Labubus, I just didn’t always want one. To me they’re like ferbies or cabbage patch dolls. Labubu’s sat in that area of “I see why someone might, but it’s not for me” for a good 3 months. I watched people unbox them and thought “listen, I get the cuteness of having a little charm on a bag, but why are they scary little monsters?!” Once, at the gym, I saw a girl with a cheetah print GANNI tote bag and a jellycat keychain on it and I was like okay yes that’s for me. Then I went to look for a GANNI tote bag — £100+. Then, I went to look for a jellycat key chain — £20+. Sorry! That I don’t get, I’m not in that tax bracket.

And then, the funniest thing happened! My friend and I were spending a day out in Edinburgh and stopped into Miniso and bought little sylvanian family loot bags. I got a little mouse with a mushroom hat. (!!!!!!) She’s perfect and I love her. Then I saw a little sylvanian friend keychain in UO and I bought it for £14!!!! Then I saw more and more labubu unboxings. Then: labubus doing silly things. Then: I learned you have to watch the popmart livestream to try and buy a labubu if you live somewhere where there’s no IRL shop. Listen, I know it’s all marketing, but as a magpie at heart, I can’t help it!!!! I want a labubu!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

5. We’ll listen to celebrity gossip but that’s it

A few days ago three messages dropped in the group chat:

“Right. Sabrina carpenter’s album cover. Discuss.”

The general consensus is that none of us care nearly enough for the amount of ‘discourse’ this has stirred up. And it’s not just Sabrina Carpenter that we can’t be fked with, but most celebrities. Sorry, are we supposed to be outraged that Sydney Sweeney is selling her bath water??? I don’t know these people! Caring about things has been overprescribed IMO. All day, online, we’re told we need to have strong opinions on such innocuous stupid things that really, if you took away my phone, I wouldn’t know about.

My general motto in life is “celebrate the good, criticise the bad” but do I have to categorize everything into one or the other? Can I not just listen to some celebrity gossip and think ‘huh these people really are crazy’ and leave it at that? Also, people really need to stop thinking they’re “good” people just because they comment critical takes on TikToks. Come on back down to reality, please.

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my favourites this week

1. rudolph care Sun Balm SPF 50 - not too heavy and very reliable on a sunny day

2. lil travel bottle set from flying tiger - I use these all the time for my gym bag!

3. by ed sheeran; saw a tiktok using ‘wake me up’ as it’s audio and it brought me right back

4. ouai texturising; key ingredient for a slick back. DEVASTATED to learn it’s been discontinued!!!!!!

5. pico giant silk scrunchie; bought in cph and worn countless times since

6. my bike; it’s the cheapest cannondale money can buy but my god it is my ol faithful

7. my old fitbit (aff link); i need my stars but im not ready to pay for an oura ring

8. chain gold bracelet (similar); didn’t embrace the bracelet life enough before i started wearing my fit bit again

9. abercrombie high rise vintage jeans; these are THE jeans. I have waited my whole life for these jeans.

10. Virgin by Lorde; my fav songs are ‘favourite daughter’ and ‘Current Affairs’