Five Items of Note
Pt. 2
Good morning,
Today’s coffee beans of choice are the Allpress A. R. T. Espresso with a chocolatey flavour profile that I’ve raved about before on Substack.
The last time I shared Five Items of Note was back in September where it was a bullet pointed list of five things — no intro, no ending just five things I’ve been admiring or indulging in.
I though I’d share an updated list this month. Maybe a bit more conversational than last post! Here are my Five Items of Note:
Leather Petals by Regime des Fleurs. There are perfumes in my collection that remain constant—signature scents that transcend seasons and stay close to me year-round. But as the cold begins to settle in, I find myself becoming more curious, more attuned to sensory exploration. I discovered RdF over a year ago, only later learning that their only London stockist was The Row on 15 Carlos Pl.
15 Carlos Pl, London Even then, the full collection was rarely on display and often tucked away—I’d have to ask someone to fetch it from the back. I wish I had the proper vocabulary to talk about fragrance the way true connoisseurs do. It took me a full year to finally settle on the scent that felt like me. I’ve never been a fan of florals—unless they’re balanced with something woody, heady, or resinous, turning the floral into an afterthought, like, “Oh, here’s a little orris, by the way.” In that case, I’m sold. I’d call this a unisex fragrance, one that pairs beautifully with my oud oil. A very close second and third was La Bas and Fleur Eclair. The former dried a bit too masculine and the later a bit too sweet. I’m very excited to see where this brand goes.
Matte nails. For those lucky enough to know my grandmother, you’ll know she’s a lady in every sense of the word—and a very particular one at that. She likes things exactly the way she likes them. Case in point: when mobile phones first became a thing, she was assigned a random mobile number. Most people would accept it without a second thought, but not her. She insisted on getting a unique number — a slew of all her lucky numbers (a pattern of 5s and 0s). The world is truly her oyster, and we’re just here for the ride.
When back home, I see her manicurist. She has a hidden bottle of her signature matte shade—a colour the staff actually keep tucked away just for her. During my last visit, I decided to invoke my granddaughter privileges and ask for the special stuff. The timing couldn’t have been better: just as I was flirting with the idea of joining the bare-nail club.
Into the Fridge. If you are on Substack you might have heard of Into the Fridge which is a series where Substacker Katie Stone asks some interesting people about what’s in their fridge and analyses that. I would choose this over a “what’s in my bag” ANY DAY. This series brings me so much joy and feels almost wrongfully intimate. My favourite of her posts is one of her friend Kelsey who has a whole half wheel of parmigiano-reggiano in her fridge (as one should).
There’s something about this series that is of high interest to me. I hope we get to see this series expand! More content like this!
Napiers Frankincense Night Cream. There’s something magical about old apothecaries. Growing up, Napiers was practically a pilgrimage—a weekly stop that somehow felt both indulgent and essential. Filled to the brim with teas, tinctures, and elixirs, it feels like stepping into a time-honored ritual of care. Lately, I’ve been reaching for their Frankincense Nourishing Night Cream. Though meant for the face, I’ve been using it on my hands. It’s like a little piece of that apothecary magic bottled up for me to take home. If you’re ever in Scotland, Napiers is worth many visits.
5. Drømmekage (dream cake): Hjem is a cafe in Kensington, one of my favourite neighbourhood stops for matcha, coffee or baked anything. Lately, I have been craving their dream cake — a Danish vanilla sponge cake with a caramelised coconut topping. I finally got to making some today and was impressed by how easy it was! I followed this recipe.
Thank you for reading!! Sending love before the new week. Until next time!
Deem xx