May Favorites '26

May was another jam packed month. As I was going back through my camera roll, I thought to myself “that was a few weeks ago?!” Some pictures already felt like they were from a lifetime ago. We had friends in town, visited family, endured a heatwave and ate lots of gelato. It was the kind of month where time collapses in on itself. I’m telling myself those are signs of time well spent.

The only thing I was reading were the flavor options at the gelato shop. At this rate, the entire shop will soon know my full government name. During my weekly pilgrimage, I’ve found that I’m clearly partial to pecan and strawberry.

I do have Yesteryear on my list — crossing my fingers for more time to read in June!

Our friends were visiting, so we roamed around Paris, visiting a few museums and exhibits along the way. Below are a few highlights and some tips in case you’re interested in visiting them!

Matisse 1941 – 1954

Matisse doesn’t need an introduction, a few of my favorite pieces below.

Versailles

Versailles is an easy day trip from the city center. The tip I want to share with you is to go to the Daughters’ apartments first! If you go straight instead of left after security, you’re bound to miss your opportunity. Traffic flows one way and once you exit, you can’t go back in. I’ve now missed them twice! Next time, I’m beelining it there.

The RER C will take you all the way there via the Versailles Rive Gauche station — from there it’s a quick walk to the château. If you can get to Gare Montparnasse from where you are easily, you can take a quick 15 minute ride to Versailles Chantiers directly.

Martin Parr

We managed to go to the Martin Parr exhibition a few days before it ended. I was struck by the amount of time I spent at each photograph, dissecting each scene. The one that stayed with me the most was a zoomed out scene of everyone trying to get a photo of the Mona Lisa — a scene I’ve experienced myself. Another had me wondering whether we’ll see a shift in editorial photography with the rise of large learning models (most notably referred to as AI — I just don’t think they deserve to be called intelligent!). The image was Parr’s first fashion commission, for Amica, an Italian magazine. At first I thought it was street photography — my second thought was whose mom is this!?

Madame de Sévigné Exhibition

I wasn’t expecting to have a full circle moment when I went to the latest exhibition at my most frequented museum in Paris. We went to see the Madame de Sévigné exhibition at Musée Carnavalet that highlights the life of Marie de Rabutin-Chantal. She was born in Place Royale (now known as Places des Vosges) — a stone’s throw away from the Musée Carnavalet. She later became a resident of Hotel Carnavalet (now Musée Carnavalet) from 1677 until her death in 1696.

The exhibition recounts her influence through the letters she wrote to daughter. She embodied the galant culture and the art de vivre of the time — in today’s world, we’d say she had aura. One of my favorite parts was a map coded with all the places she frequented and people she visited — almost like what you’d find recounted in a period piece journal. It made me wonder what mine would look like over the course of my time in Paris — all the museums, cafes, stores, and friendships that would radiate across the neatly labeled streets.

The Catacombs

We visited the Catacombs for the first time and honestly, once was enough. While it’s fascinating to see the well preserved history that stretches for miles, it was a bit eerie — especially when I found myself alone at various points. The quietness echoed in the darkness and had a weight to it that I can’t quite put into words. I’ve never been so happy to climb the stairs back up into the fresh air.

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This suede green beauty! If you read my February favorites, you may have seen me mention Manu Atelier. I’ve been obsessing over every style they make, but there is something about this green suede that transports me back to the feeling I first had when I came across an emerald ring band I wish I had bought years ago. I hope I don’t make the same mistake twice. I was also a fan of this tote — it has a single strap that sits comfortably on the shoulder.

This month’s recommendation is small and so simple that it almost feels silly to recommend, but I’m here to recommend the fun drink. In the warmer months, I find it harder to order anything full of milk, so I revert to something more refreshing. I’ve been switching between an orangeade with hibiscus and strawberry lemonade all month!

Anna Shelley

It’s not every day that I’m happy a targeted ad resonated, but I’ve been going back to Anna Shelley’s jewelry ever since it graced my feed. Everything is handmade in northern France and her designs don’t have a blueprint — instead, she brings them to life in the moment with wire, her wire cutters and a bead. A few I keep going back to are these dangly earrings and this single bead necklace that almost gives the same vibe as a choker.

ps — if you’re in Paris between June 16 to 20 they’re hosting a pop-up at 13 rue de Saintong!

Grey Cotton Cardigan

Y’all already know how much I adore Gillian Stevens’ pieces. This cotton cardigan (gifted) has barely left my side since it arrived in March. In the Spring, I find myself reaching for more cotton sweaters due to their breathability. I mostly wear this one over a tank or throw it around my shoulders if I’m feeling a bit toasty later in the day.

Mimétique Skin Restore

I had saved Mimétique into my notes app after spotting it at the pharmacy well over a year ago. I had jotted Skin Restore as a potential backup for when I made my way through my SkinFix stash I’d stocked up on before moving. The emphasis on formulation and scientific backing caught my attention — no fluff, no gimmick marketing, just facts. Their approach reminds me of my beloved Dieux. I’ve repurchased it and it’s one product my husband and I have both added to our routine.

All Black Outfits with Red as an Accent

Every time I wear an all black outfit, I’m reminded of Anika Krueger (the queen of black) and Sana Ali’s letter from last summer. There is something about an all black outfit in the warmer months that feels so fresh to me. Maybe because white is the default color of summer? Either way, adding a red accent with my sandals has been my kryptonite lately.

Tying Your Button Down at an Angle

Resharing this tip here in case you missed it! It’s easily been one of my favorite discoveries in the past month.

Farmers Market Flowers

I was reminded how much I love having flowers at home after picking up this bouquet at the farmers market. It’s the same flower, but in three different colors. I unfortunately didn’t jot down the name. Next time, I’m getting the calla lilies!

Linen Pants

These pants saved me during the heatwave we had in Paris — especially towards the end where I found myself reaching for them without thinking. I know linen pants get a bad rap for being wrinkle prone, but I’ve found wrinkles weren’t something I worried about when I wore them. It’s possible the wrinkles were harder to see on black linen — either way, these have been the perfect pants for dealing with scorching days.

I’m From Toner

I was so excited to see this back in stock on the shelves of my local Korean skincare store. It’s a rice milk toner that leans milkier than others I’ve tried. It leaves my skin feeling nourished and refreshed. If you ever have the chance to try, I highly recommend it!

Beach Trip

For a long weekend in May, we went back to Brittany to spend the weekend with my husband’s family. It poured all weekend in Paris, but somehow it was bright and beautiful along the coast. We fell very much into the same routines of last August — eating, swimming, taking long ambling walks. If you’re curious what that looked like, you can read the recap from last summer here.

All featured items mentioned here.

Follow me on Instagram and TikTok for more snippets of daily life in Paris. You can also find me on Indyx if you’d like to take a peek at what I’m wearing.

Thank you for joining me on another monthly favorites! It goes without saying, but I’m so excited to have y’all here — it’s a joy to share my corner of the world with you. Your support truly means the world to me. I’d love to know what your May favorites were, let me know in the comments below!

xx Ofelia

Disclosure: This newsletter contains affiliate links, and I may earn a small commission if you purchase through them. Not all links are monetized — I only share brands whose quality and design focus I admire. Some pieces were gifted from prior years and their reappearance in current newsletters reflects my confidence in that brand’s products . Everything featured reflects items I genuinely love, would buy and wear myself.

If you liked this, you might also like the following:

What I Wore in Paris This Week

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May 29

I may have picked the worst week to do a recap of what I wore in Paris — this kind of heat without AC is an ongoing challenge for me. Within days we went from low 60s to low 90s — la canicule (heat wave)! You’ll see a wide range of what I was wearing as I navigated the rapid temperature rise — a survival log per se?

One Week in Provence

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May 22

We took a two hour train to Lyon before picking up our rental car and driving a scenic three hours south to our hotel. It reminded us of our time in Austin, TX where we’d drive for long stretches of time through the lone star state on our way to our next national park adventure — three hours felt like a breeze with a podcast compared to the multi-day long hauls through the heart of the U.S. We listened to

What I Wore in Provence

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May 15

While my husband may be on vacation, he’s never on vacation from taking my pictures. We spent a week cruising around Provence and I wanted to share five outfits I styled with pieces that are on heavy rotation for me in the warmer months — notably, one raffia bag doing far more than it signed up for. More on what we did in an upcoming letter!