May 2026 Favorites: Korres Perfume, Bob Mackie Blouses, Boots Riley, and Everything Else

Well, May has come and gone, and I got to spend part of this month celebrating my birthday. I turned 33 this year, and honestly, I felt really mad about it. It just didn't feel exciting, and I think that's because for the last year I've felt really stuck in my life. A lot of changes have happened in my career, and because it's such a core part of my identity, it's been really hard to sift through it all and try to remain positive.

At the same time, I'm making a lot of financial changes that require me to have less spending money and be more focused on long-term financial health. It's boring, but because of that I hate that I can't be as spendy as I want for my birthday. And this is so embarrassing to admit, but as I've been working on my relationship with food, I've tended toward binge eating in the past and would overcompensate with spending, so it now feels like I can't lean on that either. I'm trying to find some kind of balance, and all of this is incredibly weird to be putting on the internet, but life is short, right?

Anyway, all that's to say I didn't get to go all out like I really wanted to, so I was a little bratty about it, and then some health stuff came up. Thankfully I'm fine, but within the month I did have a lot of small celebrations that felt really good — including breakfast at the Peninsula Hotel and getting to wander around the city. I know I have a lot of work to do, both in terms of my financial health and a lot of other areas of my life, and I'm hoping I get to continue doing that work. I think it's kind of a privilege to be able to work on yourself. Cheers to the next six months; astrology says it's supposed to get better for me, so fingers crossed. Anyways, with all that, here are my monthly favorites you.

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Also, quick plug: if you are a spendy babe and want some spendy recommendations, I put together some weekly picks on my ShopMy.

Beauty

All month I was wearing the Avgoustos perfume from Korres. It's inspired by August in Greece, and while it's not quite August yet, it has been very heavily in the rotation. This particular fragrance features notes of mandarin, lavender, bergamot, fig, orange blossom, amber, grass, cedarwood, and musk. On me, it reads as a really nice musky citrus. I get fig tree notes along with orange blossom and a little lemon, and it just makes for a really easy, casual scent. I've been loving it for low-key days around the house or right after a shower to feel fresh. I love it so much that I included it in my summer fragrance guide.

Earlier this year I got the Eadem Le Chouchou lip balm and I've fallen deeply in love. I've seen it all over the internet so I was skeptical at first, but wow, the texture is amazing. It's so buttery and nourishing. It's got lactic acid, which serves as a light exfoliation leaving a nice softening feel. But my favorite thing is actually the applicator. It's a metal doe foot applicator and I am obsessed with putting it on, it feels so slick and cooling. The balm itself comes in a couple of different colors or clear. I love it so much I'm going to pick up another one.

Okay, how could I not talk about Marc Jacobs Beauty? I am so pumped for this relaunch. I've been waiting, like all other millennials who were obsessed with Marc Jacobs Beauty back in the day. To be honest, not all of the packaging is my favorite. Some of it feels a little juvenile and too whimsical for me, but I appreciate what it is, and I think it's very true to Marc Jacobs right now. I will be purchasing the bronzer. I am so far beyond pan on my current bronzer, it's not even funny. Either way, I'm excited to see how this line builds out in the coming months because I think something really fun is on the horizon.

Experiences

For my birthday I took myself out to breakfast at the Peninsula in Chicago, and I don't know, there is just something about a five-star hotel that sets your day right. I went really early and got to sit in their dining room, which has these beautiful huge windows overlooking Michigan Avenue. The service is incredible, everyone is very nice and accommodating, and my favorite touch is that they serve tea in these gorgeous, very heavy silver teapots. It's such a tranquil environment. I've also done their afternoon tea, which was really nice, though a bit steep. I also go to their bar, Z Bar, often, and it's one of my favorite downtown spots. I think I just love a hotel. There's something very transient about it, like your backstory is completely unwritten, and I kind of like that sometimes.

I also went to the Peony Festival by Flowers for Dreams, which I totally loved. You got to pick out your own blooms for a bouquet and there were a bunch of local vendors there. They had legit thousands of flowers, so beautiful!

Fashion & Style

I have been all about blouses for the last few months, wearing them nonstop. I got to wear two really fun ones this month, both vintage Bob Mackie pieces. One was a polka dot with a little rose detail that I wore to the Peony Festival, and the other has this really cool bow print. I got both on eBay for under $40, and they're really nice quality. Interesting, fun, different, unique. I love finding a cool blouse, and I'm challenging myself to style them in different ways.

I also started my jeans search this month. I'm trying to figure out if I'm a bootcut or flare girl, but I want something really 70s, and I'm currently scrolling Pinterest for inspo. I'll report back.

Obviously the Met Gala was this month, and I think a lot of people have already said really poignant things about it. This is the year Bezos took over, and it's interesting because this is a fundraiser where in theory billionaires should be donating, but it's also so much more of a power grab for them. That said, there were fashion moments, some of which I loved and some of which I didn't. I would really like to see the exhibit this year. There's been a lot of work around size inclusion and disability inclusion that I think is pretty cool to see documented and honored in a museum context.

As for the actual looks, I really, really loved Emma Chamberlain. Hers was just so ethereal, beautiful, and detailed. Even watching her behind-the-scenes content, you could see how much craft and hard work went into it.

Food & Drinks

Okay, this is going to sound so silly, but I love a rice cake. I'm a child of the 90s and diet culture, so rice cakes have always had my heart. These rice cake treats from Drizzilicious are so good though. They're the perfect size and they don't taste too sweet or dense. Just rice cake with chocolate, but the crunch is incredible and the sweetness is exactly right. The s'mores flavor has been heavily in the rotation.

I also went to this new-to-me bar called Valador in Chicago. They're in Wicker Park, which I don't normally venture out to, but omg, their happy hour was so good. All food was $8 and all drinks were $12. I had the lychee martini, which was really good, and several apps, but my favorites were the al pastor gyoza and the cilantro lime crispy rice with salmon. The vibe in there is so cool, moody and dark and kind of sexy. I cannot wait to go back, and I have to say it was approved by another femme, so it's double femme approved, which is pretty major.

Home & Lifestyle

I love candles. Earlier this month, Merz Apothecary had a Mother's Day event with candle engraving, and I picked up a Glasshouse candle. I have written love letters about Glasshouse over and over, and this time I got their Radiance in Bloom, which has notes of water lily, sea salt, bergamot, jasmine, tuberose, geranium, musk, amber, and vetiver. Overwhelmingly though, it's a clean orchid smell. It just livens up my space in the best way. It's tranquil, soft, a little escapist, and it's perfect for days where you want to feel awake but cozy without anything too overwhelming. Highly recommend.

When I was in LA earlier this year, I picked up a little daily planner from Luddite and I have been loving it. I typically use Notion for goal setting, quarterly planning, and big picture life planning, but on a daily basis I time block because it helps me context switch between my different areas of work. Being able to clearly see what I'm working on and when keeps me on track. This planner is thin, was about $8, and does the job beautifully. I've been using it for a couple of months and I quite enjoy it.

Media & Entertainment

I saw I Love Boosters, and I love, love, love it. It's incredible. This is simply a movie you must see. It's funny, whimsical, fashionable, artistic, thought-provoking, and critical in a way that is just so uniquely Boots Riley. Also, the cast? Phenomenal.

What I really loved was the interconnectedness it tried to paint about the world and how we are all connected in ways we don't fully understand. It's also interesting that this is coming out just a few weeks after The Devil Wears Prada, because both movies in my opinion really try to point out the flaws in our society. The Devil Wears Prada explored working from within the system to change it, whereas I Love Boosters is very much about working outside the system entirely. The whole film just made me think about fashion, capitalism, hustling, and how no matter what, it can feel so impossible to get ahead. A really, really cool movie and I cannot wait to see it again.

I also finished Ladies of London and I love it. I wish more people were watching it on Bravo and I remain hopeful it will get a second season. The cast is just full of interesting, cool women who are all baddie in their own way. I really loved Kimmy's style, Lady Emma Thynn is just so cool to watch, Martha is silly but so heart of gold, and I loved Lottie's whole outlook on life. Fingers crossed for another season.

On the music side, I've been listening to a lot of King Curtis, in particular his 1967 album King Size Soul. Memphis Soul Stew is just so fun and his sax is incredible, obviously.