French Living, Wherever You Are
For travellers seeking a more intimate and slower way to experience Amsterdam, The Dylan Amsterdam offers something elegantly, beautifully unscripted. Unscripted Summer reframes time in the city, not as a checklist to complete but as something to settle into. At The Dylan Amsterdam, the city unfolds gradually, shaped by movement, pause, and the freedom to …
There is something quietly magical about the ritual of the French apéro. It is not quite dinner, not quite drinks, and certainly not a rushed happy hour squeezed between emails and obligations. The apéro — short for apéritif — is a ritual. A pause. A gentle transition between the working day and the evening ahead. …
There is a kind of Sunday in Paris that most visitors never quite find — the effortless Sunday, where wandering takes precedence over itineraries and unexpected moments matter more than carefully planned activities. Like many people, I always thought the secret to making the most of Paris was to experience as much of it as …
Welcome back to The Velvet Runway and this feature about 10 of the Best French Pharmacy Serums for Glowing Skin. French pharmacies are renowned for their understated approach to beauty — effective skincare rooted in science, dermatological expertise, and carefully selected ingredients rather than passing trends. From cult classics to newer innovations, French pharmacy skincare …
There are certain places in Provence that seem to exist in their own gentle rhythm, where lavender drifts through the air, fountains quietly murmur beneath cypress trees, and long afternoons dissolve into candlelit evenings. Villa Gallici, tucked away just above the historic heart of Aix-en-Provence, is one of those places. Part grand Italian residence, part …
Welcome back to The Velvet Runway and this travel post about What To Know When Traveling To Italy: A Practical Travel Guide. Editor’s Note (June 2026): This guide was reviewed and updated in June 2026 to ensure the travel information, recommendations, and resources remain accurate and relevant for visitors planning a trip to Italy. Italy …
Welcome back to The Velvet Runway and The Velvet Edit May 2026: The Art of Effortless Living. May always feels like a quiet turning point. April still carries a sense of transition — but May invites something softer, more settled. The light lingers a little longer, mornings feel calmer, and there’s a subtle shift in …
Welcome back to The Velvet Runway and the The Velvet Edit April 2026, a look back at the rituals and moments that shaped the month. There is a particular quality to April that feels difficult to define, yet instantly recognisable. It is not a dramatic shift, nor a clear break from what came before, but …
Welcome back to The Velvet Runway and this feature about Why start a blog in 2026? 10 reasons it’s still worth it. It’s easy to assume that blogs belong to another era — something people started in 2010 (or in my case 2015), rather than something you would start today. Social media dominates the headlines. …
This guide to What to See and Do in Los Angeles was originally written after an extended stay and has since been thoughtfully updated to reflect the city as it is today — with a few new discoveries I would happily return to. What to See and Do in Los Angeles: A Local-Inspired Guide There …
There are certain cities that stay with you long after you leave, and for me, Los Angeles is one of them: This guide to where to eat and drink in Los Angeles was originally written after an extended stay in Los Angeles and has been thoughtfully updated to reflect the city as it is today. …