Coup De Coeur – a French figure of speech which roughly translates to “love at first sight” – is a newsletter which drops every other Saturday documenting my favourite finds and mini obsessions.
April has felt a bit like a homecoming <3
The month started off with my sister coming to spend a week with me in London. She’s a tiny little thing – not literally because somehow she beat our dad’s genetics and has outgrown me in height – at seventeen, she’s seeing Europe for the first time and I couldn’t be happier to be the person present. I saw a mix of innocence, wonder and an untried spirit – parts of which reminded me of who I was at her age and how I’ve grown since then.
With our nine-year age gap, I’ve always felt like a fun aunt to her as well as an older sister. For this trip I leaned into the role fully, carefully curating an itinerary which blended iconic must-sees (“yeah, there’s that big clock everyone takes pictures with”) with a selection of places I knew she’d love (niche bookstores, my favourite local café etc). This unfolded to a medley of giggles and iced matcha, Netflix and cheddar onion chips, endless conversations and the occasional tiff.
Below, some new romances I’ve fallen into along the way.
things i find very chic
⋆˙⟡ this fur-lapel jacket i got from Brick Lane Vintage Market
this should be in ‘things i bought recently’ below but I couldn’t wait to talk about it. this fit me perfectly (which is rare because i have a cropped torso) and I think it would be so hot with an all-black outfit under – maybe a tube top and low-cut flare trousers, and a pointed kitten heel.
⋆˙⟡ this two-piece set from Ancosti (@ancosti_official)
⋆˙⟡ satin worn like this
⋆˙⟡ lace maxi skirts
i think this is such a classy alternative to those awful balloon skirts and those criminally over-worn tiered skirts (i’m guilty too). Opt for a satin and lace maxi instead and show up effortlessly elegant with a whimsical twist, while keeping the staple spring silhouette.

things i watched recently
⋆˙⟡ Phantom of the Opera, West End production
Really wanted to take my sister to see a show on the West End and she chose Phantom. It was phenomenal! I’ve never seen Phantom live, only watched the 2004 film (starring Gerard Butler and Emmy Rossum) as a 12-year-old at a sleepover – which promptly triggered several months of nightmares. This production at His Majesty’s Theatre was breathtaking.
I know Phantom is making a stop in Singapore this May but I can only imagine how lacklustre it must be in comparison, without the gilded setting of the old opera theatre. It can’t be the same – sitting in the old theatre really transports you back in time and you could imagine the Phantom inhabiting the space, possibly creeping up behind you in your plush velvet seat. There’s an opulent yet spooky atmosphere about it.
I also stupidly forgot that Phantom, above all, is a musical. The voices of the lead cast absolutely blew me away – Lily Kerhoas as the ingenue Christine Daaé and Joanna Ampil as Carlotta, the Opera’s reigning prima donna, each performed heart-wrenching arias which almost moved me to tears.
⋆˙⟡ Black Mirror Season 7
i know Black Mirror has drawn a lot of flack for losing its soul a little in the past few seasons. But I think this season must have been one of the best ones yet. My favourite episode was Hotel Reverie (S7E3) and Eulogy (S7E5) was a close second. Common People (S7E1) might have been one of the best pieces of television ever made from an objective point of view, but it was a touch too tragic and dark (though it’s the point of the show, that Dum Dummies stint REALLY makes me squirm) for my taste.
⋆˙⟡ Fatal Attraction (1987)
i came away understanding why this film is a cult classic. Kept me on my toes!
also got me thinking about the cultural shift since its 1987 release til now. Michael Douglas’s character cheated on his wife with a woman he met in a professional setting while the former was at her parents’ house with their child for a weekend. Like if one wasn’t enough, that’s 4 separate offences in one sentence. I know Glenn Close’s character was no saint – she was in fact mentally unwell1 – but why is Douglas’s character portrayed as the hero of the story? Why does he get to hug his wife and keep his family at the end after he had an extramarital one-night stand which resulted in a pregnant colleague?
I’m not judging his on-screen wife’s decision to forgive him, as we know love and relationships are a murky and complicated business, more so for a woman in the 80’s. What I’m really curious about is how this portrayal of adultery was received by audiences at the time. Did the women watching see Alex Forrest as the sole villain and heave a sigh of relief when Beth Gallagher’s cheating husband came back to her at the end? Is the moral of the story “just be the nice and forgiving wife”?
⋆˙⟡ both seasons of The Summer I Turned Pretty
binged this with my sister every night she was in London, and we finished two seasons in a week.
This is the perfect Girl’s Night In series. mellow teenage melodrama yet extremely heartwarming, it made both me (soon-to-be 26) and my sister (literally 17) squeal with excitement. a show with immaculate ✨vibes✨ – those who know know it’s the soul of any romcom2. very charming writing and performances by the whole lead cast, and that indie/pop soundtrack is spot-on. At one point I told my sister: “this is what my life looks like in my head when i’m listening to these songs.”
⋆˙⟡ currently watching: The Empress (2022–)
never pegged myself for a German television kinda gal. But Netflix knows I love historical dramas and was pushing me this series about Empress Elisabeth of Austria, and I had to acquiesce. I’m still in the middle of season 1, but here’s what I like about it so far:
costumes costumes costumes. I don’t care that they’re not always or entirely accurate, they’re beautiful.
Emperor Franz Joseph is really hot in the show.
I’m very intrigued by the love triangle dynamic Sisi (Elisabeth’s nickname) has with the Emperor and his obnoxious younger brother Archduke Maximillian. The Archduke is introduced as a womanising ass but his character quickly reveals complexities – how refreshing. We love a multidimensional antagonist.
layered storylines – again, I’m not yet done with season 1 but so far the writing has been brilliant.

pastry log
⋆˙⟡ Ari’s Pancakes from Eggbreak
can this be remotely classified under ‘pastry’ or anything close? no. were these the best pancakes I’ve had my entire life? absolutely. I could go on about it forever but I’ll just say they were the perfect density, had a delicious hint of crisp to its edges and stuffed with a generous serving of raspberries and bananas at every layer. There was a fat dollop of creamy peanut butter with a salted caramel twist in its flavour; and the whole thing was topped with ooey-gooey maple syrup. yum.
⋆˙⟡ Cherry and Almond Tart, WatchHouse
nothing to write home about – i thought the filling tasted rather flat and the pastry could have done with more salt.
things i bought recently
⋆˙⟡ pink satin pillowcases, Amazon
satin pillowcases do make a difference. I didn’t believe it either until I got mine. Copped this Catherine Lansfield set of two on Amazon for £7 – what a steal.
⋆˙⟡ pink knit top, Venderby’s
cute but could have fit better, XXS still looked frumpy and had a torso which was too long for me. sadly, another brand that’s not for petites.
⋆˙⟡ striped pyjama pants, Primark
£10, 100% cotton, 10/10 purchase.
watch Broey Deschanel’s video essay on romcoms to delve deeper into this topic: Anatomy of a Rom Com