Links I love #5

I hope — across the sea or across the Seine — Thanksgiving brought warmth and slow moments. On this side of the calendar, Paris is shifting tone: lights are up, windows glow, and small rituals of joy are stirring again. I’m getting excited for December! Here are the places, scents and stories I’m loving this week.

Black Friday, Paris & online

For those of you curious to peek beyond the U.S. sales frenzy — or just browsing for early holiday finds — this roundup from Everyday Parisian gathers the best Black Friday sales of 2025. A useful cheat-sheet if you are looking to shop today.

Gifts I’m Shopping — Soft Luxury & Quiet Treats

I won’t be writing a full Christmas gift guide this year, but here are a few places already on my radar for loved ones (or a little self-treat).

• A festive scent that’s been haunting me all week: Diptyque’s “Orphéon” — warm, elegant, perfect for winter evenings.
• More generally: Diptyque feels utterly magical at this time of year. Their Feu des Bois or Carousel candle works beautifully as a gift, whether for a Paris apartment or a trans-Atlantic friend.
• For those who love packaging as much as the gift: Dior always delivers a luxurious unwrapping experience, even for small gifts. Some favorites: a festive notepad (€75), the playful Mitzah scarf (in various prints and colors, ~€200), or the small but covetable Dior eye-patches — all with that signature Dior polish.
  

Culture to Share or Gift — Show Tickets, Books, Timeless Paris

• If you’re thinking of giving experiences rather than objects: this current list of shows and performances around the holidays makes for a refined treat — theatre, music, festive spectacles.
• For a quieter, slower gift — maybe to yourself — a curated list of recent French-language books: poetry, essays, powerful new voices. A reminder that giving literature is giving time and thought.
• A note that spoke to me this week: in the palace of Château de Versailles the famous “pendule de Passemant” chimes again after meticulous restoration — a small act of heritage revived, perfect reminder of France’s capacity to preserve beauty.

Memory, Context — The Parisialite Frame

Last week I wrote about how phones in public spaces are flattening our worlds — and the responses were telling.

Paris in Holiday Dress — Streets, Lights, Magic

The market at the Tuileries Garden Noël has opened, and Paris is feeling festive and bright: fairy-lights, crowd hum, the swing of the Grande Roue overhead.

If you like this list — or have something of your own (a shop, an artist, a small Paris moment) — I’d love to feature it next week.

À bientôt,
Pamela