In this week’s edition of Good Finds, we’ve got a colourful Melbourne dinner, an insight into how Drake smells (read: very good), a Tanzania-meets-Adelaide getaway (yes, really), and plenty more.
Palette Cleanser
The Macallan makes a point of leaving out added caramel colour, so the shade in the glass comes from sherry-seasoned oak. For Master of Colours, its first Australian run, Clinton McIver at Melbourne’s Amaru built a six-course menu around that, one colour per course. Brown is kangaroo with native spiced mole and burned apple, and copper is heirloom melon and apricot with Sherry Oak 18 worked into the dish.
We can safely assure you that you won’t be able to decide whether the food or drink is more delicious. It may even escalate as the night unfolds.
You can read more about the entire menu, or go in blind. The menu is only available at Amaru for a limited time, so hop to it!
Bookings at amarumelbourne.com.au
Exposure Therapy
For those of us who can’t quite afford an Ngorongoro Getaway, Fujifilm is running its first bookable photography trip with three days in South Australia from 23 to 25 February 2027.
The itinerary covers a sunrise safari at Monarto Safari Park, wine country at Langhorne Creek, and astrophotography under the River Murray International Dark Sky Reserve. Wildlife photographer Brooke Pyke hosts. Accommodation, selected meals, transport, and instruction are covered, and Fujifilm cameras and lenses are yours to use throughout.
Safari at sunrise, vines in the afternoon, stars after dinner, and no jet lag – what’s not to love?
From $3,350 per person at fujifilm-houseofphotography.com.au
City Lights
Byredo’s taken a leaf out of Le Labo’s book with City Stories: a set of eight candles, each one a city. Los Angeles opens on lemon, spearmint and basil, then settles into cypress, sandalwood and patchouli.
New York is (of course) a smoky cade, black leather, and sandalwood, with birch and patchouli underneath. Stockholm gets a limited edition sold only at the Stockholm flagship and online. Each 240g candle burns for around 60 hours and comes in a glass jar you can reuse. No Aussie scent – as is expected!
It works best as a gift for the person who still talks about that trip, or for a mid-week getaway.
US$115 at byredo.com
Ah McCoy, You’ve Done It Again
At any given moment in time, I’m probably wearing Thames MMXX. It’s certainly one of my top three favourite brands, ever.
Although prices aren’t usually steep, we’re lucky to have a generous sale across loads of items: knits, hoodies, shirts, accessories, ties. All with the trademark Blondey charm. Worth noting that my Thames pieces have all stood up to years of rigorous wear and tear. You’d be foolish to miss it.
Sale at thamesmmxx.com
Head in the Clouds
Cloudar is Drake’s (yes, that Drake) second eau de parfum, and it starts bright. Mandarin and nashi pear come in cold and juicy, with crystallised ginger putting some heat under them.
The middle goes green and clean with clary sage, jasmine sambac and lily of the valley. Underneath are tonka bean, vetiver, and Atlas cedar, which is where something sweet meets something earthy and dry.
Perfumer Michael Carby, who also made Summer Mink, was after a scent that fits a Saturday morning and dinner that night.
The bottle is a cream, matte sphere on a rectangular base. It looks a bit like a palantir (and had me doing a Professor Trelawney bit in the office), but the smell really is fluffy – nice that the name and the juice agree. If Summer Mink was too heavy for you, this is the one to try.
$199 at myer.com.au