Category / Small Luxuries

whats in my bag 1 daarboven
By On In Small Luxuries3,245 Comments

I have had this blog for almost 5 years now and surprisingly, I have never done a classic ‘what’s in my bag’ post. With the birth of my new baby aka the purchase of my Loewe Puzzle bag, I figured this was a good time. So, this bag hasn’t left my side every since I purchased it three months ago. It’s even better than I thought it would be and carries a ton without looking too large. I would say it’s a medium sized bag compared to my Céline trio and Mansur Gavriel bucket bag.

Let me start by saying that I don’t like a cluttered and messy bag. For the longest time I just threw everything in there which mainly led to frustration. I could never find anything. So I decided to divide everything over different smaller pouches. How Marie Kondo of me, I know.

The essentials I carry my cards in a Louis Vuitton key pouch together with my key. Yes, just one key. Funny story, I was once in a meeting in which everyone had to introduce themselves by their keys. So everyone had these long stories about each and every key and I was like: this is the key that opens the door to my house *awkward silence*. Long story short, everyone agreed that that one key said a lot about my personality, LOL.

To be honest, I was never a big fan of Louis Vuitton. I like some of their SLG’s (small leather goods) but those, albeit classic, prints rarely look good on larger bags, in my opinion. It’s just too out there for me, I guess. Anyway, I bought the key pouch on a whim on a trip to Amsterdam with Ellya last year and love it. I never have to search for my key anymore as it is attached to the inside of the pouch and it holds all the cards that I need.

Louis Vuitton mini pochette It contains a few emergency supplies (bandaids, ibuprofen etc.), hygiene products as well as a few beauty items. I’m amazed at the amount of stuff I can fit in this small pouch; HEMA SPF 50 sunscreen stick, a tin of classic all-purpose Nivea creme, Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb, Nars Dolce Vita lipstick, Chanel Les Beiges lip balm in deep, RMS lip2cheek in Illusive and Blistex MedPlus.

Headphones I can’t leave for work without my foldable noise-canceling headphones. My commute is at least 1,5 hours on public transportation and I need my peace and quiet, especially in the morning. I mostly listen to Spotify or podcasts. If you have any recommendations, let me know.

iPhone 8 I don’t switch phones very often so don’t expect to see me with the latest iPhone. If it works, it works. I rarely make any phone calls and mostly use the internet, WhatsApp, Spotify, Instagram and a few games such as nonograms and FarmHeroes (level 1328, what’s up!) to kill some time on the train.

Chanel Palette Essentielle I don’t use a lot of makeup. Mostly tinted moisturiser, mascara and a lip balm or gloss. But this is a great three-in-one product that has everything that I need whenever I need to step it up a little. It contains a highlighter, concealer and blush.

Well, that’s it, I guess. This is what I carry with me on a daily basis. I get cold easily so sometimes I stuff a scarf in there as well. Just to be safe. Whenever I switch to a smaller bag, it’s just the key pouch, phone and a lip balm.

Tell me, what are your bag essentials?

By On In Small Luxuries509 Comments

Isn’t it funny how we are willing to spend a lot of money on clothes, André Andersen gambling and shoes on a yearly or even monthly basis but not on something as in your face and important as a pair of glasses? Most people own just one pair of glasses which gets worn every day for sometimes years on end. My current glasses are almost three years old and I had been on the lookout for a new pair. The frame has lost its shine and both glasses are lightly scratched. I had to decide between two pairs (see below, I went with the first frame in olive-gradient) but to be honest, I might get them both because they are so reasonably priced and it might be nice to be able to switch pairs every now and then.

While I usually opt for a subtle pair in a dark color, I wanted to do something a little more bold this time around. What makes it difficult though, is that I’m a -7,75 which means very thick lenses with distortion. You can get them in a thinner version but the person looking at me will still see a distorted image on the outer sides of the lenses. D. says he doesn’t notice. But what has been seen, cannot be unseen so it bothers me. The only solution is a smaller frame but those don’t suit me and make me look older, not to mention nerdier, than I am for some reason. Trust me, picking the right eyewear is much harder than picking out your daily outfit, haha.

Luckily you can try these for 30 days and if you’re not happy, you can return them and get your money back or choose another pair. If you are not into glasses you can take a look at dailies total 1 lens. With glasses it is just a matter of getting used to them because my previous glasses were all so safe and the distortion was always there anyway. I hope so. You may wonder why I don’t invest in a pair of designer glasses. I did that years ago and those didn’t last me any longer than these will. And quite frankly, I get bored with them after a few years, wearing them day in, day out, so it’s not worth the cost to me.

Do you wear glasses? Would you rather play it safe or go crazy with your frames?

Shine bright like a diamond
By On In Small Luxuries40 Comments

I have never been a fan of statement pieces when it comes to jewelry. Well, maybe except for those few years when I was a teenager and stacking up rings on each finger was all the rage. Until I got stuck behind a door handle in a hurry and almost tore my finger off. That was the end of it LOL. After that I didn’t wear jewelry for years.

Geraldine Saglio of French Vogue sparked my interested for dainty, delicate jewelry. Or bracelets, to be more exact. I spotted a street style picture of her online in 2011 and loved the fine silver bracelet in combination with the knitted sweater she was wearing. I was able to find out that it was from Tifanny & Co, Elsa Peretti’s Diamonds by the Yard collection. I’ve mentioned that I bought it in 2011 to celebrate my first job and how happy it made me. And then, I lost it. It’s been two years and I’m still upset about it. I know, it’s just a simple silver bracelet with a small diamond. But I loved how delicate and understated it was. It was also such a nice reminder of my accomplishments thus far. I own the necklace as well, but it’s not the same.

I had several moments the past couple of years where I was already at the counter but couldn’t bite the bullet. The current pricing is ridiculous. And yet, I won’t settle for anything else. I’m not opposed to buying things second hand but in the case of this bracelet, it doesn’t make a big difference, in terms of pricing. So I’d rather have the experience of buying in store. If only I could make up my mind…

Do you think I’m crazy for considering this bracelet once again? Have you ever purchased the same thing twice after you lost it the first time?

review comme des garcons wallet
By On In Small Luxuries1,711 Comments

A few years ago I got tired of carrying around a large bulky wallet with receipts from purchases I made months before. So I decided the splurge on the iconic Comme Des Garçons pouch to do some serious downsizing. Nothing too fancy, just one compartment for everything. It worked wonderful for a while but I ended up missing a few sloths for my cards. So I upgraded to the zip around wallet with room for change and a few cards. I’ll keep it short and simple; if you are looking a classic and durable wallet for your basic nessesities, make sure to check these out.

There’s a CDG wallet for everyone. They come in many shapes and sizes and not to mention numerous colours. Obviously my favourites are the pouch and zip around wallet. I adore the sleek look of both designs. Mind you, I also like their embossed and glossy designs but you can never beat the classics. So simple black leather it was. Do you remember that small magic bag Hermione carried with her that held like a million things? Story of my life up until a few years ago. You can imagine that scratches were hard to avoid. I was a little disheartened upon the first scuffs and marks but let’s face it: it’s just a wallet. And it turns out all those scratches blend beautifully together and really soften the leather over time.

The stitching is amazing and very durable, as are the zippers. I bought the pouch in 2011 and the zip around wallet in 2013 and both still look like new apart from the scratches I mentioned above. The pouch doesn’t look as grey and washed out as it seems in the picture by the way. It’s just bad lighting and I didn’t want to photoshop it #keepingitreal. I have to admit though, I’ve been reaching for the pouch more than the wallet at the moment as I hardly use cash anymore. Just my bankcard, public transportation card, drivers licence and Museumcard and I’m good to go. But the zip around wallet is great for travelling so no money wasted there.

Both wallets fit easily into my Céline trio bag and A.P.C. half moon bag although obviously the pouch takes less space and is therefore my preferred option when I’m carrying these bags. The pricing is a bit steep. They’re not the cheapest wallets out there but the quality is outstanding. The pouch is €70 and the zip around wallet €150. If you don’t want to spend that amount on a simple wallet, I suggest looking into Everlane. They sell similar wallets such as the square zip wallet, for a more affordable price. Unfortunately I can’t comment on the quality but I’m sure there are some reviews floating around on the internet.

review comme des garcons wallet daarboven2

Features of the pouch:
– All leather
– Zip fastening along the top
– Gold toned hardware
– Gold stamped logo on the outside
– Made in Spain
– 10 (h) x 14 (w) x 1 (d) cm

Features of the wallet:
– Alle leather
– Zip closure all around
– Four card sloths
– One bill compartment
– Separate coin pouch
– Gold toned hardware
– Gold stamped logo on the inside
– Made in Spain
– 10 (h) x 12 (w) x 2,5 (d) cm

Tell me, what kind of wallet do you own? And do you have any other recommendations for wallets?