bag //
if there’s anything you bring home from Europe, it’s a designer handbag. from the experience of picking it out to the other memories made while on vacation makes the bag a more sentimental piece each time you wear it. most of my bags i purchased correlate with a milestone of something that happened in my life. my favorite designer brand is Celine, gosh i love almost all their bags. the quality, craftsmanship, and the designs are always timeless. but i wanted something… different. i actually didn’t know much about Loewe, but in a quick search i liked the unique designs and the fact that not many people wear or have it (at least that i’ve noticed).
i was looking for a multipurpose bag, one that you can wear a couple of different ways and originally, i was eyeing more of the Loewe small hammock leather hobo bag, but the fact that there’s really not much holding the bag together… i figured i wouldn’t wear it as much. but then i started looking at the puzzle bag and without too much thought (unusual for me), i purchased it in the small size! the mini is SO CUTE but i needed it just a smidge larger. this bag can be worn as a crossbody and the strap can be removed to wear as a top handle. she’s a beauty, the leather is such high quality and i read that one puzzle bag is handcrafted-stitched, and takes a whole day to make. hence the price tag. #merp.
the good news was the exchange rate at that time was a little less than 1 but we’ll use 1.00 for ease. and there’s something called VAT (value added tax), as a tourist you get this money back (about 12%) but you must pay for it upfront and ask the associate for the paperwork, file it at at Global Blue (best to do this after you’ve made the purchase as there are always offices near these shopping locations), and remember to SCAN it at the airport before you depart. sometimes they will randomly want to see what you purchased, so make sure to give yourself enough time, and don’t give too much reliance on the VAT refund because things can go awry sometimes, esp when it comes to submitted paperwork. i also believe Global Blue takes a small cut but honestly i cannot remember since i was happy for the cost savings!
wallet & sunglasses //
well… i couldn’t get away without purchasing ANY Celine. so i went home with a wallet and a pair of sunglasses. they also make my favorite sunglasses! i have A LOT of sunglasses but i only reach for my Celines! they just fit well and are chic without being over the top. i also picked out the triomphe wallet (newer design series to Celine) since it was semi-compact and has a little coin pouch, not that i carry coins, but that compartment will come in handy for something! i’m not much of a logo person but the triomphe logo is so classy and timeless.
wallet:
sunglasses:
perfume //
or should i call it parfum now!?! when i discovered Baccarat, it was actually a friend who was wearing it and i was like what is that perfume, it’s so unique?! she told me what it was, i went home and googled it and and my jaw dropped. it smelled luxurious, well guess what? so was the price tag. never did i think i’d spend so much money on perfume. but here i am. it’s my #1 go-to. while i have the regular eau de parfum, i decided to purchase the extrait de parfum this time while in Paris. with that let’s go into a perfume 101 of what these terms mean & here’s a good infographic/post!:
eau de parfum vs. extrait de parfum — eau de parfum has a lower concentration of 15-20% oils and made to last about 6-8 hours. extrait de parfum is the most expensive and saturated form of fragrance with 20-30% concentration of oils and made to last day and into the evening/night. the higher concentration of oils is makes it easier to “adhere” to your skin longer. most of perfumes out there are eau de toilette which is 5-15% oil concentration.
the extrait de parfum of Baccarat is in a red bottle so it’s super luxe on the vanity. but i always store mine in the box since light damages perfume, or so i read somewhere. it was a hefty price tag and in hindsight i should’ve purchased the 2.4 oz for more cost savings but i already had a 2.4 oz eau de parfum at home that i was frugally using (not anymore!!).
SO YEA. it was an expensive trip! but i didn’t know when i was going to be back. i hope soon because j’taime Paris ;)
ok there’s only one more Europe post left!,
JD
