Author: princessluxlove

Life is busy. So busy. Being a working mum is hard, and lockdown has taught me, being a stay at home mum is hard! Being a mum is just hard, and it is even more hard to try and fit in time for yourself, or a hobby that doesn’t revolve around children playing football, swimming, dancing etc etc! Don’t get me wrong, I ADORE my children, and would not be without them, but I do want to keep my own identity and keep my own interests. For a while, I completely lost myself to being a wife, a mother and having a job. My life simply became working and childcare, I forgot myself, I let myself go and I became unhappy. It took me a while to get out of my funk and try and find myself again, and focus on ‘me’ activities without feeling guilty or selfish. I had to learn to realise it is not selfish to have your own interests, in fact, it makes me a better mum as I am happy and content in myself.  

For me, I have always been interested in fashion, and clothes, and shoes, and handbags, and jewellery and perfume and all things pretty! As my financial position improved, this led to introducing luxury pieces and my love for luxury items developed. This is my hobby, my interest, my passion, and as I found myself again, I started to dabble in IG, I found like minded people who didn’t judge my interest and where I could talk about it openly. The more I posted, and interacted, the more I enjoyed it! Then came the blog, I could write about pretty things! And now along came youtube, where I can talk and make videos about fashion, and handbags, and shoes, and about the things I love. This is my hobby, and my interest that is just for me.

But it is hard, it is hard to find the time and to make the time, and it will get even harder as we roll out of lockdown and real life work becomes busier. I love it though, and I am determined to keep making time for it, for my hobby and my interest, outside of family life. My friends and family don’t know about this new side of me, only my husband, and although he is supportive of me enjoying it, he did wonder how I was going to find the time. I have 2 young children and a pretty intensive full time job. I am in the lucky position, that social media and youtube is fun for me, it is a hobby, I am not trying to make a career out of it and it certainly isn’t about money! I enjoy talking to you about what I have bought, or my favourite things, or even recommending things I think are great, or showing pretty photographs. I get joy out of seeing other people’s happiness in their new items, or hearing their opinions. If this were about money, I would be much better spending the time I use filming, or posting, or writing, working in my own job, and billing out my hourly rate. But it isn’t about that, it is about a release from that, a hobby all of my own.

I posted before about self-care, and this is still just as important, looking after ourselves, taking time to breathe, to light candles, to walk, to take a bath or simply to breathe in the fresh air, all matters.

These are unusual times we are living in, and there isn’t a play book on how it is going to play out, so if we learn one thing, do what makes you smile, and look after yourself, as we certainly do not know what is around the corner.

If you are interested in some of the things I use to save time, or to look after myself, I will link some below.

Thank you for being here, stay safe and look after one another,

Princessluxlove xx

Self care:

Bathbombs: https://amzn.to/2Bj5YZo

Candles: https://amzn.to/3dfYdAw

Bath Oils: https://amzn.to/37PBYAw

Footspa: https://amzn.to/2Bpm9nN

Moisturiser: https://amzn.to/2AWH3uv

Time savers:

Speed of light blow dry spray: https://amzn.to/2Ng0qS7

Baby bottle maker: https://amzn.to/2Yp2Lk5

Dishwasher friendly high chair: https://amzn.to/2YiaFvs

AD: this post is not sponsored in any way, all of the items mentioned I have purchased with my own money and genuinely recommend. I may use affiliate links, these may earn me a small commission, they do not affect your purchase or the purchase price of your item.

Firstly, I am so sorry it has been so long since my last post! After lockdown, I was trying to work from home with two children, and really just needed to fund another escape or distraction from real life, that provided some light entertainment and was, well, fun! So I followed my love for luxury goods further down the rabbit hole, and started a youtube channel, talking all things luxury, unboxings, reviews, hauls, all of that good stuff! I love watching these channels on youtube and find them a great escapism, as well as love seeing all of the new goodies people are adding to their collections and hearing their thoughts and reviews. I have started it, it has been live for 3 weeks and has some unboxings, reviews and my Louis Vuitton collection up on it.

Now, if you have read this blog for a while, you will know it is anonymous and I talk about that in my first ever post. That hasn’t changed, the channel is still anonymous, for all of the same reasons and also not to distract from my 9-5 job in my real life. But I love it, I really enjoy talking more about luxury items, showing you what I have added to my collection, giving reviews, and almost using the camera as that person in my life to talk to about all things luxury who understands and doesn’t judge. This isn’t a change in career – obviously!- and I am not trying to replace my own job. This is my hobby, which I love and any reivews I give, will be genuine. You will not see haul after haul of highstreet fashion, or items I am trying to sell to you, there is of course a place for that and some very successful bloggers who do, but that is not what I am trying to be. The items you will see are bought with my own money, not gifted and not sponsored, if I am ever lucky enough to be gifted something and I talk about it on my channel, I will clearly tell you that. I may use affiliate links, like the ringlight I am about to show you, but if I do it will be because I have bought the item myself and find it useful or recommend it.

I do not have any fancy equipment, I am filming on my iphone 10 and I am using this cheap and cheerful ringlight from amazon:

For someone starting out – like me- and trying not to spend too much money on equipment I personally would not know how to use, this does the job! It holds my phone as I film inside the ringlight to give better lighting in the video. It is not the sturdiest if someone is doing this professionally, but great for a hobby channel or at least to get started.

So there we are, now also on youtube! I can tell you that I NEVER thought I would say those words, ever! I would love it if you would check out my channel, subscribe and if there is anything esle you would like to see, please leave me a comment!

As always, thank you so much for being here, and stay safe!

Princessluxlove xx

So there’s an increase, on an increase, on an increase. Louis Vuitton prices have gone up again, and it really has ruffled a few feathers. Though to be honest, how could it not? Even without what is going in the world, in feels as if LV prices are increasing ALL OF THE TIME! The increases are now coming thick and fast, this being the second time the prices have jumped up from December. I bought a mini pochette at the start of December, and the price was in and around £185. By February this was £220, and now £230. Obviously the higher the price of the item, the bigger the jump. My pochette metis was £1300 in January 2019, this is now £1410.00, my Neverfull, bought in 2011 was 550 euro, now £1090.00. These are steady, significant increases, that are coming about every 2-3 months. Louis Vuitton are not the only fashion house to follow this trend, with the Chanel price increase due any day, again likely to be sizeable increases. The Chanel classic flap bags are pushing towards the heights of the prices of Hermes, with the medium flap pushing £5000.00. This is all leaving very disgruntled consumers, and a feeling afloat that the brand does not value its customer base. Set this against the back drop of the current global crisis, where unemployment is skyrocketing and the economic deficit is likely to reach heights far beyond the 2007/2008 recession. People are understandably worried about mortgage and rent payments, and surviving week to week, with most of us either being directly affected, or knowing someone directly affected, it is easy to see why this is leaving a nasty taste in the mouth.

Taking a step back though, and taking an objective view, this is a luxury fashion house we are talking about, not a community store that gives back. It is purely a luxury business, aimed at exclusivity, dealing with their own falling profit levels with store closures, outgoings to meet, and taking a black and white, unemotional view of their pricing levels. Photos emerged on social media of one store re-opening, with the queue outside, many, many people deep. Clearly, the luxury fashion industry can withstand the fluctuations of the economy, with their target market, rightly or wrongly, still being able to afford to purchase, and choosing to purchase, their goods. They no doubt have shareholders and board members, whose only concern is the bottom line, and the increase has been applied, universally and dispassionately. I have read some comments online that the person will no longer be shopping at LV, the pieces on their wish list they were yet to buy, will be left unbought. I think if you take this view, and can stand by this view, you are to be applauded for taking a stand, and of course, it is personal choice. Do I think that will be the majority view, and their popularity will fall, no I do not. I personally think that if a person is an LV fan, and wants an LV piece, and has the funds to purchase the piece, that they will continue to buy from LV. Am I happy about the price increase, of course not. I think it is ill-timed and disrespectful to what is being faced by the world, but I think it is the house setting itself above being affected by the peaks and lows of the economy and taking the stance of a luxury house, if you want a luxury, non-essential item, you will pay their price. Will I write off any further LV purchases in future, no I won’t. I am not impressed with their further increase, after such a short time, and at this particular time, but I would be lying to myself if I said I would never purchase from them again.

Whatever our view, whether we are outraged or understanding, the reality is that the fashion house is likely to continue unaffected, weathering the storm of the current crisis and their customer revulsion, and continue to sell out online and report profit levels most can only dream about.

Thank you for reading, I hope you are well and safe, and see you here again soon,

Princessluxlove xx

Is there really such a thing as the perfect number of bags? The number that you are happy with? I have read a few posts lately, and watched a few youtube videos that talk about the perfect number, or a range to be between, or a number past which is too many. Can you have too many bags? Is there a number that once you reach it, you cannot go beyond it, or if you do, the bag will bring some sort of guilt as you now have ‘too many’? Surely the purpose of having these luxury bags is to be bring joy and happiness, not to evoke a feeling of unease or of excess? Is the one in, one out rule, something to live by, meaning every time you add a new beauty, that one has to go, off to the closet beyond your own?

On the other hand, these luxury bags are very expensive bags, they can cost thousands and thousands of pounds, and really how many can we use? There are only 7 days in any one week, how many can we really need, or use enough to justify the expense, or lower the cost per wear to an acceptable standard? There is also a responsibility argument, as consumerism certainly impacts our planet and generates production related pollution. In a ‘what’s next’ society, simply buying to move on to the next can be wasteful, and also dilute the joy that the purchase should bring.

Each side of the argument is valid, or course it is, and ultimately it has to come down to what you are comfortable with, what suits your lifestyle and your financial resources. If the bags you have, make you happy, make your heart sing and spark joy, then why should you feel pressure to get rid of one, to add another. Why should there be strict rules that you have to follow? There shouldn’t be, that is why it has to be a question for you. If you do not feel that your collection is excessive or vulgar in number, why should you feel pressure to limit it. Likewise, if you do feel like your number is too high, or there is a number that you are not comfortable going beyond, or you feel some of your bags have little purpose in your collection, are repetitive, or you just don’t love anymore, then do not keep them just because you feel you should have a certain bag in your collection, or your collection should be a certain size. These have to be personal choices that you make, to suit you, and with your own life and finances in mind.

In the world we live in, with influencers, Instagram, youtube and luxury hauls galore, there can be pressure to keep up, to buy the next big thing, to have a particular bag in your collection. These are only human reactions, but try to remember, that everyone’s situation is different, everyone’s finances are different and we are all at different stages in our lives. Some of the bigger influencers and channels seem to add to their collections all of the time, and it can make the best person envious, but try to think, some of those items may be gifted, they may have sold other items, or general earning power may be very  high. Even a smaller collection like my own, I have worked for many years and work very, very hard, what you see posted does not come easy, and is the result of not only hard work, but also financial planning and investment. Try to take these shots or videos for what they are, inspiration, motivation and entertainment, and adapt it to your own lifestyle and limits. I would love to shop like Jerusha or Mel in Melbourne! But that is outside the scope of where I am comfortable financially. No bag or slg is worth debt, or scrimping on more essential needs or items. Debt is a downward spiral that no luxury item is worth. Without doubt, the anxiety and worry over the debt, will far outweigh the joy of the purchase.

Just like you should not feel pressure to keep up, or to buy, buy, buy, you should also not feel pressure to downsize or to let things go that you love. I like to watch videos on why someone sold a particular item, I recently watched Isabelle Styles video on this, where she explained why she has downsized her collection and is trying to curate her look, and avoid duplicating bags that serve the same purpose. All of this makes perfect sense and is a decision she has come to for herself. I found it informative to listen to why certain pieces went, and completely understand curating your collection to what you actually use and enjoy. On the other hand, I have had conversations that to be honest, made me doubt how many bags I own and feel guilty for the number I have, I almost felt a pressure and judgement coming from the comments made, because I own a certain number of bags. If you decide for yourself that a certain number is your limit, that is wonderful that you have found a peace at where you are, but please do not use this decision you have reached for yourself, to judge or to criticize a person for having more. I personally want to have a curated collection, where every bag has a use, but I don’t have an actaul number to define this. I love watching and considering collections that are far bigger than my own, and also that are smaller. Opinions inform discussion and are always valid, but do not need to be used as an attack on someone who has decided otherwise for themselves. I may decide to let some bags go in the future, and that is completely fine, but if I do, it will be because I have decided that is what is right for me, and not because someone else feels that it is vulgar for me to have gone over their number, or to buy luxury in the first place. I also do not feel that my collection is complete, there are others that I would like to add, and I enjoy considering the new collections as they become available.

At a time when the world is upside down, and life as we know it is very different, let’s try to be kind as well as being safe. Thank you for reading, and hope to see you here again soon,

How do we write about coping with covid-19, and the complete uncertainty, tragedy and fear it has unleashed on the world. Am I coping with it? I have no idea, really, like most of us, I am just trying to get through the day, the week, by doing all that I can, and by staying home. It is a new normal, I have up days and down days, days I worry more, days I worry less. My husband is an essentail worker, he now comes home, strips at the front door, and goes straight to the shower. A new normal. He cannot touch our children until he is clean, his clothes lie in a black bag until he comes back down to wash them, and the worry is written over his face when he goes out through the front door. A new normal. The same for so many people still going about their work and trying to keep society fed, safe and well, as best they can, until this is over. I salute them all.

Some unforseen positives are poking through, we cook more, we actually eat the food we buy, a lot less is wasted, we play together as a family more, have a simpler, quieter way of life. I am not saying when this is over, I will emerge a changed person and forever swear off my favourite restaurant, not at all, but there are some aspects I would like to carry through.

Because we must get through this, and personally, I try to stay as positive as I can and distract myself as much as possible. I still post on instagram, chat with people there and immerse myself in my little IG corner of luxury, handbags and shoes, that may seem superficial and frivilous to the outsider, but is an escape that helps keep me sane.

There is a lot of discussion about whether people are still shopping during this time, especially in light of the unicorns appearing and many, many sale notifications popping up in our inboxes. Set that against the loss of jobs, furloughs, and immense financial insecurity that currently hangs over us all. Personally, my business, like many, is currently closed, I am responsible for paying many staff wages, and various financial commitments. Very few of us will emerge from this untouched or unaffected on a financial level, before one even considers on a personal level. Of course, this has to have an impact on decision making when it comes to shopping, or making any financial decisions. Whether to contine shopping is a personal decision, only you know your financial position, and only you know if it is appropriate or not. So long as you do carefully consider the purchase and access your finances first, there is nothing wrong with shopping at this time. If there is something you have been looking for, a unicorn that you could not find, or an item made more attainable with a discount code, now may very well be the right time to make the purchase. That purchase should also be made without judgement. Everyone is currently in a different financial position, but if you have assessed your own finances, and are happy to proceed, you should make that purchase with happiness and joy, and not subject to any of the ‘how can you shop right now’, ‘there are more deserving causes in the world’. Yes, of course there are, but we still have our own lives to live, as much as we can at this time, and if you can look at your own set up, and be happy with it, it is the place of no one else to judge you for it or comment upon it.

Myself, I have shopped during this crisis, partly because on-line browsing has become a distraction, partly due to hard to get pieces beoming available, and partly due to seasonal pieces not being guaranteed in the future. I have a separate account for shopping, and I have been more careful than usual in staying well within that and assessing my competing priorities. That being said, I am much more restrictive and cautious than normal, I have passed on certain items I would have jumped on, and I am fairly confident I could get my money out of the pieces I have purchased, if I needed to. Apart from IG, I don’t showcase my purchases in real life very much, and I have done this even less now, actaully not at all, as I am sensitive to the position that people find themselves in. Job insecurity is very real, and the stress it brings is debilitating. Any decisions at present, must therefore be well thought through and you must be comfortable in the position it will leave you in.

Questions are also surfacing on continuing to use your luxury goods at this time, continuing to enjoy them. For me, they still bring me joy and happiness, in the bubble away from reality, and help me think of happier times. I personally feel, that anything that helps you through this, distracts you, makes you smile, is a good thing, and nobody should be shamed for their interests. We are all in this together, and that should be extended to kindness to others, without judgement, or commentary, as we wait for the world to right itself.

Thank you for being here, and I truly wish you and your family safe and well until we are through this,

Princessluxlove xx

When I started to think about what life would look life during the Covid 19 period of social distancing and self isolation, I thought (panicked) about the health of loved ones, the impact on business and finances, trying to work from home with no childcare etc etc, the list goes on and the stress is high. What I did not think about, and what might have come as some light relief in this otherwise dark time, was the impact on my bank balance by the sudden availability of Louis Vuitton unicorn pieces! Hard to get, sold out items, are suddenly popping up on the LV website as ‘place in basket’ at never seen before levels. Lux lovers who have been chasing the coveted nano speedy, mini pochette or palm springs mini, are all of a sudden, being faced with them being available to order, and the sickening fear that if I do not add it to my bag right now and throw my money at the computer, that it all might just be a mirage, and the unicorn may dance away into the distance! It’s a (happy) conundrum, that at a time when we are all worried about the economy or our incomes, we are being offered the opportunity to purchase the pieces we have been dreaming of owning.

I, for one, think this is wonderful ( not how it has come about of course, just that it has come about). I think that it is wonderful that people like me, who are not influencers, or have VIP contacts, or the ability to always pay the premium for the hard to get pieces, are finally getting the opportunity to order this on the LV website, at retail, when let’s be honest, with all of the price increases, the price is already hefty enough.

Accounts I follow on Instagram from the US, started to post about unicorn pieces becoming available online, firstly for a few seconds, and then staying available for a few hours at a time. I have to admit to getting a little excited, was this real!? I am lucky enough to have a nano speedy in my collection, but a friend is desperate for one, and I have been after a palm springs mini with the new zipper for quite some time ( I was after it with the old zipper for years before the new zipper was released!). They were both available on the US site, I have a cousin who lives in the US and regularly flies home, but the rate for sterling to USD has been slashed with the current pandemic. The price was just too high, so I stalked the UK site. Shopviazoe, a new account on IG, kindly offered to help me stalk the website, and after losing one for not entering my card details quickly enough, Luxstina gave me the paypal tip, and the next time it became available, we were a go! To be honest, my fingers worked before my brain even considered the prospect of a recession, and she has joined the collection! I am so happy to finally have this piece, and genuinely think it is so great that many people are getting to add these unicorns without the usual hoops to jump through. I have long needed to replace my trusty, workhorse Neverfull, that is my everyday work bag for files, laptop etc, and I am very tempted to do so while they are available online and before another price increase comes, I just want to take a breath and try to gauge some understanding of how long wok may be standing still for.

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These pieces are likely becoming available due to the boutiques being closed, and with this major loss of revenue, LV are offering them for sale online to ensure some income stream continues. Does it make you question customer services telling you it isn’t available, and they have no idea when it will be? Maybe, but for now, LV lovers, myself included, are going to take advantage of the availability, and enjoy the playing field been evened for a little while.

How the economic crisis will affect brands such as LV long term remains to be seen, but the 2007/2008 recession did little to no damage, and indeed since then, the prices have risen astronomically, with price increases up to 3 per year. My Neverfull GM in 2011 was around 550 euros, this seems unheard of now. So if history teaches us anything, even if the price increase slows down this year, maybe even next, it is sure to catch up in the years to come.

So if you have been looking, I hope you caught your unicorn, or keep stalking that website until you do!

Be safe, be kind and stay in. Thank you for reading, and hope to see you here again soon,

Princessluxlove xx

Am I really posting about luxury handbags and pretty shoes while the country, no, the world, faces a crisis in the form of a pandemic? While people are dying and families are suffering? While financial uncertainty frightens us all? Well, yes I am and I intend to continue doing so. Not because I am heartless, or uncaring, or oblivious to what the world is facing, but rather to just get through. To keep going everyday, while the uncertainty overwhelms us and the figures scare us and the government confounds us. Because the reality, is scary. The possibilities, beyond comprehension and the unknown, well simply, unknown. So while I face all of that and more in my real life, and worry about ill relatives, staff wages and bills to pay, I will escape into the world of Instagram and the blogosphere, to well, escape. To distract from a world I have never before known, I will spend some precious moments, focusing on something else, escaping reality and posting about pretty things, that make me smile, and happy, and break the social media devastating updates, with Chanel quilting and LV monogram, and the anticipation of new arrivals.

So to you, and your family, be safe, be careful and look out for one another. When shelves are bare, resources low and selfishness high, let us remember each other, the elderly, the ill and the vulnerable. Because if we all look out for one another and pull together, we will get through this, and maybe, just maybe, emerge as a global nation, where togetherness works and loving our neighbour extends beyond the times of the Bible.

Be kind, be safe and take precautions, and if a little luxury loving helps you smile through it, come join us and enjoy the escapism!

Thank you for being here,

Princessluxlove xx

In honour of International Woman’s Day, let’s take a moment to shout out to all of those strong women out there, who lift each other up, take pleasure in the success of others, and rejoice at the strength that can be found in women supporting each other, helping each other, and holding us up when we fall. Where it seems all to common for jealousy, nastiness and pettiness to take the place of more admirable qualities, let us be the difference, let us celebrate each other and help each other up, rather than pushing each other down.

There does not seem to have been a time before when mental health was such a prevalent concern, maybe it always was, the struggles people face maybe just weren’t so visible, or the reporting less far reaching before the spread of the internet. But people suffer, and people fall and people face demons that we may never even know about. A recent suicide of a young woman in her 40’s with her whole world ahead of her, and seemingly a life to envy, led to words she had spoken being adopted as a phrase of hope, of warning and almost a plea to mankind, in a world where you can be anything, be kind. Be kind. Could there be a more appropriate catchphrase for what this world needs. Be kind. Do not be the person that has to push another down to climb up, or who takes pleasure, and gossips, in the despair of others. Let the untimely death of that young woman be a reminder to us all, words hurt, bullying hurts, unkindness hurts. In a world where you can be anything, be kind. If you have nothing nice to say, say nothing.

So this is a shout out to all of those strong women out there, doing it for their families, for their friends, and for themselves. Be the best that you can be and I will dance in your light and sing to your success. I promise to pray that you reach your goals, to celebrate when you reach new heights, to be inspired by your good and to never put you down. I promise to be that woman who is proud of others and to simply be kind.

To all those strong women, may we know them, may we be them, may we raise them. When we band together, when we don’t stand in each other’s way, when we lift each other up, let’s just see what we can achieve.

In a world when you can be anything, be kind.

To the warriors, the single parents, the bread winners, the home makers, the CEO’s, the fashionistas, the superheros, to us all, happy international woman’s day, I am proud to know you, and i hope to be you.

Princessluxlove xx

Today’s world is so busy, with so many competing pulls for our time and attention, that self-care is so important. I, for one, am absolutely guilty of getting so caught up in everything that I have to do, work commitments, drop offs, pick ups, what everyone else needs, that I quite often forget that I exist, that I am a person as myself and not just the provider for all other needs and attentions. I will often put off doctor and dentist appointments, check ups, because I am busy in work, or a case needs my attention, but in the end this can only lead to burn out, to collapse, and to feelings of resentment, like we just don’t matter.

I won’t call it a New Year’s resolution, more of a promise I made to myself going forward. I have promised myself to make a little time for me, to look after myself better, that it is ok to be a little selfish sometimes. After all, what use will I be to everyone else, if I am constantly dancing on the edge of breakdown.

Of course I would love to have the time, and money, to take off to a spa retreat every month, and zone out from the world, but I think finding the time for that would just stress me out more! I have therefore come up with 8 tips, that are the 8 things I have promised to do for myself, to build self-care into my routine. Some of these are so very simple, but remembering to build them into my day or week has made them actually happen and happen in a way that brings some benefit. Hopefully these can give you some inspiration!

1. Breathe! That sounds ridiculous, but just taking 10 minutes to yourself, no emails, no work calls, no children’s needs, just to sit down for 10 minutes, with a cup of tea, of hot chocolate, or latte, or whatever is your thing. For me, I put on a record, make a cup of tea, and sit down by myself, just to decompress, and stop go, go, going for that little part of the day. I am guilty of eating at my desk, on the go, or simply not stopping, a practice that can steamroll over even the strongest of us.

• 2. Walking, moving, dancing, the gym, whatever may be your thing, but just getting some active time to clear your head and blow away the cobwebs. For me, it is walking with headphones in, normally either with the dogs, or pushing the pram, but I find this as good for my mental health as it is for my physical health.

• 3. Sleep! Busy lives, busy people, busy mums, I am sure we are all guilty of this, when there is so much to be squeezed into a day, something has to give, and normally it’s pushing the boundaries of the time you go to sleep or wake in the morning. I fully appreciate this can be difficult, my youngest is 4 months and he definitely impacts the amount of sleep that is attainable, but I am at least now trying to be sensible. Rather than watching that extra episode, reading that extra chapter, or putting my phone down, I am trying to go to bed at a better time to give my body the time it needs to recover in sleep.

• 4. Relax – once a week I have promised to build in something for myself, for me that will be a bubble bath with candles lit, and a good book, or a massage with reflexology. I am going to try to do this once per month, that is more realistic both for time and money. It doesn’t have to be a fancy spa, I have found a great local beautician where the treatments are fantastic, but don’t come with the prices of the fancier salons. Of course I still love a treat to a spa, but I couldn’t justify the cost on a very regular basis.

During this hour or so, I have told my husband that him and the boys are banned, this is mummy me time, and I have been guarding it with my life!

• 5. Moisturise, again this sounds so simple, but I use to jump in and out of the shower, and get ready to go, in as quick a time as possible, with no thought to looking after my skin or body. I now take the time to moisturise my whole body after the shower, this adds about 5 minutes, but at least I feel as if my skin is getting some kind of care and attention, and that I am looking after me.

• 6. Friends and family, time to sit down over lunch or coffee, and actually talk to each other, laugh, put our phones away and catch up. This is so good for the soul and lifts my day right up.

• 7. Eating better and drinking water, I was terrible for not planning meals and rushing in late from work, drinking fizzy drinks to keep me going through the day, and eating, well basically, rubbish. I have been trying to drink more water, which is helping with headaches, and planning better food, making fresh soups and meals at the weekend and trying to step away from the take away!

• 8. Digital detox, my work emails come to my phone, and anytime it beeps, I was reading it and acting on it right away, basically working every waking moment, taking me away from family time, downtime, every type of time that wasn’t work. I am still battling with myself in my promise to set it down, turn the notifications off and get some head space. I do think this is vitally important, I work a lot already,  but was constantly having some aspect of work running about my head, with no downtime or escape from it, this cannot be healthy for any of us.

So these are my tips and my promises to myself, I am trying very hard to stick to these. Whether these tips resonate with you or not, we all do need to find something or somethings, to do to look after ourselves, and prioritise self care.

Good luck, and I hope these help! Thanks for reading, and hope to see you here again soon,

Princessluxlove xx

Buying a luxury item for most of us, is always a big deal, the financial cost is generally significant and the piece we pick, is quite often chosen at the expense of a number of other pieces, that we cannot add to our collections at that stage. Picking the right piece, at the right price, comes with an investment of both time and money,  and when it arrives, should bring joy and happiness to us handbag addicts!

One question to consider, and it’s something people would ask me about in everyday life, is whether to buy brand new from the boutique, or to buy pre-loved. Personally, I have done both. I have bought a number of pieces from the boutique, all of my Louis Vuitton pieces are from the boutique, with the exception of my round coin purse and my zippy wallet. My Chanel boy and classic flap are also new from the boutique, but my two rectangle mini’s were bought pre-loved, the raspberry from Fashionphile, and teal from the Instagram seller, @luxxlover.

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For me, we don’t have a lot of luxury boutiques in Ireland, really just in Dublin, and even then, the LV and Chanel are on the small side. This seriously impacts availability, and I have bought a number of pieces when travelling. I do however, personally love the boutique experience. I love to go in, look at the goods, touch them, try them on, feel the quality and the material, and walk out with the beautifully packaged item, in its rather fabulous cardboard carrier bag. But this comes at a price, and with the constant price increases, quite often a hefty one.

I do therefore feel, that there is also a place for buying pre-loved. I have only bought pre-loved in very good to excellent condition, I still want to feel what I am buying is worth it, and has a lot of use left in it. There are great deals to be had on the pre-loved market, and one of the times I will look pre-loved, is a piece I have researched and doesn’t really hold its re-sale value that well, isn’t a classic, or that I don’t feel is a piece I see being in my collection for the longer term. An example of this for me is my Gucci marmont velvet bag. I fell in love with the colour and material of this bag, the colour is so striking and I just love the luxuriousness of velvet. That being said, they don’t really hold their re-sale value that well, and I don’t think of it as classic bag. I therefore didn’t want to spend the full retail of £1330.00 on this bag, and looked pre-loved on Vestiaire collective. Some of the prices on there were unrealistic, but I did end up saving quite a bit of money against the retail price, and the bag I bought is in like new condition.

Another reason to look on the pre-loved market, is when you miss out on the piece you want. I have done this with my teal mini, and do look on the pre-loved market for hard to find, sold out pieces. The downside of this though, is that demand can be high, and this will push the price way above retail for ‘unicorn’ or hard to find pieces. I really want to add the rose gold Chanel mini to my collection, but the one available on Fashionphile is currently sitting at over £5000, plus shipping and customs fees. There is a feeling that shopping pre-loved should bring savings, when it comes down to these hard to find pieces though, it’s really if you feel you can justify that amount of money for a piece you really want, even if it is well above retail.

Another option for pre-loved is ebay. I am not so good with ebay. I just am not confident that I will know an item is authentic. That being said, I have sold on ebay and the items have been 100% genuine and authentic, so I am sure there are many, many more people doing the same, I am just not confident about it. I recently bought the LV round coin purse, and the lovely @my_things_888 on Instagram helped me with the purchase. She has a great vintage and pre-loved LV collection, and shops ebay quite a bit, so it can provide some real gems, so long as you are confident you can confirm an original. Ebay will protect against fakes if a purchase goes wrong.

Another vintage collector on Instagram whose collection is amazing, is @thelouisvuittonprincess. Her vintage pieces are fabulous, and I understand from her stories, that she has had some ebay transactions, often also gaining a profit as well as a piece.

I was recently asked by a colleague if their first piece should be new or pre-loved. Of course, this is completely a personal choice, My own first piece was my much loved, much used, Neverfull. I bought this new from the boutique in Rome, when I was there for a special occasion with my now husband. There was something very special about being in Rome, and buying this piece, and it will always hold those memories for me. I recently came across the receipt though and when I bought this, it was 550 euro, quite a lot less than today’s retail price of £1010.00 sterling! I had done a lot of research though to spend this money for the first time, I knew this was the bag I wanted and I knew I would get a lot of use out of it. If you were maybe less sure, and wanted to test out a brand, or were looking for a vintage piece, you could look pre-loved. My advice would be to do your research. Research the piece you want, be sure as you can’t try it on in the boutique, research the seller or site to make sure they are reputable and have good policies on authenticity and condition, check their feedback for accuracy of description and service. My own personal opinion on a first piece, is I wouldn’t want to pay above retail. I think for a first piece, if going pre-loved, it should bring a saving, and not the opposite. Also, don’t be afraid to ask for advice. I have personally purchased quite a few luxury items, but I still took comfort in @my_things_888’s opinion on my recent pre-loved purchase.

These are just my opinions, and are by no means set guidelines! I do hope this has helped, thank you for reading, and I hope to see you here again soon!

Princessluxlove xx