5 little luxuries that make a big difference

We all have our "things" that make life a bit better. Here are mine.

Last year I made a conscious effort to “size down and scale up” in lots of areas of my life. I have sorted through a lot of “stuff” I had that just wasn’t getting used and tried to pinpoint the things that get used the most, or spark the most joy. Here are 5 of those things.

handbag organiser

I quite like handbags, particularly mine. I don’t have loads of them but the ones I do own I try to care for. They have names. There is Phil, my prized Pochette Metis, Karen, my 2jour and Vera, my Trio. I think this love stems from my years at Vestiaire - as much from seeing the tight-edit the Parisian staff had on their wardrobes as it was from pining over the inventory.

I like to coordinate my bags to my outfits. Nothing drastic, but I try to stick to one colour for my accessories (belt, shoes, bags kind of thing). This means swapping bags over quite a bit which can be a faff with all the stuff I like to have inside them. Enter the handbag insert (I did an Instagram video about it too, here).

This small little organiser means I can put all my essentials into one “thing” and simply put it into whatever bag I’m using. It means I never have that “oh cr*p, it’s in my other bag” moment, and had a lovely ten minutes compiling what my essentials were for the insert. If that list is of interest I will share in another post - but the main thing is this.

good brushes

I was somewhat of a late bloomer when it came to make up and hair care. In my early twenties I didn’t care for the quality and focussed more on the outcome with various levels of (awful) result. My hair was scorched blonde and my make up was applied with fingertips (and removed with face wipes, another 3-for-2 bargain in Boots).

It wasn’t until I was gifted a set of make up brushes that it dawned on me; make up looks so much better when you bother with them. I don’t think you need loads but I do think it’s worth putting some pennies behind ones that help you apply the products you really need to work. With this in mind let me recommend two to you:

• Hourglass Concealer Brush - I love Hourglass brushes across the board but this one is particularly good at converting even the most harden finger user to change over. It blends beautifully and gives a much better finishes for concealers - particularly the eye area.

• Morphe Brow Sculptor - This £8 contraption changed my brows forever. The brush at one end is brilliant at shaping your brows so they take brow products really well (and you stop getting clumps of product in them when putting on mascara).

More recently (in the last 18 months) my brush-love has extended to hairbrushes. I bought myself one of those French ones, La Bonne Brosse on the stern recommendation of my hairdresser. My hair is quite fine and can break easily and was getting quite thin at the tip. I wouldn’t say the brush makes the “hair brushing experience” any different, however, since using this I’ve noticed my hair is thicker and less prone to breaking.

cuticle oil

This “discovery” has been a game changer for me. Last year I gave up having professional manicures and moved over to being an at-home-girlie. I bought myself a gel manicure kit (this one) and have pretty much nailed (ha!) doing my own hands. The thing has I couldn’t master was the cuticles. For me neat and tidy cuticles show you really take care of yourself.

Then I started using cuticle oil every day (I keep one at my desk and one by my bed). What I found after a few weeks was that not only did my nails look better thanks to soft, healthy cuticles, but they were easier to manage to. I very rarely ever have to trim my cuticles now because they’re moisturised so just push back. It really makes a difference.

My favourite one is from L’Occitane, I tried all the “nail professional” brands’ versions and still think the L’Ox one wins.

good belts

Last year I invested in two good belts, one black and one brown. I see belts alongside shoes and handbags as the finishing touches to an outfit. They can tidy up the most simple of looks. So that reason I think it’s worth investing on good ones as the cheaper ones really do look, erm, cheap.

I did a lot of searching. I was very close to buying an Andersons one, I really liked the Khaite Benny but at over £500 I don’t know anyone who owns one - besides people who were gifted them or got a good discount. It’s a silly price.

I ended up finding a really good one when in LA last Spring. It’s called the Jordan belt and was under £100 which for 100% leather is really good. It’s classic but with a Western type edge (which is what I love about the Khaite ones). Having loved the black one so much, my husband bought me the chocolate brown one a couple of months ago. I cannot rate them enough.

good pyjamas

I used to sleep in old t shirts or mismatched loungewear. I then had a thought. In the same way that people joke about wearing nice knickers in case they get hit by a bus (might be an English expression?), what if something happened in the night and I had to run out of my house? My neighbours do not need to see my husband’s 2010 band tee. Oh no.

So, I invested in some good things to wear to bed. Pyjamas that hang nicely, feel soft, wash well and aren’t fraying at the edges. Here are my favourite finds so far:

• Sleepy Doe - This beautiful Somerset based brand are the brand I lean towards first whenever I want something new (either for myself or for gifts, particularly for little ones). They are beyond comfortable and sell out quickly. You can sign up for the next drop of their gingham ones here.

• H&M - If you like the pointelle pyjamas but don’t want to pay the high prices you can’t beat H&M’s output. I have this pair, they’ve last me a year and probably have another year in them. When they come into stock don’t hang around for long.

• Lake - A recent find from the USA. They call themselves “the softest pyjamas imaginable” and they’re not wrong. The styles and colours are as if my subconscious created a nightwear brand, I love them all. I have this pair.

• Jigsaw - Every British woman will know they brand for their incredible coats and tailored pieces, but did you know about their pyjamas? Because they’re really, really strong. I have had several pairs over the years and you can’t beat them.

• TBCO - You know the brand who make the tartan blankets? Well it turns out they do two others things too. The first is a triangle scarf that appears to have gone viral in the UK (I have this one and it’s great). The second is pyjamas. They do really gorgeous styles with a feminine edge. Huge fan.

I’ve realised that I could keep going with little luxuries but this post is already quite long. So I’ll split it into two! If you have any little things that make a big difference to you please do share!