Leather Goods, Fragrance, and Chanel - the Holy Trinity

Now it is the new year, my thoughts immediately turn to one thing.. my bonus. I work for a pretty good company that gives even lowly part-time Sunday-girl's like me a pretty awesome bonus in February/March. Usually it's somewhere between 15-20% of my years salary. Which works out pretty well! I normally buy myself one extravagant treat - last year it was my Cambridge satchel, which I am still in love with and use daily, when I'm at university. This year, I'm thinking of investing in another statement piece..

A Castor & Pollux Wallet

(Images courtesy of their website)

I saw these wallets a couple of years ago in Vogue.. and god, I still think they they are the perfect wallet. I love frame-wallets, they seem really timeless and elegant, and in a modern colour - like the blue, green, or yellow, they are superbly stylish. They lie flat, have all the pockets necessary, and are beautiful. They're a bit steep, for a wallet, at $168 - about £107. My satchel cost almost that. But god, they're beautiful. I still lust. Also, the brand name totally gets my vote. I'm a Gemini through and through (even though I do not believe in horoscopes, haha, work that one out!), and I love all things mythological and astronomical.. so of course I think it's awesome.

My heart will always desire a new fragrances. I have accumulated so many, I have given myself a ban since Christmas 2010. Then I watched this wonderful documentary about fragrances, bespoke scents vs mass produced perfumes and it has made me lust after a personalised perfume..
Knowing this is still a bit of a pipe-dream I  decided to buy a quality one, instead. I want a brand that has history and cares about making beautiful scents, instead of mass-producing something sickly sweet for the masses. This hunt began in the Santa Maria Novella Pharmacy in Florence, Italy. My mum bought a beautiful rosewater perfume here. However, they were far too expensive for me. I have tried and tested nearly every perfume in the fragrance room at Liberty's, and my hunt has led me too.. Penhaligon's. I was walking through Burlington Arcade recently to get to Haunch of Vension and stopped dead in my tracks. It's one of those places I always pass, but never consider. A quick look on their website, and I'm smitten. Yes, they're pricey. Around £100 for 100ml, they vary. But they are gorgeous. The bottles.. Ah!

Endymion and Juniper Sling

These two sound the most gorgeous, but I have to go and smell, you see. I'll make sure I have a good nose, that day..

The other thing that's caught my eye is Chanel Sublimage. Just because it's so extravagant.

£145-£240 for 50ml? It's crazy, in my opinion.. Maybe I'm that insane because I'm seriously thinking about it. However, I think the Beaute Initiale sounds like it would be more suited to my skin - and my wallet.

There were other things I was considering, too. Sensible, practical things. But these are the things that although I really, really, really don't need.. I really, really, really want. And that is sometimes what you need!