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With customization becoming more and more popular (think Jane Birkinifying your bag)
little luxuries are in and here to stay. The chicest person you know is branding all their essentials with initials and personal touches. Everything from your daily journal to your hair comb can be customized with the help of brands like Louise Carmen, Mark and Graham and Officine Universelle Buly. Here’s how we recommend you keep up with this timeless trend.
Customizable Journals
Personalized travel journals have been around forever – think: a chic, oldschool jetsetter logging her safari trip in one – but recently they have been popping up in the hands and work bags of the people in the fashion-know. Probably responsible for the travel journals’ resurgence is French brand Louise Carmen. Louise Carmen first caught my eye when I became mesmerized by the brand’s custom journal-building experiences on Tik Tok, where the team walks viewers through the entire customization process–from leather patinas to picking the perfect charms to accessorize your book.
I was obsessed with the idea of building my own, and quickly scheduled the brand’s virtual customization experience. On the video call I was able to pick from a variety of different journal types, leathers, hot stamps, charms and papers to go inside. The price of the journals increase the more you accessorize, which transparently can add up quickly, but just as a leather handbag is meant to be a closet staple for years, this journal is built to get better with age.
The journal shipped straight from Paris, and I haven’t put it down since. Although I would recommend the virtual appointment so you can fully customize our journal, there is also an option to purchase a semi-customizable version on their website. However, for the best experience make sure to make time to stop into their shop in Paris on your next trip, but beware the line is very long!
If you are looking for another leather journal option, maybe one with a price tag that is slightly easier to digest, Paper Republic also has a popular option. The Paper Republic journal is a great option with spacious pockets and sleek, finished edges that make it elite for some stationary lovers. Their version only allows for embossing rather than full customization, but that means you can take decorating into your own hands.
There are a growing list of independent brands that make accessories for leather travel journals like those made by Louise Carmen and Paper Republic, one of my favorites being July Rose Jewelry’s Journal Jewelry, which is a little charm you can slip onto the cord that holds the journal closed and customize with phrases ranging from “Diary of” to “Keep Out!”.
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Cosmetics
Your cosmetics are also getting a personalized upgrade. In every major city I travel to I stop into Officine Universelle Buly, a customizable beauty brand that carries everything from luxury hair combs to lip balms in chic, little cases. In my travels I have collected the Essential Baume Des Muses (i.e. a very luxurious everyday lip balm), The Traditionalist Benjamin Hair Comb, and a bright pink toothbrush with my initials on it. It feels like a luxury game of Pokemon, where I must collect all the options, the next on my wishlist being The Valiant Hairpin and the Travel Hair Brush.
In store a shop assistant will help you pick the perfect product and what colors, initials and scents (if applicable) to add to it. You can also shop and customize products online. Not only are these great gifts to get yourself, they are the perfect little luxuries to pick up for your friends or family.
Located in Portugal, Next Memory Atelier has captured the market on customizable solid perfumes. Taking a page out of Officine Universelle Buly’s book, the brand is known for their fully personalized cases. You can choose everything from the metal case color, leather shade, embossing and pick the velvet pouch to keep it in. The scents are reminiscent of Le Labo, with natural options like sandalwood, neroli, fig and cardamom. The brand recommends shopping in person at their Lisbon location, but full customization is also available online.
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Make Up Bags
If all your cosmetics are going to be personalized, your makeup bag might as well be, too. My favorite places to snag a custom pouch are Abbode and Mark and Graham. For the cutest custom embroidery, Abbode is a go-to. They walk you through customization of their chic, washable Signature Waffle Pouch (also made popular by The Millennial Decorator) with your initials or one of their popular icons. If you can't stop into their Soho store, or one of their many pop-ups, Abbode's website is easy to use with the ability to see how your design will look on the item before purchasing.
If you are looking for something more luxe, Mark and Graham’s Classic Leather Pouch in Croc is perfect for all your makeup essentials. Initial hot stamping is available on their site in a variety of fonts and colors.
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Bags
You may fondly remember your mom carrying an L.L. Bean tote when you were a kid, but in the past few years the bags, which was once a symbol of a posh, older woman on the cape, are back for the younger generation.
If you are looking to go back to your roots and get the original Boat and Tote, L.L. Bean has infinite color, size and customization options on their site. Personally, my favorite way to style the tote is with a quippy word or phrase like “egomaniac” or “Careful, I bite.” There are so many ways to customize your bag, but take time to think of something perfect for you—you’ll be sure to get compliments.
Not only can you get the perfect makeup pouch from Mark and Graham, you can also pick up a tote for all your stuff. They have their own classic version of the boat tote, but my favorite option from the brand is their Embroidered Canvas Dog Tote, which you can customize with your dog's face and your name (or your furry friend’s).
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