Back by popular demand is my annual post of what I’ve bought myself for Christmas with a bonus of what I bought myself in Paris. With a few other purchases thrown in for good measure.

I had originally intended to buy a Max Mara Icon Coat in Paris because all Max Mara coats in Europe are half the price they are in the US but they didn’t have charcoal grey in stores, just online. This Max Mara Atelier coat was also on my list after seeing it in the Madison Avenue store so I tried it on. My sales associate at the Avenue Montaigne store and another customer commented on how good which might have influenced my purchase but the sleeves and hem were also the perfect length which meant I could wear it right away. This coat is sold out online and only available in 10 stores worldwide so it’s nice that I probably won’t see anyone else wearing it when I’m out and about. It also looks like the kind of coat that you would say you bought in Paris if someone complimented you. You might be able to try to find it in stores if you like it and there are some other styles on sale online here.

This Grey Cashmere Sweater arrived just before I left for Paris so I threw it in my suitcase. I ended up loving it so much that I went to the Cos store in Paris to see if they had the black in stock since Cos is cheaper in Europe. They did not so I ordered it online and had it sent to my hotel. When the front desk person told me I had a packet, I couldn’t help but think of that scene in Emily in Paris when her packets arrive from the US. I missed going to a preview of the new season last week because I was still feeling a little under the weather so I can’t wait to watch season three when it airs on Wednesday. It’s the best holiday present!

I saw these Tweed Chanel Slingbacks on the Chanel website and knew I had to have them. I messaged every store and salesperson I could find but they hadn’t hit stores at that point. I also wasn’t sure I could trust any of the salespeople to actually contact me when they did arrive so I kept my eyes peeled online. It was finally @frontrowlive who found them for me. She does charge a fee but it’s worth it if you can’t find something you want or don’t live in an area with luxury stores. This is not sponsored and just a PSA.

Eric Bompard is a wonderful French brand for cashmere that I highly recommend you check out when you are in Paris. The have many freestanding stores but during the Black Friday promotions at Le Bon Marché, I ended up buying some of their Cashmere Voile Scarves. Strangely enough, they are cheaper in US dollars if you want to buy them online. Also, I still love my Heidi Wynne cashmere scarves but she doesn’t have as many lightweight options yet.

I also highly recommend you sign up for La Carte 24 Sèvres Loyalty Program. You can earn rewards and special discounts for shopping in store at Le Bon Marché in Paris and on 24S.com. You can also earn gift vouchers and rewards when you scan it at La Grande Epicerie too. I know this because I used to live at 10 rue de Babylone and La Grande Epicerie was my local grocery store.

As I’ve mentioned before, I will splurge on coats, bags, and shoes but not as much on clothing. I’m always on the look out for black dresses which are strangely harder to find than you think and this Black Belted Dress is a lot nicer than the price would suggest. It’s a very nice thick fabric that is perfect for colder months. I will say that that sleeves and hem are too long for me but I’m used to taking everything to my tailor. If you are tall though, you will really love the length.

If you follow me on Instagram, you know I came down with the flu halfway into my two weeks in Paris. It curtailed my shopping but the day before I left, I made a quick trip to Le Bon Marché and picked up the Navy Tweed Chanel Slingbacks. Not sure if they are available in US stores but you can ask your sales associate. I also saw the Two-tone T-Strap Chanel Shoes on the right at Le Bon Marché but didn’t try them on and regretted it immediately upon arriving home. Luckily, @InnaYourShoes at Bergdorf Goodman happened to get in a few pairs later on the same day that I reached out to her and one of them was my size. I am usually a size 37 but I wear a size 37.5 in most Chanel shoes.

I knew I wanted to get this Rue de Verneuil Midnight Tweed Bag in Paris and was lucky to find it still in stock. I wanted the medium size but they only had the small in store. I recommend reaching out before your trip if there is a specific bag size and pattern you want because they can have it sent to the store for you.

I took this Tôteme Signature Cotton-blend Trench Coat to Paris but was only able to wear it once because it was cold most of the trip but I’m still so happy I bought it. I think the fabric makes it look even more expensive. You can also find a few sizes on sale here.

One of my friends was kind enough to buy the Celine Small Triomphe Wallet in ice blue when she was in Paris in September. It was cheaper in Euros and I wasn’t sure it would still be in stock for my November trip. I paid her back and I’m so happy she was kind enough to get it for me because I love the color.

When I met up with my colorist Cherise, who was also in Paris for Thanksgiving, at Le Bon Marché on Black Friday, I made a slightly impulse purchase of the Celine Small Cuir Triomphe Bucket Bag in ice blue. I own it in tan and really love it for travel since it actually fits a lot and can be worn as a shoulder bag or as a crossbody. I feel like the ice blue will look really great with my trench coat and double faced wool coats in the spring and dresses in the summer.

Celine is one of the few luxury brands that doesn’t gate keep their products. You can easily search online to see what stores have items you want. It looks like the bucket bag is only available in Europe which hopefully means I won’t see anyone else with it in the US. I bought a blue leather Celine Panier Bag in the spring and it was another bag that was only sold in Europe. I tell my Paris Guide buyers to try to purchase items that are in styles or colors only available in Europe to make them feel even more special.

I posted about these Ghōud Sneakers last week and my pair just arrived today. They are just a tiny bit too big but that’s only because they come in whole sizes. But it also means I can wear heavy socks with them and take them on trips where my feet might swell from lots of walking. I also chose this colorway because I thought they bits of blue would look nice with the blue Celine bag.

These Celine Aviator Sunglasses have been on my list for a while and since I couldn’t shop much when I had the flu in Paris, I treated myself to them at the Celine CDG store before I went to the AirFrance lounge.

I decided to use my Christmas check this year to treat myself to a Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer. I read a lot of reviews asked my Instagram followers who had it what they thought and I have to say that the majority loved it and a lot of others preferred the Dyson Air Wrap which dries and styles. There were also a few people who hated the hair dryer. I think it’s supposed to finally arrive tomorrow so I will report back. Everyone said it cuts down on drying time and I have very thick hair so I hope this is the case for me too.

It looks like a lot of people online were sent this Braun IPL Long-lasting Hair Removal System for Women and Men to try for free but I actually purchased it myself. I have had professional laser hair removal almost everywhere but there are always areas that could use a touch up. It actually seemed more cost effective to just buy an at home device. It arrived before I left for Paris but I didn’t get to try it. I’m going to use it over the holidays and will report back on this too.

I’ve never met a skincare device that I didn’t want to try. Even though I already had a NuFace, I decided to try the new NuFace MINI+ Starter Kit. I love using microcurrent in conjunction with radiofrequency devices at home in between professional laser treatments like Clear + Brilliant at my doctor.

Augustinus Bader products are less expensive at their freestanding boutique in Paris and you can have them fill out the détaxe form for even more savings. I stocked up on my favorite Rich Cream, the Hair Oil, and Body Cream. I wanted to try the Eye Cream but I feel like the packaging is too large. The store always includes samples so I can try new products like the Face Oil or Serum before I decide if I want to add them to my regime.

One of things that I scheduled first in Paris was the Monet – Mitchell exhibition at the Fondation Louis Vuitton. It’s a little sad that the whole thing is touted as Monet – Mitchell when the bulk of the show is actually the Joan Mitchell Retrospective that had previously been shown in San Francisco and Baltimore. She’s one of my favorite artists and it was amazing to see her paintings in France where she lived and worked for much of her life. I bought some of the smaller books in the gift shop but didn’t want to lug the big book home so I ordered Joan Mitchell which is the book from the American exhibitions.

I feel like I haven’t had any free time to read lately but I’m going to try to make some time over the holidays to finally read I’ll Build a Stairway to Paradise: A Life of Bunny Mellon. It was just released in November so it would make a great last minute gift for the chicest people on your list.

I celebrate Christmas in NYC and I like this quiet time when everyone else leaves to try to get caught up on work. I also plan to finish writing my NYC Travel Guide that I hope to have for sale in the New Year. In the meantime, you can buy my Paris Guide to get a jumpstart on your 2023 trip planning.

Happy Holidays!

XOXO,

HC