Head Porter Laptop Case

My work bag situation has gone through a few iterations. Since I work in a profession that requires me to have a laptop nearby almost 24/7, having a durable, light and still chic laptop case / bag is of utmost importance. I started with two bags - one for personal use, the other one for work - laptop, notebook, power cord, files, snacks, etc. The two bag combo works fine when you stay in your home city but can quickly become a pain when I travel, because I almost never check in my luggage. Having to consolidate two bags every single time I board a plane made me quickly give up the two-bag idea. 

During my Japan trip last fall, my boyfriend and I were checking out this Japanese bag brand called Head Porter. They're known for combining great design with functional and light materials as a lot of their bags are made of durable nylon.  I already had one of their cases for my 15" MacBook Pro which I love, so I was hoping to find something this time for my 13" work laptop. And low and behold... after checking out the store for a few minutes I spot this super understated black nylon laptop case from the Head Porter Black Beauty line. It's perfect for a 13" laptop with two front pockets and a top narrow pocket for the cords. No fuss, light, durable, functional, kinda perfect. It can be easily slipped into my Goyard tote bag and I basically just throw in whatever else I need to carry. I've been using it every single day since I got back from the trip and couldn't be happier. 

What do you use for your work computer bag? 

Fog Linen Handkerchief

I just came back from a two-week Asia trip (okay, I've been back for more than a month now but don't people say that you need a vacation to recover from your vacation? I did just that). Anyhow, thought I'd share some of the stuff that became so essential on my trip, so much so that they also became an inseparable part of my everyday life.

We went to China and Japan in the last two weeks of September. Unfortunately the weather in Japan during that time was still unusually hot and humid. We had to walk outside for a good amount everyday under 90% humidity and were always completely drenched in sweat. The best decision I made for the trip was to have brought these Fog Linen handkerchieves with me. They are 100% linen, light and thin, so easy to carry around. And boy, did it help wipe off all the sweat and help me to stay cool. It can also be used as a mask under pollution - I found myself reaching for it all the time when we were exposed to the terrible pollution in Beijing, and I know a few instances where I even used it as a face towel. It's the most eco friendly item to carry on a daily basis and, in my opinion, is so much cooler and more chic than the disposable tissues. It's very easy to clean - takes two minutes to wash every night and the next morning, voila, you have a clean, soft, and wonderfully smelling hankie to use! The pastel blush and blue colors are so in now that every time I take it out from my pocket, it becomes such a compliment to my outfit as well. 

I remember I always carried a hankie when I was a little girl. And then somewhere along the way, it was replaced by the disposable tissues for convenience. Now in light of the eco movement and the zero waste lifestyle I'm trying to adopt, I can't think of a better way than carrying this little guy again with me everyday as an essential. 

Daily Essentials

Summer is officially here! I know I've been so delinquent on the blog (which I'm not proud of) but here I am, back at it!! I wanted to start a new series called daily essentials - documenting things that I use on a daily basis, such as skin care, cosmetics, small goods, whatever it is to make my daily life a little brighter, a little happier, and a little more enjoyable. Today we start with the things I've been using and loving since the warm days started. 

Starting from upper left corner clockwise...

AESOP Herbal Deodorant. In summer, most of us swear by solid sticks to keep our underarm area dry and smelling descent. But we all know how embarrassing and annoying it is to find the stick marks on our clothes. I stumbled upon this Aesop Herbal Deodorant spray when I went to the store to stock up on body wash and hand wash and decided to give it a try. It has a pleasant herbal oil smell (sage leaf as part of the ingredients), dries up pretty fast after each spray and leaves no mark. Although it may not be as effective as antiperspirant when it come to preventing sweating, I found it pretty good at keeping my underarms dry so far (maybe it's the essential oil?) and it has been my go-to after shower everyday. 

DIPTYQUE scented candle. This one needs no introduction. I always make sure I have a few Diptyque candles scattered around my home. My favorite scents, amongst all, are Baies and Figuier. I keep one on my night stand and there's nothing more soothing than falling asleep with the light scent lingering around you... 

Living Proof Humidity Shield Spray. My hair is hopelessly fine and naturally wavy, which translates to a frizzy and sad look under high humidity. Every morning after I shower and blow dry my hair, I would always straighten and style it using my favorite Panasonic ion straightener. However, as soon as I step outside, within 10 minutes, it goes back to being flat and frizzy. I bought this Living Proof Humidity Shield Spray from Sephora and so far it's been working wonders! My hair is able to keep the volume and somewhat shape that I styled for most of the day. Very pleased with the purchase! 

Le Labo perfume in Santal 33. I can't remember how many compliments I've gotten since I started wearing it. My boyfriend got me this as a Xmas gift (by the way, if you go to their store, they will make the perfume right there on the spot for you, so neat!) and I've been wearing it ever since. It's very subtle and low key, and yet has this dreamy sexy feel to it. I've gotten so used to it that I can no longer smell it when I wear it. But every time I enter a room, someone always asks, what perfume are you wearing? 

Tom Ford lip stick. Ever since I purchased my first TF lip stick, I've been completely hooked. Being someone who doesn't wear a ton of makeup, my makeup regimen really just consists of tinted moisturizer,  eye brow powder, a teeny bit of eye shadow and finish with lip stick. Having possibly the driest lips in the world, most of the lip sticks either don't stay on for long or make my lips even drier. Tom Ford is an exception. It's very moisturizing (although I like to apply a layer of lip balm as a primer first) and stays on for a long time. An absolute essential! My new purchase is called "Something Wild" - sounds pretty exotic but it really is not. It's a lovely red that you can wear every day. It's not overpowering but still adds a nice pop of color. 

Happy summer everyone!