I once heard someone say every bougie girl needs a CHANEL bag. This was a matter of fact statement. Not a statement saying if you love CHANEL, I recommend getting a classic flap bag but instead just buy one if you consider yourself bougie. After my 2.5 years of blogging, I have finally decided to write a post on cultural phenomena I do not subscribe to at all. I wanted to have some grit in the world of blogging before putting out this list and so here we have it. All of these people, places, and things have a bandwagon effect and frankly do not live up to the hype, in my opinion.
Baccarat Rouge 540
Maison Francis Kurkdigan’s Baccarat Rouge 540. I actually appreciate and respect perfumer Maison Francis Kurkdijan (MFK). But y’all Baccarat Rouge 540 is just not a pleasant fragrance to me at all. The retail for this perfume begins at $325 for 2.4 ounces. I have gotten samples of this fragrance on numerous occasions. Top notes for this fragrance include Saffron and Jasmine. Baccarat Rouge 540 has a burnt, sugary chemical odor that gives me a headache each time I smell it. I once listened to a blogger admit to liking it because it was mentioned in songs and because everyone else liked it. I believe that people get it because they think it is exclusive because of the price tag. I prefer MFK’s Gentle Fluidity Gold. I also have the Les Tamaris candle by MFK and the smell and performance is outstanding. I do not mind spending money on something I actually love but to buy something because of its namesake, I think not.
So Kate Heels
Christian Louboutin’s So Kate high heeled pumps. I once owned a black pair of So Kate heels that I bought for $675. I only wore them once and it was to the Museum of Art in NYC. It was then and there that I thought I was gonna injure myself from falling down and busting my butt. The slender heel height is 4.73 inches. I am sure you ask yourself why would I buy shoes that were uncomfortable to wear. I purchased them online because of the hype. Big mistake! I should have gone into the store and tried them on first. Had I done this, I would have known they were and are not practical. And so after my one wear, I sold my So Kates. There have been plenty of YouTube videos made on how to shorten the heels and stretch the shoes out all in an effort to make the shoes more wearable and bearable. Why do all of that when one can just purchase the sister shoes “The Kates” that are super sexy and have a heel height of 3.93 inches; after all, they are still red bottoms.
Peter Luger
I love food and I love good food. Conversely, I love a good steak. Peter Luger is a famous steakhouse, located in Brooklyn, New York often noted in every top 10 steak restaurant list. I often wonder if people who create these lists actually visit these restaurants or if their list is just a carbon copy of someone else’s list. Peter Luger boasts steaks that are dry aged on-site. Y’all I took a friend to Peter Luger for his birthday and the restaurant was subpar. My friend and I shared a Porterhouse steak and their steak was nothing to write home about. My friend who is a food lover like me, also agreed that Peter Luger just was not great at all. I have had better steak at Houston’s. Heck, I can make better steak at home! The steak at Peter Luger lacked flavor to me and it was really not that tender. After years of me saying Peter Luger was not and is not great, the NY times wrote a food review in 2019 where they agreed and gave the restaurant zero of five stars. “You start to wonder who really needs to go to Peter Luger, and start to think the answer is nobody.”- NY Times. After this NY times article was published, the review was trending and a ton of other people came out and said they agreed that Peter Luger was just a name and did not at all live up to the hype. “I’m just happy that they’re (Peter Luger) finally being called out on their long-standing mediocrity.” Kim, S of the Bronx
Hennessy
Hennessy, is a very popular cognac that falls under the Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy (LVMH) umbrella. LVMH boasts that the company is a “world leader in luxury.” In earlier posts, I have shared with you all that Louis Vuitton was the first luxury designer I bought in college. Hennessy has such a strong hold on people that often they are unwilling to try any other spirit. The lyric “Hennessy”is in at least 100 songs beginning from the 80s through the present day. I think of Digital Underground’s song from the 80s entitled The Humpty Dance “I drink a bottle of Hennessy you got on your shelf. So just let me introduce myself. My name is Humpty” Tupac also wrote a song about Hennessy and I could go on and on. The marketing for Hennessy has been ingenious from its inception. In recent years, hip-hop artist Nas was a brand ambassador for Hennessy. I once read that Hennessy ads were placed in Jet and Ebony magazines in the 50s to cater to and appeal to Black people. I often wonder if people actually like Hennessy or if they have been conditioned to like it based on marketing and hip hop culture. I also wonder if people like Hennessy because they consider it a luxury since it is under the LVMH umbrella. I have had Hennessy on several occasions and I am not a fan of the bitter taste of Hennessy. I am more of a bourbon and Prosecco type of gal. I saw a meme earlier in the year that read “Release my people from the shackles of Hennessy.” Ha! I wholeheartedly agree!
Birkin Bag
The Hermes’ Birkin bag is the ultimate status symbol. It is handcrafted and the bag appreciates in value over time because it is rare. You cannot just go into Hermes and buy a Birkin. You have to show that you are a loyal customer to the brand Hermes with a purchase history. The price tag of the Birkin starts at $9,000 up to $300,000 or more, depending on the textile and hardware of the bag. So the price tag and rarity of the Birkin, makes it exclusive. To me, it represents “mama I made it”. In my humble opinion, the style of the bag is not aesthetically pleasing so I would not buy one. If I were given a Birkin bag, I would absolutely keep it as an investment because the Birkin bag does indeed appreciate in value. I once read that the Birkin bag is a better investment than gold, art, and stocks. So with that said, I am a huge proponent of any one who is able to afford one and if they actually love the bag.
All in all, I love reading and watching people’s opinions and I love giving mine. As far as the aforementioned items on my list, I often wonder if people like them because they truly like them or because other people like them. Does culture and social media have such a huge impact on people that we are no longer willing to formulate our own opinions. Is the goal to have what’s deemed exclusive and a status symbol? Seems like that is the wave. I love opinion pieces and reviews and I take note, but ultimately I make my own decision.
