Two years ago, I decided to take the plunge and buy an insanely expensive Céline handbag. I was on vacation and with the currency exchange, I did that delusional thing one does while on holiday. Oh, it’s so much cheaper than if I had bought it in New York. I’m too totally saving money. So I handed over my credit card and became the proud owner of a gorgeous burgundy saddlebag. The leather was spectacular — I must have spent an hour stroking it lovingly. It had a gold clasp, the kind of signature Phoebe Philo finishing touch to make it feel extra special.
That specific leather-and-gold-clasp combo, as lovely as it looked, also became the bag’s biggest downfall. Every time I opened or closed my purse, tiny scratches accumulated. The clasp needed to be guided into its slot and, being a fairly clumsy person, I would miss it more often than not. This left a series of long, vertical marks on the leather that drove me mad. Also, in my shopping-induced haze, I didn’t even consider what would happen if my precious purchase got wet.
So I did the only thing a crazy handbag obsessive would do — I searched Purse Forum for leather protectors exhaustively. I learned two things: (1) People go to insane lengths to keep their bags pristine and (2) You can effectively safeguard your new purchase with a very specific combination of products. A few names were tossed around but the most popular were Collonil waterproof protectant spray, Cadillac conditioner, and this trio of products from a brand called Apple (no relation to the tech giant). They all had comparable rave reviews on
Amazon so I dug deeper and did an informal poll of friends who trawl the forums as much as I do. The overwhelming response was to choose Apple. My friends trusted them on their pricey Chanel and Hermès collections above all other leather protectors.
Source: Thecut.com
