Please note that this post may contain affiliate links and any sales made through such links will reward us a small commission – at no extra cost for you.
Who wants to live a luxurious life? I see your hand, girl. First, I think it’s important to define what a luxury lifestyle is to you. Is it a closet full of Chanel purses? Partying like Gatsby? Getting to sleep in for once? If you’re a mom, the last one certainly seems like a luxury at times, doesn’t it?
One definition of luxury is “a condition of abundance or great ease and comfort”. For another definition, it’s “something adding to pleasure or comfort but not absolutely necessary.”
To me, living a luxurious life is about experiences. Quality of life. Things that add pleasure and comfort to my daily living.
A luxurious life goes far beyond how much money is in the bank account or how many luxury items you have in your closet. Instead, it’s about elevating the ordinary. It’s about all the little things you can do to overall create a life that you can define as luxurious.
How to Live a Luxurious Life
It all starts the morning you wake up.
Enjoy your coffee each morning
I don’t just say have your coffee each morning, but to enjoy it. Make it a ritual that you can’t wait to wake up and start.
It doesn’t have to just be coffee either. Is tea your thing? Perhaps hot water with lemon? Pair your hot drink with a pastry, biscuit, or English muffin with your favorite jam. Fig? Raspberry? Don’t forget the pretty dishes either…it all goes into the whole experience.
Fill your body with good food
I’m actually amazed at how much sugar people consume. And that’s just starting with breakfast too. There’s sugar in your coffee creamer, sugar in your syrup, your fruit juices, your cereal, etc. Now, I’m not perfect with my sugar consumption, but over time I’ve learned that so much sugar will have you not feeling and looking your best in the long run.
It’s hard to create a life of luxury when your quality of life is diminishing. This doesn’t mean you have to flip to the other side and only eat locally grown or organic, but try to add more whole foods (fruits, veggies, & whole grains) to your meals and skip the junk food.
Invest in a quality capsule wardrobe
When you think luxurious you might think designer, but it doesn’t have to be just that. Knowing you have pieces in your closet that you love and can be mixed and matched is going to set the tone for the day – and you don’t have to spend a lot of money to do it. In fact, you can likely find beautiful, high-quality items at your local thrift store.
Would you rather start off the morning frazzled trying to figure out what to wear or calm and confident because you have a versatile wardrobe and a couple of go-to looks?
If you’d rather feel calm and confident, then I created a resource for you that will help you create your dream wardrobe from scratch – beginning to end!
Over time, I learned that a quality wardrobe is the goal. There can be this pressure to always have new clothes, but this can lead to buying cheaper clothes just to keep up with having new and more.
Related: Reinvent Your Wardrobe: How To Put Together Outfits With Clothes You Already Have
Find your signature scent
Your signature scent is more than just a smell, but is a way to be remembered. “Finding” your signature scent doesn’t mean it’s lost out there and you have to retrieve it (ha), but you get to decide what it is for yourself.
Do you like fruity scents? Warm notes like vanilla or amber? It’s up to you! There are plenty of quizzes out there to find your signature scent, but nothing will replace going out there and smelling with your own nose to see what you like.
Don’t skimp on skincare
You don’t have to get monthly facials to feel luxurious if you can’t afford them (because most people can’t), but finding room to afford good skincare is a must for living a luxurious life,
If it’s between a makeup and skincare budget, go skincare, because the better your skin is the less makeup you’ll need. I’m working on sticking with skincare products before I try something new because I’m a junkie, but I always say you can’t put a price on confidence…
Evaluate your friendships
Every woman, nay person, needs quality relationships in their life.
Everyone you surround yourself with is going to mold you into the person you become. Are the people in your life good influences? Are they toxic? Do they gossip? Even if you don’t gossip now you’ll slowly develop that habit just because you’re around people that do.
Can you look at your 5 closest friends and be proud if you turned out to be like them? If not, then some changes need to be made. Spend more time around the people that lift you up but also seek to be a person that lifts up others.
Headed to coffee with a friend? Put the phone away (guilty). Not just on the table where your eyes dart to every time it lights up. Not even screen down on the table. But actually away. Really try to focus on the conversation. Be a good listener. And contribute.
Create the perfect night routine
Whether it’s the ending to a fabulous day or a retreat when everything just went terribly, create the perfect night routine for you. Think it through and really envision it! What does it look like? A nightly bath? Reading a couple of chapters from your favorite book? What things do you need? A silky robe? Fluffy socks? Super extravagant feather slippers? A great nightly routine is wonderful for your mental health and one of the best ways to feel truly luxurious.
Pay attention to the details of your home
Along with that note, don’t forget the atmosphere of your home! It’s all in the details. Such as candles, lights, music, etc. Make little places in your home a retreat. Maybe in the living room, you have a cozy corner set up with books, plump pillows, and soft throw blankets. Or perhaps in the bathroom, you have a table with magazines, mints, and pretty soaps. What do you really love about hotels, resorts, and spas? How can you replicate that at home?
Break out the fancy
Don’t keep your fancy china in the cabinet to be seen but not touched. Use it! You know those fluffy guest towels that stay in the closet because you want them to be nice, and instead, you use a stained and tattered towel? Why give your guests the best and save the worst for yourself? Splurge on some thick and soft towels for yourself! They really make all the difference. It’s all about finding the little luxurious in life.
Don’t overlook the power of fresh flowers
It just takes $10-$15 dollars at the grocery store or local plant nursery to breathe new life into a room. If constantly buying new flowers sounds a bit unnecessary to you, you should consider plants because they will last way longer. And if you’re like me and always kill stuff, you can fill your home with faux greenery instead. It’s not totally the same thing, but hey, they’re nice to look at.
Culture yourself
Take a break from the blockbuster movies and check out the classics, even if they are in black and white. Trust me, you’ll survive. Personally, I love movies with Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly – icons who may as well be blueprints for how to live a luxurious life.
What do you read? Facebook status updates? Nothing? What classic books can you culture yourself by? At the very least, flip through a luxury home magazine and feel inspired by the glossy decorated pages. It’s amazing where you can be transported. No private yacht is necessary.
Try and experience new things daily
I made myself try something new recently. There’s this super hip restaurant in town that everyone raves about but I never went, because not only was it pretty pricey, but the menu seemed kinda weird. Like duck tacos and leek fondue weird. Well, recently I went, and guess what?
It was so nice.
Not only did I enjoy some quality conversation (phone-free), but the aforementioned duck tacos? Man, they melted in my mouth. It was the most I’ve ever spent on a meal (I got a cocktail and dessert too, because why not?). But it was so worth it.
Broaden your horizons. Try something new. Take a break from the same things you always do. That’s true luxury.
Kick the fear to the curb
Do you think you don’t deserve a luxurious lifestyle? Ever go to a super high-end store like Barneys or Bergdorfs and feel completely out of place or worse yet, made to feel like you don’t belong? It happened to me once.
Walk with confidence into those stores. Don’t let the sales staff make you feel small. Yeah, you’re not going to buy anything. But they don’t know that.
Don’t verbally freak out at things that are mega $$$ either. Or let your eyes pop out of your sockets. Yeah, you know that look. Simply give a nonchalant shrug to that Birkin bag and walk away. Turns out it just wasn’t the one for you…
Save for higher quality experiences
Are there other things you can cut out to afford a bit more luxury, in whatever sense you define it? Maybe you don’t see that movie that costs $13 (and more if you get snacks) and you wait until you can rent it and instead, you make your favorite meal. I bet you’ll enjoy and remember that nice night even more.
Do you have any fancy hotels in your city? Maybe you could just hang out in the lobby for a little bit and take it all in. What do you notice? People walking through in their sharp outfits…women’s stilettos click-clacking on the floor…it makes you want to sit up straighter and get taken a bit more seriously, doesn’t it?
Are there any experiences in your life you’ve always dreamt about? Why not do it? Maybe it’s photographing on an African safari or taking cooking classes throughout Europe.
Even if you can’t shoot that big yet, no worries. Maybe your experience is just taking a wine class at your local college/community center so you can feel more knowledgeable about wine pairings at your next dinner party. These little bits of knowledge will go a long way in living a luxurious life
Something to remember
Do you have those women in your life that have designer item after designer item and you secretly judge them thinking they need status, approval, or some other not-so-nice thoughts? I’m guilty, and no matter your feelings on purchasing designer, who are we to judge? Luxury living looks different for everyone.
Maybe her Louboutins are your plane tickets. Or maybe her designer purse is your home renovation. Feel happy for the woman that gets weekly facials instead of secretly judging because you think it’s a big waste of money. Luxury is yours to define, even if it’s just scoring mad deals in the dollar section at Target. You go, girl!
I’ll just leave you with this.
Sometimes luxury is in the small things and you just have to lift up your head to notice. Spend more time in nature. Even if it’s the dead of winter. There is beauty just dying to be noticed, such as the delicate frost on the leaf or the tiny animal prints in the snow.
Work on the inside as much as the outside (if not more) because if you can’t find contentment with what you have and where you’re at, no luxurious life upgrade is going to make you happy.
“Quand on a pas ce que l’on aime, il faut aimer ce que l’on a.” When we do not have what we love, we have to love what we have.
To help you love your life and wardrobe, it needs to be organized. I created some free checklists and organizing guides for you that you can get by signing up here!
For even more ways to pursue a lovely lifestyle, keep reading: 30 Ways to Pursue a Parisian Lifestyle
