My original 2015 Best Buys list was completely taken over by beauty items, so here’s another one, without any beauty products. Although there are shoes.

1. Penguin Books mugs. Brussels Waterstones sells these exceptional drinking vessels and I keep going back for more. I don’t think there is one book-loving person out there who doesn’t/wouldn’t like Penguin mugs. I mean, how genius is The Big Sleep for a difficult morning? Or A Room of One’s Own, when people keep bothering you? I’m currently on the hunt for The Body in the Library. Just because.

2. Estonian design. As you may have seen throughout the year, I bought quite a few Estonian design pieces for the house: a huge rustic dining table, two Jaanus Orgusaar lamps, armchairs and a sofa by Oot-Oot studio. I’m still extraordinarily pleased with everything. Ikea is good, but this is so much better.

3. The Shun Knife. I have raved about it before, but I really do love this knife. It’s also the only knife I have at the moment, so I’m acutely aware that I should take some pressure off it and buy another one. Another Shun, of course.

4. Frederic Blondeel chocolate. Belgium is globally known for its chocolate, but I’ve never been very keen on the Neuhauses and the Godivas and the like. I do love Pierre Marcolini very much, but eating his chocolates on a regular basis will result in a very fast financial collapse. I’m therefore extremely happy to have discovered Frederik Blondeel – the quality is supreme (the hot chocolate is the best I’ve tried), the packaging is great, and they don’t ignore milk chocolate, as is often the case with serious brands. Prices are reasonable, so I recommend stocking up when you have the opportunity.

5. Posh teabags. I love good tea, but the truth is I cannot always be bothered to brew it properly in a teapot, especially when it comes to black teas. There is absolutely nothing wrong with a nice Prince of Wales tea bag from Twinings, but if you want something a bit more special, Kusmi and Mariage Freres are great. A box of MF Wedding Imperial is not cheap, but it’s heaven for lazy people.

6. Guignolet Kirsch Liqueur. In my head, I’m an unconventional single malt whisky drinker or a Remarque-inspired calvados girl; in reality, my favourite alcoholic drink to consume on its own is cherry liqueur. It is sweet and not very complex, but tastes good and that dark red looks wonderful in a decanter. Very Chanel Rouge Noir. Every year, I plan to make my own, but I’m still stuck with the €14.99 Kirsch (something like this) from Delhaize and not too sad about it.

7. Cos cashmere hats. There are a few clothing items that I keep repurchasing: black pencil skirts, simple blazers, sheath dresses – but I never buy the exact same thing. The only exceptions I can think of are these Cos hats – they are simple, they are cashmere and they are not crazy expensive. They also keep getting lost. I used to have a grey, a blue and a beige one, but I’m now down to my (second) grey (pictured above, under the mug) and must buy more.

8. Louboutin Pigalle shoes. I keep telling people how the Louboutins are ridiculously uncomfortable and expensive and people really shouldn’t buy them and it’s all true. It’s also true, however, that 4 days out of 5, Pigalles are what I wear at work. It’s not for want of other options, there are 6 pairs of shoes under my desk, I’ve just counted. But the Pigalles are so beautifully classic that they make everything look better and almost never clash with anything. Just don’t walk longer than 3.5 minutes.*

Also, I bought the domain of this blog. Best buy of the decade.

*To balance things out, I planned to add my Zara trainers to the list, as I wear these almost daily as well – on my way to work, before putting on the Louboutins. But alas, I bought these last year already!