The Alligator Dopp Kit Is My Grail. The Goyard Jouvence Is My Workhorse.
I'm sorry, but I love a good exotic. I found the coolest Dopp kit ever: an Abas toiletry bag in American alligator, $2,000 new. The one I actually travel with is a Goyard Jouvence GM, $1,650 at retail in a Goyard store. One is a grail. One is a workhorse.
The grail: an alligator Dopp kit from Abas
Abas makes it in the USA from genuine American alligator. Zip top, a rubber grip on the bottom so it doesn't slide on a hotel counter, about 10 inches long. Bergdorf Goodman has it for $2,000.
American alligator is so luxe, and I love alligator. And next to a Goyard in coated canvas at $1,650, $2,000 for real alligator is the better value.
My honest take: I prefer a vertical Dopp kit, and this one is long and low. It's still the grail. Exotics are the one place I'll trade function for the feeling.
Bergdorf says personalized orders can't be canceled or returned, so monogram carefully.
The workhorse: my Goyard Jouvence GM
This is the one in my bag. I bought it at the Goyard boutique on Rue Saint-Honoré in Paris two years ago, and the canvas really holds up. If you're in Paris, buy it there: it's cheaper in euros and you get the VAT back. I like it because it's vertical: I can stand my skincare up instead of sifting through bottles stacked on top of each other. The coated Goyardine canvas wipes clean when a serum leaks.
Watch: my Jouvence on the roadThe reel on Instagram →Buy it in store. The Jouvence GM is $1,650 at retail, and Goyard will monogram it for you. Goyard doesn't sell it online, so resale sellers list it for $2,000 and up. Paying over retail for a bag you can still walk in and buy is kind of crazy.
I don't recommend much resale for this one: it's full of fake Goyard. No boutique near you? Stick to Rebag or eBay, where listings like this go through authentication before they ship. Expect to pay $2,000 and up, which is $350+ over retail.
What's in my Dopp kit: 7 travel skincare essentials
- LUMION Miracle Mist. Hypochlorous acid. My cleanser on a plane and a reset after.
- INVO Rejuvenating Complex. My exosome serum, morning and night. BRIAN10 takes 10% off.
- Sweet Chemistry Hydra-Cream. The moisturizer. Code Brian20.
- Avant Guard reusable silicone mask. My hydration mask. Sheet masks slide off my beard; this goes over serum and stays put.
- Reusable silicone eye patches. Eye masks that pack flat and wash.
- Exoceuticals EXO EYE. My favorite eye cream, and one bottle lasts forever.
- Allies of Skin Sunless Tan SPF 50. SPF with a little color, so I land looking rested.
Luxury Dopp kit FAQ
How much is the Abas alligator Dopp kit?
$2,000 at Bergdorf Goodman. It's made in the USA from genuine American alligator and is about 10 inches long.
How much is a Goyard Jouvence GM?
$1,650 at retail in Goyard stores, where you can also get it monogrammed. It's even cheaper in Paris, priced in euros, and you get the VAT back. Goyard doesn't sell it online, and resale runs $2,000 and up. If you buy resale, stick to authenticated sellers like Rebag or eBay; there are a lot of fakes.
Is an alligator Dopp kit worth it?
Not for function. A coated-canvas kit like the Jouvence is easier to live with. The alligator is the splurge you buy because you love it, and I love a good exotic.
What should go in a men's Dopp kit?
Mine holds seven things: a hypochlorous mist, an exosome serum, moisturizer, a reusable mask, eye patches, eye cream and SPF. I'm not a derm; that's just what works on my face.
You're thinking $2,000 is a lot for a bag that holds moisturizer. It is. That's why one of them is a grail and one of them is a Jouvence. Gator or Goyard?
See everything I'm huntingAffiliate links: I may earn a commission at no cost to you. Not sponsored. I do marketing work for The Piazza Center, where the INVO and EXO EYE links go (BRIAN10 takes 10% off). Sweet Chemistry gifts me the Hydra-Cream.
