Hermes Constance 18 in Rose Confetti: a review

Nov 10, 2022 | Bags, Mini bags, Shoulder / Crossbody

Hermes Constance 18 backstory

This is the way overdue story of my Hermes Constance 18.

The very first Holy Grail bag I got from Hermes was the Birkin 30 in Rose Extreme. Ever since i had a taste of using such an exquisitely beautiful bag, it fuelled an Hermes addiction, and several other items joined the collection: a Picotin 22 in Gold, the Long Bearn Ostrich wallet in Mykonos blue, and had even acquired another holy grail bag: the Kelly 28 in Gold.

Birkin 30 in Rose Extreme (left) and Constance 18 in Rose Confetti (right)

I had always wanted the Hermes Constance 18, and had informed my wonderful Sales Associate (SA) and given her a few colour choices. With Hermes, a lot of it is a waiting game. Generally speaking, if you’ve had (i) a consistent purchasing history and (ii) a good relationship with the SA, I’ve found that many things are usually a matter of time and patience.

And one day, I was invited to drop by the VIP room.

view from the VIP room

She brought out the signature orange box – cue happy internal scream – and showed me the Hermes Constance 18, in Rose Confetti, with palladium hardware.

And then, this happened

I am a terrible sucker for sweet pink shades, and was so blown away by the beauty of Rose Confetti.

Those few moments became a blur. All I remember from the aftermath was my SA telling me to stop saying ‘Thank you’ that day.

Ended up picking a contrasting twilly as well, which my SA lovingly tied around the straps.

And the pretty pink baby came home with me.

With Three Graces Twilly in Bleu Vert, Gold, and Marron

Hermes does colours so beautifully. Rose Confetti goes well with both contrasting twillies and matching ones.

With Three Graces Twilly in Noir, Gold, and Taupe

The sweetnest is amplified with a pink twilly.

Hermes Springs Springs twilly in Rose, Vert, and Multicolore

For a casual date

Pink in Rose Confetti

Although Rose Confetti is pink, it isn’t a glaring or hot crazy pink. It is after all, ‘confetti’ coloured – cute, elegant, and with a slight touch of fun.

Hermes Constance 18 in Rose Confetti and Palladium Hardware

The metal buckle opening is a capital letter ‘H’ in Palladium.

Upright

The bag’s straps are also in Epsom leather. When in storage, I actually bind the straps with Hermes ribbon, just so that it keeps neatly and doesn’t fall all over the place.

Back view – straps all tied up during storage

When left to freely sit, the straps can go all over the place. This doesn’t actually bother me while the bag is in use, and keeping the straps free doesn’t actually hurt the bag.

I only tie it when the bag’s not in use, just because it LOOKS neater and more elegant.

With the straps released

The signature Hermes Epsom leather, though structured, feels soft to the touch, is light in weight, and highly scratch-resistant.

The folds on the bag’s sides sit naturally and do not feel constrained or awkward.

Side-ish view

Inside, there are two partitions divided by a solid partition – and that structure is reflected externally as well.

Bottom view

Internally, here are the two compartments separated via a partition.

Internal structure

There’s two handy slip pockets – one in the front and one in the bag.

Divider in the middle, pocket in the back and front

What fits in the Hermes Constance 18

The Hermes Constance 18 is a mini bag that carries one’s daily essentials.

In my case, I typically carry: x1 small wallet, x1 key holder, x2 card holders, x1 lipstick, and x1 eyeshadow compact.

What fits in the Hermes Constance 18

For the cardholders, I usually use the front and back slip pocket for those.

One cardholder in the back pocket

What fits in the Hermes Constance 18

Fits just right

The slip pockets feel like they have been intentionally designed to hold card holders. While the pictures here show classic Chanel and Dior cardholders, I’ve personally tried slipping in other similarly-sized card holders before, and so far, it’s always been a comfortable fit.

Another cardholder in the front pocket

You know the bag is well designed when the card holders use the pocket space so damn well.

With two cardholders

As far as wallets go, only smaller or more compact wallets would work. As the name – Constance 18 – implies,  the bag is 18cm wide.

Chanel classic small square wallet

Again, the space just nicely accomodates a small or square wallet. A long wallet is definitely too big here.

A good fit

With this bag, a series of tiny items is definitely the way to go.

Such as this – Who else loves Hermes lipstick?

Added a lipstick (next to the wallet)

Sliding in a small eyeshadow palette.

Followed by an eyeshadow palette

Next to it, is some space for a key holder.

Added in the Louis Vuitton key holder – view at an angle

Voila! Everything has its place.

Direct top view

Hermes Constance 18 Mod Shots

For reference, I am 154cm tall, or a little over 5 feet.

The Hermes Constance 18 looks so modern and stylish, especially when the Rose Confetti is contrasted against darker colours.

Crossbody – sits right where the hip is

The bag can be carried three variable ways: crossbody, on the shoulder (can be long or short – double up the strap to adjust), or handheld / on the crook of the arm.

As a shoulder bag

I personally tend to not carry this as a handheld or on the crook of the arm, but the option is definitely there.

Hanging on the crook of the arm

When the Hermes Constance 18 is paired with similar shades / lighter colours, the overall feel becomes more gentle.

straps doubled up on the shoulder

In the absence of high colour contrast, it is less striking, but equally cute and modern.

Side view

As a mom with small kids, I use this most frequently as a crossbody bag. The ability to go hands-free is definitely a plus point.

Crossbody

Overall thoughts

Perhaps I’m biased – I super LOVE this bag, but if I had to attempt to objectively summarize some pros and cons, this would be it.

Pros of the Hermes Constance 18

  • Style + Efficiency. What’s not to love? It is such a wonderful accessory: The Hermes Constance 18 elevates casual outfits, adds sophistication to minimalist ones, and gives fun to formal wear.
  • Versatile. Blends in well across a wide range of occasions. I’ve used this bag for running quick errands AND I’ve brought it to formal events.
  • The bag is super easy to get in and out off. Don’t be fooled by the sturdy-looking letter ‘H’ closure. The bar on the H is extremely well-designed and opens and closes easily.
  • It is an iconic, classic bag from the house of Hermes. Need I say more?
  • Great resale value. In the resale market, the Constance (in both size 18 and 24) retail above store prices.

Great for those Cafe days too

Cons of the Hermes Constance 18

  • Can be extremely difficult to buy. Without a good relationship with a Hermes SA, the chances of getting one are low.
  • The straps may be a deal breaker for some. When the bag isn’t in use – the straps can go all over the place. If in a restaurant or cafe, if you sit the bag down on the table, the straps don’t rest neatly in one place. Oddly, I actually kind of like this slight defiance of the bag’s character, but it can be annoying to others.
  • Price. Hermes’ iconic bags carry a steep price tag. At the time of writing (late 2022), the price is speculated to rise even further in early 2023.

Hopefully this review helps anyone thinking of getting the bag. Thank you for reading and for sharing my joy.

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Tags: Bag Review Bags (Hermes) Hermes Constance

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