What an overwhelming response to the A.P.C. tote bags giveaway. Man, thanks a million for sending in all the incredible tips and secrets. Reading them was fun! Wouldn’t it be a shame not to share some of them with you? Below, I’ve picked out a few of my favorites that are new to me or which I’ve already incorporated into my oh-so perfect life. Haha. And in terms of best-kept secrets, one of mine is to never stop learning – be that as it may, there’s nothing more off-putting than coming off as a pompous know-it-all. Modesty is empowering, if you ask me!

Anyway, it’s a long post, so just scroll down to the bottom for the tote bag winners.

Again, thanks for entering the giveaway and congrats to the winners!

”To lessen suffering from spring and summertime allergies, eat a little bit of local raw honey every day. It will accustom your body to the pollen in the air and make it less offensive.”
– Jennifer

”My tip is, if you want to be comfortable in your clothes, take the time to cultivate a wardrobe that is meaningful to you. Your grandmother’s ring, a handmade dress, the jacket that feels like it was made for you… all of these things will make you feel comfortable and confident throughout the day. It’s a slow and ongoing process, but totally worth it when you have a closet full of things that you love and make you feel great.” – Lucie

“My tip is to add fleur de sel to chocolate desserts.” – Raissa DeSmet

”My best tip is oil cleanse for your face! You can use jojoba, castor and even good old olive oil (make sure it’s extra virgin and possibly organic)! I barely had a zit anymore, and not of the bad type anyway….and I saved a small fortune on face foams, make up removers, and moisturizers.” – Martina

“If you buy any sort of greens that come in a bag, and have some leftover, put a dry paper towel in there when you put it back in the fridge, it will keep the greens from wilting and getting soggy too quickly.” – Nomadic D

“My best tip, and a little something I attempt to live my life by, is a strange sounding motto that manages to apply to almost all situations in life. That is, “never trust a naked man offering you a shirt”. It’s definitely a bit of a strange thought to have running through your head, but it really resonates in that you should never accept something from someone else, if they themselves don’t have or believe in it. Whether it’s in love (never accept someone’s love if they don’t love themselves), or work, or my other kind of love, food (never accept food advice from someone who doesn’t follow it), I think it’s important to always be aware that you can never really gain or learn anything from someone who doesn’t believe or institute it themselves. Again, never accept a shirt from a naked man.” – Hannah Smith

“My secret tip is to read and forget what you read, or better let the positive influence of what you feed your mind with, shape and again feed your thoughts, this as opposed to emulating, over-citing…I just see this as an empowering way to approach beauty in art and all intellectual experiences, that benefits me in many ways.” – Sandra

“If you have a pimple, heat up a tea bag and place it on the pimple. The heat reduces the size of the pimple greatly. If you don’t have any tea bags, this trick works with just a damp paper towel as well.” – Alice

”If you want to check if an egg is still fresh, put it in a glass of water. If it sinks to the bottom, you can eat it! If it floats in/on the water, it is spoiled.” – Lucie Wu

”My best tip is to look your best when taking an exam, which may be the last thing on your mind when you’ve stayed up all night studying. When I see some of my classmates walk in with sweatpants or even worse, pajamas, I think they must have had a rough night studying. However, I feel prepared and confident with my ability to take the exam when I feel good about myself.” – Elizabeth

”My best tip is to be with people that make you happy.” – J

”“Do the opposite” is my best kept secret. I’ve recently realized that I have a greater chance to win if I do the opposite of what I think I should do.” – Rodi

“Always give gifts that you wish you could keep for yourself.” – Danae

“To clean the dust of your Diptyques, dip a cotton pad in a bit of rubbing alcohol and wipe the surface. Definitely preferable to burning dust!” – Kate

“My tip is to go low-maintenance with your skin. Don’t “confuse” it with too many products. Just use a cleanser and a moisturizer – I actually use a German brand called “Penaten” which is originally designed for baby care and works perfectly fine for me.” – Saskia

“My secret is stay away from fast fashion type clothing stores so you can afford to buy key pieces from stores like A.P.C – It costs a lot of money to look cheap.” – Lucy

“My best secret tip is the hidden room on the 7th floor of the Musée des Arts décoratifs in Paris. Go to the 7th floor, 20th century section (take the elevator, believe me, and then the stairs). You will find a big display of chairs and so on. Behind is the room: it is time for a little nap in the famous Eames chair, or the bubble chair watching some extracts from French films with famous furnitures in. But the most fabulous thing is the view from the windows. On the right, the Opéra Garnier and Montmartre. And on the left, the rue de Rivoli, les Tuileries and far away, the Arc de Triomphe and La Défense. Each time I go there, I feel like a tourist!”
– Sur les pavés de Paris

“What eventually gets me out of any imaginable pickle, is this: You can ALWAYS change your perspective. And it´s never too late to start over.” – Tam

”If you like to drink freshly squeezed juice in the morning, always mix a drop of olive (or any) oil with the juice. It helps your body absorb the vitamins.” – Laura Y

“My best tip is my lifesaver on a bad hair day (it works best if you aren’t fresh out of the shower): Dry Shampoo (Frottee’s might be ugly on the outside, but it sure is pretty on the inside – and cheap!) combined with the perfect ponytail. See, I thought the perfect ponytail was common knowledge, but most people I meet throughout the day ask me how I do it. Quite simple: 1) Make a ponytail. 2) Take a small amount of hair from the ponytail (preferably from near the back of your head).. 3) Tie the small amount of hair around the rubber band. 4) Make sure the hair “ends” below the rubber band/your ponytail, where you can fasten it with 1-2 hairpins.” – Cecilie

“Want to get rid of crazy static in your hair? Carry around one of those dryer sheets. They’re made to prevent static in our laundry, so simply rubbing it on your hair will also remove static! And if you’re into the fresh laundry smell, that’s also a plus.” – Gretchen

”My best kept secret is a special beach spot in my hometown of San Diego, California, US. I discovered it by accident 6 years ago and have been going there ever since. I love it because it feels super secluded. To access the beach, you have to climb down the cliff in order to reach it.” – Thanh P

”Don’t have regrets, live every day like it is your last, don’t buy what you cannot afford, save up for the best that you can afford, don’t be a slave to trends and don’t think that designer clothes and expensive items are necessarily the best. Always look for quality whether that be from the high street or designer boutique.” – Nicolette

“I was going to go for a small, practical tip for everyday occurences, but I realized that my very best tip is actually a big one. A life motto if you’d like. It is to be a yes-sayer. Jump into new things head first. Why? Because things always have a way of working out. So if an opportunity arrises that is very big and challenging and that you don’t feel qualified for… ..say yes and do it anyway! It’ll be okay and you’ll do great because your capacity is so much greater than you give yourself credit for. This goes for girls especially! We are so risk averse and loose out on so many opportunities because of it! I adopted this life motto this spring and have gotten so much confidence and so many new experiences from it, both that I definitely wouldn’t be without!”
– Malin

“Eat fruit on an empty stomach and before you eat anything else. Eliminates bloating/gas that happens when you eat fruit on top of a large meal.” – Aubrey

“I’m in the middle of finals right now, and my best tip is studying for 3 hours straight with 10 minute breaks every 50 minutes (I try to have snacks, clean up, and stretch during this time) and then having a 2 hour break (go for coffee or a meal with a friend during this time, cook, bake, go for a run, or go to a bookstore- anything to get your mind off studying and try to get outside). Repeat 3 times a day. This is way more productive than trying to study for 12 hours straight, even with the two 2-hour breaks a day.” – Lindsay

“My secret? Neutrals (especially navy and black) seem to be the most complimentary on a person. Of course, black will always reign supreme, but navy seems to look good on everyone! It’s just regal.” – Luis C

And as for the winners…. well, it was hard to choose just four winners and I truly wish I could give each and everyone of you a bag. But the reason why I selected the winners below is that their secrets somehow stuck with me from the moment I read them. 

”Um . . . never order salad at a restaurant next to the highway? How about use half the amount of detergent suggested on the box? Your clothes will be just as clean but it’s gentler on its fibers.“ – Quinn

“If you have iPod/iPhone headphones, switch the left and right bud (i.e. put the one with an L in the right ear, and the other way around). This actually really improves the sound.” – Eva F

“If you spill red wine (or something else that discolors fabric) on your garment, soak it in lukewarm water and put it (while still wet) in a sealed plastic bag until you can wash it. NEVER let it dry, then the stain sticks. I learned about this when someone tipped over a glass of red wine on me and my favorite white silk top. A friend told me to do this and borrowed me a shirt to wear for the evening. The next day I washed it and the stain was gone! I mean, you can use chlorine, but it’s bad for the environment AND the garment. Red wine + white shirts are a bad combo, but damn, they’re both a big part of my life. Oh yes, a bonus tip: don’t “smudge” perfume between your wrists. Put it behind your ears instead.” – Linn

“My secret to life (and acting): Go before you’re ready because it always turns out you are enough.” – Brittany Lau