Dooney and Bourke Florentine Satchel

Hello friends!

I want to show you guys the newest edition in my bag collection! This is the D&B Florentine Satchel in Natural (small). I've been eyeing this bag for months and months because I really wanted to make sure my purchases now (whether big or small) are justifiable since I really want to invest in things that I won't regret. So far the new year has proved to be stable and pretty easy and I'm just in love with this bag. I feel like when I buy things I love, I don't have an urge to buy other stuff.

Isn't this satchel gorgeous? It comes from the Florentine line, and Dooney & Bourke describes the line as: 

Soft, supple Florentine Vacchetta has the look and feel of fine saddlery leather. And like saddle leather, it will develop an even richer patina with time and use. Matte finish brass hardware adds authenticity to the vintage style of the collection.

It's incredibly sturdy and the leather is fragrant and shapely. At first I was debating which bag to get because there are 3 sizes - a large/medium, small and the mini. After reading reviews about the large one and the small one, I decided to get the small bag because it fits me proportionally with my height and stature. I'm about 5'4" and the strap is still a bit too long even adjusted at its shortest but I'm going to get one of those puncher things online to make more holes in the bag. Even this "small" satchel is quite big. I'm surprised they would call this a small! It's more of a medium bag and i think it's also the most fitting for gals of any height.

This satchel measures at 13" L, 5.75" W, and 8" H. 

The leather is incredibly nice to start. It is made of saddle-like Vachetta leather, which means it is untreated (naked) leather and will likely darken on its own from wear and exposure to sunlight but I wouldn't complain. It is also durable, high quality and ages nicely. I would just need to protect it from getting stained and getting wet. I think there are sprays that can make it 'waterproof', to maintain its original form as much as possible. 

The bag is a tad on the longer side. I'm thinking of getting those leather hole punchers to add more holes to the strap. For reference, I am about 5'4" and even with the satchel slung around my torso like that, it doesn't look or feel out of place or awkward.

I absolutely love the look and feel of the bag. It is roomy inside and has compartments and I love the secure gold zipper. The hardware on this bag is built with such quality that I really can't see any flaws with it. The arm handles are great and the detachable strap is also convenient and stylish. I might look into the Smith bag (from the same line) for work.

Sorry for the bad pictures. I was really eager to snap pics of the bag regardless of whatever I was wearing. 

This bag retails for $368.00, which I think is a fair price for the quality and hardware but I was able to snag a brand new one from a reputable seller on eBay for $199.00 shipped! 

You can check out the Florentine satchel here - and eBay. 

What do you guys think of this bag? Or D&B in general compared to labels like Coach?

  

Mad Hippie Skincare

TGIF! ^______________^ 

I cannot wait to spend my weekend relaxing with a latte or five! 

I've been doing much research about skincare and different products to use and I came across a brand called Mad Hippie. It's so quirky that I had to look at their range of products and what the ingredients consisted of. 

Their company was founded in Maine, and recently expanded to Austin, TX. Their main goal in making skincare products is to use all naturally derived ingredients combined with science to strengthen their potency in serums and creams. Their skincare really stood out because all the ingredients are highlighted, explained and not discreetly hidden like some companies.

My main interest is the Vitamin C serum. I have some pigmentation on my cheeks due to age and sun exposure and probably genetics. It's something I am always working on improving on my skin, especially its texture. I know we've all seen many brands and labels with that specifically but I like that Mad Hippie has a really high concentration of Vitamin C as its 2nd ingredient. After that ingredient, there is hyauraulic acid, which is the binding ingredient that keeps our skin moist and supple. After that, we see other fruit enzymes like grapefruit, cherry and plant extracts like chamomile and sage. 

See here: Vitamin C Serum

I really feel like these indie companies really focus on purer ingredients for consumers, and they don't take account in having to charge us for marketing and different campaigns but never having to compromise on studies and facts. 

What do you guys think? What are your thoughts on indie skincare companies versus big global skincare companies?

You can see more of Mad Hippie here, and some before and after pics here. 

Some Skincare Reviews

Hello everyone!

Hope you are all having a nice mid-week so far. I've been extremely at work catching up since the holidays! o_o Other than that, things have been good on my end.

I decided to write some reviews on two skincare products I've been using that I actually liked. I finished a lot more but they weren't worth writing about so i tossed them out before photographing them.

Alba Botanica Acnedote Toner - This is one of the best toners I have ever used and I've used a LOT of toners. Last summer my skin was really inflamed and broke out a lot. I knew that I needed an ingredient that would help calm my skin down. And what treated that would come down to the basic of basics. I didn't want to spend a lot of money on fancy products that may or may not work so I decided this was worth trying. And I am glad I did!

This is a very practical product - it has  2% Salicylic Acid to help keep skin clear. Aside from that active ingredient, there's also nourishing ingredients like aloe and various floral extracts. I use cotton squares to pat my face with this toner. Every time I use it, my skin feels super refreshed. It calms my skin down and keeps it healthy. I absolutely love this! And repurchased 3 more bottles :) Actually, the entire line of Alba toners are great. My other favorite is the Alba Bontanica Hibiscus Toner. I'm currently using that right now. 

Here are the ingredients (via Amazon):

Aqua (Water), Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice (1) , SD Alcohol 40-B, Glycerin, Sorbitol, Sodium PCA, Spiraea Ulmaria Extract, Lens Esculenta (Lentil) Fruit Extract, Arnica Montana Flower Extract (1), Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract (1), Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract (1), Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract (1), Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Extract (1), Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Rhizome/Root, Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Extract, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil 

Korres Quercetin & Oak Antiwrinkle & Firming Face Serum - I used this serum really religiously for a few months, but only at night to make it last longer. This serum claims to use really concentrated oak tree extracts to help firm skin up and improve your skin's elasticity. I'm not sure if it helped in those areas for me but I loved this serum because it was moisturizing and my skin looked really great in the mornings. Four times out of the week week I'd only wear this serum alone because it felt nice by itself :) I would love to try other products from Korres and the only thing keeping me from repurchasing this at the moment is the high price tag! 

Ingredients (via Sephora): 

Aqua/Water/Eau, Glycerin, Distarch Phosphate, Sucrose, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Adansonia Digitata (Baobab) Pulp Extract, Alanine, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer, Arginine, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Caprylyl Glycol, Carbomer, Diazolidinyl Urea, Glyceryl Acrylate/AcrylicAcid Copolymer, Glyceryl Oleate, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Hexapeptide-11, Hydrolyzed Myrtus Communis Leaf Extract, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Lactobacillus/Arundinaria Gigantea Leaf Ferment Filtrate, Lecithin, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Lonicera Caprifolium (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract, Lonicera Japonica (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract, Mourera Fluviatilis Extract, Parfum (Fragrance), Sodium PCA, Phenoxyethanol, Quercetin Caprylate, Quercus Robur Bark Extract, Serine, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Carboxymethyl Beta-Glucan, Sodium Dihydrogen Phosphate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Polyacrylate, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Threonine, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Xanthan Gum.

With this much ingredients, the serum must be good. 

I'll have more little reviews in the near future. What is your favorite toner? Have you tried anything by Korres?

Disclaimer: All products mentioned were purchased by yours truly! 

Review: Revlon Colorstay Whipped Creme Makeup!

I love a good foundation. Who doesn't? It took me awhile to convert to foundation that came in a jar simply because it is messy, heavy and in a jar. But I've since taken a second look and realized that jar foundations are gorgeous to have on a vanity, looks very luxe and you can use every bit of it (if you can).

I started using this foundation at the tail end of November when my mom gave it to me. She bought it because she loved the jar, and thought it would be nice for me to have one as well. It's nice and sturdy but not the most travel friendly.

Consistency: The Revlon Whipped Foundation has a gorgeous texture, almost gel-like with a mousse cream finish. It blends incredibly well and feels like a sheer layer of your own skin. The amount of coverage is ample enough for anyone trying to achieve evenness. It has a very silky, soft focus finish and my skin loved every bit of it.

It layers on very beautifully and the pigments are great. Blends really nicely. I used it for over 15+ hours one day because I was out from day to night. It didn't transfer, smudge or look ridiculous. I dusted a bit of powder on my face after 8 hours or so as a touch up but it nonetheless surpassed its longevity.

My mom bought this for me in its lightest shade (Ivory) which I panicked about. I thought I'd be at least 5 shades darker because it looks so light in the jar. After testing it out, I realized how well it blended with my skin tone and the shade is fitting.

For a drugstore foundation, this one is truly an unremarkable gem. I do wonder why it's not the standard 1oz though (it has .80 oz) but I suspect that the packaging is already bulky enough.
All in all, I love this foundation! It is truly a gorgeous texture and feels like a dream on the skin. Revlon really did an amazing job on this product. It gets an A+ from me :)

The rest of what I wore in my FOTD:

NYX Addis Ababa Lip Creme 

It looks so intimidating from tube but I patted it on my lips very lightly for work. It's a nice wash of color, sheer and smooth. I love these lip cremes!

That concludes my fave review for the Revlon Creme Foundation! Have you tried this foundation? What are you thoughts on it? :)

See you all in the comments! 

Forever 21 Additional 50% Haul!

I ordered some things online from Forever 21 last night because of their additional 50% off clearance sale! I hate going into that store physically because of the overwhelming selection shopping online is worthwhile. It's organized, easy and the filters work!

Plus, the sale is going on until 1/21 so grab 'em when you can!

Here's what I ordered:

Lace Overlay Sweater - ($7.50) I ordered this in 3 colors LOL :)

Textured Duo-Toned Cardigan - ($7.50) Isn't this pretty?! I love the soft pink color, the gold buttons and the little pockets!

Printed Collar Sweater - ($5.50) I like the purple color and the cute printed collar. Cute! 

Contrast Trimmed Pointelle Top - Unfortunately this one is no longer available so I can't access it anymore but I love this! $5.00!

Mini Cross Earrings  - These were to fill in my order to get free shipping o_~ It was only $2.80

Cameo Chain Necklace $5.80 - I've been wanting a cameo pendant for awhile. This one is cute enough and perfect with a black top. 30 Piece Hair Ties - 30 hair ties for $1.00! Ridiculous huh?! My entire total came out to be $54 ish with taxes and free ship. The sale is still on until 1/21 so there's still time! So that was my order. I can't wait for it to arrive! I'll be back soon with a review on the Revlon Whipped Foundation. I hope you're all having a wonderful weekend! I had a nice day trip to Berkeley shopping and thrifting! ....And a little break to sip chai tea :)

3 Free Bottles of Zoya Nail Polish!

I'm sure this has been posted numerous times already but just in case any of you missed it... Zoya is offering 3 free nail polishes with the promo code: Zoya2013

Shipping and handling is $10.00.

These will be my first Zoya polishes so I'm pretty excited. I ordered: 

Lucy 

Stacy

Kelly

Can't wait to try them!!!! ^________^ 

Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

I hope you all had a wonderful 2012. I certainly did, and I've been extremely grateful to have what I have, no matter how big or small. I am also very thankful for all the readers on this blog, all the unique friends I've made, and all the opportunities I've gotten in 2012. I've been blogging for close to three years now and it's still as fun for me as it was on day 1.

I'm really excited to post my first review of the year - the Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer :D

I originally wanted the Clinique Airbrush Concealer after seeing it being a favorite of Lisa Eldridge but during a shopping trip, I spontaneously picked this up at Target. This one looks very similar to the airbrush concealer and dispenses the product in the same click motion as the Clinique one.

I picked up the shade in RADIANT, which is not really a concealer but a highlighter. It has light diffusing pigments to brighten any contours of your face. I LOVED that idea. Concealers are tricky things because you need one that works with your skin tone but a brightening tool like a highlighter works in a variety of ways, multitasking and useful. 

Instantly brighter eyes. Honestly I love this highligher! I've been using it since the beginning of December and I've been loving how pretty the effect is for a mere $6.00 or so. This one is much better than the Milani HD concealer that I've had. This one is much more luminous and draws in light. 

Overall, I love it! I like twisting it instead of clicking it like a pen. The brush is soft too =D 

Do you like pen and/or highlighting concealers? :)