Picked up the Naked 3 Palette! And some other items.

Hi dears! I am back with some more things I picked up over the course of the week. 

I'm so excited for this palette! I'm not sure if the rose-gold theme will really be my thing but I'm keeping an open mind. I love the Naked palettes in general and I trust their judgement ;) I'm a neutral kinda gal after all.

I'm so excited to use this tonight. I'll try and post some looks here! 

I also picked up some mascaras. The Loreal Telescopic mascara is my favorite drugstore one. I usually use the gold one (original) but I saw the other one in Carbon Black and decided to try it.

If you follow me on Instagram, you'll also know I recently picked up the OCC Lip Tars from Sephora. At first, I just bought the set of 4 but then I loved it sooo much that I picked up the set of 12. I'm loving them so far! They are so opaque and fun. Like the mother of all lip colors.

OCC Lip Tar in Memento

Last week my local Target had one Phillip Lim x Target medium brown satchel left! It was only $11.00! 

Not a purchase but I took out my boots. California has been unseasonably cold since last week. Temps reached 30F here which was freeeeeeeezing for us!

Feeling cozy!

Enjoying the  new bag I purchased on Black Friday! 

And last night...

Went out for dinner and drinks after work with my colleagues.

Gorgeous bar/lounge in SF called Rickhouse. I loved the wooden displays and the cool vibe!

It looked like an old tavern with modern fixtures. So beautiful!

Cheers! 

Gorgeous chandelier at Novela Bar.

It was a fun ans memorable night. I had so much fun!

Tonight I'm going to go ice skating! Very excited.

I hope you all enjoyed my purchases! Let me know what you think of the Naked 3 Palette.

See you in the comments!

Black Friday Splurge on the Pour La Victoire Jules Satchel

Hi ladies! I hadn't planned to go Black Friday shopping this year because every year when I actually go, I don't really find anything. And what better than to sleep in after a massive feast?! :)

However, late in the evening my mom wanted to go out and walk off our dinner so we stopped by a TJ Maxx in Pasadena and I found a gorgeous bag that I couldn't leave behind!

I have been looking for a rectangle-ish bag for the longest time! This one was neither too small nor too big, and the rich leather is gorgeous.

I love the structured look of this bag. It's really clean, and sophisticated looking. The hardware is distinctly feminine but not overbearingly so. Subtle. 

Both sides of the bag has a magnetic flap that covers the zippers. I thought that bit was too awesome! I love the flap and i love how it conceals the zipper...gives an illusion of added security? ;)

The inside: there is a zipper in the center, a dust bag for the satchel, and an interior zip. Holds a small wallet, phone, keys and other essentials. I never carry too much with me so this holds perfectly as a casual bag for work and play. 

The bag also has metal "legs" that it sits on! So it can sit pretty as well!

The best part? It was only $149.99! With taxes, it came out to $160-ish. It's not too bad considering this bag was a lot more and the structure and leather is so well made. I actually think this bag is so versatile, and with care it will last really long.

What I love most about it is the fact that it looks really casual and undeniably feminine in a well structured and very "user friendly" type of build.

I've never heard of this designer/brand before. Have you?

In another post, I will show you guys the rest of my goodies. I got some other knick-knacks that I haven't photographed yet. I was just totally ecstatic with this bag!

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I was stuffed to the brim with turkey, sushi, cake and wine. 

Did YOU score any goodies today?! :)

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?

  

Thrifty Steve Madden Bag!

Hellllllo my dear friends!

My mom found this bag at TJ Maxx and picked it for me because she knows how hard it is for me to find a decent Alexa dupe one when I'm shopping =p This one has a zipper closure underneath the flaps, large front pockets and a strap that matches the bag. And you can hide the strap or take it off to use as a handbag :)

Love the zipper closure!

Backside! 

Without the strap

I really adore this bag! It's perfectly sized for everyday use. I've been looking for a bag like this forever and ever! They have this and other similar styles at TJ Maxx. Although it's faux leather, the quality is quite nice and very soft. I just wish it had the metal feet on the base of the bag, but I can't complain otherwise. I started noticing a lot of these recently... and reasonably priced at under $40. This particular bag was $35!

What kind of bag styles do you like? Are you a Mulberry Alexa luster as well? :)