Balenciaga

I didn't know what I was getting into when I bought my first ever Balenciaga. Aptly, it was the First ;P in fuschia no less. I fell deeply in love and there has been no turning back since.

Anyway, I was glad I gave it a second chance. Many of you may still remember my encounter with the Giant Balenciaga City with the super heavy hardware. I thought that was the end of it, but how could I resist such a cute colour as fuschia? LOL.

So ... I bought it. And I've been loving it ever since. I tote it almost every single weekend. The size is perfect n the weight, not overwhelming.



When the Balenciaga City came along, I just thought I needed a work bag. Being the practical person that I am, I thought Anthracite was a lovely colour for everyday esp WORK days, plus the size was just rite! And it wasn't too heavy. And the price was a steal for a full leather bag ... you get my drift.

So, here I am today, on my way to get my 3rd B baby: the Part Time in Sahara.



My family is growing.

*Photos courtesy of Balenciaga.com


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Now playing: Ra. D - Jesus Loves me (Groovy RMX) (feat. 조수아, Hena)
via FoxyTunes

The Great Gatsby

I've heard so much about this book but can I confess something? I've never read it. If you have, pls share your thoughts about it with me! :)

Anyways, you know this post isn't about the book right? *grin* I've received an invite to the launch party of the Longchamp Gatsby, happening tomorrow, 11 Sep, at ION Orchard.

Sorry, I was too lazy to take a photo of the mailed invite but this was what I found online.



This is turning out to be a year of surprises and invitations galore where I got myself invited to stuff like product launches and sponsored facials and all. A very big thank you to all you angels out there who made these things possible!! *hugs & kisses*

Well, I took at peek at the Longchamp site for the preview of the Gatsby bag and so far I'm liking what I see :)



At first glance, the Gatsby reminded me a little of Hermes' Kelly and Birkin. But after reading the marketing materials (hey, what can I say, marketing works! ;P) on this, I'm starting to perk up and look at it with more interest.

Here's a write-up of the inspiration behind this new bag from the Longchamp site:
"Longchamp draws its inspiration from the Belle Époque in order to surprise us: elegant and eccentric, this new GATSBY collection pays homage to the golden age of jazz. Inspired by the androgynous beauty of women during the 1920s, this line is distinguished by its refined details and its neutral and masculine shapes which conceal a glamorous leopard-print lining. As you can see, in the image of women everywhere, the GATSBY bags keep their cards close to their chest."

"Nodding to the decadent glamour of the Jazz Age and the androgynous beauty of its heroines, the Gatsby overlays its delicate nostalgia with a very modern sensibility and an utterly contemporary design.

The Gatsby's three minimalist, almost masculine shapes are counterpointed by the sensual look of its leather, a supple, touch-me calfskin with a subtle caviar grain. Its details are elegantly understated, but all the more striking: a geometric brushed gold or polished chrome-finish lock, the Longchamp racehorse in flawless tonal stitching and, above all, a front pocket whose zipper is highlighted by a flamboyant flash of suede.

The lining tells a different story, discloses an unsuspected facet of the Longchamp woman. The luxe digitized leopard print is a secret indulgence she reveals to her intimates alone…."

My first feel of the bag: there's more than meets the eye. At first look, it looks like a classic bag with clean lines and functional designing which Longchamp is known for. Then when you start looking at details, ah, that's where the fun begins :) The inner lining of the bags are in leopard print! Which is such a big difference from the outside. I thought it felt like an elegant lady in a sharp suit but with delicately intricate lace innerwear except in this case, it comes with leopard prints *lol*

Anyway, I'm looking forward to the party tomorrow. Shall try my best to sneak in photos if I can :)


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Now playing: SS501 - Take U High
via FoxyTunes

Giant Balenciaga City

Have been wanting a Balenciaga ever since they came out with their motorcycle-inspired range of bags. But I got distracted by one bag after another from other different brands and so never managed to get to it.

Finally laid my hands on a Balenciaga City 2 months ago via thatbagiwant.com. To read more about my rental experiences with them, click here. This is sorta like dating with bags for me ;) But then again, I don't usually have a long monogamous relationship with any of my bags, so that's besides the point.

I was glad for the opportunity to try this out before I took the plunge so to speak. After using this for 2 days, I realised how un-fit I am n how non-existent my muscles are.

This bag is HEAVY. I don't usually carry junk (see para above on my muscles or lack thereof): wallet, keys, cards, a small brolly, my mobile, tissues & wipes ... and that's it actually. But I thot I had brought my entire wardrobe along when I carried this bag.

Don't get me wrong. The bag design is lovely. The handles fit well; I either carry it on my arm by the 2 short handles or sling it on my shoulder by the longer strap attached. The inner pockets and outer zip pockets are adequate for my daily needs. This bag is ROOMY.

However. I don't think I'll plonk down money to make this mine on a permanent basis. This bag is too heavy for me, esp as I go about my daily routine, going from home to office to spur-of-the-moment shopping to more window shopping, then back home. Leaves me rather exhausted. I also had a difficult time with the zip. This being a slouchy bag, the zip tends to 'slouch' as well and I've a hard time unzipping with one hand while rushing for my train card to board the train. Folks, this bag requires 2 hands. Lol.

I would be happy to hear from happy users of this bag tho. Maybe there's something I'm missing out here.


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Listening to: 이승기 (Lee Seung Gi) - Unfinished Story
via FoxyTunes

Random post

Something random for today.

I'm looking forward to the looooooooong weekend! There're tons of things I've to catch up on and organise. Let's see ...

• I've to take photos of all my stuff from my Taiwan haul. Have been wanting to share with you but just couldn't keep up, wat with work and stuff. Perhaps it's also part denial - I can't believe I bought so much! Yikes.


• Review on my mascara haul. Can I confess something? Other than the 2 Rimmel mascaras, I also bought 3 other different mascaras. Oops.


• Sort out my bags


• Take photos, take photos, take photos

Sorry to sound fussy, I've just a thing abt light (or the lack thereof). There's this love-hate relationship with the sun. I'm glad when the sun's out in full force (yay, brilliant photos) but then again it can get really hot :( I'm not very enthusiastic abt taking photos at night as my room light looks really harsh and I'm not that good a photographer to work around that. So.

Weekend!!!!


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Now playing: Carrie Underwood - Just A Dream
via FoxyTunes

Longchamp Ceci Est Un It Bag

In some other news, this came in the mail today.

Front of card

Back of card

The invite

A drawing of Ceci est un It Bag clutch

This range has been launched a while overseas and is finally making it to our shores this Friday :) There's an excellent review on this by BagaholicBoy, so do check it out.

I'm not too excited abt this range tho I do love the cheekiness of it. So much for It Bags eh? However, I do think the clutch is rather interesting. Check out the entire range on Longchamp's website.


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Now playing: SS501 - Snow Prince
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Coach - Bonnie Cashin Collection

Ok, so I've a soft spot for handbags. But you ladies already know that ;)

Was at Coach over the weekend. Oh my, oh my. So much for saying that I'll switch to Kate Spade from now on; I'm over with Coach ... yada-yada. I'm in love again.

There's a new collection in stores now and it's lovely! (In my opinion ;P). The colours are right up my alley. I esp adore the tongue-in-cheek, fun doodles and the bag shapes look classic. I'm already secretly plotting to lay my hands on the Cashin canvas tote.

Take a look here and let me know what you think ;)


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Listening to: 苏打绿 - 相信
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Discover the Boétie bag...The new wave Monogram...

Received this in my mailbox today. LV has a new bag out in the Monogram range.

Is it just me, or is LV trying out stranger and stranger shapes? I'm still rather undecided on this new style. Well, whether this bag is named after Étienne de La Boétie or not, only time will tell if it's going to be a classic in the likes of the Speedy.

Read more here.


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Listening to: 김유경 (Kim Yoo Kyung) - 별빛눈물 (Starlight Tears)
via FoxyTunes

Bag rental

Rented my first bag ever from www.thatbagiwant.com - a dark blue Fendi Spy :)



I've to say, I'm quite pleased with the customer service and the whole rental process. An sms from www.thatbagiwant.com was sent to me abt one week after I placed a reservation for this bag, stating that it will be available in a few days and would I want to rent it?

I replied in the affirmative and was then directed to the website to pay. Payment was via credit card and it was very easy. Got my electronic receipt and then all I had to do was wait for the courier to turn up at the appointed time.

Was also able to choose which day I wanted the bag delivered as well as the time slot. Time slots start all the way from 10am in the morning til 10pm at night. I thot that was very convenient esp for people who come home late :)

Had some engagements that nite the bag was supposed to arrive but the parents were home and signed receipt for the bag. It was a very nice surprise to come home to a parcel waiting for me :)

The bag came in a huge paper bag. I like the logo of the company - looks classy and the paper bag definitely looked crisp n new. I'm a bit finicky like that, oops ;P Clipped to the paper bag was an envelope with a note enclosed to me. That felt so personal and customised, tho the letter was of a standard template on bag care n return instructions.

The Fendi came in its own dust bag. No biggie. The detail which caught my eye was the satin pillow inside the Fendi, a customised 'filler' so-to-speak, helping to hold the whole bag in shape. Wow, I like that :)

Anyway, after using the bag, I found it too heavy for me tho it's really roomy and the size/proportions were perfect. Returning is a breeze too (my rental period is one week, with option to extend). I'd just went online just now and clicked "Return" :) Again, chose a date n time suitable for me. Now just waiting for the courier to come n get the bag.

Next up, the Balenciaga Giant City! Woot. Just received an sms that it will be available for rent in a few days' time. *In anticipation*


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Listening to: Planetshakers - All I Want Is You
via FoxyTunes

Me and my handbags

Oh dear, oh dear. I've a confession to make.

I bought ANOTHER bag. Yes, after all the noble intentions to make full/good use of my orange Rabeanco, alas, my wandering eye was caught by another.

I bought a Kate Spade tote. My very first Kate Spade ever. Have been eyeing this for some time... Hee... Ok, so I'm not very monogamous when it comes to handbags. Or shoes. Or makeup. Or ... oh, tons of other non-animate stuff.

Anyway, I finally made up my mind today. If I could find the tote, I'm going to buy it. Went to the Kate Spade store at Raffles City and was attended to by 2 very nice sales persons. After showing me the bag, I asked for some time to think abt it. I was ushered to one of the seats around the shop while I dug out my phone to give my sis a call... It was a last ditch effort but anyway, couldn't get her.

So, went ahead and got it :) The bag's really roomy but still light as it's canvas with leather trim. The thing I really liked was the bow in front. Anyway, back to the 2nd sales lady. I asked abt their store returns policy and if they could remove the price tags. She was very patient with my questions and took some effort to wrap in the tissue. I thought the ribbon was very nicely tied too :) A little different from the usual ribbon in the middle.

Here's the unwrapping of my new bag.








To be very honest, I didn't go through the whole prudent process of what I'm going to use the bag for, how long it can last me and yadah, yadah ... I just got it on gut feel.

Using it as my everyday bag now. Am however wondering if I should take it back to exchange it for something else ... like a wallet and a smaller bag? Or something? I rather like this bag BUT just wondering abt the value of it and all... Not sure if I'm making sense. Maybe it's the classic buyer's remorse striking me now.

In another piece of news, I finally rented my 1st bag! *beam* With my love of handbags, have been staking out several sites which rent out handbags for a fee. There're different options: some sites allow you to rent bags on a weekly basis while for others, there's a monthly subscription involved.

This being my first time, I thot I'd dip my toes in a little and try out the weekly basis rental first. No fixed costs every month, I spend only when I really want to rent something :)

Will be getting my Fendi Spy tomorrow. Yippee! Looking forward to it *anticipation*


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Listening to: Constance Amiot - Clash Dans Le Tempo
via FoxyTunes

My orange Rabeanco bag

Introducing my first orange bag :)






I took these photos wif 2 different cameras. Image sharpness and lighting are my main priorities - I tend to have incredibly shaky hands.

The first 2 photos were taken wif a point and shoot while the 3rd one was wif my latest lovely baby, the Canon 450D using this macro lens which the camera shop man highly recommended but which I forgot the name for. Lol. That's how 'proficient' I am in photography ;P Oh btw, colour reproduction is closest to real life for the 3rd photo. It's a nice warm orange colour.

Anyway, a part of my salary each month goes towards this imaginary handbag fund of mine. Of course, given my propensity for love-at-first-sights, this fund is usually empty and I'm running out of hiding space for my handbags at home. Yup, do not let Mama Bean (my mum) see new purchases. It's the cue for another long talk on being prudent with money and all the other wonderful motherly things which mothers talk to daughters abt but which gets totally forgotten when bags are in the picture.

Ok, many long sentences. Sorry, let me try again ;)

It was a case of love at first sight when I saw this bag. I was wandering around the handbag dept at Robinson's when I saw the Rabeanco counter. Couldn't resist poring through the designs they have on hand at the moment. Some were really rather mature for my liking. However, this design caught my eye and I asked for the colours available.

It was a tussle between a nice light beige and this warm orange. The orange won finally as I've quite a few beige bags but I don't have an ORANGE one yet. I'm so glad I bought orange. Read my Mar Jap mags and bright colours were splashed all over the pages. Yippee.

This is a nice size for me. Very roomy with a zipped compartment for my cards n hair clips n keys n wat-nots. Also a small handphone compartment. Lots of space for my everyday things - wallet, tissue, brolly, earphones, pieces of paper, a book (?!) ... haha, my almost entire life YET it's not heavy on my shoulder at all AND it does not look like an elephant on my arm ;P

It's a godsend; I've got brand name bags in my wardrobe which are as roomy or even roomier but need a professional weight-lifter to carry them if I'm to go out n about. Or else, they look like I'm carry my entire household ;P

Another thing which I like are the interesting details in the design. For instance, the little diamond-like crystal at the bottom of the bag charm, the gold hardware like the clasps, the braided detail on the handle which is flat underneath, so it lies comfortably on my shoulder and doesn't dig into it.

Really happy wif this buy. Will be my fave for some time until another baby comes along ;P Hiaks.


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Listening to: 王若琳 - Stages Of Flying
via FoxyTunes

Rabeanco bags

I know this is supposed to be a beauty blog (sort of). But hope you won't mind if I start sharing my latest crazes, shopping sprees and food trips?

Bags has been something close to my heart all these while. Other than skincare and now make-up, one of the things which I actually look forward to spending my money on is handbags. LOL. Frivolous, right?

Anyway.

I first got to know this brand, Rabeanco, at BHG, of all places. For a dept store, I find it rather unbeatable for its range of merchandise and oftentimes quirky finds.

I was attracted by the shapes and colours of the collection on display. I find they're very daring in their use of colours, very forward thinking in their shapes and the way different colours are mixed together in one bag, whew! I always find something interesting whenever I pop by their counters.

Bought my 2nd Rabeanco bag last week. My first orange bag ever. Hehehe... will post up photos of it here and in my PoupeeGirl when I can. My first Rabeanco bag, which got me somewhat on the road of no return, is an aged leather one, shiny teal/turqoise in colour. Told ya the colours were eye-catching ;)

Here's the brand philospohy of Rabeanco from Rabeanco.Com:

RABEANCO is an international lifestyle brand offering smart, affordable luxury that embodies the ultimate in elegance, sensuality and creative expression of women. The brand's backbone is an extensive line of functional designs bags that combine stylish, stand-out designs coupled with top quality leather and meticulous craftsmanship.

RABEANCO realize that the brand vision is marrying function, fashion and sensual material to make the bag looks and feel superb. Its design promises to empower women of today with a renewed symbol of femininity that is both practical and spontaneous. It offers a wide spectrum of colors and detailing, catering for different lifestyles and silhouettes at the spur of the moment.

RABEANCO represents an uncompromised attitude towards handbags manufacturing with the highest standard of quality and creativity.


I was told the bags are much cheaper if you purchase them direct from Hong Kong. Well, for people like me, who don't really know when the next Hong Kong trip will be, it's great they can be found in most major stores in most cities around the world ;)


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Listening to: 苏打绿 - 四季狂想
via FoxyTunes

Charles & Keith warehouse sale

Went to the C&K warehouse sale during lunch today with my colleagues. We were lucky that we got there before the crowd came. Some minutes after we started shopping, more people came by and boy it was really crowded.