BEAUTY MOMENTS

ph: Self Service + Vogue Japan

Two gorgeous beauty moments. Bambi is such a babe!
I'm thinking of trying this polish to get that metallic rainbow effect.

Celebrity Speedy: SJP x Louis Vuitton Speedy Empreinte

Sorry for not having written yesterday. I think all that traveling has wreaked some kind of havoc on my body and it just decided to "shut down" like an overloaded computer :D Yesterday was an incredibly remarkable day as well, because Lifestyle Asia Magazine, the Philippines' premier luxury lifestyle magazine revealed their cover for their September style issue. And on their cover, is yours truly :D *I am still on cloud 9 today by the way :D* The magazine will be out this weekend and I will be posting some outtakes from that incredibly fun shoot over the weekend :) I'll spare you from seeing another photo of myself today haha.

It's all about bags again and today, it's about an iconic style from Louis Vuitton. The House that Monogram Built has released the newest member of the Speedy family-- this is the Speedy Bandouliere 25 from the Monogram Empreinte line. 

I used to think the size 25 was a tad too small. And then I began having those ridiculous shoulder and back pains (because I carried massive bags). So I have since downsized to smaller bags. I think the Speedy 25 is now an excellent size choice. It allows you to edit your bag so much better (after all, you don't really need to carry your whole makeup kit in there along with 5 sets of room keys and whatever else you realize you could have left at home). 

The red one has to be my top pick for this.

 I have always had a soft spot for the Louis Vuitton Speedy style-- it is after all the most iconic piece in their collection. And I am just so pleased that the detachable straps have been added to their more updated speedy line from the monogram canvas collection. And now this beautiful Empreinte collection counts speedy as one of its styles.

It is a classic. It will never be out of fashion or out of season. Therefore this bag makes for an excellent investment-- plus you need not even worry about the handles and trims acquiring a dark patina (if that bothers you) :)

And the latest celebrity seen carrying the Louis Vuitton Empreinte Speedy Bandouliere 25? Sarah Jessica Parker!

Come on girls, save up for this baby. It's a keeper!

Visit the nearest Louis Vuitton boutiques now and try the Empreinte Speedy bag on :)

x
TheBagHag

LEOPARD, STRIPES + A DIET COKE

1. T by Alexander Wang Linen Striped Long Sleeve Tee
2. Stella McCartney Round Sunglasses
3. Assad Mounser Gunmetal-Plated Chain and Printed Silk Necklace
4. MiH Jeans Paris Cropped Mid-Rise Jeans
5. Jerome Dreyfuss Bobi Haircalf Messenger Bag
6. Diet Coke goodness
7. Casio Stainless Steel 3 Dials Watch
8. 3.1 Phillip Lim Delia Chelsea Booties

As some of you know from twitter, I have a bit of a Diet Coke obsession, so I am super pumped for the Glamour Magazine + Diet Coke party happening next week- It's always fun when two of my favorites collide! The party is in celebration of the new sleek can design + to celebrate the winning design of a Diet Coke t-shirt, which will be available at Target. Also, If you're in the NYC area next week, there will be mannequins styled with the t-shirt throughout the city where they will be giving away all sorts of goodies! Follow Diet Coke on twitter + facebook for more info.

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Diet Coke. The opinions, as always, are my own.

GWEN

ph: Just Jared

Oh Gwen Stefani, how I love you. Can I please look this amazing at 42?!

Get the look...

JUST FEMALE

1 | 2 | 3

Been obsessed with Just Female since last spring (remember this post?), so I was excited to see what they'd have in store for fall- my favorite season. Adore the over-sized fits + slouchy knits!
You can check out more of their fall collection >> here.

Want to WIN a VIP trip for 2 to London Fashion Week??

SUPER IMPORTANT NEWSFLASH ALERT!!

This is really exciting news for fashionphiles! For those of you peeps who’ve always wondered what it’s like to attend major shows of designers during fashion week, this one is definitely for you—

MOTILO is teaming up with top British fashion designer Jonathan Saunders and shall be exclusively streaming his SS 2012 show live on their site (www.motilo.com) on the 16^th of September (a must- watch), and in celebration of this partnership, Motilo is giving back—yes!!

MOTILO is giving away a VIP trip for 2 to London Fashion Week!! We’re talking 2 show tickets to see Jonathan Saunders’ SS2013 collection, LIVE! Motilo is sponsoring the lucky winner and his/ her companion—flights from anywhere around the world (contestant and friend will need to apply for their own UK visa if necessary). Winner is to be booked at a swanky London hotel for two nights AND will also be given £1000in spending money!

That’s not all too—the 2nd prize winner of the contest gets to win £500 to spend in Motilo’s expertly curated shop. The 3rd prize will have 5 runners up who will receive £100 each to spend at Motilo Shop.

Yes, I told you, MOTILO is very generous to share this with all of us fashion lovers!

Now here’s all you need to enter the contest—and I swear, it’s really easy to join:

1. Create a look on Motilo (click HERE)-- show them what you would wear to London Fashion Week 

2. Save your look, and make sure to include LFW in the title 

3. Tag your look under the category “Competitions"

4. Create as many looks as you want! The more looks you create, the merrier! And the greater your chances of being picked!!

CLICK HERE TO ENTER 

The winners will be selected on 7th of September by the Motilo judging panel, which includes Motilo’s founder Sofia Barattieri. I’m excited to see how creative everyone can get with this, and I’m sure there will be some really amazing “looks” out there that I too, will probably take inspiration from!

You need to join this contest! You never know if you’re going to win if you don’ try—so if I were you, keep coming up with different looks and allow yourself to inspire and be inspired!

Here’s a great idea to increase your chances of winning—share this competition with your friends and also get them to enter (and haha make them promise to take you along with them if they win—because after all, you shared this competition information with them :D )

I am already getting excited with this competition announcement and have already told my friends to join! I can tell you this—it will be a most unforgettable experience should you win this competition. It’s not often one gets invited to attend one of these London Fashion Week shows, and Jonathan Saunders at that! It’s really major!

Now, remember the goal: Jonathan Saunders SS 2013 show, live, at London Fashion Week. Log onto Motilo and start creating your looks now!  Stay tuned for more exclusive announcements from the Motilo and Jonathan Saunders partnership and do remember to also tweet @Motilo and @MrsMotilo your competition looks! I too, can’t wait to see them! This is really exciting! 

Begin creating your looks HERE now! :)

BEAUTY: SIMPLE STATEMENTS

ph: Ben Pogue / Oyster

Bold brows, embellished nails, burgundy lips + subtle liner- all simple beauty statements for fall.
I'm dying to try those nails! The only embellishments I've found are these. Any other recs?

Prada, Prada, Prada!

I think it is safe to say that fashion cognoscentis will never have enough of Prada. Season after season, prints (on prints) reign supreme and it's arguable than no other fashion house can do it better than Prada.

It seems that with Prada, you can take that bold step of working with a printed bag and a printed outfit-- together. I would initially have reservations about a print-on-print pairing simply because it's not something that I am yet accustomed to, but I believe that marrying the right prints together can create quite a fantastic look.

Here are 2 printed Prada bags to start you off with, both top handles. This style seems very feminine and I'm taking a liking to them because while the prints are quite strong, the style seems to soften the bag as a whole.

It could, however prove difficult only because the handles are white-- and I just can't be that one person who could keep white bags clean all throughout their time with me :) But hey if you are unlike me and can keep your hands clean enough to maintain the pristine condition of the handles, then by all means I say go for either of these bags. 

It's good to be a little different and I think it's even more fantastic if you can experiment :) Prada prints are always a good start. :)

Both Prada bags are available at Neiman Marcus.

x

TheBagHag

Wannabe Designer Bags?

This is really such a timely post. Because just a few days ago while I was in Taiwan, I saw a "wannabe" designer bag. And then here is yet another wannabe designer canvas tote :). I honestly find it quite amusing although I'm not so certain that the designers or fashion houses (whose designs served as inspiration) are amused themselves.

The most interesting "wannabe" designer bag I had found was that of Banane's with their "birkins". I must admit though that Banane really "copied" the birkin design extremely well, leaving out of course the "Hermes" brand name (or they'd get sued!). Then of course the super adorably funny Celine wannabe tote which I really took a serious liking to (featured a few days ago on the blog)-- again, from Taiwan! LOL

The wannabe designer bag issue hasn't died down by the way, because here is yet another one of them :)

I'm actually inclined to think this was not patterned after the Hermes birkin. I think it's patterned after the Leghila birkin ;) 

Leghila though, has updated their birkin (I can't find the classic "birkin" style anywhere in their site for some reason-- hmmm...) and added fringes onto the flap. Called it the Franzy bag ;) Very funky and I think great for a beach bag (washable too).

Going back to the other wannabe designer bag, it is by a brand called V73. It seems a lot sturdier than the Banane bag. It is also larger and it seems this would make a perfect weekend tote-- for shopping! Personally though I wish they made brighter colors-- yes yes I know it's their Fall collection, but what's wrong with a little more color, right? At this point I am actually more inclined to purchase the Leghila more than the V73.

The printed canvas tote from V73 is available at LUISAVIAROMA. Tell me. What are your thoughts on this?

x
TheBagHag

Bag Review: Jil Sander Malavoglia Tote

At first glance, I thought I saw a Celine luggage tote. Can't help it. These days everywhere I look, I see Celine luggage totes. This Jil Sander Malavoglia Leather Totehowever, has to be given the thumbs up sign for its color-- arctic blue. I am really loooving it!!! 

The bag really looks fantastic when carried!

The external zippered pocket is certainly much more useful than the one that Celine has (which would only fit business cards and perhaps lipstick). But the one thing this bag doesn't have, however, is a zipper enclosure on its main compartment. It does really have that luggage tote vibe, don't you think?

The Jil Sander Malavoglia Leather Totein arctic blue is currently available at Net-a-Porter. Click HERE for more details about the bag.

Happy Sunday, everyone! :) 

x

TheBagHag

Celebrity Bags: Kate Moss and Goyard

Oh lookie who was spotted carrying a Goyard Saint Louis tote during a holiday in Saint Tropez :)

A Goyard Saint Louis (A GM size in Kate's case) is really quite the holiday bag-- it's very light, packs in plenty, and hey, it's waterproof too with its coated canvas shell. Great choice!

On another note, Kate looks much healthier too :) Marriage really suits this woman! Kudos to her :)

x
TheBagHag

UNEXPECTED COOL

ph: A Love Is Blind

Loving this! I'd never think to put these pieces together- Normally navy jackets with gold buttons come across as prim + preppy, but she makes it look super cool + laid back.

Get the look...

Bag Review: Burberry Orchard Bag

It has been awhile since I last wrote about a Burberry bag that I had taken a liking to. And then I saw this bag. 

The Burberry Orchard reminds me of the larger Hermes bolide. I like that alligator trimmed Chenille check Orchard best-- I found the ribbon quite endearing :) There are 3 other styles-- one with suede stripes, another in grainy leather nubuck suede leather, and another in quilted leather with animal heads.

These zip bags can actually double as overnight bags-- nice and spacious. I also like the fact that the bags zip all the way to the sides. I hate it when bag zippers end up "eating" your bag because their zip opening is too small. This is a very thoughtful style. I do want to see these styles developed in brighter colors too-- hopefully they get around to doing this for the next season :)

x

TheBagHag

MODEL CRUSH: BROOKE PERRY

ph: Anthony Arquier / Bellazon

Brooke Perry. Gorgeous. Enough said. Click below to see her in a range of great pieces, including a swoon-worthy pair of burgundy leather pants! Plus, find out to how to get each look...









Get the look...

Bugly Bag Alert on Christina Hendricks

See, this is proof that not all expensive bags are beautiful. But somehow though, they have a way of ending up on beautiful people :(

Case in point, Christina Hendricks. She's a gorgeous lady who happens to have been snapped and at the mercy of a terrible looking Farbod Barsum bag. 

Photo credit: Too Fab (Getty)

Here's the bag on the Farbod Barsum page. Now I understand this bag was made with the most supple alligator skin (CITES paperwork and all), but again as I have mentioned, just because you slap on the most exotic and exquisite skin there is on a bag, doesn't make it a winner. 

The reported price tag on Hendricks' bag is in the range of US$ 20,000. Frankly, I think the price is ridiculous for a bum ugly bag. What makes the bag so much worse I think is the way that logo/ monogram of the brand was attached right smack in the center of the bag. It looks really cheap. I'm sorry Farbod, but I think this Isabella Alligator black bowling bag is a major fail :( 

Christina, ditch the bag. ASAP!

x

TheBagHag

CASUAL CHIC • COACH LEGACY COLLECTION

Majorly crushing on the new Coach Legacy Collection! All the pieces are so clean + classic that they easily fit with any personal style, so when I was asked to pick some of my favorites, my mind ran wild with the outfit collage possibilities! To check out more of my favorite picks, as well as some from Atlantic-Pacific + Because I'm Addicted, head on over to WhoWhatWear.

1. Equipment Signature Blouse
2. Linda Farrow for The Row Leather Cat Eye Sunglasses
3. Maria Francesca Pepe Pair Studded Hoop Earrings
4. Acne Pop Cropped Mid-Rise Straight-Leg Jeans
5. Coach Legacy Leather Duffle
6. Coach Leather Hinged Bangle
7. Deborah Lippmann Nail Polish in 'Supermodel'
8. Alexander Wang Sonja Ankle Strap Pumps

Travelog: Taipei Luxe

Sogo! There are 2 Sogo Department Stores here in Taipei. Make sure to go to the new one if you are all for international luxury brands.

This is the older Sogo. The whole street along Sogo is worth exploring!

At the new Sogo, you will find brands like Chanel...

bling bling disco 2.55

Sigh I cannot begin to tell you how frustrating it is to find out that Chanel classic bags are so expensive :(

Hermes is also represented in Sogo ;)

They have a ciel 30cm birkin in the vitrine, and a tosca 28cm kelly inside. Both are not for sale. It's great though that they have these on display.  Pretty colors!

More shops inside New Sogo: Cartier, Coach, Van Cleef and Arpels, Tod's (the new Miky bag is available already!!), Burberry. On the 2nd floor are Balenciaga, Marni, Max Mara, Y3, Mulberry, Marc Jacobs, as well as some homegrown designer labels. Sogo is a much happier place than Taipei 101 in terms of crowds by the way (more people were milling about and shopping).

After having walked the latter part of the afternoon off, a meal at Din Tai Fung was in order :) There is a DTF below the New Sogo by the way. So no need to walk far for authentic Xiao Long Baos!

The one thing I noticed in Taipei is this-- I think eating is the favorite pastime of the locals :) There are restaurants lining almost every block! Less shops, more eateries! You can't really ignore the temptation to eat because the food is almost "in your face"!  :) I'm not complaining though :)

x

TheBagHag

CLOSE UP: ACCESSORIES

ph: Kelly Stuart for ELLE

Delicate stacked rings + a beaded clutch are now on my must-have list!
The perfect place to check out these rings is CatBird- they always have a great selection, which makes it so hard to decide which to get -- fashion girl problems! Click below to see the full look from the 2nd shot (so cute!) + to check out my top picks for getting these looks...



Get the look...

Travelog: Taipei Food, Shopping, and a Bag

I was last in Taipei in 2010 so it was a good time to fly back to Taipei again, having had such a great experience in the city because of Tina (BagSnob) and her friends who knew where to take us. 

The one place I never got to check out on my last visit though, was Taipei 101. This time around, Taipei 101 is the first on our list of places to see. And see it I did. 

Hard to miss this monstrous building! And inside was retail heaven-- beautiful space, really.

Some of the brands that have stores inside were: Louis Vuitton, Dolce & Gabbana, Zegna, Armani, Van Cleef and Arpels, Tiffany and Co., Miu Miu, Prada, DKNY, Bottega Veneta, Dior, Cartier,  Longchamp, Glashutte, Tod's *soon to open*, Gucci, Burberry, and Givenchy.  I was half- expecting to see a lot more shoppers (like Pacific Place in Hong Kong) but then it was a weekday.

Taipei 101 was the only other place we visited after having lunch at Red Misua, a hole in the wall eatery that Tina had introduced to me 2 years ago.

I had a large bowl of pork entrails with misua (noodles), a large cup of milk tea, and an order of cheese and egg crepe (Taiwanese style) from across the street that served the soup. I cannot tell you how satisfying the meal was, even on an extremely hot day-- thank you Tina for the address of Red Misua :)

Had to burn off the meal by walking-- in heat (it was over 30 degC), but it was quite alright because there were plenty of stores around the area. One small boutique even had this bag!!!

It was a printed bag that was trying hard to be a Celine nano luggage tote :) I had a very good laugh at this and went inside to check the bag. Confession: I really wanted it LOL. I had to inspect it to make sure there was no "Celine" label anywhere in the bag. There were more luggage tote wannabes inside and I had a ball looking through them. The store was also carrying another birkin wannabe-- the Banane (remember those?).

After a day of walking and exploring, went with another Tina recommendation for dinner. Hotpot at Mala (馬辣鴛鴦火鍋)!

We must've spent over 2 hours eating at Mala. Both soup bases were fantastic, but it was impossible for us to tear ourselves away from that spicy red soup which left our ears and tongues burning :) Feeling very heavy from the having devoured too much over dinner, ended up walking for over 40 minutes back to our hotel. Yes, exercise was good. After all, I had this to look forward to :D 

W Hotel Taipei

P.S. Thank you Bagsnob for all the restaurant recommendations, and thank you CV Travel for working on the super last minute travel arrangements and the travel visa! xo

x

TheBagHag