I actually haven’t acquired any new handbags for some time, nor do I have any seriously on my wishlist. So, to mark the occasion on this blog, I’ll do a quick roundup of 10 bags in my collection that I need to wear more often.
Adrienne Vittadini
Lenox Drawstring Pouch in Silver
I bought this ages ago, and I’m not sure why I rarely use it, since it is actually extremely comfortable to wear and holds a good amount! The leather is soft and subtly metallic. Aaah, I need to dig it out now!
Badgley Mischka
Jill Crossbody in Black
The main reason I don’t wear this as much is that the strap is a bit too long. I need to just go get an extra hole or two punched into the strap.
Chloé
Marcie Medium Satchel in Tan
My second-favorite bag of all-time, and yet, I don’t wear it as often as I should. Honestly, it is heavy and that is why I use it infrequently. Note to self: work out more so you can take Marcie out! Chloé has actually recently released a slightly smaller version of the Marcie which is just perfect for me. Maybe next year…
My March perfume roundup took a while to compile; as you can see, I was a busy sniffer!
Cacharel Anaïs Anaïs EDT
Cacharel Scarlett
Cacharel Yes I Am
Cartier La Panthère
Chanel Chance Eau Tendre
Chanel Coco Mademoiselle Intense
Chanel Cristalle EDP
Chloé Fleur de Parfum Chloé
Chloé Love Story EDP
Chloé Nomade
Clinique Aromatics Elixir
Dior Addict EDP
Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Eau Intense
Elie Saab Le Parfum in White
Elizabeth Arden Untold Eau Fraîche
Giorgio Armani Code Cashmere
Givenchy Dahlia Divin EDP
Givenchy Play for Her EDT
Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Pera Granita
Guerlain L’Instant EDP
Guerlain La Petite Robe Noire Eau Fraîche
Jennifer Lopez Blue Glow
Lanvin Eclat d’Arpège
Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau So Fresh
Marc Jacobs Decadence EDP
Mugler Angel Eau Sucrée (2018)
Mugler Aura
Oscar de la Renta Bella Blanca
Ralph Lauren Romance Rosé
Ralph Lauren Tender Romance
Reem Acra Reem Acra
Stella McCartney L.I.L.Y
Yves Saint Laurent Mon Paris EDP
CACHAREL
Anaïs Anaïs EDT
1978 | Roger Pellegrino, Robert Gonnon, Paul Leger, Raymond Chaillan
Top Notes: orange blossom, hyacinth
Heart Notes: rose, lily, jasmine
Base Notes: amber, sandalwood, incense
This one has been around for a long time, and while it’s never been one to which I paid much attention, I recently thought I’d resniff it. It has also recently been relaunched in EDP and EDT; I am pretty sure I tested the old version, since the bottle had the old style cap, which is as wide as the bottle itself.
Anaïs Anaïs is perfectly fine, and very 1980s-smelling. Strong, big florals, lots of powder. I don’t really have a reaction either way—I wouldn’t choose to wear it myself, but it smells fine.
I have seen this (and Cacharel Amor Amor) on the $19.99 rack at Shoppers Drug Mart, but maybe that’s just been to clear out the old bottles over the last year or two.
CACHAREL
Scarlett EDT
2009 | Honorine Blanc, Olivier Cresp, Alberto Morillas
Top Notes: citrus, tea, pear
Heart Notes: jasmine, orange blossom, honeysuckle
Base Notes: white musk, honey, sandalwood
Named for the character Scarlet O’Hara from Gone with the Wind, Scarlett is initially fairly pretty and clean-smelling, with bright citrus notes mingled with delicate white florals. It quickly turns into something musky and a little cloying—honey is often tricky for me this way.
I was quite surprised to see a tester for this older perfume at Shoppers Drug Mart recently! The adorable bottle doesn’t have anything written on it, and the box was nowhere to be found, so I had to squint at the tiny sticker on the bottom to figure out which fragrance it was.Read More »
I am not the girliest of girls (proclaims the “girl” who runs a nail polish blog!) but I do love my handbags.
My very first leather bag was one of two: it was either a red Coach demi shoulder bag with the softest, smoothest leather—this was around 15 years ago, folks! baguettes were in and Coach leather was super—or an edgier, cement-grey Hype hobo in no-fuss, slightly shiny but still very soft leather.
Hype, Everest pocket hobo in Steel. Image: bluefly.com
I want to say it was the Coach that was first. Either way, I adored the Coach but didn’t get that many chances to use it, since it was so small. I also loved the Hype and used it to hell! It was fantastic because it had a comfortable, adjustable strap that let me wear it both on the shoulder and crossbody. Plus, I found that grey goes with almost everything.
Fast forward about 15 years and I’m really happy with my bag collection, and am thinking of trimming it down—I have a lot of bags that I no longer use and should really just donate—and, of course, I’d love to add a brand new bag, as well!
It turns out that I didn’t buy a single handbag for myself last year. That’s pretty stunning, because I don’t think I’ve had a no-handbag year for…many years…before 2015. It’s probably a sign that I’m mostly satisfied with my collection. (Either that, or I spent too much money on nail polish last year.) I definitely go through shopping phases—in 2014, I got a number of bags, but hardly any makeup at all! And last year it was the reverse.
On a more personal note, the last week has been a bit trying, as I’ve had to go to the doctor more often than I’d like—even a first-ever trip to the emergency room for me—and as a result I’ve neglected the blog even more. Today I am satisfied that everything is all right for the time being, but since I was trying to take my mind off medical issues for the last several days, I got bitten by the handbag bug again! Internet shopping is so evil, but what else can you do when you’re instructed to rest all day?
Luckily, it’s only been internet window shopping. My clicky finger has been stayed by the atrocious and only getting atrocious-er Canadian to US dollar exchange rate (we’re at 70 cents to the dollar, now, eek) so I’m just starting to compile my shortlist for My Next Handbag Addition, Which, If I Wait for the Canadian Dollar to Partially Recover, Might Not Even Be For 2016.
I’ve bought way too much Rebecca Minkoff in 2014, so I’ll probably move on to something else, particularly since I’m not keen on most of her new styles. Here’s a list of the bags I added in 2014 (keep in mind that I barely bought any makeup and clothes in 2014!), and after that I’ll share my Next Handbag Shortlist.
Handbags I Added in 2014
Rachel Nasvik, Phoebe Satchel in Grey. Image: lyst.com
Rachel Nasvik
Phoebe Satchel in Grey
Rachel Nasvik, based out of New York City, used to make the most gorgeous vintage-inspired handbags that are made in the USA! She hasn’t really done much in recent years, which makes me really sad, but I did manage to add this grey Patricia to my very small RN collection (which also includes a burgundy Patricia, a white/tan Bianca, and a black Phoebe). The Patricia is a little awkward to carry due to its size, but I love the styling to pieces! The bags all come with a bright cobalt blue cotton lining, too.
I have eBay email me every time a Rachel Nasvik bag pops up there; I bought this used (or “pre-loved”, as they like to say!) for US$50.
Today, National Handbag Day, was my self-imposed deadline for responding to Stashmatters’ dare from back in April! I am nothing if not a procrastinator.
But first, in celebration of the day, I would like to share with you some of my favorite handbags. Who am I kidding? All my handbags are my favorites! But I have used some more than others this summer.
Treesje — Asher Mini Satchel
Treesje (pronounced TREE’-ZHUH) is an American brand that was popular perhaps ten years ago. I’m not really sure what’s happened to them, but last I checked, I was not terribly impressed with their offerings. The Asher is one of the bag styles that launched them into stardom (particularly in the Grande size) and it is my favorite of their styles. Mine is in the small size, which looks far less ludicrous on my petite frame. It’s the only pink bag I own, and it goes with so much!
1978 | Roger Pellegrino, Robert Gonnon, Paul Leger, Raymond Chaillan
2009 | Honorine Blanc, Olivier Cresp, Alberto Morillas
