Celine Mini Luggage Review

~ Bag: Celine Mini Luggage in Black Drummed Leather and Silver Hardware ~ 

Ahh finally got my Celine luggage! They are SO difficult to find in Canada as the waiting list at Holt Renfrew's is at least 6 months wait, and even worse if you are looking for a specific color. Even in America, it is hard to find the exact Celine you are looking for!  

How did you get your bag if there is such a long waiting list? 

I had a friend who was going to Vegas, so I called up all the different stores in Vegas that might sell Celine. Nordstrom and Saks both did not have a Celine departments and would have had to take some time shipping in the bag. I almost gave up, until I called Barney's New York and found out they were the only place in Vegas you could buy Celine! I talked to the wonderful Sales Associate (msg me for his contact information) and he said since I am calling long distance, he would contact me through WhatsApp! He took the time to send me several pictures of the different colors, chat about what would look good on me, and even sent me the prices of each bag. Talk about great customer service! I found out someone had come in and returned the Celine Mini in Black and he was so kind as to offer it to me! I received the bag a few days later when my friend returned from his trip <3 

What size should I get? Mini or Micro?

The luggage comes in several sizes:

Nano (20cm x 20cm x 10cm)

Micro (26cm x 26cm x 14cm)

Mini (30cm x 30cm x 17cm)

Small (not sure about the dimensions, no longer available)

Medium (38cm x 40cm x 18cm)

Shoulder (37cm x 30cm x 17cm)

At first, I was dead set on getting the Micro. For me the Nano was too small and close in size to the Philip Lim by Target mini Pashli, and the Small was too big. I have never seen or held a Celine in real life so I did my Internet research (Instagram and Purseforum)! I am only 5'3" and found that most people my height got the Micro. I thought the Mini was too big and comparable to the Speedy 35 (which I do not wear anymore because it looks too big on me).

BUT after talking to both the SA and the Personal Shopper at Holt Renfrew, I found out there are no more Micros at all in either company, and it looks like they are not getting more any time soon. The SA also told me the Micro looked like a toy and at my height, the Mini would work well. He even sent me pictures of his co-worker (who is the same height) holding the Mini. I am also the same height and weight as Kim Kardashian (pre-pregnancy lol) so I looked up a billion pictures of her carrying the Mini too.  

Since Celine bags are too rare and I didn't want to pass up the offer, I gave in and ordered the Mini. I am so glad I did! It is actually comparable in width to the Speedy 30, and holds everything I need - wallet, makeup bag, iPad, camera, extra scarf or sweater, and WAY MORE. Depending on what I wear, it may look a little big on me but I just fix this by throwing on a pair of heels! 

What leather should I get? 

I am definitely not a Celine expert and there are so many different options of leather to choose from that I don't even know. My main dilemma was smooth leather vs. drummed leather.

SMOOTH LEATHER: looks more luxurious, bags have gold hardware, gets scratched more easily (except the new calfskin leather), loses its shape more easily, lining is leather

PEBBLED LEATHER: this leather is on the older bags, it is more durable, does not scratch easily, but gets very smooshy and loses its shape worse than the smooth leather 

DRUMMED LEATHER: this leather is on the newer bags, very durable and do not see scratches, holds its shape better than the pebbled and smooth leather, only comes in silver hardware, no gold hardware, lining is suede

I decided on the drummed leather. Although I do not particularly like silver hardware or suede lining, I decided that if I was going to spend this much money on a handbag at my age, I want it to last as long as possible! I also do not baby my bags in any way and am SUPER clumsy & messy. Now that I have the bag, I do not mind the SHW as it is very minimal. The lining isn't the worst thing in the world either :) 

I hope this post was able to help some people make a decision as to which Celine they want! Keep in mind that I am not a Celine expert and my findings are based purely on my Internet research, talking to the SA, and my review on my current Celine bag. If you have any questions send me a message or comment!

~ Pants: BCBGeneration ~ Sweater: Brandy Melville ~ 

~ Shoes: Steve Madden ~ Scarf: Urban Behavior ~ Phone Case: Aeropostale ~  

~ :) ~

#OOTD (Throwback)

~ Cardigan: Aeropostale ~ Crop Top: Papaya ~ Floral Shorts: Pacsun ~ 

~ Bag: Louis Vuitton Speedy 30 ~ Shoes: Steve Madden ~ 

~ Bracelet: Tory Burch Enamel Double Wrap in Pink ~

#OOTD

FALL OOTD

~ Sweater: Aeropostale ~ Pants: Forever21 ~ Shoes: Jeffrey Campbell Litas in Quilted Black ~ Watch: Michael Kors Lexington in Rose Gold ~

Right now, Little Burgundy is having a promotion - extra 30% off all sale items. These Jeffrey Campbell Litas were originally $160.00 and I ended up paying $75 (inc. GST) for them (AHH!) <3 These are definitely the cheapest Litas I have ever seen! 

These shoes are so lightweight, comfortable, and super easy to walk in. My feet did hurt the first time I wore them (about 6 hours) but it wasn't unbearable pain. After that, the leather softened up and now they fit my feet just right! PERFECT for chilly Canadian autumn - pair them with leggings, jeggings, tights or some thigh high socks. 

Arm Candy Tips

Stacking bracelets was super in during 2012 and I don't expect this trend to disappear anytime soon! Stores are starting to come out with pre-arranged bracelet sets (check out Aldo Accessories and H&M for great "starter kits").

Here are some basic stacking tips to help you get started!

Tip #1: Mix up materials! You can mix leather with pearls with wood with metal. I've mixed all four materials in the picture down below. 

Tip #2: Use bracelet fillers. The trick to having great arm candy is stacking. You don't want to have four large statement bracelets on one arm or you'll look like a gladiator. Instead, choose 1-2 statement bracelets and 2-3 smaller bracelet fillers. Check out Glint & Gleam for super cute bracelet fillers (US only).

Tip #3: Make your own bracelet fillers to save money, and instead spend your cash on a few really great pieces! You can get beads at your local craft store and jewelery cord from a dollar store. Simply secure with a knot and seal with a hot glue gun. Below, I mixed a $100 CAD Tory Burch wrap bracelet with a pearl bracelet I made myself (it only cost me 75c).

Tip #4: Don't go too overboard! A good limit for stacking would be 1/3 the length of your forearm. 

Tip #5: Play around with different bracelets and arm arrangements! Bracelets may look better when stacked in a certain order.

Tip #6: Snap a pic on Instagram and #armcandy ;)   

Tory Burch Leather Bracelet, $100; Brown pearl bracelet I made myself; Aldo Accessories Rose Gold Bracelet, set for $12; Michael Kors Watch, $250; Cross Bracelet from Philippines

H&M Skull Scarf, $7.95; H&M Sweater, $29.95

Glossybox Canada - December 2012

My December 2012 Glossybox finally arrived!

This month's Glossybox wasn't as exciting as the November box (Holiday edition) and I was expecting a New Year's themed box. It turned out to be a Lou Lou themed box - the box was silver and included a subscription card to the magazine. They're also having a promotion - if you buy a 6 or 12 month Glossybox subscription you get a free Lou Lou subscription.

Aveeno Tinted Moisturizer with Vitamin C, for Light-Medium Skin. Full size, $27. Not the greatest moisturizer, goes on too thick and shiny - not a good look for your face!

Aveeno Ultra-Calming Daily Moisturizer. Full size, $27. Didn't bother opening this. The last Aveeno moisturizer I received from Glossybox broke me out!

TRESemme Split Remedy Shampoo and Conditioner, sample size.

Revlon Nail Polish in Hushed Blush. Full size, $6 (but Revlon is almost always on sale at Wal-Mart or Shoppers Drug Mart). I love pink but this one looks too dull for me :(

Glossybox Brand Fake Lashes. Full size, $12.50. Wow, these lashes sure are thick...

TRESemme Fresh Start Dry Shampoo, sample size. 

Avon Lip Gloss, full size. I feel like I've got 4 different lip glosses of the same color but different brands, all from Glossybox!

BONUS ITEM: Nobia X-Cessories Earrings, full size. Includes 30% off coupon.

Glossybox recently raised their prices from $15 to $21/month so that they could provide us with better items, comparable to those from Glossybox USA. However, seeing as all of these products were basically drugstore items, I did not find this month's box worth the price.

I still love Glossybox though and think they are one of the best beauty boxes in Canada (this was my first "disappointment box" after having been a subscriber for several months).

BUT... I have decided to temporarily pause my subscription with them and try out both Ipsy and Beauty Box 5! (Kind of wish I got the December 2012 Beauty Box 5 instead, it looks SWEET).

If you still want to subscribe to Glossybox you can sign up here! =)
(Note: It is a referral link!)

Nails of the Day

Chanel Nail Polish in "Coco Blue"

This nail polish goes on perfectly after two layers and does not need a top coat! Dries really quickly too! Retails for: $30 (The Bay or Holt Renfrew). On the expensive side but the colors are so vivid and pretty, it's worth it!