LBB addiction sign

You know you're addicted to Little Black Bag when you equivocate the prices of things with the cost of opening new LBBs.

Me: "I really want to buy that Rebecca Minkoff MAC bag off their summer sale!!  Should I do it?"

LBB friend: "DON'T DO IT!  You could get 3 LBBs for that much!!  THREE!"

And this happens all the time.  So much real-world shopping for both of us has been prevented with this way of thinking, haha.

Beginning of the month starting soon, and opening now counts for September!  Trying to resist opening a LBB until I see what new things are released for September at 12am PST tonight!  After getting 4 purses in my last LBB, you'd think I wouldn't be so tempted by bags, and yet I am....maybe I should try for accessories this time around.

Being a Sephora Girl

When I was in college I remember wishing, every time I walked into the makeup-mecca that is Sephora, that I worked there part-time.  At the time, I was working at the Gap, which in itself was not horrible (oh the cross-brand discount!) but compared to the lure of the colorful beauty products Sephora had to offer, the Gap seemed to pale in comparison.  Years later, I found myself looking for part-time work over the holidays in 2011 and found myself sucked into the beauty black hole that will forever change my outlook on makeup.

Starting as a holiday cast member, I was plopped right into the swing of things and loved every minute of it.  Compared to the full time office-type work surrounded by guys I was used to, it was a refreshing change to be in such a girly environment where makeup and nail polish was actually required.  To be sure, they definitely weren't letting me slap makeup on anyone on day 1, but they definitely make their employees feel valued.  I was lucky enough to fall into a store that had a great energy and didn't have that snobby quality some stores can exude...we took pride in our customer service and our sampling, which can be tough to do during the holiday rush.  There are 3 main "worlds" in Sephora - Color, Fragrance, and Skincare - but I was more attracted to the actual planning and daily tasking necessary to keep the store running smoothly. Just call it the planner/manager in me coming out! :)

There were so many "best" parts of working there that makes me want to recommend working there to anyone who loves beauty and either is looking for part-time work or wanting to start a makeup career.

1. Gratis.  Oh, the gratis.  There is always some contest or another available to the cast members to earn gratis, and even working part time I was able to earn soooooooo much.  For those who don't know, gratis means "free, or complimentary" and is provided by the company or a brand.  In the case of Sephora's gratis, it was usually stock or testers they don't carry anymore, products that were sampled by cast-only, new or almost new products specifically put aside for gratis, or provided by the brand reps.  The BEST gratis I earned (definitely earned, not just given) was the Nars Danmari blush palette, brand new.  Amazeballs, rare, and it saved me $60+ since I was going to buy it anyway.

Also, if you are a holiday hire, gaining gratis also means you are showing your worth, so not only did I get lots of makeup goodies, they also kept me on after the holiday were over...one of 3 girls kept on out of over a dozen.  Win-win!

2. Discounts!  In general, you get a hefty discount on Sephora brand or Sephora-exclusive brands, and a minimal discount on all other brands.  Over the holidays, there's a period where the discount was bumped up another 10%, making it the perfect time to buy that pricey Clarisonic!  In my case, the gratis I received kept me from buying too much, but it was nice to know I could get a discount on what I did have to buy.

3. Training.  Sephora definitely tries to take the time to put some training into the people they want to keep.  Brand reps come in a conduct training sessions to get the cast members acquainted with their products, and that almost always goes hand in hand with gratis, too. :)  They figure if you like the product, you are more likely to sell it to a customer.  So everyone wins again!

Training also helps you if you want to move between the different worlds (color, fragrance, skincare) so its great that they provide on the clock training.

4. Samples.  Even if you don't get the gratis of what you might want exactly, working at Sephora means plenty of opportunities to sample products you're interested in.  Clients always want to know what you're using on your face, so it helps to keep up with the newer and more popular products.  I managed to not buy foundation for a few months and just lived on sample jars of different products, haha.

5. Opportunities for growth.  While I wasn't really there long enough or with any real long term goals while working there (which they are totally fine with), I know of several people who started as holiday cast members and worked their way up to higher management-type positions.  Sephora likes to promote from within, whether from a management or world-expert standpoint, which is fantastic.  Anyone interested in becoming a makeup artist can also gain valuable experience and even clientele via Sephora, as well!

6. Learning to make yourself pretty!  Sephora doesn't really expect you to come in with any prior makeup knowledge (just enough to pull yourself together) but working with makeup artists means you get to learn lots of tips and tricks to use on yourself!  At the very least, you can get help figuring out what products are best for you, which is so helpful when it comes to skincare or picking a good foundation.  The hardest part is adjusting your makeup for regular everyday once you're out of the Sephora world...cuz' glitter don't fly here in a corporate setting!  Luckily, pink lips do. :)

If I ever find myself with free time and a hankering for more pretty-making things, I would be tempted to work there again. :)

Images: 1 Sephora, 2 my own

Little Black Bag Trading Tips

Little Black Bag's big draw as a higher priced subscription program is the ability to trade items in your bag with other members on the site.  Once you pick your first item and they populate your bag with additional items, you open your bag and immediately see trade offers on each of your items.  You can also offer your items for other items in the gallery.  I, personally, don't jump on initial offers unless they are obviously very good (multiple decent items for my one, or an offer worth much more).  I'd rather make my own offers, even though its more work to trade that way.  When you pick your first item and you're new to trading, I highly recommend picking something you like so that you have at least one item you absolutely love.  If you're feeling more adventurous, then find out what people like (look at what is trading well, or ask on the chat) and then trade away!

The news feed is your new best friend.  By following the feed, you can see what items are going for better trades...it prevents you from wasting your time by underbidding on items that are going for very high, and it keeps you from accepting a trade that is too low if you happen to have that coveted item.  I also follow it to see when new bags are opened, since that means hopefully more items you like are being added to the trading gallery.  I follow the news even when I don't have a bag open.  Haha.

You have a full week to trade, which I always use.  In general, I try not to consolidate my items in the first few days, since I'd rather get more items and then work them up to something nice.  If you're a confident trader and are actively trading the whole week, I'd take anyyyyy somewhat decent multi-item offer in the first few days (providing the item you have isn't something you absolutely must keep or is limited in the gallery).  Decent is a relative term and to each his own, but in general, if I've seen those items trade up, then I'll take it.  If they don't trade up, then you need the time to work them to something decent, which leads me to my next point....

Yo-yo trading.  While slightly more work, since it requires putting out a LOT of trades, I find it to be worth it.  If your item doesn't trade up, then put out bids on items that aren't as popular but are worth more.  Then either trade up to another not so popular item that is worth more or down to something you like that is worth less.  Some items stay in the gallery for months because of this...no one actually ships their bags with these items in it.  I'd rather have a lot of faster moving trades than holding out for an item to trade for ONE specific item.  With a full week, you should never have to end up with something you don't really like....its much better to trade a higher priced item you don't like much for a lower priced item you love.

Which means, the value of any item is really dependent on what you like.  If you really love something and you trade down to get it, who cares if you gave up an expensive item that you hate?  Its better to end up with a few wonderful items you love than a dozen ones you are only "meh" about...which is why yo-yo trading is so great.  Don't get too attached to your things because you can almost always get them back later!  And once you have more than 5 items, you can afford to trade more wildly and then it gets really fun, haha.

The chat.  For new folks, just know that a lot of veterans do not like the chat...trading has slowed down because of this chat.  Proceed with caution when trying to arrange trades on there, people will definitely try to get you to trade VERY specific items for what they have to trade.  Or they only accept multi-item trades, even on $16 items.  Or they "embellish" the offers they are already receiving or the value of an item.  Or they just spam the chat with their garbage because they are too lazy to put out offers on their own.  In general, I find it useful to follow to see who's bags are closing soon (they might be trading down considerably for items they like), to let people know what is available for trade from my bag, to find out what offers are like on some items, and for people who are opening new bags, telling them what you would like them to open with to try and trade with them.  I also try to help new people on the chat, of course. :)  If you're new, PLEASE read the Help/FAQ section before going onto the chat with your questions!  Almost every night there are people asking the same questions that could be answered by reading over the Help section.

Finally, trade like you really want the item.  If you are whining on the chat that you want something, and then offer WAY lower than everyone else, you really can't complain that you're not getting the item.  It gets really annoying, no one is going to take your lowball offer when there are way nicer ones out there.  If you want it, make a good offer!

Hopefully people find this helpful and if anyone has anything else to add to this, please add in comments!  And if you do decide to join, here is my referral link!

Image: Little Black Bag

LOOK: Little Black Bag 4 (August)

I just received my most epic Little Black Bag so far and I've decided to actually start using my blog to show you all my pretty things. :)  Let's take a LOOK!

In case you don't already know, Little Black Bag is a subscription service for bags, jewelry, home items, accessories, and beauty that has the added fun of trading and interacting with other members.  It costs $50+, depending on if you go month-to-month and what your state tax might be, but you end up with possibly $100s worth of pretty things.

This is how it works:  out of their opening gallery, you get to pick out something to put in your LBB.  Depending mainly on the price of the item you picked, LBB will then select another 1-3 items to fill your bag to bring the value up between $100-$150.  Those items are a mystery until you open your bag, but you can at least see the brand and the price and try to figure out what the item is by checking the gallery.

Once you open your bag, its trading time!  You have one week from your start time to trade your items with other members on the site.  Some people end up liking the items added to their bag and want to ship right away, but I always trade.  Not only can you end up with better things, you can end up with more, since people will offer you multiple things if they really like what you have!  This is my 4th LBB and I started with 3 items (one pick and 2 things added), a free redken sample, a coupon code that added a $48 clutch, and 3 return credits from items from a previous bag for a total of 7 items and a sample.  I ended with 15 items and 3 redken bonus samples!  That in itself should make you want to trade instead of shipping immediately. :)  I'll do another post about trading sometime.

Here was my first pick:

Street Level Leopard Foldover Crossbody $54

I love this and I'm so glad I picked it because it was the only one on the site when I was trading.  Most people were opening with bags and Deux Lux and didn't realize this was a nifty wallet until they started trading...I got a lot of tempting offers, but refused to trade it away.  It is a faux fur leopard on the front panel and yellow faux leather on the back and in the interior.  8 credit card pockets and 4 slip pockets on one side, a large slip pocket and a zip pocket on the other, it closes by a snap in the middle.  The chain is detachable and makes it easily long enough to wear crossbody.  I plan on using this when I travel or go to work with a big bag and want to take just the essentials with me when I go out to eat!

Street Level Large Multi-Compartment Satchel $70

This bag is even nicer than I imagined, it is a great lemon yellow color with gold hardware and large enough for notebooks or a laptop.  It has a detachable pouch (shown next to the bag in both pictures) that snaps into the interior of the bag to serve as a divider and allows you to take your makeup or whatever you choose to put in there out of the bag to carry separately.  Super handy!  I'm glad I could trade for it because it was way more popular than I expected it to be.

This bag also has zippers along the top edges of both sides that open up into narrow full length pockets...this will be so helpful when I need to carry papers I don't want to crumple.  It is a sturdy structured bag that holds its shape very well.

Melie Bianco Edith Top Handle Framed Bag $70

This bag was added as an exchange item and I was super happy since its something I was going to try to trade for.  It is a great small crossbody bag in a size I like to carry when I just want my wallet, phone, and essentials.  Very nicely made and will be great for fall.

Olivia + Joy Tycoon Large Flap Shoulder Bag $78

This bag I traded for and I'm so glad I did, since I've been looking for a simple black bag with gold hardware.  The best part (that you can't see) is that it has a zip pocket on the back, so I can get to my cell phone without opening the bag.  Since it is a flap with a latch style bag, this is a pretty big deal for me.  They now have the bag in green and red on the site and I'm fighting the urge to get those as well!  I especially like the triple chain strap, as its width makes the bag comfy to carry on my shoulder.

Betsey Johnson Mod Round Sunglasses with Hearts $60

Betsey Johnson Square Stone Drop Earrings $25

Betsey Johnson Pig Studs $30

Betsey Johnson goodies!  I got the sunglasses and the pig studs for a gift for a friend, hopefully she'll love them.  All three Betsey items are well made and have a nice level of detail to them.  The earrings are a great pink-fuchsia and aren't too heavy, I can't wait to wear them.

ZAD Deco Tassel Necklace $28

ZAD Two Drop Circle Necklace $26

All The Rage Bangle Set $16

Here are the other jewelry items I got, I love all three!  The ZAD Tassel necklace is long, hangs down to my waist, is super detailed, and I love that it has triple chains that go around my neck.  Very unique looking piece that will be fantastic for fall when I start wearing my blazers.  The circle necklace is really shiny, with dozens of little crystals.  It is a much higher quality piece that I expected, which is nice.  The bangles are simple and pretty, one has 5 turquoise ovals and the other 2 are plain gold bangles.  They fit my 7" wrists nicely.

Case-Mate Rain iPhone 4/4s case $40 (sorry for the bad pic, used my iPhone)

I actually already received this iPhone case in a previous bag, I just loved it so much I had to get a backup!  You know you love an iPhone case when you start resting your phone face down to show off the case and keep it scratch-free...which is, of course, silly.  These cases are usually $40 each, and there are several designs on LBB.  The case is actually a lblack silcone inner case that completely protects the iPhone, then you snap on the colorful hard protective case on top.  Now I don't confuse my iPhone with everyone elses, its unique and gets lots of compliments!

Redken samples, left to right: quick tease spray, dry shampoo, and forceful hairspray

NCLA polishes, left to right: Hollywood and Vine, Hello, I Love You, Santa Monica Shore Thing, and Poolside Party, All Eyes On Me!

Finally, my beauty goodies!  I started with one Redken bonus and ended up with three because people would pair them in their offers.  These are a great size for travel or to keep at work.  I haven't used them much yet, but they smell nice.  Haha.

The polishes are so pretty.  I haven't gotten a chance to use them yet, but out of the box, they look darker than I expected compared to the site pics.  Hollywood and Vine has gorgeous silver shimmer mixed in.  Hello, I Love You is a darker fuchsia color, I was hoping this one would be a bit brighter but its still a great color.  Santa Monica Shore Thing may be my new favorite color, I love the seafoamyness.  And Poolside Party is a great light peachy orange, a unique color I don't have yet.  When I get a chance I'll try to post some swatches, but there are definitely some good ones out there already if you google. :)

I got all of this for under $60!  And the trading gets so addicting, I'm already ready to open a new bag.

If you are interested in opening an LBB account of your own and found my review helpful, please use my referral link ! 

Images: 1-9 my own