Little Black Bag 5: part II (September)

LOOK: PART II!!!  Here is the rest of my bag (jewelry and a lippie).


Hopefully you've already read (and enjoyed!) the first part of my September LBB.  This is the rest of the bag, all the little things that I decided to get.  I've been trying not to get too much jewelry, but this month had a depressingly small selection of home and accessories that I really liked, and anything I did like I would have to trade really high to get, so it wasn't that worth it to me.

And here we go!

Cargo lipgloss in Halifax.  Retail $24
Carol Duplaise hammered drop Earrings.  Retail $20
Kenneth Cole chip hoop Earrings.  Retail $28

The Cargo lip gloss is really pretty, its a nice peachy pink with very slight shimmer.  It is minty, which I wasn't expecting...never tried this gloss before, although I've used 7 of the Cargo blushes (thanks, LBB!).  Nice way to try it on the cheap.

The Carol Duplaise earrings are larger than I expected, and while pretty, I'm trying to decide if I like the posts or if I want to switch out to gold hooks.

Which looks better?

I kind of like that the hook makes them more simple and showcases the stone (which is a gorgeous smoky color) but I don't know.  The gold is very shiny for the giant post, it just might be too much for me I guess.

The Kenneth Cole chip hoop earrings are nice and dainty at around 1" around...the little hex nut looking beads can actually be taken off, and the largest middle one has two tiny crystal chips set in them.  A nice little extra touch.  I really like these, they will mesh well with my style and my other jewelry.


Now, I love me a good necklace, and I have gotten a few from LBB.  Before I got that Nila Anthony bag, I actually had several more necklaces, but luckily I cut back.  I have a LOT of jewelry as it is, and this site does not help with that addiction!  I'll have to do a post in future about my jewelry storage, because it is extensive.

Robert Rose mesh and chain necklace.  Retail $30
All the Rage assorted bead necklace.  Retail $26
Robert Rose waved snake metal collar.  Retail $34

The long gold mesh and chain necklace is really really pretty, I've been looking for a simple multi-chain gold necklace that is heavy enough to hang well.  Having a larger chest means lighter long necklaces can hang weirdly, but this has a good weight and the "mesh" section keeps it straight.  It hangs to a few inches above my navel.

The bead necklace looked pretty on the LBB site and is even prettier in person!

Pretty beads!

This one is about the same length as the gold one, a few inches above my navel, and its a great mix of intricate and weighty.  I am either going to give this to my mom, or I am going to keep it.  But someone who will appreciate this lovely will be wearing it, for sure.

The wavy snake necklace is beautiful up close, very shiny gold and looks great lying against my collarbone.  I try to pick jewelry pieces that look unique and more expensive, and this one certainly fits the bill.  Got the last one in the gallery and I'm glad I did, I was eyeing it for awhile.  Got some really good offers on it too, so I'm happy its just as nice as I was hoping it would be.


Finally, my skull collection!!

Mocha skull earrings (2 pairs).  Retail $15 each
Mocha skull bracelets (turquoise and coral).  Retail $20 each
ZAD white skull bracelet.  Retail $14 

So I have two sisters, both who like skull jewelry.  I was hoping to get some to save for Christmas gifts, and was successful.  However, I have a few issues:

The Mocha skull earrings are beautiful and detailed...but crazy heavy.  And with them being 2-3 inches long, they swing around a lot.  They looked tiny and delicate on the site, when in actuality the skulls are the same ones used for the bracelets and are 3/4 inch tall.

HOWEVER, I will be keeping them.  I'm going to shorten one pair so its just the sparkly ball and skull on hooks so it doesn't pendulum and pull the earlobe quite so much, and the other pair will either be used to make bracelets or pendants.

And by bracelets, I mean ones like the Mocha skull bracelets I received.  I am returning these both because:
1. I can make bracelets prettier than these using the one pair of earrings I will frankenstein.
2. The beads used for the bracelets just aren't as pretty as I thought they would be.  They ended up looking cheaper than I liked.
So, basically, I'd rather have the credit.  Awesomesauce.

Finally, the white skull bracelet is exactly how I expected it to be and will be perfect for one of my sisters.  Yay.

Hopefully this LOOK was both entertaining and educational.  Or at least one of the two.  If you feel compelled to open a LBB of your own, here's my referral link!  And I would love some comments if you have a minute to spare. :)

Images: 1-6 my own

Little Black Bag 5: part I (September)

WARNING: This is a long and picture-heavy post.  Be prepared to drool over pretty things.

Since I want to be a bit more detailed about my LBB and this one was pretty big, I'm splitting it into 2 parts: part I will be bonuses and bags, part II will be everything else. :)

My 5th Little Black Bag just came in and its the biggest one so far, thanks to 11 Benefit bonuses!  Living so close to where they ship out, it only took 2-3 days to receive my bag once it closed, which was super awesome.  Let's take a LOOK. :)

So this time around, I wasn't super in love with any one item and I was starting out with 5 jewelry credits, so I played around with opening with different items to see what they would offer me.  I ended up choosing a Benefit They're Real! mascara bonus as my first item, haha, because the exchange items they were offering me were much better when I did that.  Plus I really like that mascara, so I made it my goal to get as many as I could this bag.

So let's start out with the bonuses, shall we?

9 They're Real!, 1 Watt's Up!, 1 Porefessional, and a Porefessional card sample
that comes with the comic.

 So like I had mentioned, They're Real! was my first pick, so I was able to start with 2 bonuses.  During the week I only traded away 3 bonuses and started hoarding the ones I really liked (obviously mostly mascara). When I finally shipped, I took 9 of the available 49 They're Real! with me. (!!)

The reason I wanted so many is that this mascara is a full size at Sephora of this mascara is $23 for .3oz.  This sample is .1 oz, and I got 9 of them, equaling 3 full size mascaras.  BUT the bonuses will last longer because they will stay fresh.  It is a great mascara....it stays on, it coats evenly, and the wand has pointy bristles at the top that is great for detailing my teeny asian lashes.

One gripe I do have with them is that on the LBB site they are shown as being the larger .14oz size.  Now, that may not be a HUGE deal to some people, but its the difference between being a half size and a 1/3 size.  So its a the difference of like 1.5 full tubes for me.  Sad times.  Both the specs and the pictures were wrong on the LBB site, so there was no reason to doubt what they were showing me.  Since they are bonuses, I won't pout too much, but its just another example of how there can be inconsistencies on the LBB site.

For your info, the Porefessional sample is .1oz (1/3 of the full size) and the Watt's Up! is .08oz (full size is .33oz).

On to the bags!

I. Love. My. Pilar.  The Pilar was released on Tuesday mere HOURS after I opened.  Obviously, this really pissed me off, haha.  Luckily, the lovely Kelly opened with the bag to trade with me, since I had a few things she liked.  Definitely an instance where the chat has helped me out instead of being somewhat useless, like it can definitely tend to be. o_O

My black Vieta Pilar satchel.  Gorgeous!  Retail $83

My attempt to show a little more detail...hopefully you can see the faux
leather and the hardware better.

A peekie at the inside.  The lining is of good quality, too.

This bag is gorgeous and veryyyyy well made.  The synthetic leather is some of the best I've seen from LBB, its smooth, thick, and has a nice texture.  It would be big enough for a small laptop or an iPad, but anything larger probably wouldn't fit.  I've been looking for an inexpensive black satchel for fall, so getting this crosses something off my checklist!

Bag features: it has a top handle and a long crossbody strap that is adjustable with a belt-style buckle.  The back of the bag has a magnetic slip pocket, which is where my iPhone shall live (love having at least one accessible pocket on a bag for my phone!).  Inside is the standard 2 pocket/1 zip pocket style.


Onto the black Nila Anthony tote with studded handles.  This is my first Nila Anthony bag and I was a bit apprehensive to get it since they are notorious for being a bit smelly and having minor quality issues.  This bag as a last minute trade for me...as in, I traded for it in my last 20 minutes of trading for some jewelry I didn't really want.  While a teeny bit smelly (kind of like a tire?  A little bit?) it will air out in a few days and be just fine.  I'm already using it, so it doesn't stink that much!

Simple with spiky details.  What's not to love?  Retail $74

Love that the lining is a pop of color.

 This bag is SUPER simple, but is a great "don't want to match my bag to my style/outfit today" bag for me.  The short handles are just long enough to get on my shoulder, but I will most likely use them for carrying or elbow-crooking.  The crossbody strap is long enough to use as a crossbody (so many bags have short straps!) and has the same spiky studded detailing as the front of the short handles.  The material is a really soft pleather.  I was worried it was going to be stiff, so I'm really glad its not....I wanted the handles to fold or flop over nicely if I wore it as a crossbody, and I wanted a casual style bag so this is just what I need.

The lining is the typical Nila Anthony lining (from what I can tell by other people's product photos) which I really like...I am not a fan of dark lining, I can never find what I need in my bag as it is!  Also, the hardware on this bag is a kind of in between gold/silver, which will be great for mixing and matching with whatever jewelry I am wearing.  I still have a slight mental block on clashing my bag hardware with my jewelry....but I'm working on it!


My super-random love from this bag is the Fydelity Ice G Stereo Bag in yellow/lime green.  I had randomly gotten this while trading and couldn't let it go...and am super glad I didn't!  It was the only Fydelity speaker bag that wasn't animal print or checked, and I've been curious about it for awhile.  If I let it go, I wasn't going to get it back, so I'm glad it exceeded my expectations.

Why hello, my love!  Fydelity speaker bag!  Retail $50

Cute zipper pulls.  You can see the strap is almost a limey yellow here.

This bag will be PERFECT for taking to the beach, the park, or camping!  I like that if its damp or it gets dirty I can just wipe it clean.  It uses 4 AA batteries to power the surprisingly loud and clear speakers.  I really like the transparent yellow color, I have pretty wallets and pouches and you can never see them in my bag.  The bag only has one little pocket to hold the controls/battery pack, but since its transparent PVC I'd rather keep my things in pouches in the bag anyway.


Finally, the Street Level Envelope Clutch Wallet in pink.  Crazy bright pink.  After unwrapping this and the Fydelity bag, my guyfriend asked me if it was the 80s. :P

Pretty, pretty pink. Retail $52

Pretty lining and lots of pockets. Has 8 credit card slots.

Isn't it gorgeous!?  I saw the blue and the green on someone's blog and was worried the pink wasn't going to be bright enough, but no worries!  It is as close to neon as it can be without glowing in the dark.  It has wayyyy more compartments than I thought.  There's a slip pocket in the back, the 2 compartments with the credit card slots and a pocket in the divider (which you can see the lining of behind the divider set of credit card slots in the pic above), and then the 2 side snaps that you can see in the first picture actually open up another 2 pockets.  Lose count yet?  I just hope I can remember where I put everything in here.  And of course it also has a long chain strap so you can use can wear it hands free.  Loving this on my wallets lately!

So there, part I is complete.  Part II to come!  If you would like to open a new LBB account, please consider using my referral code!  Thanks! :)

Images: 1-10 my own

LBB B&M eye-spy!

Addiction is a dangerous thing.

Luckily, my addiction is in the form of shopping.  Not spending, necessarily....just shopping.  Browsing, seeing things in person, checking out price and quality....that's me.  I suppose I'm a very tactile person, I guess.  Who likes a good deal.

Which makes Little Black Bag trading my drug!  Not only do I get a week of shopping for $50+, it gives me an excuse to go and check out these brands in person. :)  LBB is notorious for having horrible, stock-type photos and sizing issues with their manniquins....to the point where looking for the items or pics IRL is important (as well as learning the importance of keeping a ruler next to your computer).  I've found quite a few places to see the bags, jewelry, and accessories in person, which I will share with you now.  Please forgive the photography in this post, I am SUPER awkward when it comes to taking pictures in stores of items...especially when I am staging the photo to show all the same brand.  Haha.

Macys.  A GREAT source for handbags on LBB.  They have loads of Olivia + Joy, R&Em, Steve Madden, BCBG, and some Big Buddha there, and I've had great luck finding the bags on LBB on clearance there.  Not that I buy them from Macys, since trading is still a much cheaper way to go, but I've been able to get a really good handle on bag sizes and quality this way.

Macys also has quite a few pieces of jewelry that I've seen on LBB under different random brand names, so its always worth a try to take a look through that section...especially if you missed a piece on LBB.

I saw THIS:

for $26+!  LBB had it marked at $16, so I was really glad to get it on there.  And THIS:

was $22+ at Macy's.

They also have Betsey Johnson jewelry, but not at the best prices (usually full price).

Francesca's Collections.  Where I go to look at Street Level bags and accessories...they usually carry a decent selection, and some are right from LBB but at full price ($50s).  Good way to look at colors and quality, and I've been downright shocked for sure on the sizes of some of the bags (usually smaller than I expected).

Nordstrom Rack.  This place is THE place to go to get your Deux Lux and Betsey Johnson fix, in my opinion.  They carry both large AND small Deux Lux items, and I've seen allll sorts of wallets in different colors and styles there.  These items can trade VERY high on LBB, and if I really wanted it, I would probably just buy a wallet for $20 instead of trading a handbag for one!  

Deux Lux party!!!  So shiny.  These guys were around $20.

So pretty.  $40 at Nordstrom Rack.

I've also seen almost every Betsey Johnson jewelry item that has been on LBB at the Nordstrom Rack near me at one time or another (usually around the same time they're on the site!), in addition to several other pieces....and all for very reasonable prices (around 40-50% off).  I myself can't really pull off the cuteness that is BJ, but I know so many LBB girls who would squee themselves silly seeing all that Betsey.  Get thee to a Nordstrom Rack!!  It helped immensely to be able to see the detail on some of the jewelry, and the sizing (the earrings in particular) was surprising.  Some Betsey pieces are HUGE!

Pretty shiny Betsey!  They also have bags, wristlets, and watches.

Oh, Kenneth Cole jewelry...you just don't get that much love on LBB sometimes...but your jewelry is pretty. Love seeing you at the Rack, but for $10-20 a pop, its much cheaper to get you on LBB.

TEN pairs of Kenneth Cole earrings that were on LBB.  And there were more, too... 

As for bags, they carry some Steve Madden, Deux Lux, Betsey Johnson....brands that you would see at Nordstroms, really.

TJ Maxx.  a.k.a., handbag heaven!!!  A great place to dig for Betsey Johnson, Sakroots, MMS, Steve Madden, R&Em, Deux Lux, Big Buddha...lots of the LBB featured brands.

Betsey pile!  Wristlets at $13 each.

Sakroots Ipad bags, convertible clutch bags, wristlets...lots of goodies.

Deux Lux goodies!  The nice thing is that when they get Deux Lux they usually
get it in several colors (both the wallets and the bags).

They also have jewelry, of course.  I've seen Robert Rose, RJ Graziano, and of course, Betsey Johnson.

Shiny Betsey pile under glass!  Wish I could play with them like at Nordstrom Rack,
but these pieces will definitely be in good condition.

People also have reported luck at Ross and Marshalls, but they are a bit more hit or miss for me.  I have definitely run into some clearance Big Buddha and Deux Lux large bags at Marshalls, though, so I do try to swing by there if I'm in the area. :)

Sorry if this post was a bit Betsey and Deux Lux heavy for anyone, I just know those items are super popular on LBB!  If there's any brand or type of item you're curious about, let me know in comments and I'll let you know if I've seen it!

Images: 1-10 my own

Little Black Bag 3 (July)

Going back in time a little bit to post a quick LOOK of my 3rd LBB!  Sorry in advance for the not-so-awesome iPhone photos, I took these quickly to throw up onto the makeuptalk pic thread and never got around to taking more, but they are certainly better than nothing!!

My first pick:

Steve Madden Taylor Cognac Satchel $88

SM satchel.  I. Love. This. Bag!!  Offers got crazy high (more than double the retail, easily) but keeping this was the right thing to do, its a very well made bag that looks much more expensive than it is.  I am a sucker for the gold hardware, the clip-adjustable long strap (clips onto loops on itself to shorten the strap!), and the front pocket that is the perfect size for my iPhone.  The color is also a rich cognac, which I didn't have in my bag collection yet.

Miztique Cross-Stitched Tote $72

Miztique tote!  I had questions on what color this tote actually was, and it turned out to be a putty-grey-beige color that is really unique.  Great neutral.  The handles and strap are a dark dark brown, and the bag is a good size for work.  Its not as big as I thought it would be, but big enough for a laptop or notebooks.  I'm really glad I didn't get a black bag for once in this LBB!

clockwise from top left: Green Kenneth Cole beaded necklace $50

BCBG gold heart bracelet $25

Gold chevron cuff $26

Lydell NYC turquoise square drop earrings $28

White and gold fabric necklace $28

3 Juko bracelets in yellow, turquoise, and white $28 each

Tribal Collar necklace $16

Spring Street Maharaja earrings $14

Here are some jewelry items!  I'll try to tackle these one at a time, and eventually get individual photos of the items I kept on here.

Kenneth Cole green beaded necklace. this is pretty long, it came down to a few inches above my navel, but I sent it back because each bead was a marbled green and white, and I was hoping they would be a more transparent jade-like bead.  Still really pretty but not what I wanted.

BCBG gold heart bracelet. love this guy, but he came to me broken!  Luckily, it was nothing a little superglue couldn't fix.  If your wrist is over 7 inches around, it might fit a little weird. and not want to lie flat along your wrist.  Not really bendable, and if you try you will probably break it.

Gold chevron cuff.  This is my favorite cuff now, its a shiny hammered gold that goes with everything.  Great for days when I just want one big statement piece on my wrist.

Turquoise square drop earrings.  I got these to give as a gift, they are really pretty and nicely made.  The resin stones are set well and are a cloudy white/aqua color.  They come to a point so its not just flat but has 4 triangular facets.  I think she'll really like these.

White and gold fabric necklace.  While I like this one, its much too short for me to wear (not a choker fan).  So it went back!

Juko bracelets!  I had to trade my butt off to get all 3, and I'm glad I did.  I ended up only keeping the white and turquoise though, since the yellow wasn't a mustard yellow like I was hoping, more like a plain yellow.  The gold hook detail is really nice and makes these a more unique bracelet.  My wrist is around 7 inches and these fit, but pretty closely, so if I wore them in an arm party they would need to be closer to my hand.  If your wrist is more than 7 inches these will be really tight.

Tribal collar necklace.  Love this piece!  I actually saw this exact necklace for $26+ at Macys the other day, so it was definitely worth picking up on LBB.  It has a mix of metals so it will work well with any other jewelry you might want to wear with it.

Spring Street earrings.  These were really really pretty, but very long, around 5 inches.  I tend to wear studs and just knew I wouldn't wear these so I sent them back and hopefully someone who does like long earrings will love them. :)  

clockwise from top left: Cargo blush in Topeka $28

Kikkerland pug salt and pepper shakers $8

All The Rage spike cuff $12

Casemate Rain iPhone 4/4s case (outer case shown) $40

Last 4 items of the 16 I received in this LBB!

Cargo Topeka.  I have gotten a total of 7 or 8 Cargo blushes from LBB (it is bad when you can't even keep count!  haha) and they are all fantastic.  This one is a peachy natural color with a little shimmer.  Cargo blushes are a great deal for $28 as they are more than twice the size of NARS blushes and just as good if not better.  They are finely milled and they blend wonderfully.  I will definitely open another bag if more Cargo pops up on LBB, its such a great deal!  For now, you can purchase them at Ulta, and Sephora in JCP may still have some on clearance for 50% off.

Pug shakers. Super cute ceramic doggies!  Instead of using them as shakers, I use them as mini-statuary on my bookcase.  They make cute little bookends or toppers on a stack of books.

Spike cuff.  It is a nice gunmetal open cuff that looks great in an arm party.

Casemate Rain iPhone case.  I actually got 2 of these in 2 different bags, I like it so much (also shown in LBB 4).  This pic is of just the outer shell that snaps onto the black silicone inner case.  Really nice and sturdy, my iPhone is now indestructable.

Hopefully this LOOK is helpful, and if you want to open a LBB of your own, please use my referral link!  Thanks, and please leave any questions or comments for me and I'll get back to you ASAP. :)