chanel

Chanel Violet Piquant nail polish review for spring 2018

 in Beauty / Nail Polish  tagged chanel / chanel nail polish / spring 2018 by

chanel violet piquant spring 2018 nail polish purple

pictured: Chanel Violet Piquant nail polish for the spring 2018 season

Chanel Violet Piquant nail polish is a late spring release from Chanel for the warm weather season. Often referred to as “Act II” from Chanel, four new nail polish colors have been released for spring 2018; and this is my favorite color from the bunch!

As you know, purple or “Ultra Violet” is the color of 2018. So, to see Chanel release a fabulous violet version of their own for spring has me spinning with delight! I love purple; and I love Chanel nail polish, so this is the dream nail color of the century for me! Love!

Chanel Violet Piquant nail polish is a dark, violet hue which could easily be mistaken for a fall nail color. If you want to rock the color of the year on your nails for the duration of 2018, this is the color to wear! It is dark, almost-vampy, and a beautiful violet hue.

I tested out Chanel Violet Piquant with one base coat, and two coats of colors. I did not use a top coat. As with most Chanel nail polishes, it is long lasting and offers beautiful color saturation. Since the polish is dark, the second coat needs to be carefully applied in order to prevent streaking. I did need to do a third coat on two nails which were not covered enough. Even with three coats, those two nails did not bumble or look thick. It looks just as chic with three coats as with two. Love this polish!

You can find Chanel Violet Piquant nail polish for spring 2018 online here. To see the main spring 2018 nail polish collection from Chanel, check out my review here.

What do you think of Chanel Violet Piquant nail polish for the spring 2018 season? Is this a color you would like to wear for the entire year as a nod to :Ultra Violet?”

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

Cathy

Chanel classic flap handbag review

 in Handbags  tagged chanel / handbag reviews by

Ah! The Chanel classic flap handbag. Why haven’t I reviewed this one yet? I am constantly asked questions about Chanel handbags, so I thought it was time to do a review of the most precious handbag style in my collection; the Chanel classic flap handbag. If you have been thinking about investing in one, I hope you will find this review useful.

This timeless shoulder bag by Chanel offers the quintessential Chanel quilting, and chain shoulder strap, we have all grown to love. While sometimes confused with the Chanel 2.55 reissue shoulder bag, the Chanel Classic Flap offers a “CC” logo clasp and puffier quilting. That is the only difference between the two!

chanel 2.55 handbag review

I have three versions of the Chanel Classic Flap shoulder; which isn’t technically called the “Classic Flap,” that is nickname we Chanel fans have given it. It really is just a classic shoulder bag. Pictured above are two versions of the small-size Chanel Classic Flap; one in brown caviar leather and one in black patent. The east/west bag pictured in the front is a convertible clutch which has a detachable strap tucked away. It is navy patent, and I don’t wear it very often because it doesn’t fit very much.

chanel 2.55 review

The small/medium size, which is often referred to as “old medium,” offers enough room for my wallet, phone, keys, lipstick, and sunglasses-not in their case. It is just the right size to fit everything I need when I am dressed up. Although I originally wore the Classic Flap as an everyday bag when I first purchased my brown one, as I get older, I just save them for dressier occasions, and I gravitate towards more casual bags for my everyday life.

chanel 2.55 handbag review chanel 2.55 handbag review chanel 2.55 handbag review chanel 2.55 handbag review

The Chanel Classic Flap, in every size from small through jumbo, offers hidden compartments Coco Chanel originally designed for hiding love letters. There is an opera ticket pocket on the exterior back of the bag; as pictured above. Inside the bag there are two slim compartments; one in the back of the large compartment and one in the front which is protected by an interior flap. Inside the main compartment there are two small pockets, and a lipstick pocket. This is a very organized handbag!

One of my favorite aspects of the Chanel Classic Flap handbag is the strap. It can be worn doubled up, allowing the bag to hit around the elbow, or, it can be worn as a single strap which allows for the bag to hang by the top of the hipbone. I prefer to wear mine as a single strap bag. I find it to be the most comfortable configuration.

I originally purchased my first Chanel Classic Flap in brown caviar leather in 2004, and as you can see, it is in great condition! I then purchased the navy patent east/west clutch, and then the black patent. These bags are well over ten years old, and they look new! If stored correctly, your Chanel bags can easily last for several generations.

In order to properly store your Chanel bags, keep them stuffed with white tissue paper, and always keep the felt they are packaged with. The felt is good for keeping the strap off the leather while it is stored. I always place the felt between the strap and the bag to protect the leather from the metal; you don’t want those touching! I store my bags on their back so that they don’t sag, wrapped inside their dust bag, and protected in their original box. Since Chanel has one of the highest resale values of any designer brand, it is important to keep them stored properly. I have sold Chanel bags for more then I originally paid for them, so proper storage is a must!

If you don’t want to spring for a new Chanel bag, there are plenty of reputable re-sale retailers online where you can find authentic Chanel bags which are gently used; and in some cases, new with tags! I have linked to Chanel bags online from reputable retailers below. I hope you find the Chanel Classic Flap bag of your dreams!

Thanks for stopping by, and feel free to ask me anything about your next handbag purchase! I love your emails and DM’s!!

XOXO

Cathy

chanel 2.55 handbag review

Street style handbags New York Fashion Week February 2018

 in Handbags / Trends  tagged chanel / chloe / gucci / new york fashion week / NYFW FW18 / spring 2018 / street style trends by

It is one thing to spot trends on the runways at New York Fashion Week, it is another thing to spot what people are wearing on the runway designers want their handbags to be seen on; the street.

Since fashion week in February has a combination of winter weather, and guests wanting to rock the latest spring trends, the only thing people can really wear without worrying about ice on the sidewalk, or snow falling from the sky, is a handbag. The spring 2018 handbags were out in full force at New York Fashion Week fall 2018! Yes!

I took careful notes of what people were carrying when attending the shows at New York Fashion Week. The street style handbags from New York Fashion Week will dictate which handbag trends will dominate the spring season, and which designer bag will gain the coveted “IT” status of the season. I have to admit, I was a little surprised to see the handbag patterns on the street!

Didn’t we say something about the death of the mini bag? Weren’t they going away? Well, they are going away, unless they are shaped like a circle or a box, then, they are not going away. That’s right! The streets of New York Fashion Week have spoken. Small or mini circle bags, and box bags, are all the rage for spring 2018; just don’t wear them cross body, that’s so last year.

Of course, there is more to street style handbags then small circles and boxes; the fashion set was also spotted wearing the Gucci Dionysus, Gucci Marmont, Chloe Nile, Chanel Boy Bag (it’s making a resurgence!), and any style of Louis Vuitton. Is Louis going to have a moment? It is so very 1990s. . .speaking of the 1990s. . .

Oh GenerationX, I hope you kept your mini backpack! Unfortunately, mine is long gone. <sign> Mini backpacks were everywhere on the streets of New York Fashion Week. Look for mini backpacks this season in bright colors, metallic hues, and funky fabrications. Free up those hands girl and dance! Speaking of free hands. . .

American tourists in white tennis shoes will rejoice at the third biggest trend in street style handbags from New York Fashion Week. The fanny pack is back from the 1980s, and it is not your typical touristy, nylon fanny pack. Sometimes called “belt bags,” the fanny pack was everywhere at fashion week, and it was Gucci. Don’t even bother getting a different designer or brand; it’s Gucci, or look like a cheesy American tourist, your choice.

Can we circle back to Louis Vuitton? For guests who need more space in their handbags during fashion week, the two bags I spotted the most often were the Louis Vuitton Neverfull, and the good ol’ fashion week standby; the Givenchy Antigona. In general, workhorse fashion week bags offered two top handles, a medium size, a neutral hue, or a metallic color. The bright colors were reserved for the smaller bags such as the circles, boxes, and <gasp> fanny packs.

The most spotted bags in these categories were the Gucci fanny pack, the MCM box bag, Louis Vuitton Neverful, Givenchy Antigona, Gucci Dionysus, anything from the Gucci Marmont family, Brahmin Lane Melbourne, Chloe Pixie, Chloe Nile, and the Chanel Boy bag. Which IT bag is your favorite?

Shop the top IT bags from the streets of New York Fashion Week:

Which street style handbags from New York Fashion Week are your favorite?

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

Cathy