reviews


Mansur Gavriel drawstring bucket bag review

DSC_0941DSC_0821mansur gavriel bucket bag reviewDSC_0954DSC_0952mansur gavriel mini drawstring bagDSC_0946DSC_0956DSC_0966DSC_0960Pictured: Mansur Gavriel drawstring bucket bags. Black bag is vegetable tanned leather. White bag is saffiano leather. Mini bag is vegetable tanned leather. Photos: 2015©

The Mansur Gavriel drawstring bucket bag is one of the most sought-after handbags on the planet. This has made the handbag even more alluring than it would be if it was found sitting alone on a store shelf. Mansur Gavriel’s handbags are handmade in Italy and extremely high quality. This fact, combined with the moderate pricing structure, makes Mansur Gavriel’s handbags a great deal!

I have owned both the large size drawstring bag and mini drawstring bag for about one year. They have both held up extremely well. Although not shown, my DSLR camera fits nicely into both sizes. Even when my DSLR is inside, the handbag still offers plenty of room for everything I need in day-to-life. With the weight of my camera and other items, Mansur Gavriel’s handbags have held up perfectly. They are extremely strong! This is a key feature for a Mom like me.

One of the concerns a handbag fan may have with vegetable tanned leather is how much wear and tear will show on the leather itself. Although it does show scratches, the scratches blend into the leather, and with time, the patina is beautiful and does not look scratched at all. 

While my black handbag, and white handbag, have held their colors nicely, my mini bag has darkened over the past year. It went from a light tan to a medium tan. I like how it looks, but if you are looking for a pale tan or beige bag, this will not be the one you are looking for.

The drawstring handbags by Mansur Gavriel are lightweight, which makes them easy to stuff with things without worrying about making the bag too heavy. The strap is comfortable and the handbag stays put on my shoulder; unless I am bending down or running.

I find the mini drawstring bag to be the perfect size for day to day use. The regular drawstring bag is a little bit big and I find myself having to dig in deep to find my wallet or lipstick. 

My white drawstring bag is only a few months old, but it has held up well too. The white is incredibly durable and does not take any dirt. The saffiano leather is durable and remains scratch-free after daily use. Love that!

Although the regular size drawstring bucket bag comes with a detachable pouch, I have not used it. The pouch is narrow and only seems to be useful for storing receipts or business cards.

Overall, I rate Mansur Gavriel’s drawstring bags; both regular and mini, five out of five stars. They are durable, priced right, offer clean lines, and fit everything one would need to get through the day! Love that!

To shop Mansur Gavriel, please click here, here, or here. If they are currently sold out, please refer to my previous article about getting your hands on a coveted Mansur Gavriel handbag by clicking here.


Chanel Flamme Rose nail polish review

chanel flamme rose nail polish

Pictured: Chanel Flamme Rose nail polish

Chanel Flamme Rose is a classic nail polish color from Chanel. This sweet, pale pink nail polish hue is a great color to keep in one’s nail polish wardrobe as a neutral. Flamme Rose is extremely pale; making it a good neutral hue for the spring and summer seasons.

I tested out Chanel Flamme Rose nail polish with two coats of color, and one base coat; no top coat. The nail polish took five days to chip. Since Flamme Rose is so pale, the chip was difficult to see. Love that!

Chanel Flamme Rose nail polish can be found online here, here, and here.


Saint Laurent Sac du Jour nano tote review

saint laurent handbagDSC_0870 saint laurent nano tote review saint laurent sac du jour mini review saint laurent sac du jour nano interior saint laurent sac du jour nano tote reviewsaint laurent handbag spring

Pictured: Saint Laurent Sac du Jour nano in cobalt blue. 

Welcome to the first-ever handbag review on Bay Area Fashionista! Although I have discussed, and recommended, specific handbags before in the past, this is the first time I have written an actual review of a specific handbag. As someone who loves handbags, and is a former Handbag Journalist, I decided a handbag review feature on the blog was much-needed! I know many of you are handbag lovers too, therefore, I believe many of you will appreciate thorough reviews of classic, and current, handbags. I hope to review one handbag per week starting. . .now!

The Saint Laurent Sac du Jour tote is currently enjoying “IT” status on the street. Fashionistas everywhere are choosing the Sac du jour by Saint Laurent as their tote bag, or satchel, of the moment. It is no secret as to why the Saint Laurent Sac du Jour is enjoying it’s moment in the sun. The handbag is well constructed, simple, elegant, and available in a variety of sizes and colors. What’s not to love?!

Since blue is my favorite color, and I was in need of a mini-satchel (yes, I am a huge trend follower), the nano Sac du Jour by Saint Laurent fit my needs of the moment perfectly. I debated with myself for a few weeks as to whether or not I should go with the nano or small Sac du Jour. My final decision was made because I loved the fact that the nano Sac du Jour offers a wide-open interior, while the small Sac du Jour has a middle compartment which, in my opinion, takes up too much room. In addition, Saint Laurent has a slightly larger size in it’s Sac du Jour line-up which is named the “Baby.” This Sac du Jour is closer in size to the small than the nano, and offers a wide-open interior. This is very appealing and makes me wonder if I need the baby Sac du Jour in black in my life! But I digress. . .

The nano Sac du Jour fits perfectly into the mini-satchel trend of the moment. It is a mini bag with a detachable cross body strap. The strap can be worn as both a shoulder bag and a cross body bag; adding versatility to the style. Of course the strap can be detached, and the Saint Laurent Sac du Jour nano can be worn hand-held as a traditional satchel. Although, holding the nano can be quite cumbersome. The handles are small which does not allow a lot of room for one’s hand. I prefer to wear my Sac du Jour nano with the strap as a shoulder bag. Once in a while I switch things up and wear it cross-body. 

The Saint Laurent Sac du Jour nano measures in at 8.5″ H x 7″ W x 4.33″ D. The top handles offer a 3″ drop, and the shoulder strap offers a 20″ drop. There are five metal feet on the bottom of the bag; making it easy to place on a counter-top without worrying about dirtying the leather. Although there is an interior pocket, it is much too tight to use for anything other than storing a couple of quarters, or an emergency safety pin. The interior is soft, luxurious suede; tempting you to touch the interior periodically throughout the day. Not that I do that, ok, maybe I do! Don’t judge 😉

The interior of Saint Laurent’s Sac du Jour nano can fit a fold-over wallet, coin purse, keys, lipstick, and glasses out of a case. As you can see from the photo above, with these items, minus the glasses, there is still a little bit of room inside the bag for an additional item or items.

I purchased my Saint Laurent Sac du Jour in January. After using it regularly for four and a half months, I have found the quality to be superior to that of handbags priced, or valued at, twice the price of the Sac du jour nano. The leather is strong and does not loose it’s shape. It is surprisingly difficult to scratch the leather. I thought it would scratch easily since it is smooth, but that has not been the case. Love that! Weighing in at one pound, the Saint Laurent Sac du Jour nano is lightweight and easy to carry throughout the day.

My only complaint about the Saint Laurent Sac du Jour nano is that it is quite small. I would like to be able to fit my sunglasses, in their case, inside the bag. I believe the “baby” size will solve the size issue I have found. Perhaps a baby is in my future! And yes, that does sound funny!

Overall, I rate the Saint Laurent Sac du Jour nano five out of five stars! I am truly in love. If you are thinking about purchasing the Sac du Jour nano, consider what you would like to carry with you on a daily basis. The nano could be the right size for you, or perhaps the baby size would better fit your lifestyle.

If you have any questions about the Saint Laurent Sac du Jour nano, or would like alternative information shared in future handbag reviews, please feel free to comment below and/or email me!

The Saint Laurent Sac du Jour nano can be found online here, here, here, here, and here.

Happy shopping, and stay fabulous 😉