Chanel Pouch Review

Hi girlies! Today I want to share a purchase I made in summer last year at Chanel. It's the Chanel pouch. I bought this because I was lacking a dark coloured purse that I could take on night outs, isn't too bulky, and still within a reasonable price. After some online browsing on Chanel's website, I decided to hit up the Chanel store in Times Square in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong. During that visit, I saw a few choices, but I wasn't ready to make the purchase yet. On the next day, my friend and I decided to pop by the store in Harbour City in TST as we were around that area. We were paired with a very friendly sales associate who provided a large selection of pouches for us to choose from after asking us what we were interested in. 

I believe that Chanel pouches usually come in two different sizes. Mine is the smaller one and it's the perfect size for me. It fits a lot of stuff especially due to its zipper closure at the top. It came in black and dark blue. Even though it might be difficult to tell from the pictures, mine is actually the dark blue. The difference between the two colours is very subtle. I chose the blue since blue is my favourite colour and the subtle difference from black makes it a bit more interesting. Unfortunately, I couldn't capture a good picture of the inside. It's a maroon colour and the texture is as if it's made out of foam suitable for carrying an iPad. I love this since it feels durable.

I've used it numerous times since getting it last year. I'd say maybe even more than my Chanel East West flap since I got it 6 years ago. If you're interested, I did a blog post about it here! I feel like the pouch gives off a more effortless look. Not only is it suitable for formal events like attending a wedding, it's also great for casual nights out like going out for dinner.

Other options that I've tried on the shopping day was one in an envelope style. Not only was it more expensive as it was one of the travel collections, the leather was more delicate (which would not be a good idea for clumsy people like me), the envelope style has a v shape design so it couldn't fit as much and I would need to be more careful with holding it.

In terms of price, I paid about HKD7k which I think it's a total steal considering that it's Chanel and the number of times I've used it. I recall that the sales associate mentioned that there is a more basic design that sold for around HKD5k. However, that one is not as special and it's really hard to get due to its low price, and especially for popular colours such as black. 

If you're interested in getting one, I recommend stalking Chanel's website for all the new designs. When there's one that sparks your interest, then go in to the store to see if it's available. I'll share a few below as alternative options.

Left / Right

Aren't the tassel details to die for? Both would be such timeless pieces!

Hope you all enjoyed today's sharing. Much love.

Chanel Nail Polish in 531 Peridot

Chanel Peridot is part of Chanel's Illusion d'Ombres Collection for Fall 2011.  I was drooling over this ever since it came out but couldn't justify spending this much on a polish :S  The bf got this for me for Christmas last year.  Actually before I got my hands on this, I bought a Sally Hansen in Burnt Sienna for $0.99 at Lisa's Cosmetics sales because I was inspired by this gold metallic colour.  If you're interested, you can check out my review here and the rest of my Lisa's cosmetics haul here.  Of course, the Sally Hansen polish was no where as pretty as Peridot since it's basically a solid gold colour whereas Peridot is a duo-chrome.

I love its green undertone!  It's definitely more gold than green in some lighting and vice versa so depending on the place that you're at, your nails will have different looks.  

The application is quite smooth.  I applied 2 to 3 coats to get the opaqueness to the level that I wanted.  As with most metallic polishes, you're bound to have a tad bit of streakiness, but it doesn't bother me too much.  

This is my first Chanel polish and I'm really enjoying it.  However, if you're still unsure about ditching the money for just a polish, I've read quite a few reviews for dupes.  Here's a post from Fleur de Force's blog suggesting 2 alternatives: Ciate's "Oil Slick" and Topshop's "Hidden Treasure."  And from her pictures, they look exactly identical to Chanel's Peridot!! Only if I knew sooner about these dupes, but I don't regret owning Peridot... A Chanel definitely has a special place in a girl's heart ;)

♥ Enter My Japanese branded Make-Up Kit Giveaway hosted by MyPetiteFour ♥

Much Love.

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Review

Before I left for my Vegas trip in the summer, I decided to purchase the Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua foundation because I was intrigued by missglamorazzi's great review and its compact size. I tried it a few times at the counter and fell in love with the scent. However, the price was what stopped me... $45 for 30ml. I finally gave in, and here's my review on the product.

This foundation is not full coverage. It's light, but buildable. It took me a while to get used to its coverage. However, in order to achieve a fuller coverage, more product needs to be applied - money wasted. The texture is an interesting mousse form, you need to shake well before use, or else you'll get that greasy watery liquid. It applies and blends well, not streaky at all which I like, but like I said before, you need to build up the coverage. The product gives a satin / dewy look. At first, I loved the scent, it smells like expensive skincare to me, but after a while, I felt it was too strong of a scent for a foundation.

It has SPF15, my shade is B20.

I feel like this is a good travelling option if you don't mind splurging. It's light enough to wear during the day and it doesn't feel like you have a thick layer of foundation on. Having a little SPF with it is a plus. At night, you can easily apply more to build up more coverage. The packaging is very compact, making it easy to carry. The downside is the price. I think it is very expensive for the amount of product. And to build a fuller coverage, a lot of product needs to be used. I don't think I'll buy it again if I run out.

My 1st Chanel Bag - The East West Flap

I present to you my baby, my first Chanel bag ever, my east west flap in beige! Please note that I'm not trying to brag, I'm here to share my passion for something that I truly enjoy, and hopefully share some insights through my experience for those of you who are interested in this bag or this brand in general :)

I have planned for this purchase for a long time. I always knew I wanted to eventually purchase a Chanel bag. Around last year, I learned about the existence of the East West flap which looks very similar to the classic for very a slightly cheaper price. I had my eyes set on it as my 25th birthday present to myself (end of next year.. the thought of being a quarter of a century old is just daunting). However, I have been considering of advancing the purchase because of Chanel's constant price increases. Then one thing happened last week that pulled the trigger. I found out that Chanel was discontinuing the East West Flap. My heart sank. I knew I had to somehow track down the last ones that are still in the market.

So on Saturday, I went with my girlfriends to Holt Renfrew at the Bloor location of Toronto to check out the Chanel boutique there. The reason why I chose to go to Holts rather than the actual store about 5 minutes down the street is because Holts was having a promotion where you get 25% of your purchase back in a gift card for your next purchase. I was thinking WHOA what an awesome deal right (especially when I was going to commit to such a large purchase). The story will continue later regarding this gift card. So I walked into the store, and there I was inside the most beautiful store I can ever be in surrounded by gorgeousness. I went straight to the SA and asked for the East West flap. She referred to it as the "Baguette"? I'm not sure if that's the second name for it. Let me know if you know! Anyway, she handed me the bag from the shelf behind her, a gorgeous beige - the colour that I wanted from the beginning. And there, the first thing she told me was "We are having a 15% to 20% price increase tomorrow." I nearly had an heart attack. I knew at that time that I was going to get the bag now or never.

Trying to calm myself down, I spotted the classic small in black with gold hardware. I immediately grabbed it for comparison. If I'm spending that much money on something, I better make sure I choose the right one. The one that I absolutely love. After a thorough comparison in which the process includes drawing a venn diagram in my head, listing the pros and cons, completing an intense mental report, I walked out of the store with a big smile on my face. What about the gift card, you ask me? Chanel doesn't participate in the Holt Renfrew promotion :( Sigh.

Difference between the East West Flap and the Classic Small
- The e/w flap is wider, shorter, and narrower
- The e/w flap has only one chain that goes to around my waist at most whereas if you can adjust the Classics to be around your hip area with only 1 chain or under your shoulders and have 2 chains.
- The Classic has another flap inside.
- Before the price increase (already happened on May 1st), the East West Flap was $700 cheaper than the Classic Small.




The strap can be adjusted so that it can be used as a clutch.


The side

The back


This is how to adjust the length of the strap. There's a hook inside the bag where you can hook your strap on to the length that you prefer.


The interior

It comes with an authenticity card with a number at the back.



Inside the dust bag

Now you might prefer the Classic over this, but I had my eyes on this for a while and the fact that it's discontinuing and that it's cheaper got me. Leave a comment if you are planning to purchase a Chanel bag, own a Chanel bag, or just love the Chanel bag! If so, which colour and style do you prefer?

Chanel Galore

I mentioned a few posts ago that I got my belated bday present from my bestie from Hong Kong! It's a Chanel travel makeup palette, and it's my first ever Chanel thing, I was overly excited when I saw it that I somewhat screamed in the restaurant lol. She said she got it on the plane so I'm not sure if this is available anywhere else.

It comes in a black velvet pouch, 3 brushes, a travel size mascara, and the actual palette itself. The palette contains 4 e/s, 1 blush, and 4 lip colours. Aren't they gorgeous! I recently brought this palette with me to NYC. I haven't used the blush and lippies too much, but the e/s are just too pretty! The blend amazingly well!! Not to mention that the colours are natural and fit into everyday life easily.

If you ever read this girlie, I love this present, and I love you! :D