There is such an amazing selection on The Luxury Closet, and select items are up to 40% off for Women’s Day until the 8th of March. I thought it would be fun to feature few of my favorites, from ready-to-wear to fabulous handbags…
While luxury apparel and handbags can come at a hefty price, this selection is on the more affordable side of designer, so you can shop with a clear conscience.
My recent partnership with The Luxury Closet has has me lusting after a luxury handbag to add into my wardrobe. I’ve always had more of an interest in ready-to-wear than $$$ handbags, but even I have to admit that with a great designer handbag, it has more mileage because you can wear it with all your outfits (depending on what color you go with, of course).
As I don’t have the budget to buy more than 1 luxury handbag, I will narrow it down to a few of my favorite neutral bags, my top recs for classic black handbags and my favorite bright and bold ones. Then I will narrow it down to 1 in each category and decide what would be the best option for my wardrobe.
Classic bags are safer investments, as they will go with more outfits and surpass trends and fads. However, not all classic bags work well with our personal style or lifestyle. In the end, if a trendy bag is practical and works easily with your current closet, it may be a good purchase. People consider a bag trendy because of the color, print, or style. To me, a good capsule bag collection would focus on classic bags with a few trendy bags sprinkled in.
In this post, I am featuring bags from different retailers and re-selling websites. I fully intend on choosing a pre-loved bag, so I can get an almost new bag that is significantly discounted. While I want the bag to still be in great condition, I don’t see the need to pay double the price for a handbag that I will scuff or that I have to “baby” and be afraid to wear on a regular basis.
I’m in love with the Gucci Marmont in Candy Pink, but this wouldn’t be a good purchase since I don’t yet own a great basic black or neutral handbag. In the future, I would consider it, because most days I’m just wearing black and this would be a fun accent color. When I am wearing color, I opt for baby blue or pastel, and I think this pop of pink would pair with that as well.
Because I am a true declutter-er at heart, and want a modest but AMAZING bag collection, I will only be investing in one of the beauties. With all that said, let’s compare some stunning handbags from new and past collections across various brands…
I love a good metallic handbag, and one of my most loved bags was a white/iridescent one, and it truly went with all my outfits. If you want a bag that is a bit more unique and interesting than a basic neutral bag, metallics can be a good option.
You do have to keep in mind that silver or rose gold or gold can have very different effects and may look more night-time appropriate. You also should consider what colors look best on you. For instance, I have a warm complexion and brown hair and eyes, so copper and rose gold are the most flattering. However, I prefer silver.
Metallics can go with almost anything, but that can also depend on the bag’s style and leather/fabric composition.
Givenchy Crocodile Embossed Antigona
Saint Laurent Toy Loulou in Cork
Gucci GG Marmont, Medium
Gucci Marmont GG Mini Top Handle
Gucci GG Marmont, Small
Obviously I’m a little obsessed with the Gucci Marmont in Porcelain Nude Rose, however I’ve never made the purchase because I love to wear silver jewelry and the brassy/gold hardware always deters me. Hardware is an important aspect to consider and I would prefer black hardware or a bag that has both gold and silver elements so that I don’t have to always consider whether I need to wear silver or gold jewelry when getting ready for the day.
Chanel Calfskin CC Pocket Tote
Chanel Iridescent Caviar Clutch
What shape is best for you really comes down to style and function. A circle bag may be on-trend, but may not be user-friendly if your cell phone doesn’t even fit in it. Now most brands offer various sizes in their most in-demand handbags, so if you love the Gucci Marmont, or the Chanel classic flap, then you can decide which size…from the mini to the maxi…works best for your lifestyle. Whether you prefer a wallet on a chain for date night or a tote that you can use everyday, your lifestyle and how practical you need your handbag to be will determine your size preference. It becomes a bit easier once you have a few bags in various sizes, such as nice tote, a work bag, and a clutch. I want a handbag that will work for both day and night, so my ideal handbag would be a crossbody that will fit my phone, wallet, and essentials.
The Prada Cahier is super edgy and functional, because it is a small crossbody. My ideal combination for this bag would be solid black with black hardware.
These Chloe bags wouldn’t be my first choice because I have a more edgy modern style and Chloe’s bags tend to be pretty feminine. The one in light nude is gorgeous though. If you prefer feminine and preppy looks, one of the bags below might be perfect.
Saint Laurent Crocodile Embossed Calfskin Sac de Jour
Saint Laurent Calfskin Crocodile Manhattan Shopper
The new croc embossed trend has paved the way for many brands to release alligator, croc, and croc effect. True exotic skins are crazy expensive, but croc effect can be more practical and attainable.
I did once buy a pre-loved Saint Laurent toy bag with croc leather in hot pink. I returned it because the scales were peeling off in the front. This is one thing I would precaution you on. Be aware of the condition of the leather and the specific type of leather, because as these bags show wear, the scales or “scaled effect” of the leather can flake off and make the bag look old and ratty.
Some leathers are more hard wearing, and in the right leather, a little texture on the bag can prevent every stain or scratch from showing.
The type and length of strap also should be considered when buying a bag. A chain strap is more edgy and modern and I have heard that the straps on the Chanel classic flap aren’t ideal to wear crossbody. The YSL Sunset bag straps can be taken off and another put on, making it more versatile. I like to add on my own bag straps, so I look for handbags that allow you to clip off and on the strap.
Recently, I’ve tried my hand at an entire new avenue of beauty...interview-appropriate makeup. Now, let me first premise that the makeup you wear should depend on the job and environment. For instance, interview makeup for a corporate work environment will look completely different than if you are interviewing to be a makeup artist or in another related, creative field. So, maybe you will customize your interview look based on your fashion and makeup style. Easy additions to up your interview look might be a precise winged liner or soft contours. Just be sure to blend and pick a product with the right undertones! Despite what job your after, there is one common thread: we all want to look like we mean business. For that aesthetic, I’ve found a natural, soft, but polished look, to be my go-to face as a young professional.
Just a few of my interview must-haves as I scramble to create an unforgettable first impression...
I first run my hair through a straightener to silken my locks but still keep my hair’s natural waves. Then I focus on creating a natural glow that makes me look fresh and ready for anything. To achieve this, I begin makeup application with my gorgeous YSL touché eclat blur primer. The silicone consistency and stream of gold shimmer throughout, makes me feel like a queen. Which is essential...we should feel like a million dollars if we’re about to sell ourselves to a future employer and explain what makes us so fabulous. Following the primer is my beloved Josie Maran Vibrancy foundation. This gives an effortless glow and sinks into the skin within seconds.
This glow-getter combo will give your skin the right amount of dew, so you look fresh, not sweaty.
Following my base comes my eyeshadow, which I wanted to keep light and delicate. I immediately scavenged through my makeup drawer for Tom Ford’s Nude Dip quad, because this product is the epitome of sophisticated shimmer and effortless eyeshadow.
The quad of all quads when you want an enhancing assortment of champagne and taupe.
To fix any fall out and add coverage to blemishes, I then spot conceal with my Josie Maran concealer crayon in Fair 1. Now that our base looks flawless, we can add some dimension to our face with bronzer and highlight. I used a limited edition Givenchy bronzer in shade 2, Douce Croisiere. Any bronzer will do, as long as it doesn’t pull too orange and is buildable. As for highlight, I picked Farsali’s glazed Jellybeam highlight, which can be applied with a pat of the fingers and gives a barely-there glow.
Barely-there glow is the way to go for interview situations.
Last but not least, I add on the finishing touches with a lengthening mascara. My favorite is Tarte’s tarteist lash paint. They will make your lashes bold enough that liner is optional. Then, for the ultimate rosy mauve pout, I would recommend Tom Ford’s lip color matte lipstick in First Time, topped with Smith & Cult’s lip lacquer in Now Kith, if you opt for a glossy lip.
The ultimate lash and lip duo.
I hope these makeup products will make the stressful process of getting ready for an interview a little more fun. I’m a believer in the adage that the better you look, the better you’ll feel. Hopefully this insight will help you tackle tough interview questions with finesse.
Good luck beautiful!
