Reviews and Other Stuff

Whatโ€™s In My Bag? The Balenciaga Classic Metallic Edge City Review

Balenciaga City

 

Hey Bag Lovers! Iโ€™m back with another review of my favorite bag of the moment. Iโ€™ve had this bag for a couple of years now, and it has been used quite a lot. Itโ€™s a very functional bag due to its practical size that can hold a substantial amount of stuff, and is an ideal bag for transitioning from one season to another. Itโ€™s also versatile because it goes with anything, whether youโ€™re rocking a biker chic look or an office attire. It can also be casual for running errands or just a walk around town kind of look. Truly a bag of all seasons, of shifting weathers, and a go to for anyone who wants to look polished yet edgy and trendy. We all know this bag, the Balenciaga Classic Metallic Edge City. A modern and even more edgy twist to the usual Balenciaga Classic City that we know. The bag is made of a strong yet supple grained goatskin, hand stitched handles and a removable shoulder strap.

 

Balenciaga Classic Metallic Edge City

Balenciaga Classic Metallic Edge City Contents

 

It also has its signature gold metallic edges and golden studs. The Balenciaga Classic Metallic Edge City retains the same size, interiors, openings, zips and compartments as the Classic City, and comes with the removable leather framed mirror. The handle drop is around 4 inches, while the shoulder strap drop is around 8.5 inches. The bag itself is about 15 inches in length and 9 inches in height with a depth of 5 inches. It is quite heavy, around 1 pound or more, but it can hold a ton of stuff. The leather looks luxurious, robust, strong and quite resistant to scratches. Though the bag tends to get more supple with time, its beauty and resilience remains the same, if not better. I usually carry it during winter and down to spring. I even carry it during long haul flights without any issue. This is without a doubt, a multitasking bag for me.

balenciaga city mirror

Balenciaga Classic Metallic Edge City Contents

 

 


 

 

 

Hereโ€™s whatโ€™s inside:

 

Balenciaga Classic Metallic Edge City review contents

 

  1. Iphone 6 Plus – The case is from Sonix, available HERE.
  2. Wide-Tooth Comb โ€“ Believe it or not, this comb is 15 years old. Itโ€™s practically antique. Got this when I was still in high school. I donโ€™t even remember anymore where I bought this from. But Iโ€™ve been keeping it because of the sentimental value. LOL. On top of that, it detangles my hair well, and prevents split ends. Still looks good as new too.
  3. YSL Rouge Voluptรฉ Shine Oil-In-Stickย in Shade 48 Smoking Plum. My most favorite YSL Rouge Voluptรฉ Shine Shade. Reviewed and swatched HERE.
  4. Louis Vuitton Key Pouch โ€“ Contains my two favorite lip products as of the moment; the YSL Rouge Voluptรฉ Shine Oil-In-Stick in 48 Smoking Plum, and YSL Rouge Pur Couture Lipstick in 66 Bois De Rose.
  5. YSL Rouge Pur Couture Lipstickย in 66 Bois De Rose. My favorite YSL Lipstick shade of all time. Reviewed HERE.
  6. Louis Vuitton 6 Key Holder โ€“ Vernis Leather in Indian Rose shade. Love this for keys and keychain cards organization.
  7. Burberry Classic Cashmere Scarf โ€“ Love the Ash Rose shade of this. Ideal for when the temperature gets chillier than usual.
  8. Supermarket Pocket Facial Tissue โ€“ Itโ€™s always important to have this.
  9. Too Cool For School Dinoplatz Dear Brachiosaurus Blotting Paper โ€“ Iโ€™m crazy about these blotting papers. It comes in 3 kinds; Mulberry, Green Tea and Mattifying Charcoal. Love that these donโ€™t disturb your makeup, comes in compact case with mirror and a sticky puff.
  10. Dolce & Gabbana Perfect Matte Foundation โ€“ Great for controlling oil on the skin. My shade is Warm 100. Reviewed further HERE.
  11. The Woman In Cabin 10 Book โ€“ From the author Ruth Ware. Given by my cousin in Lahdahn. Havenโ€™t finished reading this yet. Will soon make a review on the โ€œOther Stuffโ€ section of this blog.
  12. Stella Mccartney Falabella Shaggy Dear Flap Wallet in Navy โ€“ even though itโ€™s not made of real leather, I love the sleek look of this wallet, and itโ€™s always good to be cruelty-free.
  13. Lโ€™occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream โ€“ My favorite hand cream of all time. Reviewed HERE.
  14. Lancome Color Design 5 Shadow & Liner Palette โ€“ Love that this is an all-in-one eye makeup product. Reviewed HERE.
  15. Gucci Guilty Rollerball โ€“ A sexy and daring scent. With notes of mandarin, geranium and amber.
  16. It Brushes for Ulta Airbrush Serum Foundation Brush #131 – Love the dense fibers of this particular brush, plus itโ€™s great for contouring. More It Brushes reviewed HERE.
  17. Tatcha Luminous Dewy Skin Mist โ€“ Ideal mist for traveling as it wonโ€™t leave your face dry. It also makes the skin luminous and glowy.
  18. Kevyn Aucoin The Contour Duo On the Go โ€“ For all the contouring fanatics out there and the contouring ladies, this compact contour is made for us. Reviewed HERE.
  19. Urban Decay All Nighter Long-Lasting Makeup Setting Spray โ€“ Got this from one of my Sephora Play! subscription. Works to make your makeup last a long time.
  20. Tarte Frxxxtion Stick Exfoliating Cleanser โ€“ Also got this from my Sephora Play! box, and itโ€™s very convenient to use anywhere and everywhere.
  21. Lancรดme Hypnรดse Drama Instant Full Body Volume Mascara โ€“ My current fave mascara. Itโ€™s very volumizing with just one stroke.
  22. Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil in Whiskey โ€“ Reviewed HERE.
  23. Anastasia Brow Wiz in Soft Brown โ€“ My favorite eyebrow makeup product ever.
  24. Bite Beauty Line & Define Lip Primer โ€“ Really love this menthol-flavored lip primer. Does an ok job of making my lipsticks stay longer.
  25. Clinique Pouch โ€“ A free pouch that you usually get when you buy some products from the Clinique counter.

 

What's inside my bag Balenciaga Classic Metallic Edge City

 

There you have it! The contents of my Balenciaga Classic Metallic Edge City. A one fine functional bag that can carry a lot of stuff. Sometimes, it can even act as shopping bag, because the bag expands and is very robust, despite its goat leather. Iโ€™ve taken it on several cross-country flights, and not a dent or scratch happened. The only caveat is the annoying shorter-than-usual shoulder strap. I donโ€™t really see the use of the provided shoulder strap because itโ€™s hard to wear the bag with that too short of a strap, and sometimes wearing the bag on the forearm with a lot of stuff inside can be really heavy. So I suggest and plan to purchase the longer shoulder strap that Balenciaga now provides for this particular style of bag. I think itโ€™ll work much better and could improve the bagโ€™s usability. Other than that, this bag is indeed a work of art and performance that gets better with time.

 

Balenciaga Classic Metallic Edge City

 

Ciao! Stay tune for my next in-depth bag review.

 

For the meantime, follow me on Instagram: @reviewsandotherstuff

 

Sephora Play! March 2017 Box

sephora play march 2017 box review

 

Hi There! Here now are the contents of my Sephora Play March 2017 issue, and I gotta say, I really like this monthโ€™s products, even though it took a while for my box to arrive as usual. This monthโ€™s theme is really cute, itโ€™s called โ€œGlow Your Own Way.โ€ Hmmm, sounds like a song, and obviously, this monthโ€™s featured products are all about highlighters, illuminators and strobes. The stuff that makes the skin look glowy, dewy, healthy, radiant and luminous. Oh my, I love it already. Iโ€™m crazy about highlighters and anything that highlights the face, and I think we all do, so this is gonna be another good season for strobing.

 

Here are the products:

 

sephora play march 2017 box contents

 

  1. Benefit Wattโ€™s Up! Cream-to-Powder Highlighter: Been wanting to buy this one, but thank God for Sephora Play! now I could enjoy a mini size for a while because thereโ€™s a lot of product in this small container. The shade is a gold-champagne tone thatโ€™s universally flattering for all skin tone, and I love how easy it is to use due to its stick-style. Just swipe on the bony prominences of the face, like the cheekbones, nose, brow bones etc., then blend with your finger or a beauty blender. Perfect. The glow is soft, natural, long lasting and really illuminating.
  1. Josie Maran Surreal Skin Argan Finishing Balm: Have tried several samples of this particular product before. While it never really gave me real benefits and wasnโ€™t really crazy about this product, this finishing balm is meant to be used either before or after makeup application. Before, meaning as a primer, and after as a luminizing finisher. I never really used this a finisher, since it seems to disrupt my makeupโ€™s setting, so Iโ€™ve always used this as a primer/moisturizer only.
  1. Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion, Original: My all-time favorite eyeshadow primer and the one I still use even until now. Iโ€™ve tried other eyeshadow primers before, but I always come back to this one because this holds your eyeshadow very well and it never creases. It now comes in different formulations and colors, but the original formula is a cult-favorite.
  1. Glamglow Glowstarter Mega Illuminating Moisturizer: A Glotion by definition, hmmm. Glow Lotion indeed, this is a cotton-candy/bubble gum scented luminizing moisturizer that gives a subtle glow on the face. Itโ€™s creamy and hydrating plus with some added skin care benefits. However, this may not be ideal for anybody with an oily skin, since this product will further enhance an oil-prone skin within a few hours of use. Also, you may have to go easy on your strobing while using this.
  1. Atelier Cologne Clรฉmentine California Cologne: With incredible notes of clementine, mandarin and juniper berries, this sweet and fruity scent is both haunting, fascinating and mysterious. It sparks curiosity, innocence and freshness. This scent will make you wanna sing Lana Del Reyโ€™s Summertime Sadness or reminisce on La La Landโ€™s Someone In The Crowd. It may even haunt you for that once in a lifetime chance encounter. As what Atelier Cologne describes โ€œIt was the warmest summer on recordโ€ฆhe had been searching for her for months. This perfect stranger with her fragile and elegant silhouetteโ€ฆ About to give up, the moment came when it all changed, the woman he had been dreaming of. Her natural beauty and distinct voiceโ€ฆhe now had to convince her to change the course of her lifeโ€ฆโ€ Oh my, canโ€™t say much, Iโ€™m already in love with this cologne. Expect me to hoard this scent for life, Iโ€™m already sold.
  1. Verb Ghost Oil: A Moringa seed oil blended with bamboo extracts and some other added hair care benefits, this oil helps to condition, smooth or tame frizzy hair, and gives shine. Apply a few drops after showering and itโ€™s great for preparing the hair prior to any styling. If you tend to have oily hair, you may skip on this as this can weigh your hair down at the end of the day.

 

Bottom line, Iโ€™m happy with this monthโ€™s products and my favorites are; Atelier Cologne Clรฉmentine California Cologne, Benefit Wattโ€™s Up! Cream-to-Powder Highlighter, and Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion, Original. I hope Aprilโ€™s Box will be as good, if not better.

 

Until then guys,

 

Follow me on Instagram: @reviewsandotherstuff

 

P.S. Third song of the week: Maria, by Blondie.

 

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream Intense Hydration Review

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream Intense Hydration

 

Hello Everyone and Hello Spring! Thereโ€™s a very interesting moisturizer from First Aid Beauty that Iโ€™ve discovered lately, which you all may have already known because this particular moisturizer has been loved by many and in fact, is an Allure Best of Beauty 2016 Award Winner. Yes, Iโ€™m talking about First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream Intense Hydration. I was really curious as to whatโ€™s the fuss about this cream, and decided to try it for myself. When I looked at the ingredients, I was a bit unfazed, I mean I thought well, thereโ€™s probably nothing special about it, itโ€™s just a Colloidal Oatmeal with Shea Butter and Ceramide 3, which are the ingredients that youโ€™d typically find in any drugstore brand of moisturizer. Yet, still, thereโ€™s something special and different about this cream, and I think because this First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream Intense Hydration is simple and it works.

 

We all know that Colloidal Oatmeal has been tried, test and proven to soothe irritated skin medically and is the only FDA-approved over-the-counter treatment for eczema. Yes, as simple as it is, but it works. And with the addition of Shea Butter and Ceramides for keeping the skinโ€™s moisture intact, this First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream is indeed a first aid product to heal any problematic skin. As a personal take, the cream is very simple, plain, no fuss, and I can definitely understand where all the rave is coming from. This cream is allergy-tested, no colorants, and no scents. Itโ€™s simply a soothing cream to calm down redness, irritation, stress, dryness and eczema. Also, its texture is amazing smooth, soft and whipped, which feels good on the skin and it gets absorbed well.

 

I have redness on my cheeks and chin, and this cream seems to calm it down and it doesnโ€™t exacerbate the oiliness. Itโ€™s also very moisturizing and I find that I can use this day or night while keeping my skin feeling supple and not having any dry spots. Itโ€™s almost amazing how a simple, no fuss, basic cream can actually have incredible effects that are, if not better, than most expensive creams. But then again, the ingredients in this cream may be simple, but theyโ€™re tested and proven, so if you want a basic, plain and simple cream without any bells and whistles but is proven to work and guaranteed not to irritate your skin, then I definitely recommend this First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream Intense Hydration, and itย comes in differentย sizes with its corresponding prices, which is a very good deal for us all.

 

Do you feel the same way about this cream?

 

 

P.S. a review of Sephora March 2017 Box will be coming soon, so

See yah later guys!

 

 

Follow me on Instagram: @reviewsandotherstuff

 

 

Another song of the day: Enchanted, Taylor Swift.