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Moving from conspicuous to conscious consumption and doing reviews along the way.  Find plenty of unsponsored reviews of Quince, Everlane, Grana, and Cuyana on the site!  I'm working towards a minimal waste lifestyle, and oh yea I love bags >.<

November 2024 Recap

Did

Voted for Kamala and of course was very disappointed to say the least. I’m trying not to be in despair though things feel especially bleak. Instead I’m trying to remain grateful for what I do have, continue to invest in my community, and do what I can to help others. Sounds a bit simplistic but I’m not sure I can handle anything else right now.

Updated the following blog posts: The Row Park Tote Review, Korean bag brands review (more specifically about the Dunst Classic 28 bag vs. the Hermes Plume 28).

I also updated a bunch of my Quince reviews because I realized a lot of my links were broken. And since I was on the page I decided to update some of the reviews with my current opinions. I can’t believe I’ve been reviewing Quince for about five years now—wow does time fly. Anyway here are the reviews I’ve updated (in no particular order):

Buy

Biodance Bio-Collagen mask: After seeing this mask everywhere on social media, I finally decided to give it a go. And it really is moisturizing as long as my skin can handle it. Sadly I found that when I leave it on for the recommended four hours it irritates my skin and gives me tiny little bumps. They go away in a day but my sensitive skin can’t really handle this mask. So this is not a repurchase for me.

 

Facade Pattern Vintage Cabin Bag: I had heard some good things about this Korean brand, but when I saw their dupe of The Row’s 90’s bag I knew I had to give them a try. As much as I like the simple shape of the 90’s bag, the fact that it’s a hand-carry only bag made me hesitant to give it a try. So I thought it was pretty genius for Facade Pattern to add an adjustable strap to their version so it can also be slung on the shoulder (and even over a coat since the adjustable strap is quite generous). But I was only going to keep the bag if the leather quality was decent (after trying several Korean bag brands—see my review of them here—I knew some of them used cheap and plasticky leather). And I have to say the quality of the leather far exceeded my expectations. Sure it’s not the same as The Row, but the leather still feels nice and smooshy. And for $202 (of which I got 10% off with a code), it’s definitely worth it if you’ve been thinking of trying this style of bag.

 

Loewe Mini Lazo: I’ve been wanting this bag since October 2019 (it’s so handy that I’ve got my blog for evidence lol) thanks to Eva Chen. I’ve seen it on the secondhand market from time to time but never pulled the trigger because I’ve always had other bags on my wishlist. But this past month I saw it on eBay for less than $500 and decided to go for it. And honestly I love it. I’m glad I didn’t spend the original $1800 for it, but it’s totally worth it for the steal I got it at (even if I did have to wait six years).

Hanna Andersson dresses and PJs for Emi: My only early Black Friday purchase this year has been Hanna Andersson dresses for Emi. As much as I like the Quince ones, I like to get at least one “fancy dress” from Hanna Andersson. They look great and are tough enough for weekly wear. Emi’s just starting to outgrow her size 8 ones so I bought some size 10’s for the future. And Black Friday is the best time to get them. I also got a couple more organic cotton PJ’s too. See my Hanna Andersson review here (I’ve been buying from then since she was 2!).

 

Returned

Small Triomphe Cabas Drawstring: I saw this bag on a particularly chic lady and it led me to impulse purchase it off of Fashionphile. However when I got it I wasn’t that impressed, though the bag could fit all my current essentials (which is quite a bit). I think I kind of got carried away with the idea of the bag, but I agree with the poll here and it was a return. And for the same form factor (and a much lower price), I love my Loewe Lazo above.