Did
Went to Hawaii: Our family usually takes a trip back to our hometown around the end of February. We usually find that’s the best time for more affordable airfare and in general things are less crowded than in the summer and Christmas time. This year we stayed in Waikiki (a first since we usually stay with family), so we had a nice vacay-feel. But wow can I just say staying in Waikiki is such a different experience than anywhere else on the island—just so many tourists and dare I say tourist traps. But we enjoyed some pool time and the White Lotus vibes lol. Oh and this is also when I did my two-hour shopping trip which I recapped here (it’s all about bags so skip if that’s not your thing).
And this month I updated my Loewe Small vs Mini Puzzle review with details of my new mini puzzle bag (shown below).
Bought
Cocokind Skin products: I haven’t really tried a new skin care line since Augustinus Bader. But I’ve found that my skin is kind of getting accustomed to the same ‘ole items everyday, and it seems to be drier than usual. So I put in an order at cocokind and wow I have to say I now believe good beauty doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. Currently I’ve only tried the resurrection polypeptide cream and it’s so good. It moisturizers better than my Augustinus Bader Rich Cream and it’s less than 1/5th the cost. I actually got the rich mouisture and retinol trio and will let you know how the other products in the kit workout. If you’re new to cocokind, you can get 20% off your order of $50 with this referral link (I also get 20% off so thank you)—otherwise you can also wait for their occasional sales. But of course full review to come soon!
Loewe charms: I’ve been wanting to get some Loewe charms thanks to the influence of Maggyxchuu on youtube (as she likes to say “team money-wasters” 😂). But I appreciate Loewe offers ways to personalize your bag in non-permanent ways, and there’s multiple ways to use your charms (they have necklace and key chain accessories to go with the charm). I opted to get them in Hawaii because of the 10% discount (or Asia prices as they say there). Each charm was about $10 off (bags get discounted by $200-$300).
Loewe Mini Puzzle (pictured above): I got this for myself for my birthday from eBay. I originally wanted this bag when I went to Japan, but ended up getting the Dice bag since it was waaaay less (it was my souvenir from the Suna Fujita collab). Unfortunately the Dice bag fits pretty much NOTHING and I haven’t use it yet (I also don’t want to mess up the beautiful leather marquetry). But I found this puzzle for about $800 less than retail and jumped on it. It’s a beautiful bag that also doesn’t fit much but I’ve used it a couple times and I love it.
Vintage Tiffany’s snake ring (also pictured above): This was also an early bday present from the RealReal. I had some credit so I used it towards this ring and I love it. My obsession with Old Tiffany’s is going strong!
Dries van Noten cotton dress: On the day of my birthday I went out to do some shopping in an area I don’t normally shop at (Palo Alto). I checked out the Hermes store there to do a repair (not worth it, tiny and the service wasn’t great) and I went to The RealReal store there. I still prefer the location I normally go to (at Marin Country Mart) because the sales associates in Marin are a lot friendlier and more chill (though the security there is tight). But I did end up picking up a Dries van Noten shirtdress (pictured below). I love how simple it looks (like it could be from Everlane or Quince) but the way it hangs is so special (the fabric also feels a lot silkier than what I can get at Everlane or Quince). It also has extra buttons on the side, which can open if you’re layering this over pants so that you can access your pants pockets. I was sad to hear that the designer is leaving his namesake brand since I’ve just discovered the beauty of Dries with my first piece. But I guess I can always scour the secondhand market for more!
Hermes Roulis Slim Wallet: And last but not least, this was my purchase from Hermes in Hawaii. I talk about my whole Hermes ordeal in my shopping post, but suffice to say I was not a happy camper. I already have a Roulis 23 bag (that I never use because it’s so dang heavy), so I really didn’t need another item from the Roulis line. But it was better than too-tight shoes and a cracking bracelet. The wallet is in mysore (goat) leather, which is a first for me. And within two days of using it, I’ve scratched it multiple times, so I wouldn’t recommend that leather and will be staying away from it myself. Also it was BY FAR the most I’ve ever spent on a wallet ($2380+tax), but I’m going to turn it into a mini bag with this kit so it’s sorta a bag right? 😆 Anyway this whole experience has put me off on buying Hermes retail and I’ll just go for the vintage bags thankyouverymuch.
Gifts
The Row Margaux 15 (<-new blue in pebbled leather but mine is a very old one) from the family: I sourced this from again Brandear Auctions but this is officially my bday gift from the fam. I’m not really a big bag person, but after getting to know the quality of The Row bags, I really wanted to try the Margaux bag out myself. I would have preferred the 12 size since it comes with a crossbody strap, but you can’t be too choosy when buying pre-loved. This one from Japan is made of smooth navy leather and definitely has some scratches on it. But I don’t mind!
Vintage Cartier Trinity ring also from the family: This was also a present from the family and also purchased by me secondhand. I’ve always wanted the trinity ring (back when the classic size was still about $1k). Well I missed that boat a long time ago lol, so I opted for a preloved one (from the 80’s—it’s the must de Cartier line). I looooove this ring so much. It’s fun to wear (it’s a fancy fidgit thing) and the three different rings remind me of my small three-person family.
Quince Stainless Steel Saute Pan and 10” Frying Pan: I’ve been meaning to stop using nonstick pans for ages (hello PFAs) so finding these stainless steel pans on Quince was just what I needed. I also have some All Clad stainless steel ones I received as a wedding gift from a friend but I find them too heavy to use. I would say these Quince ones are pretty much the same (made in Italy!), at a fraction of the cost. Yes they’re still heavy but maybe it’s time for me to bulk up my arms for the safety of my daughter’s reproductive health.
Fellows Stagg EKG Electric Kettle from Quince: Technically I got this as a gift for my husband, who’s been wanting one of these kettles for awhile now. But I’m also reaping the benefits of it every morning to make my coffee. A full review to come soon but I have to say it’s one of the best things I ever bought from Quince, no really!
P.S. I know I’ve been making a lot of purchases with my Quince credit lately, but it’s because I’ve officially signed up for their new affiliate program and I’m afraid they might revoke the referral credits I’ve earned thus far. They haven’t done it yet 🤞🏻 but I’ve seen it done at Everlane (to Leah). Anyway this long list of Quince credit purchases won’t be going on for much longer (I’m pretty sure they’re on to me lol), but I would like to try to use what I have. Anyway thank you again to all those who’ve purchased with my Quince referral link in the past. As part of my affiliate contract I will no longer posting my referral code for Quince on the blog.
Returned
Hermes Kelly 28 in Etain (link to the exact one I returned): So I impulse purchased this from Fashionphile back when I was still doom spending due to health issues. I was thinking, what is my “holy grail” of bags and wouldn’t it be better to buy it sooner rather than later to really be able to enjoy it? So knowing I was going back to Hawaii for March, I got this bag secondhand from Fashionphile and had it shipped to the Neiman Marcus there for pick-up (so that I could take advantage of the 4.75% tax rate in Hawaii). I also happened to get it during a 10% off sale promo. But the bag still came out to about $16k (yes $16, 000 for a bag that currently retails for less than $12k). But having experienced the Hermes “game” (where you have to “pre-spend,” ie purchase a lot of things you don’t really want to qualify for a bag) with my Hermes Evelyne (reviewed here, and which I sold for a $1k loss), I decided to go straight for the bag that I wanted. So I got it and even though I’m 98% sure it’s real, I wasn’t 100%. And I wasn’t about to drop an extra $4k on a bag I wasn’t 100% about. Plus the corners were a lot more worn than in the picture. So all-in-all I didn’t think it was worth it. But I have to say I loved the color, the style, and the size. So maybe someday I will own a Kelly 28, but today is not that day. {And as a note, this is probably why I tried my hand at the “Hermes game” again in Hawaii. But since that experience didn’t go so well I might just give up on trying for this Kelly in general.}
Someday…