to shop / {essentials} inside the purse: delfonics, mophie, comme des garçons review

My purse essentials: Delfonics Quitterie cardcase, Comme des Garçons half-zip wallet, and Mophie Powerstation Duo.

(1) I always have this Delfonics Quitterie card case on me (including workweek lunch time when I don’t carry my purse). It houses the bare minimum — my badge, Metrocard, Chase Sapphire Preferred (2x food!) and my Amex Everyday Preferred. The Chase card is pretty thick so it counts as 1.5x of a normal card. I could fit another card if I wanted to, but there is no need. I picked up the cardholder up at the Narita Smith shop (pre-security, T1) and it took me at least 15 minutes to get over the PVC material of the entire Delfonics collection. Their PVC doesn’t smell at all, is very lightweight, and is way less maintenance than leather. You can find the Delfonics cardholder at Urban Outfitters (and they have other pouches and cases as does Madewell). You can also find more on Amazon from Japanese sellers.

(2) This is my second CdG wallet. My first was a black polka dot embossed long wallet that was stolen in Chicago purchased for half price at Net-a-Porter. Eventually I fell in love with the idea of a smaller wallet and that’s how I landed with the CdG side-zip wallet. I looked around (Everlane, Cuyana, etc.) and couldn’t find any other wallets with the same quality and slimness.

It houses the other key credit cards, insurance cards, and cash/coins. Receipts fit inside as well but I try and keep my wallet clean. I change between purses frequently and while I have a long Longchamp wallet, it doesn’t fit in all of my purses and is in delicate Veau Foulonne leather so unless the bag has plenty of breathing room, I wouldn’t use that wallet. Plus, a smaller wallet is harder to pick, right? CdG wallets come in a lot of colors/materials and I find the burgundy ‘Luxury’ textured leather particularly alluring. I got the wallet last year and there’s no sign of wear. You can find this style at Mr Porter, Barneys, and FarFetch. I love Mr Porter’s packaging.

to shop / recent loves & 40-50% off gap and old navy

DwellStudio Zebra pillow, babygap floral bear (similar), Gap Kids fur hat (similar for baby)

We went to Gap today with the intent to return, but ended up picking some odds and ends (’tis the season to buy baby presents!). It helps that there is a 50% off almost everything early Black Friday promotion (which a lot of places seem to be doing) and GapCash promotion going on. (This sale ends Sunday night. If you’re not a cardholder, it’s 40% off. You can always wait for next week if you miss it.) I really like teddy bears with no embellishments and babyGap has four styles: floral, plaid, rainbow stripes, and marled. Sadly there are no measurements online (note to Gap, please add measurements!) so I waited for an in-store visit. They are roughly 8 inches high. I also ended up getting this fur hat from the girls’ department. Surprisingly the L/XL size fit.

Old Navy has a 40% off sale online with code BIGDEAL. Some exclusions apply and it also ends today.

to shop / major sales on skincare, karen walker, clare vivier, etc.

It’s major sale season, if you haven’t noticed. I will be highlighting two e-tailers today: SkinCareRX and wconcept.

Through tomorrow, June 30, SkinCareRX is having a great 25-50% off tiered discount (the more you buy, the more you save) with no brand exclusions, which is a big deal. I finished my Renee Rouleau Vitamin C & E Complex (post) a week ago and after doing a little research decided to go back to the SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic serum. This serum retails for $150 and since I couldn’t find a good “deal”, I halted my search. I’m so glad I did, since buying two bottles through this sale is effectively 50% off (although I’m not sure if it’s good to stockpile this serum given its ingredients).

SkincareRX carries higher end skincare. Some of it intersects with what you may find at Sephora. I highly recommend the Colorescience SPF portable powder brush (Cameron Diaz swears by it), the Alpha Beta Daily Face Peels from Dr. Dennis Gross, Clarisonic (there is also a $50 off $150+ purchase for this brand only, *light bulb*), La Roche Posay Anthelios sunscreen, or the Dermalogica line. Read the rebate carefully to make sure your final purchase amount is sufficient for the discount you’re shooting for.

I’ve mentioned wconcept a few times before. They are located in NJ and carry a good assortment of boutique brands. I am assuming they are Korean-owned since they are located in Fort Lee, carry non-labeled clothing imported from Korea, and the rest of their items have a very Francophile edit (which is fine by me!). The wconcept sale is also a tiered 20-40% discount through July 4th. This is a great deal considering the amount of Clare Vivier that they carry! They started their sale earlier in the week and I haven’t had time to blog about it, so sadly many of the more coveted items are now sold out. But I was able to finally snag a Comme des Garcons luxury leather pouch.

Other brands I love are Comme des Garcons, Bensimon (which are already discounted, size up (8=39)), Karen Walker, Repetto (very low inventory, but don’t fret because there are better sales about), Saint James tees, Ray Bans,… Click here for the full list of designers. There are quite a few brands for the gents too. If you’re considering a Clare Vivier la Trop bag or messenger bag, don’t hesitate and you should really aim for the maximum discount.

Happy Shopping!

to shop / some pretty things

I’ve been eBaying like mad these days since I have extra time and my credit card is hemorrhaging from recent shopping. It’s also so rewarding to get rid of “piles” or to find that something new that has been lying around for x years has appreciated in value! I’m not big on making resolutions, but one is to downsize significantly and to make smarter financial decisions.

Here are a few pretty things I’ve picked up lately.

Hermès thin enamel bracelet in blush/gold. I realized after I took the picture that there is still a plastic cover on the lefthand side. It wasn’t even apparent to the naked eye! Now, it looks ghetto but I don’t feel like reshooting. I’m tempted to leave it on since it’s extra protection. I will talk more about the bracelet in my Hermès post.

Comme des Garçons polka dot embossed leather wallet. I love my Baggus so much that I use a pouch as my wallet. People around me cringe all the time, but I often downsize from a normal wallet after moving between purses. It’s time to get back into one and this is a good motivation. It’s absolutely gorgeous and all the reviews I’ve read have said that CdG wallets stand the test of time. It’s also made in Spain! I picked this up for 50% off during a Black Friday sale and it only took me one month to decide whether or not to keep it. 50% off a classic sized CdG wallet is rare!