I recently purchased a Yves Saint Laurent “Dare to Glow” Illuminator. It is a light gel highlighter with shimmering in a small tube. The shimmering is so subtle; it helps to enhance the face without adding too much shine. It is versatile; can be put on eye lids, blend on cheeks, or tab on lips as lip gloss. It is available in three colors: Tempting Gold, Fatal Red, and Naughty Pink. I like Fatal Red the best, because it has a hint of natural pink that blends into skin perfectly to create a natural effect-it’s like wearing makeup without feeling or looking like you have anything on your face! 
Top Five Picks for Handbags
There are so many fabulous handbags available for this fall. I’ve narrowed them down to my top five picks. They are Emily Antique Rose Guccissima Leather shoulder bag from Gucci, Speedy Bandouliere 25 from Louis Vuitton, Rockstud New Tote from Valentino, 2Jours Calfskin Tote Bag from Fendi, and Floral Spazzolato Doctor’s Bag from Prada. See below for more details.
Emily Antique Rose Guccissima Leather Shoulder Bag-Gucci
It is a classic piece with Gucci’s iconic horsebit details. I love its rose color and the leather tassels. It will go well with classic black dresses for day and night.
Speedy Bandouliere 25 in Aurore-Louis Vuitton
Speedy bag is one of LV’s iconic designs, which has been reinvented all the time. This bag in aurore, Monogram Empreinte line, is perfect for fall.
Rockstud New Tote in Prun-Valentino
I mentioned how I like the Rockstud Calf Hair New Tote in my earlier post. This bag also looks good in textured leather in prun. Both bags are classic and stylish, but one is more sophisticated and the other is more versatile.
2Jours Calfskin Tote Bag in Forest Green/Cape-Fendi
This is Fendi’s latest iconic bag, also available in black, honey, dark red/cherry, etc. The two green shades complement each other well; makes this already sophisticated bag stands out even more. This bag can be paired with a simple dress for a professional day look.
Floral Spazzolato Doctor’s Bag-Prada
When the bag first came out, I thought it was a vintage bag with a girly and cheesy look. Now I learned to appreciate its beauty. The design is unique and playful. The flowers definitely stand out!
Accessories in Handbags
I am always amazed with how much stuff my friend carries in her handbag on daily basis. Besides her wallet, cell phone, card keys, and sunglasses case, she has a makeup bag full of stuff, such as floss, loose powder, hand lotion, hand sanitizer, and etc. I can’t believe how much extra weight these little things can add up. For her, this is part of her routine.
This might sound a bit mean but when I see a girl or woman with a bag that is filled with stuff, it reminds me of a mom with a diaper bag. Most nice designer bags aren’t intended to hold everything from groceries to a sleeping bag. So my point is, if you have a nice bag, please don’t become an old lady and fill your bag up with ten years worth of expired supplies.
Fashion’s Night Out
I went to the Fashion’s Night Out event and had a great time. Although the runway show was shorter than I expected, it was stunning. I like the ways they mix and match clothes, shoes, bags, and accessories from various lines. It helps to bring out the best of each piece. For examples, pairing a Diane von Furstenberg’s Kate studded leather jacket and dark color legging with Miu Miu’s eye-catching bootie shows off the unique materials on the shoes, and pairing a red fur coat with a graphic print dress and Christian Louboutin’s bright green animal print pump helps to balance the contrast of the mixed color.
Among all the fabulous items I saw during the fashion show, I have a few favorite picks: Miu Miu Glitter-Heel Lace-Up Bootie, Christian Louboutin Very Prive Python pump (Menthe Green), and Valentino Rockstud Calf Hair New Tote.
Miu Miu Glitter-Heel Lace-Up Bootie-The bootie stands out when paired with legging or skinny jeans. The navy suede front caught my attention and the glittered-fabric back makes me love it even more!
Christian Louboutin Very Prive Python pump (Menthe Green)-The dyed green iridescent python and coral peep-toe make it a great accessories to go with outfits in various hues. 
Valentino Rockstud Calf Hair New Tote-The exotic leopard-print on this ladylike bag makes it one of the classic items on my want-to-get list. I also like its mini studded trim, which blends with the leopard-print nicely.
Accessories for Animal Print Dress
Neiman Marcus will be hosting a Fashion’s Night Out event (the fashion’s biggest night of the year) tomorrow night. I missed it in the past years because I had to work late. But this year, I am planning on going. I am excited to see the trend presentations and get some beauty tips & tricks for fall.
For this event I am going to wear an animal print dress bought from BCBG for this summer. The dress is in light beige color with brown animal prints. To go with the dress, I am thinking about wearing my Stuart Weitzman “Daisy” pumps in red and “Cub” clutch from Louis Vuitton’s Spring-Summer 2011 runway collection. I am also debating if I should wear nude color pumps instead of the red pumps. I guess I will have to wait and see what I feel like tomorrow.
Cashmere Polka Dot Sweaters
I love to wear cashmere sweaters in fall and winter. The cashmere is so soft and keeps me warm in the cold weather. I also like clothes with polka dots. For this fall, J.Crew rolls out polka-dot sweaters in cashmere, which is a perfect combination for me. The sweater is available in five colors, see J.Crew cashmere polka-dot sweater for details. My favorites colors are dusk black and cabernet fuchsia.
Dusk black-wear with jeans or black slacks. I will pair it with Valentino’s Extreme Printed Patent Pumps. See my post-“Cap-Toe Pumps for Fall”.
Cabernet fuchsia-it’s a fun color combination for fall. Goes well with light color jeans or gray ankle pants.
Wool Speedy “Kaki” (Khaki)-Continue
In my previous post I described the design and the materials of the “Wool Speedy Kaki”. Here is an additional thought.
The bag has a leather luggage tag attaches to a skinny belt that wraps around the top handle. And here is where I learned something new when the store manager showed me the “Wool Speedy Kaki” bag he reserved for me. The luggage tab and its skinny belt came in separately in one clear bag inside of the “Wool Speedy Kaki”. I watched him put the pieces together and learned the differences between the traditional versus Marc Jacobs’ way on how the luggage tag showcased on the bag. The traditional way is to hide the buckle of the belt inward (facing down); as a result, the luggage tab flaps up slightly. However, on Fall-Winter 2012-2013 collection fashion show, Marc Jacobs put the buckles on the show pieces outward (facing up), which keeps the luggage tab close to the body of the bag. After seeing the differences it makes on my “kaki” bag, I like Marc Jacobs’ way much better for two reasons: First, I like the luggage tab to be placed close to the body of the bag, and second, I like the buckle facing out with the luggage tab, which adds “flavor” to the accessory itself. As always, thanks to the manager of the store, I learned another new thing about the LV bags!
Wool Speedy “Kaki” (Khaki)
After I posted my last blog regarding the new Speedy bag (from Louis Vuitton’s Fall-Winter 2012-2013 collection) I purchased recently, some friends want to know more about it.
Well, the full name of this Speedy bag is “Wool Speedy Kaki”. (“Kaki” is in French, as “khaki” in English.) It’s the same size as the “Speedy 30”-one of the iconic LV handbags. However, unlike the traditional “Speedy” bags, the design and materials on the limited-edition “Wool Speedy Kaki” are very unique. It’s designed to be a structured bag and doesn’t slouch like tradition “Speedy” bags. The “Wool Speedy” is made of leather and felted wool embroidered with colorful sequins (whereas the traditional “Speedy” is made of leather and canvas). The top (include the handles) and the bottom of the bag are in brown leather, which keeps the bag in shape. On the bottom there are four round studs that support the bag and to protect the leather from rubbing against anything the bag is being put on. The felted wool is in light khaki color and embroidered with luminous sequins (all hand-sewed) in green and light green. The perceived sequin color varies depend on the light in the surrounding and the angle the bag is held. The color contrast between the wool and the sequins on this “kaki” bag really makes the monogram stands out, versus the “Wool Speedy” in other two colors (burgundy and mustard). See below for an example of the felted wool with the sequins on the bag.
New Speedy For Fall 2012
Over the weekend I bought a new bag, Speedy in khaki, part of Louis Vuitton’s Fall-Winter 2012-2013 runway collection. The store I purchased it from is only scheduled to receive one of this limited-edition Speedy bag in khaki, and luckily, I was able to get it. I am so excited that I can add it to my personal collection. I can’t wait to use it soon!
Cap-Toe Pumps for Fall
I have a few pairs of pointy cap-toe pumps I bought more than a year ago in black and red. I wore with dress pants for business professional look, and wore with designer jeans for more casual attire. Although the materials of pointy pumps and its cap-toe are different (usually in patent leather contrasts with quilted leather), they are in same color and are less noticeable from a distance. Thanks to Marc Jacobs’ “Merry-Go-Round” pointy cap-toe pumps from Louis Vuitton’s Spring-Summer 2012 collection, I was surprised how these pumps, when designed in contrast colors, can stand out versus in monotone. The design of “Merry-Go-Round” is so unique and classic. It was featured in many magazines and wore by many celebrities.
Although the “Merry-Go-Round” pointy cap-toe pumps are eye-catching, they are designed for spring and summer (most in pastel colors-white, pink, and baby blue); wouldn’t go well with fall fashion! I am glad that many designers are making their pointy cap-toe pumps for fall in dark colors and various materials, such as patent leather, suede, flannel, and metallic leather. The designers include Biuseppe Zanotti , Donald J Piner, Valentino, Jimmy Choo, and Manolog Blahnik. Manolog Blahnik also offers cap-toe pumps in mary jane, Camparicap, and t-strap/double ankle strap, Mallinspec. My picks among these fabulous cap-toe pumps are Valentino’s Extreme Printed Patent Pumps and Manolog Blahnik’s Camparicap Mary Jane. See below.
Valentino’s Extreme Printed Patent Pumps-sleek and stylish, goes well with pencil skirts and even designer jeans.
Manolog Blahnik’s Camparicap Mary Jane-classic and yet trendy, goes well with dresses and skirts.
