Travel: The Carry On

One of the most important things regarding travel (esp. air) is the carry on. It holds all of the necessities but that doesn't mean you have to sacrifice fashion for function. However make sure that the bag is roomy enough that it fits everything and a good closure so that your stuff doesn't spill all over the airplane. Here are a couple of my picks.



This Signature Scarf Print Tote from Coach is super cute and fun to look at, though it might not be quite big enough if your like me and like to pack a change of clothing.



If you are prone to over packing this Signature Strip Large Tote from Coach might just be the answer. It's massive and has a ton of little compartments to keep everything organized.



If you can up your price range this Leather Bays water Bag from Mulberry might be a good option. I haven't seen one of these in person but from the description it seems like it's between the other two in size.

Now remember you can take two carry on bags (pack your purse into a larger bag) so if you get two medium sized bags it's not the end of the world. Just make sure you can carry it before leaving the house!

Packing: Shoes

Even though I won't be jetting off anywhere this summer a lot of people will. For the next few posts I'll be talking about what to pack when going on vacation, starting with shoes.

For any warm weathered location you need sandals. I abhor flip flops, though they do pack small. Here are some equally easy to pack alternatives.



I have a pair similar to these Micheal by Micheal Kors flats (same brand but with a chain attaching the two leather strips) They are ridiculously comfortable, are easy to dress up or down and pack flat.



Here are another nice pair of flats by Bottega Veneta. I love the swirly almost Celtic look of the top, and while similar to flip flops they are infinitely classier.



If your not spending all your time at the beach, or want something with more support these Marc by Marc Jacobs ballet flats are a great edition to you suitcase. Especially if your going somewhere with dress codes (IE Vatican City) these are comfortable enough to walk around all day in but dressy enough that they will actually let you in!



Another Marc By Marc pair, but these are a little more dressy. If you hate heels as much as I do (anything over 1" and I'm wobbling like a dreidel on it's last legs) these are a great alternative. The metallic colour makes them sophisticated enough to wear to any formal event you might be attending.



If you can walk in heels (I commend you, all the lovely platforms last fall broke my heart) try to make sure that they're neutral so they can go with the widest variety of outfits. But plain pumps are boring so try to get a pair with an interesting detail, like these gorgeous Christian Louboutin pumps with bows.



These Christian Louboutin for L'Wren Scott peep toes are my favourites out of all the shoes shown here. The Rosette makes them stand out but they're neutral enough to pair with almost anything. If I wasn't afraid of breaking my leg trying to walk in the 7cm high spindly heels these would be in my closet.

A good general rule for packing shoes: Pack a dressy pair, and two you can walk in. There is nothing more annoying then getting someplace with only one pair of walking shoes and after a couple of days the blisters from wearing them so much cause you to stay in. Try and keep it varied.

xoxo
Alysia

Product Review

Brand: Fruits and Passion
Product: Vitamized Hydra Cream
Rating: 3/5

not as hydrating as I like in my moisturizers. But the moisture factor was OK when it was used with the serum. But I like that it's not tested on animals, unlike my regular loreal creams. Gave my skin a nice glow.

Product Review

Brand: Fruits and Passion
Product: Radience Serum "instant glow essence"
Rating: 4/5

I liked this serum. It gave my skin a nice glow that the magazines have been promoting this season.

Product Review

Brand: Fuits and Passion
Product: Radiance Exfoliating Gel with Pomegranate extract
Rating: 3/5

I didn't feel like it gave my skin a really good gentle scrub like my origin's scrub does. The scrubby particles where sparce and it left my skin feeling dry. But it did make my skin glow nicely, so bonus points for that.

Book Bags

Every year at back to school time I buy myself a bag for my birthday. This year I'm dying for a new book bag. Coach has some reasonable ones that I've been eyeing.
First up is the Signature Stripe Tote in Brass/Khaki/Mahogany

It's a nice simple tote that's the least expensive ($268) of the two I'm eying. It matches my signature hobo perfectly as well. But it's also kind of plain and boring.

Next up is one I adore. Nay I love it obsess about it and dream about it. It's the coach legacy leather slim tote.

The price scares me a little, OK a lot. At $478 US this baby doesn't come cheap for a poor college students budget. But it's pretty. And leather. and it's not matchy matchy with my other stuff, but still coordinates with my chocolate leather coat and my black winter pea coat. I haven't seen it in person so I don't know if it's big enough for my laptop but even if it's not, I never bring my laptop to class.

Really it all comes down to how much money I have after buying my textbooks, but here's hoping it's enough for the legacy.

xo
Alysia

St. Ives Swiss Vanilla

This lotion smells divine. The scent is soft and subtle, yet lasts throughout the day. The lotion is a bit sticky for the first five minutes but the scent makes it worth it. I hate moisurizing and this scent in this product makes sure that I do everyday.

Scent : 5/5
Moisture: 4/5
Pluses: at $4.99 a bottle you can't go wrong (+1)
Minuses: a little sticky for five minutes, but completly dry by the time your ready to get dressed (0)
Overall 9/10

xo
Alysia

Celebrity Clothing Lines: Bitten

I was so excited to hear that SJP was releasing a clothing line. I love SJP. (I even lined up at 8am to meet her at 1pm when she released her fragrance, Lovely) I watched the segment on Oprah and was hopeful (the hounds tooth coat was lovely) However after reading this article on fashion wire daily I'm a little concerned.

"Refusing to give interviews at Wednesday night's launch in New York was probably a wise decision on the part of Sarah Jessica Parker and her publicist. As it turns out, there's not much to say about this bland line of mismatched basics. Case in point: a tailored waistcoat paired with knickers made out of sweatshirt material shows clear evidence of fashion schizophrenia."

here are a few picks from the website Bitten
hopefully when I make the trek to Michigan it will have been worth it.




xo
Alysia