Hello lovelies!
In January 2016 I unboxed my very first Louis Vuitton item on my blog, which was the Alma BB in Damier Ebene (x). Now, 1 1/2 years later I went back to the store for a new handbag.
I was debating whether to buy a Neverfull MM that I have been eyeing for years now - I just love how practical it is, it fits so much stuff, you can use it for university/school, you can use it as a carry-on when you travel somewhere, it fits everything you might need for a nice weekend with your loved one, it can go as an everyday bag as well.. it's just such good value for money (in my opinion anyway). But around a week before I went to the store, I saw HeyyyJune on Youtube with her Speedy Bandouliere 30 in Monogram and it just looked so aesthetically pleasing. I checked her Instagram and found picture of her wearing it and it had me fall in love deeply.
I researched the bag high and low, I showed my fiancé and my mother both bags and both of them hated the Neverfull. Not that I give too much on other peoples opinion, I'm still going to get a Neverfull one day, but when deciding between two things - other peoples opinion is helpful. And now that I have the Speedy B, I am so glad I went for it now instead of the Neverfull.
I already get so much use out if it, I'm so happy. Don't get me wrong, the Alma BB will always have a special place in my heart because it was my first designer piece ever but I adore my Speedy B so much. I do not leave the house without it.
Speedy Bandouliere 30, Monogram Canvas
The Speedy B 30 comes with a shoulder strap that is detachable, as well as another strap for you to make the strap longer and wear the bag crossbody.
You can see that the strap has a little buckle, you can open it up and then attach the small, extra strap part with it's own buckle to both sides and get a longer strap. I personally think that is such a great idea. I'd rather have a second little strap so you can adjust the length to your needs, instead of a strap that has like 3 holes and can barely be changed in length. That being said, both of the straps come with 3 holes.
The bag also comes with a little tiny dustbag where the lock and key are in.
On the sides of the Bandouliere version of the Speedy, you can see a vachetta part going all the way across the side, attached there is a big d-ring where you can attach your shoulder strap. The regular Speedy does not come with vachetta on the sides.
On the bottom of that vachetta part, the leather has the classic "LOUIS VUITTON PARIS made in France" embossed. For reference, I did buy my bag in the LV store in Salzburg and all my pieces I have bought from there have been made in France.
On the inside of the bag there is brown fabric all the way around. One side of the bag has a little d-ring where you could attach your keys, a LV key cles if you have one or just anything you'd like. I think it's a nice little detail and a useful feature because it makes it a lot easier to find your keys in a big bag like this.
The other side has a little zipper pocket that you can also fold over and behind that you reveal the date code that nearly every Louis Vuitton item has.
As you might be able to tell, that little zipper pocket is not that big but for reference, I have an iPhone 6 with just a thin clear case on it and it just about fits but the pocket cannot be zipped up with the iPhone 6 inside.
I also have a Saint Laurent card holder that has a zipper on top for coins and this one fits inside perfectly and the zipper of the pocket can be closed. Both, card holder and iPhone cannot be put in together at the same time.
When you use the bag like this, it gets a slouchy relaxed look when you carry it. By no means is it stiff and has the iconic "Speedy shape". I personally like that a lot, it makes it look more casual and easy rather than a very structured clean look the bag would get if you put in a base shaper or purse organizer made out of felt (like Samorga or Original Club).
Make Up Bag (regular size), Monogram Canvas
When I started to pack my Speedy B, I found I don't have a nice make up bag to put my essentials in. I know it might seem a bit bougie but I just thought - You got a bag that cost you nearly 1.000€, now you going to run around with a dirty old Hello Kitty make up bag? Hell no.
So I researched a bit on the pre-loved market and found a ton of LV make up bags. I was eyeing them and knew I was going to purchase one but then this amazing deal came up on Vestiaire Collective and I bought it.
The LV make up bag retails for 245€ brand new in store and online (Price in Germany & Austria) and I got it for 185€ on Vestiaire Collective in nearly perfect condition AND it came with the box, the dust bag, the little card inside with the materials, it came with the leather strings they wrap around the box.. everything. I am incredibly happy I bought it and even got such a good deal.
The inside of the make up bag has a wipeable fabric so if you spill any foundation or get lipstick on it, you can just take a wipe and get the dirt off again. I did keep the "stains" in just to show you the exact condition the make up bag was in when I got it.
Of course the question now is - What fits inside the make up bag?
Well, do not worry. I show you what I carry in mine to give you an idea.
As you can see, I do have my essentials in there, but it's only about half way full so I could still fit a lot more in if I wanted to.
To break it down and so that you can get a better image of what I have inside and what you can fit inside the original size make up bag, I show you everything that is in there.
I have an EOS hand cream, a little foldable brush which also has a mirror in the top, two hair bobbles, a MAC lipstick, a Clarins lip oil, another EOS lip balm and a Catrice lipgloss as well as another Catrice lipgloss. I also got some gum, my Apple earphones, a little sample of Lancome's La Vie Est Belle perfume and last but not least, I also have some hair ties and a hair clip on a piece of paper.
Buying Pre-Loved Items
I think buying pre-loved is such an amazing thing, and I am definitely not ashamed to say that I do buy pre-loved with a passion.
As amazing as the experience is to go to a luxury store and picking out your item, buying pre-loved is so good if you are looking for old vintage pieces that are no longer available or if you are looking to save a bit of cash on your luxury goods.
I know that it seems a bit unsafe and I do agree - you have to be careful where you buy and what you buy. And I always recommend you know about the item you are purchasing.
Personally I shop more for SLG's (small leather goods) rather than actual luxury handbags, just because I do think it's just a little bit safer and in case I buy a fake item, I didn't loose as much money as I would have if it was an actual handbag.
Websites I know are popular for buying pre-loved are
* Vestiaire Collective
* Fashionphile
* TheRealReal
* Ebay (following sellers: brand-works, brandoff, g-rare)
I myself have only ever used Vestiaire Collective, I only ever had good experience with them and they do have an "Authenticity Control" where they check if the item is real or not before they ship it to you. Fashionphile also has it's own authenticity control but before they even upload the item to the website.
For the Ebay sellers, I know that a lot of big beauty bloggers and youtubers use them and I did have a bit of contact to them and I had a great impression so I'd definitely buy from them too if I come across an item that I like.
As for tips on buying pre-loved, like I said, I think it's extremely important to know the item you are buying. So do your research online on how it really looks, how it is made, maybe look up special features the item has to authenticate it, and if you have the chance, even go see the real item in store or from a friend who might have it too.
It just really helps to authenticate and spot a fake if you get one rather than having no clue what the item is supposed to look like.
If you are completely unsure, I recommend you go to the fashion house and let them check the item for you. I know especially Louis Vuitton you can walk into anytime and let your item be authenticated by them.
I also recommend to always pay with Paypal, especially on Ebay or private sellers. In case you do end up with a fake item, Paypal will refund you the money in no-time. While if you have to contact the seller, it can become a big nightmare trying to get your money back.
If you want to shop designer, I recommend Farfetch.com, especially if you are in Europe. Their range is fantastic, they have amazing return policies and their sales are amazing. If you want to sign up there, you can use my referral link here and get 40€ off of your first order :)
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