Blog

Moving from conspicuous to conscious consumption and doing reviews along the way.  Find plenty of unsponsored reviews of Quince, Everlane, Grana, and Cuyana on the site!  I'm working towards a minimal waste lifestyle, and oh yea I love bags >.<

Small Lot Co. Review: Mary Jane Shoes for Adults and Kids, Wide Brim Hat for Adults, Lug Sole Mary Janes {Updated April 2022}

For the first six years of my life I had to wear a uniform everyday for school (an all-girls Episcopalian school) and I hated it. I bring this all up because part of that school uniform was the requirement of wearing plain white Keds. Now I have nothing against Keds now (though tbh I haven’t purchased a pair of Keds since elementary school), but back then I was so sick of them. Yet I have to begrudgingly admit, they are pretty darn comfortable sneakers (and maybe also the reason why I’ve always been so intolerant of uncomfortable shoes). Well this long-winding story was just to illustrate that these Mary Jane shoes from Small Lot Co feel like a comfortable pair of Keds but have 10x the style factor IMHO.

Read More

LoQ Review: Carmen Mules {Updated May 2023}

When I wrote my last St. Agni review, lovely reader Nora recommended I check out LoQ (thanks for enabling Nora lol). I went down a Loq rabbit hole and came out the other side with these Carmen mules in faux snakeskin. I was drawn to their squared off yet pointed toe design (instead of a full square toe effect, which I’ve decided is just not for me). I also loooove the little rounded wooden heel. The design feels fresh and something different from my usual pointed toe mules.

Read More

Cuyana Review: Le Sud Leather Travel Bag {Updated August 2021}

Cuyana Le Sud Leather Travel Bag Review.JPG

*This is not a sponsored review and I paid for this myself

I've had this Cuyana Le Sud Leather Travel bag for some time now but I really wanted to put it through its paces before giving a review here.  But having traveled with it to Tahoe, LA and Hawaii I feel like I can give a fair review now.

First off this design comes in two sizes.  This larger travel bag size and a smaller Le Sud Leather Satchel size.  This larger one goes for $375 while the smaller one retails for $295.  Just make sure if you order this, you order the right one since in stand alone pictures they look identical.

So what I love about this travel bag:

- There are a ton of pockets inside the bag (which is lined with black cotton canvas).  There's a slot for your laptop and then there's two big zippered pockets.  On the outside there's a pocket that closes with a magnet which I slide my phone into for easy access.

- This bag measures 13 in. x 18 in. x 7.5-9in (9 at top, 7.5 at base) so it's a large bag and it can fit a lot!  When coming back from Hawaii I had to let out the top (by unbuckling the side straps) and even though it didn't look as chic, it did the job of holding all my extra stuff

- The leather isn't too heavy

- The short straps were long enough to put over my shoulder (though the long strap was pretty useless when the bag was heavy)

Cuyana review le sud leather travel bag.PNG
 

What I didn't like about the bag:

- For the price point and what Cuyana stands for, this bag did not feel luxe.  The pebble leather is probably very durable for traveling but the texture was rubbery and it wrinkled like in the picture above. TBH it looked like cheaply made-in-China leather.

- The way it slouched over my suitcase was not cute.  I wish it came with horizontal straps on the other side so I could slide it over the handles of my suitcase.  Then I didn't have to use the straps to hold it into place.  Also if the bag was even slightly off centered, the bag would fall off the top and then start dragging on the floor while still hooked onto the handles.  For $375 I would hope for more on my travel bag.

- The zippers were rough and jaggedy so I had to be careful when taking things in and out of the bag and pockets.

So the big question, would I buy this again?  Nope.  For the price I would want a better travel bag.  Something chic, durable, but also more functional and luxe feeling.  Ah well, I'll be using it until I find something better but for now it will do.

To be honest, I'm actually over Cuyana.  I know they have a good message and are supposed to feel luxurious but their products haven't really stood up to scrutiny these days (like their linen top I reviewed this past summer).  Everlane's leather goods feel more luxe and they're at a lower price point.

Anyone have any suggestions for travel bags that they swear by?

{August 2021 update: I sold this bag awhile ago and I just wanted to let you know the best travel bag I’ve found so far is Everlane’s Renew Transit Weekender. It’s lightweight, very durable, and can be easily organized. I love it! I’ve also come to realise that all-leather bags aren’t great for traveling—they’re just too heavy.}