November Little Black Bag Review

Oops, this is definitely a late post, but here's what I got in my November Little Black Bag.  I had made an unboxing video but I didn't like how it came out and I had already eaten my candies and burned the candle (it'll make sense if you keep reading), so I didn't film another one.

This was my best bag yet in terms of items received.  I don't even remember what I picked for my first item, maybe that Melie Bianco tan bow bag?  Yeah, I think that was it.  I wasn't attached to it at all, but I wanted to get a bag I knew I could get good multi-item trades for.  I swapped bags quite a bit and ended up settling on an Olivia + Joy bag, which I was hesitant about because my last bag was from them and it was terrible quality.  But first, here's a list of what I got:

• benefit Cabana Glama Makeup Kit - $36, but you can find them for cheaper
• BRIANNEFAYE Cascade Necklace - $33
• LAVANILA Healthy Candle Vanilla Grapefruit - LBB said $16, but it's $12 on Lavanila's site
• Olivia + Joy Lavish Lady Belted Satchel - $92
• sugarfina Pocket Posies - LBB said $5, but it's actually $4.50
• sugarfina Heavenly Sours - $4.50
• Total value: $183

My last experience with an Olivia + Joy bag didn't go so well, so I was apprehensive about closing my bag with another one.  I really liked how this bag looked, though, and I found pictures of it on other sites for comparison and I wanted to give it a chance.  I figured that this time I wouldn't remove the tags before a thorough inspection, and if it wasn't up to par I would just send it back.  Luckily it ended up being gorgeous and I am completely in love with it!  It's the perfect size and shape and I love black bags in general.

I wasn't going to open a bag for November, but then LBB released the benefit kits into the gallery and I had to have one!  I was bummed that I missed out on the September Pop Sugar Must Have Bag because they had these kits in it (along with some other great stuff), so I was really intent on trading for it.  They were trading crazy-high when they were first introduced; my offer was worth over $70 (a Nila Anthony clutch and something else, I don't remember).  I was getting offers of the same value in the beginning, but as trading went on the value of items offered dwindled.  If you weren't able to get one but wanted one, they're on sale for $18.99 at benefit's website right now!

Not everyone is a fan of the candles in the LBB gallery, but I am a candle hoarder and I really wanted to try one of these Lavanila ones.  I got my first choice of scent, Vanilla Grapefruit, and it smells so nice.  I considered returning it because when I got it the outer tin was dirty (more pictures of that after the cut) and the wax inside was broken into pieces, but I kept it because after paying shipping to send it back the refund amount wouldn't have been worth it.  It doesn't have as strong of a scent as I would like, but I still enjoy it and it's a great scent for wintertime.

I looooove this BRIANNEFAYE necklace!  I had been eyeing it for a while and I was finally able to trade for it.  I would have preferred silver, but the gold is still very pretty.  I had found an identical design on etsy once, but it was being sold for $100.  I think I definitely got a good deal on this!

These sugarfina candies were quite possibly my favorite items, haha!  LBB had originally introduced them as bonus items during the end of October for Halloween, but I had already bought a bag that month and I didn't want to open another one just for some candies.  I was really glad that some of them were still around, though, and I was able to snag my top choices.  The Pocket Posies had a great flavor but were really hard to chew (I expected them to be much softer), but the Heavenly Sours were amazing--great taste and nice and soft, too.  I will definitely be ordering candies from sugarfina again in the future.

Bottom Line: I loved my November bag.  Every item was one I really wanted, and they all turned out to be pretty great.  It was discouraging at first to receive a dirty candle, but it wasn't damaged inside so it wasn't worth the hassle of returning it.  I did cancel my recurring monthly subscription to LBB for now (so I don't have to go in and skip a bag each month), but maybe in a few months I'll open up a bag again.

More photos behind the cut.

September Little Black Bag Review

After taking a break from Little Black Bag in August, I couldn't skip another month because I have an addiction.  I've accrued a few referral credits (thanks to everyone who bought a bag through my link!), so that's an added incentive to open a bag, too.  I really wanted to trade well this month, but I'm still getting the hang of it.  I now understand that you just have to keep trading up the first few days, and then you can use the high-value items you have to get the stuff you really want.  I ended up with five items this month, including the Benefit extra.

The item I opened with was this Melie Bianco Molly Braided Flap Over Bag.  I like to open with a purse that I really love, that way I know I'm at least getting something I want that I would pay $60 for.  I originally picked the black one to start with, but I traded between the black, taupe, and tan quite a bit before settling on the taupe.  I'm going to be that girl and say "It doesn't match the color on the website at all!"  But it really doesn't.  On the site it appears to be much lighter, and it's really a dark blue/gray.

See what I mean?  The leather also looks a lot softer in this picture.  This bag supposedly retails for $90, but I definitely would not pay $90 for it.  I knew it was faux leather, but it feels like really cheap leather.  If I saw this bag without knowing anything about it, I would guess that someone would spend $30 max for it at a store like Target.  I absolutely loved the last Melie bag I got, so I was a bit disappointed with this one.  I didn't dislike it enough to return it, though.  My only other complaint is that it's difficult to get things in and out of it when I'm out and about because the drawstring closure doesn't stretch well, even when it's loosened all of the way.  This bag is cute, but I still wouldn't truly recommend it to anyone.

The other three items I traded for were all jewelry, and the Benefit bonus I got was the "That Gal" primer.  They also included a Porefessional sample and "Spy Girl" comic book in everyone's order.

• Carol Dauplaise Peacock Owl Ring - I love this ring!  I'm usually not the type to wear statement jewelry but when they introduced this to the gallery I really wanted it.  I love birds, and even though I know owls are a trend right now I've just always liked them.  It has a stretch band and it seems much nicer than it's $18 price tag.
• Dream Mullick Silver Peacock Charm Necklace - I kept trying to trade up for this necklace but didn't have much luck in the beginning, but then on my second-to-last day of trading someone finally accepted my offer.  I was really happy because this necklace is totally my style.  It's retail value is $34.
• All The Rage Wood Collar Necklace - I do not like this necklace in the least.  I accepted it while trying to trade up, but unfortunately I ran out of time and got stuck with it.  I think I might like it if it was more well-made (is that grammatically correct?), but it is really light and just feels cheap.  I highly doubt anyone would buy this for $28 if they saw it in stores.  It's also really scratched up, I have up-close photos further down in the post.  I am going to return this for an exchange credit.
• That Gal Primer - I like primers and The Porefessional is one of my favorites, so I figured I'd give That Gal a try.  I don't really care for it; I think that The Porefessional is much better.  That Gal feels more like a lotion, whereas TP really gives that silky primer feel.  But including Benefit samples was definitely a fun extra and I hope that LBB includes cosmetics bonuses in the future!

Bottom Line: September's bag gets an 8/10.  I'm a little disappointed with the bag, but I will still definitely use it.  The Wood Collar necklace is a bust, but I knew I was going to return it before I even got it.  I love the other two jewelry items I got, so overall I'm happy (and can't wait to open my next bag!).

Check out more detailed photos of my items after the "read more."