The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands

Chanel Classic Flap Maxi: SGD 7,230
Chanel Classic Flap Jumbo: SGD 6,620
Chanel Classic Flap Medium: SGD 5,990
Chanel Classic Flap Small: SGD 5,640
Chanel Grand Shoppers Tote (GST): SGD 3,900

Note: Prices are subject to change without prior notice. Prices are as of September 26, 2011.

Moving on to my bag reveal, meet my Japanese baby…

Finally, a Chanel Medallion in Beige! Yay! It was actually an impulsive decision. I haven’t really been “craving” for this bag for quite some time now. Two years ago, I was salivating over it. I would even dream about it. But for months now, I somehow forgot about it. Probably because I promised myself to stop my bag addiction with my Goyard St. Louis. Yes, I’m serious with that. I barely use all my bags. But when I saw this baby on the window display, I couldn’t stop myself from going inside the store. I never thought that I’ll leave carrying her already. Hehe! We were sort of on a shopping spree during our trip because of our experience. We just couldn’t believe we’re alive! We were just so happy that we’re safe and sound! And so, that explains my impulsive buy… Hehe!

xoxo,

Lush Angel

Anyway, I’ve been receiving a lot of questions about Chanel classic bags’ prices after the increase. Just to make things clear, here are some Chanel classic bags’ current prices in Paris and in US. Some bags do not have prices in both currencies though as this is only what I’ve got in my current research. I hope this still helps. Oh, and I have also included the style code and dimensions of the flap bags.

*Note: Prices indicated here are subject to change without prior notice. Also, please feel free to leave a comment below for any corrections. I want this to be as accurate as possible to help all the Chanel lovers. Just note that prices indicated here are as of August 2010.*

Mini Flap Bag (A35200)
Dimensions: 6.5″ x 5″ x 2.5″

• Caviar: $2,200 / €1,450
• Lambskin: $2,100 / €1,450

Small Flap Bag (A0113)
Dimensions: 9″ x 5.5″ x 2″

• Caviar: €1,660
• Lambskin: €2,450

Medium Flap Bag (A0112)
Dimensions: 10″ x 6″ x 2.5″

• Caviar: $3,400 / €2,460
• Lambskin: $3,400 / €2,460

Jumbo Flap Bag (A28600)
Dimensions: 12″ x 8″ x 3″

• Caviar: $3,500 / €2,550
• Lambskin: $3,500 / €2,550

Maxi Flap Bag (A46558)
Dimensions: 13″ x 9″ x 3.5″

• Caviar: $4,000 / €2,700
• Lambskin: $4,000

Maxi Jumbo Flap Bag (A47600) new Maxi
Dimensions: 13″ x 9″ x 4″

• Caviar: €2,700
• Lambskin: €2,700

P.S.

Geesh! It suddenly dawned upon me that I just got my Chanel 2.55 Medium Flap Bag last year, as seen in this post. Guess what?! I got it for only €1,710 in Austria. Well, I even felt bad ‘coz they just had a price increase then. But look at the price now! Whew! It’s now €2,460!!! That’s €750 increase already in just a year! Don’t you think that’s too much?!

I wore this outfit when I attended a children’s birthday party. Well, being raised in a somewhat Chinese culture, wearing these basic colors in a birthday party is a NO-NO! My mom would give us a long sermon about it. This time though, I decided to wear this since the family of the celebrant isn’t really supersticious. Hehehe! I really love clothes in basic colors. It’s like an effortless way to look elegant. I don’t stick to the basics all the time though. I love experimenting and it really depends on my mood. On this day, I just thought of going for the basics. Anyway, enough of my blabber. Here it is…

I’m wearing two skirts here. The lace skirt underneath the black and white full skirt is actually a separate thing. I made sure that the pointy ends of my lace skirt can be seen to add more glam to the entire outfit. What do you think?

Closer look…

On Lush Angel: H&M basic gray tank top; H&M black and white full skirt w/ belt; Folded and Hung lace skirt; New Look gladiator sandals; Chanel Grand Shopping Tote; Bvlgari necklace; SM silver  long necklace; Tag Heuer watch; Philippe Charriol and Cartier bracelets; Philippe Charriol and diamond rings

For the pictures below, I have exactly the same outfit as Part I, except for my top. I used a studded cropped shirt, which I got from Topshop about two months ago. Yes, it’s only now that I’m wearing it! Why?! When I went to Bangkok, I freaked out when I saw this exact top in one of the stalls! Argh! I swear, it is my cropped shirt- the studs, the cloth, the color, the print, everything! When I asked how much they were selling it, I wanted to faint! I got mine at Topshop for more than PHP 1,000 bucks. The imitation was priced at about PHP 300! Great! Actually, when I saw it in the mannequin, it was the only time I remembered I have that exact top that’s why I had to stop and ask for the price. How I wish I just didn’t ask! LOL!

Anyway, I just wanna forget that! When I saw my pictures wearing my cropped shirt, my PHP 1,000 bucks is worth it. Hahaha! Trying to console myself, eh?! Well, I’d say this outfit looks more rugged than my previous post. Obviously, it is because of the cropped shirt. Check out more pictures below.

Promise, no more “happy face” below… LOL!

up close…

Have you noticed my nails? It’s powder blue! Chanel Cruise 2011 collection presentation  in St. Tropez, France showed powder blue nails, and so am I! Haha! But this ain’t Chanel! I saw a powder blue shade nail polish at Elianto, so I thought of getting it.

so drama…!!!

I’m now an ultimate Drama Queen!

Hmmm… Thinking about it, I should have used my Balenciaga Giant City for this outfit to completely look rugged. Hehe!

one last look…

On Lush Angel: studded cropped shirt from Topshop; black tank top from Mango; distressed shorts from Pill (available at The Ramp); Ed Hardy Sneakers; braided belt from dear Atsi; Fedora hat and Eiffel Tower necklace from Bangkok; bronze bangles from H&M; leopard bangle from Primark in London; cocktail ring from Accessorize; Chanel 2.55 Medium Flap bag

My style? Getting rugged! So not me? Well, I’m actually adventurous when it comes to what I wear. I really don’t have one signature style. I love experimenting, as long as it fits me well and I can carry myself. I can probably consider myself unpredictable. Well I guess that best describes me not only with the clothes I wear, but with anything else. LOL!

Anyway, I need to give you guys a warning. This post contains a lot of pictures!!! I can’t decide what to post so I uploaded most of it. LOL! In fact, because I have too much pictures of my rugged look, I will have to cut this post into two parts. I decided to change my top after a number of camera clicks- that I’ll be sharing in Part II. LOL! Oh and guess what?! Not all pictures have the “happy face”! Hahaha!!! So, here you go… You can click on the photos to enlarge.

For Part I, I used a chiffon swing tank top so as not to look too rugged. I tucked in the front part and let loose the sides and the back of my top to get that relaxed look. Hehehe! I then used my Chanel 2.55 Medium Flap bag to add glam to the entire look.

Oh, and if you are wondering where I got my chiffon swing tank top, it’s from our latest collection. (Shameless plug!!! LOL!) If you’re interested, you can leave a comment below and I’ll reply ASAP. Other designs are also available.

I have been looking for a distressed shorts for so long. Before I left for Bangkok, I found this really rugged-looking shorts at The Ramp in Shangri-La Mall. I actually saw this before, probably a month ago, but I had to let it go since I found it a bit pricey then. When I saw it again, it was on sale! Yay! See, it pays to wait! You just have to know when most malls have their sale. I got my shorts for about PHP 400+. Well, there were a lot of really cheap denim shorts in Bangkok, only about PHP 150! There were a lot of choices. You just have to be sure with your size since fitting isn’t allowed. Well, you can return the merchandise, but good luck in looking for the stall again! I didn’t regret buying my distressed shorts though, since there wasn’t anything like it.

Okay, I know I said some pictures do not have “happy face”. Well, there’s none right? I just had to use my new fedora hat, which I got from Bangkok. Hehehe! I actually bought two, as seen below. I already imagine myself wearing the white one when I’m out of town or when I hit the beach. Hehehe! Guess how much these cost me?! The white one is only THB 80 or PHP 120 and the black fedora hat is THB 150 or PHP 225.

More pictures…

Just having fun…

closer look…

But of course, my necklace is an Eiffel Tower. Wanna guess how much I got this in Bangkok??? Go! Go! Go!:-)

Jeng… Jeng… Jeng… Jeng…!!!

It’s just THB 100 or PHP 150!

With its price, I knew I had to get it! The motto of my friends and I while we were in Bangkok- “NO REGRETS!” Meaning, just buy whatever we want since we do not want to regret anything when we get back to Manila. LOL! I also thought I really need to have this Eiffel Tower necklace as I need to be reminded that I have to go back to Paris soon! Haaaay, could it be next summer please?! *** Lush Angel’s day dreaming right now…***

One last look of the entire outfit…

On Lush Angel: chiffon swing top from KAT; black tank top from Mango; distressed shorts from Pill (available at The Ramp); Ed Hardy Sneakers; braided belt from dear Atsi; Fedora hat and Eiffel Tower necklace from Bangkok; bronze bangles from H&M; leopard bangle from Primark in London; cocktail ring from Accessorize; Chanel 2.55 Medium Flap bag

Okay, sorry I’m digressing! I just got so excited! Hehehe! Anyway, here is one of those days that I decided to go corpo. I might miss going to work so I’m making the most out of my last few days in the office. LOL!

Yes, so corpo! LOL! And if you noticed, I wore the accessories that I shared in my previous post. I love it! Hehehe!

On Lush Angel:  New Look blazer (I suuuper miss that store! It’s like Forever 21 of London! Can’t they put up a store here in Manila??!); H&M wide legged pants; Mango tank top; Chanel pearl drop earrings; necklaces and bracelet from SM department store; Tag Heuer Formula 1 watch; Philippe Charriol and diamond rings; Zara caged sandals; Chanel 2010 GST

Anyway, moving on… For those of you who have seen my previous post on my 2010 GST, you probably noticed that I got the silver hardware. I also love the gold hardware, but I just thought that since my 2.55 Medium Flap bag is already in GH, I’d go for the SH this time. For me, gold looks more formal and luxurious, which perfectly fits the 2.55 Medium Flap. And considering GST’s size, I use it for a more casual look. It’s perfect for shopping, movie date or office day. It’s like an everyday bag for me and the SH makes the look of it a bit laid-back. Well, of course my Balenciaga Giant City is more casual/ rugged, but you get what I mean? Well, this is just my opinion.

Now, let me go to the details of the new 2010 GST. Let me start with the interior. The new GST has a different lining as compared to the Ottoman lining of the old model. Well, for most of the GST fans, this is such a wrong move of Chanel. The Ottoman lining is thicker and is said to be more durable as opposed to satin, which is harder to maintain. I don’t mind though since I don’t really put a lot of stuff inside it. I take good care of my bags since I work hard for it. Hehehe! This is probably the reason why I like to pay for my bags rather than asking from my mom. I tend to value it more since it’s my own moolah.

Another addition to the new Chanel GST is this inside key hook, as seen in the picture below. The old GST only had a D-ring inside the bag, but now with the strap and key hook, you can attach your wallet or other valuable stuff inside your bag. It’s kinda the “anti-theft” feature of the bag. LOL! Although it has a zippy compartment in the middle of the bag, the two sides are still wide open. With this strap attached inside the bag, thieves can never get hold of your wallet. Ummm… Well, unless they get the entire bag! LOL! Hope not!!!

Now, let’s go to the exterior changes of the 2010 Grand Shopping Tote. If you noticed in the pictures below, the CC signature logo of Chanel is now stitched onto the caviar leather itself. The old GST’s CC signature logo is more like a cut out from a separate piece of leather then stitched onto the bag. I actually find the CC logo in the new GST better than the old one. It’s more subtle. The CC logo of the bag is already big so maybe there’s a need to tone it down. The 2010 GST is not screaming “CHANEL” anymore, which I prefer. Oh, and one more thing. I think having the logo stitched onto the leather itself makes it harder to fake the bag. Well, that’s what I would like to think. Hehehe!

the new Chanel GST signature CC logo…

the old Chanel GST signature CC logo…

And last but not the least, my fave in the new GST- the new Chanel rings/ eyelets! From the neutral eyelets, it now has the engraved home address of Chanel, “31 Rue Cambon Paris”. I love! I love! I love! See photo below…. Need I say more?

All I can say is, whether you have the old or the new, for me, GST is still GST and it is a wonderful bag! Definitely a must-have for me!

Now, how much did this cost me?! Ouch! My hatest topic! Hehehe! Considering the price increase and how much I bought my Pounds, it definitely is a pain in my pocket! But as I said in my previous post, I don’t want my money to be idle. Never ever do that! So best solution, invest! LOL! Okay, don’t quote me on that! Hahaha! Anyway, I got my 2010 GST caviar for GBP 1,475. You can get tax return though at the airport, but I wasn’t able to get my entire tax refund because my supervisor was taxed at the Philippine customs! Argh!

Anyway, check out the prices below of the new Chanel GST in the other parts of the world. Note that prices here could change without prior notice.

Paris – € 1540
London - GBP 1,475
US – $ 2,350
Hong Kong – HKD$ 19,700
Singapore – S$ 3,900
Australia – A$ 3,360

BUT wait, let me tell you first the story behind this so be a little more patient with me please… Hehehe!

When I was in London, I was really planning to buy my two babies there. Well, I went home with my Balenciaga as seen in this post, but she never met her Brit sister! LOL! Geeesh… God knows what I went through just to get hold of my other baby! Back then, I visited almost all Chanel stores in London just to look for her.  Take note, I searched for her every weekend during my stay there and sometimes even during my lunch breaks or even after office! Unfortunately, my dream bag was always out of stock. The Chanel SA’s in Selfidges and in Old Bond St. informed me that whenever deliveries arrive, the bag I wanted would vanish in just 2 hours! Unbelievable! So maybe it’s really not meant to be. But till the last minute I never gave up on my baby. I was hoping to meet her in the airport terminal. In the end, my dream of having my baby suffered the same fate as all bags in the Chanel store 2 hours after delivery, it instantly vanished.

I came back to Manila with a heavy heart knowing I got so close of grabbing hold of my Chanel bag. Each day, I would just stare at the wallpaper (a picture of my beloved baby) on my computer and wonder when I can have her. At times, I would feel down knowing that the only time I would be able to buy her is when I go to Europe for vacation with my family, which won’t happen anytime soon.

When I was about to give up on her, I found out that one of my supervisors from another team had to go to London for training. I thought I could probably take my chance and ask her to get my dream bag for me. I had some pounds left from my previous trip to London and I couldn’t exchange it to Pesos anymore. Just imagine, the rate now is only around PHP 68  to GBP 1! When I left, it was about PHP 81 to GBP 1! Do the Math!! I would definitely not exchange my pounds right now! I don’t want my money to be idle though so I need to invest it somewhere! LOL! See, I’ve got an excuse!!! And take note, it is valid and it is a good investment since if I don’t buy my Chanel now, the price would probably increase next year (Bag hags out there know how fast these designer bags appreciate!)!

So I wasted no time in asking her if she could bring home my baby for me and gave her my remaining pounds. I knew though that she won’t be able to buy it. Hello?! I visited various Chanel stores every weekend for almost two months and not even a glimpse did I see that bag! And I won’t expect her to visit every Chanel store for me! Hello?! That’s too much! I just told her, if it’s out of stock in the first Chanel store she will go to, she shouldn’t bother looking for it anymore since I don’t want her to be hassled. Besides, chances are there really won’t be any stocks! But in my heart what I actually wanted to tell her was… “Please can you check everyday in Chanel if they have stocks? Please…please….” LOL! Hehehe! You might ask then, why bother asking her to buy it for me if the chances of her finding it in stock was practically zero? Well, I felt something different this time. I knew I was going to have it this 2010 since while I was having my much needed beauty sleep  one night, I dreamed of her! I knew instantly that it was a sign from the heavens above that it will come true. Hehehe!

Two weeks before she got back here in Manila, she already told me that my bag was out of stock. Well, I wasn’t really that disappointed since I expected that already. I was thinking of just keeping the money and wait for the pounds to appreciate one day. Hehehe! And maybe, just maybe…that bag is really not meant to be for me and I was mistaken. I just told myself- Maybe the Queen B is the one for me! LOL!

Last week of April, she reported back to work and I was expecting her to give my pounds back. She called me and said, she has something for me. I wondered if it was my baby. I excitedly asked, “What is it?!?”

“Biscuits from Harrods!” Oh, I miss that mall!!! Well, I won’t deny- I thought she would bring out my bag under her table! Wahahaha! Okay fine, I was hoping until the very last minute! Me and my never say never attitude. Hehehe! But NONE! NA-DA! Just the same, I’m thankful to my trainer back in London who gave me these yummy biscuits.

At around 6pm, I heard my phone ring and it was my supervisor who just came back from London. She needed something from me. I admit this may sound bratty, but I was just fooling around when I said, “No bag, no extension!” She asked me to extend my deadline and I just gave her a deafening silence… LOL! But seriously, I’m not that bad you know. Hehehe!  Well, she thought I was serious… She just said, “No bag, no extension huh?!” After a minute or so, she went to my cubicle and placed this paper bag on my desk!

WAAAAH! Is this for real?! She bought it for me!!!! My eyes almost popped out when I saw it. I was jumping for joy and kept on shrieking right there! LOL! Everyone was stunned and didn’t know what was going on. At the sight of it, I almost fainted and I couldn’t help, but it did bring me to tears. LOL!! Yes, it is for real… It’s the 2010 Chanel GST in silver hardware!!!!! Woohooo!!!! Not a lot of people in the office would understand me for reacting the way I did, but for those of you out there who can relate with me, words aren’t suffice to express the happiness and state of ecstasy I am in right now.  It really made my day! Or shall I say, my entire year! ;-)

Anyway, here are some pictures of my new baby…

a few shots of my Brit baby…

the back…

the interior…

and the Rue Cambon Paris stamping…

P.S.
If just looking at it makes you drool already, how I wish you could just smell the leather. My favorite scent in the world! LOL!!!

So what’s inside the paper bag??? Hmmm… Can anyone guess what is it? Guess! Guess! Guess! I’m sure everyone is so excited already to see it but you know what they say… All good things come to those who wait.. LOL!  So stay tuned and wait patiently for my next post. I promise I won’t disappoint. This is truly heaven sent! Hehehehe! Here is a sneak peek of what is to come.

I just can’t stop smiling right now! One down for the year!