Bals you want to buy, plan to buy and those you can't quite make up your mind about

[ksuromax]

I never saw that film but I get your point. And you are right.

I didn't consider it before because other cognac bags I've owned (like my much missed darker cognac Mulberry) didn't have that problem. It was just when reading that thread on light coloured Bals that I realised, oh no, what if this Caramel is high maintenance? If it is, I sadly won't be buying it because I already have one gorgeous Bal (my Rouge Vif m-u clutch) just lying around doing nothing but looking beautiful all day because I'm too mesmerised, attached and lazy to sell it.

So the question then is this: Is Caramel 2005 a high maintenance bag colour? Anybody with experience of Caramel or similar?

You don't know Kevin????

 

[ksuromax]

Just teasing you, girl!
SGCW i agree with BCP, you cannot avoid signs of wear on lighter colours, and it's something to either accept, or not, and then avoid getting light coloured bags but admire them from afar
i am ok with it, and i am aging and showing signs of 'wear', too
that's part of the game
i have my white Prada in cervo which i dearly love and will never part with, and i love to bits my Mulberry pink Alexa.... this just to name a couple... life it too darn short to save something 'for later', if you love it, go for it and enjoy using it!!

 

[muchstuff]

I never saw that film but I get your point. And you are right.

I didn't consider it before because other cognac bags I've owned (like my much missed darker cognac Mulberry) didn't have that problem. It was just when reading that thread on light coloured Bals that I realised, oh no, what if this Caramel is high maintenance? If it is, I sadly won't be buying it because I already have one gorgeous Bal (my Rouge Vif m-u clutch) just lying around doing nothing but looking beautiful all day because I'm too mesmerised, attached and lazy to sell it.

So the question then is this: Is Caramel 2005 a high maintenance bag colour? Anybody with experience of Caramel or similar?

There are good quality products you can get to spray the bag with, that will help prevent staining, water marking, colour transfer, that kind of thing. Here's a link, it's to a Canadian site but you can read some of the product descriptions.

https://www.valentinogaremi.ca/pages/contact-us?action=success

 

[SomethingGoodCanWork]

There are good quality products you can get to spray the bag with, that will help prevent staining, water marking, colour transfer, that kind of thing. Here's a link, it's to a Canadian site but you can read some of the product descriptions.

https://www.valentinogaremi.ca/pages/contact-us?action=success

I recognise Collonil from the Ahoi Polloi thread, some of the ladies over there swear by it and say its wear erasing is magical. Are you using their products as well muchstuff? And I think you can get it in Europe which is a plus.
And then there's Leather Honey. I know CeeJay's mentioned it and don't think she'd subject her amazing collection to anything but the best eiher. It's just been confusing on TPF as many here are for products and many are against.

I'm also thinking it is a Caramel after all, not a white or a light light blue or sheer green. The main problem I can see is that it might become darker (by use and protective products) but I don't mind that at all as long as it stays caramel/cognac. And the leather looks fantastic to me. If you remember I bought a Cognac 2006 S/S City some months ago. Here it is:

I LOVED the colour of this bag but the leather not so much as I prefer smoother leather. The Caramel I'm considering now is also chèvre but looks totally different in pics at least,. all smooth and slouchy loveliness and not a marshmallow in sight as far as I can tell

 

[SomethingGoodCanWork]

Just teasing you, girl!
SGCW i agree with BCP, you cannot avoid signs of wear on lighter colours, and it's something to either accept, or not, and then avoid getting light coloured bags but admire them from afar
i am ok with it, and i am aging and showing signs of 'wear', too
that's part of the game
i have my white Prada in cervo which i dearly love and will never part with, and i love to bits my Mulberry pink Alexa.... this just to name a couple... life it too darn short to save something 'for later', if you love it, go for it and enjoy using it!!

I know And yeah, it is quite a "feat" not to have seen that movie But you made a great point. What's the point of buying it it I don't dare to really use it? I think muchstuff's advice to use some kind of protective product could be the answer. Like I wrote earlier it is a caramel after all, not a sheer pastel so I think I can stand some wear to it. And I'll probably prefer it a bit darker anyway if that happens.

 

[ksuromax]

I know And yeah, it is quite a "feat" not to have seen that movie But you made a great point. What's the point of buying it it I don't dare to really use it? I think muchstuff's advice to use some kind of protective product could be the answer. Like I wrote earlier it is a caramel after all, not a sheer pastel so I think I can stand some wear to it. And I'll probably prefer it a bit darker anyway if that happens.

 

[SomethingGoodCanWork]

Light color bags will show wear and dirt quicker than darker ones. There's no way to avoid it with regular use even if you're careful.
If you're worrying about it now, ask yourself how comfortable you would be using it.
I have a Cumin Bal that I use in the summers. I don't baby it, but it is in rotation. Still, it has a couple of scratches, and marks on it that you can see if you look closely, but I'm fine with it. How would you feel though if the marks and scratches were were on your caramel?

I was going to add you in the same post I wrote to muchstuff about her advice to use products to protect the leather but forgot to add the quote. I think a caramel bag will be fine so right now i'm thinking it's yes to buying if it's still available.

And I just reread one of my posts where I go in to great detail about how I don't use the handles of my City. Just to be clear, it's not that I'm worried about using them because warming It's just that I prefer to carry bags on my shoulder or cross body. I'm really not an "arm or hand bag carrying" woman although I weirdly enough think that the handles on the City make the bag look even more amazing.

 

[muchstuff]

I recognise Collonil from the Ahoi Polloi thread, some of the ladies over there swear by it and say its wear erasing is magical. Are you using their products as well muchstuff? And I think you can get it in Europe which is a plus.
And then there's Leather Honey. I know CeeJay's mentioned it and don't think she'd subject her amazing collection to anything but the best eiher. It's just been confusing on TPF as many here are for products and many are against.

I'm also thinking it is a Caramel after all, not a white or a light light blue or sheer green. The main problem I can see is that it might become darker (by use and protective products) but I don't mind that at all as long as it stays caramel/cognac. And the leather looks fantastic to me. If you remember I bought a Cognac 2006 S/S City some months ago. Here it is:

I LOVED the colour of this bag but the leather not so much as I prefer smoother leather. The Caramel I'm considering now is also chèvre but looks totally different in pics at least,. all smooth and slouchy loveliness and not a marshmallow in sight as far as I can tell
View attachment 3710899

I haven't tried the Collonil although I'd like to. I've used Saphir and a few other products but haven't had that "aha" moment with a product yet. I tried Leather Honey on my officier Day. It did help even out the colour a bit where it was more faded but over all I can't say it feels that much more moisturized, although some people swear by it. I think you run into problems with any product if you use too much of it. Leather Honey actually says on the bottle that it you use it on light-coloured bags it may cause the natural variations in the leather to show more, which may not be a plus.

 

[floodette]

To me it's second black....

thanks to your advice, i just click buy for ME bordeaux with ghw.

wooooohooooooo!!!

 

[ksuromax]

thanks to your advice, i just click buy for ME bordeaux with ghw.

wooooohooooooo!!!

Good choice!! will be looking forward to your reveal!

 

[SomethingGoodCanWork]

So, I didn't buy the Caramel and I've been a bit depressed about it. But I just can't buy a pre-owned bag without being able to return it or at least see it before I pay. Not even a probably gorgeous Caramel 2005 *bag woe is me*.

So speaking of Bals, why are there so many Red Lipstick City:s being sold right now? There's the one on US eBay I posted a photo of in this thread, that ksuromax was skeptical to, and I think there are even more on eBay US. And now there is another one on French eBay:
http://www.ebay.fr/itm/Sac-Balencia...539239?hash=item4664e68367:g:keEAAOSwYvFZNQKv

This red is fantastic but it's not adding up, is it? Was Red Lipstick a 2015/2016 colour? Need to check this but I think Iamminda's Town was from 2015, or do I remember this wrong?

Edited to add I found another one:
http://www.shop.realdealcollection....BFAD8CF0A01B6801EB1AD7C10FA7F.p3plqscsfapp005

 

[muchstuff]

So, I didn't buy the Caramel and I've been a bit depressed about it. But I just can't buy a pre-owned bag without being able to return it or at least see it before I pay. Not even a probably gorgeous Caramel 2005 *bag woe is me*.

So speaking of Bals, why are there so many Red Lipstick City:s being sold right now? There's the one on US eBay I posted a photo of in this thread, that ksuromax was skeptical to, and I think there are even more on eBay US. And now there is another one on French eBay:
http://www.ebay.fr/itm/Sac-Balencia...539239?hash=item4664e68367:g:keEAAOSwYvFZNQKv

This red is fantastic but it's not adding up, is it? Was Red Lipstick a 2015/2016 colour? Need to check this but I think Iamminda's Town was from 2015, or do I remember this wrong?

Edited to add I found another one:
http://www.shop.realdealcollection....BFAD8CF0A01B6801EB1AD7C10FA7F.p3plqscsfapp005

I think rouge lipstick was 2015. Interesting that a quick perusal of the colour swatches doesn't show it, unless I missed it. Not on the tPF thread or on lovebbags. If the bag is on RDC I think you can be assured that that one, at least, is authentic.

 

[SomethingGoodCanWork]

I think rouge lipstick was 2015. Interesting that a quick perusal of the colour swatches doesn't show it, unless I missed it. Not on the tPF thread or on lovebbags. If the bag is on RDC I think you can be assured that that one, at least, is authentic.

Exactly, no Red Lipstick on any colour swatches or on any colour/season lists that I've found either.

 

[muchstuff]

Exactly, no Red Lipstick on any colour swatches or on any colour/season lists that I've found either.

Weird isn't it? Yet we know it exists...I don't know why it's not on the colour charts . If you search "rouge lipstick" in the Bal forums there are lots of pics and references. Here's one...

https://forum.purseblog.com/threads/rouge-lipstick.919635/

 

[SomethingGoodCanWork]

By the way, I just noticed that the Red / Rouge Lipstick Bal I just linked to is not a City but a Town or some other model like a First. The first photo is definitely a City, but looks like a stock photo, the rest do not show a City.
I've seen other sellers do this on eBay before. For ex someone was selling a Day on German eBay, but when you had a look at the listing it was some completely different Bal bag.