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Angie R. May 1, 2017

Scammer Alert: Do Not Buy Replicas From Instagram Sellers

Hello all. I received an unfortunate email from a blog reader who wishes to share her story of being scammed by purchasing through social media (Instagram in this case). I have noticed that the number of blog readers interested in Instagram replica bag sellers and quite frankly there are a lot of security flags that arise with social media that make me feel very uncomfortable with even thinking of purchasing from there. Unlike a website which has a verifiable history and record, social media accounts can pop up and disappear within moments. This means you are putting yourself at the mercy of an individual who presents themselves a certain way on a free social media platform (we all know how easy it is to set up a fake social media account) and putting your money at a very high risk. I strongly suggest you do not purchase anything through social media – whether it be an authentic bag or fake bag because there is simply not enough security or reassurance. If you come across a seller with a website linking to their profile that is a different story (and of course their website still needs to be vetted). Anyways here is the contents of the email I received warning everyone to stay away from an individual named Kiran Taha Berat (shame on him) who is stealing people’s money with no remorse:

Good afternoon. I came across the beware of scammers section and Im glad I did. I was looking for Chanel Supers and came across a man named Kiran Taha Berat from Budapest Hungary. Our communications were through WhatsApp. He had me send the money through Western Union. I’ve been waiting for months. I kept getting the run around. First it was “Oh we sold the last one and are waiting to restock”. Second was “Sorry we are no longer getting that model so heres some that we carry”. When I didnt like what was being offered they said I have to wait for the new shipment. Then I was sent photos of bags I actually liked. I made my choice and was told they’d be delivered asap. A week later I asked what day he sent it to me and disnt get a response for about 3 days. After waiting about 2 months I finally said if my order wasnt shipped by Friday that I want a full refund. The following day I was blocked on the app as well as his Instagram. Now I’m out of $1070.00. Im including screenshots and you can do what you like with them. I just wanted to warn everyone and anyone. He shouldn’t be able to rob people so easily. Now I have no idea what I should do.

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Angie R. April 28, 2017

Balenciaga Called Out By Ikea For Copying Their Bag Design!

The IKEA FRATKA bag is 1/2000th of the cost of the Balenciaga bag! To anyone who is actually considering buying the Balenciaga bag: please for the sake of everyone’s sanity – rethink your decision!

It’s funny when the tables turn and designer companies are seen knocking off (either purposefully or not) lesser known brands, or in this case a very famous brand – IKEA. If you have ever shopped in IKEA you have probably spotted the FRATKA bag – it is a blue tarpaulin inspired bag that can hold all the things you didn’t need (but ended up picking up anyways) at IKEA during your shopping trip. Balenciaga recently released their Arena Extra-Large Shopper Tote bag which costs $2144 USD. The bags look shockingly similar to the point where if you were to walk into IKEA with the Balenciaga bag, I guarantee it would 100% be mistaken for the FRATKA. Whether Balenciaga was “inspired” (or “replicated”) by the FRATKA bag is unknown, but I think it’s safe to say that they look identical.

Taking notice of the similarities, IKEA created a funny poster in which they guide shoppers on how to identify an original IKEA FRATKA bag. This is quite funny as we are all used to seeing the tables turned (a.k.a major designers going after other companies that knock off their designs), and quite ironic in that sense.

Of course IKEA’s message was simply in jest, and the company fired off this official statement regarding Balenciaga’s homage to their iconic bag: “We are deeply flattered that the Balenciaga tote bag resembles the Ikea iconic sustainable blue bag for 99 cents. Nothing beats the versatility of a great big blue bag!”

What do you think of Balenciaga’s purposeful (or accidental) copying of IKEA’s FRATKA bag? Should IKEA have been more stern with Balenciaga and pursued legal action? … Just kidding about that one, but it was hard not to ask ;-P … As I have mentioned before I personally think copy or no-copy the bag looks utterly hideous and I definitely cannot imagine myself spending over two grand to carry this EVER. The original IKEA FRATKA however sounds like a delightful and super useful tote (according to IKEA’s ad it can even carry water) which is worth the $0.99. Of course in cases like these we are reminded that high fashion can be ridiculous in terms of cost, and this is one of those time where it glaringly shows. Sound off with your opinion in the comments below to let me know what you think!

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Angie R. March 21, 2017

Can You Spot A Fake Hermès Birkin? A Guide to Authentic vs Replica Hermès Birkin Bags

Can you tell which Birkin is fake and which one is real?

Many people are afraid to buy a fake Hermès Birkin bag, both knowingly or unknowingly. Considering these bags can run up to the $100s of thousands (especially if they are exotic leather editions) it makes sense to KNOW your Hermès before you embark upon the re-seller market to make sure you don’t get cheated by a seller. Even if you are looking for a fake it is important to know what key aspects of the bag are important to get a good knockoff vs. a piece of junk. In this article I will be comparing my replica Hermès Birkin (which I previously reviewed here) to an authentic Birkin in the same model. Please note that the replica being used to compare to the authentic bag is a super fake so the quality is very high – your average fake bag will not be as good! At the end of the article I will reveal which bag is fake! Put on your detective glasses and try to spot the fake to see if you know your Hermès authentication as well as you do!

Slouchiness is not necessarily a sign that your bag is either fake or real!

Before I begin to go through key things to pay attention to when looking at a fake vs. real Birkin, I would like to note that you do not need to pay attention to the slouchiness of the bags. This is not a sign that will indicate whether the bag you are examining is fake or real. The bags featured both are made with Togo leather however the difference is that one bag is brand new, thus the leather is still quite stiff and so the shape of the bag is also more stiff. However as your Togo leather Birkin ages the bag naturally becomes more slouchy and this is part of the look of the Togo leather that many Hermès fans love, while some others prefer to keep the shape of the bag stiff and opt for other leathers which are better at keeping the shape! Look below at a well aged authentic Birkin in Togo leather to see how the slouchiness tends to look. If your brand new Hermès bag’s shape is really out of whack however this is a sign that your bag is most likely fake since the bag should have a clean shape when it is new!

As you can see the leather on this bag has slouched quite a bit – it is a natural part of an aging Togo leather Hermès Birkin.

2. Take a look at the stamping of the Hermès logo.

An authentic bag’s stamp should be clean and uniform, however on fake bags the stamp usually looks unclean – a.k.a spotty and irregular. Take a look at the stamps on both bags, as pictured below, to see which looks better/worse.

Which bag has better stamping?

3. Take a look at the stitching.

Hermès stitching should be done on a slant – not a straight line. If you see the stitching on your bag is done in a straight manner the bag is 100% fake. This is probably the easiest thing to look at to weed out a very bad fake. Keep in mind however that if the threading is slanted, this does not mean that is 100% real, since many replica manufacturers are aware of this and stitch their bags accordingly. As you can see both bags pictured in this article feature slanted stitching.

4. Take a look at the hardware.

The font of the Hermès stamp on the hardware should be thin and elegant. If you notice a boxy or thick font the bag is definitely fake! Additionally the letters should not be too far apart on the stamping.

5. Take a look at the inside strap of the bag!

The strap’s cutout should be done nice and cleanly, and the threading should continue to be clean. Additionally you should see some numbers engraved into the inside of the strap. These refer to the production run in which the bag was produced. If there are no numbers the bag you have is definitely a fake!

6. Take a look at the leather of the bag!

The leather on a Hermès bag should be rich and feel buttery smooth – especially if it is a Togo leather bag. You can use your basic instincts when judging the leather – it should be smooth to the touch and feel luxurious – these bags are pricey for a reason after all!

So do you think you’ve guessed it? Which bag did you think was real, and which did you think was fake? Well time for the grand reveal… the bag on the right is fake! The bag on the left is real. Did you guess right or were you confused? Well if you were confused don’t feel to bad since as I mentioned earlier the fake being compared to the original in this article is a superfake or counter quality replica which means it is the best of the best when it comes to knockoffs. It’s hard for authentication experts to judge it to be fake, let alone the average consumer! Leave a comment below letting me know how accurate your authentication skills were!

CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE PICTURES OF THE HERMÈS BIRKIN REPLICA!

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Angie R. February 21, 2017

Prada Esplanade Replica Bag Review

Hello my lovely blog readers!

I had promised to share this review back in 2016 but never got around to it. So sorry for the super long delay but here are the pictures of the amazing Prada Esplanade bag I got in two tone (white/navy blue combo). The bag is a counter quality replica – as you all know by now is the best grade of replica which exists out there. The bag is a mix of calf leather/saffiano leather and I think that the leather combination works well. The bag is the super sophisticated and I think it looks bets paired with a cute little black dress on a night out. Although you could totally pull it off as a day bag as well. The Esplanade is definitely a statement bag – it is not a subtle piece, but it really really stands out so if you are looking for something to give your outfit a bit of a pop or wow factor I would really suggest this Prada model. Without further ado here are pics of my bag:

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Angie R. February 10, 2017

Here’s a First Look at Louis Vuitton’s Blossom 2017 Jewelry Collection

The Louis Vuitton Blossom Jewelry 2017 Collection features the House’s muse Michelle Williams as the face of the collection and features colorful yet elegant pieces. The House’s Monogram flowers which were initially created by Georges-Louis Vuitton in 1896 are highlighted in the collection which features pieces in rose, white, and yellow gold. The collection is available in three variations: Blossom, Diamond, and Idylle.

Scroll down below to take your first look at the collection in the reference guide we have compiled below.

The Louis Vuitton Blossom Jewelry Collection

WHERE TO PURCHASE

You can purchase the Louis Vuitton Blossom Collection directly from Louis Vuitton’s website, an authorized online re-seller, an authentic consignment store, or in person at a Louis Vuitton boutique near you.