A little break from all the Japan content!
After 7 years, I have finally bought it! Siri, please play Lizzie McGuire’s What Dreams Are Made Of!
To be honest, I have no plans of buying any bag for a year, considering I just purchased a Polene bag last September 2025 (I might blog about it, IDK hahaha!) and it wasn't exactly affordable. But for some reason, during one of our bumbling sessions with my colleagues, we touched upon a topic that I enjoy talking about - Dream bags.
It's fun to know different bags and researching about how they look, then eventually adding it to your own list of dream bags. As I grow older and wiser, I have started appreciating quality over quantity. I'm not saying that I only buy designer now, because unfortunately, we are not yet at that tax bracket, but I understand the importance of buying a good quality bag that will last you years, vs. buying trendy dupes that will only last you a year before they start disintegrating.
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| How my Parisian brands end up after a year of daily usage. |
During our chit-chat, I mentioned that I have always wanted to buy a Senreve Maestra bag, but it's too expensive for my budget. I think it was in 2018 when it became famous- Tumblr famous, even! Aside from seeing it worn by influencers, I have also grown fond of how structured yet pretty it looks; the more I see it, the more I want to have it someday.
Who would have known that someday would be December 21, 2025?
Because of my curiosity about how much the Maestra bag costs now, I decided to check Senreve's website, and guess what? THEY HAVE A MASSIVE SALE!
The mini Maestra is sold for $195 vs. $825! That's almost 80% off! Basically, the universe is telling me to buy it! HAHAHA! and so I did!
Initially, I was thinking of ordering it, have it sent over to my sister's house (she lives in the US now), then when her mother-in-law come visit and goes back to the Philippines, I could ask her to bring it with her. While it could have saved me around Php 1,000+, I figured I don't really want to hassle anyone to bring a bag with them, and well, I'm too excited to wait until January 10 for it to arrive hahaha! Ending? I placed the order and have it shipped to my address here in the Philippines.
The whole online shopping experience was a breeze, and after 5 minutes, I had already received confirmation about my purchase. I used my local bank credit card, and the payment has gone through. There's also an option to pay like $5 dollars for shipping protection, which I availed being neurotic ain't cheap. I think I paid around $210+, which already includes taxes, oh, and free shipping for orders worth $200+, so I did not add another layer of payment.
Now I wait for it to arrive 👌
Senreve’s courier is DHL, and in fairness, they give updates daily! I admit I was very anxious when I got a message that it’s currently being screened at customs, considering the horror stories of being imposed additional taxes before they would release the item. Luckily, I was not asked to pay additional taxes or fees, and by December 26, my bag had arrived!
The bag is well-packed inside an unassuming box outside, but the inside is pale pink and pretty.
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| "Inspired by women who do it all" |
Things about my mini Maestra bag that I love:
💓 The leather! I got the one made from Mimosa leather, so it was a little stiff, perfect for maintaining its boxy form. Also, it's already textured, so I don't need to be scared about scratching it.
💓 It doesn't have any loud logos.
💓 Anti-Thief! Hahahaha! I mean, you could also look at this one negatively, but I find it funny how it's not easy to open! Aside from the front metallic clasp, after flipping the flap, you still need to unzip to fully open the bag!
Like I've said, I have no plans of buying any designer bags-or any bags at all for this year! I would love to get my money's worth by using them as much as I could, but if the opportunity and money come knocking for a Loewe puzzle bag in moss green in my future, who am I to say no to that, right? 😉
Love always,
Nicole!
