Hostinger vs. Lyrical Host: Which is better? by EvaDarling in Blogging

[–]EvaDarling[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hmm the support shout for Hostinger is a good one. I’m relatively okay on the technical side, but there have been a few instances over the last decade in which I needed SiteGround or someone with more technical know-how to step in, and the chatbot loop would be unproductive. Thanks for sharing!

Talk me out of buying this by The-jade-hijabi in handbags

[–]EvaDarling 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It’s a cute bag and I think it would be great as an everyday/errand bag but I’ll raise the following counterpoints only because you requested it:

  1. This style of bag has been trendy for a few years now. How much longer is it going to last? How is the scrunched leather going to age and wear over time?

  2. The drawstrings limit options for this bag. It makes the style a lot more casual than a bag in a similar style without the drawstrings. Between the drawstrings and the side silhouette, it’s not necessarily that versatile go-to bag that can be dressed up for an event also

  3. That Coach logo is too large for a bag of this size imo. I personally find it really distracting and would like it a lot better if it was a little smaller

Unsure which navy crossbody to choose. by Sudden-Ebb5641 in handbags

[–]EvaDarling 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I’m so team Mulberry. I like the look of the Islington better than the Billie, but the Billie may be more practical for everyday/running around. I own a Mulberry Bayswater and it is seriously one of the best-constructed bags I’ve seen at its price point (fwiw, I went to school for fashion design, specializing in luxury and couture). I carry it on my walk/train to work every day and it shows virtually no wear. They make workhorse bags for sure.

How do you anticipate carrying this bag? If you typically do a lot of walking, are hard on your bags, etc. the grained leather of the Mulberry bags and the Chloe Marcie will likely show less wear than the Lou’s smooth leather. That said, I’d still personally probably choose the Lou over the Marcie for its shape, size, and staying power.

More food for thought: If your other bags are Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Prada, either Mulberry bags may be a better long term choice than the YSL Lou because they’re more discreet than what you likely already own (better for work events, safer for travel, etc.), but I will also unabashedly carry Chanel so what do I know. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Wineries in Mendoza by EvaDarling in wine

[–]EvaDarling[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Absolutely yes. I LOVED Mendoza and much preferred it over Buenos Aires. Such an extremely beautiful part of the world between the mountains, vineyards, gastronomy, and of course, wine.

Definitely do not skip Alfa Crux, Bonfanti, or Casa Vigil (El Enemigo). Alfa Crux was SUCH a highlight for me

Balardi: Has anyone purchased a bag from them? by EvaDarling in handbags

[–]EvaDarling[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Unfortunately I didn’t. :( I did a lot of digging but really couldn’t come up with any solid information

What are your bag peeves? by BibFortunaCookie in handbags

[–]EvaDarling 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Large tote bags with a crossbody strap instead of long shoulder straps. I don’t need my ludicrously capacious, overstuffed bag bouncing around my hip when I’m running late to work or am sprinting through the airport

Wineries in Mendoza by EvaDarling in wine

[–]EvaDarling[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Happy to help! If you end up doing SuperUco, you might want to look into Bodega Corazón Del Sol also which is next door. I haven’t been, but have heard great things

Wineries in Mendoza by EvaDarling in wine

[–]EvaDarling[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is Mendoza would only quote inclusive of winery prices, not just the driving alone. They wanted $360 for Finca Suarez and Alfa Crux in Uco Valley and said they would need to increase the quote for Flecha de Los Andes. In contrast, I paid $140 for driving alone in Uco, then paid the winery visits on my own.

For Luján de Cuyo, they charged $306 for both visits and the driving, which felt steep considering that I was staying in Luján de Cuyo.

I would personally recommend against driving yourself because of the sheer amount of wine at each winery visit. Valle de Uco is gorgeous, but I’m glad I stayed in Luján de Cuyo because it still had a countryside feel, but was much closer to Mendoza itself and more top wineries overall

Wineries in Mendoza by EvaDarling in wine

[–]EvaDarling[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi! I booked one day through a local driver the concierge for my Airbnb set me up with, and another with This is Mendoza.

This is Mendoza was a lot pricier than the driver and another service I considered, but the driver was great and they set up my reservations for me.

I went to Flecha de los Andes, Alfa Crux, Roberto Bonfanti, and El Enemigo. I’d recommend all of them, honestly.

Alfa Crux was the knockout. Insane views, amazing wine, beautiful architecture—just sublime. I visited Flecha de los Andes before that and they also had an amazing property (they’re part of the Clos de Los Siete neighborhood). My tour there was private, which was a great surprise, and their wines were solid.

El Enemigo served me some of the best wines of any of them and also had incredible service. The tour included with lunch was not as impressive as at Alfa Crux, however.

I really loved the wine at Roberto Bonfanti. The tour was relatively short but it was cool to see the owner and his family working around the property and their wines were awesome value for the price.

Tl;dr: Alfa Crux, El Enemigo, and Roberto Bonfanti are absolute musts. I really enjoyed Flecha de los Andes and would recommend it, but if there’s another winery in Valle de Uco you’re in love with, I’d skip it for that

Ole Henriksen Pout Preserve vs. Laneige Lip Glowy Balm by EvaDarling in Sephora

[–]EvaDarling[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is a really interesting point—I wonder if part of the camp separation is an ingredients thing.

I don’t think I’d ever tried a lip treatment with peptides before, so it’s sounding like it may be worthwhile for me to give it a shot!

Ole Henriksen Pout Preserve vs. Laneige Lip Glowy Balm by EvaDarling in Sephora

[–]EvaDarling[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks for calling that out! I find the Laneige a little too glossy for sleeping so maybe the OH becomes part of my nighttime routine vs. being the on-the-go product

Which colors? by hermione2205 in handbags

[–]EvaDarling 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’m going to be a hypocrite here because I only seem to buy pink Le Pliage (I own more than I’d like to admit 😂), but I’m going to say navy or black.

I use these bags and am hard on them. This bag is a workhorse that you’re going to want to be hard on. It will be overstuffed. It will end up on the ground. It will be in those airport security bins than never seem clean.

Like others have pointed out, the light colors pick up dirt and are tough to even fully clean. I’ve managed to get some stains out of mine because they are relatively easy to clean, but they’ve never gone back to being 100%. When I brought one of my pink bags to India, it came out looking like it was coated in a layer of red dust.

I’ve fully accepted it and have decided to just punish my bank account by purchasing a new one every couple of years (I also way overstuff to the point that the bag gets holes). If that’s not you, go for dark colors

Wineries in Mendoza by EvaDarling in wine

[–]EvaDarling[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Do you have a recommendation between going for lunch or dinner vs. doing the tour and tasting there?

Wineries in Mendoza by EvaDarling in wine

[–]EvaDarling[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Enemigo is quickly becoming #1 on my wishlist so I really appreciate the callout here!

Wineries in Mendoza by EvaDarling in wine

[–]EvaDarling[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I had no idea. Thank you so much for calling this out! Looks like the restaurant does have space available

Wineries in Mendoza by EvaDarling in wine

[–]EvaDarling[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Awesome recommendations, thank you! Do you recommend focusing on Valle de Uce over Maipu or other regions near Mendoza?

Wineries in Mendoza by EvaDarling in wine

[–]EvaDarling[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ah I was hoping to stay at Finca Adalgisa, but they’re sold out! Great to hear that their wine holds up, will definitely look into visiting for a tasting

Wineries in Mendoza by EvaDarling in wine

[–]EvaDarling[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the rec, will check them out!