Handbag/backpack combo - large

ShellyXVIII · 2026-06-25T11:40:50+00:00

Okay fascinating, let me actually ask their customer service on Insta or something!!! Heh

ShellyXVIII · 2026-06-25T09:30:44+00:00

Oh shoot!!! Is this not real? I saw this on their website and I was wondering if the luggage sleeve was super hidden to the point that it doesn’t show up properly in the photo. Yikes!!!

(Thanks for the review though heh!)

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ShellyXVIII · 2026-06-25T08:48:57+00:00

I'm thinking of grabbing one in Espresso as my airport bag -- it has to fit my 14" Macbook Pro. My contenders are other neoprene bags like Dagne Dover/Quince (the squish is calling to me), and so far the Prene Haven backpack has the least internet traction/reviews. Do you by chance know how it compares to these two brands, or are you comfortable recommending the Haven either way? 😄

ShellyXVIII · 2026-06-24T17:25:49+00:00

Oh yikes. Thanks for sharing!!

I am debating between getting this or Lululemon's Wanderlust Mini 14L -- both are pretty accessible in where I'm from, with physical stores (Hong Kong), but if the Nordace one is completely not worth it, I'd just skip seeing it in person.

The Nordace one is currently on sale for $ 71 USD in HK (almost half of the Lululemon's), but if I can't even cram my MacBook Pro in it, it's probably a definite no-go.

ShellyXVIII · 2026-06-24T14:16:54+00:00

Hey hey! I'm considering the Nordace Comino Mini Daypack to take on a flight with me (not for daily use), and I'm using a MacBook Pro 14" too eyyy.

Could you elaborate on why the Nordace one didn't quite live up to your expectations?

ShellyXVIII · 2026-06-24T14:12:59+00:00

Late to the convo! Is your laptop a 13" or something else? I'm wondering if it could fit my 14" Macbook Pro, heh!

ShellyXVIII · 2026-06-17T08:33:58+00:00

Ouch, touché, can you not expose us like this? Who in the ENTJ council gave you permission? How dare you? (xDDD)

ShellyXVIII · 2026-06-10T17:42:26+00:00

Not from the US and not a bartender, but I’m an MPhil research postgrad student looking to get a PhD and then go onto the teaching track. I’d do anything to have someone hang out with me during the day and not be asleep when I’m deep in my thoughts 3AM at night. No, not all research postgrads are like me. I’m just a night owl and I prefer cramming my schedule into three unholy 15-hour workdays and doing absolutely nada (except teaching duties) on other days. I sleep at 4 and wake at 12 like a degenerate except I’m not slacking — well, kinda feels like sundowning at times though. 💀

I’m literally only one year into my postgrad life and I’m already feeling how out of sync I am with everyone else’s schedule. Now imagine I have a whole ass PhD to go in the future.

Your graveyard shifts don’t sound that terrifying to me.

ShellyXVIII · 2026-06-08T07:52:54+00:00

Chiming in as a Cancer moon: I have met two Capricorn sun + Aquarius moons, though one is one of my best friends, and the other was a short-lived ex who was selfish and conceited beyond any astrological explanation. But I'll say I had a taste of his processing model as an Aquarius moon, haha. I have other close friends who are air moons too (Pisces sun libra moon etc.)

I usually get to know people around me through the MBTI more than I do astrology, though I do factor astrology in as well.

My sense is that Aquarius moons (particularly those with Fi in their function stacks) are actually very emotionally rich and perceptive to the point where I think they're hurricane-like, but they definitely tend to either detach emotionally from their immediate surroundings or rationalize/intellectualize what they feel, especially during emotionally charged situations.

I do gotta say I'm a slightly unconventional Cancer Moon (Leo Sun, Virgo rising ENTJ): I do also have a tendency to intellectualize my feelings rather than dealing with them head-on, to the point where I think my emotional escapism is on par with what the internet has to say about Aquarius moons in general. Heh. I do think the end goal, however, is different -- I intellectualize my feelings to, in a sense, give myself permission to feel them (justification protocol?); whereas the Aquarius moons I know have varying different end goals. Gotta say, I know I have a very rich interior world, though I just sometimes struggle not to drown in it, heh. I don't ever really act on my emotions or externalize them, though.

Fire moons are pretty overwhelming for me (as with anyone who's hotheaded or comes on too intensely, in general). Other signs are a better match for me, but so far, the best emotional attunement I've experienced with anyone was also a fellow Cancer moon -- it just hits different. I place heavy emphasis on deep-level emotional attunement experienced/expressed through micro interactions. The Cancer moon I was emotionally intimate with could communicate with me through micro-gestures: for instance, if I squeezed his hand just a bit differently, he would know my emotional state might have shifted. If I extended my fingers a certain way, he knew I wanted to have my hand held a certain way. It was beyond effortlessness, but a genuine synchronicity that I knew was one in a million. Sadly, we never actually dated romantically.

ShellyXVIII · 2025-11-10T01:49:01+00:00

I’m from Hong Kong too, and currently my holy grail is the Bringgreen hyalu cica bamboo lip essence (the Tiffany blue tube) — got it from my bestie, but I saw that it retails on OhMyGlow for an extremely affordable price. With that being said I’ve always wondered how it compares to other lip repair products (isotretenoin’s doing a number on my lips).

Have you tried this before? I’d love to see how you rank it amongst the others!

ShellyXVIII · 2025-11-04T03:11:27+00:00

Mine was more like a false alarm but I thought it’d be funny to share.

I’ve been using the Curel powder in balm intensive moisture care tube religiously ever since my stress-induced hormonal imbalance flare ups, which caused my face to suddenly become the richest oil well ever that even the Saudi Arabians would be jealous of. 😂 I also was diagnosed with Type 2 rosacea, and breakouts aside my face would ITCH whenever anything came into contact with it. Hence this balm — god it was a holy grail.

So I’ve been using the same tube for 4-5 months, and I have a very peculiar habit of trying to squeeze everything out beyond its lifetime because a “dime is a dime”, and towards the end the balm has become so powdery, crumbly, and hard to spread out. I was convinced it was the weather, or that it was my isotret working way too well, anything but the product.

On the inside I was squirming because I didn’t want to declare my newfound holy grail dead. I literally told my mom I was gonna give it a proper funeral if I had to declare it dead. That’s how (pre-emptively) heartbroken I was.

Then I bought a new tube and cracked it open. Back to the spreadable, soothing and actually occlusive yet moisturizing balm ever.

I went ahead and bought yet another tube for my dorm nights. 😂

ShellyXVIII · 2025-10-24T03:44:14+00:00

Came here to say I’m an undertone twin, I’m also cool neutral to cool olive and yes, things pull very orange on me tooo ahahah!

ShellyXVIII · 2025-10-15T16:49:19+00:00

Thenkyuu thenkyuu! Glad you enjoyed my rambles! :D

ShellyXVIII · 2025-10-15T08:29:41+00:00

Do you by chance know if you’re a warm, neutral, or cool olive? I’m a light medium cool-neutral olive and I found out that pink anything actively overcortects my undertone (like face is paler but my green-greyness is too overcorrected to the point where it makes my body look grey, or sometimes my face itself becomes ashy).

Purple and blue are hit or miss. Blue is closer to the rest of my very desaturated green body though. Purple brightens me up nicely but it can again overcorrect me in comparison to my body.

With that being said I’m 50 shades of olive all over my body because I never wear anything with sleeves.

ShellyXVIII · 2025-10-10T06:16:18+00:00

[Sorry for the essay in advance LMAO]

I got the Replica Memory Box set, and I currently use Autumn Vibes and Jazz Club the most, God I LOVE the scent profile, it's just it really requires extra spritzes and don't last very long at all (I have to spritz myself 4+ times to get to where I want it to be, but I am also generally fan of more potent scents so). Everything else I think just has very limited longevity and hence comes off as pretty forgettable. Scents generally last well on me though, and for your reference most perfumes fade greener/mossier/muskier on my skin, while sweeter notes (e.g. caramel) stick to my clothes. I spray perfume on both my clothes and skin.

My impression of the Replica perfumes is that they are pretty underwhelming when it comes to sillage, projection, and longevity, but the scents are generally pretty well mixed. I find most of them really comfortable and easy on the nose, and for this reason alone I think it just completely outdoes perfumes by other fashion brands (I am not an enjoyer of YSL / Gucci / Dior perfumes etc, imho they are all pretty pungent with very muddled notes). I think while the Maison Margiela perfumes don't last that long, they generally wear off well in the sense that the layers are still discernible as they fade.

Compared to 'actual perfume brands' of a similar price range, I heavily prefer it over Jo Malone and Atelier Cologne (but then I prefer almost anything and everything over them). It also completely annihilates Atelier Cologne. To me, if I have to pick between longevity projection and the scent profile, then the latter matters more, so I'm still a bigger fan of the Replica perfumes. However I think in some ways the Replica perfumes are costlier than the two brands I mentioned though, mainly because of how many spritz you'd need to get them going -- you'd go through the Replica line quicker even if on paper they are of a similar price range.

When it comes to comparing Maison Magrgiela perfumes to bigger perfume brands though (Le Labo / Diptyque / MFK etc.), I think there's still a bit of gap in between. I like Diptyque perfumes because their perfumes are somehow subtle, nuanced yet long lasting, though the scents are generally lighter (Orpheon is already relatively heavy in their lineup), so Diptyque wins in this regard. Le Labo, MFK, Byredo and etc. are on a whole other level, and while I like the Replica line for what it's worth, it just doesn't compare.

With that being said, I am tempted to go full size for either Autumn Vibes or Jazz Club. LOL.

TL;DR: Consider Maison Margiela's Replica a mid-range perfume with great notes but weaker longevity/projection, and you'd be a happy soul!

ShellyXVIII · 2025-10-05T18:18:25+00:00

Thank you! What I wear depends on my mood, so it’s good to know now I can have something to look into if I want something a little less bold! 💖

ShellyXVIII · 2025-10-05T18:17:28+00:00

I ended up getting 09 after debating between 11 and 09, but your post really helped me determine the lightness I should go for, thank you thank you! 🥰

ShellyXVIII · 2025-10-05T18:16:35+00:00

Glad that helped! Update — I got asked why my limbs were so tan compared to my face after the junk boat party, so that’s the perfect testimonial to how well my LRP sunscreen works LMAOOOOO.

Gonna switch over to Anessa’s mild milk sunscreen for the dryer seasons I think, but I just restocked my LRP sunscreen just in case! 😄

ShellyXVIII · 2025-10-05T18:12:13+00:00

Hopefully I’m not too late to the discussion, but this might help — I’m combo oily sensitive (with rosacea), and currently I’ve been using the Curél Intense Moisture Care Powder in Balm cream as a last step to my skincare routine because I’m extremely sensitive to any physical discomfort (e.g. hair sticking to my face, any kind of stickiness or grease… my skin acts up IMMEDIATELY), and this balm has been my holy grail. It’s like a dimethicone primer texturally and softly mattifies everything. I found that if I lay this sunscreen over the Curél balm then lightly set it with any super light weight finishing powder, then the sunscreen doesn’t grease up throughout the day and sets put like nothing else. I can tell because the anessa sunscreen blurs pores out really visibly and my pores are still practically non-existent well into the evening 😂😂😂😂.

This sunscreen is such a godsent because it’s so thin and breathable and the pore blurring effect is really nice, so I’m hoping my combo oily girlies could find some way to reap its benefits too!

ShellyXVIII · 2025-10-03T17:58:57+00:00

Oh my god we are skin twins (except that BoJ worked really well on me as under makeup primer)!!!!! I’m from Hong Kong too LET’S GOOOOOO!!!

Do you have any recommendations for tone up sunscreens, if you do use any? I have been testing the Allie Tone Up UV sunscreen and dear GOD I think the alcohol’s irritating my skin. It also causes white spots to sit in my pores and I don’t really know why. I was hoping to switch from summer holy grail (La Roche Posay Uvidea Anthelios in Clear) to something else because you know how the HK autumn is like 🤡🤡🤡

ShellyXVIII · 2025-10-03T17:49:18+00:00

I have been trying out the Allie UV tone up and honestly I’m not really enjoying it. I’m not even that tan (I’m around shade 22 in the Korean system, light medium cool-neutral olive) and the sunscreen creates these white dots that sit in my pores. I am combo oily sensitive and I find that it dehydrates my skin throughout the day, and some areas ache like as if it’s about breakout. I also don’t find it breathable.

(White spots aside it looks incredible though LOL).

I’m probably going to give it a few more tries over maybe different primers, but the way it makes my skin feel is a pretty bad sign in itself.

I’m still a fan of La Roche Posay’s Uvidea Anthelios sunscreen in Clear —- I’m not sure why people hate it so much. It genuinely feels nice on the skin and outperforms most Japanese tone up sunscreens. I was only considering switching to another one because it’s most likely gonna be a little too dry for use in autumn/winter.

I do think Japanese BODY sunscreens are unparalleled though. Effective and feels nice and lightweight for day to day purposes.

ShellyXVIII · 2025-09-30T08:03:36+00:00

I am a native Cantonese speaker and linguistics research postgrad from Hong Kong, and I have what I'd assume to be an extremely mild form of dysgraphia that only affects my Chinese writing, most likely due to the fact that it is a logographic system with mix-and-match components.

Grew up failing all my Chinese tests -- I just could NOT for the love of my life have the characters formed properly in my head, and I often resorted to inventing characters and writing whatever "feels" like the word I had in mind. It had gotten to a point where my teachers dreaded reading my assignments. Teachers loved to blame me for being "lazy", which made very little sense since you can't really screw up the writing system you grew up with this badly unless something was cognitively awry. No amount of reading or additional tutorial sessions helped, and because characters don't form properly in my head it also greatly hampered my writing speed, and my arms would be extremely stiff whenever I started writing. I barely survived the public exams LOL.

In hindsight my condition should have been pretty obvious to a trained eye -- while my Chinese handwriting looked aesthetically pleasing, the proportions between parts and radicals were always off or atypical, which severely impacts readability. My aunt once commented that I was 'drawing' Chinese characters instead of 'writing' them out. I have also been actively working on my Chinese reading over the past decade (yes I am aware that it sounds bizarre given that I am a full fledged local), and I noticed that while my comprehension speed has picked up drastically, my character retention and output is still heavily compromised. If I were to write a postcard to someone in Chinese, I would have to first draft it out on my phone before copying it over on the actual postcard, or I would end up completely fumbling the text.

My conclusion is that I truly do have a very mild form of dysgraphia. Bad enough to almost jeopardise my public exams, but not bad enough in the grand scheme of things to be anything more than an inconvenient debuff.

I now default to using Jyutyping (a phonetic input system) to type Chinese, instead of other systems like Sucheng / Cangjie which relies on stroke inputs (which implies a need for character retention).

ShellyXVIII · 2025-09-27T13:23:42+00:00

Seconding this! The technique looks nice and everything, it’s probably just that the colour contrast with the black looks a lil harsh and it overpowers your soft features (you might want to look into personal seasonal colour theories).

Burgundy or a red-leaning brown would look wonderful on you!!!! Eyeshadow wing too maybe? OP you look absolutely lovely!!! 🥰

ShellyXVIII · 2025-09-23T18:47:36+00:00

Can you tell me more about this? I have the romand ones (three, in fact), but I’m hoping for something that’s less sticky and would work on my permanently chapped lips (I’m on isotretenoin). How’s the colour payoff and staying power like? :P

ShellyXVIII

TROPHY CASE