What’s so Fab about It: It’s leather and bamboo. It’s Gucci. It’s fabulous. I especially love the turn lock closure. And if like me, you’re not a fan of tassels, just detach it. And let’s not forget the neutral color that will go with almost anything! Perfect? I think so!

Where Would I wear It: I’m thinking a fancy brunch Upper East Side style ;)

How Many Tall Lattes It’s Worth: 597

Where to Look 4 It: gucci.com

You may be all about large bags like me, but would you buy this gorgeous Gucci Bamboo Medium Top Handle Bag? Pray tell!

They’ve consistently come up with the most trendy yet classy designs – and despite the hefty price tag – Gucci handbags are considered to be the hottest accessory a girl can get! No wonder these bags are selling like hotcakes worldwide!

So, if you think you are ready to join the club of Gucci handbag owners or think of getting a Gucci handbag some day, check out our pick for the 17 hottest Gucci Bags this season …

1. ‘Galaxy’ Medium Top Handle Bag

Price: $3500 at gucci.com
This stunning Gucci bag with ruching, hand braided leather chains comes in five variations, each better than the last. Which one will you pick?

1. Fendi Short Fur Coat

This is the perfect fur coat and will be sure to meet all of your fashion needs. I put this on my top 20 most fashionable designer fur coats list simply because I believe it is stunning. This is a short fur coat that you can throw over almost any shirt.

2. Fendi Long Fur Coat

I personally believe that this is amongst the best fur coats. It has black fur inside of it and gray on the outside. It comes down a little past the waist and is very stylish.

3. Fendi Fur Overcoat

Why settle for a plain overcoat when you could settle with this one? Honestly girls, you will surely turn heads when you wear this. It is a gray fur coat with brownish/orange stripes on it. It will go perfect with nearly any outfit, even a dress.

4. Fendi Medium Long Fur Coat

When I look at this coat on my friend, I am in awe. Honestly, it goes great with nearly any pants set. It is something that is hard to describe as the top looks soft and the bottom looks soft but more fluffy.

5. Fendi Long Suede Coat

Girls, this is a fine coat. It is not completely fur, but the trimmings are long white fur, which really does make up for it. The suede look really does add something to it and it is like no other.

You’ll need: 1 ounce dried shiitake mushrooms, 2 tablespoons light-colored honey, 2 tablespoons cider vinegar,
4 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce, 8 ounces uncooked buckwheat, noodles (soba), 3 tablespoons dark sesame oil and then 1 ½ to 2 teaspoons minced garlic. You will also need salt (to taste), 1 medium carrot, cut into 1 ½-inchlong sticks, 1 to 2 scallions, cut into thin strips, 10 radishes (assorted colors), cut into thin strips, ½ cup chopped roasted cashews and crushed red pepper (to add color to the dish).

Directions: At least two hours prior to serving, place shiitakes in a medium bowl and pour in 2 cups boiling water to “re-hydrate them”; cover and let stand. Drain shiitakes, squeeze out excess water, and slice into thin strips. Set aside.

Then place honey in a medium bowl. Add vinegar and soy sauce and stir until honey dissolves. Set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook noodles for about 4 minutes, or until tender but still al dente. Drain noodles and add them to the bowl with the honey mixture. Add oil and garlic and mix with a fork or tongs until noodles are coated. Taste and add salt, if desired. Stir in sliced shiitakes and let noodles cool to room temperature. Add carrots, scallions, and radishes and toss again with a fork or tongs until well combined. Top with cashews and red pepper flakes and serve.

You’ll love the mixture and shiitakes and cashews, I assure you. Let me know how it goes!

Ingredients of Orange White Chocolate Cheesecake:

• 1 1/2 cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1 envelope unflavoured gelatine
• 2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Premier White Morsels
• 2 pkgs. (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons finely grated orange peel
• Fresh orange slices and chocolate graham cracker crumbs (optional)

1. Large Flap Bag

Beautiful Chanel bag that you can bring just about anywhere! The metal chain strap is a trademark Chanel feature.

LIP AND BLUSH COLORS

For Fair Skin

For porcelain or ivory complexions, choose a lip color in lighter hues such as light pink, light peach, and nude.
Dark hair/fair skinned lasses can pull off a bold red lipstick with blue undertones. Try Clinique Long Last Soft Shine Lipstick in Red Red Red.

Redhead/fair skinned chicas look great in warmer lip colors with golden undertones such as corals, warm apricots, warm pinks, warm reds, and honey-nudes. Try Bobbi Brown Lip Shimmer in Rose Bud

or Lancome Color Fever Lasting Radiance Sensual Lip Color

For blush, opt for pales shades of pink or apricot.

For Medium Skin

For medium skin tones (including any hair color), any “medium” lip shade looks best such as medium pinks, light mocha, wine, orangey-reds, and medium peach. Berry shades also look amazing on medium complected women. Try Guerlain KissKiss Maxi Shine Lipstick in Pink Shine.

or Stila Lip Color in Emily, Nicole or Pixie

For blush, choose a medium apricot or rosy pink.

For Olive or Bronze Skin

For olive to bronze skin (including any hair color), choose lipsticks in golds, golds, golds! Also, any hue with a golden undertone (think bronze or copper) or deeper shades of berry, brown or red look great. Try Bare Escentuals Lipstick in Merlot

or Lip Lingerie Nude Negligee by Dianne Brill

or Bobbi Brown Lip Color in Golden Brown

For blush, stick with bronze or rosy pink.

For Brown Skin

For shades of brown complexions (including any hair color), opt for lip shades of bricks, burgundies, brown, deep red or fuchsia. For blush, try a deep berry or bronzy red. Try Stendhal Pur Luxe Lipstick in Glazed Brown or Passion Red

or Sephora Brand Lip Attitude – Glamour

or Shiseido The Makeup Perfecting Lipstick in Brown Red or Fuschia Volt

EYE SHADOW COLORS

When it comes to eyeshadows, that’s when you can afford to play with colors and really experiment. But if you’re quite militant about “proper” shades according to your eye color, then here’s a basic guideline for you to follow:

For Brown Eyes

Brown eyed girls are the luckiest. We can pull off pretty much any shade of eyeshadow and liner from plum to gold. Try Sephora Brand Colorful Pro Eyeshadow Palette – Brown Eyes

or Urban Decay Urban Ammo Eye Palette

or Lulu Beauty Eyeshadow

So have fun, my fellow brown eyed chicas!

For Blue Eyes

Blue -eyed babes look best in shades of the brown and beige family – from taupe to mahogany. Blue eyes also pop with grays, silvers, lavenders, plums and violets. However, try to avoid green colors as they don’t really enhance those baby blues.

Try Sephora Brand Colorful Duo Eyeshadow – Cream & Powder in Brown Harmony

or Dior Dior 5 -Colour Eyeshadow in Petal Shine 809

or Pop Beauty Lid Silver

For Gray Eyes

Gray eyes are best accentuated with deeper cool blues, forest greens, and charcoal shades. Plum colors are also quite flattering.

Try Dior 1-Couleur Powder Mono Eyeshadow in Metallic Blue or Silver Dust

or LORAC Eye Shadow Eye Color in Charcoal

Laura Mercier Eye – Evolution of Colour in Plum Velvet

For Hazel Eyes

Like brown eyes, hazel eyes really stand out with a plethora of colors – especially earth tones such as brown and greens. Plums also rock, my hazel-eyed honeys.

Opt for Yves Saint Laurent Ombres Vibration Duo Eye Shadow Duo in Brown Gold/Lame Green

or Too Faced Eye Shadow Single in Jealous?

or Fresh Eye Shadow Trio in Corazon Del Mar

For Green Eyes

Green-eyed gals look best in brown, lavenders, plum, golds and deep greens. Steer clear of blue shades – they don’t really complement your gorgeous green eyes.

Go for NARS Single Eye Shadow in Strada or Lulu

or Clinique Pair of Shades Eye Shadow Duo in Tawny Terras

or try LORAC Glam Rocks Eye Shadow in Metallic Gold

BONUS TIP FOR ALL EYE COLORS

Just about everyone can pull off black eyeliner except pale, pale skin. Instead, opt for brown or charcoal liner.

Don’t forget that you can mix colors together to create your own unique shade of lipstick or eyeshadow. Just have fun with it!

So Gucci is milking the Hysteria collection for all it’s worth. While designers continue to crank out a bevy of handbags each season, certain houses understand how one style of a particular collection can just stick unlike anything else, and when this happens, the It bag is born. Increasing their chances of having a hit, designers are creating 5+ styles of a certain collection to ensure that at least one “hooks” a starlet, and thus the public. The result is more Hysteria (literally and figuratively), and this time it’s got a great removable strap for those of us on the go. I think the black patent version is a winner (it’s also available in dark silver), and works well with spring’s acid brights. Don’t be afraid of mixing this bag with light textures and frothy colors; spring is all about mixing it up! The Hysteria Medium Top Handle Bag with Removable Strap retails for $1,790 at neimanmarcus.com.

I’ve always admired the Muse from YSL but never had the urge to actually purchase one. Mainly because it was such the “it” bag a few years ago. Everyone I knew had one and if they didn’t, they were on their way to getting one. But as the years go by, I find myself thinking about the Muse every so often. I kept thinking “Is the design something I will get sick of in a few years?” Obviously, the answer is no, the Muse is probably the most classic and iconic bag from YSL even above the Mombasa. Most of my bags are so serious and I really need an oversized casual bag so I’ve been looking, and looking, and looking. But somehow, I always come back to the Muse. Then I saw this, the latest color for Spring, and I fell in love. Hard. The color they call gray blue is absolutely perfect, it reminds me of a pair of Earl jeans I had that I washed over and again to get the perfect shade of faded bright blue. The Muse has that ‘je ne sais quois’ nonchalance and effortless style that only the French seem to be born with (the only non French girl who has it is Kate Moss). There are two sizes, a large and medium. The large, photo above is 34cm (13.6 inches) on top, the bottom measures at a very large 44cm (17.6 inches). I of course will get the medium. The oversized version above is only $1,395, a bargain compared to most designer bags out there today! Call Fatima to order 310-271-4110.

I’ve sort of had it with YSL’s super structured bags. I get it, it’s nice and polished and all, but it’s just played out. Especially when designer Stefano Pilati’s ready-to-wear is so sexy. The purses are simply getting too boring and demure to balance out such sex appeal. I love the metallic color of this bag, which is a soft gold. Perfect if you have the old Lanvin flats in gold. And the softness of the bag is a good contrast for spring’s return to boho, I just wish the bag were a little more…baggy. The YSL Medium Swing Bag is available for pre-order at neimanmarcus.com and retails for $1,895.

Shop for more designer bags by YSL

Now this a new purse that hasn’t really been seen on the mass market. Derek Lam handbags are a bit difficult to come by, and most retailers order them in small quantity. The Lindsay Bauletto Bag is a great handbag for day and work, and the dark purple color is perfect for anchoring spring’s bright colors. The satchel shaped bag is made of suede, so be sure to treat it before taking it out on the town. The handles are adjustable via a buckle strap, and a tiny padlock pulls together the two zippers. The Lindsay Medium Bauletto Bag retails for $1,650 and you can find it at shopbop.com.

I appreciate a canvas tote as much as the next girl, I just also understand that I can get a nice one for under $10. The Bottega Veneta Medium Canvas Tote is a huge, huge mistake. When high end labels attempt to do a “casual” bag, they usually fall flat on their face, as is the case here. Sure the purse is nice, but do any of us want to hand over $780 for it. Especially when it’s white! While you can spray the handbag with a protectant, I also suggest having no children in tow when you carry this bag. It has a gorgeous European flair when styled with full skirt and slight heel, but I suggest leaving this one for the few of those who can throw away nearly $800 on a white canvas bag. The Bottega Veneta Medium Canvas Tote is available through net-a-porter.com.

Shop more designer purses from Bottega Veneta

The Acapulco Extra Large Hobo by Roberto Cavalli is a great bag for spring. I love the medium brown color which is perfect for spring’s safari trend. My favorite part of this handbag is the super fun leopard lining. Just opening the purse is enough to make anyone smile every time they reach inside. Its generous proportions are balanced by the drawstring closure which downsizes the bag when not filled adding versatility to one of the many pluses of this fantastic and casual chic bag. The Acapulco retails for $1,465 and is available at eluxury.com.

Shop for more designer purses by Roberto Cavalli

Talk about swanky!

This Mirror bag from Versace is all sexpot, and I’m loving every drop of it. I’m not usually one for such glitzy pieces, but this handbag is glamour at its best. The combination of silver and gold seems to be an ongoing trend from designers, and it’s great because you can switch out your other metal accessories with ease. The chain handles and shiny exterior are partial to a trip to Vegas or Dubai. There are lots of pockets on the outside, but if you’re toting around this tony bag, you probaly don’t need to carry the extras us mere mortals have to. With the large price tag ($2,320 to be exact), this purse is made for showing off. Get the Mirror at eluxury.com

I’m a fan of the Ergo collection. Coach uses great leathers for the line, and the bags are always soft and pliable, really suiting a casual lifestyle. My issue with the belted leather medium hobo, which retails for $328 at macys.com, isn’t the size, the shape, or even the color. It’s the fact that the shoulder strap will NOT stay put on my shoulder. Since the debut of this collection last year, I liked the hobo a lot. I didn’t try it on until I saw the belted version which had great hardware (which I felt the bag needed; it was far too plain otherwise) and reminded me of Gucci’s Horsebit collection. When I finally got around to trying the handbag out, I was stunned at how obnoxious the strap was. It kept slipping all over the place! This purse is a total miss because if I can’t carry it, I certainly can’t enjoy it.

Comment on this Coach Ergo Belted Hobo in our forum

Give your opinion of this Coach Legacy Suede Medium Duffle in our Purse Page forum

Shop for more designer purses by Marc Jacobs

Give your opinion of this Marc Jacobs Quilted Purse with Chain Handles in our Purse Page forum

It doesn’t look like much from afar, but up close this Gucci Britt Medium Purse is just gorgeous. The gold leather is adorned with the famous GG print, and the large GG logo adds just the right amount of modest gleam. I love the hint of striped fabric, in shades of mustard, plum and mocha, resting behind the logo – it’s unexpected and just barely detectable, but it gives this Gucci tote a down-to-earth feel that complements the gold perfectly. Available for $1695 at Neiman Marcus.

Shop for more designer handbags by Gucci

Give your opinion of ths Gucci Britt Medium tote in our Purse Page forum