Ebay Wish List: YSL Manifesto Tote Bag

If I had been at New York Fashion Week, I would’ve loved seeing the shows, lusting over the latest fashion and beauty items and mingling with the tall and beautiful. But what I missed most about not attending Fashion Week: the free stuff.

Early in September, I saw pics of the limited-edition YSL Manifesto tote bag on the blog Selectism. It was a giveaway in several global locations (including New York) on September 6, but unfortunately, none of those locations was Dallas (where I am). So my only recourse is Ebay where, not surprisingly, 36 of the FREE totes sold for $35-$127 since the end of Fashion Week.

It’s an interesting look at the relation of intrinsic value, branding and supply/demand. The bag itself has so little intrinsic value (an imprinted cotton tote costs about $2 to produce) that Yves St. Laurent was able to give it away for free. But the power of their brand name and the low supply, along with shoppers’ desire to have the “it” bag of the moment drives the price right through the roof. The same thing happened with Anya Hindmarch’s “I’m Not a Plastic Bag” bag; that limited-edition cotton tote sold for £5 in stores, and it still sells well on Ebay for $40-$360.

So, how much would I pay for a $2 tote that happens to have the YSL logo on it? $35? Maybe. Not $127.50, that’s for sure. For now, this item will have to stay on my wish list.

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A great two-fer: Eye Shadow Palettes

As much as I love makeup, when it comes to space in the cosmetic bag, double-duty is the name of the game. Anything that pulls it weight by being dual-ended or multipurpose—liner and shadow, lipstick and gloss, palettes of any sort—usually scores higher than the one-off.

While not as Swiss Army knife-like as the Physician’s Formula Brow-Tweez (3-in-1 brow pencil, tweezers and brush), I love eyeshadow duos and quads. Typically, the color complement each other and simplify your eye shadow color choices. Here are a few of my faves:

Shu Uemura Limited Edition Duo in “Mystifier,” $36 at shuuemura-usa.com: One side is a rich, gold powder. The other side is a green-flecked black cream. Dramatic and fun. (See more detailed product photos and a review at makeupandbeautyblog.com.)

Prestige Shadow Duo in “Green Tea,” $4.99 at walgreens.com: One side is a shimmery peach, the other a lush forest green. Despite the price, the colors aren’t at all powdery or chalky (I’ve had several compliments when wearing this duo).

Cover Girl Eyeshadow Quad in “Tropical Fusion,” $5.69 at drugstore.com: These colors aren’t for wallflowers. But for fans of bold eyes, check out this quad. (Steph’s Closet and others note that the yellow and orange shades are sheerer than the blue and green.)

Stila Backstage Beauty Palette in “The Runway Look,” $40 at sephora.com: This palette goes above and beyond, offering not only one matte bone shade and two shimmery browns, but also a black liner and a “chic rosette” that can be used as a bracelet or ponytail holder.

Yves Saint Laurent 5-Color Harmony for Eyes in “Garden of Eden,” $56 at sephora.com: Green is one of my favorite colors, and I really like this quint that includes shimmering shades of forest green, pale green, yellow green, kelly green and dark olive. At $56, this one’s a splurge, but sometimes a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do.

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