Little Black Bag Review (and haul!)

I'm pretty late on this, but I recently discovered Little Black Bag (that's a referral link), a shopping website with a unique concept.  If you like monthly boxes and surprises, you'll find LBB pretty exciting!

So here's how it works:  You purchase something from the site.  They carry handbags, beauty products, jewelry, accessories, and home items.  With each item, you can either buy it alone, or "bundle" it with other surprise items.  The bundles are generally good deals, and you can see the categories for the surprises.  When you buy the item, your surprise items are revealed.  Here's where it gets fun: you can either keep your items, or trade them with other users!  All the trading is done before the items ship; LBB does the dirty work for you.  You can trade for up to a week.  If you fall for an item that's sold out, you can try to trade for it.

You can make a one-time purchase, or you can join as a VIP.  VIPs get slightly lower prices on all items, and you are charged $9.95 per month, but you get a $10 credit toward whatever you purchase.  You can choose to skip a month, and you will not be charged at all, but you must choose the option by the 5th of the month.  VIPs also get free bonus items.

I had a coupon code for 25% off, so I decided to give it a try.  While I initially made my purchase as a one-time thing, I ended up joining the VIP program to save $13.  Customer service seemed extremely confused about retroactively applying the credit, but I think I eventually got through to them.  I need to check my credit statement to make sure.  Next time I have an issue, I'll call instead of using their chat function.

So here's what I bought:

The Olivia and Joy Regards satchel in black and white.  Cute, right?  I looked around the internet before purchasing it. LBB lists its suggested retail price as $92, as does the tag on the bag itself.  However, on the Olivia and Joy website, it sells for $78.  I also found it on the DSW website for $60.  The LBB price was, after my coupon code and VIP discounts, as well as after tax and shipping, about $44.  That includes the surprises, so I decided to go for it.  Why not??

My surprises were a pair of earrings and a bracelet.  I quickly discovered that you can control, to an extent, the kind of surprises you get.  When you put an item in your basket, it will show you the brands and categories of bonuses you will get.  You can reload that until you get something you're happy with; for example, I wanted jewelry, not beauty items.  I also opened a new tab and looked at the items from each designer and their price points to figure out what bonuses were items I might genuinely like.

So I received a pair of gold alligator earrings by Robert Rose, valued at $15, and a friendship-style bracelet valued around $20.  I loved the gators - totally cute.  Couldn't find them elsewhere online, though Robert Rose items are sold at Nordstrom for around $12.  The bracelet wasn't really my style, but I very quickly was offered a pair of dangly gold, orange, and brown earrings.  I made the trade, and that was the end of my trading, though I kept the bag open for a week just to see.  Most people wanted to trade for my bag, but I still liked what I had chosen more than any other options.  Some people even offered two purses for my one!

Here's what I got:

The Robert Rose Alligator Earrings.  Super cute.  I love quirky jewelry!

Carol Dauplaise Double Link Stone Drop Earrings. I wear a lot of orange, and I'm really into gold jewelry right now, so these will go with a lot of items in my closet.

Olivia and Joy Regards Satchel.  The tab in the front is just decorative, as are two zippers running down the sides.  There is one compartment with a few inner pockets, plus one smaller zippered back pocket.  The inside is nicely lined.

I was impressed by the quality of the bag.  LBB carries some brands I'm familiar with, but I've never seen Olivia and Joy bags before.  It's certainly not a bag I'd pay $92 for, as it's not real leather, but it's definitely a sturdy, well-made bag.  It's the perfect size; not too big, not too small, and I like the gold touches.  Both pairs of earrings are cute in person, too, though the earrings looked orange online but are more coral in real life.  I couldn't find these Carol Dauplaise earrings for sale elsewhere.

So for $44, I got a bag and two pairs of cute jewelry.  I think I actually got a great deal.  The items were packaged nicely and arrived promptly.  I'll be trying LBB again, because the trading aspect adds a little fun and excitement to the experience, and I do feel like I got some great bonuses.

If you want to try LBB, here's my referral link!  Use it to get 25% off your first bag, so you can score a great deal, too!

Have you tried LBB?  I love seeing what other people got!!

LBB gets an 8 on my Awesome Meter.  I'm very pleased with what I got for the price, and the experience as a whole is unique, fun, and seamless.