What's on my mind this week
The RealReal haul + hearts, what I ate, PR gifts
The RealReal almost lost a loyal customer this week!
Last week, I placed an order on The RealReal using some credit I accrued from consigning with them last month. I bought a pair of Gucci loafers (listed on the website as women’s size 8, but they were men’s!), Lemaire jeans (waist 25.5, and they barely fit over my hip. And I’m a 25 - 26!), Prada loafers (with conditions that were worse than what they described. But I love them and are keeping them).
I contacted customer service, and all I could get was the store credit.
According to the rules, items that are listed at 40% or more are considered ‘final sale.’ And if anything, the refund amount would go back as store credit, not to the original payment. I was so annoyed because I had spent so much time narrowing my choices and making sure I got the measurements right, descriptions read, and photos inspected carefully. It didn’t matter how much I had to explain to him that the errors were on them… He wouldn’t or couldn’t issue a refund to the original payment even after consulting with his ‘senior.’ After wasting more than half an hour, I decided to end the chat.
The next day, to my surprise, the store staff refused and said they could only process the return if I wanted my refund in store credit. And they wouldn’t accept the return if there wasn’t already a return number, which they called an RMA. I spoke to the manager, and she angrily stomped away, saying I would have to contact and wait for the customer service from corporate myself. I was mad walking out with the items that I would have happily kept if they fit or as described. About 5 minutes later, I got a call from The RealReal. They apologized and said they would process the refund to the original payment if I could come back to the store. returned the Gucci loafers and the Lemaire jeans but still got charged a $6.95 Return Restocking Fee for something that’s not my fault. Great!
Lastly, about consigning at The RealReal, I have been so disappointed at the fact that they list a lot of my designer’s clothes so low. And the commission payment is next to nothing. They also accepted one of my designer bags at the evaluation appointment (valued at more than $1K) in-store, but it got returned to me after 3 weeks, squished in the box, without any explanation.
Well, I will still be shopping at The RealReal online but won’t be returning to the SoHo location to shop for a little while after this.
Anyway, here are some wins from the same order: Prada loafers (I kept the Prada loafers, accepting the fact that I’d have to bring them to the cobbler to get the leather fixed anyway, and they already listed it as ‘fair,’ the lowest condition.), Maria Cher trench (size L, but it magically works!) - SIMILAR, and this Our Legacy shirt (size S on the website, a 46, but it fits more like a L or XL on me. The Tag says that it’s called BD Borrowed Shirt, so it’s the same shirt as the one I’ve had in my wishlist for months. This one!). I’ll have to find a way to style it because I love the color and material!). The shirt is BITE, the pants are COS, and the bag is Freja.
What I did this week
Magda Butrym NYC pop-up
Address: 140 Wooster St (previously the Nanushka store) - SoHo
I popped into one of my favorite Polish brands, Magda Butrym, this week to check out their pop-up, and the store was beautiful. The brand cofounder said hi and was so nice to us, and he said they would be opening a permanent store in NYC after the pop-up was over.
Jacquemus
Address: 1143 Spring St - SoHo
Finally, I popped into the Jacquemus store this week. I loved the warm Mediterranean vibe — the milky tones with minimalist details, real olive trees, a curvy staircase, and huge windows. The Le Turismo bag immediately caught my eye, and I think it will be the best-selling bag for the brand this year.
Toteme
Address: 49 Mercer St - SoHo
Toteme’s new spring pieces are stunning, and I wish I could just buy anything and everything off the shelves here.
Che
Address: 302 Malcolm X Blvd - Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn
A new-ish cafe and wine bar in my neighborhood. It’s cute and cozy, and I’ll be back here very often.
Stonefruit Espresso + Kitchen
Address: 1058 Bedford Ave, Brooklyn - Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn
There are plenty of seating, free wifi, and make sure to check out the plant and flower shop section in the back.
What’s in my cart this week
If your style is similar to mine and ‘my size,’ you’re in luck! Here are what I’ve added to my The RealReal wishlist this week.
left: Toteme shirt size XS; right: Our Legacy shirt size M
left: Gucci loafers size 8; right: Loewe loafers size 8
left: Lemaire trench size M; right: Dries van Noten trench
left: Bottega Veneta mules size 8; right: Prada satin mules size 8
left: Loewe flats size 8; right: Fendi ballet flats size 8
left: Lemaire trench; right: Lemaire wool jacket
What I ate this week
Sunday roast
Phyllo Wrapped Tortilla Espagnola - I saw this video from Molly Baz and was inspired to make it. It’s my first time making anything with filo dough, and it won’t be my last. Molly’s recipe is behind the paywall on her website, but it was pretty straightforward.
I sauteed two onions and later added 5 thinly sliced Yukon potatoes (I used my Japanese mandolin for this) with some sprinkles of kosher salt and pepper. Then I made a custard mixture consisting of 2 eggs, 1/2 cup whole milk (just because I have some), the zest of a lemon, and the juice of it, and mixed it in with the cooled sauteed onion and potato.
Cut the thawed filo dough in half and half again, or however big to fit your baking tray or pan (mine is stainless steel from Muji). Butter the pan and arrange a few sheets of filo at the bottom, brush each layer with some melted butter and olive oil, and then layer the onions and potatoes with a sprinkle of flaky salt on top. Repeat until you reach the top. Sprinkle a generous amount of raw white sesame seeds (I got mine from an Asian grocery store), and trim off any excess filo dough. Bake in the oven at 400F for 40 minutes or until the top is slightly brown.
Emily
Address: 919 Fulton St - Clinton Hill, Brooklyn
Must-order: The Emmy burger or any of their wood-fired Neapolitan pizzas. I got a beer, some Hot Nguyen's Wings, a white pie, the Emily, with mozzarella, pistachio, truffle sottocenere, and honey. I love their pizza dough because it’s thin, crispy on top, and chewy in the middle. I love a simple pizza like this and will be back for the pizzas!
Dry pot at MÁLÀ PROJECT & Spicy Cumin Lamb Hand-Ripped Noodles at Xi'an Famous Foods
This week, I went back to Xi’an Famous Food for my favorite hand-ripped lamb cumin noodles (right photo). It slaps every time! MÁLÀ PROJECT is known for dry pots, and I don’t know why it’s taken me this long to try it. It’s more of a casual, fast, sit-down dining spot, and the food comes out so fast. The spicy, oily, numbing sauce that they used is a bit sweet but well-seasoned and so addicting. Ordering each ingredient that goes in a dry pot seems intimidating at first, but I’d recommend starting at around 6 - 8 ingredients for two people. And don’t forget rice! Both Xi’an Famous Food and MÁLÀ PROJECT have a few locations in NYC, and you have to give both a try if you’re craving spicy numbing food!
I’m obsessed with Sichuan food but don’t love how much oil is used in some dishes, especially in hot pots and braised dishes I’ve had in NYC. The food poisoning incident that I had a couple of weeks ago was from eating at one of these Sichuan places. It was so good that I slurped so much of the broth and the oil, and I even had it to-go, added veggies, and ate it for dinner. My stomach was so upset, and I had to take some pain meds and was in bed all weekend.
New-in this week
My new LARQ PureVis 2 water bottle is new, and I’m so obsessed with it. It comes with a filter and an app with light that reminds me to drink water. I can confirm that it makes the water taste great, better than the filtered pitcher I have at home.
If you’re as skincare obsessed as I am, you’d know how popular and loved this SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic vitamin C serum is. I know it’s an expensive product, but I’ve heard from friends and so many beauty editors who rave about its efficacy in fine line and wrinkle prevention. Did you also know that the C E Ferulic’s 20-year patent formula expire recently? That means brands can legally dupe it, and that’s going to be interesting to see.
Jones Road is launching Just Enough Tinted Moisturizer, so mark your calendar on April 8! WTF shade Beige is my perfect color match, so I’m curious to test this new tinted moisturizer out this week.
Volupsa turned my two favorite flowers, lavender and chamomile, into candles, and I am so in love. The scent really brought me back to those summer days when lavender was in season in Washington.
Lastly, if you’re shopping the Sephora Sale this week and need any recommendations, I link all of my beauty favorites on my ShopMy.
I’ve been listening to The Marías on repeat…
Thanks for being here, and I hope to see you on YouTube this Sunday for vlog 70 at 10 am!
An :x
Link reminder
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20% Act+Acre use code ANTRIEU