I got this bag just before graduation. I needed a bag in which I could fit a small hairbrush, my phone, concealer, lip-gloss, perfume and some money. So just your general bag contents then. I also needed the bag to be small enough and smart enough to take into the ceremony and leave under my seat while I went up to get hit on the head with a cushion etc.

~~~ The Bag ~~~
This bag has a long adjustable, across body strap with little hooked connectors so that it can be removed. There is also a small handle on top so that you can carry the bag like a little mini suitcase. All of the metal work on the bag is a gold colour. Inside of the bag is plain black and there is a decent sized zip pocket and a little pouch for your mobile phone. The black lining is made of 100% polyester and the outer is made of polyurethane. The outer part of the bag is quite shiny and has a snakeskin type pattern.

The bag is quite solid and structured. It measures 22cm by 18.5cm and is 7cm deep. It is obviously reinforced and made to maintain its shape. This means that the bag looks really neat and square at all times...but it also means that its nigh on impossible to squeeze any extra items into it!

~~~ My Experience ~~~
Before graduation, I had a little practice putting things in and seeing what would fit. Although the bag is a decent size, due to the rigid shape of it, it does not hold more than the essentials.

I began to put all of my items in carefully. The fit quite nicely and I managed to buckle the bag using the little push lock buckle at the front. Great, it all fits. Cut to a week later and we are driving up University Avenue. I have taken my hair brush and perfume out of the bag to give my hair a quick once over and get a quick skoosh of perfume. My dad pulls in to the main gate to let me jump out while they find a space. I rush to put my perfume back in my bag and push the buckle down and... aaagh! It broke! Turns out the buckle is attached to the "lid" part of the bag rather precariously! It is attached using two rows of little metal teeth which are obviously clipped through the polyurethane material at the edge of the "lid" using some strong machine or pliers. Do I have pliers with me on graduation day? No! So the lid of the bag is flapping around all over the place and my hairbrush handle is sticking out. Hmm, not a good look for the splendour and glory of Bute Hall. So I had to quickly dump all of my stuff into a spare handbag (old faithful) that was kicking about the back of the car.

I was pretty saddened to have to leave my very pretty but now unusable bag in the car while I went off to collect my robes and tickets! I promptly forgot about the bag in the hustle and bustle of the day.

A week or so later I dug out the bag and my dad fixed it using super glue and pliers. I'm now very careful to only put the minimum number of things into the bag. On graduation day I'd had too much in it. It only all fit when it was carefully arranged. The stress of pushing the little buckle though when the bag was overfull was enough to undo the little metal teeth which held the buckle in place.

~~~ Conclusion ~~~
The good things about this bag are numerous. It is comfortable to wear, it swings nicely off the shoulder and you have a handy little handle on top. You have a secure zip pocket for anything valuable and you also have a separate pouch for you mobile. The bag keeps its shape beautifully and looks really pretty for both day and night.

Yes there are a few negatives - you have to be careful how you fill it before buckling or the buckle can break. It doesn't fit very much into it.

I think the biggest negative for me was just the buckle going so easily. It wasn't pushed too hard, it was just slightly full and the buckle dropped off. I'm lucky enough to have a dad who can fix just about anything so the buckle on the bag is now about 100 times more secure than it was originally. And yet I'm still wary it will fall off!

On the whole, I love the look of this bag, it's pretty and smart. I like the way it hangs on my shoulder and it's nice and structured. However, the dodgy buckle does ruin it slightly. So it's a choice... style or functionality.

This bag cost £12.99 from New Look and it was also available in pink.