One of my favorite luxury companies for handbags has to be Chanel. While vacationing in Barcelona this fall I picked up an early birthday gift at this Chanel store. This one is the Chanel Flap Bag with Top Handle (also known as the Coco Handle). The name of the bag is named after founder Gabrielle Coco Chanel. The design is similar to the flap bag but kind of in a tote version. This bag has been around for a couple of years now and when I saw it in person at the Chanel store I knew it was the one! I also already have the Chanel Classic Mini in Rectangle which is in black with silver hardware (see my review HERE) so I knew I wanted a beige bag. The thing that drew me into the bag was the size and the size of the strap. I can wear it crossbody, on my shoulder or carry it with the handle. It’s seriously SO versatile!

So how was my shopping experience in Barcelona? One tip that I have is to go early in the day and avoid weekends! I would see a line outside the store in the afternoon each day so we decided to go back in the morning first thing when it opened and surprisingly there was no line! That meant I got to see everything I wanted to, the sales associates pulled EVERYTHING that I wanted to see and I wasn’t rushed. And even though I knew I wanted the top handle I still wanted to see everything just to make sure!

Also, with purchases made in Europe make sure to get your VAT back! The Chanel store did all the paperwork (you need to provide your passport). Once you get to the airport in the country you are flying out from you need to locate customs and go through that process (scan the receipt and then you may be directed to customs to get your items inspected). Once you return to the US you need to declare all goods.

I hope you all enjoyed this little unboxing!