The 2014 Holiday Gift Guide: C.Wonder, JBR Dubai

It's a few days before the holidays and if you are still scurrying around trying to figure what to buy, here's the first bit from my quick gift guide series. First up is one of my favorite stores in Dubai- C.Wonder.

Mall of the Emirates houses their first store in the Middle East, followed by Bloomingdale's and now they've opened at The Beach, JBR, Dubai. The  store has a wonderful atmosphere and enough things to keep you busy. C. Wonder's Holiday 2014 Collection is perfect for the festive season- either for yourself or friends, families and the likes.

From clothing and jewelry inspired by the latest trends to footwear and homeware, the collection doesn't fail to impress. Here are your gifting options- there's something for everyone!

I for one, love the dainty jewelry- how gorgeous are these bracelet? I'd like one!

Guess Debuts 2014 Holiday Collection In Dubai

There's one thing you will always notice about the Guess girl- the retro cat eye, voluminous hair courtesy the hot rollers and a confident walk. It's the classic glamor girl look and the launch of the Guess 2014 Holiday Collection was no different.

With a palette of pastels and bold colors, the collection featured on trend classic leather and demin jackets, gorgeous dresses that you can take from day to night, elegant gowns and accessories that will make you want to clear our your existing stash.

Wishlist: Clutches and Bags

This year's Paris Fashion Week witnessed an abundance of gorgeous accessories and some 'what-is-that?' moments. Being a handbag addict (does a Handbags Anonymous therapy session exist?), a handful of bags and clutches landed on my wishlist including the jeweled clutches from Dior.

This has to be the most gorgeous Chanel bag ever.

The neon Giambattista Valli bag- the color does all the talking.

The grey version looks pretty good too. It would look amazing against a cobalt blue outfit.

Love this teal colored Elie Saab beauty.

Cobalt blue is a color that's slowly becoming my favorite. This Roland Mouret clutch with contrasts is just about perfect.

I saved the best for the last. Dior's jeweled clutches are incredible.

And that's a wrap! Out of all, I love the Dior clutches and aiming to check them out once they are in store.

Got a favorite?

C.Wonder Launches In Dubai, UAE

Let me start off by saying I'd like to purchase almost every single thing at the C.Wonder. Now, let's talk about the store.

C.Wonder is the brainchild of Christopher Burch (designer Tory Burch's ex-husband) and first opened its doors in New York, USA. Fast forward to three years and the UAE witnessed C.Wonder launch it's first Middle East store in Mall of the Emirates.

One look at the store and it will instantly put you in a good mood. The use of color, the interiors, the clothes, shoes, accessories, home decor, and more will make you create a mental wishlist while gawking at the wallets and bracelets. C.Wonder also offers monogramming and other personalized items. It's pretty cool to have you initials monogrammed on a C.Wonder handbag.

Here are my favorites:

I absolutely love these. The honeycomb detailing make the shoes look pretty! This was the first thing that landed on my wishlist.

It was accessories galore on fellow blogger, Ekta's hand. Love the cork bracelets!

This striped jacket seals the deal. It will complete an outfit in a jiffy!

More favorites...

All this and more are available at C.Wonder, Mall of the Emirates. Head down there today and let me know what you got. I know I'll be getting those honeycomb pumps.

Shopping Deals With MasterCard

 Are you still stumped in terms of what presents to get your family members, friends and others? If your ‘Gift Ideas’ list looks like a blank paper, fear not, as I’m here to save the day (like Batman). At least I’ll try and by the end of this post, you should have a good idea of what you will be gift wrapping.

How do these sound- special offers, free shipping, discounts and the likes? For those who like to shop online like me, free shipping is a bonus. When items from wishlists go on sale, it’s an even bigger bonus (whip out that credit card and never look back!).Thanks to MasterCard, shopaholics have access to online discounts, free returns, discounted/free shipping and more from select merchants such as Bloomingdales, Neiman Marcus, Gilt and more.

Purchase your favorites by Dec 31, 2013 using your MasterCard credit card, enter the code MCSHOP at checkout and you will be entitled to redeem the fab offers!

Since my wishlist is larger than life, I browsed Bloomingdales, J.Crew, Neiman Marcus and Gilt. All of them have crazy discounts and offers. J.Crew for me is synonymous to gorgeous statement necklaces (which are not available in the UAE), Gilt always has some seriously special deals on shoes, bags and dresses; Bloomingdales and Neiman Marcus have the best selection when it comes to…well, everything. I looked around for hours on what to buy because all of them had items with prices slashed to the ‘are-you-kidding-me’ level.

I finally made a purchase; this was after sitting next to mum for about 30 mins straight, nudging her to give me feedback on every single item that was in my shopping cart, cancelling a few items, adding those back to the cart...well, you get the idea. After using the MCSHOP code, I received confirmation on my order. It was a pretty smooth experience and even better when I am not being charged for shipping (hurray!).

Now that I know about these special offers like the back of my hand, I shall lead you into the world of a few of my favorites and recommendations.

How incredibly beautiful is this Carolina Herrera dress? It had my name written all over it, even before I saw it. I love the flared dress and the scattered sequins. It would usually cost you AED 25,557/ US$ 6,946, but now you only pay AED 4,262/ US$ 1,161. Available at Gilt.

This lilac flower necklace is apt for all seasons. Available at J.Crew for AED 444/ US$ 121 (original price: AED 977/ US$ 266).

This has to be the prettiest cuff ever! Available at J.Crew for AED345/ US$94 (original price: AED 484/ US$ 132). 

I love shoes and have a growing collection of flats. So, when I saw this silver glittery(!) pair of DKNY flats slashed to AED 183/ US$ 50 from the original AED 458/ US$ 125, I couldn’t resist adding it to the shopping cart. Available at Bloomingdales.

Another pair of red hot shoes from Ivanka Trump slashed to AED 183/ US$ 50 from the original AED 458/ US$125. Major bargain at Bloomingdales!

Love these skinny denims print. Now available for AED 877/ US$ 239 vs original AED 1,254/ US$ 342. Available at True Religion.

Gorgeous Tory Burch wallet was previously priced at AED770/ US$ 210. Now available for AED 402/ US$ 110. Available at Neiman Marcus.

This is a small list of what’s available. Remember, in order to be eligible for different offers from participating merchants, you must use your MasterCard credit card and use MCSHOP at checkout.

Happy shopping and let me know what you got!

*Terms and conditions apply.

Disclaimer: This post was created in connection with my appointment as blogger for the MasterCard Cross Border Promotion Program.

Exclusive Shopping Offers With MasterCard

Still struggling to find that perfect gift for the festive season? You won't have to, not for long.

MasterCard's collaboration with Borderfree lets cardholders in Asia/Pacific, Middle East and Africa enjoy a host of online discounts and more from top US retailers.

The promotion lasts from now until Dec 31, 2013 and provides MasterCard cardholders free and discounted shipping, exclusive discounts up to 25% - 75% in the UAE and free returns from US brands such as Bloomingdale's, J.Crew, Neiman Marcus, True Religion, Gilt and more! Special weekly offers for eligible markets will also be available at participating merchants. 

To redeem free shipping and special offers, MasterCard cardholders need to enter the code MCSHOP when checking out at participating merchants. 

If you always had your eyes on those gorgeous pair of shoes or that party clutch, now is the time to log on to www.pricelessarabia.com/borderfree-UAE and score that item!

*Terms and conditions apply. 

Disclaimer: This post was created in connection with my appointment as blogger for the MasterCard Cross Border Promotion Program.

Holiday Picks

Being a huge fan of handbags, watches and statement necklaces among other things, I picked up  a couple of 2013 (and some old) items. They remain high on the never ending wishlist. Got a favorite?

Gucci Resort 2013

Fendi

Miu Miu

Marc Jacobs

Rolex

Gucci Resort 2013

Gucci Resort 2013

Miu Miu

Zac Posen

Jason Wu

Gucci Resort 2013

Favorites From The Tory Burch Fall 2012

I love this handbag from Tory Burch! Totally love the tortoise shell print but I hate the belt strap. I'm hoping there's an alternative strap hidden in the bag.

And then you have these awesome ones too. Love the white one!

 

Collaboration: Michael Kors x Glamour Magazine

Michael Kors and Glamour Magazine (US) have designed a limited edition clutch! This is a first i.e. a magazine collaborating with a fashion brand as opposed to the usual fashion brand x fashion brand/ designer  collaboration.

 

Nicknamed  'The Convertible Clutch', you can carry it in either of the two ways- as a bag or remove the chain strap and transform it into a clutch. The leather clutch is part of the Hamilton line. Head here to find more information about the leather clutch.

I wonder if any of the local magazines here in Dubai will follow in MK/Glamour mag's footsteps...

A Day Spent With Ceecode

The lovely Cynthia from Ceecode (who is also the designer) invited me for an exclusive viewing of the  new collection. I think Ceecode bags are pretty quirky and having one of them on your arm/in your hand is going to set you apart from the crowd. You will realize it once you see the bags yourself. I love love love the customizable bag feature.

Ceecode's new collection not only features new handbag designs but also accessories. Who doesn't like accessories? And shoes? Apart from this, there was also a bag designing competition along with candy, candy and loads of candy. Loved the event and accessories- I have my personal favorites already!

Part of the fun Ceecode collection

This is my favorite! Love the color, studs and material of the bag

Now part of Ceecode are shoes! Check out the D&G inspired star design- how cool are they?

More studs 

Nancy's Accessories Corner- love it. See the triangle shaped earrings? Reminded me of House of Harlow jewelry.

Uber cool and nerdy. This is my fav ring!

Ekta from Dollz in Dubai showing it off.

My other fav ring

More funky accessories

The Design Your Bag competition. One of the best is going to be manufactured and sold!

Here's my entry- I went for the black and gold combination

One of the few yummies at the event

Ceecode is available at a number of stores across Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Check out Ceecode's Facebook page for more information.