Okay, I have been testing my Mechaly Macie Black Vegan Leather Weekender Handbag for about five weeks now and am ready to post my review!
 
I  have found that it can be difficult to find purses that are vegan, stylish and sturdy. You can usually pick two out of three of these traits, but finding handbags with all three of these qualities sometimes seems next to impossible. There are a few good companies out there providing fashionable, functional bags that are cruelty free, and I am here to tell you that it is now time for us to add Mechaly to that list.
 
Honestly, I hadn't heard of Mechaly before they contacted me with the opportunity to review one of their bags. But I am always excited to learn about a new vegan company, and now I am particularly glad to have had the chance!
 
You don't have to be vegan to appreciate a high-quality, cruelty-free handbag, but far too many ethical shoppers have learned the hard way that cruelty free does not always mean vegan. So you will be happy to hear that Mechaly is not just committed to being cruelty free; they are also certified vegan by Vegan.org and PETA.

As I mentioned in the previous blog post giving you a sneak peek at the vegan handbag review I had in the works, when Mechaly approached me with the opportunity to review one of their bags, I was immediately drawn to the Macie Black Vegan Leather Weekender Handbag.
 
Most of my days are pretty busy and I am often running all over the county, which means I usually have a lot of stuff to pack in the morning that I will need throughout the day. So, while I was pretty tempted by their skull collection, I figured their roomy Weekender was the perfect bag for me to review.
 
In the previous post, I also mentioned that I immediately put the bag to the test on the first day with a bag of 12 oranges, two boxes of granola bars, a sweater, my day planner, a notebook, a pair of flip flops, two water bottles and my travel tea mug. The best part is that I still had room to spare!
 
The next day, I didn't have the granola bars, but I did have another bag of oranges -- plus my insulated lunch bag. Rather than having my purse, a tote bag and my lunch bag all looped over my arm, and then piled in my passenger seat, I was able to fit everything in the Weekender, which was way more convenient and definitely more fashionable.
 
And I think this is where this particular vegan leather handbag really stands out. After all, we can all find some huge, handy tote bag that we can stuff with everything we need for the day, but the Weekender allows you to tote an abundance of necessities in style.

This bag could definitely be used a school bag, work bag or gym bag with no problem. You could pack for a long weekend with room to spare, and experienced packers could probably pack for a week-long vacation.
 
While I have been mostly using this as a work bag -- and it has really worked out nicely for this -- this has become my go-to bag for just about everything. Need to quickly pack for an impromptu road trip? Grab the Weekender. Need to transport four bottles of wine, a water bottle and a sweater for a night out? I did, and I grabbed my Weekender. Need to pack for a day on campus followed by date night? Grab the Weekender and go.
 
Aside from oranges, work stuff and wine, I have used my Weekender to tote birthday gifts, groceries, dog park supplies, light bulbs, archery gear, my laptop, smudging supplies, and various bits of hardware and home goods for clients.
 
Speaking of which, I'm pretty sure I know the burning question that is on your mind at this point. I can hear you saying, "Sure, AJ, it carries produce, school books and work stuff, but will it fit a toilet seat? And not one of those short, round ones...we're talking one of those long, oval ones?"
 
Well, my friends, I too had this question...and the answer is yes. So if your day ever comes to the point where you need to transport a long, oval toilet seat from one client's house to another, and you would prefer to do so discretely so that other clients do not feel compelled to inquire why you have a toilet seat riding shotgun, the Weekender has your back.
 
I even took a picture of it for you...

Now that we have established the roominess of the Weekender, let's talk quality and other features.
 
One of the first things that I noticed about the bag is that it is unbranded. I get that some fashionistas may not like this and prefer to display their favorite designers' logos as they go about their day. For those of you who like branded bags, Mechaly does offer some, including the Lainie Satchel Handbag, the Kaylee Vegan Leather Tote and the Jaime Backpack. Their super-popular Skully line is also very distinctive.
 
I, on the other hand, prefer unbranded bags or bags with subtle branding. So I love that Mechaly has both unbranded and subtly branded options.
 
Next, let's talk vegan leather. You and I both know that all vegan leather is not created equally. Other things that are not created equally include zippers, D rings, hooks and all of those other findings that tend to fall apart on lower-quality vegan purses. The cruelty-free, leather-like material used to make the Weekender looks and feels like a high-quality leather alternative. Plus, I used the Weekender pretty hard for the last five weeks, and all of the mechanics have held up perfectly.
 
There are two handy, zippered exterior pockets that are perfect for car keys, protein bars or pens, and the removable strap that comes with it allows you to go through your day hands free while wearing it as a shoulder bag or cross body. This adds to the versatility of the Weekender, which is definitely one of the reasons that I really love this bag and have been able to find so many uses for it.

Of course, for most vegan folks and others dedicated to ethical shopping practices, the company is just as important as the product. So here is a little bit about the vegan awesomeness of Mechaly...
 
The Mechaly brand was born from the founders' desire to blend their love of fashion with their dedication to social action. To this end, their line of edgy vegan leather purses and accessories are designed for people who are always on the go and always on the hunt for high-quality accessories that are stylish and comfortable, as well as cruelty free and socially responsible.
 
Mechaly is a family-owned company started by French designers in Beverly Hills. Closely connected to their heritage and tradition, the founders named the company after the surname of their maternal lineage and determined the company's founding principles based on those instilled in them by their grandfather in their youth. Among these are respecting all living things, cherishing good health and treasuring each day we are given.
 
At the heart of the Mechaly brand is a focus on nine basics:

• Design
• Fashion
• The Environment
• Social Responsibility
• Excellence
• Inclusiveness
• Integrity
• Authenticity
• Being a Voice for Animals
  

The bottom line is that Mechaly is a brand worth getting to know. From my experience with them, I have found that they are great people making great products that are fashionable, functional and cruelty free.
 
If you want to support this vegan company and also end up with a mighty-fine handbag to add to your collection, don't forget to use the promo code SHOP35.
 
Not only will this get you 35% off your purchase, it also gets you free shipping within the USA!
 
 

For our friends at the FTC -- this is not a sponsored post. Mechaly provided me with a vegan purse from their line for review purposes. All opinions are my own.

Some of you may remember way back in 2013 when I started having issues with Facebook. After MANY months and MANY attempts to prove my identity and get control of my page returned to me, I gave up for a while and just focused on Twitter.

Well...after more than two years, Facebook finally believes me! This means that we now have our Cheap Vegan Chick Facebook page back, my friends!

So, you can certainly still connect with me on Twitter, but if you prefer Facebook, it is now an option.

Follow Cheap Vegan Chick on Twitter

Follow Cheap Vegan Chick on Facebook

I hope to see you out there in the world of social media!

So I was just on Vitacost ordering my supplements and whatnot, and I came across an awesome promo code that I had to share!

Right now (through April 4), you can save 20% on all Vega products at Vitacost! This is particularly cool because the prices on Vega supplements, protein bars and protein powders are already much lower at Vitacost than other retailers I have checked. So you get an additional 20% off of these already lower prices.

I ordered Vega All-In-One Nutritional Shake in Vanilla Chai and Vega Savi Seed Cocoa-Kissed Sacha Inchi Seeds (which I have ordered many times and love).

Remember, orders over $49 ship for free, and you can earn cash back if you sign in to Ebates before you place your Vitacost order. I placed my order just before writing this post, and I will be getting 4% cash back on my order, so that is even more savings!

Here is the promo code you will need to type in when you place your order to save 20% on Vega products: VEGA20

If you are new to Vitacost, you can use this referral link to save $10 on your first order of $30 or more.

Now that I am in my 40s, I am definitely paying even more attention to my skin care routine and doing what I can to help my skin age gracefully. While there are lots of anti-aging products available to do just that, the list quickly shortens when you start to look for cruelty-free sun protection or vegan moisturizers.
 
It is pretty common to invest in good facial moisturizers, but lots of folks forget that your hands and décolleté are more than happy to give away your age as well. Because my face is so sensitive that it will turn red or break out if I so much as think of using a product it does not like, for me, this means finding one set of products for my ultra-sensitive facial skin and another for my hands and other areas of my body that are less sensitive and allow me to try out new vegan and cruelty-free wrinkle creams, oils or other products.
 
I do like to try out new lotions, creams and such, and now I have found a cruelty-free skincare routine for my hands that I absolutely love and plan to use for a very long time.
 
If you stop by very often, you probably already know that I buy most of my supplements and personal care products online at Vitacost.com. While I do purchase a few things on Amazon that Vitacost does not sell, I consistently find that Vitacost has the best prices a lot of things on my list, including my three favorite skincare products listed below.

My hand care routine begins in the morning, which is my chance to ward off some of this Southern California sun while I run around during the day. For this, I use Glonaturals Essentials Broad-Spectrum Sunspray Oil SPF 30 made by and sold by Vitacost.
 
This cruelty-free sun protection product sprays on easily, rubs in quickly, is not too oily and has a slightly coconuty scent.
 
I try to stay out of the sun as much as possible, but your hands are exposed to sunlight more than you might think, such as when you are driving or if you work from home and your desk is near a window. Both of these situations apply to me, so I keep my Glonaturals Sunspray Oil right on my vanity to help me remember to apply it daily.
 
At the time of this writing, the price for a six-ounce spray bottle of this sunspray is $11.99 online at Vitacost.

Next in my hand skin care routine is Acure Organics Seriously Firming Facial Serum. I apply this light serum every night as part of my bedtime routine (followed by my other fave vegan skincare product mentioned below).
 
I love everything about this serum. It is certified organic, absorbs quickly and has the most delightful, light scent. This is actually marketed for use as a moisturizer and fine line reducer for the skin on your face, neck and décolleté, but I have been using it on my hands for months and am very happy with it.
 
Acure Organics Seriously Firming Facial Serum can be found online and in some brick-and-mortar stores. The retail is about $19.19, but the price is $17.17 on Vitacost at the time of this writing.
 
If this is a little above your budget, Vitacost also sells Acure Organics Moroccan Argan Oil, which is regularly priced at $10.19 for one ounce on their site and goes for about $12.99 in stores. I have not tried this yet, but I did put it in my Vitacost cart to purchase next time I order my supplements and other products. This one might be worth trying as a lower-cost alternative.

My final step in my daily hand skin care routine is White Egret Hydrating Retinyl Intensive Hydrating Formula Night Creme. This great moisturizer is vegan, cruelty free, gluten free and paraben free. While it is marketed as a night cream for your face, I use this product on my neck, décolleté and hands.
 
I apply it to my hands after I apply Acure Organics Seriously Firming Facial Serum just before I go to bed and have definitely noticed a difference since I started using it several months ago.
 
This one retails most places at about $28.75, but it is just $18.69 at Vitacost (at the time of this writing).

You can purchase Acure products and White Egret products elsewhere, but Glonaturals is a Vitacost brand, so I believe it is only available online at Vitacost. If you are new to Vitacost, you will be pleased to know that their shipping is super fast. I usually get my orders the second day after placing them. Plus, shipping is free on orders of more than $49.
 
There are always sales going on, including buy one get one free and buy one get one 50% off, so while you are there, it is worth checking out the deals page. You should also always remember to check the Promo Pocket page, which is in the upper-right corner. I just placed an order today and found a promo code for a free jar of coconut oil with orders over $10, so if you go to Vitacost soon, that deal might still be available.
 
Lastly, new customers can save $10 on their first order of $30 or more by using a friend's referral code. Then, once you are a customer, you can start giving out your referral code to other friends to help them save money on their first order and to get $10 for you to save on a future order. Pretty cool deal, right?
 
If you are a new customer and want to save $10, use this referral link to sign up.
 
Oh, one more thing...you can save even more by first signing up for Ebates before heading over to Vitacost. When you sign in to Ebates before placing an order at Vitacost, you get cash back!