I was super excited to snag a reservation for this collab dinner on Aug 15th right before it sold out. I hadn’t been to Hey Luigi yet, and Mei Lin is one of my fave Top Chef cheftestants/winners of all time, so to say I was excited would be completely underplaying it.

I won’t bury the lead, the food was very very good. A couple exceptional dishes, for sure. I’m not a great photographer and it was late and lighting wasn’t ideal, but bear with me.

The table snacks to kick off the pre-fixe menu was an absolute banger. Chinese donut was piping hot, crispy as all get out on the outside, and super fluffy in the middle. I never knew I needed chili crisp on top of burrata til now, and I don’t know if I can have it without going forward. What a unique spin that really merged Chef Mei’s style with Chef Gabriel’s. Will try to recreate, will inevitably fail. One of the top dishes of the night.

First course, scallop crudo. What is this, Top scallops? lol (I had to). After the table snacks, it acted more like a palette cleanser; very delicate in flavor; I appreciated the aesthetics of the presentation, and Chef Gabriel delivered this course to us and mentioned the flowers were from his garden.

Stuffed chicken wing was probably my least favorite bite of the night. It wasn’t bad by any means, it just didn’t stand up to the rest of the menu. And I know it was a multi course meal, but it was an extraordinarily small bite; I would have expected at least two per, at that size. The agrodolce could have packed a bit more punch.

Linguini - crowd pleasing, tasty, workhorse course. It delivered exactly what you want a past course to do. It was yummy, familiar flavors, well cooked and executed.

NY strip was exceptional. Cooked to perfection. Sauce was rich and peppery - so delicious. I love polenta. This managed to be comforting without being heavy - it was really brightened up with the gremolata which felt more like an herb salad; it provided some texture and freshness and this was such a delightful side for the scrumptious beef.

It said granita - which promises of icy cool palette cleanser - oh, this was so much more. It felt like a luxurious, sophisticated cousin of rainbow sherbet. The fruit was ripe and fresh and juicy; it teetered on sweet, but after the richness of the previous course, it was still refreshing.

We started the evening with cocktails that were delicious and not too boozy, and then went on to have the wine pairing. The pours were generous, bordering on too much to consume with the portions of each course. For example, the orange wine that came with the chicken wing, I had so much more to sip on once the two bites of the wing were done.

Let’s talk service. We started off a little rocky. We had a 9:15pm reservation (not ideal for me, but as mentioned, snagged one of the last reservations). My dinner partner checked us in at 9pm. It was a lovely evening, we had outdoor patio seating in store, so we waited just outside the door with some other guests waiting to be seated. By 9:40, we were still waiting; my dinner partner went back to check in, and we were told that the prior seating was lingering. A server came out to apologize, told us what was happening, said our first round of drinks would be comped, and that they were going to usher out the pair that was lingering at our table. We literally saw them go over and talk to them. We got seated quite promptly after, but it was quite a delay from our reservation time. After we got situated, Chef Gabriel came out to apologize for the wait, etc. He was very apologetic, sincere, and I found him to be quite gracious. He joked that the good thing was, we were the final turn for the night, so there was no rush. He came out again to serve the scallop crudo, and twice more over the course of the evening. He did not go to every table, so we did feel quite special. He mentioned how exhausting these dinner collabs were, and this was the most covers they’ve done since they opened the restaurant less than a year ago.

One other slightly rocky service element - this was also the first time they did a wine pairing (per the server), and it showed. Once we had to ask for the wine pairing as the course was served and it seemed clear the wine wasn’t coming yet. And for the pasta course, we were so far into the dish when the server came back, that I asked to just compensate with the pairing for the beef dish; my friend wanted to try the wine from the pasta course so they opted to get that pairing and saved a bite or two of pasta to try it together.

Regardless of the small hiccups, the servers were all very kind, friendly, and genuinely seemed to enjoy their roles.

I’ll say again that I think Chef Gabriel was incredibly gracious. Our table, while outside, had direct line of sight through the window to the line/pass, and we could see chef in there all night, doing his thing with the rest of the staff. While busy, it all seemed to be harmonious, and I saw lots of smiles.

I will have one gripe for evening - but it’s kind of big: did not spot chef Mei Lin once. And I was looking; not joking that she’s one of my faves. I had direct line of sight to the line/pass, didn’t see her. Didn’t see a walk through of indoor or outdoor dining. As we were the final turn of the night, maybe she had already left? I can see from Instagram stories, she was definitely there at the beginning of service, and she was definitely in town as she’s shared stories going to other local restaurants to eat etc. So I was a tad disappointed we didn’t get to spot her there. The terrific meal and Chef Gabriel definitely helped make up for it.

I hope you enjoy the pictures and this review!

Hi RepTherapy Fam,

We knew it existed, but this was pretty blatant - I’m a mod for goodness sakes. But please be weary and mindful of requests like this.

To accept payment for QC posts is unethical in a community like ours where we value each others honest feedback and share authentic experiences. Behavior like this strongly discouraged, and if someone does reach out to you, please report it to mods.

Thanks for helping to keep our community safe, authentic, and the amazing space it is.
💖Your RepTherapy Mod Team

I had to look up the official name for this textured (jacquard) fabric soft speedy 30; I’ve been drooling over it for months, and finally pulled the trigger on it. Since no bag of mine is going to travel solo from overseas, I added the pouch and tote so they could keep each other company 🤣😬🫣

I loved the idea of this fabric (monogram emblems peuplier) - it’s not a print, it’s a jacquard! Technical definition: an intricately patterned textile where the design is woven directly into the material rather than printed or embroidered on top. It’s so beautiful! I do worry if there’s a way to protect it - I imagine it will have fraying, snagging, or pilling - time will tell. But if anyone has ideas on how to potentially “seal” or protect it, let me know! Otherwise I’ll prob just have to eventually fabric shave it or something. But while I was so focused on the textile, it didn’t hit me til I had it in hand how beautiful the detail in the braided handles are. No twillys are going on this one!

The Escale tote has been on my radar/to buy list for a while and it finally made it to the cart. It’s just so practical and efficient and easy. I won’t have to baby it, and the straps are long and comfortable over my shoulder. It’s a great knock around weekend bag. The stitching on this one is pristine to my eye, and the material is sturdy without being extremely stiff.

Lastly, the toiletry pouch was an impulse after seeing u/spiritatbay pick one up. I had to have it - it’s so darn cute! The print is whimsical and fun, and this came really soft and supple. I have a few other toiletry bags in this style (reps), and they’ve all been a bit stiffer coated canvas; this one is soft and pliable. The zipper pull is smooth as silk, and while the print isn’t a perfect match to auth, it’s pretty close, and no one will notice.

I purchased all of these with TS Mandy.
Soft Speedy 30 jacquard: $195
Escale tote: $160
Pouch: $88

From a QC perspective, Mandy sent back one pouch because if a flaw/scratch that honestly wouldn’t have registered with me - but I appreciated it. I also received QC videos, which was nice. I’ve ordered many many times with Mandy since I started with reps, so we have built up a rapport, which makes it easy to feel okay asking questions, following up, etc.

I’m taking the speedy out today - can’t wait!

So I was at target this morning and this section of the shelf was all the witches brew they had, this is after I took 5 (5 for $12 current price).

They had no other stock in the shelves and no cases / sets that had them.

I took a shot* and got 5, which seems like the good citizen thing to leave some behind.

*edited thanks to the kind person who pointed out that my typo of ahit read more like sh!t than the word SHOT that I intended 🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️😬

Today I was nervous about ordering prescription glasses from overseas had me nervous is an understatement. But as I recently had gotten an eye exam, and I wanted to use my insurance $$ on my daily contacts, this seemed like the way to go.

The thing that made me most nervous about buying prescription glasses online was how to make sure I got the right fits shape of the glasses, I know what I like…but I have what I consider a wide face and even at local places when I try glasses on, often times they’re tight at the temples, so how on earth was I going to figure out if they were going to fit? I got educated on how read the three numbers in frames that indicate sizing, found two pairs of glasses I already had for reference, and if something I saw in Janie’s album wasn’t really close to those measurements, I moved on.

I was super happy to see that the measurements are clearly listed in 98% of the frames I looked at, so it was easy to skip over ones that I know wouldn’t fit. There are sooooo many options in her albums, honestly that was a bit intimidating. But much like how I shop online for clothes or makeup, I just saved a bunch of items, and cut once I was ready to go.

I wanted some variety and I wanted to try different brands so I landed on one pair each from LV, CC, and Di0r. I will advise that it’s good to have some backups in mind because there were items out of stock, and I had to choose the next favorite from my list.

In terms of the prescription part, you do have to figure out how to measure your pupillary distance if it’s not on your prescription. There are several apps online (free) that will do it; I felt okay doing this since I went with a single vision lens, so while it matters, there’s some latitude. I also wear glasses as a backup, mostly when I’m at home, to watch tv, when I want to take my lenses out. So they’re truly more of a backup item for me.
Janie is very experienced working with prescriptions and was very helpful throughout the process - very knowledgeable!

Quality of frames and lenses is fairly high. The frames feel like they have a good weight to them - not flimsy at all, and the lenses look and feel similar to my other glasses purchased locally.
Fit wise, they all fit!!! Using the measurements really worked, I was so happy about that. And they came in full packaging with a case and a box, etc. I was very happy with the frames I selected - I would say that the CC frames, the chain link detailing is not as crisp and clean as an auth pair would be.

Costs were $65 for each of the lenses I selected, and $55 for my single vision lenses, so $120 per pair. Janies prices on frames are incredible compared to what I would have to pay here. Cost for the lenses depends on your prescription and additional factors so that will vary - Janie will explain it all to you. I did opt to pay for faster shipping.

I found communication with Janie to be so easy - she is communicative, informative, and so very helpful. I enjoyed ordering with her, and while it might be a year before I need more prescription glasses, her sunglasses catalog is vast, and I’ve already been tempted! And for the first time, I’m able to leave a pair of prescription lenses in my car, for the just in case situations, as well as one I can travel with, and the third next to the tv where I use it most often.

I’m really glad I took the plunge in ordering, my tentativeness was quelled by reading all the reviews from members, so I hope this helps someone too.

Janies contact info can be found in the TS wiki of this sub. She’s really terrific to work with.

RepFam, you absolutely blew us away! We loved reading through your hilarious, heartfelt, and delightfully unhinged answers. From the dream handbags that would have you screaming on your doorstep to the celebrity closets you’re ready to raid, you proved once again why r/RepTherapy is the best community on Reddit!

But enough suspense—the mod team has spun the roulette wheel and we have our lucky winners!

🏆 And winner for our Third Prize is:

u/Fearless-Anteater717

Congratulations, you’re the winner of a $75 credit toward any purchase with TS Nancy

How to Claim Your Prize (Read Carefully!)
To claim your prize, please follow these exact steps:
Contact Us via Modmail: Go to the r/RepTherapy Modmail to message the mod team directly. Do not rely on chats or personal DMs to ensure your claim is logged safely.
Include Details: Mention the giveaway in your message, and confirm what prize you’ve won.
72-Hour Deadline: You have exactly 72 hours from the time of this post to reach out and claim your prize. If we don't hear from you within 72 hours, we will have to roll to an alternate winner. Don't miss out!

Thank you so much to everyone who participated, commented, and shared the love. If you didn't win this time, don't worry—this community is growing fast, and there will definitely be more giveaways and fun events coming down the line.

Go show our winners some love in the comments! 👇

💕Your RepTherapy Mod Team

I saw these on Targets app and I couldn’t help myself.
Which one should I try first?
Im torn between:
Jelly Donut
Dirty Chai
Toasted Marshmallow

I’m super stoked, I just made reservations for this event with Mei Lin and Gabriel Pacuzzi at his restaurant in Portland.

I think I snagged one of the very last reservations, and this menu looks incredible.

I’m just excited - you’ll hear more in two weeks after I try it all!

I seriously thought this was Benefit when I saw it on the shelf. I did an absolute double take until I realized it was Ruby & Mille.
Now I question everything because there’s actual brand name stuff next to these dupes.
I buy them because I get a kick out of it but also genuine curiosity of how close they are.
I’ve already done a comp of the Ole, just in different colors. Here: https://www.reddit.com/r/LipBalm/s/LXhJNoAMJz

I’ll have to dig out my Benefit blushes to do a side by side for this highlighter and blush. I believe these were $6.99 each, but it might have been $8.99 - I already tore off the sticker.

The Peptide lip dupe repack was $5.99.

It's time for Question #3 of our 35K members giveaway!

If you missed the announcement, we're celebrating 35,000 members with three awesome prizes, generously sponsored by some of our trusted sellers. For all the details, including the prizes, please see the giveaway announcement post here:

https://www.reddit.com/r/RepTherapy/s/Kz6bjWxP83

Question #3
WHAT CELEBRITY’S HANDBAG COLLECTION WOULD YOU RAID – WHOSE CLOSET ARE YOU SHOPPING? BONUS POINTS FOR NAMING THE FIRST BAG YOU’D BORROW.

Reply to this post with your answer!

Remember, this isn't a writing competition—there are no right or wrong answers. Whether your response is hilarious, heartfelt, chaotic, or surprisingly deep, we're here for it.

Giveaway Reminder

To be eligible, make sure you've:
✅ Like this post
✅ Answer all three giveaway question posts (one reply per post)
✅ Update your member/user flair

Completing all three questions enters you into the giveaway, but a member can only win one prize so we can spread the RepTherapy love around.

Timeline

📅 Entries close: Saturday, August 8th, at 5:00 PM PST
📣 Winners announced: Sunday, August 9th

As always, winners will be selected roulette-style by the mod team.
Have fun, chat with each other in the comments, and we can't wait to read everyone's answers.

Good luck, RepFam!
❤️Your RepTherapy Mod Team

RepTherapy has officially hit 35,000 members! 🥳

Thirty-five thousand people who understand why "it's just one more bag" is never actually just one more bag. Thirty-five thousand enablers, PSP zoomers, QC experts, and generally wonderful humans who have made this community what it is.

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: thank you for making RepTherapy such a fun, supportive, informative, and delightfully unhinged (on occasion) corner of Reddit.

We told you we were working on a giveaway to celebrate this milestone, so, here are the deets:

The Prizes

We're going to have 3 winners and 3 awesome prizes, generously sponsored by some of our trusted sellers.

🥇 Grand Prize
Bag of your choice (up to $350 USD) courtesy of TS Mandy

🥈 Second Prize
Two pairs of non-prescription sunglasses courtesy of TS Janie

🥉 Third Prize
$75 credit toward any purchase with TS Nancy

A huge thank you to Mandy, Janie, and Nancy for helping us celebrate this milestone with the community!

How to Enter

We're mixing things up with three separate giveaway posts, each featuring a different question.

To qualify, you'll need to:

✅ Like each post

✅ Reply to all 3 giveaway questions (one answer on each post)

✅ Make sure your member/user flair is updated

That's it!

We want this to be fun and conversation-driven, so don't overthink your answers. Funny, heartfelt, chaotic, thoughtful—we're here for all of it.

Important: While you'll be entered for all three prizes by completing all three questions, each member is only eligible to win ONE prize. That way we can spread the RepTherapy love around.

**📅 **Timeline

Question posts go live: Shortly after this announcement

Entries close: Friday, August 8, at 12:00 PM PST

Winners announced: Sunday, August 9

As always, winners will be selected roulette-style by the mod team.

A Few Friendly Reminders

This isn't a writing competition. There are no "right" answers, and essays won't earn extra luck points. We'd much rather read genuine responses than perfectly crafted ones.

Please keep things respectful, stay on topic, and have fun chatting with one another. Some of our favorite community moments have come from these giveaway threads.

Finally, thank you for making RepTherapy what it is. Whether you're here to learn, help others, celebrate a new purchase, mourn a discontinued factory, or simply enable someone else's next bag... we're glad you're here.

Good luck, RepFam!

❤️Your RepTherapy Mod Team

^(RepTherapy Giveaway Disclaimer)

^(By entering this giveaway, you acknowledge and agree to the following:)
^(•No purchase, payment, or donation is necessary to enter or win.)
^(•This giveaway is organized and administered solely by the RepTherapy moderation team.)
^(•Reddit and its affiliates are not sponsors of, endorsed by, or otherwise associated with this giveaway.)
^(•Winners will be selected according to the rules stated in the giveaway post. The moderators' decisions are final.)
^(•Prizes are provided "as is" with no warranties or guarantees. The moderation team is not responsible for lost, delayed, damaged, or undeliverable shipments once a prize has been sent.)
^(•To claim a prize, winners may be asked to provide shipping or contact information via Reddit direct messages or another method specified by the moderators. Information collected for prize fulfillment will be used only for administering the giveaway and will not be shared except as necessary to deliver the prize.)
^(•The moderation team reserves the right to modify, suspend, or cancel the giveaway at their discretion.)

^(By participating, entrants agree to these terms and the rules outlined in the giveaway post.)

Well... y'all really went and did the thing.

r/RepTherapy has officially hit 35,000 members! 🎉🎊🎉🎊🎉

We genuinely did not expect to get here this fast. We celebrated 20k members in March, and here we are a few months later, celebrating 35k.

What started as a community to share finds, reviews, QC help, advice, memes, and collectively enable each other's questionable financial decisions, has grown into something pretty incredible. Whether you've been here since day one or just wandered in after your latest haul, you've helped make our community one of the best around.

Our members are the reason this place is what it is, and as a mod team, we couldn't be more grateful. And because milestones deserve celebrating...

We're doing a giveaway!

One small problem…You all got us to 35K so much faster than we expected, that we're still putting the finishing touches on the giveaway details. Champagne problems, right? 🍾🥂

So, keep an eye out for a follow-up post with entry instructions, prizes, and all the details - it will be coming very soon. Trust us, you won't want to miss it.

From all of us on the mod team: thank you for making RepTherapy the community it is today. We appreciate every review, every QC, every helpful comment, every meme, and every person who's contributed to making this place such a fun corner of Reddit. Here's to 35K... and whatever ridiculous milestone you all speedrun next.

Stay tuned!
-Your RepTherapy Mod Team

P.S. While we're putting the finishing touches on the giveaway... keep us entertained.

Drop your best memes, your favorite RepTherapy moments, your first rep horror story, your biggest W (or most spectacular L), or just say hi.

We'll be lurking in the comments while we finish getting everything ready. And who knows... the more chaos we're scrolling through, the faster the details might magically appear. 😘😘😘

I did a double take for half a sec as I immediately thought this was a PeterThomasRoth set, but clearly it’s not.

Second and 3rd pics clearly where they’re getting the inspiration.

I was so excited to find Saie at my store, as it’s the first time I’ve seen the brand here. Also first time being able to find anything Huda, even if it was just the brushes.

I love getting ABH palettes here as I find the quality great and prices are really reasonable.
And I couldn’t believe I found my actual shade of the NARS foundation.

I’m on a big lip balm kick and I’ve never tried Topicals before so I had to give it a try.

Just for fun, I picked up these two lip balms at Marshall’s this weekend.

This time, Ruby & Millie take their inspiration from Laneige Glaze Craze tinted lip serum. They’ve creatively changed the name just enough to Glaze GLOW tinted lip serum.

As per usual, strong references to font on packaging, thou the tube end crimping is slightly different this time around. The applicator features the same “donut” cushion, but it is slightly larger, and to the touch, js not as squishy as the OG.

I did try them both on my lips later - they’re not meant to be the same color, but opacity and texture are VERY close. I did NOT do a side by side ingredient check. One is made in Korea, the other made in China. I’ll let you guess which is which 😘

I just get a kick out of these dupes. Cost savings wasn’t too high - the Laneige at Marshall’s was $8.99, and the R&M was $5.99. Original price for Laneige from Sephora is $22 though, so it’s a huge price jump if looking for a recent release shade, or in season production.

Just for fun, I picked up these two lip balms at Marshall’s this weekend.

This time, Ruby & Millie take their inspiration from Laneige Glaze Craze tinted lip serum. They’ve creatively changed the name just enough to Glaze GLOW tinted lip serum.

As per usual, strong references to font on packaging, thou the tube end crimping is slightly different this time around. The applicator features the same “donut” cushion, but it is slightly larger, and to the touch, js not as squishy as the OG.

I did try them both on my lips later - they’re not meant to be the same color, but opacity and texture are VERY close. I did NOT do a side by side ingredient check. One is made in Korea, the other made in China. I’ll let you guess which is which 😘

I just get a kick out of these dupes. Cost savings wasn’t too high - the Laneige at Marshall’s was $8.99, and the R&M was $5.99. Original price for Laneige from Sephora is $22 though, so it’s a huge price jump if looking for a recent release shade, or in season production.

I’ve been carrying this Deuville for a few weeks now and thought I’d share a review, since it’s a bag I don’t see posted about a lot.

I’m in the office 4 days a week, and I need a bag where I can carry a laptop, and other essentials. I usually carry a smaller bag with me as well in case I pop by a store in the way home or something. This bag comfortably my laptop, my makeup pouch, a small tech pouch for essentials, as well as a small purse (like this little LV number from my picture).

I had never heard of Anna Factory for Ch@nel, so when I saw it in Andrea’s album, I was curious. There were a lot of less mainstream bags so I got curious and decided to give it a shot. The Deuville comes in so many different materials and designs, but the shape and the branding is pretty consistent amongst the variations. I have one authentic from almost a decade ago, and this is my 2nd rep in this style (unknown factory - for in an 11.11 sale).

The fabric on this is malleable without being slouchy, as it definitely needs to hold its shape. The handles are leather, and well constructed. The longer double strap is a familiar chain with leather woven through - these chinstraps also feature a leather strip so it’s comfortable to wear over the shoulder which I often do. It’s a great length for carrying this way. The interior is fabric lined and feathers a few pockets and there’s also a pouch that matches the cream of the bag in fabric.

The side panels on this bag flare out more than my other ones do, and it helps make the bag less “boxy” and lends itself to the more casual vibe of the bag. For the $198 price tag, I think it is a great pickup.

Because I also wanted to try the leather from Anna factory, I so for this light blue classic flap. The photo is straight out of the shipping box and I haven’t had a chance to carry it yet. But the first impression is that it’s very similar to my cf’s deom God factory. The cost was $422, and it’s in the 25cm size.

Andrea is a newer seller that I wanted to try based on a couple reviews I read. She was very quick to respond, and very patient with all my questions - especially since I was poking around her albums - there were several factories that I didn’t have experience with. I literally asked for quotes for over a dozen different styles of bags from different factories as I was browsing, and she always responded promptly and was so kind and helpful. Shopping timeline was pretty standard (about 2 weeks), and everything was packed securely. Andrea’s WA: +86 19928385796

Did I need it? No.
Could I resist? Also, no.

2x each of the following in full size:

Kosas cloud set in translucent candy
Laura Mercier translucent loose setting powder
Ouai hair oil
Ouai medium hair shampoo
Ouai medium hair conditioner

And 2 each of the following in mini:
Ouai scalp & body scrub in St Barts
Ouai body creme in St Barts

St Barts is a fave fragrance of mine, so I’m so excited to have these!!!