Usually, we are very cautious when shopping sample sales. There are just too many shopping days in the year to justify big purchases. Today, was a huge exception –the Charlotte Olympia sale is just that good. As a matter of fact, it’s so good that I needed to call a bellman to carry my half-dozen bags to a waiting Uber.

We all love Charlotte Olympia for her quirky shoes, but if you’re going to want to head directly to the bag section. The designer’s clear box clutches usually retail for between $1200 and $1600 but are priced starting at just $150. Larger crocodile and ostrich handbags are $300 from over $3000. There are also lots of cute little accessories and pouches that are priced between $50 and $100.

Moving on to the shoes, most styles are priced at just $100. That includes Kitty Flats, Dolly platforms and several style ostrich shoes. Shoe styles that are much more popular are priced between $150 and $200. We really didn’t see anything priced any higher.

A lot of the same items we saw are also listed at Saks Off 5th. The prices aren’t as good but perhaps you can experience a bit of the thrill while shopping from afar. Pictures from the sale are on Instagram Stories and posted in the jump. We suggest you hurry over fast because we are sure there will be nothing left by the time the sale closes at 7pm tonight.

Charlotte Olympia Sample Sale
Thursday, November 17
Till 7pm
Roosevelt Hotel, 45 E. 45th St. (Vanderbilt Suite)

We must say it was a busy Monday. We can’t remember the last time we took on a double header. We started the morning investigating the Diane von Furstenberg sample sale and then headed further downtown to Century 21 to sniff out Cire Trudon’s luxury candles.

Here’s our full report:

Diane von Furstenberg
The first day of Diane von Furstenberg’s sample sale always starts off with VIP early access. This is where you normally find scurrying employees, editors, d-list celebrities and, sometimes, some models. Today we found nobody. The sale preview was basically empty, despite the fact that fifty people were waiting outside. The reason could be because the DVF sale has lost a lot of it’s excitement.

For starters, there is no sample sale rack, which was always a big hit as everything was priced at $50. The end of an era, we suppose. What you will find are plenty of dresses, jumpsuits and tops from this and last season’s collections. All dresses are $100 and wrap dresses are $125. Gowns are $175. Coats, outerwear and leather goods are $250. On the racks we found lots of lace dresses in assorted colors, this silk print wrap dress that hasn’t even hit stores yet and a few of these ivory leather moto jackets in assorted sizes.

We think the sale is still very pricey but we know that there will be discounts later in the week. We would suggest holding off until prices make the trip worth while. Considering the quite morning, we don’t think it’s going to be a problem finding pieces to buy. You can click here to see pictures from our shopping trip and the full price list.

Cire Trudon
Lighting a candle that doesn’t properly envelop the room with fragrance feels like setting a $100 bill on fire. That’s why we always like to stay loyal to the candle brands that we trust. Cire Trudon has earned a space at the top of the luxury candle hierarchy for their handmade votives and hand-poured waxes. We also love that the fragrances aren’t so floral and sweet that it makes you feel like you sprayed perfume at CVS.

Prices are a straight 50% off retail. Classic candles are $50, gifts sets containing three candles are $100, extra large size candles are $275, travel room sprays are $40 and Carriere Freres classic candles are the best deal at just $25. The available fragrances are La Marquise, Pondichéry, Mademoiselle De La Valliere, Solis Rex, Aed El Kader among others.

The inventory isn’t huge but prices are a bit high for a sample sale setting. We suggest heading to the sale by Tuesday morning if you’re a big fan of the brand’s candles. If you’re just a casual shopper, you might consider waiting until Wednesday.