Bay Area Fashionista

Dolce & Gabbana Passion Duo lipstick review

 in Beauty  tagged dolce and gabbana / lipstick / reviews / summer 2012 by

Dolce & Gabbana is one of the most important designing duos in the fashion industry, so it is no wonder that their cosmetics line would include the season’s newest and hottest colors. The “Passion Duo” lipstick collection by Dolce & Gabbana is a large line of thin lipsticks which offer two parts; lipgloss on the inside, creamy lipstick on the outside.

“Passion Duo” lipstick is packaged in a shiny, golden container which is slightly longer and thinner than other brands’ containers. This enables Dolce & Gabbana’s “Passion Duo” lipstick to fit nicely inside a small clutch, box clutch or any small handbag for easy mobility. I also noticed the lipstick is easy to apply with this size container.

When I first opened the “Passion Duo” lipstick container there was a faint, sweet powder scent which was fresh and feminine. This was a nice fragrance which I found to be pleasant in comparison to other lipstick brands which smell a bit waxy.

Dolce & Gabbana’s “Passion Duo” lipstick glides on smoothly without clumping and applies evenly. I tried three colors; “Tropical,” “Exotic” and “Royal.” All of the colors I tested glided on easily with one to two coats and provided full coverage.

There are some lipstick’s out there which need a lip balm or moisturizer applied underneath. This was not the case with Dolce & Gabbana’s “Passion Duo” lipstick. I applied all three of the colors I tested without any lip balm or moisturizer underneath and they all stayed moist without drying my lips or making my lips look chapped. This is a very important point and my favorite part about “Passion Duo!”

I found Dolce & Gabbana’s “Passion Duo” lipstick to be more on the creamy side rather than lipgloss side. The color saturation is amazing and the hues are vibrant. What you see in the container is the color that you see on your lips; this lipstick does not change color on you! Love that!

After testing Dolce & Gabbana’s “Passion Duo” lipsticks for ten days, I give them five out of five stars for being fabulous! By fabulous I mean perfect color saturation, moisturizing, nice scent and convienent packaging.

Dolce & Gabbana’s “Passion Duo” can be found at Saks Fifth Avenue Stores, Saks.com and atDolceGabbanaMakeUp.com. They are priced at $34 each

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Photos: Passion Duo lipsticks c/o Dolce & Gabbana

Polka Dots

 in General Fashion / Trends  tagged fall 2012 / polka dots / summer 2012 / winter 2013 by

Polka dots have been a classic springtime pattern for decades. The polka dot has enjoyed a little bit more popularity this year as the pattern has found itself carrying over from the mild spring season into the warm and hot summer months. But for fall, the polka dot has decided to stick around rather than move to the back of the closet until next spring; that’s right-polka dots are on-trend for fall.

Paige Denim, among others, designed polka dotted pieces for the fall season. The polka dot jeans from Paige Denim happen to be a favorite among celebrities such as Gwen Stefani. Polka dots are also popping up on less casual pieces such as dresses, silk trousers and sweaters. There are even polka dot accessories for fall!

If you think you are seeing spots; you are. Polka dots were not very prominent on the runways, but on store shelves they have their place, and on the streets they are close to being hot. (We will call them warm ) The polka dot is an emerging trend.

We found a mix of summer and fall polka dot pieces and assembled them into the Polyvore set below. What do you think of polka dots for fall? Does it feel like wearing white after Labor Day to you? Or do you feel like polka dots during the autumn months is playful, modern and fresh?

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Santana Row celebrates ten years

 in Bay Area Fashion / Events / Men's Fashion / Shopping  tagged santana row by

Has it really been ten years? Santana Row in San Jose is celebrating their tenth anniversary this year and it seems like only yesterday the fabulous shopping, dining and residential village opened its’ doors.
The tenth anniversary brings back memories of anticipation as Fashionistas throughout the San Francisco Bay Area waited to see how $450 million and 42-acres could bring together both residential and retail spaces to create a village within a city.

As the grand opening of Santana Row approached, everyone watched closely as an 11-alarm fire raged through the largest building on August 19, 2002. The fire destroyed 538,000 square feet of retail and residential space. The fire turned out to be the largest in the history of San Jose!

Santana Row is marking ten years and celebrating Silicon Valley’s economic resurgence by undergoing a $300 million expansion. This exciting expansion will include a central plaza, resort-style residential units and additional retail and office space. Oh, and never fear, this includes more parking! Love that!

The tenth anniversary celebration at Santana Row will take place from September 27 through September 30 2012. The official anniversary is November 7, 2012.
For more information, please visit santanarow.com

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Photo: Santana Row ten years ago, under construction. Photo courtesy of Santana Row.