Bay Area Fashionista

Spring 2014 shoe trends: mules and slides

 in Shoes / Trends  tagged 1990s / mules / runway trends / slides / spring 2014 / summer 2014 by

mules slides spring 2014

From top right: Alexander Wang / Stella McCartney /Sophia Webster / Manolo Blahnik

Mules and slides are back! Get ready to scrunch your shoes as you walk! Mules and slides were huge in the mid-1990’s and Fashionistas everywhere learned quickly how to scrunch up their toes in order to keep their shoes from flying off their feet. Oh memories. . .

Mules and slides stayed in style until the early 2000’s when pointed toe mules had their moment. After enduring pinched toes inside of shoes which were next to impossible to keep on ones’ feet, mules and slides ended up in the back of the closet; and the d’Orsay Pump took its’ place.

Well, for spring.summer 2014, the mule and the slide are back. Hold on tight! Mules and slides look amazing and are actually comfortable when you are standing still. There isn’t anything in the back of the shoe to rub and cause blisters, nor is there a strap which could break or become too tight as the day wears on. Mules and slides are easy to take on and off when driving as well as underneath ones’ desk at the office. (of course, when no-one is looking!) 

That being said, mules and slides are not meant for sight-seeing, long walks or cardio shopping at the mall. Mules and slides are perfect for events where you might find yourself standing such as at a fundraiser, auction, luncheon, wedding etc. Since they are actually comfortable, and hot off the runway, it would be wise to own at least one pair of mules or slides this spring/summer 2014 season!

Mules and slides were most popular on the Milan and Paris runways; although designers around the globe are favoring the style this warm weather season. If you kept a pair from the 1990’s or early 2000’s, go ahead and move them to the front of your closet. If not, look for a fabulous pair of mules or slides in a neutral color. If you find them easy to walk in, then more power to you; buy all the colors you can find! If you are like me and prefer mules and slides for less mobile situations, look for a neutral pair which will take you through the trend.

I found a few fabulous pairs of mules and slides and assembled them into the shopping widget below. I hope you love them! Happy shopping, and stay fabulous 😉

Rituals Cherry Blossom and Rice Milk bath products review

 in Beauty / Eco Chic / Fragrance  tagged bath products / body cream / natural beauty products / reviews / rituals by

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Photos: Products c/o Rituals. Shower Gel, Body Cream and Body Scrub

Rituals body products are a beautiful mix of organic, natural ingredients and an amazing fragrance sensation. I was thrilled to be able to test out these products, and now that I have tried them, I am hooked! The “Magic Touch” whipped body cream has a sweet, light cherry blossom scent. The rice milk note is light and can be detected as a base note in the fragrance experience. I loved the body cream since it was light yet very nourishing.

With all of the beautiful spring-like weather we have been enjoying, I have been spending more time in the sun, as well as the swimming pool! This always dries out my skin. I am thankful for Rituals “Magic Touch” whipped body cream since it is able to restore moisture to my skin. The body cream also contains vitamin E and Centella Asiatica which are important for keeping skin youthful. As a thirty-something who loves the outdoors, I need that!

Rituals “Sakura Scrub” is a great exfoliating body scrub for helping smooth down dry or rough skin. I find it is the perfect way to cleanse skin one day per week. I use it on the same day, Sunday, that I deep clean and deep condition my hair. The body scrub has a beautiful cherry blossom scent which is sweet and makes me think of candy 🙂 yum!

Lastly, I tested out Rituals “Zensation” foaming shower gel. I love the cherry blossom scent with a rice milk base. The shower gel smells similar to the body cream. I love it! “Zensation” is amazing because it foams up when you squirt it out of the bottle making it faster to use in the shower. This is very important here in the San Francisco Bay Area where we are currently experiencing a drought. The foaming power makes it faster to clean, therefore I use less water in the shower. Perfection! Plus, it makes me squeaky clean. Love that!

I highly recommend Rituals and am looking forward to trying more of their products. Rated five out of five stars!

Rituals products are reasonably priced and can be found online here.

Here are a few more products from Rituals I cannot wait to try out!

Spring weather

 in General Fashion  tagged chelsea paris / coach / dresses / MARC by Marc Jacobs / marc jacobs / outfits / spring 2014 / twisted silver by

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Photos: Earrings: John  Hardy /Lipstick: c/o Dolce & Gabbana “Amethyst” / Necklace: Made by local artist. Similar -> SAVE or SPLURGE /  Dress: MARC by Marc Jacobs /Nail Polish: Chanel “Charivari” / Handbag: Coach / Bracelet: c/o Twisted Silver (use code INSIDERS for 15% off) / Bead Bracelet: Swarovski (old) Similar -> SAVE or SPLURGE / Shoes: Chelsea Paris also in RED!

The past couple of weeks here in the San Francisco Bay Area have been beautiful. Temperatures have been in the high 60’s and low 70’s; which is extremely unusual for January. Unfortunately, with beautiful spring-like weather in January there is a dark side. The trees are confused so we are starting to see cherry blossoms, plum blossoms and Magnolias. In addition to confused vegetation, we have had absolutely no rain for months! The last time the San Francisco Bay Area endured this type of weather was 1977-1979. At that time we experienced a severe drought which required residents to ration their water use, in some cases, using extreme measures to do so.

I was a very small child in the late 1970’s and all I remember about the drought was eating off of paper plates and drinking from paper cups. There was a huge pipe on the Richmond- San Rafael bridge which carried water across the bay and I used to marvel at its’ huge size when we crossed the bridge. I remember a lot of dead lawns and an increase in popularity of the “rock garden.” Do you remember rock garden’s? They were a collection of different colors of rocks arranged in a pattern separated by thin wood panels in people’s front yards. They remained in place throughout the 1980’s until people finally realized they were terrible to look at and replaced them with plants.

Due to the current drought, I am afraid what we experienced in the late 1970’s will soon be reality again here in the Bay Area. In the meantime, the only thing we can do is conserve water and enjoy the sunshine! That being said, I have been boxing up my boots and heavy clothing, moving them to the back of the closet, and bringing out my spring wardrobe! Why not!? If there are cherry blossoms everywhere, I might as well dress for spring!

These new pumps from Chelsea Paris are soft and extremely comfortable. I cannot wait to pair them with other looks throughout the spring season. Are you experiencing unusual weather where you live too?