Fragrance


Valentine’s Day gift ideas at Santana Row

Valentine’s Day is fast approaching and that means it is time to start thinking about what to buy that special someone! If you happen to live in the San Francisco Bay Area, look no further than Santana Row in San Jose to find the perfect Valentine’s Day gift!

I love Santana Row for gift shopping because all of the best gift shops in the Bay Area are in one place! Plus, you can enjoy a hot cocoa or cup of coffee from “Cocola,” my favorite coffee/pastry shop in the Bay Area, before or during your shopping trip! Not to mention the long list of amazing restaurants Santana Row has to offer! I recommend “Maggiano’s” for a family meal, “Veggie Grill” for lunch and “Blowfish Sushi” or “Sino” for dinner. 

So, without further adieu, here are my picks for the perfect Valentine’s Day gifts at Santana Row!

Valentine’s Day gift ideas from the “Paper Source

DSC_0718

DSC_0722 DSC_0720 DSC_0716 DSC_0714

The “Paper Source” is an amazing stationary store which offers the most beautiful wrapping paper, cards and gift items you can imagine. They have a huge selection of Valentine’s Day gifts for both children and adults. This is the perfect place to find gifts for your children or children in your life on Valentine’s Day! In addition, they have everything from romantic gifts to gifts for friends. It is a one-stop-shop for Valentine’s Day! 

My gift picks featured in these photos are available in-store. For more information please call 1-408-241-9000.

Gourmet Chocolate from “Chocolatier Blue Parlor

DSC_0711 DSC_0710 DSC_0709

Want to make a big impression on someone you love this Valentine’s Day? Look no further than Santana Row’s “Chocolatier Blue Parlor!” They have the most beautiful chocolates which not only look like fine works of ceramic art, they taste like the finest chocolate on Earth! Plus, the ingredients are locally sourced and organic. Love that!

All of their chocolate is available in-store. For more information please call 1-408-244-8300. 

Unique and Stylish Jewelry at “Beau Bijou

DSC_0774 DSC_0770 DSC_0769

“Beau Bijou” has been my all-time favorite store at Santana Row since the Row opened over ten years ago. The shop is filled with unique silver jewelry using semi-precious and precious stones. Many of the pieces are designed by “Beau Bijou’s” owner and can only be found in-store! This is the perfect shop to find a gift for Valentine’s Day for your loved one who appreciates unique jewelry and works of art.

My gift picks can be found in-store. For more information call 1-408-261-3434. 

Valentine’s Day gift ideas for the beauty fan on your list from “100% Pure

DSC_0767 DSC_0766 DSC_0763

From top: Nail Polish / Organic Rose Hydrosol / Sun Damage Corrective Cream / Eye Cream

From the moment you set foot in “100% Pure” you will notice the most beautiful aroma at Santana Row. The fragrant bath and body products will lure you into the store and you will find yourself having trouble trying to decide which fragrance to purchase because they all smell so amazing! Well, let me help you out here 🙂 My favorite scent at “100% Pure” is the “Coffee Cherry” scent. Of course, if “Coffee Cherry” is not the scent you think your loved one will prefer, there are plenty of other scents to choose from in-store! Plus, everything at “100% Pure” is 100% vegan and natural! Love that!

For more product information, please visit 100% Pure online or call 1-408-244-7873

Valentine Day gifts from “C Wonder

DSC_0747 DSC_0739 DSC_0735 DSC_0733

From top: Pillows / Bowls / Plates / Jewelry Boxes / Bike

As you may already know, “C Wonder” is one of the most fabulous gift shops online; and last fall they opened an amazing shop right here in the Bay Area at Santana Row! The store is filled with gift ideas which are perfect for friends and family, as well as special loved ones, for Valentine’s Day. In fact, there are several gift options on sale from 25%-50% off! Love that!

For more information about “C Wonder,” please click here or call 1-408-246-1754

Sparkles and Baubles from “Jest Jewels

DSC_0759 DSC_0757 DSC_0753 DSC_0752

“Jest Jewels” is the perfect place to find Valentine’s Day gifts for that special someone who has flair and loves a little bit of fun. The shop is filled with on-trend jewelry, clutches and amazing gift ideas. They even have a Valentine’s Day Hello Kitty!

All of my gift picks featured in these photos are available in-store only. Please call 1-408-249-4800 for more information.

Valentine’s Day gifts for getting that red carpet look at “Flying Lizard

DSC_0818 DSC_0816 DSC_0813 DSC_0796

The jewelry at “Flying Lizard” has been spotted on countless celebrities both on the red carpet and the streets of Southern California. Celebrities such as Brooke Shields, Felicity Huffman, Meg Ryan, Hillary Duff, Vivica Fox, Penelope Cruz and fashion’s darling Sarah Jessica Parker have all been spotted wearing designs from Flying Lizard. The store at Santana Row is filled with hundreds of fabulous jewelry designs which are also owned by Hollywood’s brightest stars. My picks from in-store are featured in the photos above.

For more information about Flying Lizard, please call 1-408-244-8950.

And there you have it! The above photos from select stores at Santana Row are my picks for making Valentine’s Day special and absolutely fabulous! If you are local to the Bay Area, make sure you visit Santana Row to find the perfect gift for that special someone this Valentine’s Day. Everyone on my list will be receiving gifts from the Row!

Happy shopping, and have a fabulous Valentine’s Day! 😉

Photo Credit: Cathy/Bay Area Fashionista 2014©

*This post has been brought to you by Santana Row


Rituals Cherry Blossom and Rice Milk bath products review

DSC_0697

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!


Kerala Ashok Garden fragrance bracelet by Lisa Hoffman Beauty

DSC_0568DSC_0589DSC_0594DSC_0585DSC_0616

Photos: Earrings: c/o Twisted Silver (use code INSIDERS fir 15% off) / Lipstick: c/o Dolce & Gabbana Amethyst / Scarf: L’Wren Scott for BR / Blouse: Collective Concepts / Handbag: Coach / Jeans: L’Wren Scott for BR / Bracelet: c/o  Lisa Hoffman Beauty / Nail Polish: c/o Mineral Fusion Amethyst / Shoes: Prada

One of my favorite beauty items to shop for is fragrance. Another one of my weaknesses is jewelry! Combined, they are a match made in heaven 🙂 I absolutely adore the new Kerala Ashok Garden bracelet from Lisa Hoffman Beauty. The bracelet is a beautiful purple hue which blends well with 2014’s color of the year, Radiant Orchid

The bracelet itself is made from vintage glass beads with a beautiful silver ball charm. The silver ball charm is the secret of the bracelet! Inside the charm you can place a few fragrance beads which exude peace and happiness. The beads offer fragrance notes of India’s Ashok blossom, deep violet, ripe pear, velvety apricot and sheer jasmine. With the fragrance beads inside the charm on the bracelet, the scent lasts for many days as opposed to spraying perfume on your skin; which disappears within the course of a day. You can also wear the bracelet and smell beautiful, then take it off when you need to be scent-free at the gym, and then put the bracelet back on to smell pretty again! Love that! No fooling with bottles!!

Another benefit of the Kerala Ashok Bracelet is that it is perfect for traveling. The beads retain their scent throughout an average holiday vacation or business trip and you don’t need to fiddle with a bottle at airport check points! 

To learn more about Lisa Hoffman Beauty and the Kerala Ashok Garden bracelet, please visit lisahoffmanbeauty.com