Fragrance

Dolce & Gabbana Dolce eau de parfum review

March 13, 2014 in Beauty / Fragrance tagged dolce and gabbana / fragrance reviews / green floral / reviews / spring 2014 by Bay Area Fashionista

Pictured: c/o Dolce & Gabbana “Dolce” EDP

Dolce & Gabbana “Dolce” is a new green-floral fragrance for the spring season. This beautiful green-floral is a heavy, warm weather scent which will leave just enough of a trail behind you so that no-one can forget your presence; and of course, leaving everyone wanting more 😉

“Dolce” by Dolce & Gabbana is different than other scents by Dolce & Gabbana; previous fragrances include “The One, “Desire” and “The One Rose.” All of the previous fragrances we have grown to love from Dolce & Gabbana offer a woody base which is smooth and sensual. Dolce & Gabbana’s other warm weather fragrance, “Light Bleu,” offers more of a light green, nautical fragrance experience which is more casual than “Dolce.”

With “Dolce,” Dolce & Gabbana have moved into a spring garden arena they have not set foot in before. Although this may sound scary to fans of Dolce & Gabbana’s woodier scents, they have stayed true to their perfume roots and created a beautiful, warm version of a green-floral scent which is sure to convert even the woodiest of fragrance fans.

Top notes: Neroli leaves, Papaya Flower

Middle notes: White amaryllis, white daffodil, white water lily

Base notes: Cashmere, musk, sandalwood

With a sandalwood base, Dolce & Gabbana fragrance fans can expect a warm undertone beneath a garden filled with fresh cut leaves and fragrant flowers. While the top of “Dolce” is very green, it only takes about twenty minutes for the fragrance to begin to cycle through green leaves and flowers creating a warm, spring-like fragrance experience to take you through the day.

I tested out “Dolce” for a sixteen hour day and the fragrance kept me guessing throughout the day. In the morning, “Dolce” offered a green leaf scent with traces of florals and something warm. By late morning, the florals dominated the fragrance and the scent of musk and sandalwood could be detected in the background. The green scent lingered in the background providing depth to the perfume. As the day wore on, “Dolce” continued to cycle through flowers with a slight warm, woody base and traces of freshly cut green leaves. I know as the weather warms up in late spring, and during the summer, “Dolce” by Dolce & Gabbana will be my go-to fragrance.

I rate “Dolce” by Dolce & Gabbana five out of five stars!

Dolce & Gabbana “Dolce” eau de parfum is priced at $90 for 1.6 oz. and $112 for 2.5 oz. “Dolce” can be found online here and here.

Valentine’s Day gift ideas at Santana Row

February 3, 2014 in Bay Area Fashion / Beauty / Fragrance / Jewelry / Swimwear tagged 100% pure / beau bijou / c wonder / chocolatier blue parlor / cocola / flying lizard / holiday gift ideas / holidays 2014 / jest jewels / paper source / santana row / valentines day by Bay Area Fashionista

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“

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“

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“

“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“

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“

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“

“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“

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! 😉

*This post has been brought to you by Santana Row

Rituals Cherry Blossom and Rice Milk bath products review

January 28, 2014 in Beauty / Eco Chic / Fragrance tagged bath products / body cream / natural beauty products / reviews / rituals by Bay Area Fashionista

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!

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