Bay Area Fashionista

Rituals Cherry Blossom and Rice Milk bath products review

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

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?

How to get Claire Danes beauty look from the 2014 SAG Awards red carpet

Claire Danes dazzled on the red carpet last weekend at the 2014 SAG Awards. Her beauty look was fresh and her sleek gown by Givenchy showed her extremely fit post-baby body. Loved it! Although the gown may be hard to come by, we can all get her beauty look at home with a few simple steps and cosmetics by Laura Mercier!

Below are step-by-step instructions, with products, on how to get Claire Danes beauty look at home. A special THANK YOU to Laura Mercier for providing us with these fabulous tips!

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Claire Danes

2014 Screen Actors Guild Awards

“Female Actor in a Drama Series” for “Homeland” Nominee

Look by Matin Maulawizada Global Brand Ambassador for Laura Mercier

Makeup artist Matin Maulawizada drew inspiration from Danes’ Vionnet gown which he stated “contained a Roxy Music feel.” To complement the beautiful gown, he created a modern and sexy look with a glimmer reminiscent of the 1980s.

FLAWLESS FACE:

1) First, Maulawizada prepped Danes’ skin with Laura Mercier Mega Moisturizer Crème SPF 15 in Normal/Combination Skin ($50), Laura Mercier Repair Eye Serum($80) and Laura Mercier Repair Eye Cream ($75). Then he massaged Danes’ face using Laura Mercier Foundation Primer ($32) to relax the skin and create an even canvas (the massage is her favorite part of the process!).

2) Next he applied Laura Mercier Crème Smooth Foundation in Sunny Beige ($50) all over her skin, slightly contouring her face. After that, he blended Laura Mercier Crème Smooth Foundation in Warm Ivory ($50) into Danes’ skin, highlighting its natural radiance.

3) Lastly, he lightly dusted Laura Mercier Invisible Loose Setting Powder in Universal ($35) to set her makeup, ensuring she looked flawless throughout the evening.

4) Maulawizada applied Laura Mercier Crème Cheek Colour in Rosebud ($24) and a touch of Laura Mercier Crème Cheek Colour in Sunrise ($24) to the apples of her cheeks. He used a touch of Laura Mercier Matte Radiance Baked Powder in Highlight – 01 ($36) onto her cheek bones.

BOLD EYES:

1) Maulawizada applied Laura Mercier Crème Eye Liner in Cobalt ($22) to Danes’ lash line.

2) Creating a bold eye look, he applied Laura Mercier Caviar Stick Eye Colour in Smoke ($26) followed by Laura Mercier Baked Eye Colour in Mystical ($23) and Laura Mercier Satin Matte Eye Colour in Dark Spirit ($23) all over her eyelids.

3) To accentuate her eyes, he dusted a thin layer of loose, blue glitter to Dane’s eyelids. For a similar product, Maulawizada recommended using Laura Mercier Sequin Eye Colour in Lapis ($23).

4) Maulawizada applied Laura Mercier Long Lash Mascara in Bleu ($24) to accentuate Dane’s lashes.

SOFT LIPS:

1) Adding the final touch of glamour, Maulawizada applied Laura Mercier Lip Plumper in Pink Pearl ($30) to Danes’ lips.

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