fall 2012


MDSolarSciences sunscreen review

The San Francisco Bay Area has enviable weather; and let’s face it, we have a lot of sunshine outside of San Francisco. Our mild weather and sunny skies lead the majority of us to live outdoor lifestyles. We dine on the patio, we swim or splash around in swimming pools, we play outdoor sports, we visit playgrounds and parks, we hang out at the beach and we have the sun beating down on us when we watch our favorite sports teams compete; and that is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to being outdoors for Northern Californians.

We may not actually sit down and think about how often we are in the sun. Of course when we go to the beach, play tennis, go for a jog or hop in the pool we are diligent about applying sunscreen. But what happens when you go to a sports stadium and watch a game for four hours? Are you applying sunscreen? Admittedly, this is a time when I don’t think about applying sunscreen and it is most likely a time when I come home with a pink nose. The same is true for going to the park, walking down the street, going to an outdoor shopping center; the scenarios are limitless.

All of this unexpected sun exposure can lead to pre-mature aging and worse; skin cancer. So when I was introduced to MDSolarSciences and their line of amazing sun protection products, I was excited to give it a try.

MDSolarSciences sent me three products to test out; the “Natural Mineral Sunscreen Stick,” a “Mineral Screen” which is a tinted gel that is perfect to use in lieu of foundation or underneath as base layer, and also the “Quick Dry Body Spray.”

Natural Mineral Sunscreen Stick: This is a cute little sunscreen stick which fits nicely in your pocket or purse. The fabulous thing about the sunscreen stick is that you can take it anywhere and if you end up outdoors and in the sun unexpectedly, you can quickly apply sunscreen. Love that!

It also happens to be water resistant and worked like a charm when I sat outside on a patio for an hour enjoying my lunch in the direct sun. SPF 40 UVA-UVB broad spectrum. $12.95

Mineral Screen tinted gel: The Mineral Screen was great for a day of shopping outside at Santana Row in San Jose! I wore the tinted gel in lieu of foundation and it left a smooth finish as well as kept my face protected. Loved it! SPF 30 UVA-UVB broad spectrum. $23.95

Quick Dry Body Spray: This light and non-greasy sunscreen was easy to spray on. I wore it when I played tennis in the direct sun and it did not come off when I perspired. It was fabulous to be able to play tennis in the warm autumn sun without getting any sunburn whatsoever. Loved it! SPF 40 with SolSciX, broad spectrum, UVA-UVB. $20.95

Bottom line: MDSolarSciences worked like a charm to keep me protected from the sun when I was outside. The fabulous part about MDSolarSciences products is that they are made from ingredients which are gentle and beneficial to the skin. They do not have an odor and can easily be worn without competing or changing the fragrance experience of your favorite perfumes.
MDSolarSciences are also not sticky, nor do they dry out your skin. Love this!

To learn more about MDSolarSciences products, please visit mdsolarsciences.com

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*We received samples of MDSolarSciences products. We were not required to review the products nor did receipt of the samples influence our opinion of the products. Everything contained in this article is the opinion of the writer and should be treated as such. For more information, please read our disclaimer.


Warm fall day with Twisted Silver’s new Compass necklace

Autumn is upon us and one of the fabulous things about the mild fall weather is that we can wear layers, sweaters and longer silhouettes than we generally wear in the warm summer months. With longer apparel comes the need for long jewelry in order to balance out our silhouettes.

Twisted Silver has designed a new necklace for the fall season called the “Compass” necklace. This simple, elegant and timeless necklace is perfect for the fall season. The “Compass” necklace offers a long brass chain with a compass-like design surrounding a dark blue crystal. The necklace itself takes its inspiration from an adventurous voyage and the shade of blue happens to fit perfectly in the fall/winter 2012 blue trend. Love that!

The “Compass” necklace from Twisted Silver is a wardrobe basic which can be worn with both casual and dressy attire. The necklace can go from a lazy Sunday in jeans to being paired with a blazer at the office. Love this!

Twisted Silver’s “Compass” necklace is priced at $50 and debuts online today. The “Compass” necklace can be found at Twisted-Silver.com. Use coupon code INSIDERS for a 15% discount. Happy shopping and stay fabulous 

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Top Photo: C/O Twisted Silver “Compass” necklace

Bottom Photo: “Bring out the blue” In this photo we styled the outfit around the blue crystal in the “Compass” necklace. The blue in the print of the skirt combined with the blue from the handbag brought out the blue in the crystal!

Necklace: C/O Twisted Silver “Compass” necklaceSweaterZac Posen for Target (past season), Skirt:Kirna Zabete for TargetHandbagAlexander Wang toteShoesPrada

All photos credit: Rob/Bay Area Fashionista 2012©


Fall 2012 shoe trends: oh how we love them!

Fall 2012 is a fabulous season for shoes. Designers in Paris, New York, Milan and London brought us jewel tone colors, rocker chic studs, flirty ankle straps, edgy ankle booties, masculine smoking slippers, t-strap heels and playful leopard print. All of these shoe trends have made us crave an entire new wardrobe of shoes and Fashionistas everywhere are finding themselves building ensembles from the shoe up. Literally!

The amazing part about all of these fabulous shoe trends from the runways is that they actually made it to the streets! How often does that happen?! Normally we find a handful of shoe trends make it from the runway to the street, but this fall/winter 2012 season fashionable shoppers been flocking to every shoe trend they can get their hands on!

Fashionistas are being spotted wearing leopard print flats with casual jeans as well as their little black dresses. Jewel tone pumps are being spotted on the street paired with prints and contrasting hues. Rocker chic studded shoes are being paired with preppy ensembles while weekend activities are calling for smoking slippers. Of course, sassy snkle strap heeks have been spotted at cocktail parties. To sum it up, everyone this season seems to being spending their seasonal budget on footwear! Love this!

What has been your favorite shoe trend this fall?

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