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Pure Natural Diva perfumes are a new line of botanical fragrances which are fresh and long lasting. The collection of natural fragrances offer a fragrance experience which transports you through fields of flowers, citrus groves and exotic faraway lands. These are the types of perfumes I love to wear.

Pure Natural Diva sent me four sample vials of their fragrance collection, which was nothing short of amazing! All four fragrances offered a long fragrance experience with just one dab of perfume in the morning. The botanical perfumes cycled through top, middle and base notes offering a fresh and complex fragrance experience throughout the day. I definitely need to invest in full bottles of these perfumes!

The four botanical perfumes from Pure Natural Diva I tested were “Pure,” “Elixer,” “Natural” and “Diva.”

“Pure” offered notes of cassie, lavender, soothing chamomile, lemon, lime and Egyptian neroli. Normally I shy away from chamomile, but with Pure Natural Diva’s “Pure” fragrance the chamomile was blended with the right amount of citrus and florals which created a soft yet vibrant fragrance experience I found calming; much like drinking herbal tea in the evening. The combination of florals and citrus in “Pure” make this an easy to wear fragrance in cool, warm and hot weather. Love that!

“Natural” offered a slightly spicy floral fragrance experience which reminded me of a floral garden at dawn. This perfume combined notes of clary sage, exalting pink grapefruit, Moroccan rose and soothing ylang ylang. I love the exotic floral combination of “Natural!” I feel “Natural” is ideal for warm and hot weather due to the exotic floral combination.

“Diva” provided a warm, woody fragrance experience which I found to be ideal for a “date night.” I am a huge fan of musk, sandalwood and vanilla; so the combination of these three fragrance notes in “Diva” makes this perfume a huge must-have in my fragrance collection! “Diva” is also ideal for warm, cool and cold weather. Nothing keeps you warmer than a sultry fragrance!

I always save the best for last. “Elixer” was hands-down my favorite fragrance from Pure Natural Diva botanical fragrances. The combination of aphrodisiacal vanilla, oakmoss, exquisite osmanthus, pink grapefruit and red mandarin is to-die-for! This complex fragrance kept me on my toes all day as it cycled through woody and citrus phases while maintaining a rich, warm vanilla base. The vanilla in “Elixer” is the most pure vanilla I have experienced in any fragrance; and I spend money on my perfume! “Elixer” is warm and perfect for cold, cool and warm weather. It is also an ideal evening fragrance for both casual and formal affairs. Love this!

Pure Natural Diva botanical perfumes can be found online at pndbotanicals.com. There are sample sets for $14 and $16 which are a great way to test out the different scents and see which one you fall in love with. The full bottles are 1.67oz. EDT and are priced from $100 to $150.



Photo courtesy of Pure Natural Diva botanical perfumes.

Dolce & Gabbana National Make-Up artist Christian McCulloch will be at Saks Fifth Avenue on Union Square June 1, 2013 from 11am to 6pm. This is an exciting opportunity to meet Christian who has designed chic and sophisticated beauty looks for top celebrities and major publications.

Christian McCulloch has been behind famous and fabulous beauty looks seen on Scarlett Johansson, Kate Bosworth, Emma Stone, Michelle Williams, Katie Holmes, Christina Hendricks and Olivia Wilde. His work can also be seen in publications such as Vogue, Vanity Fair and Marie Claire.

At the event, Christian McCulloch and top Dolce & Gabbana make-up artists will be on-hand to create custom make-up applications inspired by summer beauty trends. You will also have the opportunity to be introduced to the newest make-up tips, beauty trends and techniques from inside the beauty industry. In addition, you will also be introduced to the newest Dolce & Gabbana make-up collection including “The Perfect Matte Liquid Foundations & Concealers” and the “True Monica Collection.”

To partake in this fabulous beauty event, please make an appointment by calling Saks Fifth Avenue Union Square at 1-415-438-5225.

Saks Fifth Avenue Union Square is located at 384 Post Street, San Francisco, Ca 94108.

To discover Dolce & Gabbana's cosmetics, please browse the shopping widget below. To learn more about a product, click on the photo and you will be redirected to Saks Fifth Avenue. Thank you, happy shopping, and stay fabulous

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I hope you can make it! After all, you can’t miss a historic San Francisco birthday bash now can you? Of course not!

The Levi's birthday bash will be held on the third floor of Macy's Union Square located at 170 O'Farrell street, San Francisco, Ca, 94102. I look forward to seeing you at the event J

The “IT” sandal style is here. Sandals with one single front strap and an ankle strap were all over the spring/summer 2013 runways in New York, Paris, Milan and London. This runway trend has proven to be popular on the street for spring 2013 and is showing no sign of slowing down as we head into the summer 2013 season.

This fabulous shoe style is being shown as flats, kitten heels, wedges and high heels. Designers are having fun with this sandal style by showing color blocked styles, textured fabrications including exotics and single colors which are anywhere from neutral to eye catching neon. This is the shoe style to own for 2013!

These sandals can easily be worn with skirts, dresses, pants; and are a great way to spice up skinny jeans and even patterned shorts! Love this!

I found a few amazing single strap sandals with an ankle strap around the web and assembled them into this article. To shop this trend simply click on the photo or photos of the sandals you love in the shopping widget below and you will be redirected to the online shop where you can purchase the most fabulous shoe style of 2013! Love it! Happy shopping, and stay fabulous

Summer is fast approaching, which means we will all be spending a lot of time in the sun! Unfortunately, this also means the sun will be hitting our faces; which is not really a good thing.

Although we all feel a little better when we have some color on our faces from the warm sun, the rays can damage our skin. Thankfully, there are several sunscreens on the market right now which protect our face from the evil rays of the sun without giving us teenage acne and clogged pores. Love that!

I spend a lot of time in the sun; both swimming and playing tennis. Due to this fact, I have tested A LOT of different sunscreens. I have sensitive skin and several allergies to cosmetics; so finding the right sunscreen for my face was difficult! This took a lot of testing and patience.

Using free samples from beauty counters and a few store bought bottles, I have selected my favorite all-time facial sunscreens just for you!

To shop my sunscreen picks, please use the shopping widget below and click on the photo of the product you are interested in-and shop away! Hope you love my picks!

Happy shopping, stay safe in the sun, and of course, stay fabulous!

Chanel Bel-Argus nail polish is a beautiful new cobalt blue nail color from Chanel’s summer 2013 beauty collection. This deep blue nail polish offers vivid color saturation and Chanel’s signature sparkles. Love this!

There have been many shades of blue nail polish from Chanel in season’s past, but, Bel-Argus may be the most fabulous shade of blue the iconic design house has ever invented. Chanel Bel-Argus fits perfectly into summer 2013 “shades of blue” trend while also working as an alternative to the season’s hottest nail polish craze; the green-blue nail.

I tested out Chanel Bel-Argus and found it to be one of the longest lasting nail polish colors from Chanel in recent memory. Bel-Argus turned out a little bit streaky with two coats of color, so I added a third coat which made the color look perfect. With one base coat, three coats of color and no top coat, Chanel Bel-Argus lasted without chipping for a whopping nine days! The only reason I needed to take the polish off my nails was due to the fact that my nails grew and the bare nail was showing at the cuticle. Love that!

Chanel Bel-Argue also blends well with all of summer 2013’s bright and neon hues. While pastels seem to be staying in spring and not traveling too far into summer, Chanel Bel-Argus will still work with pastel hues of blue and green; the cobalt offers a little contrast to the pastels without clashing.

Chanel Bel-Argus nail polish is priced at $27 and can be found online here. Happy shopping, and stay fabulous

The photo below shows Chanel Bel-Argus in direct sunlight. As you can see, there are sparkles! Love sparkles!

In the picture below, Chanel Bel-Argus is shown in the shade. You can see the pretty blue hue and natural shine from the polish.

Photos: One base coat and three coats of Chanel Bel-Argus. No top coat.

Photo credit: Cathy/Bay Area Fashionista 2013©

One of the tricky things about getting dressed when living in San Francisco is being prepared for the fog. When a San Francisco Fashionista wakes up in the morning and gets dressed for the day, s/he must anticipate the fog rolling in and/or out from the bay. The fashion world blessed San Franciscans in 1999 when the Pashmina was the “IT” accessory to own. This fabulous, large wool scarf easily tucked into a handbag and could be pulled out at a moment’s notice to cover one’s shoulders in the event the fog rolled in; and you can always count on the fog rolling in from the bay!

Alas, the Pashmina is no longer hip, it has been relegated to a “meh-it’s OK” cover up for formal events; if even that. While San Franciscans find their Pashmina’s taking up valuable real estate in their dresser drawers, another trend from earlier in the 1990’s is showing promise; the denim  shirt.

Ah yes, the denim shirt. This fabulous article of clothing was HOT from about 1992 through to 1996. The denim shirt served so many purposes for Fashionistas in San Francisco, around the Bay Area, and across the globe. It served as a cover up when the fog rolled in plus it added a little bit of preppy grunge to a casual ensemble. Some women even found it was a great way to cover up one’s derrière when a pair of jeans just did not seem to fit the same as they did last year Hmmm.

Fashionista’s in San Francisco, the Bay Area, and around the globe are cheering! Do you know why they are cheering? This fabulous casual fashion trend is back! That’s right! The denim shirt is the hottest article of clothing for summer 2013. Now that is music to anyone’s ears that needs a solution to the fog!

Hopefully fashion-savvy savers have stocked away their favorite denim shirt from the 1990’s and can pull it out of the box for summer 2013. If not, do not worry! There are many fabulous denim shirts, or chambray shirts, on the market right now which will make the perfect cover up when the fog rolls in off the bay. Love that!

I found a few fabulous denim and chambray shirts around the web and assembled them into this shopping widget below. Hope you love them! Happy shopping, and stay fabulous