AÄ“sop in Santana Row!

AÄ“sop one of those brands that you only hear from, by word-of-mouth. They do not advertise, nor do they have sales. But it’s still one of my most sought after skincare brands. I scoped out 1 of 4 of their San Francisco signature spaces last year (see my blog post here about it) and I’ve been frequently visiting ever since.

Aesop-Santana-RowLucky for us Silicon Valley residents, we now have our own signature store right in the heart of Santana Row, tucked in between Gucci, and Tesla. Since every.single.store is architecturally designed completely different that one another, I wanted to have an oggle at the store with my own eyes. So I took Alfie yesterday morning just two weeks after they opened up shop.

Aesop-skincareSleek and amber packaging fills the space.

AesopI’m drawn to their apothecary-style, and simple design for packaging. Can my house look like this?

Santana-Row-AesopWhile I didn’t pick anything up during this particular visit, I’ll definitely be back to buy one of my favourite hand creams from them. In addition to skincare, AÄ“sop also has hair care, soaps and fragrance products. Have you ever used their products before?

Dennis Paphitis an ex-hairdresser is the creator behind AÄ“sop which launched in Australia, in 1987. AÄ“sop doesn’t call themselves a natural brand. They celebrate science and understand that they need a blend of well-chosen man-made ingredients with exceptional botanical ingredients to make remarkable products. I admire that they don’t look at what other companies are doing, nor are they influenced by trends. AÄ“sop doesn’t speak about anti-aging — they talk about health.

AÄ“sop | Santana Row
333 Santana Row, San Jose, CA 95128
T 408 320 1866
W | Twitter | Instagram

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Prepping the home for the warmer months

Decorating and getting ready for Fall/Winter is kind of a love/hate for me. For one, Fall is the time of year I really love to layer my clothes and bundle up in cozy knits and tons of texture. I hate wearing shorts or dresses in the summer — I’ve never been one to wear summer clothes. But on the other hand, I’m constantly cold. Right now it’s 11°C/52°F outside and I have on my Newfoundland knitted socks, jeans, a long sleeved top and a zip-up hoody. My hands and feet are still cold. I’m in California here folks, what the heck.

drinking mugI’m drinkin’ up all my tetley tea (having one at this very moment, see above? I just took that picture a few moments ago) and getting ready to write out a meal-plan for the next few days which will most definitely include some hearty warm meals.

So I’m guaranteed I have a buttload of blankets and throws laying around — I should probably stop purchasing so many, but they come in handy! I’ve even been known to add another blanket on top of me in the bed while my husband is just there wrapped in a sheet, feeling overheated.

But all those blankets needed a home. I couldn’t keep piling them in neat folded stacks on the edges of the couch, because the long couch we have was starting to turn into a one-seater. Silly.

Overstock basketsI teamed up with O.co and received a set of 3 well-designed and sturdy rope baskets. In the largest one I keep all the cozy blankets for easy access. You might’ve seen the other two smaller baskets that fit inside on my Instagram feed as some flatlay backdrops here. I always love the look of stylish homes in magazines where they have their living room set up and off to the side of the couch their blankets are draped over this stylish basket. I feel like I’m going to have these baskets for years, it’s incredible how heavy and luxe they feel. I mean, it’d make for a generous housewarming present for a friend, plus Christmas is coming too if you want to put it on your own wishlist.

Alfie in BasketAlfie loves them too.

Overstock rope basketsThat’s how I go about prepping the home for the warmer months, getting out all the fall cushions, the warm fuzzy blankets to curl up in, and making the house look that much more welcoming.

Buy| O.co Cotton Rope Baskets $89.99

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Bobbi Brown | Original 10 Lipsticks (swatches!)

Bobbi-HeaderBobbi Brown celebrates her 25th anniversary lip collection, the original 10. All of them being completely easy to wear and in a creamy-matte finish. Each one complements any skin tone, and from 1 to 10, the shades range from a pale salmon colour to a classic red.

BobbiBrown-Original10The Original 10 travel-sized are limited edition in this beautiful case, and once you open up the magnetic closure box, there’s a gorgeous burgundy red velvet inside (see towards the end of the post), with Bobbi Brown in gold lettering. It’s a stunner. It’s hard to pick a favourite because most of the shades are something I would easily wear every.single.day. I love all the neutral easy to wear shades. No wonder this got Bobbi Brown noticed back in 1991.

Let’s see what the look like on.

Bobbi-Brown-SalmonBobbi Brown Salmon| A peach colour for those who love a pale lip.

Bobbi-Brown-BeigeBobbi Brown Beige| Soft for the woman who likes a muted lip. Use also to blend and tone down lip colour that’s too intense.

Bobbi-Brown-RaisinBobbi Brown Raisin| A great evening colour if you usually go for a nude lip. This is also gorgeous as a neutral on dark skin tones.

Bobbi-Brown-BrownBobbi Brown Brown| An excellent pinky nude shade.

Bobbi-Brown-RoseBobbi Brown Rose| This one brightens up all skin tones without looking over done.

Bobbi-Brown-PinkBobbi Brown Pink| The perfect shade of pink that’s the right kind of bright.

Bobbi-Brown-OrangeBobbi Brown Orange| A truly wearable, toned-down orange that packs a punch.

Bobbi-Brown-BlackberryBobbi Brown Blackberry| Try using this shade to deepen any lipstick for evening.

Bobbi-Brown-Burnt-RedBobbi Brown Burnt Red| The perfect brown-red.

Bobbi-Brown-RedBobbi Brown Red| A classic red that adds elegance to any look.

Bobbi-Brown-lips-closed

Bobbi-Brown-lips-cap

It’s no surprise to hear that the lip colours (the original 10) are her bestsellers that started it all. Bobbi’s creamy, semi-matte lip colour was the first formula to launch (and sold out instantly). Each colour feels exactly the same on the lips, they’re so comfortable and easy to glide on without a drag – instantly making you look polished. Which one is your favourite colour that I tried on? Or which one would you pick?

B U Y|
Bobbi Brown Original 10 (limited edition) mini lipsticks ($115 USD | $194 value).

 

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