Brighten Up: Spring Is Definitely In Bloom at Downtown Santa Monica

Can you feel it? Spring is in the air, the weather is getting warmer, the days are getting longer and it’s time to shed those heavy winter layers and dark colors and brighten up our mood and our looks for Spring. I can’t think of a better outdoor SoCal destination then Downtown Santa Monica (DTSM) to take advantage of this season of lightness and renewal. I don’t take for granted how lucky we are to have this fab outdoor lifestyle destination so close by, where we can soak up all the beautiful bright colors of the season, smell the aromas of the flowers in bloom and the refreshing ocean nearby, dine outside and shop for the newest styles of the Spring season. For these reasons, I was absolutely delighted to once again partner with DTSM and curate another fabulous seasonal itinerary (like I did this past holiday season) that showcases some of the best Spring offerings just waiting to be discovered at this urban treasure.

It will come as no surprise that the first stop of the day for this beauty junkie was at Salon Tru at 614 Santa Monica Blvd to freshen and brighten up my hair color for Spring. Salon Tru is my kind of place – modern, well-appointed, comfy, neighbor-hoody, down-to-earth/not pretentious and populated with some of the most talented hairstylists in LA. I felt instantly at home when I walked thru the door of Salon Tru and even better when I met my fab stylist, Kristine Miyasato.

Kristine is super sweet, amazingly talented and confident, not to mention that she is in high demand for her exquisite Balayage hair painting technique. After Kristine carefully analyzed my hair, we decided to stick with red tones but she wanted to make all of the red shades melt/blend seamlessly together. She used a combo of Balayage and Baby Lights (fine highlights with precise placement) to create this fresh and polished finished look that is lighter on ends and darker at the roots – amazing!

I absolutely loved my experience at Salon Tru and I whole-heartedly recommend giving them a call and asking for Kristine if you are bored with your hair and want to freshen it for Spring. You won’t be disappointed!

Now that my hair was looking gorgeous, vibrant and ready for Spring, it was time to get my skin on the same track, so I stopped by L’OCCITANE en Provence at 1239 Third Street Promenade for some pampering and to get some product recommendations to help me transition my skin from Winter to Spring.

I spent an indulgent hour in the Third Street Promenade L’OCCITANE store being pampered and educated by a super passionate sales associate named Kristina. Once I told Kristina that my focus was on skincare products to help transition my skin to Spring, she got busy pulling products from the shelves to demo on me at the store’s lovely back bar. While Kristina enthusiastically showed me many wonderful L’OCCITANE face and body care products during my visit, it seemed that the Almond Body Care products were the answer to my parched winter skin blues.

First we cleansed with the Almond Shower Oil which is silky, yummy and hydrating; the we sloughed off my dry skin with the Delicious Paste made with ground almond shells and sugar, it was like rubbing an exfoliating sugar cookie all over your body, totally divine!; Next, we applied the Milk Concentrate which had a fab instantly absorbing texture that immediately made my skin softer and smoother; and the icing on the cake was the Supple Skin Oil, packed with omegas, super hydrated and healing. Needless to say, this nourishing combo of products transformed my dry winter skin in less than and hour, so I can only imagine what it will look like if I use them throughout Spring.

Now that my beauty needs were satiated for the moment, it was time to shop for Spring fashions and accessories. My only focus during this adventure was to look for fashions and accessories that scream Spring, and whatever stores, displays, or items caught my eye would then shape the direction of this post. First, I had some fun trying on sunglasses at Sunglass Hut and Solstice and taking selfies

Then I headed into one of my fav fashion boutiques Nasty Gal. I adore Nasty Gal because it is owned by a fabulous ‘Girl Boss’ 😉 and the store always has a fun and fabulous selection of statement making, on trend fashions and accessories at affordable prices. On this particular visit, there was a show stopping pair of pumpkin orange colored suede platform wedges that were calling my name. What do you think, pretty fab right? Not only are they Spring and festival worthy, but they are also such a gorgeous hue that could easily work in both Spring and Fall = LOVE!

Now that I had the shoes, they set the warm tone and color palate for the rest of my shopping journey. DTSM was not lacking in options to pair with these shoes, but when I stumbled upon this warm copper leather fringe clutch at Sole Society (395 Santa Monica Place), the boho chic vibe was beginning to come together nicely

The final icing on the cake to truly capture the essence of Spring and compliment this boho chic vibe was this fab pair of vintage style ‘oh-so-spring’ floral statement earrings that I made a bee line for J. Crew at 1222 Third Street Promenade. These flower motif earrings are big and bold and pair beautifully with the clutch and shoes

So after curating a fabulous selection Spring accessories at several of the retailers in DTSM, I styled two different looks to show how gorgeous and versatile these pieces can be. First, my boho chic ensemble

And then my Ladies Who Lunch strapless maxi dress outfit. I just love this rust/copper color palate that I maximized in both my new hair color and fab new accessories. It really is the perfect hue to take me from winter to Spring

If you are ready to brighten your look for Spring, DTSM is the place to do it! This urban destination is packed with a diverse assortment of stores and brands that are showcasing the best of what the season has to offer. But what really makes it special is the gorgeous outdoor setting located just blocks from the beach. Now that Spring is in bloom, I hope you’ll take my lead and head to DTSM in order take advantage of all the bright fun colors and blooming offerings of the season.

Disclosure: I partnered with DTSM to curate this Spring Fashion and Beauty post, however all opinions, and spring inspirations are my own