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A Cruelty Free Make Over
Alternative cosmetics have recently pegged a finger on the pulse of beauty culture. Take Urban Decay, for instance; the trend-setting cosmetics company famous for color names inspired by the sordid realities of urbania (Roach, Smog, Rust, Oil Slick and Acid Rain) has flouted the puke-perfect priss of conventional makeup lines for years. Then there's Real Cosmetics, the pioneering company launched by Lubna Khalid that addresses the absence of products catering to ethnic skin... More
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Fodder for your Inner Child
Ever pine for the novelty stores of your childhood, those quaint little get-ups that could be found on every street corner and painted a proverbial picture of Americana and its essentials? I can see it now: glass jars dotted with gum drops, marble-top counters sporting multi-colored pens, fire engine red stools made for lazy lounging and imbibing ice cream sodas. Getting nostalgic yet? Um, probably not, unless you grew up in the 1950s. All the same, avatars of the five and dime stores of yore, despite exponentially inflated prices, are popping up everywhere... More
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Fashion Street Cred
Equipped with a swaggering sensibility that's patently San Franciscan, Future Primitive Sound Headquarters offers much more than just a trendy cadre of customized clothing. More
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Exciting Pre-Vacation Destinations
Summer always sparks the wanderlust in me. I don't know if it's the constant stream of tourists with dazed faces I see all day wheeling their luggage past the cable car turnaround or my need to escape the summer fog that inspires me to pack my own bag and head out on my next adventure. Though I live in one of the top tourist destinations in the world, even I need to go and see what the rest of the planet has to offer. My favorite part of preparing for my journey is checking out new carryalls and contraptions at the luggage stores, making travel shopping a destination in itself. More
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Provisions of Brazil
I couldn't seem to set foot in a boutique last weekend without hearing the pulsing beat of Brazilian electronica. It's no surprise, though. It seems with the growing population of Brazilians in the Bay Area, follows an increasing local fascination with all things Brazilian. And though I know some people only associate Brazil with the Amazon rainforest, Carnival and thong bikinis, it's a huge country with a lot to offer. More
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Shopping For The Gift That Gives Twice
A couple weeks ago, as I walked down Castro Street, my eye was drawn to two skateboards in a shop window, one blue and one green, both with a simple white Hawaiian floral pattern. I stopped and scanned the front window display of a modern home wares and gifts store. I was hooked. I’ve been getting my hair cut at a salon near this store, Under One Roof on Castro Street near 18th Street, for the past year, but somehow I had passed by without ever noticing it before. I’m not sure how that is possible, but it’s true. A place like this should not be ignored. More
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Fashion That’s Frankly Appealing
You’d have to admit that San Francisco isn’t the fashion capital of the United States, but San Franciscans have their own great style and there are loads of local designers here currently creating unique clothes and accessories. Unfortunately, it’s unlikely you have the time to track down all of them down in the city’s boutiques. Other than discovering these treasures in local shops, you have to rely heavily on annual holiday sample sales to see their latest wares. But there’s a company called Appel & Frank that brings them all in one place for you. More
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I’ll take at least two, if by sea
If you walk into Art of Navigation: A Chandlery at Pier 38 near Townsend Street and are confused that you aren’t in a marine supply center, you won’t be the first person to find yourself in that state of mind. These days, a "chandlery" is known more commonly as a marine supply store, but a "chandler" has been traditionally known as one who makes candles, which is what they do there. More
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A Collector’s Trifecta
A good neighborhood shop should add complimentary color to a community. Customers should know that they can rely on the shop owners to carry the stock they need, plus bring them something new to surprise them. Bringing a new bold hue to Noe Valley, even on the foggiest of San Francisco days, is Neon Monster on Castro at 22nd, a collector’s haven for comic, record and toy enthusiasts. More
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Making Science Fun For Kids
New shops and restaurants have been popping up on the 22nd Street corridor in the Mission district between Dolores and Mission over the last year. But until now, there hasn’t been much for kids. That was, until the new toy store Kid Tech moved into the neighborhood a few months ago on 22nd between Dolores and Valencia Streets. More
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