This past weekend CRAVE, along with a small but mighty group of local bloggers, writers, and friends, took to the streets of LA for a fun filled day of shopping and discovery.  We joined forces with Chevy’s Best of Tours to create the CRAVE LA Best of Women Owned Businesses Tour and traveled to four amazing businesses soon to be featured in the upcoming CRAVE LA guidebook. After brief hellos and an introduction to the day, we hopped in to our chauffeur-driven car of choice and got on the road. The sleek and sexy collection of Chevys included a Camaro, an Equinox (our personal favorite, well, after the red hot Camaro), a Malibu, and an Avalanche, all complete with On Star concierge service to help us navigate through the crowded streets.

Our first stop was Calleen Cordero on Beverly Blvd.  This chic boutique is filled with a carefully crafted selection of the most beautiful shoes, belts, bags, and accessories you’ve ever seen. Just as much about comfort and function as it is about high fashion, Calleen is out to “prove that hand crafted luxury can be made in the U.S.A”. All of the products are handmade right here in her North Hollywood Factory by the 45 artisans she employs.

Next we traveled across town to Santa Monica where we visited STUDIO BEAUTYMIX at Fred Segal.  The ultimate stop for beauty lovers worldwide, Studio Beautymix is truly a feast for the eyes.  Long time store manager Rosie walked us through the lavish 250 lines of makeup, fragrance, bath and body products, and accessories in the store.  She shared founder Robin Coe-Hutshing’s story and showed us some of her favorite products like their signature Memoire Liquide fragrances and brand new line Soft Corp before letting everyone loose for some power shopping!

Up next was The Drybar in Brentwood.  LA’s first blowout only salon opened their doors just one day before we visited and is already buzzing with press.  While we sipped champagne, owner Allie Webb took a few minutes to share her story.  We love the selection of fun blowouts offered like the sleek, smooth Manhattan, or the messy and beachy Mai Tai.  We adore the beautiful, bright, and modern décor too and know where we’re coming the next time we need a “big night out” ‘do.

After a full day of shopping and beautifying, we headed back across town towards Silverlake for our fourth and final destination; Valerie Confections.  A perfect ending to an indulgent day, and a very timely stop for the day before Valentine’s Day! Valerie Gordon greeted us with a huge tray of scrumptious chocolate treats all handmade on site.  Our personal favorite was their signature Almond Fleur De Sel Toffee.  Need we say more?

As we said our goodbyes, each guest went home with a very generous pile of goodies from all of the stores we visited as well as a few treats from some other special CRAVE ladies and Chevy.  Thank you to all who participated on what we think was an incredible and fun day.  We loved getting to know each and every one of you and made some great memories along the way. Lastly, we want to send a very special thank you to those strong and inspiring women for sharing their stories with us. Hat’s off to you for following your dreams. We love what you have accomplished!

Want to know what the tour was really like first-hand? Check out these short video clips from some of our favorite bloggers to see what they liked best about the tour!