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#ThrowbackThursday: Beauty Trip to Poland

As summer nears and the weather gets warmer it’s hard not to fantasize about getting out of town and planning new travel destinations and spending some quality time with the wonderful friends in my life. Unfortunately, My schedule has been so crazy recently, I haven’t had a second to plan anything —  I’ve been fantasizing about going somewhere tropical (maybe St. Thomas, Costa Rica, or South America). Although my true desire is to do a month in Europe; spend time in Paris, visit Berlin and make it to Greece and Maldives. (If I keep running with this fantasy, I may never return.)

Danielle, Rachel, me and Felicia!
Danielle, Rachel, me and Felicia!

A lot of this need to explore dates back to last summer, when I was invited an a impromptu press trip to Poland with some of my best blogger/beauty friends, Rachel from Birchbox, Felicia from This, That, Beauty, and Danielle, The Style and Beauty Doctor. This was our first trip together and it could not have been a better time! Nothing but beautful weather, great conversation and endless exploration! We were invited to attend the inaugural Polska Cosmetics conference and Beauty Forum Expo and to learn more about the Polish beauty industry, and what we got was so much more. Shopping trips, dance clubs, museum visits, walking tours from downtown to old town and between.

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Vacation Flawlessly With Travel Beauty Tips From Elizabeth Arden

Elizabeth Arden Logo

As a girl constantly on the go I am always looking for ways to make my bag a little lighter and more efficient while still having all the essentials I need on hand.  Basically if it doesn’t fit in my carry-on-bag it isn’t coming.  Having recently stopped by the Blog Meets Brand! event, I had the pleasure of meeting with the Elizabeth Arden team and learning some travel beauty tips from their Global Makeup Artist, Rebecca Restrepo.

Elizabeth Arden

Whether you will be away for a few days or weeks the Ceramide Capsules Daily Youth Restoring Serum let you can bring just enough capsules for however long your away.  They are compact and individually packed to ensure fresh product every time you apply.  Ceramides comprise of 50% of the essential lipids found in the skin and are essential in maintaining defense against sign of aging.  Rebecca Restrepo’s tip: apply mid-flight for extra hydration and also can be used as a makeup primer.

Elizabeth Arden Beautiful Color Luminous Lip Gloss, Ceramide Capsules Daily Youth Restoring Serum, Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectan
Beautiful Color Luminous Lip Gloss, Ceramide Capsules Daily Youth Restoring Serum, Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectan

Since skin can get really dehydrated when flying another must have in the bag: The legendary Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream (created by Ms. Arden herself in 1930 and has yet to be changed)  Rebecca Restrepo’s tip: apply to lips and use on hands and elbows throughout the flight.  Warm up the product in the palms of your hands before applying to the skin to help activate

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Vivienne Westwood to Redesign Virgin Atlantic Iconic Red Uniform!

John Rocha Design. Vivienne's Virgin Sketch. Original Uniform
John Rocha Iconic Design. Vivienne’s Virgin Atlantic Original Design Sketch. Original Uniform

I can not think of a better designer to bring the glam back into flying then Vivienne Westwood.   The collaboration between the two British brands will be long term as Virgin Atlantic plans to redesign uniforms across all areas in the flight crew in 2014.  I am also delighted to learn

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#BUCKETLIST: Visit Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Whether you’re planning your next vacation or driving cross-country and find yourself near Arizona, the Grand Canyon is not to be missed. As one of the natural wonders of the world, this massive gorge houses some of the most exceptional views and colored landscapes.

It doesn’t matter the time of year ­– the Grand Canyon offers something for every season; from the celebration of Native American Heritage Days on the North Rim in August, to the Grand Canyon Music Festival on the South Rim in September (as well as activities throughout the holidays including Halloween and Christmas).

Rich in history, wildlife, and packed with loads of incredible activities and adventures, the Grand Canyon offers a truly unparalleled trip of a lifetime. If you’ve considered a visit, check out our guide to the Grand Canyon:

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Gift Guide: Gifts that keep on giving…

Long be the days when a subscription implies you’re getting a magazine (although that’s still a great gift in my book). Now there’s a everything from a bacon of the month club to cheese to wine, coffee, beauty products… here are some of our favorites!


1. Craft Coffee ($19.99 – $29.99/mo) – Subscription based artisan coffee delivered fresh to your doorstep. We’re talking 12 oz of great coffee to sample every month from 3 different roasters. Each bag is nicely labeled with variety, origin, production, roasting and tasting notes. craftcoffee.com

2. Zagat Wine Club ($139.99/12 bottles) – Imagine… A case of 12 carefully selected wines sent to you every three months. That means that at minimum, you have at least one bottle on hand every week! Plus they’re so confident in their experts that there’s a 100% money-back guarantee if a wine ever fails to meet your expectations. zagatwine.com

3. Birchbox Men’s  ($20/mo) –  Most women know Birchbox as a great way to sample new beauty, skincare and hair products from brand favorite like NARS, Stila, Smashbox, Benefit… on the cheap ($10/mo). Now, men can get in on the same great product curation every month spanning grooming and lifestyle products. birchbox.com

4. GLOSSYBOX ($21/month) – Founded in Berlin, GLOSSYBOX is similar to Birchbox in concept, however while Birchbox is strong in bringing in new products from brands you know, love, and have likely purchased from your local Sephora; Glossybox is great for learning about new international products and brands you may have never heard of or tried before. Plus the wrapping is divine. It truly feels like you’re getting a present every month. Check out their holiday gifting specials: glossybox.com/gifts

 

Gift Guide: Men’s Getaway

121612_mens_giftguide_travel

1. Everlane Weekender Bag ($95) –  Canvas and waterproofed, this bag is just the right size to skip out of town on a moment’s notice. Thoughtful design paired with top notch materials and craftsmanship makes for a comfortable and rugged bag.

2. Leatherman Supertool 300  ($95) –  Remember long ago when Swiss Army Knives were the only real option for an ‘all in one’ portable toolset? American inginuity changed that forever when this Portland, Oregon company started innovating

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Inside NYC’s Explorers Club

Some of you saw my recent post for the launch of the Lindbergh Card which was hosted at the Explorers Club. Well I just thought the location was so coole (and historic), that I to share some pictures from the inside of the club — especially since it’s not open to the general public.

Even before walking into the historic building I could tell it was going to be an experience — the outside looked like something straight out of Hogwarts. Founded in 1904 in NYC, The Explorers Club promotes the scientific exploration of land, sea, air, and space by supporting research and education in the physical, natural and biological sciences. The Club’s members have been responsible a

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The Sites of Warsaw: From Old Town to Downtown

The walk from the Old Town in Warsaw to the Downtown area is about 2 miles and in between the two destinations the streets are full of historic sites, restaurants, shops and popular tourist destinations. The entire time I was there I felt completely safe walking the streets alone (or with my lovely fellow bloggers) and was overwhelmed by how hip this town is! I’m not usually one for “tourist” areas but in the case of Warsaw, I loved every minute.

On the walk you’ll see…

{The mermaid — which legend has it is Warsaw’s protector, in the center of Old Town Square}

{Old Town Square Market}

{Castle Square in Old Town}

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PC Goes to Warsaw! A View of the Polish Cosmetics Industry

From the moment I stepped back into NYC last week the #1 question I’ve been asked is What we’re you doing in Poland?? Well besides instagraming and tweeting up a storm… (Thanks for noticing); HBA Global invited a handful of bloggers and buyers – I’m talking Felicia from This That Beauty, Danielle from The Style and Beauty Doctor, Heather from Beauty Unbiased, Alice of Miss Alice An, Rachel from Birchbox and me! — to attend the inaugural Polska Cosmetics conference and Beauty Forum Expo to learn more about the beauty industry in Poland.

{Team Poland: Danielle, Rachel, me and Felicia at dinner!}

I’ll be honest, prior to landing in Warsaw my knowledge of their industry was limited to – isn’t that where Inglot is from? Yes, it is! However after spending almost a week in that beautiful city, I learned so much!

For starters… how are these for some fun facts?

  • Helena Rubenstein was the first manufacturer to offer a sun-protecting cream and who popularized mascara and color face powders, was born and set up her first cosmetics company in Cracow, Poland.
  • Max Factor, also born in Poland… His real name, Maksymilian Fakorowicz.
  • The very 1st alcohol based perfume in history, “The Queen of Hungary’s Water” was created in the 14th Century thanks to it’s Polish namesake, Elizabeth, Queen of Hungary.
  • During the economic transformation post 1989, foreign companies such as Avon, Proctor & Gamble, and Colgate Palmolive invested in new factories in Poland.
  • Poland and Lithuania are the only countries in Europe where cosmetology is taught at a university level.
  • Poland is the 6th largest cosmetics producer in Europe.

Considering Poland is located in the center of Europe and is a member of the European Union coupled with their world-class research and development facilities, low employment costs, and high experience and flexibility within the industry opens them up to a world of possibilities (literally). And that hasn’t gone unnoticed.

In a 3 year effort to expose and grow the cosmetic and beauty industry, the European Union and Polish Ministry of Economy have co-financed The Promotion Programme; which will support the

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Interview with Mr. Jetsetter (Read this before booking your next flight!)

David Fleming is a former TV reporter turned travel expert who runs mrjetsetter.com. He offers advice on the best ways to use frequent flyer miles to travel the world in style.  His motto: “Why spend $15,000 on a first class ticket when you can get the same seat using miles?” With all the different travel sites and frequent flyer programs, we took some time with Mr. Jetsetter so get some insite on the best way to travel.

What are the best days/time to book or fly?

When you’re talking about booking a paid fare (not an award ticket using miles) it’s long been said better fares can be found on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, returning the same days.  But I’ve found prices can actually fluctuate any day of the week. In this highly competitive travel industry where people can search for flights by hopping on the internet (as opposed to calling airlines one by one,) the best days to look for flights are everyday.  Keep your options open.

Does which browser you use when booking really make a difference?

I sure hope not! But I did recently read a report in the Wall Street Journal that said Mac users in certain cases spent 30% more for hotels booked on Orbitz, than PC users.  Orbitz says it’s not true!

Which airline has the best miles program? Or can you give us a rank of best to worst?

This is a question I get a lot. It really depends on where you want to go.  For travel in America and to/from Europe, I like United’s frequent flyer program.  It’s very easy to re-deem your United miles for flights on United or it’s partner airlines like Lufthansa (great for Europe) and Singapore Airlines (fantastic for Asia.) The worst miles program in my humble opinion is Delta’s. It is very difficult to find low-mile reward seats using Delta points.  However, you can sometimes find great values using Delta’s program for flights on Air France, between American and Europe.  British Airways’ Avios program is fantastic

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