Travel Tuesday Links

Dr. Beach named his Top 10 Beaches 2011. Start planning your trip now! (Dr. Beach)

Ashton Kutcher is an investor in a new travel website, AirBnB (L.A. Times)

Not sure how to pack for a cruise? The ladies at FabSugar offer advice. (FabSugar)

Another top 10 list? It must be summer. Travel + Leisure shares the best cities for summer travel (Travel + Leisure)

Endless Summer with Fekkai

It was somewhere in the middle of last week that I went to sleep on a gray rainy night and woke up the next day to find it was full-fledged summer! When the seasons change so quickly, it can be hard to figure out what to wear and how to style your hair. You suddenly have to remember all those styling tricks from last August.  

Here are three cute hairstyles I'll be trying this summer from Fekkai--inspired by the 50s, 60s and 70s.Saks.com asked a couple of bloggers to model the looks created by Farbice Gili, Creative Director of Frederic Fekkai. I was so excited to join Kaitlyn from BeautyBlitz and Amber from BeautyBloggingJunkie on the shoot. I was the model for the 1970s—the photo at the top was our inspiration! I love that the hairstyle is so easy to create and done without being fussy. Check out the Sak's POV blog for instructions on how to create the look and the styles from the 50s and 60s.

My favorite trick I learned from Gili is to mist on Fekkai Beach Waves, a salt spray, like a hair spray. Meaning apply it from far away all over the hair so it creates soft beach waves—you don't need to scrunch it in, which is what I always used to do.

Check out this video for a behind-the-scenes look at our shoot:

Review and Giveaway: Wella Professional Care and Styling

Wella Professional's new line of care and styling products make choosing the best products for your hair simple and easy. I had the chance to spend an afternoon with James Cornwell, Celebrity Stylist and Fashion Director at PR at Partners in D.C. who took my hair from flat to fab with Wella's new products and color treatment.

Wella Professional Care
The shampoos and conditioners come in four categories: Brilliance, designed for color treated hair; Enrich, designed for dry and damaged hair; Balance for scalp care, and Age Restore for mature hair. (Note: Age Restore is perfect for those with long locks. The ends of your hair are much older than the roots!)  I used the Brilliance shampoo and the Enrich conditioning mask. First, the shampoo has the best scent bar none of any shampoo I've tested in years. It left my bathroom, heck the whole upstairs of the house smelling divine. More importantly, my hair was shiny and clean and not stripped or dry afterwards. The Enrich hair mask is thick and creamy. On sunny days, I leave this in my ends and twist my hair in a bun for a super conditioning treatment. The Wella hair care products are available in salons and are super reasonably priced for salon-quality (under $20 for a large bottle).

Wella Professional Styling
Since I'm concerned about damage from hair dryers and flat irons, I asked to try a protection spray. The Thermal Heat Protection Spray is the first thing I put on my hair after the shower. Not only does it make for an easy comb out, it protects my hair from heat styling. With summer fast approaching I also wanted to address frizz, so I'm using the Mirror Polish, which is a shine spray that holds down my crazy frizz too. Both are a good fit for summer, and make summer styling a cinch. James recommends the Thermal Heat Protection Spray first, then a rough dry, followed by the Mirror Polish and a round brush finish.

James used the revamped Koleston Perfect permanent color and the ammonia-free Demi-Permanent for my low lights. Both have worn well over the last month and I've only recently started to see the Demi color fade. I was especially impressed with shine and richness in my color. For those redheads out there: Koleston's reds last 15% longer than before.

We have a week's worth of Wella shampoos and conditioners to giveaway. If you'd like to try Wella, leave us a comment below and send your address to jsggiveaway@gmail.com. We'll pick two winners this week.

This review was based on a complimentary service.

On Our Radar: Waikiki Edition Surf and Bikini Boot Camp

Sun, surf, yoga and spa-ing combined with more hedonistic delights like shopping and clubbing. Sound like  a dream trip. All are combined at the Waikiki Edition Surf and Bikini Boot Camp. The Waikiki Edition Hotel, on the island of Oahu, is one of the first hotels from Ian Schrager's partnership with Marriot, so you know you can count on gorgeous decor, a sophisticated, yet fun clientele and delicious food—in this case courtesy of Morimoto.

During the Boot Camp, you'll have daily surf and yoga lessons, as well as opportunities to hike and kayak. Healthy meals are provided during the camp by Executive Chef Kaleo Adams. If you're still standing come nightfall, you can check out the hotel's Crazybox club.

The dates for the upcoming camps are June 21-25; August 17-21; October 16-20; December 18-22. Visit EditionHotels.com for more info.

Web Snob May 27th, 2011

If you've managed to hold out this long without a good, basic, classical tote, listen carefully: Bag Snob says you need a tote and this YSL is a surefire staple!

Nothing exudes bombshell appeal, takes a face from au natural to done, or says "grown-up and ladylike" like the impeccable red lip - find your perfect red at Beauty Snob.

Coquette loves the look of lace for summer parties and BBQs!

Fashion Pulse Daily is crushing on a pair of vegan cork wedge flip-flops by Sanuk.

The Jet Set Girls reveal two new summer gift sets from Nars.

KRISTOPHER DUKES is wearing Muji shawl collar, wrap cardigan .

Second City Style compiled A Shoe Wish List...If Money Were No Object. A girl can dream can’t she?

Shopping and Info loves this 3.1 Phillip Lim halter dress for summer.

Who says slimming can't be sexy? StyleBakery found 16 chic and slimming swimsuits to wear this summer.

StyleHive pairs with Universal Music Group to bring you this AMAZING Lady Gaga GIVEAWAY!

SFO's Gourmet Offerings

There's more reason to love San Francisco's redesigned Terminal Two, new home of American Airlines and Virgin America: the tasty fare you can grab for your flight. SFO searched out local producers and focused on healthy and sustainable food choices. You can't go wrong whether you stop by Napa Farms Market and pick up a wedge of triple-creme cheese from Cowgirl Creamery (our favorite!) or a fancy sandwich from The Plant Café Organic. There's also a wine bar and two cafés by celeb chefs Tyler Florence and Cat Cora. Don't forget to stop by the hydration station to fill up your water bottle:

If you're not rushing to the gate (that's about half of you, right?), look up and enjoy the art. Here's Topograph from Kendall Buster of Richmond, Va. in the entrance lobby.

Review: Sheer Cover Duo Concealer

Anyone who travels a lot know that a good concealer is a must. It covers up dark circles when you're tired and hides those pimples that inevitably seem to crop up when you're on the road. But since you need a different hue for under your eyes and a breakout on your cheek, it's a challenge to bring only one concealer for both areas. That's why the new Sheer Cover Duo Concealer is a must-have for our carry on bag. It's two colors in one compact that you blend together to get the perfect color for you. The concealer is creamy, so it goes on easy, but it doesn't budge--even on a hot day by the pool. Try it!

Sheer Cover Duo Concealer is available by calling 877-489-2035.

Makeover on Madison at the Carlton Hotel

One of our NYC faves, the Carlton Hotel, is offering a Makeover on Madison package this summer. Included is:

• 2 Nights in a Superior Room
• Professional in-room make-up application and personal makeover by a professional make-up artist from Parson's School of Design; the Parson's make-up artists celebrity credits include grooming services for Nicole Kidman and Melanie Griffith
• Bottle of Champagne
• Spa Gift Basket

The package starts at $379.99 per person excluding taxes and gratuity. Makeover on Madison is available through Labor Day. Visit CarltonHotelNY.com for more info.

Dare to Be Spontaneous Katy Perry Getaway Sweepstakes

How spontaneous are you? Enough to grab three friends, pack your bags and head on vacation to an udisclosed location where you'll get to check out Katy Perry in concert? Schick® Quattro for Women® razors, the official partner of the Katy Perry California Dreams tour, recently kicked off the the Dare to be Spontaneous sweepstakes on the Schick Quattro for Women Facebook page.

The winner gets a trip for three including hotel and airfare, tickets to a Katy Perry concert and a chance to meet Katy in person!  And if you forget to pack your razor, no worries—the Schick Quattro for Women razor give you such a close shave you can skip a day or two. Enter before July 8, 2011.


We've got a giveaway of our own...
Brazilians are out and grooming is in. How can you keep up? We're giving it our bestest with the Schick Quattro TrimStyle these days. The shower safe razor has two ends to keep you neat: one is a four blade pivoting razor and the other is a battery powered trimmer with three length settings that is so dandy my hubby even uses it to tame his crazy eyebrows. The latest model has Acai Berry and jojoba in its conditioning strip.

We've got a Schick Quattro to giveaway valued at $10.99. Just leave a comment below or shoot us an email to jsggiveaway@gmail.com with your name and address. We'll pick a winner at the end of the day tomorrow (May 26th, 2011).

This review is based on a free sample.

Nars Summer Gift Sets

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Travel Tuesday Links

Pickle juice and other strange hangover cures from around the world. (Travel and Leisure)

Only 57 percent of Americans use all their vacation days. What's wrong with you people? (CNN)

Bringing your pooch along on your next trip? Read this first. (New York Times)

Vacations can be stressful. Guess the number one cause...(Budget Travel)

Lancome Juicy Tubes Yayoi Kusama Collection

Juicy Tube lovers—just when you thought your collection was complete, Lancôme partnered with Japanese visual designer Yayoi Kusama for collection of six limited-edition petite glosses. The flavors and pigments are 100% natural origin and preservative free and the packaging is eco-friendly, certified by the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council), which helps reduce the exploitation of forests.

The six new colors and flavors are: Dot Apricot, Crazy Raspberry, Happy Honey, Rose Blossom, Pop Art Hazelnut and Swing Pink.

Available at Lancome.com

Tracy Anderson's Tips for Sexy Legs

We recently had the opportunity to attend a workout with celebrity trainer Tracy Anderson, courtesy of Venus Razors. Tracy is on speed dial of certain celebrities, including Gwyneth Paltrow and Jennifer Lopez who both worked out with Tracy when they needed to lose their baby weight.

Tracy's philosophy is to target the smaller muscles that are often neglected. And we can vouch--after the 30 minute workout, we were sore in place we didn't even know we had muscles. Here's a sample:

A) Balance on a three pound weight with both hands; the non-working side elbow should be on the ground. Start with your knee bent and pulled in towards your shoulder

B) As you extend the leg behind you, lift your elbow off the floor. The finished position has both hands on head of weight balancing with leg extended behind. Repeat/switch sides

Trust us--it's harder than it looks! But even if you do master Tracy's exercises or even, no woman's leg is sexy if it's stubly. Tracy recommends the Venus ProSkin Moisture Rich Razor. "It has shave gel bars, enhanced with a triple blend of body butters, to create a layer of protection for your skin with every stroke."

Cosmo's Official Cocktail Book

Key Lime Pie martinis, anyone? We love this colorful cocktail guide from the editors at Cosmopolitan magazine: Cosmo's Official Cocktail Book: The Sexiest Drinks for Every Occasion. It's organized by mood (Ready for Some Fun? Get Your Flirt On! Fearless & Fabulous) and features colorful photos and easy-to-follow instructions for each cocktail. Plus, even though the drinks are undeniably girlie, they all actually sound drinkable and not like a hangover in a glass. Here's one our favorite recipes:

A Chocolate Martini—7 Square Restaurant, New York City
Ingredients
2 oz. vodka
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 oz. Frangelico
4 oz. chilled hot chocolate

Directions: Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice, shake, and pour into a stemmed glass. To make it even sweeter, dip the rim of the glass in honey and then in cookie crumbs.

Best and Worst Looks from the Billboard Awards

Did you tune into last night's Billboard Awards? We caught the opening number of Britney Spears and Rihanna and were blown away by the dynamic duo. Britney is definitely back! Want to see more? Our friends at DailyMakeover.com posted the Best and Worst Looks from the Billboard Awards.

Giveaway Alert: Virgin America's Perfect Summer Getaway

Virgin America is partnering with Banana Republic in the Perfect Summer Getaway giveaway. One winner gets to take three friends on a trip that includes:
• 7 nights in a luxurious Malibu home
• Airfare to Los Angeles on Virgin America
• $1,000 Banana Republic shopping card
• Convertible car rental courtesy of Avis

Each day of the contest a $200 gift card to Banana Republic and a roundtrip on Virgin America are given away. Everyone who enters gets 25% off a single item at Banana Republic. Now that's a win-win!

Enter on Facebook before June 16.

Review: LiQWd The Perfect Wave cream

At the beach or during the summer (or both), there's nothing I love more than washing my hair, rubbing in a bit of product and going. This summer, my product of choice is LiQWd The Perfect Wave cream. I love that it helps amp up my curls, like a curl cream, and adds texture like a salt spray, but without making my hair crackly and crunchy. I simply run a quarter-size dollop through my wet hair, twist into curls and let air dry.

Want to try it out for free? Log onto LiQWd's Facebook page and enter to win the entire collection of new LiQWd's products, including sulfate-free shampoo and conditioners.

Alexander Skarsgard on the Cover of GQ

Apropos of nothing, save that Alexander Skarsgard is our all-time favorite vampire, here's a little man candy for you. He's wearing Docker's SF Tapered Khakis available for $65 at Nordstrom.com and Dockers.com. If only our man looked like that in them!

Old Navy $1 Flip Flops

Head to Old Navy tomorrow for the cheapest flip flops of the season. Buy them in every color!

On Our Radar: San Diego

San Diego has been on our minds lately, probably because we endured a particularly long winter and San Diego has perfect weather. But also because the BlogHer conference will be there in August, and even though we didn’t get much out of the last one we went to, it gives us an excuse to visit San Diego.

Feeling like a visit yourself? Start in the Gaslamp Quarter where hundreds of restaurants, bars and shopping boutiques will keep you busy. We’d like to stay at the Kimpton’s Hotel Solamar. It’s just a stone’s throw from Petco Park if you want to catch a baseball game (where the boys are!). Hotel Solamar also boasts a beautiful rooftop pool, which turns to into the club LoungeSix at night (pictured above). It’s great to have a nightspot built into your hotel so the early-to-bed crew can head back to the room safely while the rest of you keep dancing.

Back in the Gaslamp Quarter, don’t miss Top Chef finalist Brian Malarkey’s new restaurant, Searsucker. Its décor is eclectic and its food imaginative like farm bird lollipops coated in Bloody Mary mix and spicy Baja shrimp with bacon grits. Drink a Peter Rabbit with Pimms #1, bruised basil, pressed lemon and pickled carrot or a Lullaby with white whiskey, St. Germain, Chamomile Bitter and rose geranium. You can’t go wrong with either!

Photo credit Richard Wood: Flickr Creative Commons

No visit to San Diego would be complete without some time at the beach, so head to Coronado beach (above) or Encinitas' Moonlight beach or, better yet, ask that cute surfer dude where he’ll be. Happy travels!

Web Snob May 20th, 2011

Immaculate on your shoulder (or slung across your body) and immaculately made, this Delvaux at Bag Snob is an investment bag worthy of the modern snob.

Beauty Snob has four eye creams that we've come to cherish and rotate on a regular basis. Here is the cream of the eye cream crop!

Inspired by one of Gwyneth Paltrow spring looks in London, Coquette finds the best knee-length denim skirts.

The Jet Set Girls review the new OPI Pirates of the Caribbean collection.

Second City Style finds chic summer swimwear that won't drain your budget.

Shopping and Info wants to knowif you would wear a denim bathing suit if it is made by D & G ?

StyleHive shows you how to add some chic to your stationary with this DIY Color-Block Notebook!

The Shoe Goddess takes a look at Aperlai’s playful Fall 2011 collection!

OPI and Pirates of the Caribbean 4

Johnny Depp is as oddly charming as ever as Jack Sparrow in his fourth Pirates on the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides opening tomorrow, May 20th. This time Penelope Cruz joins him as pirate Angelica on a search for the Fountain of Youth. We hear the filming was complicated since Penelope found out she was pregnant just a couple of weeks before starting.

OPI launched a series of polishes in conjunction with Pirates which ...“were inspired by a world filled with mythical mermaids, gleaming treasure, and high-seas adventure. With shades ranging from sage and lavender to khaki gray and pastel pink, these colors are evocative of a warm, tropical setting, with a classic nautical influence,” said Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, OPI Executive VP and Artistic Director. Our favorites are the rosy Sparrow Me The Drama and the lilac hued Planks A Lot. Also new is Silver Shatter which gives a two textured graffiti-inspired finish when worn over any dry polish. Available now at salons and retailers.

Pirates of the Caribbean Colors: Mermaid's Tears, Steady As She Rose, Planks A Lot, Sparrow Me The Drama, and Stranger Tides (missing from picture are Silver Shatter and Skull and Glossbones)

Sponsored Post: Lancome House of Color

Lancome asked 20 of the TOP fashion bloggers to create short films inspired by the new Lancome Color Design Eye Brightening All-in-One 5 Shadow and Liner Palette. Each day you can see a new video on the Style Coalition Channel. Today, mine premiered!

I was sent Sienna Sultry, a beautiful mix of pinks, beiges and browns. I love that the kit is is goofproof with clear instructions about what color to apply where. I applied it exactly as directed, using an angled brush for the all over base (top) and the lid color (far left). For the crease color (center) I used the oval sponge applicator that came with the palette. I applied the highlighter to the inner corner of my eyes (far right) with the pointed sponge brush  and I used my favorite skinny liner brush for the liner (bottom).

My inspiration for my video was the luxuriousness of nature. My short film includes shots of some of my favorite places in the world, both near and far. That's me in Fort Tyron Park—you'll find me there every morning walking my dog. I'm very lucky to live so close to somewhere so beautiful that inspires me every day!

To see all the video go to: Style Coalition Channel
Follow Lancome:
Lancome’s House of Color
Lancome Facebook
Twitter
This video series was sponsored by Lancome.

American Fashion Travel: Designers on the Go

Here's what sure to be the hottest hostess gift of the season: the new American Fashion Travel: Designers on the Go book from Assouline. The book features designers talking about their favorite vacation destinations including photos and sketches. That's Keren Craig, Marchesa designer's spread, below.

The book, co-published by the Council of Fashion Designers of America, also features vacation picks from Donna Karan, Diane Von Furstenberg and Philip Lim.

American Fashion Travel: Designers on the Go is available for pre-order at Assouline.com.

Travel Tuesday Links

Photo courtesy Craig F. Walker Denver Post file 

Looking for something other than a beach trip this summer? Check out Colorado's summer getaways from the Denver Post.

For the best of Vegas by daytime, check in with USA Today.

Do you travel regardless of State Department travel warnings? Learn about others who do the same from Seattle Times.

New rules in Cuba encourage a comeback for Cuban food in Havana. We'd love to hop over and test these out!

Hey Midwesterners, check out all the summer festivals near you from the Chicago Tribune.

Kate Spade Elephants

Judith Leiber can keep her rhinestones, we're crazy for this little wicker number by Kate Spade. The Royal Plantation Elephant Basket bag was inspired by the Jamaican resort of the same name.

Royal Plantation Ocho Rios, Jamaica

Our elephant fever led us to this necklace from Calypso St. Barth for Target Elephant pendant necklace. Do you suppose wearing both is overkill?

Beach Books 2011—Part 2

Here's Part 2 of our annual beach books list. Let us know if we missed anything!

Half Broke Horses: A True-Life Novel by Jeanette Walls
The author of the stunning Glass Castles is back, this time telling her grandmother's story. It involves such feats as marrying and leaving a bigamist, selling hooch during prohibition, becoming a rodeo rider and other tales that will nearly make you fall off your lounge chair.

The Social Climber's Handbook: A Novel Molly Jong-Fast
If you're a Jackie Collins or Plum Sykes fan, then this is the book for you. The book about an upper eastside housewife who becomes unhinged after the financial meltdown of 2008 is the must-read of the glamaratti.

Summer and the City: A Carrie Diaries Novel by Candace Bushnell
For all the die hard Sex and the City fans comes the lastest installment of the prequel to SATC when Carrie spends a summer in the city with Samantha. Carries first date is at La Grenouille, a fancy French place which makes us guess her date is a bit older. Guess she started that pattern early!

Bossypants by Tina Fey
While we don't have a new Chelsea Handler book to look forward to this summer, we do have this tome from Tina Fey. We're guessing it features less sex and more food, but is just as funny.

Missed yesterday's? Read Part 1 of Beach Books 2011.