Fashion Friday :: Santa, Style Icon

[trip style = weekend getaway + ski]

{Editor’s Note: It’s been a busy fall at Trip Styler HQ, gallivanting to SF, LA, Palm Springs, NYC, Dallas, Aruba, Curacao and Bonaire. Now we need a rest—believe it or not, we work just as much on the road as we do at home! On December 24th we’ll be taking some time off and be back with regular posts Monday, January 9th. Merry Christmas and see you in 2012!}

Santa's got the travel thing down: he's quick and efficient, he bypasses customs and security, and he always travels in style. I'm not talking about his sleigh; I'm talking about his outfit. Red suit, white fur, black boots and a big black belt - St. Nick knows fashion. Here are a few cozy winter items inspired by you know who. Happy travels this ho-ho-holiday season!

Trip Styler Tip: Texting and iPhone-friendly gloves are it and a bit and easy to find this winter. They're especially handy for winter travel when you want to whip out your phone to take a picture in a flash. Bonus: they work with fancy cameras too - like this fashionable one I'm currently coveting!

Now what to wear? Women (clockwise from top left) Anthropologie sporadic stitchery pullover, Marc by Marc Jacobs rhiannon lace top, Rag & Bone stretch corduroys, Topshop fur pom pom knitted hat, No.6 lace-up blanket boot, Echo basic touch screen gloves

Men (clockwise from top centre) Moncler V knitted round neck jumper, Gitman Brothers Vintage christmas 1983 shirt, Penfield stapleton jacket, Wings + Horns straight fit jean, Fluevog banker soros boot

More Fashion Friday November in New York Global Style Cozy in the City Après Ski

{Fashion Friday posts are published on the last Friday of every month and written by fashion blogger Heather.}

[graphic by @heatherlovesit]

Spotlight :: A Palm Springs Holidette

[trip style = sun + weekend getaway + active & adventure]

{Editor’s Note: This month we've featured two of Palm Springs' swanky resorts for Roam+Board, as well as explored the history and mystery of the Palm Springs Pull in our four-part Spotlight series. Today is the icing on the cake: our must-eat, -sleep and -do suggestions for the savvy traveler seeking trip style = sun + (extended) weekend getaway or holidette (aka three- to four-day getaway, usually occurring over a weekend).}

Both starlets and snowbirds have been drawn to the desert for the better part of 60 years. But after its heyday, just when it looked like Palm Springs was losing its pull, something happened: retro became rad, crooners became cool and mid-century design became divine. Hot hotels popped up in tired old motor lodges, stylish restaurants took over bygone corner bistros and entire city districts devoted themselves to design or artisan rebirth.

With this shift came a younger visitor enamoured with the iconic desert lifestyle. Tacking an extra couple days onto the weekend was justified by bike riding in the morning, eating a snow cone by the pool in the afternoon, browsing boutiques at dusk and dining out at stylish restaurants in the evening.

I think Audrey Hepburn would approve, though she may swap the spiked snow cone for wine. So let's get into it. A Palm Springs holidette:

Do

• Tour the city's mid-century modern masterpieces on your own {nab a $5 Map Of Modern Palm Springs at the Visitors Centre} or in style with Robert Imber for $75/person {e-mail psmoderntours@aol.com or call 1 (760) 318-6118 to book}.
• View Warhol, Wyeth and other celebrated artists at the Palm Springs Art Museum.
• Hike the Indian Canyons {$9 adults, $7 children & students] and ask if Raven is available to be your guide {$3 extra for tours at 10am & 1pm daily}.
• Bike towards the Palm Springs Visitors Center {built in an old gas station} and then up the long and winding road to the Palm Springs Tramway...and back.
• Browse the Uptown Design District on North Palm Canyon Drive for mid-century finds and cool boutiques.

Eat

• Breakfast: Norma's in the Parker. Brunch in a high-end diner on Bertoia-inspired chairs and Saarinen-esque tables under orange, white and yellow shades and pearly globes. With a strong French-pressed coffee, a shot glass of a heavenly smoothie and a breakfast quesadilla big enough for two, you'll be satisfied until five!
• Lunch: Jake's. The perfect petite lunch spot serving brightly coloured salads and inventive sandwiches in an open-air, Paris-meets-Palm Springs courtyard. For the record, if I was a snowbird, I'd be a regular.
• Dinner: Citron in the Viceroy. Refined without stuffiness; where food, beverages and design experts have worked in tandem to create a warm desert dining experience.

Sleep

• The Viceroy: A strikingly pulled-together retreat that's fancy without being frou frou and whimsical without being overdone.
• The Parker: A Hollywood hideaway where towering palm trees guide the way through curvy trails to pools and posh pads.

Getting There Getting there is a cinch. Here's a full list of direct flights to the Palm Springs Airport {PSP} from both Canadian and US destinations. From Vancouver, there's direct and daily WestJet service. Or fly from Bellingham with Allegiant or Seattle with Alaska.

Related Content Spotlight :: The Palm Springs Pull Winter Heat Palm Springs Cool Roam+Board :: The Viceroy Roam+Board :: The Parker

[photos by @tripstyler taken while exploring PS with its CVB]

Travel Beauty :: Holiday Gift Guide

[trip style = any]

{Editor’s Note: It's been a busy fall at Trip Styler HQ, gallivanting to SF, LA, Palm Springs, NYC, Dallas, Aruba, Curacao and Bonaire. Now we need a rest---believe it or not, we work just as much on the road as we do at home! On December 24th we'll be taking some time off and be back with regular posts Monday, January 9th. Merry Christmas and see you in 2012!}

Here's a handpicked list of my favorite beauty gifts this season, all which are sure to make any beauty buff extremely happy!

{Want more travel beauty? Get your fill the third Wednesday of every month. Lauren, our travel beauty expert, is already whipping up her next concoction post!}

1/ Chantecaille Aromacologie Starter Set, $185 Bloomingdales.com This ultra-luxurious brand, founded by NYC-based French mother-daughter duo Sylvie and Olivia Chantecaille, is a favorite of beauty editors and celebrities alike. Their products not only look gorgeous, but smell amazing, feel wonderful and make your skin glow. This beautiful set comes in a pale pink faux-croc travel bag and includes anti-aging and anti-inflammatory cleanser, toner, moisturizer and serum made with natural ingredients.

2/ L'Artisan Parfumeur Amber Ball {Medium size}, $140 Beautyhabit.com This is one of the most beautiful and unique gift ideas I've come across. This gorgeous handcrafted terracotta ball is a piece of art in itself, but also holds a solid amber room fragrance that slowly releases a warm, exotic amber scent over time and is magnified by heat. Each ball is handmade in Northern France in the small town of l'Oise by a mother-daughter team of artisans---no one ball is alike. Packaged in a black box with pretty tissue, this makes a very special gift that keeps on giving!

3/ Juicy Couture Spray Pen Set, $35 Sephora.com I'm a huge fan of Juicy Couture scents and this adorable gift set would make me very happy! Perfect for travel, this set includes three popular 0.33oz Juicy Couture fragrances: Juicy Couture, Viva La Juicy {my fave} and Couture Couture. Stuff a stocking with this trio or treat yourself and take it on vacation to smell decadent and delicious!

4/ Ut Olet Vinum Wine Fragrance Diffusers, $60 Beautyhabit.com Blended with aromas of Italian wine, this set of 7 chic diffusers are handmade in Italy. Perfect for the wine connoisseur, each diffuser contains grapes found in the Piedmont area of Western Italy and has fruity notes of mandarin, vanilla, violet, rosewood, musk and sandalwood.

5/ Lancôme Juicy Tubes Dazzling Gift Set, $29.50 Nordstrom.com or Nordstrom Stores Nothing gets lips glossier, sexier and more dazzling than Juicy Tubes. This fun set of 6 sheer glosses includes shades for all occasions, from glamorous hot pink for holiday parties to everyday neutral beige.

PS - Want more travel beauty gift ideas? Check out last year's holiday beauty gift guide as well as this year's Cool Christmas Finds for Travelers!

More Travel Beauty Special Baby Edition Pink Ribbon Beauty On-The-Go Teeth Cleaning St. Tropez’ Celebrity Tanning Expert’s Self-Tanning Secrets  Pre-Trip Primping

[product photos sourced online]

Tech Tuesday :: White Noise

[trip style = any] At this time of year the perfect quietness of snow covering evergreen treetops in an open country field is something that should be packaged and sold under the tree. If only. No doubt it would the gift of the year.

Now there's a way to live part of this dream in the midst of holiday madness---and the rest of life---that's recommended by the NY Times, Washington Post, Health Magazine and the iTunes staff. The White Noise App offers solace from life and travel challenges with soundscapes ranging from 'beach waves crashing' and 'tropical rain pouring' to 'oscillating fan.'

Whether you're holiday shopping and need to 'take a moment,' on a full plane with loud talkers or your urban hotel is beside a busy street, zen out and tune into your happy place: a warm beach with swaying palms, getting a massage at the spa or first tracks at Whistler.

Though "snow falling on a quiet country field" is not one of the soundscapes, you can create it yourself by mixing ambient sounds together through the app, or better yet, find a quiet country feild with snow falling and record the sound yourself!

Details - White Noise Lite {10 soundscapes} is free, White Noise {40 soundscapes} is $1.99 - Works with iPhone, iPad, Android, Blackberry, Mac App Store

More Tech Tuesday Dashboard To Wall Travelzoo App Fotopedia Hipmunk Gets Organized Urban Dig City Guide Travelstormer {Group Travel Planning} Hotel Tonight

[photo via itunes]

London's Calling

[trip style = luxury + urban]

I spy with my little eye, something that is:

• white, red and splashy;
• has a sleek, purple-lit interior;
• serves an in-air welcome cocktail, wine or beer; a full meal; dessert service with coffee, tea and hot chocolate; a movie snack AND afternoon tea.

Big news. Reach London in style without paying insane business class fares via Air Canada or British Airways. Hint hint, this airline's economy is similar to most airlines' business class. Virgin Atlantic will be flying into Vancouver from London Heathrow four times weekly, and seasonal lift-off is expected between May 24 to Oct 27.

Virgin CEO Steve Ridgway noted that Vancouver is a market Virgin has been eyeing for years, and hinted they are already anticipating building the service with more frequent flights as well as yearly service.

Grab your Mulberry bag, your Burberry trench and get ready to jetset with a little more class than your usual middle-of-the-road transatlantic flights. Cheerio!

Fast Facts

• The service will be operated by an Airbus A340-300, configured with 34 upper class suites, 35 premium economy seats and 171 economy seats
• Flight times: Depart London at 1pm, arrive Vancouver 3.10pm. Depart Vancouver 7.50pm and arrive the next day at 1.45pm
• Flight days: Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday
• Vancouver is the only Canadian city on Virgin Atlantic's roster

Book it Virgin Atlantic's flight between London and Vancouver is now available for booking!

[photo sourced online]