Travel Beauty :: Makes Scents

[trip style = any]

Do you purchase a new fragrance for every trip? I read that tip in the Paris Review recently and fell in love with the idea. The writer was quick to point out that she wasn't suggesting we purchase an expensive bottle every time we go to a cousin's wedding, but instead that we dignify a journey with its own scent.

Whether you select a new rollerball in the airport duty-free or carefully choose a scent to match your destination, this practice will allow you to create a unique sense memory for your trip. Our sense of smell connects to the part of our brain that deals with memory, motivation and emotion, which is why a scent will evoke a memory more so than any other sense.

I've selected five fragrances that originated in or were inspired by the cities to which they're attached. The first three are unisex and the next two are intended for women and men, respectively, although worn by both {I love Spicebomb even though it's from the men's department}. I'm off to Europe next month and I'm already contemplating my options: seductive and spicy for Barcelona or fresh and woody for Stockholm? With so many hours in airports, I may do both!

Trip Styler Tip: Perfumer Frédéric Malle suggests that when selecting a new fragrance, you should try on one or two and then walk around the store for 20 minutes. After that it will have settled and you'll have some confidence in whether you like it. If it still appeals, it will do for a long time; if it irritates, it will never stop.

Stockholm
Byredo Gypsy Water
Notes: Bergamot, Lemon, Pepper, Juniper Berries, Incense, Pine Needles, Vanilla, Sandalwood

New York
Le Labo Santal 33
Notes: Sandalwood, Cedar, Cardamom, Iris, Violet, Ambrox, Leather, Musk

Capri
Acqua di Parma Blu Mediterraneo Arancia di Capri
Notes: Orange, Mandarin, Lemon, Petit Grain, Cardamom, Caramel, Musk

Paris
Frédéric Malle Portrait of a Lady
Notes: Oriental Rose, Benzoin, Cinnamon, Sandalwood, Patchouli, Musk, Frankincense

Amsterdam
Viktor & Rolf Spicebomb
Notes: Bergamot, Grapefruit, Cinnamon, Pink Pepper, Lavandin, Chilli, Saffron, Elemi, Vetiver, Balsam Fir, Tobacco, White Leather

This post is written by Trip Styler's Assistant Wayfarer/Editor Heather.

Related
Roll-On Essential Oils for Travel
Best Fragrances for Trip Styles
Face Masks for Frequent Flyers
The Do-It-All Cream

[images by @heatherlovesit & @tripstyler except paris photo via ignant.de]

How to Look French

[trip style = urban]

Editor's note: This guest post is written by Katie Mogan Graham, a Canadian expat who is spending a year in Provence, eating her weight in discount Monoprix cheese, bread and wine. When she isn't butchering la langue française in her adopted home of Aix-En-Provence, she and her husband can be found touring Europe, keeping their eyes peeled for interesting fashion and their stomachs alert to all things gastronomically new and exciting.

French fashion is about an attitude more than an item of clothing—pout, look bored, walk with confidence, NEVER move for anyone or anything on the sidewalk. That said, it's also about the appropriate accessories: dog, cigarette {e-cigarette allowed}, large purse and sunglasses. 

My last post touched on what I observed in Paris in May. Those planning a trip to any part of France may want to consider the following "national accessories" as a way of seamlessly blending in with their surroundings. Here's my take on looking French in three easy steps.

1/ Le Chien
Dogs of all shapes, sizes and breeds are nationally adored, and are frequently seen accompanying their owners into cafés and clothing stores {and most likely even doctor's appointments}. You really can't go a block without spotting a faithful furry friend perched in a bicycle basket or straining to eat the final crumbs of a forgotten croissant. My favourite chien-spotting experience happened in Nice, where we saw a man walking with two dogs: the first, a Retriever, carried a baguette in his mouth, while the second, a Chihuahua, carried nothing but wore a snazzy red cape with the word "DIVA" bedazzled across its back. Vive la France!

2/ La Cigarette 
By no means am I promoting smoking, but the truth is if you want to look French, hold a cigarette. Despite the laundry list of health issues this pastime promotes, smoking is still very popular throughout France. Interestingly, e-cigarettes enjoy almost as much popularity here, which many claim to be good news for the environment {no butts!} and non-smokers.

3/ La Moue et La Bise
The French are very expressive and are strong believers in using the whole body when engaged in conversation. For the sake of brevity, I’ll stick to the face, and how to use it when interacting with friends—or foes—in France. If you wish to convey displeasure, indifference or any emotion other than joy, extend your lower lip {la moue, or pout} and give a slight shrug of the shoulders. If you wish to greet a friend, family member or recent acquaintance, lean forward and quickly kiss the air beside each cheek of said person {faire la bise, or kiss}. Both of these maneuvers are Gallic in origin, and will be sure to impress your fellow travelers.

If you're able to pout or kiss with a dog in tow and a cigarette in hand, you’ll be well on your way to being mistaken for a true French{wo}man.

Trip Styler Tip: If you've already read the books {literally} on how to eat and parent like the French, you may want to pick up How to Be Parisian Wherever You Are, a tongue-in-chic guide on Parisian style, culture, attitude and men written by four Parisian "it" women, including Chanel "ambassador" Caroline de Maigret.

Related
Jetset Style :: How to Dress Like a Parisian
Jetset Style :: The Everyday Sneaker
Jetset Style :: Scandinavia-Inspired Jackets
Paris, Now and Then

[images via @jeannedamas, the sartorialist, gq, sipa press, thelocals.dk, harper's bazaar, splash news, @valentinehello, @carolinedemaigret]

Jetset Style :: How to Dress Like a Parisian

[trip style = urban]

Editor's note: This guest post is written by Katie Mogan Graham, a Canadian expat who is spending a year in Provence, eating her weight in discount Monoprix cheese, bread and wine. When she isn't butchering la langue française in her adopted home of Aix-En-Provence, she and her husband can be found touring Europe, keeping their eyes peeled for interesting fashion and their stomachs alert to all things gastronomically new and exciting. 

France: the land of cheap baguettes, expensive wine and oh-so-whimsical berets. Nearly six months ago, my husband and I left our family, friends and jobs in Vancouver to spend a year living in Europe. We landed in France, where we’ve been drinking in—literally—all this chic, quaint country has to offer.

Many of our previous assumptions about France have held true—the bread is delicious, cheap and plentiful, as is the cheese and occasionally the wine—but much to our dismay, we’ve yet to see a single beret. Quelle horreur! Perhaps this is simply a matter of timing {the beret may strictly be a headpiece d'hiver}, but it’s caused us to stop and notice what people actually wear on the cobblestone streets that surround us.  

One key observation—and one that my Aixois friends will undoubtedly dispute—is that the further south we’ve traveled, the less daring and avant garde the fashion. Our current resting point, the popular Provençal ville of Aix En Provence, is a perfect example. Aix is best known for its bustling weekly markets, which attract hordes of sunburned tourists in the summer, but during the other three seasons, the sidewalk cafes are dominated by university students and older locals with dogs. For a real discussion on trends à la mode, one must look to Paris. And so, without further delay, I give you a short summary of our sartorial findings from our recent visit to the City of Lights.

1/ Not-So-Mellow Yellow
Spring in Paris is a fickle thing; the skies are often grey and rainy with sporadic bursts of sunlight that justify the use of oversized sunglasses with umbrellas. This mishmash of weather was mirrored in the outfits displayed in store windows and on sidewalk cafés. Chic and cheeky pops of yellow abounded from head to toe, in the form of scarves, belts, purses and shoes. Of course, since everything is best in moderation, a sober dose of grey, blue and black kept this sunny look grounded. And since Parisians are the living, breathing {and often smoking} embodiment of "too cool for school", it really wouldn't work for them to be seen wearing bright colors from head to toe anyway.

2/ La Frange
I learned this chic new term for fringe when I went for my first haircut in France. La frange is not just a hair term anymore. Vaguely reminiscent of the boho heyday of the 1960s–70s, tassels of just about every size, color and material hung in all their glory. Like the color yellow, fringe was kept in check by being limited to a single article of clothing or accessory—dangling from a cropped jacket, clinging to the edges of a clutch or swinging from the back of a pair of heels. With the vast variety of styles, it appeared that there was no one way to wear fringe, except perhaps sans tie-dye, headbands or macrame vests.

3/ Stan Smith Adidas Sneakers
Paris is best seen on foot, as you can't go a block or two without finding some hidden gem of a shop or café that would go unnoticed if traveling by car {or even worse, tour bus}. This is where a "Catch 22" occurs: How can one wander the streets of Paris fashionably and comfortably?  Parisian women and men have solved this timeless conundrum by adopting the sporty sneaker—the classic, white Stan Smith Adidas sneaker. When I first heard these referenced in conversation, I thought my Parisian friend was talking about the singer Sam Smith. It became clear that our "lost in translation" moment was due to my extreme lack of sportiness {In case there are others out there like me, Stan Smith is a famous American tennis player from the 1960s–80s}. You don't have to know a thing about tennis to sport this look; these shockingly white sneakers are worn with just about everything, from mini, midi and maxi skirts to cuffed jeans and sleek suits {racket and balls optional}. My Parisian friend and her boyfriend have matching "his and hers" sneakers. I'd score that match "love–all".

4/ The Parisian Knot
I kid you not, the chic men of Paris have a knot named in their honor, and rightfully so if you ask me. This is one of the simplest ways to wear a scarf, but also sleekest and sexiest. Perhaps it helped that we were visiting at a cooler time of year, but everywhere we looked, Parisian men {and likely the odd tourist, hoping to fit in} were keeping warm with scarves knotted deftly around their necks. Men of North America take note and get shopping!

5/ Tailored Layers
Beneath their scarves, Parisian men continued to impress, with an array of carefully tailored layers to buffet the rain and wind. Blazers and cardigans—be still my heart—were out in full force, keeping company with slim-fit collared shirts and equally slim trousers. The younger crowd kept their pant hems a tad higher, exposing glimpses of bare ankles {mon dieu!} or patterned socks {très chic!}. These svelte ensembles were often worn by men on bicycles {le sigh!}, who undoubtedly benefited from the aerodynamics at play.

À bientôt!

Related
Jetset Style :: The Everyday Sneaker
Jetset Style :: Scandinavia-Inspired Jackets
The Savvy Traveler :: Jackie

[collages by @heatherlovesit & photos via style.com, vogue, wwd, garancedore.fr, streetpeeper.com, thestunninglook.com, styledumonde.com, details.com, clochet.com]

Paris, Now and Then

[trip style = urban]

With Paris Fashion Week in full strut, I'm reminded of the European city que j'adore. {My instagram feed is overflowing with runway shows, including Chanel's latest, which took place on a faux supermarket runway.} While I don't give enough TS lip service to the French capital's baguettes, joie de vivre, sailor stripes and late-night cafés, I'd fly to Paris at the drop of a chapeau.

In a joint project between the Expedia Viewfinder Travel Blog and DreamWorks Animation for the launch of the smart and adorbs time travel flick, Mr. Peabody & Sherman, I was recently asked: "If you could travel to any time, any place in the world, where would you go?"

While it's highly conceivable you haven't thought about crossing the space-time continuum since the 1989 film Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, I think about it often. As a curious cat, it's impossible for me to visit a retro hotel or a historic city without wondering how people lived 30, 300 or 3,000 years ago.

Given my obsession with France and my tendency to dabble in historic daydreaming, my dash to another dimension would take me to Paris in the Roaring Twenties. Why? The bohème lifestyle was in full force, prosperity was widespread and it was the transcontinental stopover for creatives like Hemingway, Degas and the Fitzgeralds who chinwagged and pontificated into the wee hours at soirées and in cafés along the Seine.

In vintage Paris, I’d grab a café au lait and a croissant with Hemingway in Montmartre to co-critique our penmanship. In the afternoon, I’d meet Degas in the Jardin du Luxembourg to nosh on tomato- and cheese-stuffed baguettes while painting miniature boats bobbing in the palace pond. In the evening, I’d dress in flapper fashion---the style du moment---and hit the party circuit with the Fitzgeralds. At midnight I'd rendezvous with all my pals for a tipple at Dingo Bar, a popular hangout for artsy night owls.

And here's the best part about Paris the 1920s and aujourd'hui: It looks as stunning now as it did then. The Eiffel Tower still commands the skyline, the Ritz Paris {currently under reno, set to reopen early 2015} still sets the bar for hotels, and ready-to-wear still graces the en vogue crowd.

Scenes from the City of Light

Pont Alexandre III

Strolling in Paris

Louvre

Notre Dame

National Music Academy

Arc De Triomphe

Trip Styler Tip: Mr. Peabody and Sherman {trailer} opens in early March. Go see it---France even makes an appearance. In the meantime, check the Expedia Viewfinder for more time travel tales and sweepstakes.

[photos by @tripstyler, video by Mr. Peabody & Sherman, presented at my own choosing---like everything on TS---due to my ongoing work with Expedia]

Midnight in Paris

[trip style = staycation]

"I just want to walk beside the Seine with a baguette under my arm." - Gil, Midnight in Paris

This summer, if you can't board Air France direct to the City of Light, see Midnight in Paris instead. It's Paris at its best: in the sun and in the rain, in present day and in La Belle Époque, in a Lexus and in a horse-drawn chariot.

I admit, I meant to see Bridesmaids last night, but got to the theatre a little late and Midnight in Paris was playing next. For once, my tardiness rewarded me in the best way possible. I walked out of the theatre with a huge smile on my face because I'd just taken a mini European vacation. For 94 minutes, I felt the uneven ground under my feet beside the Seine, the wind in my hair while standing on Pont Neuf and the musty smell of old furniture while popping my head into antique shops in one of my favorite cities in the world.

As entertaining as it is, it's also a history lesson---the kind you wish you had in school---as the movie flip flops between present day and times of old. The historical figures who show up in the movie will blow your mind---some of whom I still need to look up on Wikipedia. The film follows Gil, a California screenplay-writer-tuned-novelist on a family trip. He's immediately taken with Paris and wants to live out his idea of a romantic lifestyle, writing from a rickety desk in an old apartment with a skylight. However, his fianceé thinks this is a silly notion. While walking alone at night, he gets transported to another time, a time he longs to be a part of when all his literary heroes lived in gay Paris.

If you can't get away this summer, and the romantic Parisian vacation you long for involves a blanket, grassy field and bottle of French wine, go to the best French bakery in town, buy a baguette and some melt-in-your-mouth brie cheese, and discreetly bring them into the movie. When your 94 minutes in Paris are up, don't stop the francophile fun---go to your city's best macaron shop and savor the petit delicacies with a cafe au lait! Now all that's missing is the French music, but an iPod can take care of that!

[photo collage by @tripstyler of pictures sourced from the web]