Stormwatching Ahoy

[trip style = adventure + weekend getaway]

It’s not my norm to hunt for the perfect storm—as a general rule, I prefer mai tais on the beach—but when the Vancouver meteorologists informed me the skies would turn from grey to ghastly, I bolted to the edge of Canada’s West Coast to behold the eye of the storm. 

Located five hours from Vancouver via car and a ride aboard BC Ferries, the side-by-side sea-sprayed towns of Ucluelet and Tofino are one of Canada's first points of contact with the Pacific Ocean. To put things in perspective, if you had a NASA-grade telescope, you might spot Japan 7,400 kilometres in the distance.

Standing beside a kaleidoscope of kelp and grasses washed ashore by the enraged waves, I panned my surroundings only to realize I was straddling the divide between land and sea.

A place where the flow of frothy waves never takes a break, the towns have become famous for their physical features: multimile beaches, a centuries-old coastal rainforest, and inclement weather. During the winter—a.k.a., storm-watching season—these elements perform in a show so spectacular {see my Instagram video}, it's priceless. For VIP access, all you have to do is show up.

Private beaches = VIP storm-watching at Wya Point Resort.  

Front Row Seats 
One of the best spots to savor winter storms in Ucluelet is at Wya Point Resort, a camping, glamping and lodge retreat perched over a series of private beaches. Here, walk a few steps to shore for a front row seat, or, watch the wind and waves waltz—make that rock n' roll—from your lodge's balcony.

On Thursday I'm going to go more in-depth about the First Nations-owned Wya Point Resort, but in the meantime, check out their winter Stormwatching Package for $389 including two nights in a {gorgeous} one-bedroom lodge, hot chocolate with marshmallows, and a pair of locally-made pottery mugs {BYO Baileys}. 

  [photos by @tripstyler]

Bali's X-Factor

[trip style = beach + sun]

Sultry sunsets. Steamy beaches. Scintillating views. Meet Bali, the sexiest stop—so far—on the TS flight map.

After a life-long obsession with the Indonesian island's photogenic seascapes and far-flung location, I finally satisfied my longing to visit Bali last year. 

With so much pent-up desire for the place, Mr. Trip Styler and I didn't stay at a reasonably priced pension just off the beach {of which there are many}. Since we traveled more than halfway across the globe to get there, we decided to turn up the heat and book three beachfront hotels—two of which had oceanfront infinity pools, and one of which had its own bath...on the view-for-miles balcony!

And don't even get me started on our moonlit dockside dining, or late-night tipple at Rock Bar, a low-lit lounge perched over the edge of the Indian Ocean {only reachable by open-air elevator}.

As a member of the crew piloting the Expedia Viewfinder Travel Blog, I was asked to write about the sexiest destination on my jet-set list. Bali won by a mile.

It turns out I'm not alone in my infatuation with sand and sea, based on the findings of the Expedia Heat Index, released just in time for Valentine's Day. Almost a third of Americans {29%} identified beach vacations as the most romantic trip style, and a whopping 64% chose "room with a view" as the most romantic hotel feature.

What trip style and hotel amenity is sexy to you? While I don't expect you to jump on a plane to your x-factor destination in time for February 14th, just thinking about it is enough to set the mood, mais oui?  

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Check Expedia's Instagram to see other spicy stops chosen by my fellow Expedia Viewfinders {and, if you're an American citizen, details about a LAN Airlines sweepstakes valued at $2,500}.

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Anantara Seminyak, one of my Bali beachfront stays. 

Just a "typical" restaurant along Seminyak Beach in Bali. 

Dockside dining in West Bali at The Menjangan {glamping!}.

Bali's famous cliffs and, nestled amongst them, the private beach for RIMBA and AYANA Resorts.

Sundara {see below for more information}.

Mr. Trip Styler swimming at Sundara beach club at the Four Seasons Resort Bali at Jimbaran. Read about how to get into Sundara and other tips about Bali.

[Photos by @tripstyler. Post presented in partnership with Expedia.] 

Travel Beauty :: Concealer Map

[trip style = any]

When I fly I wear minimal make-up over maximum moisturizer because while I love to travel, I don't love the drying effects of recycled plane air on my skin. Before a flight, I slather heavy moisturizer on my face, followed by concealer, mascara, loose powder and lip balm. During the flight, I drink plenty of water, reapply lots of lip balm and mist my face throughout the journey. Before landing, I touch up my concealer so I can hit the ground running.

Thus, the topic of the day—what kind of concealer do we need and where should we apply it? Selection and application can be overwhelming, but we have a few tricks up our sleeves. We've even created a concealer map to help you put your best face forward.

Types of Concealer
Make-up artists suggest that women should own two basic types of concealer: a light-reflecting pen or fluid, and an opaque stick or cream. Believe it or not, they do different things; the former brightens while the latter covers.

Primarily meant for under-eye circles, pen or fluid concealers also work wonders around the nose, lips and shadowy areas of the face. They’re thinner than normal concealers and work well on dry or wrinkled skin because of their moisturizing and illuminating qualities. Meanwhile, opaque concealers are best for concealing blemishes, scars and redness. 

Where to Apply
There’s no magic formula for concealer application. We all have unique face shapes and concerns. Though, here are a few universal helpful tips for concealer application that we've tried and tested on the jetway {and we KNOW work well}.

• Lightly apply concealer to under-eye circles with a brush or your ring finger. Try two simple application methods:

1. Apply to dark circles only, from your inner eye to below the middle of your pupil. Avoid a large half-moon shape.
2. Draw an upside-down pyramid from your lower eyelid to your cheekbone.

• Use a light-reflecting concealer on your brow bones and on the inside corners of your eyes to appear more rested. 
• Give eyebrows extra definition by tracing them in concealer and then blending the lines with your finger. 
• Sharpen and correct a cat eye by swiping concealer above the flick of your liner.
• Save space in your travel make-up bag by using concealer as an eyeshadow primer. Apply with a brush to avoid depositing oils from your fingers to your eyelids, and set with loose powder.
• Create the illusion of plumper lips with a dab of concealer in the center of your lips.
• Apply concealer around your lips for a crisp edge that makes bright lipstick pop.
• Lighten the larger areas of your face by applying light-reflecting concealer to your cheeks and forehead, and then contour with bronzer or foundation slightly darker than your skin tone.

Application + Product Tips

• Remember that less is more. Don’t apply too much product to your brush; you can always build coverage.
• The secret to even application is blending. Use your fingers or a fluffy eyeshadow brush on larger areas of your face, and a small eyeliner brush on smaller spots like blemishes and scars.
• Start with primer and follow with foundation or tinted moisturizer before applying concealer. Finish with a light dusting of powder.
• We love YSL’s famous Touche Éclat pen, but this miracle worker is a highlighter, not a true concealer. Apply to the inner corners of your eyes, along your cheekbones and—if you don't have dark circles—under the eyes in place of concealer.
• For a list of products, check out make-up artist Lisa Eldridge's suggestions. She also provides a fantastic concealer tutorial.

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

[face map by @heatherlovesit, outline via google images]