Travel Beauty Month :: Best Fragrances For Trip Styles

Editor's Note: In addition to our regularly scheduled content, this month we're doing a once-weekly feature on Travel Beauty. Lauren, our beauty expert, has whipped up some incredible insights, interviews {think major LA-based skin care expert} and giveaways. See below for what we're giving away this week!

Everyone should have their own unique fragrance, something they wear that distinguishes them from everyone else and is suited to their personality. Finding this scent isn't easy, but once you do, you know right away. I discovered my own special scent many years ago in France while backpacking. One whiff of Hanae Mori's Butterfly, a blend of strawberry, blackberry, ylang-ylang, Bulgarian Rose, almond wood and many other unique notes, and I was in love. So much so, that I didn't want to tell anyone what I wore, but after a while a handful of friends purchased the same scent and Sephora started carrying it, the secret was out.

Butterfly is still a special fragrance to me, yet I do wear different scents depending on where I'm going. For example, I spritz Juicy Couture's Viva La Juicy when I go out with the girls, and Bond No.9's Saks Fifth Avenue For Her to brunch or as a daytime scent. Vacations call for different fragrances. Depending on your destination, the scent you'd wear while lying on the beach in Mykonos is different than what you'd wear while exploring the Kalahari Desert or shopping on 5th Avenue.

Here are my picks for the best fragrances for different trip styles. Let us know your favorites!

The Beach [trip style = beach]
This type of fragrance should be light and tropical. I immediately think of Comptoir Sud Pacifique's Vanille Abricot, a shockingly delicious blend of Apricot, Papaya Pulp, Jack fruit, Vanilla and Sugar Candy. The brand's Aloha Tiare would also be the perfect beach fragrance, with its exotic notes of Tiare and Frangipani flowers, ylang-ylang, Monoi, Coconut, Vanilla and Soft Musk.

Big City Trip [trip style = urban]
I know the perfect fragrance for big city travel: Velvet Rope by Apothia. It's fresh and exciting and was actually inspired by an icy cold martini! Blending Vanilla, Jasmine, Grapefruit and White Musk, this sexy scent pairs well with Christian Louboutins and the blackest eyeliner.

Rustic Countryside Travel [trip style = weekending]
When I think of the countryside, I think of flowers, especially Gardenias. Bond No.9 Saks Fifth Avenue For Her is a light, elegant blend of Jasmine, Tuberose, Gardenia, Vetiver and Vanilla, which I wore on my wedding day. This white floral fragrance instantly evokes feelings of green rolling hills and fields of wildflowers. Like all Bond fragrances, the bottle is gorgeous.

Exploring The World [trip style = active & adventure]
Adventure travel and exploring calls for a light, fresh, subtle scent. I recently tried Caudalie's Fleur de Vigne and think it's the perfect fragrance for a trip like this. With notes like Grapefruit, Grape Flowers, Pink Pepper, White Rose, Watermelon, Mandarin and Cedar, it's a warm fragrance that is never overbearing and gives you a hint of this fresh scent.

Win It!
August is travel beauty month at Trip Styler and we're giving away a fantastic gift each week. This week, one lucky winner will be able to travel with their favorite scent wherever they go with Travalo, the coolest pocket-size, refillable, spill-free and lightweight perfume atomizer. This genius invention gives you up to 65 sprays of your favorite fragrance and refills in seconds, directly from any perfume spray bottle. Perfect for your carry-on, no matter what trip style you choose!

How to Win
Comment on any Trip Styler post {this one or any other}.
Bonus entry 1: Subscribe to our email list {top right}.
Bonus entry 2: "Like" Trip Styler on Facebook.

{Open to residents of Canada and the USA. Entries will be accepted Aug 3-9. Winner chosen at random and announced Aug 9, and has two days, after prizing notification, to make contact.}

[photos sources online]

The Savvy Traveler :: Lora

Lora is a Seattle-based freelance journalist who among other literary pursuits, writes a lot about traveling in Oregon, Washington and BC. Local travel is one of her first loves, and she regularly packs up to explore the region's city, country and seaside destinations with her husband and two kids. Many of her family travel tips and adventures can be found on CascadiaKids.com. As if she's not busy enough, in addition to all this, she's also written a book: Northwest Kid Trips: Portland, Seattle, Victoria, Vancouver. Here are her trip styling, Savvy Traveler picks...

1/ What are your top 3 trip styles and why?
[trip style = weekend getaway + urban + budget conscious] On perfect weekends, I do all three---staying in a four-star hotel I scored through Priceline in either Vancouver, BC or Portland. But budget conscious doesn’t always mean “cheap.” I’d rather stay in an upscale hotel or vacation rental than a super-discounted motel with a moldy fridge.

2/ What items are always on your packing list?
- Our picnic backpack (so we can eat anywhere, anytime)
- My iPhone (see why below)
- A great map and a swimsuit---you just never know when you're going to encounter an awesome mountain-fed stream for a quick dip

3/ Essential travel gadget or app?
My iPhone, which helps us navigate through cities, check in on work while I’m away, and gives the kids something to do while we’re sitting in border traffic.

4/ Favorite destination, plus what's on your radar and why?
Oh, my favorite? That’s so hard to decide. I love the Parisian alleys and cafes, Rome’s history and cafes, Florence’s art and cafes…hmm, I guess cafes are the deciding element.

On my radar: I intend to take a week-long trip up Vancouver Island this winter. I also hope to go to Japan---we had a planned trip for last March when the terrible Earthquake happened. We ended up going to Ireland instead, which was fine, but we still really want to go to Japan. Our Pacific Rim culture is so influenced by Japan, and I’ve always wanted to visit Japan---since my childhood, in fact!

5/ Best trip you've ever taken?
One of my most memorable trips was taking our 15-month old on a two-week driving vacation through Southern France and Italy. It helped me to realize that it was OK to travel without reservations, to drive along and let the road unfold. We'd show up in a town and pick a hotel upon arrival. Of course, this approach works best off peak-season, but it’s still one of my favorite ways to travel. We took this improvised approach to our trip along the Oregon Coast last fall and had a blast.

6/ Best destination/hotel/campground to take kids in summer and why?
This is a difficult question! Really, you can’t go wrong with any destinations in Washington, Oregon or British Columbia---especially in summer. In fact, I try to make sure we're always home during the summer, just so we can travel locally.

{If you know anyone who should be featured in our once-monthly Savvy Traveler series, drop us a line!}

Other Savvy Travelers
Bryce, The Pilot

[photo via lora]

Fashion Friday :: Cabin Fever

Let's get one thing out of the way first: cottage vs. cabin - which is it? Well, like a good rap rivalry, it depends on whether you're East Coast or West Coast. Prairie folk, poor things, are stuck in the middle of it all, which basically makes them Switzerland, in which case they must call their summer places chalets, right? Joking and semantics aside, let's get down to the brass tacks of cabin fashion.

Cottage style isn't just denim cut-offs and tank tops anymore. But above all, it's about comfort and when you're not in your swimsuit, there's nothing better than a cozy, oversized sweater at the cabin. But what to wear when your lake- or ocean-side neighbours come by for evening drinks on the deck? A shirt dress is easy, comfortable and a key look for fall, so get a head start. Guys, stick to well-made basics like vintage t's, worn-in denim or chambray and your good ol' alma mater sweatshirt. Just don't forget the bug spray...

Now what to bring? Men (from top left) The Real McCoy's x Champion USA t-shirts, MLB LA Dodgers baseball hat, The Real McCoy's joe mccoy bandana, Mosley Tribes merchant sunglasses, Rainbow leather sandals, Levi's 511 denim cut-off shorts

Women (clockwise from top centre) Motel celeste long line shirt dress, Rebecca Taylor stripe pullover, Billy Reid yvonne dress, Marc by Marc Jacobs racer back stripe  belted swimsuit, Minnetonka deerskin driving moc, Blank Denim classique cut-off shorts, Oliver Peoples j gold sunglasses, J.Crew saturday pant

More Fashion Friday Buoy Oh Buoy Festival Style Tribal Inspiration Spring Mini Break

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

[Top photos via The Globe and Mail and Old Chum]

Spotlight :: Osoyoos :: The High Life

[trip style = wine tasting + weekend getaway + sun + luxury]

{Editor’s note: This month we’re doing a four-part feature on the Pacific Northwest’s off-the-beaten-track destinations. See below for this month’s earlier selections that sit in the shadow of bigger, fancier or legacy locales. This week we're going to a summer town that works hard year-round.}

Last week I found a place that layers trip styles with the same attention to detail a winemaker uses when creating a 90-point blended white. You just don't expect to see, taste and feel such depth in a town of 5,000, but Osoyoos' roots dig deep to produce a time-tested getaway and wine region with international acclaim.

Maybe it's Osoyoos' depth that enhances its height. Ten years ago, it wasn't easy to find the high life in the Okanagan. With lakefront RV parks, motels and condos flooding the vacation market, if you wanted a luxurious summer vacation or tasting trip, you needed to fly south to California.

Then a few trailblazers, one of whom has roots that stretch back to BC's beginnings, had a vision to draw vacationers back from below the 49th with the promise of award-winning wines, sunset vistas and rolling hills painted with vines. The aboriginal-owned Nk'Mip resort area and Cellars occupies a large plot of land overlooking lake Osoyoos and the town below. This trailblazer was my home base.

The resort area's signature property, aside from the Cellars, is aptly named Spirit Ridge. True to its name, it sits higher than most properties in the area providing a retreat from the summer frenzy below. I arrive in the late afternoon and open my door to a waft of lavender-infused heat flooding my air-conditioned vehicle. This scent did not come from the spa; the purple bushes are planted throughout the resort.

After sitting in a car for four hours, I have one goal in mind: get to the pool! En route I'm distracted, again by my nose. This time, the scent is more savory---like fresh-baked, herb-dusted focaccia. Dry and pale green sage and rosemary bushes are everywhere, not just planted strategically, but scattered throughout the surrounding desert ridge. Vegas' resorts spritz signature scents into their properties, but in Osoyoos this is a naturally occurring phenomenon.

If you want to get back to civilization, walking down to Osoyoos Lake or the main road below only takes 10 minutes with your choice of route: stroll through vineyards and along an orchard-lined street or along a dry, crunchy, well-maintained desert path with signs that warm against rattlesnakes. What? Don't worry, there are few sightings and protective fences keep most of these heat-loving, tail-rattling desert dwellers out. I walked the trails multiples times without a hint of rattle.

After a morning walk and sun-therapy beside the pool, I'm ready for more of the high life sipping fine wines in an area known as "Napa of the North." But forget California, hundreds of award-winning wineries await your palate. Just don't forget the baguette and brie picnic, which is an essential in wine country fashion and function.

Must-Visit Wineries

Nk'Mip
Nk'Mip is unique. As North America's first Aboriginal owned and operated winery, it employes a winemaker from Saskatchewan who is now training two young men from the Band to take over. In addition to shadowing winemaker Randy, they've studied the craft for 11 months in New Zealand and taken night school classes to help manage the vineyard's 32,000 acres and white, red and ice wine production. Don't miss the tour, focusing on the wine and impressive collection of Native art. Plus, the restaurant has some of the best food, wine {obviously} and views in the vine-saturated region.

Road 13
Part of the Golden Mile wine route, Road 13 is on ... Road 13. I visited on a Friday, and I think it must have been good luck because three deer, some of the region's most authentic tour guides, led us up to the winery for our tasting after spotting our car from the side of the road. We were then met by two dachshunds, one of which is depicted in the winery's recognizable logo. The highly-acclaimed, complex yet medium-bodied wines seemed like a metaphor for the castle tasting room and adjacent modern facility sitting side by side at the top of the vineyard.

Le Vieux Pin
Le Vieux Pin is named after the old pine tree that sits on the French farmhouse-inspired boutique property. The owners felt the old pine was a symbol of what they wanted to achieve: stand out and stand the test of time. I think they are well on their way to meeting that goal, given their highly selective approach to harvesting grapes---they produce approximately 3,000 cases per year, but could do 16,000. Severine, the head winemaker, must be doing a great job, because during my 20-minute tasting, flocks of spandex-clad cyclists and lakeside vacationers pulled in to purchase her Pinot Noir Rosé. I had to follow suit and leave with a bottle too.

Church & State
If Church & State's boxy, concrete tasting and production hub hasn't already been featured in a design magazine, I'd be shocked. Pair this with Merlot-coloured Turkish carpets and a Springsteen music video playing on two flat-screen monitors in the background and you've got a pretty unique tasting environment. It's as if Glee's Don't Stop Believing {or Journey - whichever version you prefer} was playing in the background, because we purchased more wines at Church & State than any other winery in the area.

Hester Creek
The moment you walk into to Hester Creek's Tuscan tasting room you are fittingly greeted with a glass of wine. The day I visited, a glass of Pinot Blanc was on the welcoming committee. A trip up to Hester is worthwhile for more than just the wine; there are six guest villas and a restaurant with a vine-covered terrace. I hope you get a chance to talk to the winemaker Rob---he's as much of a science guy as he is a people person.

Silver Sage
Silver Sage has made its mark with sweet wines and The Flame, a chili-infused dessert wine. It's a tasting experience you'll remember, especially for the laughs. I'm convinced the wine host is part comedian and must moonlight in comedy clubs when not running his wine operation.

Trip Styler Tip: If you want to experience the high life for less, visit just before or just after summer in May or October for highly discounted rates and a more personalized tasting experience.

Getting There
Four hours from Vancouver, five from Seattle. Once there, there are tour and shuttle options to visit wineries if you prefer not to drive: OK Wine Shuttle & Uncorked Okanagan Wine Tours.

More Off-the-Beaten-Track Features
A Magic Carpet Ride
Lodges and Cabins
Spotlight on Bellevue, WA
OK Wine Tasting
Beat the Heat in Sonoma

[photos by @tripstyler]

Vancouver ---> Seattle :: Towns With Taste

[trip style = weekend getaway + urban + wine tasting]

If you read Trip Styler on a regular basis {Thank You BTW}, you know we're fond of weekending in Bellevue, Seattle and Portland. Sadly, the cross-49th, 3-hour tour from Vancouver to Seattle is usually done as timed, precision journey between the two coastal cities. So focused on the destinations, there is no time left for the tasty towns along the way.

Last week I was asked to write an article for the travel section of The Daily Meal, a NY-based foodie publication, covering the culinary stops that would beckon drivers to abandon their B-line journey in lieu of a short break or lingering meal.

Nine stops at haute pastry shops, roadside coffee bars, hearty sandwich cafes and modern wineries make up just a few of the Towns With Taste {between Vancouver and Seattle}. Dig in!

Related Content Spotlight Seattle Spotlight Portland {part one} Spotlight Portland {part deux} An Ode To The Ace Portland Vancouver to Seattle Must-Stops