Travel Beauty :: Squeaky Clean

[trip style = trip style ]

{Editor's Note :: Congrats to Lauren, our Travel Beauty contributor who just had a baby boy! While Lauren's settling into motherhood and dreaming up her first family trip, I've rounded up a few ideas for jetsetting with a fresh and beautiful smile.}

Last weekend I did a trip style = weekend getaway trip in Seattle with 7 girls to celebrate a friend's birthday and do some power shopping. Aside from driving, eating and sleeping, we spent most of the weekend's waking hours in the shoe department of Nordstrom and at The Bellevue Collection. After shopping for nearly 8 hours and eating grab-and-go food, we were all c-r-a-v-i-n-g our toothbrushes! We'd remembered to bring them in our overnight bags, but not in our day bags.

Whether you're power shopping like us, sightseeing or on an all-night flight, one way to help you feel awake and clean is to sneak in a few teeth brushing sessions when you run to the loo. Believe me, your friends and seat mates will thank you!

With this in mind, here are a few ways to give your mouth a cinnamony or minty shower when you can't run back to your room to do a full brush:

On-The-Go Teeth Brushing Solutions 1. Travel toothbrush and toothpaste, from $2.00 2. denta*burst Brush And Go: textured teeth wipes, from $3.00 3. Colgate Wisp: portable mini brush {needs no water or toothpaste}, from $8.00 4. Pearly Wipes: textured teeth wipes and stain remover, from $7.00

{Trip Styler Tip :: If it's 11pm, you've already donned your robe and slippers and realize you've forgotten your toothbrush, call the front desk of your hotel and ask if they have any travel toothbrushes available. Most nicer hotels keep these items on-hand, but don't advertise it.}

More Travel Beauty Quickie Teeth Whitening St. Tropez' Celebrity Tanning Expert's Self-Tanning Secrets  Pre-Trip Primping NYC’s Best Beauty Dr. Murad Interview The Best Fragrance For Each Trip Style Q&A With tarte Cosmetics Founder

{Image by @tripstyler of referenced products]

Tech Tuesday :: Google Flight Search

[trip style = any]

If Google was a pilot, she just got her wings!

Until now, Google's been quietly working as a first officer, but last Tuesday the company who made the term googling a verb, soft-launched Flight Search, a full-featured extension of the quick flight lookup they announced in May.

Playing around with the feature I notice: a} it works very similarly to Kayak's flight search, b} is easy to use and c} is fast as lightning.

This is big news and a potential travel game-changer, but not a surprise. I've been waiting for the annoucement since last July when much to Expedia and other travel goliaths' chagrin, Google purchased ITA Software---the developer of airfare search and pricing software and the back-end behind Kayak, Orbitz and many airlines.

The Skinny

• Find the flights feature on the left-hand sidebar, or by typing in google.com/flights.
• Feeling spontaneous? Like Kayak's Explore feature, type in your home airport in the "from" search bar and you'll see flight prices for destinations all over the USA. If you find a flight you like leaving that day and book it, use the Hotel Tonight App to book a last-minute hotel!
• Locations outside the US are not currently supported, but likely will be in the coming months.
• It is not easy to book a one-way flight.

PS - Even if you can't search flights from other countries in google.com/flights, you can search flight schedules in google.com's search bar by googling "flights from YVR to LAX" {example}.

Video How Google Flight Search works in 1 minute, 56 seconds. Trouble viewing this video?

Related Kayak Explore {Visual Flight Search} Travel Apps :: On The Fly {ITA Software's App} Master Of Flight {Re}Search Google Hotel Finder

[Images of Google Flight Search]

From The Archives :: A Steal At Sea

[trip style = cruising + budget conscious]

{Editor's Note: This was originally posted in June of last year, but has been significantly updated for today. Sidebar: the day this was posted last June, our travel beauty editor recommended/shared Trip Styler on her company's Facebook page and Forest Whitaker's wife "Liked" this! Ok, back on track...

Repositioning cruises are one of the most cost effective ways to travel in the fall {and spring}. Next week, I'm taking advantage of one of the 13 cruises leaving from Vancouver for other ports and have booked a five-night itinerary with two stops, one in Astoria, OR and another in San Francisco, CA. It was the perfect vacation solution as I looked for an early-fall break. The price was right too starting at $199+taxes---a steal for five-nights.}

Repositioning Cruise:  when a cruise repositions from one route to another by switching ports of call. Many people see repositioning cruises as the cruise industry’s 50% off sale rack with uber-colourful shirts and ill-fitting pants, or a lesser excuse for cruise itinerary. Don't be fooled, these direct and/or sometimes creative journeys have become a big business. If a ship is going to reposition anyway, why not take advantage of its discounted price tag, unique itinerary and interesting ports---all while eating well and then working it off on the dance floor. Here are some pros and cons about repositioning cruieses to help you make a more informed decision about the trip style:

Repositioning Pros - fun alternative to flying - can be economical considering on-board amenities, food and destinations - visit places you might never plan to see {ie: for me, Astoria, OR!} - can take you off the beaten path - depending on the cruise line, child care for kids three and older is usually included {but make sure before booking}

Repositiong Cons - you’re not going on a round-trip, so you’ll need to book additional travel - sometimes the unique itineraries offer fewer or no ports of call - communication with the outside world is expensive and challenging for longer journeys

How To Book Repositioning Cruises My recommended repositioning resource is RepositioningCruise.com, also listed in TS Recommends. It's comprehensive, easy to use and simple to book. All you have to do is sign-up and then click on the "show me the deals" link. Once 'inside,' sort by the incoming and outgoing ports, dates, price, days at sea, etc...

Bon voyage!

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[photo by Jamez Flickr]

Roam+Board :: On The Water

[trip style = "boutique" cruising]

{I've seen this chic canal cruiser mentioned in a few design blogs and fashion magazines over the past few months, and with Monday's Getting On Board With Fall Travel ideas, I thought it would be the perfect launch pad for an early-fall, trip style = luxury stay in London!}

What There are mega ships, sailing catamarans and river cruises, but On The Water is as boutique as cruising comes. It's so boutique, this double-wide, custom-developed, whitewashed, highfalutin canal barge is a one-room operation. As in, while you stargaze on the deck at night drinking bubbly or awake to an artisan bakery's morning delivery, you are the only guests on this floating phenom.

Where London, England in the middle of Regent's Park, just a 20 minute walk from Oxford and Bond Street.

When Since you are surrounded by lush greenery, early fall promises a kaleidoscope of autumn colours and evenings warm enough to lounge about on the boat's deck!

Who/Why For people who like to zig when others zag, and do so in style. Kids and pets now allowed.

Cost Starts at £250 per night {$392 CDN} with a two-night minimum and covers all the amenities of a hotel, plus a lounge, galley kitchen, ensuite bathroom and television with DVDs. Wifi and morning continental breakfast delivery included, as is the secret path through Regent's Park to access it!

{Check out last week's inaugural Roam+Board woodsy hideaway in Big Sur, California.}

[images via On The Water]

A Spot Of Tea

[trip style = staycation + sightseeing + weekend getaway]

"There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea." - Henry James, The Portrait of a Lady

With a white napkin draped over my lap, and my thumb and index finger gingerly locked around the tea cup's handle, I rest and indulge in a famous tradition. As a matter of function, not fashion, my pinky extends outward as I sip a spot of tea at the West Coast spot for tea.

Taking tea in Victoria's Fairmont Empress tea lobby feels like a right of passage. Being invited to what some would call a ceremony is like I'm trip style = sightseeing, peering into the rituals of another time. But instead of standing for hours with a recorded history lesson on an audio set, I'm comfortably seated in the same chintz-covered seat as the ones who came before me when the tradition first started with the hotel's opening in 1908. Even the gold-rimmed china's design is the same today as when it was first introduced for King George VI and Queen Elizabeth's visit in 1939, and the tables sitting between every vintage wing back chair are crafted with floorboards from an early 1900s refurbishment.

Tea service begins with a glass goblet of blueberries, not a cup of tea. We must wait for the piece de resistance, no? Feeling tropical---maybe it was the sun streaming through the windowpanes---I choose the Kea Lani Orange Pineapple blend. Its Hawaiian flavours make it seem as though the pianist is strumming on a ukulele with a plumeria behind her ear. When the three-tiered feast is placed on our small table, I am brought back to the present and the piano keys continue their dance.

Admiring my mid-day meal, it's clear you are supposed to work your way up, starting at the bottom. The healthiest tier happens to be the most savoury, with finger sandwiches filled with egg, cucumber and mango and curried chicken---crustless of course! The middle tier acts as the breather, counterbalancing the beginning and end with a pot of clotted cream, raspberry jam and a firm raisin scone. Staring at the stacked plates of treats, I could not help myself, I had to sample the top tier's pink fondant-wrapped checkered cake, and chocolate tulip first. Once the tempting taster was out of the way, I could resume normal behaviour and work my way up.

After four cups of tea and three tiers of food, I'm done. I didn't know afternoon tea could be so filling. Now I understand why the 7th Duchess of Bedford, credited with popularizing the afternoon tea trend in London, sent out invitations requesting "tea and a walking of fields." Good thing Beacon Hill Park is just around the corner!

Tea Etiquette*

• There are three types of tea: afternoon tea is taken with finger sandwiches and pastries, high tea at 4pm with hot food, and royal tea is served with a glass of Champagne.
• Do not take tea lightly, dress up for the occasion.
• The raising or extension of the pinky is not just for show, but to counterbalance the tea cup.
• Never loop your fingers through the handle, nor grasp the base with the palm of your hand.
• Fold in milk and sugar, do not stir.
• Do not leave your spoon in the cup.
• When not in use, place the tea cup back in the saucer.
• Milk is served with tea, not cream.
• When serving lemon with tea, slices are preferable, not wedges.

Afternoon Tea at the Fairmont Empress can be enjoyed year-round and starts at $47 per person. Special menus and prices are available for kids.

PS - Experience tea's treats from another side. The Fairmont Empress offers kids under 16 the opportunity to apprentice with their award-winning pastry chef, and leave with just-made goodies, a chef hat, personalized apron and certificate to take home!

Related Content Weekending in Victoria

*Source {photos by @tripstyler}