Travel Beauty :: Interview with Eco Diva Beauty

[trip style = any]

Meet Charlene Swanson and Garcy Fry, the natural duo behind luxury online eco-boutique Eco Diva Beauty. Spreading the word about pure, effective, sustainable beauty products is this mother-daughter pair's mission, but that's not all. Eco Diva Beauty is trying to do something bigger: Inspire others to make positive changes in their life, starting with what they put on their skin—the largest organ in the human body! Curious what these conscious jetsetters slather on their bodies when they go afar? I chatted with Charlene and Garcy about their travel beauty secrets and dream destinations. 

What are your top destinations?
Garcy Fry: Mexico is my travel muse. It’s where I go to relax, bask in the heat and let the kids play on the beach. The people are so kind and gracious. And the food—I could live off fresh guacamole, salsa and fish tacos. Oh, and I love a margarita {or dos} on the rocks! Another locale I love is a little closer to home. Once our car broke down and we got stuck for a few days in Keromeos, a tiny town with a gazillion orchards and fruit stands in the interior of British Columbia. Ironically, it's become one of my family's magic weekend destinations for its quaint little diners, neat antique shops, picturesque parks, relaxing tube rides down the river and fresh fruit for days! 

Garcy in Mexico

Charlene Swanson: My all-time favorite destination is Italy. A recent quote I saw on Instagram by Giuseppe Verdi sums it up for me: "You may have the universe if I may have Italy.” To me, everything beautiful has originated from Italia {and it aligns perfectly with my innate love of luxury cars, fashion, jewelry, art, food, wine, the opera...}. My second go-to destination is what I call the sweet spot in the universe, California. North or south, it doesn’t matter; there are so many swoon-worthy locations in this state I would be hard-pressed to pick a favorite. I don’t know if it’s the sunshine and the ocean, but innovation and dreams manifest there.

Charlene in London

What is your travel beauty ritual? 
GF: True travel beauty is about hydration—drinking copious amounts of water, keeping your face dewy inflight and wearing an ultra-hydrating serum like May Lindstrom The Youth Dew or La Bella Figura Rainforest Hydration Treatment.

CS: On my recent excursion to California I brought One Love Organics Vitamin D Moisture Mist for on-the-go moisturizing, as well as the Tata Harper Travel Kit and La Bella Travel Serum Mood Booster {which I also use as a perfume}. And I don’t go anywhere without my W3LL PEOPLE Bio Extreme Mascara.
 
What are your three travel must-haves?
GF: A great pair of casual-comfy sneakers or flats. These days I’m loving Sam Edelman’s Black Becker Synthetic Croc Sneakers, a couple of scarves and at least 10 different lipsticks {for my 10 different moods}. 

CS: James Perse tees, Rag & Bone jeans and Manolo Blahnik leopard-print driving shoes {they dress up anything}!

What is your dream trip?
GF: My dream trip would be taking my family on a round-the-world tour to Australia, New Zealand, India, Africa, Spain, Italy, Turkey, Sweden, Ireland and Scotland. My in-laws did it for 10 months with my husband and his siblings when he was seven years old and they still talk about their epic journey. We're hoping to do the same for our kids when we are done having them!

CS: I'm planning on taking my dream trip soon! I would visit Spain, Portugal, France and spend a sabbatical exploring Italy to the fullest.

What are your favorite double-duty beauty products?
GF: I love Kahina’s Night Cream. I have it on my nightstand to put on my face before bed and I also use it as a hand cream. Like all of Kahina’s products, the scent is so light and divine and the texture is a whipped soufflé that leaves your skin feeling hydrated without any greasiness! I also love using W3LL People UNIVERSALIST Multi-use Colorstick and Vapour Aura Multi-Use Blush as lipstick as well as blush.

CS: I'm really sensitive to smells and don’t like anything overwhelming. I fell in love with May Lindstrom’s Jasmine Garden mist and went through a jar pretty quickly because I also used it to refresh my hair every day and night. I use Prtty Peaushun’s Skin Tight Body Lotion as a hand cream because it’s an amazing moisturizer and smells so darn good. I keep the travel size in my purse.

Interview by Lauren, Trip Styler's go-to travel beauty expert and industry insider, whose medicine cabinet contains as many products and potions as a Sephora store.

[photos via eco diva beauty]

Spotlight :: Stockholm

[trip style = urban]

Stockholm is hands down one of the coolest—and most scenic—European capitals. Situated on the Baltic Sea, Stockholm is spread out across 14 islands. If you walk from historic Gamla Stan to upscale Östermalm to picturesque Djurgården you'll see that each island has its own identity and all are worth visiting. {Check out our Södermalm Guide.}

I traveled to Stockholm this summer with friends and it was a highlight of my Scandinavian vacation. With a historic yet modern feel and a hip yet friendly vibe, it's a city—like New York—that will no doubt have you—like me—saying "next time..." I'm already dreaming up my return.

Eat

Make no mistake: Stockholm is expensive. Cocktails are $30 each. A running joke during my trip was that we'd go out for cocktail—singular—because they were too expensive to order more than one. After an evening at the photography museum, my friend and I met up with our Swedish friend and host for late-night cocktail and tapas at AG, a meat-focused restaurant and bar tucked away on a side street in Kungsholmen inside an old silver factory.

Some popular and pricey eateries have smaller, casual restaurants attached to them called bakficka, which translates to back or hip pocket. One such restaurant combo that I'd love to visit is Oaxen Krog & Slip on Djurgården. Dine at Krog for a fine dining experience and Slip for casual fare, with both menus focused on seasonal Nordic cuisine.

Another money-saving tip, besides going out for cocktail and eating in bakfika, is to look for restaurants that serve dagens rätt, a daily lunch special that typically includes a main course, salad, bread and coffee. I met up for a $15 dagens lunch with friends at meat-centric Köttbaren in Vasastan. For additional affordable lunch options, try one of the stylish restaurants at Mood Stockholm.

Do

Walk around the harbour and over to Djurgården, a beautiful island dedicated to the pursuit of recreation, culture and fun. The island is home to many of Stockholm's museums, as well as beautiful parkland. My favorite oasis in the middle of the city is Rosendals Trädgård, a garden and cafe in an idyllic setting. Buy a kanelbulle from the cafe and take it into the apple orchard for fika, where you can sit amongst locals sprawling out on blankets or picking wildflowers from the u-pick garden. Rent a bike at the entrance to Djurgården and cycle along the water's edge.

When the weather is warm, escape the city and spend a day or more on an island in the Stockholm Archipelago. It takes only 30 minutes to reach Fjaderholmarna, where you can visit a brewery and enjoy a meal of freshly caught fish.

Rub shoulders with stylish Swedes who could be mistaken for Alexander Skarsgård and Lykke Li at the Acne Studios flagship store. While you can buy Acne anywhere, what better place to pick up their famous Canada scarf than the flagship store housed in a former bank building that was the location of the 1973 bank robbery and hostage situation that gave rise to the term "Stockholm Syndrome"? For outlet pricing, visit Acne Archive in Vasastan.

More must-visit Swedish shops include Byredo for unique fragrances, Rodebjer for progressive women's fashion, Lotta Agaton for housewares {open thursdays only} and H&M-owned brands & Other Stories and COS.

Stay

Check in to one of the many stylish yet pricey hotels around the city. While I stayed in an apartment, I'd stay at any of the Design Hotels properties or either of the Story Hotels. {See our Södermalm Guide for more hotels.}

Photos

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Fika in the orchard at Rosendals Trädgård

Café at Rosendals Trädgård

Greenhouse seating area at Rosendals Trädgård

Street cart liquorice on Djurgården

Köttbaren restaurant

Oaxen Slip restaurant

Vintage café tram on the No 7 Djurgården Line

When to Go

The city is at its best and brightest from May to September, and summer kicks off at Midsummer, when you can join locals in a dance around a maypole and wear a flower crown on your head at the best—and most bohemian—party of the year.

Getting There

Stockholm's Arlanda Airport is located about 40 kms from the city centre. The easiest ways into town include the Arlanda Express train {20 mins/$39} or the Flygbussarna bus {45 mins/$18}. Taxi fares are posted on the side of the cab, but vary according to the taxi company. Look for the best rate instead of the closest cab.

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

Related
Stockholm :: Södermalm Guide
Spotlight :: Helsinki
Spotlight :: Copenhagen {Part 1}
Spotlight :: Copenhagen {Part 2}
Jetset Style :: Scandinavia-Inspired Jackets

[images by @heatherlovesit except oaxen slip via restaurant]

Stockholm :: Södermalm Guide

[trip style = urban]

"I have found my people" I announced on social media after spending just one day in Stockholm, roaming around the city's hippest hood with friends. Popular with young, creative Stockholmers, Södermalm is an urban island known for its trendsetting shops and restaurants heavily influenced by Swedish design. It also has the benefit of being home to some of the most picturesque postcard views of the city. 

Do
Visit Fotografiska—a photography museum housed in an early 1900s industrial building next to the cruise ship docks—and one of Stockholm's most popular attractions for both tourists and locals. I visited on a Saturday night, which turned out to be date night in the dimly lit gallery, evidenced by the couples staring more longingly at each other than the photographs. Stay for brunch or dinner in the restaurant or, during the summer, in the outdoor grill with live music in the evenings.

Browse through carefully curated racks of Swedish clothing and accessories at Grandpa, where I could have spent an hour trying on leather bags by Sandqvist and jackets by Carin Wester, and at Bruno Götgatsbacken, where I found some great pieces by Hope. Don't miss other Swedish shops around the neighborhood like Stutterheim Raincoats, Nudie Jeans, Filippa K, Whyred and Acne Studios.

Eat
The best thing about Sweden, besides the beautiful blondes, might be fika, an afternoon coffee break accompanied by a lil' somethin' sweet. The perfect treat for fika is a kanelbulle {cinnamon bun}, also known as kardemummabulle when the dough contains cardamom. Less sweet than North American cinnamon buns, kanelbullar are topped with pearl sugar instead of icing sugar. Drop by Fabrique {next to Grandpa} to try one. I might even suggest that you stop at every bakery you see for some comparative kardemummabulle shopping. Skip the metro and walk off the calories as you navigate the cobblestone streets to Old Town.

Speaking of sweets, I loved Pärlans Konfektyr, a charming caramel shop inspired by the 1930s and 40s, where you can peek into the kitchen and watch the caramel makers hand wrap flavors like vanilla sea salt, salty licorice and rose.

For something more substantial, pull up a bright yellow and hot pink stool at Urban Deli or one of the other restaurants and cafés surrounding Nytorget Square, like Edith, Gildas Rum or Sardin.

Stay
I was fortunate to stay with a friend in Stockholm, but I spied a few hotels around Söder, like ABBA member Benny Andersson-owned Hotel Rival and more budget-friendly Scandic Malmen. Exploring the city for more than a couple days? Stay in one of the many spacious and stunningly decorated apartments for rent on airbnb.

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

Related
Jetset Style :: Scandinavia-Inspired Jackets
Spotlight :: Copenhagen {Part 1}
Spotlight :: Copenhagen {Part 2}
Spotlight :: Helsinki

[images by @heatherlovesit except fotografiska via museum website, grandpa via store website, parlans via lillenord]

Genius Pack Hack

[trip style = weekend getaway]

Editor's Note: We just added a new member to the TS flight crew: Baby Styler! More details to come shortly.

Packing light is not for every traveler and trip, but with many US carriers charging for checked bags, and now Canadian carriers following suit—I'm looking at you Air Canada and WestJet—traveling with a carry-on LITERALLY makes "cents." 

In addition to saving an average of $25 per bag, bringing a carry-on also simplifies packing and unpacking, reduces airport time and guards against the dreaded moment when your bags don't arrive on the carousel. 

Enter the "pillbox packing" method, found online by Nicole, a TS reader and contributor. Used by The Army and a slew of savvy packers worldwide, this one-minute pack hack eliminates anything unnecessary. {Use this method right, and your efficient packing can still be en vogue!}. 

I'm not suggesting you only pack a T-shirt, underwear, toothbrush and sox for your next one- or two-night getaway; however, I was totally inspired by the simplicity of this method, and have decided a few small modifications {ie: bringing a small toiletries case with make-up and skincare essentials, and wrapping a belt, sweater, skirt, tank top or necklace into the bundle} could take this pack hack from wishful thinking to workable, and still allow me to toss it into my tote. See top and bottom photos for the before and after.   

PS - Find the skirt pictured above in the Trip Styler Store!

Related
Overnight {Without the Baggage}

[photos by @tripstyler]

Spotlight :: Helsinki

[trip style = urban]

Helsinki is a modern and forward-thinking city of design, culture, history and harbour. Design is as intrinsic to Finnish identity as saunas, which are a source of national pride {and public nudity}. The Finns roast themselves to a boiling point before jumping into the Baltic Sea and then repeat the process all over again.

In a country that borders Russia and stretches into the Arctic Circle, Helsinki feels one part Scandinavia and one part Eastern Bloc. It's both edgier and friendlier than its Nordic neighbors, which is admirable in the winter when it sees as little as five hours of daylight. You may want to visit in the early summer, when it sees up to 19 hours of daylight. Don't forget your eye mask!
 

DO
Everything is within walking distance in Helsinki. Charming cobblestone streets connect the must-see churches, parks, art nouveau buildings and design shops. But you'll need an umbrella in a city that sees an average of 191 days of rainfall every year—that's more than Vancouver, but less than Twilight-famous Forks, WA. During my four-day mid-August visit with friends, I experienced sun, rain and hail but I didn't let the weather rain on my parade. As the Finnish say, there's no bad weather, only bad clothing! {Check out our stylish rainwear picks!}

The most engaging and colorful afternoon of our trip was spent at Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art. The best part of the experience was that it was so tactile; we were encouraged as visitors to touch many of the installations, which made us feel like we were breaking the rules. Helsinki's quirky and contemporary cultural scene is so strong that the city is in negotiations to become the next outpost for the Guggenheim Museum.

Architecture enthusiasts will appreciate the churches of Helsinki. The statuesque Helsinki Cathedral sits high above Senate Square and its steep steps are a popular gathering place when the sun is shining. A minimalist escape from the chaos of the city, Kamppi Chapel is a small space made from curved wood and designed for silent prayer and contemplation. Temppeliaukio Church {Rock Church} feels more like a Bond villain's secret lair than a Lutheran church; quarried out of natural bedrock in the 1960s, this famous church welcomes visitors year round.

Don't miss the Design District, an area of 25 streets with 150 boutiques, galleries, antique stores and cafes ripped from the {web}pages of Etsy. Next, stop by tiny Finnish design shop Salakauppa for a modern twist on traditional Finnish footwear, Artek for innovative furniture and Marimekko for housewares, textiles and clothing in the Finnish brand's iconic graphic prints.

EAT
The Finns are the highest consumers of coffee per-capita in the world. In an effort to blend in with the locals, coupled with a bout of bad weather, we had an especially caffeinated visit to the Finnish capital. Our Helsinki motto was "But first, coffee", which led us to multiple cafes a day. Since man cannot live on macchiatos alone, I've included restaurant suggestions to dampen the coffee buzz.

Freese Coffee Co // Friendly staff, fantastic coffee and fresh food can be found at this delightful coffee shop a stone's throw from the Rock Church. This cozy cafe was a haven from a freak hail storm; we shared cakes and thumbed through modern periodicals like Cereal and Lucky Peach while waiting out the storm. {Note: hours are limited, so check before you go!}

Old Market Hall // Eat at Story inside the newly renovated food market or grab candied salmon skewers, a loaf of bread and lingonberry jam and step outside to hop a ferry for Suomenlinna, an 18th-century island fortress popular with locals and visitors.

Sandro // Middle Eastern fare in Finland? Why not? This laid-back restaurant in the hipster Kallio District, born out of a food truck and into a brick and mortar, serves dishes like confit duck burger with pomegranate yogurt and za'atar fatan salad with avocado mousse. After the meal, pop next door to Good Life Coffee for the neighborhood's best brew.
 

STAY
I stayed in an apartment a short tram ride outside the city center {there are lots of cool spaces on airbnb}, but if a boutique stay is more your speed, try Klaus K or Glo Hotel. Whatever you choose, look for accommodations close to the harbor in the Punavuori, Kallio or Centrum districts.

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

Related
Spotlight :: Copenhagen {Part 1}
Spotlight :: Copenhagen {Part 2}
Jetset Style :: Scandinavia-Inspired Jackets
Roam+Board :: Hotel Kakslauttanen
Experience Whistler :: Scandinave Spa

[images by @heatherlovesit & @graceyvr except freese coffee co via kinfolk & story restaurant via retail design blog]