Travel-Sized Beauty Products

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As the winter holidays approach, so does the travel! With the fees airlines charge for checked baggage, I often try to just bring a carry-on for quick trips. This means I have to pack my entire vanity with me. It's hard to pack up all of my must-have beauty and hygiene products because they are not all available in travel-size. Do you ever have this dilemma? Is there anything you just can't live without?

Thankfully, when it comes to hair products, Aveda sells many trial-sized products at their salons and online. This allows me to have my must-haves in miniature. With airline security restrictions, this also allows me to abide by the 3.4 fl oz rule...and saves room!

I find that bringing this piece of home with me is important. I want to feel my best and that means not changing my beauty routines.

It's really about putting your best foot forward -- for a wedding, business trip or simply a rare trip home to visit family. Below are photos of my Cath Kidston small cosmetic bag and my larger Vera Bradley toiletry bag -- they are toted around for many, many whirlwind weekend trips! What totes do you use?

Share your packing tips here when it comes to your makeup, toiletries and hygiene products.

Cath Kidston Cosmetic Bag

Vera Bradley Beauty Tote

Italy Train Travel

View of Ponte Vecchio from
bedroom window '03

I find myself pining for the trains I took during my study abroad in Florence several years ago. However, now seems to be the time for high-speed train travel in Italy with the recent opening of the first private train company in Europe referred to as the NTV (Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori) Italo.

This train offers three class options. Take a tour of the smart, prima and club classes. With 12 stops in Italy on the route, you can get to your destination quickly, comfortably and all on a train system that emphasizes environmental sustainability.

Often, I would take the train between Florence and Rome. How I wish I could have traveled in the luxury of this train! According to the current schedule, it takes only 1 hour and 25 minutes to get from Florence to Rome. One fabulous city to another in no time. 

I can easily picture Cary Grant ordering his Eataly lunchbox in the club class, enjoying the wi-fi on his laptop and gazing out of the oversized windows.

I cannot wait to make it back to Italy and travel on the NTV. Those who have NTV Italo experience, please post your comments! 

Paris Guest Post: Le Train Bleu

                                                Bottom photo of Big Ben Bar from Le Train Bleu.  
                                                             All others by Styleaspirations

Greetings!  This is Styleaspirations filling in as your guest writer.  I recently traveled to Paris and was asked by Traveler to write a post about my travels for The Gray Suit, quite an honor!  Since Traveler is particularly enamored with train travel, I knew that I must highlight one of my favorite spots in Paris, Le Train Bleu.

Le Train Bleu is a destination that delights all ages.  When I first read about this restaurant overlooking the Gare de Lyon train station, I thought it would be the perfect destination for my toddler son, who adores trains.  So I made a reservation "for my son," but the experience turned out to be one of My favorites. 

Le Train Bleu has an illustrious history as a dining favorite of Coco Chanel, Brigitte Bardot, Jean Cocteau, and Salvador Dali.  It was inaugurated in 1901 by Emile Loubet, the President of the French Republic.  The experience of a meal at Le Train Bleu certainly embodies the sort of grandeur that one would associate with these icons.

Walking into Le Train Bleu felt like being transported to a more gracious time.  The splendor of the space was replete with ornate gold architecture and a literal red carpet running down the restaurant aisle.  Waiters were dressed for the occasion in black tuxedos.  The ceilings were covered with 41 beautiful paintings depicting landscapes traversed by European trains.  We were comfortably seated in cranberry leather tufted chairs and banquettes.  The atmosphere would be entertaining enough with just these features, but we had the added bonus of a window seat overlooking the Gare de Lyon train station.  We excitedly watched the "fast trains" that transport passengers to destinations all over Europe arrive and depart and the passengers scurrying to and fro.

The cuisine was as exquisite as the space, with offerings ranging from escargot to beef steak tartare.  My son tried foie gras for the first time, served with a delectable red onion marmalade accompanied by black currants; he saw fit to pronounce it as "peanut butter and jelly!"  The mashed potatoes with fresh Tomme cheese were heavenly.  I had perhaps the best dessert of my entire trip in Paris at Le Train Bleu, a bourbon vanilla layer cake, also known in France as a Mille-feuille or Napoleon.  Creamy bourbon flavored vanilla cream was layered in between sheets of puff pastry dough.  The excellence of this dessert, however, was easily matched by the tangy lemon and lime tart with a most buttery crust.  The dessert section of Le Train Bleu's menu is titled "Indulgences."  Indeed!

One of the highlights of my trip to Le Train Bleu was the discovery of a hallway and lounge area for weary travelers, which I later learned is called "The Big Ben Bar."  Again, it seemed like this space appeared from another time.  A hallway with sumptuous leather chairs led to a room outfitted with more comfortable leather chairs and people quietly sipping coffee and cocktails, reading and presumably waiting for their departing trains to arrive at the station.  It was the sort of place where I could imagine Cary Grant and his confidantes passing time before boarding their trains.  If I hadn't wandered back through the hall of Le Train Bleu in search of the ladies' room, I may have never learned of this special room. 

If you're in Paris, I highly recommend a trip to Le Train Bleu.  Dining there isn't just a meal, but truly a treasured experience!  In the restaurant's own words, it is "A Veritable Initiation to Travel."  I'll be sharing more of my Paris travel discoveries on Styleaspirations.com, so please join me there!

What are some of your favorite discoveries made while traveling?

MGM copyright

Sunbeam Alpine Mk 3 model 

Like Grace Kelly in To Catch A Thief, I daydream of navigating roads that look upon a gorgeous coastline (pink-chiffon scarf included). The French Riviera, a Florentine sidestreet or the Tuscan countryside - I'm ready for an escape! Drive along with me as I share my classic car rental finds. They have not been tested out by me but are on the radar if I'm lucky enough to ever get the keys!

Care for Nice, Monaco and Cannes? Browse the cars at this French Riviera rental!

I recently saw Florence's 500 Touring Club advertised in Conde Nast Traveler and thought the Fiats were adorable. I think I have a car crush on Sergio.

If you want to venture to the Tuscan countryside, the Chianti Classic Car company looks like an option for some dreamy drives along wine country.

Have you ever rented any car while abroad? How was the experiecne of driving in a different country? And have you ever rented a classic car (maybe for a wedding)? Did you feel transported back in time?

The Gray Suit Visits Style Aspirations

I just posted as a guest writer on my friend's Style Aspirations site. Learn more about virtual items you can pack for your trip --- this time specifically for Paris. Save space in your bag by packing on the apps and leaving room for your beloved fashion finds! Read my guest post and learn more about this shopping app (featured left). Later, I'll have the Style Aspirations writer post something about one of her Parisian finds!

Image of blog.ricksteves.com
Visit his blog! 

The idea of an audio tour you might experience in a museum has now been borrowed for travel guidebooks! Rick Steves has apps for Apple and Android products. You can download floor plans of a museum, download an audio tour of the Sistine Chapel and a walking tour of Vienna. Listen to Rick Steves' overview of his app offerings.  

No longer do you need to bury your head in a book, you can listen to his information and musings as you are looking at the scenery, art work or buildings. Brilliant!

Now, as a writer and romantic, it is hard to admit that books are going virtual - but I believe there still is a place for books, and I enjoy reading them thoroughly before a trip while planning an itinerary. But on-the-spot audio information is invaluable and saves space in your bag!

This page will guide you to the app store -- download, listen, learn and enjoy! Share any other apps you find useful for travel and/or other guide book companies whose apps you use!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/heshimakenya

Do you like to bring a piece of clothing from another part of the world to your own home? What if you could order a beautiful scarf that was made in Africa - that also had a great cause and story behind it? 

Maisha Collective description from their site.

The Maisha Collective empowers refugee girls and young women from DR Congo, Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan, and Burundi with economic opportunities to rebuild their lives with peace and dignity. By managing a business collective that designs and produces a line of unique tie and dye scarves, participants gain life-long business and marketing skills that develop their confidence and prepare them for future independence. The power of purchase inspires their journey to support, empower, and ultimately protect other young refugee women.

All profits are reinvested into the Maisha Collective and support the participants’ success in Heshima Kenya’s programs. 

Browse scarves here, place your order, and support this cause! Add elegance to your wardrobe. I think Grace Kelly would approve, don't you?!

Vacation is official with the first toast to getting away from it all. During your travels, do you ever take note of a local wine, brew or liquor? 

Wine journals and cocktail diaries are helpful for when you're out and want to jot down your new find. If you cannot pack a bottle in your luggage, at least you'll have a name to look out for in future trips or at home.

If without a proper diary or journal, at least remember to carry a pen and scrap paper (or napkin) and write down a note! Who would ever want to forget the white wine from Santorini or gin from West Virginia?

Cheers to my fellow travelers who enjoy the finer things in life! Take a look at these "Cary Grant Cocktails". Enjoy!

Share and send along suggested spirits we should try with our next meal when we want to transport ourselves and toast another corner of the world.

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Cell phones/mobiles. They are omnipresent. If you're lost, you can find maps. If you need help, you can instantly call for backup. How could we live without them?

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However, there are times when the old phone booth conjures a romantic appeal. A tower of sanctuary where the conversation remained private - a shroud of mystery surrounding each caller. In old films, you might see a few accessories that were carried by characters - but you will not see a cell phone, laptop or e-reader. Instead, you'd find an engraved cigarette lighter or a gold, flower-shaped compact.

Fashion designer, Tom Ford, once said "For me, fashion doesn't stop at clothes." So if we think about all the accessories we carry as an extension of our outfit and style - then should we consider items such as cell phone covers? 

copyright MGM

If Cary Grant did not have to dash to the phone booth but instead carried a mobile - you better believe he would consider every detail of the suit his phone wore. What do you use? Is it a naked gadget in your hands or do you have covers you alternate between, depending upon the setting and circumstance? Or are you practical, buying the most industrious ones?

calypsocrystal.com

I enjoy this handsome leather one titled "Teatime in Lisbon" by CalypsoCase. Who could resist the name and color? Though instead of tea, I am immediately placed on the train or a wood-paneled lobby with nearby clinks of gin cocktails. 

cathkidston.co.uk

For a more whimsical and feminine touch, I adore the elegant Hampton Rose pattern of Cath Kidston's phone case. It would compliment any of her oilcloth purses, and if you had to check the time at high tea, it would fit the setting quite well. 

Cary Grant’s iconic gray suit from Hitchcock’s North By Northwest is still as classy today as it was when it journeyed through train stations and those notorious crop fields. Cary Grant’s character didn’t bring a change of clothes or luggage because he had to spontaneously escape. But who needs a spare change of clothes when you are dressed like Cary Grant? His gray suit works for business, adventure and leisure.

A tip of the fedora to Eva Marie Saint! 
(copyright MGM Studios)

As I start this blog community to bring travelers together, I toast Cary Grant's effortless style with his chosen Gibson cocktail.

If you had to wear one outfit for a spontaneous long weekend get-away and could not bring any other wardrobe items, what would you wear and why?

Zara.com

As we are in the start of autumn, I'm thinking I'd include: a Zara trench coat to channel any noir-intrigue along the way, a Loft retro-chic dress and Puma sporty flats because they can handle cobbled stones and any running I might need to do from mysterious agents on the train! I realize Hitchcock and most women would prefer heels or boots, but I'm a sure-footed rebel.

What outfit would suit your needs the most? Do you travel more for business, adventure or leisure? Share here. Let's create a one-outfit trip together!
                             

   

Wallpaper image from MGM Studios