At T+L, we couldn’t be more thrilled about Baha Mar—the $3.5 billion resort project that opens December 2014 in the Bahamian Riviera. A few reasons why:
• 2,200 gorgeous hotel rooms in five new hotels: a Rosewood, Mondrian, Morgans, Hyatt, and the Baha Mar Casino.
• An uber-luxe ESPA with 30,000 square feet for pampering.
• First-rate local art throughout the property, thanks to a partnership with the National Art Gallery of the Bahamas.
• 8,000 new jobs for Bahaman citizens, and an estimated $11.2 million added to the country’s GDP over a 20-year period.
• Oh, and did we mention Bahaman Lenny Kravitz is helping design the nightclub?
Pros: Jean Claude Ellena, exclusive perfumer for Hermès and author of the recent The Diary of a Nose: A Year in the Life of a Parfumeur (Rizzoli), has infused their latest scent with floral notes—including gardenia and sweet pea. When I wear it I feel instantly transported: like I’m taking a late spring walk through the garden at Giverny, my paint set in one hand and a picnic in the other. It's heaven!
Cons: The bottle is gorgeous, but a bit heavy for a carry-on (I guess that's what atomizers are for).
Verdict: Packable.
Kathryn O'Shea-Evans is an associate editor at Travel + Leisure.
Pros: According to the press release, "93% of women saw visibly rejuvenated, smoother, and more luminous skin" using this mask—and I did too! After 20 minutes my winter-parched skin looked dewy and glowing—better results than I've ever had with a facialist.
Cons: You're going to want to use this in total privacy, as you'll look like you're wearing a slimy hockey mask. It's hilarious!
Verdict: Packable.
Kathryn O'Shea-Evans is an Associate Editor at Travel + Leisure.
Pros: So easy. I just placed a strip on my upper teeth and in 10 minutes my smile looked brighter. Because they dissolve (no messy trays, no drooling!) I'll definitely use them on planes, trains, and automobiles so I arrive looking my best.
Cons: Mine didn't dissolve completely, so I had to brush my teeth afterward. A small price to pay for beauty!
Verdict: Packable.
Kathryn O'Shea-Evans is an associate editor at Travel + Leisure.
Pros: It's made with ingredient du jour Moroccon Argan oil—"loaded with vitamin E, antioxidants and omega 3 and 9 fatty acids." I love the packaging (sleek pink and black); plus the fact that the mascara stays on all day but rinses away easily with soap and water.
Cons: It's very clumpy right out of the tube, but personally I like that. Gives my delicate Irish lashes a little Liz Taylor-esque ooph!
Verdict: Packable.
Kathryn O'Shea-Evans is an associate editor at Travel + Leisure.
Are the latest beauty and wellness products worthy of a spot in your teensy carry-on? T+L Associate Editor Kathryn O’Shea-Evans shares her take.
The Product: Aveda Stress-Fix Concentrate, $22.
Pros: The lipstick-sized rollerball dispenses a highly-soothing blend of essential oils (French lavender, lavandin, and clary sage are sustainably derived from the sun-lit fields of northern Provence). Perfect for pre-flight jitters or a jet lag sleep aid.
Cons: Unfortunately, the scent didn’t last on my skin longer than ten minutes (probably because it’s all natural and not filled with chemicals… perhaps that’s actually a pro?).
Verdict: Packable.
Kathryn O'Shea-Evans is an associate editor at Travel + Leisure.
Calling all cruisers: yesterday in New York at its State of the Industry Conference, Cruise Line International Association (CLIA) released some very exciting news. The industry is moving full steam ahead: bookings are up (this year CLIA expects 17.6 million passengers in North America alone),cruises in Asia are expanding to meet the needs of China’s burgeoning middle class (there will be 7 million Chinese cruisers a year by 2020, according to Carnival Asia Chairman and CEO Pier Luigi Foschi), and nearly every line is introducing a new ship or revamp of some sort (read more in T+L Cruise Editor Jane Wooldridge’s recent piece).
Wondering where to go next? These two initiatives from CLIA may help you decide:
In See the World Beautiful (Glitterati; $85), photographer and frequent T+L contributor Anne Menke focuses her eagle eye on Mongolian horsemen, Sioux teenagers, and other style-rich cultures.
Euro crisis be damned: Portugal’s capital city is loaded with style, sophistication, and old-world pleasures. For the ultimate insider tour, we turned to Alexandra Champalimaud, a Lisbon native and the interior designer who recently revamped L.A.’s Hotel Bel-Air and is working on London’s Dorchester. Her first stop? Taberna Moderna(18A Rua dos Bacalhoeiros; $$), a Portuguese and Galician tapas restaurant in the historic Alfama district. Scroll down for more of Champalimaud’s expert picks.
Stay
“When visitors can’t fit in my apartment I have them stay at Chiado16(16-17 Largo da Academia Nacional de Belas Artes; $), a guesthouse perched on a hill in the Chiado district.”
Eat
“The wonderfully unfussy Kaffeehaus(3 Rua Anchieta;$$) is the place for brunch. Order a galão (a foamy espresso).”
“I appease my sweet tooth at Pastéis de Belém(84-92 Rua de Belém) a cozy café known for its traditional custard tarts.”
“A new restaurant in the Museum of Pharmacy, Pharmacia(1 Rua Marechal Saldanha; 351/213-462-146;$$) has inventive dishes and drinks. Get the Ibuprofen cocktail, with cachaça and lemon juice.”
Kathryn O'Shea-Evans is an associate editor at Travel + Leisure.
