Simple Scents-ibility
In a world where perfumes are known for their celebrity endorsements and packaging, it’s easy to forget that fragrances are about personal style and taste. Frau Tonis Parfum in Berlin is a fresh reminder. Step into their minimalist, lab-white shop in Mitte, the city’s centre of hip, and you’ll find an array of simple glass flacons lining the shelves.
Chin Chin Lab's nitro ice cream - just like magic
It’s hot, you’re on holiday, darling little Apple is going into meltdown, you have a headache, you need a quick fix and there’s no kiddy valium at hand. Time to turn to one of life’s simplest pleasures – ice cream, or gelato if you’re feeling Continental, guaranteed to soothe and satisfy both young and old. From good ol’ fashioned ice cream trucks serving brand new flavours to the latest laboratories and their whiz-bang liquid nitro confections, here’s our pick of five places for a deliciously cooling tongue tango.
Capital cottons
Silk pouches, embroidered quilts, brocade throws - what fabulous souvenirs they’d make from your travels through Shanghai and Beijing, if only you could find your way through all the gaudy, mass-manufactured crud being peddled throughout the Middle Kingdom. Well, thank heavens for Shanghai Trio, who set up in their namesake city twelve years ago, and have just opened their first branch in Beijing, dedicated to injecting clean-lined, Franco-Sino sensibility into a range of home linens, apparel and accessories while keeping traditional craft techniques alive.
Bossa vibe, Bossy views at Sunset
Summer’s here, and what better than to kick back on a breezy terrace to while the sultry night away. From a petite Parisian neighbourhood laneway to an oh-so-sexy deck in Istanbul, here are some of our favourite alfresco dinner haunts in Europe. Oh, put those sunnies away, Susan, it’s supper time.
The LUXElife Travel Q&A
Easy, Tiger
The dapper Robert Verdi shares his impeccable tips on travel, life, style and the universe…
Who are you and what are you wearing?
Robert Verdi – TV personality, lifestyle expert and celebrity stylist, having dressed the likes of Eva Longoria and Tony Parker, Hugh Jackman, Terrence Howard, Kathy Griffin, Kristen Wiig, Joy Behar, Ana Ortiz, Sandra Bernhard, Mariska Hargitay, Bobby Flay and Jolie Fisher. I’m wearing sunglasses, always sunglasses!
A red welcome
Old Shanghai hands now often refer to things in the city as ‘pre-Expo’ or ’since the Expo’. Pre-Expo, if you wanted the unique package of piquant Yunnanese dishes and a sultry sip n’ sup spot, you’d have to head out west to Lost Heaven in Shanghai’s Xuhui district. Since the Expo, they’ve opened a four-storey flagship on the Bund, so you can pop in after sightseeing along the expanded walkway (another ’since the Expo’ plus, huzzah!) or post-retail if you’ve been following LUXE Shanghai’s Shopping Itinerary for the Bund.
Wick tease - you know you want it
The summer holiday season is upon us and fabulous London perfumer, Ormonde Jayne, has released a set of scentsational travel candles and perfumes that pass the practical hand carry and style test. Not only are they chic and highly portable, it’s also a guarantee that you’ll always smell as fresh as frangipani, or osmanthus, or jasmine, whether in Bali, Beirut or en route.
Class eco glass at Grasshopper 510
Bucktown, Chicago, it’s a solid, no nonsense name for a once gritty neighbourhood built on the backs of Eastern European immigrants, now tapped with the gentrification wand. Hipsters, yuppies and artists have moved in, century-old clapboard cottages are making way for low-rise lofts and farms have long gone, replaced by funky, out there and independent stores burning bright in the retail and design scene. The main boutique strip of Nth Damen cleaves Bucktown right down the middle, but get your walking boots on for this half-mile of women’s and home style.
Purrrr... Hello, gorgeous
Introducing the ultimate luxury travel accessory. To celebrate the Year of The Tiger, Shanghai Tang and LUXE City Guides have launched the stunning limited edition, heirloom White Tiger Chest - the epitome of style for the discerning and sophisticated traveller. Each individually numbered and engraved collector’s box is handmade in maple and ebony veneer marquetry, lined in kumquat silk satin and contains thirty fabulous LUXE City Guides. Go get it, Tiger!
FREE internet in the desert at Amangiri
As you know, dear reader, if there’s one thing we hate more than being ripped off, it’s being ripped off for life’s essentials. Rather than climbing back onto our high horse following our piece on extortionate hotel and internet charges, we’ve decided instead to shower bouquets on major hotels that do provide free internet. After all, these days, internet = oxygen, and it’s no longer a matter of being able to pay, it’s that hotels shouldn’t be charging in the first place. Kudos then, to the very few major hotel groups that don’t gouge you for getting online.
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