Travel Tuesday Links

Enter to win a dream trip worth over $100K with five or your friends courtesy of Expedia. Paris, anyone? (Facebook)

Find out the next new hottest destination for this spring/summer. (NYMag)

Getting a tax refund? Book a vacation! (USA Today)

Get the secrets to scoring VIP treatment on the road (MSNBC.com)

Zac Posen's Bloody Mary

When we were in Miami the weekend before last, we enjoyed a pre-flight brunch at Rosa Mexicana. Hope ordered a tomatillo and cucumber bloody Mary that was made table side and was deliciously reminiscent of a cup of gazpacho. The experience taught us that a Bloody Mary can mean more than tomato juice and celery (though there's nothing wrong with the original!).

Designer Zac Posen is ahead of that trend, of course, and created two new cocktails to make the most of Belvedere's Bloody Mary, a vodka with flavors of fresh tomato, black pepper, horseradish, bell peppers; chili peppers, lemon and a touch of vinegar. "Brunch can be fabulous when you have the right meal, cocktail and outfit. I’m an avid fan of any brunch occasion so I’m delighted to be working with Le Caprice to create an irresistible menu to complement the new Belvedere Bloody Mary," Posen said.  The cocktails are available at New York's Le Caprice through June 26 or make them at home with the recipes below:

Belvedere Bloody Mary (shown above)
• 60ml Belvedere Bloody Mary
• 60ml tomato juice
• Dash lemon juice
• Tabasco to taste (optional)

Combine ingredients in a highball glass over cubed ice.
Garnish with a lemon wedge and/or celery stick

Belvedere Pineapple Mary
• 1.5oz Belvedere Bloody Mary
• 3oz Fresh Pineapple juice
• 0.75oz Fresh Lime juice
• 2 bar spoon Simple syrup
• 2 dashes Orange bitters
• 1/8 bar spoon Smoked paprika (hot)
Shake and strain all ingredients into a rocks glass filled with cubed ice.

Water for Elephants Review

After the movie and our RPattz sighting with Amber and Dina.

Until last night, I was on Team Jacob. But sitting three rows behind Robert Pattinson at the Water for Elephants' premiere for two hours in the dark of the New York's Zigfeld Theater—and I've seen the light. He's beyond handsome in real life—much more so than on screen—and fills out a white shirt very nicely.

So how was the movie? I read the book and am about the only person I know who wasn't a huge fan. The author of the book is a woman and the narrator, Jacob, (RPattz in the movie), always felt flat and forced to me on paper. On screen that wasn't an issue. Add in a very Marlene Dietrich-esque Reese Witherspoon, gorgeous clothes and a frisky elephant who can't keep her hands off Robert and it makes for a very enjoyable, if slightly slow, two hours. I'm sure this movie will be a huge hit thanks to all the legions of RPattz fans.

Now, back to Robert Pattinson, the person. He seemed nervous while watching the film. (I can only imagine what it's like to see yourself and months of hard work on the big screen in front of an audience!) He ran his fingers through his hair several times, fidgeted a lot and even got up to get his own popcorn (Dina walked by right by him on her way back from the ladies!!). He was at the premiere with girlfriend Kristen Stewart, who is just on this side of painfully skinny--you can see the outline of her shoulder bones clearly. They didn't smooch or even chat much during the movie. I think it's a sign they're not happy together—giving hope to the rest of us!

We also saw Reese Witherspoon at the premiere. She was originally seated behind RPattz, but her handlers moved her shortly after the movie started and we didn't see her again. He's so tall, maybe she couldn't see the screen?

A big thanks to Dove Visible Care Body Wash, which sponsored the red carpet at the Water for Elephants screening and kindly extended my invitation. As Megan from Daily Makeover pointed out, at one point in the movie, Robert Pattinson's character says, "The first thing you notice about a woman is her skin." I've long been a fan of Dove body washes and Visible Care is a new favorite. It really does leave my skin feeling softer and more moisturized after every shower.

Estée Lauder Sumptuous Extreme Mascara

We try so many mascaras, it isn't easy for one to stand out. Estée Lauder's Sumptuous Extreme Mascara did just that. It does a bang up job of volumizing your lashes without the usual problems that go with it like flaking and smearing. We took a couple of passes through our lashes to smooth out the occasional clumps. At $23.50, it's more expensive than your drugstore alternatives; but the results are worth it. Lastly, we know packaging is far from the most important product feature, but Sumptuous Extreme comes in a show-me-off gold tube. Look for Estée Lauder gifts with purchase this month at Nordstrom, Lord and Taylor, and Macy's.

This review was based on a free sample.

I am just saying...

...I can't be the only horror fan who saw the (ugh dreadful) cover for the new Lady Gaga album:


...and immediately thought of this:



youfeelme?

awesome movie poster friday - the SCREAM edition!

Now, before you go getting all "Oooh, an Awesome Movie Poster Friday celebrating the beloved Scream series, coinciding with the release of Scream 4! How...4tuitous!", let me just say: that is not really what this AMPF is. I wanted to do a Scream series tribute but let's face it: the posters for the Scream films largely suck. In fact, if you'll remember (or click this link to learn), my scientific research has shown that Scream 2 is directly responsible for the sorry sorry state of the modern horror movie poster- a pit of Photoshopped, fresh-faced blandness that we're only just beginning to crawl out of several years later. At least there's a tiny effort being made with the posters for Scream 4, but I still hear the sad echoes of "wasted opportunity" when I close my eyes.



Ah...just imagine what the art could have been if Scream had been made in 1981. *tear*

The worst offender, I think, is this one sheet of fuckery for Scream 2. Come on, Germany, what is this? Who is this? It's like Neve Campbell and Amanda Seyfried had a baby and then they made a Bratz doll out of the baby and then they dipped the Bratz doll baby in bronzer.



So, no. This AMPF is not dedicated solely to the Scream films...but it is dedicated to films that scream. Hooray!

On Our Radar: W London

If all this talk about the royal wedding has you thinking about making a trip across the pond, here's another reason: The newly opened W London - Leicester Square Hotel. The hotel is centrally located near the West End theaters (The upcoming Batman is another reason to head to London this summer) and the shopping on Regents and Oxford Streets.

In the Wonderful rooms the sinks are in the middle, a take on the American trend of putting tubs in the center of the room. (The shower is behind closed doors.) The rooms feature Bliss spa products and iPod docs.

When it's time to party, you can hit the Wyld Club or the Lounge Bar. There's a branch of NYC's Spice Market in the hotel for meals that are both delicious, fun and sexy.

Ready to go? When you book two nights, the third is free. Get ready to call in sick that Monday!