Travel Diary: Chillin' with EOS in NYC
I love NYC so when I get a chance to travel there and hang out with an awesome brand like EOS, it's win/win. I was there for another 24 hour press trip and I thought it would be fun to document my stay in the photo diary you see here. I hope you guys enjoy the layout and getting to know more about the new EOS Crystal lip balm, launching this September.
WHERE TO STAY:
The Ludlow Hotel, 180 Ludlow Street, NY, 10002
WHERE TO EAT:
Dirty French for wicked avocado toast, 180 Ludlow Street, NY, 10002
NoHo SoHo for dinner and tasty cocktails, 9 Crosby Street, New York City, NY 10013
Follow me on my press trip: NYC with Fresh !!
Sensorial Bar at the Fresh Store on Broadway, New York
A quick trip to New York is always a good idea, especially when it's a press trip with Fresh! While there, I had a chance to meet with the owners, attend a product launch for their new Rose Toner and visit their Union Square store on Broadway to do a little bit of shopping. I brought my vlogging camera along and shot a video for you guys so make sure you hit the play button!
NYC TRAVEL DIARY WITH FRESH
PRESS PLAY !!
DAY ONE
I got to New York at noon, checked into the Walker Hotel and had a quick lunch at the Society Cafe before getting ready for the Fresh event. First thing I like to do when I check into my room is take a shower and do a quick face mask it time allows. Flying, no matter how short the distance, always makes me feel gross and leaves my skin feeling dull. For this reason I like to drink lots of water when I travel to keep well hydrated.
THE EVENT: CELEBRATING THE NEW ROSE TONER
The event was so beautiful it was unreal! Fresh roses filled the space and pink drinks flowed aplenty. Make sure you watch my video for the whole experience and for a little surprise announcement for my readers at the end.
WHAT I WORE
Mackage leather jacket
Queen of Hearts Collection tank (available on my shop here)
Frank & Eileen Tee Labs hoodie
Zara jeans
Converse sneakers
Saint Laurent black crossbody bag
Kate Cate leopard print shoulder bag strap
DAY TWO
I skipped breakfast and opted to sleep in since I wasn't feeling the greatest. Regardless, I was super excited to do some shopping at the Fresh store on Broadway! I'm going through a major fragrance phase right now, so I picked up a couple of perfumes, candles, scented bath & shower gels and body lotions. I'm still in awe at how beautiful the store is and the pictures don't do it justice. Make sure you watch my video (at the beginning of the post) to see it come to life! After shopping it was back to the hotel to quickly pack and head back to the airport. It was a short trip but an amazing one no less!
MY FRESH BEAUTY HAUL
As much as I love Fresh skincare, I wanted to try their line of their fragrances and bath and body care line. I opted for the Cannabis Santal perfume and candle since the scent is so unique and beautiful. Try it if you're ever at a Fresh store. Their bath & shower gels are so nicely scented and gentle on the skin so I grabbed a few of those in citrus based scents, a body oil to use post shower, a couple of body lotions and their new Umbrian Clay Treatment Bar. I also got a bottle of their new Rose Deep Hydration Facial Toner to take home and try. It contains two and a half crush roses in each bottle and has hyaluronic acid to keep skin hydrated and plump!
Special thanks to Fresh for this collab.
All photos and video footage by me. Additional pics and footage by Adrienne Fraser.
Affiliate marketing links in this story are used as form of compensation.
HAIR TUTORIAL: ERIN WASSON'S EFFORTLESS BEACHY WAVES
Yesterday I uploaded my first vlog on YouTube. It's a short one but it gives you a behind the scenes look of what happens on press trips like this one with Herbal Essences. Make sure you hit play below and watch it okay? ;)
In this post I'll be talking to you more about the new Bio:Renew line and go through a new hair styling technique I learned from celebrity stylist, Charles Baker Strahan so keep reading.
Bio:Renew is a new premium line from the Herbal Essences family (price range $6.99 - $9.99). It was created to protect hair from daily harmful elements and helps revive dull hair. The line up includes shampoos, conditioners and styling products made with a blend of antioxidants, aloe and sea kelp.
Something I really enjoy about Bio:Renew is its ability to protect the hair from the daily elements that will eventually deteriorate the hair but also the ability to control frizz and create soft manageable hair. The Bio:Renew technology comes from the antioxidant called Histidine, which works for the hair the way superfoods work for the human body. It purifies and protects and by trapping, neutralizing and removing build-up free radicals that weaken hair.
Since the Herbal Essences brand is built on a foundation of natural hair care, I wanted to know a little more:
Is the Bio:Renew line biodegradable?
The majority of each formula is biodegradable. Each formula has a different levels of biodegradability.
Is it 100% natural? If not, can you tell me the percent of natural ingredients.
The Bio:Renew products are not 100% natural. We use the best of nature and science to craft products with amazing performance. Science can do beautiful things!
I read somewhere that all shampoos and the entire product line is safe for colour treated hair. Can you confirm?
Yes - all shampoos and conditioners are colour-safe. Coloured hair will soak up the antioxidants in Bio:Renew to protect from harmful oxidation.
Is there a heat-protecting product in the line up?
There is no specific heat protectant in the lineup. However, conditioners are your best defense for high heat. Applying the Herbal Essences oil-infused crème (Coconut Milk or Argan Oil) to damp hair will leave hair prepared for heat styling.
I have a lot of thick hair thats highly prone to frizz and only certain high end styling products tame. I was surprised to see that Bio:Renew left my hair with the same results as my $30 shampoo and $50 styling creme. I know it's a lot of money I spend on hair care but in my experience, not a lot of hair care is compatible with my hair type (thick and frizzy. Think Hermione from Harry Potter if my hair is au naturel.) Not gonna lie, I was really surprised and happy to see what a drug store product could do for me.
To give you guys a bigger picture, Bio:Renew was created with different hair types in mind in an array of luxury scents. The three models style here by celebrity stylist Charles Baker Strahan went from wavy hair, thin hair and black hair and all ended up with beautiful, shiny, managable bouncy hair.
If you like perfectly-undone-beachy-waves, pay attention to the mini tutorial below to see how Charles gets those gorgeous waves. He's worked on some of my favourite style icons like Erin Wasson and created a similar look on my hair. Since returning back home I have been using the Bio:Renew Argan Oil of Morcocco shampoo and conditioner and I'm still loving it. I've also been styling my hair the way Charles taught me and I find my style lasts longer and is easier to manage.
Click PLAY to learn how to get textured waves.
Click PLAY to watch my NYC vlog.
Photos and video content by Michael Biro and Nathalie Martin.
Hair by Charles Baker Strahan for Herbal Essences.
This post is sponsored by Herbal Essences. All opinions are my own.
TRAVEL DIARY: 24 HOURS IN NYC
As a full time blogger I'm very fortunate to be my own boss. Occasionally I get to partake in fun PR trips to some cool locations with some of my favourite brands. When Herbal Essences emailed me about a quickie NYC trip to check out their latest assortment of hair care, I was pretty excited, especially since I was accompanied by my very dear blogger friend, Michael, globalgarcon.net. We were there for 24 hours so we made the best use of our time checking out the city between PR appointments.
We stayed at gorgeous Bowery Hotel, which has a warm inviting old school vibe with a contemporary twist. Lucky for us our hotel was located in the Lower East Side which felt pretty central to everything. We were a quick 10-15 minute Uber drive from SoHo where we spent a majority of our last day. BTW - I did film a short vlog during my stay but I can't seem to find the footage so stay tuned for that.
By the time 5pm hit, we were en route to La Guardia and headed back to Toronto. I think most cities can be done in a quick 24 hour trip and it's just a matter of how you prioritize your time to see everything. Just go watch an episode of Richard Ayoade's Travel Man for some inspo (his trips are 48 hours but you get the point).
I hope you enjoy this short NYC Travel Diary! Let me know what your favourite places to visit in NYC are so I can get an idea of where to visit the next time I'm there. As always if you like this pictures, be sure to share the love on Pinterest and leave me a comment if you want to see more like this.
WHERE TO STAY
The Bowery Hotel, 335 Bowery NY, located downtown on the Lower East Side. I had the prettiest sunrise view from my 8th floor room. Make sure you order room service, the pancakes where amazing!
BE SURE TO VISIT SoHo
The iconic architecture is even more impressive in person and every corner is just as photogenic from the next. SoHo is fashion mecca for those who love high end fashion. Each corner is scattered with shops like Isabel Marant, Chanel, Saint Laurent, & Other Stories, The Kooples and so on.
WHERE TO EAT
Be sure you stop by Chloe, 240 Lafayette in SoHo. This vegan joint specializes in "fast food" type fare with burgers, fries, salads, cupcakes and smoothies. Make sure you try the guac burger and the beet ketchup with your fries because they're out of this world.
WHAT TO WEAR
Jeans, a leather jacket and a comfortable shoe for walking around NYC. I opted for my Saint Laurent Candy platform boots and my small cross body. The boots surprisingly comfortable and make a statement.
Photography by Michael Biro and Nathalie Martin.
Special thanks to Herbal Essences for the trip to NYC.
NYC STREET STYLE
I love NYC! Who doesn't? While I was only there for a short 24 hours I made the best of my time there and made sure to explore SoHo and stop by vegan hot spot, by Chloe. OMG was that bean guac burger ever amazing! I'll be putting together a mini NYC travel diary together for you guys as well as pics of the Bowery Hotel where I stayed with Herbal Essences.
I also have to shoutout Michael, aka Global Garçon, for taking these pics. I don't know what it is but whenever he gets behind the camera I turn into a different person. I smile more in pics and feel freer in photos. It's probably because we're such goofs when we're together and we're always laughing like two little school girls. If you haven't already, make sure you check out his blog. His personal style is very similar to mine so I know you guys will dig it. Can I just say, if I was a dude, I'm pretty sure I'd dress like him. (Except I'd show more chesticle. LOL) Love you Michael!
I'm wearing: The Kooples leather jacket, Zara jeans, Frank & Eileen plaid Grayson shirt, black v-neck tshirt from my private collection (available on my shop here), Saint Laurent Candy platform boots and small cross body bag, Holt Renfrew beanie, Valentino Rockstud bracelets, David Yurman bracelet and Ray Ban aviators.
SHOP MY LOOK
Photography by Michael Biro, globalgarcon.net
Special thanks to Frank & Eileen for the plaid shirt. All opinions are my own.
Affiliate marketing links in this story are used as form of compensation.
NEW YORK STREET STYLE
Packing for a 48 hour trip to New York was a little daunting in the sense that I wanted to take everything with me and yet I was limited to what I could fit in a carry on. I'm always inclined to pack more than I need "just in case" but also to shoot my outfits for street style photography. I mean, part of the fun in traveling is bringing you guys new content right? After some thought and careful editing, I packed a couple of jeans, leggings, some tees and of course a leather jacket. Shoe wise I went with my trusty ankle boots and these amazing red lace up heels from Town Shoes. I was drawn to this shoe immediately because they're so feminine and have that beautiful lace up detail that's so on trend right now. Even though I'm a shortie standing at 5'4", I feel like these shoes make my legs look super long, which is something every short girl wishes for. They made their debut in NY and next up is Toronto Fashion Week! Where do your shoes take you? ;)
xo, Nathalie
SHOP THE LOOK
PHOTOGRAPHY BY: Diana Aldea
LOCATION: Chelsea, New York City
MY NYC TRAVEL OUTFIT
Bonastare Backpack from NY, boutique, Roztayger.com. (Exact here, currently on sale.)
PHOTOGRAPHY BY: Diana Aldea
LOCATION: Chelsea Market, New York City