Rosa Cha at Claro Rio Summer 2008 Fashion Event

Brazil is not just one of the hottest travel destinations, but it is known for its hot fashion as well. For Claro Rio Summer 2008 fashion event, Amir Slama certainly spiced up the runway with his newest Rosa Cha collection in Forte de Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The collection features flowy beach cover ups, bandeau tops and a rich tempting color palette of pink, deep blue and exotic prints as well as shimmering silver. The runway was absolutely stunning as the models walked on water with their heels for a splashing hot runway show. You can watch the video of the runway show after the photos below.

*Rosa Cha Claro Rio Summer 2008, Brazil

Cleopatra’s Soft Secret: Milk Baths

Throughout history, it has been widely written that Cleopatra bathed herself in milk baths almost every day. The Queen of Nile had the most radiant, soft and young skin and for this, she was known worldwide for her beauty. Today, Cleopatra is still the glowing icon that many women look up to for beauty tips. Even if it means digging in Egyptian BC history. Milk baths however haven’t just been used by Cleopatra. Elizabeth I of England and Elisabeth of Bavaria both have acclaimed the beautifying secret of bathing in milk.

Milk baths utilize lactic acid which dissolves the proteins holding together the dead skin cells and thus, exfoliates the skin. The rejuvenating baths help to exfoliate, soften and smooth the skin, accelerate the skin cell renewal and moisturize and relieve stress. What is crucial though is the use of fresh milk!

Making a milk bath at home is not a hard task and most importantly, it is a misconception that one needs to fill up the entire bathtub with fresh milk. You only need to pour a couple of cups of fresh milk into the tub as the warm water is filling. In general, two to three cups of milk is enough but you may use as much as you want. You may also use milk powder if you would like. For the honey, you may add one or two teaspoons to add fragrance and nutrients to the water. You can also add sea salts, which I love to do, and any other oils you like. You can also add petals and flowers in the tub for that extra sensual luxury and romantic appeal. Definitely worthy of a Queen!

Some people say that the milk baths leave their skin way too oily. You can use fat free milk instead. The oily skin just means that your skin got very moisturized which is a great thing because it cleansed better and you do not need to apply additional moisturizer after your bath.

As an alternative, you can always buy milk powder or milk bath products from beauty stores. Just make sure it is organic and fresh! You may find milk baths in many delicious flavours such as strawberries, vanilla, lavender and the yummy chocolate. I should also note that cleaning your bathtub is a bit inconvenient after your milk bath, but your baby soft skin is certainly worth it!

Power Catamarans: New, Hot and Fast

Power catamarans may be a recent addition to the popular yacht market but they have been in existance for a very long time. The catamaran was first discovered to be used in a small fishing community in the southern coast of Tamil Nadu, India in the 5th century AD. The development of the power catamaran incorporates the best features of the motor yacht combined with the multihull characteristic. Nathanael Herreshoff designed a racing catamaran in 1876, which was banned by the New York Yacht Club because it was actually too fast.

In fact, power catamarans or power cats, are known for their increased speed, more space, and less expensive engines. Another attractive feature of these power cats is their stability. Because of their double hulls and greater beam, the catamarans offer a steadiness that single-hull yachts cannot offer. However, the larger beam is one of its disadvantages since many marinas simply cannot fit you.

The catamaran design remains relatively young and so, there is a great future for experimentation compared to the monohull yachts. There are already  power cats with hydrofoils, power cats that rely on solar energy and even power cats that look like single hulls above the water because of its faux bows feature. The market for power cats is still in its early stages but we see a growing trend and popular interest is on the definite increase.

The faster speed and increased space combined with the attractive lower costs attract many yacht lovers, but as for any other new market, make sure you do your research and examine your options carefully, talk to power cat owners, and most importantly take you time and find what best suits you!

As for my opinion, I can definitely state that I love these power cats! Ever since sailing in the Caribbean in one of these beauties, I fell in love. It offers great space and the speed is unbelievable! Yes, it can be harder for single-hull yacht owners to adjust since it is much larger and it sure feels different when you sail it; both because of its better steadiness and quicker loping motion compared to single-hulls. One thing is for certain, power cats are truly attractive and their design offers that little extra adventurous visage that is so appealing.

Some of the Current Power Cats: Aeroyacht are French builders that offer many sailing cats, but the Blubay TC 45 is a high performance hydrofoil power cat. Fountaine Pajot are a well known French company that offer power cats from 35 feet to 55 feet, including the Summerland 40 motoryacht. The Brazilian builders Sunboats offer mega hot luxurious catamarans from 83 feet to 155 feet, with features such as helipads and the ability to beach the yacht, the two pictures you see here show the Sunboats with these two hot features. With a slogan of “These are the yachts Da Vinci would have designed,” the Italian builders BRB yachts offer great layouts such as the three cabin layout with the master suite filling one entire hull and the four stateroom version of the 62 feet power cat.

Yacht Destination: Bermuda

Known as the boating capital of the Atlantic, the northern most coral reef beauty Bermuda is a hot yacht destination. Bermuda’s close destination to the United States and strategic transatlantic location make is a prime destination for yachting lovers. Bermuda’s low key nightlife differentiate it from its Caribbean neighbors and thus, make it more exciting for yachting. The entertainment on the island centers around gathering at a local pub for some tasty Rum or taking part in one of the islands’ many sailing regattas. The most famous is the biannual 635-mile Newport-Bermuda Yacht Races which just celebrated its 100th anniversary. Imagine sailing away to an isolated island with pink sandy beaches, turquoise crystal waters and rich unspoiled nature. Legislators of the island are very careful to keep this island gem as perfect as possible by imposing environmental measures such as having only one car per household and that tourists are allowed to drive only scooters inland. Most yachts stay for only a week going around the three major harbors: the historic St. George which was Bermuda’s first capital, the Royal Naval Dockyard, and the present capital city of Hamilton.

You don’t have a yacht yet but enjoy sailing? Don’t worry! There are great charter sailing services in this yachting island. I recommend SailBermuda.com which uses a 51ft sail boat “Shekynah” for charter sail and snorkeling. You can find the contact info and rates on their website and begin your great sailing adventure in the exciting Bermudian waters.

Things to See: Bermuda is known for its pink sand beaches and so, it is a definite must to spend a lot of time under the sun on the pristine soft pinkish sand. The nature of the island is absolutely stunning and you will find many secluded coves and and lagoons. In these breath-taking paradise hide-aways you can enjoy private time swimming in the warm azure waters. Bike rides or hiking is an excitement on the island as there are many lush gardens with lilies and hibiscus and unspoiled forests. You can actually walk the entire island on the remains of the railway trail which was in existence for only 17 years until 1948. Main attractions are the Bermuda zoo, the Botanical Gardens, the Aquarium and the Maritime Museum in the Royal Naval Dockyard. For all scuba divers, Bermuda is a true paradise as it has many ship wrecks and coral reefs with unlimited visibility in the crystal clear waters. Bermuda consists of 150 small islands which are formed from the exposed peaks of the underwater volcanic mountain. You can discover all of their beauty and be amazed at how small some of them are.

How far: The sailing time to Bermuda from New York is approximately five and a half days on a 40ft yacht as the distance between the two is 1284 km. And from North Carolina to Bermuda it can be as short as 36 hours on a 140ft yacht as it is 1030 km away.

Caribbean Blue Beauty: Larimar

Larimar is one of the most unique and rare gemstones in the world as it can be found in only one location on our planet; the Dominican Republic. This Caribbean Island is a jewel on its own with its white, soft sandy beaches and unspoiled, rich nature but it is also the only home of the blue jewel beauty. The legend of Larimar has it that people on the island used to collect the blue gemstones on the beach until one day they could not find them anymore. Therefore, they started to explore upstream and came across a rock formation which was the source of the precious beauties. The natives called the stone “Blue Stone” as they believed that it came from the clear blue sea. But in 1974, the Dominican Miguel Méndez while walking on the Dominican beach saw a flash of the blue gemstone and called it Larimar, taking his daughter’s name Larissa and combining it with the Spanish word for sea “mar.”

Larimar is a variety of pectolite and it is thought that the stones may have formed as a result of volcanic eruptions. Although pectolites may be common, the unique blue color, also called the volcanic blue, is what makes Larimar so incredibly precious. The rare jewel is used in jewellery for necklaces, rings, earrings and bracelets. It is usually combined with silver but higher grade stones can be also produced in gold. The colors of Larimar vary from white, light blue, green-blue and deep blue also known as volcanic blue. The quality grading is according to the color, with white being the lower grade and volcanic blue is the highest grade. Larimar is a true Caribbean beauty. Its blue charm and rare quality will make an everlasting impression on you and having this jewel will forever remind you of the turquoise waters of this far paradise.

Water Jewellery: Carolina Bucci Exclusive Limited Edition

The Florence-born and raised jewellery designer, Carolina Bucci has created a limited edition collection to support WaterAid’s work. WaterAid is a charity which helps some of the world’s poorest people to have access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene education. The exclusive jewellery Italian designer has created two pieces; a drop pendant necklace and a bracelet, both of which will be on sale from the end of July until the end of December of 2008.

The lucky tie bracelet is made of 18 carat gold and soft grey silk and it is priced at £295. Each bracelet bought would guarantee safe water and sanitation to a family of four. The drop shaped pendant necklace is made of 18 carat gold and covered with white and blue diamonds, costing £2595. An entire village is equipped with a lasting supply of safe water and sanitation when somebody buys one of these necklaces.

“I am really excited to be collaborating with WaterAid on these pieces of jewellery”, says Carolina. “WaterAid’s vision of a world where everyone has access to clean water and sanitation is one which I believe passionately in.”

The beautiful pieces are available from the Carolina Bucci boutiques, Browns and other selected retailers worldwide. For more information, visit her website.

Gisele Goes Green to Support the Atlantic Forest with Ipanema Sandals

Supermodel Gisele Bundchen has launched an Ipanema 2009 Sandal Collection in support of the Atlantic forest. The Brazilian beauty with an even more beautiful heart has teamed up with Grendene, which is the mother company of Ipanema, to develop a special project with SOS Mata Atlântica. SOS Mata Atlântica is a program that supports the gallery forest which is the vegetation surrounding the rivers and streams and which also helps in the protection of water. Each Ipanema sandal sold will help to plant 25, 500 saplings from the 100 different species of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest.

Sadly, only 10 percent of the Atlantic Forest remains as more than two dozen Critically Endangered vertebrate species are barely surviving. The Atlantic Forest or Mata Atlântica stretches along Brazil’s Atlantic coast, from Rio Grande do Norte to Rio Grande do Sul. It has an extremely diverse and unique mix of vegetation, forest types and bird and animal species, including the red-billed curassow, the Brazilian merganser, and the southern muriqui (pictured left) which is one of the most threatened primates in the region. You can visit here for more detail on the unique biodiversity which is greatly endangered.

Below are some of the photos of Gisele and the video for the ad campaign.

* Gisele Bundchen – Sementes

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