Tag Archives: travel fashion

Fun Jewels on Loan with Rocksbox

rocksbox

Have you ever heard of Rocksbox? It’s a new discovery I have found that I simple adore. Rocksbox is a premium jewelry subscription box where you become a “Shine Insider” and rent from an ever-changing inventory of designer jewelry – unlimited – for as little as $19 a month. As a frequent traveler, jewelry is one of the smallest, easiest and best ways to change-up an outfit so I love the idea of borrowing items for trips. AND it’s as easy as 1-2-3 to sign up. Look…

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rocksbox

 

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As a “Shine Insider” you get $10 every month to apply toward anything you’d like to purchase from your Rocksbox at an “Insider” discounted price. You may be thinking where’s the catch… there is NONE. Your Rocksbox is shipped free to you with a free pre-paid return label for when you are ready to ship your jewels back. The wish list process is simple. You take a survey to help curate your style. Next, you can look at every option or narrow your options down by your interests. For example, I almost always wear the same earrings so I only chose rings, bracelets and necklaces for my wish list. You can leave feedback expressing specific things or you can leave it up to a Rocksbox stylist to curate your box. I left it up to the stylist and was so excited to receive my first box. I was not disappointed. It was like receiving a birthday gift.

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The Rocksbox arrived in a darling sturdy box with a big ribbon bow to untie. Once you open it up there’s a personalized note from the stylist. I was super impressed with the quality and presentation of everything in my Rocksbox and have literally worn the two items that the stylist chose for me almost daily.

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Even better, Rocksbox asked me to be a #RBItGirl and that means YOU can try Rocksbox for free for your first month using my promo code LAURENDIXOXO. I can’t wait to receive my second Rocksbox soon. Watch my Instagram to see what the stylists selected for me next!

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Rocksbox treated me to a three-month trial subscription so I could review and share my thoughts on their service. I LOVE IT – it is completely LOLA APPROVED!

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Filed under fashion, travel

Best Traveled Dress

I travel a lot. And I’m often asked about travel essentials and how and what I choose to pack. There are few staples depending upon the climate but there is one standout dress that seems to accompany me almost everywhere for the last five years and is still going strong!

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The Calypso Classic Ro Dress. Calypso St. Barth is a favorite store of mine found in some lucky locales throughout the USA and, of course, the original in St. Barth. I’ve visited a few but the Boston store is where I do the most damage. Five years ago or so I bought my first Ro dress and knew instantly what a great staple dress this was but since have truly learned it’s value. (The classic Ro dress retails at $195)

I have worn it as going out nighttime dress, a touring day dress, a beach cover up or just something to quickly throw on. This is a dress that keeps you cool and comfortable. It’s a dress that consistently gets complimented. It is a dress that’s forgiving – I think it would look good on anyone. Best of all, you can machine wash it or, in times of necessity, hand wash it in a sink. It looks great with a casual denim jacket or cardigan. It can be worn with leggings and boots. Mine has gone on fancy dinner dates, out dancing at clubs or just chilling at beach bars. Plus, obviously, it travels well in your bag. It is my go-to everything dress!

This dress has literally traveled the globe with me. It’s been to Miami virtually every time I go. Hello cover up or a dress to throw on for lunch. Same idea for Hawaii and Palm Springs. And, seen here on the beach in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

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In St. Martin and St. Barth it’s been a going out dress. Also in London, Bali and seen here in Istanbul.

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This dress traveled with me for my 10,000 mile drive from the United Kingdom to Mongolia. It is that diverse and essential. In Cambodia it was a touring dress of the Phnom Penh Night Market.

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In Thailand it saw the grandeur of the Grand Palace in Bangkok.

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And as a day dress it met children in an orphanage in Bangalore India.

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Calypso St. Barth has grown from a modest resort-wear boutique to a luxury lifestyle brand with a passionate international following. Inspired by travel, culture & the arts, the brand reveals unique & feminine pieces that can be mixed and matched for effortless elegance, which women of every age have come to love.

Calypso St. Barth’s namesake collection is displayed alongside carefully curated pieces from international designers for an eclectic assortment with wide appeal. To me, entering Calypso St. Barth is like taking a mini-vacation to somewhere exotic. And each of my Calypso pieces are very unique and special to me.

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Filed under boston, cabo san lucas, cambodia, caribbean, fashion, miami, mongol rally, phnom penh, st. barts, travel, turkey

#WINNING – Summer Swimwear For The Win with @OrchidBoutique

Because the PERFECT swimwear to compliment your getaway will make it that much better!

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Lola’s got some great summertime escapes planned that call for a few new luxe swimsuits & cover ups. After all, you cannot be a poshaholic travelista and be seen in the same thing all over the globe! Not that every last detail is firmed up but, besides returning to Miami next week, I will also be heading to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico in June. Crossing my fingers for Mykonos, Greece in July. AND very likely going to Vegas for end-of-summer fun and FINALLY trying out the Vegas pool party scene. Given these different locales and the activities I’ll be participating in, I decided I should do some luxe swimwear research and found a very ‘Lola Approved’ resource.

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The Orchid Boutique™ is an online mecca of unique and gorgeous swimwear fashion. They search the world to cherry-pick an elite group of unique designers and offer the most exclusive luxury swimwear as well as a range of complementing items like jewelry and beach handbags. AND, lucky me, their flagship store is located in South Beach – Miami. Soooo, you know where I’m going shopping next week in Miami to shop for my upcoming getaways.

PLUS The Orchid Boutique and Lola’s Travels have teamed up to do a contest for you! One lucky reader will win a $200 gift card toward a #LuxeSwimwear purchase and shipping at The Orchid Boutique online store.

DETAILS, DETAILS…

In order to be entered to win please click the link below and complete the following mandatory steps:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

  • LIKE both Lola’s Travels & The Orchid Boutique Facebook Fan Pages
  • FOLLOW both of us on Twitter
  • TWEET about the contest
  • COMMENT here saying which Orchid Boutique #LuxeSwimwear style you’d choose AND where in the world you would wear it. We’ve made a special Pinterest Board for the contest so be sure to check it out & share your #LuxeSwimwear choice and destination we’ve pinned!

The Orchid Boutique will choose the lucky reader and we will both announce the winner on Friday, May 17 via our Facebook Fan Pages, Twitter and to your email account.

Now for some FUN inspiration!

CABO SAN LUCAS

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When I head to Cabo I’ll be staying at the beautiful Bahia Hotel & Beach Club. Not only will I be poolside but most definitely will be spending time at their beach club as well as the legendary Nikki Beach, which is next door. So, what does one wear for lots of beach-filled days in Mexico? These are two styles I’m debating by L*SPACE & Mar de Rosas along with a hot embellished cover up! Viva la Mexico!

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MYKONOS

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I’m going to Italy in early July and hope to extend and go over to Greece to visit Mykonos. Why? Well, even though I’ve been to Greece it just wasn’t enough time and I really NEED to check Mykonos out. One of my favorite hotel brands, Grace Hotels, has a gorgeous property on Mykonos. Not only do I want spend time at the pool and on the beach but I also think I might need some relaxation time in their boutique spa. So, naturally, I need swimwear suitable for all of these things. What do you think of these options of Sabz Luxury or Aguaclara? They shout out goddess to me – perfect for Greece!

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VEGAS

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Can you believe Lola has yet to experience the pool party fun of Vegas? Yeah, me either. Well, my number one go-to source, Vegas Chatter tells me the BEST place for a sophisticated (read non-cheesy) pool party is Azure over at The Palazzo. I’ve actually stayed at The Palazzo and definitely agree that it’s a classy joint. So why not give it a go?! For some reason, Vegas always conjures up shiny, sparkly, metallic images in my mind. I think these bikini numbers and sexy coverup by Vitamin A fit the bill quite nicely, NO?!

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Which one(s) will I choose? I think it’s going to be a tough decision with so many choices AND I haven’t even stepped into the store! Watch my Instagram account as I show you some of the options I try in Miami. Wish me luck in my shopping endeavors and, of course, I wish you luck in your possible win of a FANTASTIC $200 gift card prize to The Orchid Boutique.

XO – Lola

legal mumbo jumbo: this gift card is non-transferrable; not redeemable for cash, with no cash back from transaction; not redeemable for any previously purchased items.

 

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Filed under cabo san lucas, fashion, greece, mexico, travel, vegas

how to remain a fashionista travelista on the road

Lola’s got your answer right here!

fashion

as i wrote about last week in my STYLE Special Edition, Lola has a distinct travel style. i like to think i’m a bit of a fashionista when not wearing costumes! 😉 BUT being a fashionable traveler isn’t always easy. especially when i don’t have limitless funds or even time to really shop. that can’t be an acceptable excuse, however, not to look great when i’m out on the town checking out FAB restaurants and bar scenes. that just won’t cut it when i’m staying in HIP & LUXE hotels. NOPE.

so what’s a girl to do?! well…i think i may have found my solution! it’s called Rent The Runway. yeah, you’ve probably heard of it. maybe even considered renting from them yourself for some big event or something. that’s certainly the way the company positions itself.

BUT wouldn’t you say for most, a trip IS a BIG event? i know it is for me. i pack things i might not wear all that often because i’m doing different things when away. i go out more…restaurants, bars, clubs. and a lot of the places i travel are pretty much on the posh pulse. SO i want to be in good style. this is not to say i’m a hermit when i’m at home but it’s not quite the same. the other thing i like about the Rent The Runway solution is that you can actually pack less. you just need your undergarments, shoes, jewels & a handbag & VOILA you are ready to rock it.

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on my last visit to NYC a couple of weeks ago i decided to give Rent The Runway a shot. the hotel i was staying with was doing a little promotion with them and i thought what the hell. PLUS it meant that i could pack less as i just described which was a bonus because i was going from Florida directly to NYC. here’s how the process works…

  • you preorder your frocks. there are fit guides & customer reviews on the site as well as stylists to assist you in any questions.

  • the rental terms are for 4 days but you can pay extra & extend to 8 days.

  • you pay shipping but the return is free and the rental comes with the packing/postage included and all the instructions.

  • you wear your items and return them. RTR handles the cleaning of the garments.

  • FYI you can also rent handbags & jewelry accessories to accompany your dresses.

i needed 2 dresses for Friday and Saturday night. when i rented, it was rent one at the full rental fee, get the second one for $25. not too shabby. also, one free second size included in your rental in case you’re not sure about your correct size. i took them up on this!

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not only were my garments there at the hotel upon check-in, there were little gifties inside from Rent The Runway. FUN!

i loved both of the dresses i rented. one fit better than the other but both were super fun & perfect for my dinners and drinks out in the big apple.

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the only glitch i ran into was with the return. because the hotel was partnering with Rent The Runway, i asked them to facilitate the return of the dresses. everything was included – so no big thing. well, for some reason, it didn’t go completely smoothly and boy was Rent The Runway on me to get their dresses back. really, the fault is with the hotel, not RTR, but i was annoyed since i had to be involved when these two businesses were partners.

BUT not annoyed enough to not repeat this same process for my upcoming Miami trip. i go to Miami so often and see some of the same people. AGAIN, not cool to always be wearing the same dresses over & over. Rent The Runway made this an easy decision, offering me $20 off my next rental if i reviewed the dresses i rented in NYC. ok, sure. no problem. so, i’ve preordered and will turn up in Miami to my hotel with my 2 fun dress rentals waiting for me. hopefully i love them as much as the ones from NYC.

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BONUS i got an email from Rent The Runway yesterday saying for an additional $15 would i consider allowing the RTR stylists to throw in ‘mystery bling’ for one of my outfits? i’ll be bringing my own jewels & handbags, you can be sure, but i thought that this sounds fun – so why not?! we’ll see what they come up and if it’s ‘Lola Approved’.

what do you think of my choices? would you rent fun dresses for your fashionista travelista moments on the road? tell me why or why not.

XO – Lola

PS – sadly, Rent The Runway doesn’t ship internationally 🙁

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Filed under fashion, miami, new york, style, travel