Perfect Ways to Experience Travelling to New Areas

Carol Highland
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0
Reading Time: 6 minutes

Travelling to new spots is always fun and exciting, but there are so many ways to experience it, why settle for one? Most people travel by plane, even if they can drive to it – comfort is just way more important, right? Sure, planes are cool, but you miss out on a lot of good sites to see and adventures that can happen along the way. If you want to skip the long lines and crowded airports, why not opt for an alternative way of travelling! Here are some perfect ways to experience travelling to new areas!

Car

Probably the most convenient way to travel in nearby areas is by driving your car! Just grab your bag, your map, fill up your gas tank, and you are good to go! But on the other hand, it can get a bit tricky if you are going to a crowded area, a city that has a lot of people who often struggle with parking! So chances are you are going to cruise around quite a bit before you find a spot, and even worse, the costs are extremely high the closer you are to the city centre. So if you are not familiar with the area and want to travel by car, just make sure that you research what are the best places to park. Find some alternative ones that only locals know about! 

RV

Similar to cars, an RV is such a good way to travel and have the freedom to go anywhere. You can pack all your stuff, fit a couple of people, and then some! This is a great option for those who want to travel outside the city and to the countryside where there are no hotels or motels to sleep in. So instead of being crammed inside your car, an RV is perfect for sleeping! You can also consider renting a camper to maximize the space, and even get a small bathroom and kitchen along the way! You can go anywhere and everywhere, and not worry about things such as accommodation or parking, especially if you go far into the countryside! You don’t even need to own an RV; you can rent it occasionally and see if that form of transport fits your standards!

Boat

Do you like lakes, rivers, seas and the oh so glorious waters? Why not travel by boat then! Regardless if it’s a kayak, a canoe, or a full-blown cabin cruiser, there are so many different types of water transport you need to try out! It’s a totally different experience, you can see so much from that point of view, especially if you are on a boat in the battle of the lake, so much greenery awaits your gaze! But the only downside is that not a lot of people can sail a boat, and in some cases, it’s more dangerous than others. Kayaking is fun, you can rent your gear and head out with your family and friends and have such a memorable time, but only if you know all the necessary safety precautions! There is a sense of danger, especially for those who aren’t great swimmers, in that case, it’s good to have a professional by your side!

Train

Want to eat great food and enjoy a breathtaking view from your vehicle? You can do all that by traveling via train! Trains are pretty popular in certain parts of the world like Europe and Japan, it’s just common and normal! But to some people, this is a unique way to travel. Especially if the train is on the luxurious side, you can even find ones with restaurants and full-on beds in them – think flying first class on a plane, but you are actually on the ground! So if you want to travel a bit further and have the luxury that a plane offers. A train might just do the trick, just pick the right kind of train that suits all your needs, and you are good to go!

Luxury-travel-guide

Bus

If you are traveling somewhere near, maybe between cities perhaps, a bus is a perfect option if you don’t know how to drive a car! Sure, you can’t go just anywhere, busses go from point A to point B, so you just have to plan your trip according to that. But on the other hand, some traveling agencies offer buses that go around town, where all the main attractions are! So research what kind of plan fits your needs! All in all, buses and minivans are great as they are not a big commitment, you just arrive at a certain location and don’t have to worry about parking or anything!

On foot

This is probably the most extreme way to travel, well if you are going somewhere far away, that is. But traveling by foot isn’t as uncommon as you’d think! A lot of people don’t want to go by car or by any other vehicles, so they use their legs instead! It’s just important to note that it certainly isn’t for anyone, a lot of things can happen, and those who are not ready or well prepared might face dangers on the road. This is just one of those to-do list things you never end up doing at the end, but it sure sounds cool to say that you traveled by foot somewhere. As much as the world is a beautiful place, it’s also dangerous, so if you embark on such a journey on foot, good luck!

Once you decide where’s your next destination going to be, make sure you take into consideration all the fun ways you can travel to it, instead of jumping on the next plane there. It is just far too much to see and experience on the road, and you need to grasp it all at least once in your life. So grab your family members, your friends, and loved ones and go have a little adventure together! These kinds of memories will last a lifetime, so just go and do it!

Carol
Information sourced by the author for luxuryactivist.com. All content is copyrighted with no reproduction rights available. Images are for illustration purposes only.

Ruinart Second Skin: Eco-Responsible Initiative For The Holiday Season

José Amorim
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0
Ruinart Second Skin: Eco-Responsible Initiative For The Holiday Season
Reading Time: 5 minutes

This year, the holiday season will be even more ecologically responsible, authentic and aesthetic with Ruinart. The prestigious champagne house supports a new conscious luxury and the new art of gifting. This holiday season you will be seduced by this edgy look, still the marvellous champagne inside. To celebrate Christmas and New year’s eve, Ruinart wishes to promote a new art of gifting that is more conscious, by bringing the second skin case into the limelight.

Ruinart Second Skin, A New Art Of Gifting

Set to revolutionize the gift-box and cases market, the packaging is eco-designed, uses zero plastic and is 100% recyclable. The cellulose used, in this case, composed of 100% natural wood fibres, solves two fundamental challenges. The first was to ensure the casing is impermeable to light, in order to prevent light strike. Lightstrike occurs when a wine is exposed to blue and ultraviolet light, resulting in the transformation of the wine quality. The second challenge was to ensure that the packaging would protect and serve the wine right up until tasting. This meant the material must be water-resistant for several hours, even when fully submerged in an ice bucket. With sustainability in mind, the water which is indispensable to the cutting process is drawn from the site, 91% of this water is clean enough to be released back into the river. Half of the remaining 9% evaporates during the drying process of the pulped paper with the other half forming part of the natural humidity of the case.

ruinart-second-skin-eco-responsible

A Beautiful Idea With A Thoughtful Approach

Ruinart spent about two years of research and development. The first challenge was to create a perfectly molded case to the curves of the Ruinart iconic bottle. The form was cut by using water jet machinery, which allows to use a precise and renewable source of energy. The packaging contains unique details in terms of design: unique finish inspired by Ruinart’s historical cellars. Above all, the new packaging preserves the integrity of the Ruinart unique taste until consumption. Why the Ruinart Second Skin is a great innovation?

  • First of all, it is made of a single material, 100% paper, which is easy to recycle with other paper waste.
  • It provides 60% fewer carbon emissions than previous generations of gift-boxes.
  • 91% of the water used is clean and can go back to the river it originally came from
  • It is made of wood fibres from eco-managed European forests.
  • Zero air-freight policy
  • Nine times lighter than previous generations of gift-boxes (less used raw material)
  • Made in Europe (UK)

When I brought the Ruinart Second skin into the Christmas eve party, the first thing that stroke everybody was the elegant look. The bottle did not go unnoticed. It is a multi-sensorial experience: the touch, the look and all the details you can discover by observing closely the design.

ruinart-blanc-de-blancs-second-skin

Ruinart Blanc de Blancs: a tasting experience

Ruinart Blanc de Blancs is by far one of the exceptional existing champagnes. Chardonnay is the very soul of Ruinart. The grape, mainly harvested from the Côte des Blancs and Montagne de Reims terroirs, is at the heart of all our cuvées. This blend is 100% Chardonnay from various years (comprising 25 to 30% reserve wines from the previous two years). The wines come from a large majority of Premiers Crus from the Côte des Blancs and Montagne de Reims vineyards for aromatic refinement, supplemented by Sézannais wines known to provide maturity.

The first thing that strikes when you taste the Ruinart Blanc de Blancs is its beautiful pale golden yellow colour with gentle green reflections. It is a vibrant, luminous colour. We see as well a very active effervescence with a persistent release of bubbles. Then comes the tasting. I like this specific champagne because it is very intense in the nose from the start. Fresh citrus notes provide a burst of dazzling modern light. Once you let the flavours evolve, we sense very refined floral notes of white flowers and fruits (white peach and pineapple). It is intense but round. The vinosity is present but not excessive. It is rich but fresh. All these contrasts reflect tremendous know-how perpetuated from one generation to another.

ruinart-tasting-notes

Ruinart Second Skin, the Opinion of a specialist in eco-responsibility

In order to complete the review of Ruinart Second skin, LuxuryActivist asked the opinion of Bénédicte Ouvrard, specialized in eco-responsibility at Groupe Arto (specialized in the recycling of Cell phones). She experienced the Ruinart Second skin during Christmas eve and her feedback is very positive.

Ruinart-second-skin-user-experience

When talking with Ms Ouvrard about the new eco-responsible packaging, she is 100% positive about the initiative. Ruinart managed to create an elegant, luxury and yet eco-responsible packaging for this holiday season. She was completely seduced by experience. She explains that Ruinart is for her a true reference in terms of champagne to celebrate any good special occasion like the Holiday season. The new packaging makes it even more special.

We can only congratulate Ruinart for the great initiative and we hope to see the luxury champagne house pursuit this approach in the future.

José Amorim
Information sourced by the author for luxuryactivist.com. All content is copyrighted with no reproduction rights available. Images are for illustration purposes only. Drink Responsibly.

Why it’s vital to look after yourself

Carol Highland
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0
Reading Time: 3 minutes

2020 has been a roller coaster of a year for everyone, with so many ups and down leaving lots of people with a feeling of uncertainty. Taking time for yourself as we get to the end of the year and starting 2021 off feeling refreshed is vital. 

Practising self care is something that can take work but is well worth it in the long run. Having a healthy work-life balance can help you to stay sharp, motivated and healthy. Over working is not something that should be promoted as a virtue. Setting professional boundaries and making sure you take time away from your screen is far more important. 

wellbeing-guide

Taking care of your physical health can, in turn help you to take care of your mental health. Physical activity can help you to “get out of your own head”, get some fresh air and release some endorphins. If you’ve been inside for the past year then it can be easy to let your health slip, it suddenly doesn’t feel like the most important thing. This is when it actually becomes the most important thing to look after. 

There are lots of free ways to exercise and put yourself first, even if this is just going for a walk around a local park, making sure to get your steps in can help you to reach your fitness goal, if you have one. Studies have shown that 30 minutes of walking a day can cut stroke risk by a minimum of 20%, the added benefit is helping you to burn some calories and maintain your weight.

wellbeing-fitness-guide

Setting yourself a goal can also help you to take time out of your normal routine, whether it be a fitness-related goal, say to walk 10,000 steps a day or to complete the couch to 5K app. It could also be something more unusual, for example, to complete a jigsaw puzzle in a week, to read 4 books a month or to learn how to juggle. Giving yourself the distraction to concentrate on something other than being inside the house and missing your friends. 

Learning new things with your friends also means you’ll stay more connected, rather than letting the weeks slip by when you realise you haven’t spoken for a while, setting up a virtual book club to discuss what you’ve read combines both learning something new and staying in touch. 

Carol
Information sourced by the author for luxuryactivist.com. All content is copyrighted with no reproduction rights available. Images are for illustration purposes only.

8 Best Gadgets to Bring on Board your Boat

Carol Highland
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1
Reading Time: 5 minutes

With the essentials ready for your boat trip, such as life jackets, fire extinguishers, and a first aid kit, it’s time to indulge in one of the best parts of preparing for your trip – finding brand new luxury extras that will enrich your vacation at sea. Gadgets are useful for enhancing your own and your guests stay on board. For a few ideas of what to look for to improve your trip, compiled below are eight suggestions.

Full Face Snorkelling Mask 

Sailors are granted numerous opportunities to explore what lies in the depths of the ocean. If you’re planning a Yacht charter Greece or other Mediterranean destination, for instance, snorkelling is one of many activities people enjoy to do. One of the best ways to peek below water is by purchasing a full-face snorkelling mask. These masks are equipped to provide you with a 180-degree viewing area to maximize your vision underwater. With 95% of the ocean remaining unexplored, who knows what mythical sea creatures and treasures you’ll find.

Go Pro Gadget

An ideal gadget for the adventurous among you who enjoy capturing precious holiday moments on cam is the Go Pro! Whether deep-sea diving, whale watching, or recording your pet dog-paddling in the water, a Go Pro can capture your voyage in action. You simply attach it to your swimming garment or full-faced snorkel mask and are ready to go!  Recordings of your trip are a great way to show your family and friends how much fun you’re having away. 

accessories-boat-guide

Sublue White Shark Transport

The Sublue White Shark is often referred to as an ‘underwater scooter.’ For avid divers and those who enjoy a leisurely swim, the Sublue White Shark is an excellent piece of kit that enables you to journey from A to B undersea effortlessly. 

You simply hold onto the handles, and it’s dual propellers power up and pull you through the ocean. With a GoPro mount attached to the Sublue, you can add your GoPro camera to it also. 

Polarized Sunglasses For Sailors

Regular sunglasses are not sufficient for boat trips. When the sun strikes, and there’s no shade, your vision at sea can quickly become distorted. Thankfully, there is an extensive range of glasses that cater to those who enjoy cruising. In particular, polarized glasses are a favourite among numerous yacht club members and are highly rated for their ability to protect and enhance a sailor’s vision at sea. Allowing you to tend to your sailing duties with ease, or otherwise take in the breath-taking views.

Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker

It’s natural to feel apprehensive about taking your electronics out to sea. Devices don’t mix well with water, and systems that need charging regularly, quickly run out of battery. However, with a waterproof speaker you can enjoy the luxury of soothing music on board while sunbathing during the day. Or turn up the contemporary music at night when you’re in the mood to party. 

And if it gets splashed with water or runs out of battery, you needn’t worry. Its protective waterproof coat will prevent water damage. Additionally, with inbuilt solar power technology, it’ll maintain charge from the sun. But best of all, it floats! Thus, if your speaker unexpectedly ventures overboard, they’ll remain afloat, allowing you to retrieve it from the water with ease. 

Waterproof Notepad

If you need paper to keep track of to-do’s on the boat, you may want to consider opting for an improved version – the waterproof notepad. Regular paper isn’t fit to stand the test and trials of the open sea. With a splash of water, the content of the paper spoils quickly. Beyond noting down a checklist for the boat, waterproof paper is handy for those who enjoy writing and drawing too. Especially when you witness numerous inspirational sights that are worthy of journaling or practising your artistic abilities for.

Bar Caddy

It’s likely on your trip you’ll be eager to relax and gaze at the sunset with a glass of wine – but there’s just one problem, where will you put your drink and the bottle? Protecting the boat’s interior and preventing any nasty accidents such as smashed glass is essential while on the boat. To save you the hassle and anxiety of your drink knocking over, a bar caddy is a gadget worth adding to your shopping cart. 

The Docktail Bar, for example, is portable and easy to fix to multiple locations on the boat. Plus, it has numerous bottle slots and a cutting board insert too. We’re sure you can already imagine being on board of your super yacht charter, with a bar caddy that enables you and your guests to drink, eat, and party in style.

Durable Drinkware

While on the subject of drinking, unless you’re set on using your most delicate glassware for your travels, you may want to consider shatterproof drinkware. Clearing broken glass off the boat is difficult to do, particularly when the waves move the boat to and throw. In preparation for any mishaps, shatterproof drinkware will avoid the risk of an accident throwing off the mood on your voyage.

Researching new gadgets to take on board your next trip is exciting. Whether you want to improve your diving experience. Or impress your guests by gearing up for all the parties you’ll be having, with your boat-worthy speakers and bar caddy. There are plenty of tools tailored to boat trips that are fit for surviving life on board and providing a luxury touch to your sailing experience.  

Carol
Information sourced by the author for luxuryactivist.com. All content is copyrighted with no reproduction rights available. Images are for illustration purposes only.

How to Show Appreciation for the Teachers in Your Life

Carol Highland
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1
Reading Time: 3 minutes

This year has shown us how valuable teachers truly are, and how much they do for our children. This Christmas you should get your child’s teacher a gift to show your appreciation. You don’t have to break the bank with it, even little signs of appreciation can go a long way. You can get some great gift ideas right here. 

Sweet Treats 

You can’t really go wrong with a sweet treat at Christmas time, can you? You can keep it simple and get them a box of chocolates. If you want to add that extra thoughtful touch, you should get them personalised chocolates. Or, if you’ve got the time and are a whiz in the kitchen, you could make your own gift goodies. Think festive: like gingerbread or Christmas cookies. Confectionery presents always go down an absolute treat.

chocolate

Bath Products 

Teachers have been working extra hard this year, so you could give them the gift of relaxation. Get your kid’s teacher some bath products that will allow them to switch off and enjoy the peace and quiet. Bath bombs, scented candles, and face masks can create such a calm evening in. A pamper hamper – no matter how big or small – would be a welcome gift this year. 

Tea / Coffee

Let’s face it: one kid can be a handful, let alone 30 of them. Teachers definitely need all the energy they can get to help them through the day. You could treat your child’s teacher to some much-needed caffeine. There’s plenty of tea and coffee gifts out there. You could also get in touch with your local cafes and see if they’re selling bags of coffee or tea to help support local businesses. 

Tea

Heartfelt Gifts

Of course, you don’t have to spend a lot of money to show a teacher how much you value their work. The best gifts don’t always have a big budget behind them. This year you and your child could write a letter to the teacher explaining just how much their work has helped. You could even get in touch with the other parents and come together as a group. You could all write notes and fill a jar with reasons why the teacher is appreciated. Tug on the heartstrings rather than your purse strings. 

perfect-gift-to-teacher

Teachers have gone above and beyond to help our kids this year and their efforts definitely deserve some recognition. What do you think you’ll get your children’s teacher this year? 

Carol
Information sourced by the author for luxuryactivist.com. All content is copyrighted with no reproduction rights available. Images are for illustration purposes only.

A 1970 Porsche 911 Targa: One of the most beautiful classic car of all?

José Amorim
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1
Reading Time: 4 minutes

In a world full of electric cars, where utility and efficiency are kings, we tend to forget how beautiful a car can be. A car can be the witness of its time but also a beautiful Design item. Classical cars had personality and modern cars tend to look alike each other. In order to remember the “good all time”, here is our review about the 1970 Porsche 911 Targa. This car is probably one of the most beautiful cars ever built and more than never it does represent a cutting edge design by Porsche. Flashback!

Porsche in 1970, the rise of 911.

The 1970s were a defining moment for Porsche. Not only the company was finalizing its legal entity, but Porsche got many victories in car racing which was contributing to building a strong reputation. The mid-’60s brought a fair amount of successes in motor-racing with various models including the 550 spyder and as the 356 was desperately in need of a redesign, the company launched the Porsche 911. Introduced in September 1964 by Porsche AG of Stuttgart, Germany. It has a rear-mounted flat-six engine and all-round independent suspension. It has undergone continuous development, though the basic concept has remained unchanged. The original design was led by Ferdinand Porsche’s eldest son, Ferdinand Alexander Porsche.

The 911 has been modified by private teams and by the factory itself for racing, rallying, and other forms of automotive competition. It is among the most successful competition cars. In the mid-1970s, the naturally aspirated 911 Carrera RSR won major world championship sports car races, such as Targa Florio and 24 Hours of Daytona, even against prototypes. The 911-derived 935 turbos also won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1979 and Porsche won World Championship for Makes titles in 1976, 1977, 1978 and 1979 with 911-derived models.

  • Cylinders: H6
  • Power: 130hp
  • Displacement: 1991cm3
  • Top speed: 131 mph (211 km/h)
  • 0-62mph(100km/h): 8.7s
  • Gearbox: 5-speed manual
  • Length: 163.9 in (4163 mm)
  • Width: 63.4 in (1610 mm)
  • Height: 52 in (1321 mm)

Across decades, Porsche became a very successful automobile manufacturer, launching many different models but the 911 remain the heart of the brand, its signature to eternity.

The Targa saga

1967-Porsche-911-Targa

Porsche introduced the 911 Targa at the International Motor Show in Frankfurt in September 1965. The Targa is neither a cabriolet nor a coupé, neither a hard top nor a saloon, but something completely new: the first safety cabriolet in the world with a fixed safety or roll bar. To understand how Porsche came across the Targa concept, we need to understand the context at that time. There was a strong safety requirement for open-top cars in order to avoid bad accidents, especially in the American market. A lot of people even wanted to completely ban cabriolets from their markets. The Targa concept was a way to prove that open-top cars can be as safe as normal cars. Here is a great timeline made by Porsche:

The Targa also remained a fixture of the second 911 generation product line, the models of the G series established in the late summer of 1973. The 911 body was sustainably redesigned for the first time, now featuring new box-shaped bumpers with black bellows on the rear, in accordance with new United States legislation. They were able to withstand impacts without any damage to the body, up to speeds of 8 km/h. The technical Targa roof architecture has not been changed.

In the autumn of 1993, the fourth generation of the 911 Model 993 was launched in conjunction with a new body design, with a new Targa concept being produced in November 1995. The 993 generation, without the Targa roll bar, took the Targa design in a completely different direction. The roof was now encased within a longitudinal protective structure made of tinted heat-insulating glass, extending from the front window frame to the rear. The main benefits of the new solution included reduced wind noise with a sun-drenched interior when the roof was closed. A continuing characteristic of this Targa: the tapered rear windows. The new Targa concept of the 993 series combined open-top driving pleasure with the 911 for the first time, without fundamentally changing the classic coupé roofline.

1993-Porsche-Targa

In the autumn of 1993, the fourth generation of the 911 Model 993 was launched in conjunction with a new body design, with a new Targa concept being produced in November 1995. The 993 generation, without the Targa roll bar, took the Targa design in a completely different direction. The roof was now encased within a longitudinal protective structure made of tinted heat-insulating glass, extending from the front window frame to the rear. The first 911 to have a rear window that could be rolled up was the new Targa, too. This made the rear storage compartment with up to 230 liters of storage space easy to reach for packing suitcases, bags or other luggage.

In September 2006, the 911 Targa, which now belongs to the sixth 911 generation, type 997, was launched. It had the same Targa roof style in theory as its predecessor, but with an additional functional rear lid. However it was possible to reduce the weight by 1.9 kg with the use of special glass, and two high-gloss polished aluminium strips around the edges of the roof were particularly eye-catching. Moreover the 911 Targa was only available in the two all-wheel drive models of the 911 T Targa.

2006-Porsche-Targa

Porsche launched the seventh and completely updated 911 generation in September 2011. The 911 Targa, cast as a modern classic with its revolutionary Targa roof, was unveiled in January 2014 following the coupé and cabriolet body models. For the first time, the iconic Targa concept was effectively coupled with state-of-the-art roof comfort. The new model had the characteristic large bar in place of B-pillars, a rotating roof portion above the front seats, and a wrap-around rear window without a C-pillar, much like the famous original Targa. But unlike the classic models, at the click of a button, the roof opened and closed in the new Targa. Behind the rear seat system, the fully automatic roof system spectacularly hid the hardtop feature. A high-end creative new version of the 1965 classic reflects the new 911 Targa.

  • Cylinders: H6
  • Power: 420hp
  • Displacement: 2981cm3
  • Top speed: 188 mph (303 km/h)
  • 0-62mph(100km/h): 4.2s
  • Gearbox: 8-speed PDK transmission or 7-speed manual transmission
  • Length: 177.13 in (4163 mm)
  • Width: 72.91 in (1,852 mm)
  • Height: 50.91 in (1,293 mm)
new-Porsche-Targa
https://youtu.be/hBdZMDR2Xjc

Beautiful images for the pleasure of the eyes

Please find here below beautiful images to celebrate the beauty of such car that became a true icon of design and elegance across the world. Continuous refinement of its roof and body make the Targa concept as fascinating today as it was back then.

1970-Porsche-Targa-white
1970-Porsche-911-Targa-white-2
1970-Porsche-911-targa-white-2
1970-Porsche-911-Targa-white-3
1970-Porsche-911-Targa-4
Porsche-911-targa-from-1970-Black
Porsche-911-targa-from-1970-green
Porsche-911-targa-from-1970-grey
Porsche-911-targa-from-1970-blue
Porsche-911-targa-from-1970-brown

I hope you enjoyed the ride.

José Amorim
Information sourced by the author for luxuryactivist.com. All content is copyrighted with no reproduction rights available. Images are for illustration purposes only.

Top 5 Most luxurious Electric Cars You Would Like to Buy

José Amorim
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0
Reading Time: < 1

Electric cars became the new hit for most of automobile manufacturers. From hybrid engines to full electric, evolution is on the going and nothing can stop it. Obviously for those that luxury cars are important and a high level of quality, design and performance matter, you will never compromise on those aspects just because you choose an electric car. In order to help you with this choice, here are the most luxurious and well designed full electric cars you would definitely like to purchase.

1- Tesla

2- Porsche

3- BMW

4- Audi

4 Tips on How Any Man Can Improve Their Style and Appearance

Carol Highland
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1
Reading Time: 4 minutes

Let’s face it. One of our biggest desires as human beings is to have great looks. That’s why we spend a good deal of our money on clothes, shoes, hairstyles, body lotions, and anything that could spruce up our appearance. So, if you’re wondering; as a man, how can you be the best version of yourself? Well, it only takes a few tweaks here and there. Here are my top tips on how to own your look. 

1. Try a New Hairstyle

The hairstyle you choose can go a long way in spiffing you up. While a short trim is seen as the simplest way to cut it, it’s a fine choice for those who want to come out simple and sleek. Regardless of the nature of your hair, several short haircuts will look good on you including the Buzzcut, Caesar cut, Classic Pompadour, Crew cut, and Low Fade. 

Men-s-hair-styles

Not a fan of short hair? Well, some long hairstyles can also make you look trendy. From manes that plunge over the lower back to shoulder scrapes, long hair is still fashionable. Whether your hair is curly, thick or thin, the following hairstyles can also give you that eye appealing look:

  • Slick back
  • Long textured waves
  • Man bun
  • Half-up
  • Dreadlocks
  • Long undercut
  • Mohawk

Anyway, to get your desired hairstyle done, take a photograph of it to your barber. Alternatively, you can learn to trim and do it yourself. And if you opt for a self-cut, this list of the best cordless hair clippers by WiseBarber.com is a good place to start. 

2. Spruce Up Your Wardrobe

Let’s face it. Wearing fitting clothes is a fundamental step towards boosting your looks. Nicely fitting trousers and shirt will give you a sharp, sleek look. This is unlike cladding in ill-fitting clothes that not only look off but also expose your poor dressing skills.

To get the right size of clothes, you have to know your size first. With the right size in mind, getting well-fitting outfits from a clothes store won’t be a hassle. Moreover, this will save you a great deal of time when you visit the boutique, right?

3. Work towards Getting Healthy and Fit

Men-s-tips-to-get-fit

Health and fitness form an imperative part of looking good. It doesn’t matter how expensive you dress or which hairstyle you rock; if you don’t look healthy, you won’t look good. It’s that simple. 

When you exercise, you burn excess fat on the surface and pack tons of lean muscle. Besides, exercising gives you better skin, slows down the aging process, and boosts your confidence. So, engage in at least an hour of physical exercise every day. 

This doesn’t have to be so immense though. Light jogs, slow runs, skipping and even swimming will definitely do the trick. And if you want to make your workouts even more fun, here are a few awesome exercising tips that might come in handy.

4. Come Up With a Skincare Routine

When you use only water and bar soap for skincare, there’s one thing you forget: The skin sheds dead cells that need to be gotten rid of. If left on the surface, they can cause pimples, acne, and other skin complications. This isn’t good for anybody – let alone one craving looks. But, luckily, with a skincare routine, you can keep all that at bay.

The first thing to do is to determine your skin type. Skin types include: Normal, dry/sensitive, oily, or combination skin. Once you’re sure of your skin type, get a cleanser that’s specifically designed for it. Cleanse your skin at least thrice a week. To get exceptional results, use toning pads. They are best used after cleansing to remove any speck of dirt that was left untouched. That way, your pores will remain clean and clog-free; giving you smooth and healthy skin. 

Nice and easy, right? So, that’s everything you need to know about sprucing up your look. Obviously, it doesn’t take much. And take it from me; these four tips can work miracles for you. Try them.

Carol
Information sourced by the author for luxuryactivist.com. All content is copyrighted with no reproduction rights available. Images are for illustration purposes only.

Friday Chronicle #33: Homo nativis, Top Key 4 Beauty Trends For 2021 and beyond.

José Amorim
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Reading Time: 7 minutes

The past 4000 years brought humanity to a level of caring quite high. From very simple and raw beauty treatments in ancient Egypt to metrosexuals and other beauty lovers today, we will always be surprised by the sophistication of things. While humanity tried sometimes to get away from its mortal conditions and dream of supernatural beauty, certain trends are strong and, more than ever, reconnecting to your inner beauty and its “naturality” is important. Welcome to the Homo nativis, all his paradoxes and contrasting feelings. We have painted here 5 interesting trends to look at. Some of them are here to stay.

1- Beauty Is Not About Looking Young, It Is About Looking Good.

During the 80’s, the real obsession of people was to look forever young. It was the development of aesthetical surgery, the entire cosmetic business went global and young adults were nostalgic from the time they were younger, away from all the adulthood preoccupations and challenges.

Beauty-treatments-history

For 2 decades the obsessions of people were to look younger. Women wanted to maintain beautiful skin and hair as if they were 20 years old and men were the young conquerors with muscles and shiny hair. This has shaped the vision of adults in a very specific way, giving birth to a whole new business of plastic surgery.

Nowadays, people understand that the most important thing is not to look younger but to look good, meaning healthy and well treated. It is fine to look old if your skin is healthy and clean. Humans tend to live longer, therefore there is a strong preoccupation to live as healthier as possible. Stress, pollution and bad habits can for sure damage your skin and hair, therefore you should try to preserve you from these conditions. Unfortunately, an urban life leads you into the incommodities of the modern world. Here are three products highly recommended:

La Roche Posay Hydraphase Yeux – The beauty of your eyes

La-Roche-Posay-Hydraphase-Intense-Yeux

This product does makes miracles as it intensely rehydrates with a double action anti-puffiness formula: The fragmented Hyaluronic Acid strengthens cell cohesion to rehydrate intensely. The use of caffeine in the formula provides a natural decongestant. These will allow to maintain the eye area permanently well treated. That tired look will disappear and provide you with a better face.

Lancôme UV Expert Defense 50, You Stay Safe All Day

Lancome-UV-Expert-Aquagel-Defense-50

UV Expert Aqua Gel SPF 50 from Lancôme is a multi-protection cream. With its light and fresh gel texture, the Lancôme product helps your skin defend itself against daily aggressors such as UV rays and air pollution. UV Expert Aqua Gel from Lancôme is enriched with Edelweiss, the main ingredient of the multi-protection cream. Edelweiss is a natural shield flower grown in the Swiss Alps and harvested by hand twice a year to provide triple protection

  • UV protection: proven measure to reduce the inflammation caused by UV
  • Anti-Pollution: strong antioxidant properties to protect against free radicals
  • Anti-ageing effect: strengthens the skin barrier by improving the structure of the epidermis

CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion: Your Body Deserve It!

Crave-daily-moisturizing

This moisturizing lotion has a long-lasting effect which can be credited to the fact it makes use of a patented MVE technology. It also contains a healthy dose of hyaluronic acid which is used in order to keep your skin hydrated. The texture of the formula is really great, it feels like a velvety caress on your skin. It is by far one of the most hidden treasures of many celebrities. CeraVe is a great product and a perfect value for money.

2- Sanum Per Aqua is the real must

Today it’s fair to say that spas are at the forefront of the holistic health and wellness movement. People everywhere are discovering that the most effective approach to health is maintaining a balanced body and lifestyle – something spas are experts in assisting with. Whilst many people associate traditional spas with Roman baths, there is evidence of spa-type therapies dating back thousands of years when there was a belief in the curative powers of mineral waters.

Spa-trends-2021

One of the first written accounts of bathing being used as a curative process rather than a simple hygiene ritual was by ancient Greek philosopher Hippocrates, who was alive over 2000 years ago between 460 and 370 B.C. Hippocrates proposed that the cause of all ailments was an imbalance of bodily fluids, and advocated that “the way to health is to have an aromatic bath and scented massage every day.”

However, it was not only in Europe that rituals associated with spa-going were developing. From Japanese ryokan to Turkish hammams and Finnish saunas/steam rooms, different healing facilities were growing around the world. More and more Spas will become very popular as those places are associated with a more authentic approach linked to nature.

3- Mens sana in corpore sano

One of the most important shifts in modern medicine is that we are finally accepting the fact that we should not treat one aspect of a state or disease but we should look to a more global picture. When it comes to beauty, you can spend thousands of dollars in anti-stress creams, but if you live a very stressful life, you will be disappointed of the results. This means you need to treat your body and your mind the same way. Meditation and moisturizing are in a way, both very important. We saw in the past 10, 15 years an increase of interest in alternative therapies like color-therapy, light-therapy, sound-therapy, art-therapy, etc. All these procedures are supposed to try to rebalance your soul and trying to bring a healthier focus to your mind. Therefore your body will be more open to beauty treatments. It all start with self-respect and self-love in a way. If you do not take care of your mind, how can you properly take care of your body?

color-therapy

A big trend in these alternative therapies is colour therapy for adults. There are now several apps that will help relieve the stress and help you focus on something pleasant. With such apps people can turn their anxieties into beautiful artworks through colourings templates and tools provided and benefit from the outpouring support from the community.

adult-color-books

5- Science To The Next Level: Exploring The Microbiome.

Very recently some people and brands started getting their interest into what we call our microbiome. The microbiome is a term that describes the genome of all the microorganisms, symbiotic and pathogenic, living in and on all vertebrates. The gut microbiome consists of the collective genome of microbes inhabiting the gut including bacteria, archaea, viruses, and fungi”. We tend to consider it as a second brain as it can interfere in many ways in our health. Some brands started working on elements that can stimulate, improve and even sometimes change our microbiome for better and for good.

First things first: The Lactobacillus

Lactobacillus is one of the first microorganisms to populate the human body and is thought to be a key formative bacterium in that regard. However, adults rarely have lactobacillus strains among their microbiota. So brands like esse Probiotic Skincare, Dr. Lili Fan Probiotic Skincare, and The Spoiled Bee are including lactobacillus in skincare product formulations to help refresh (as it were) the skin microbiome.

Let’s move to Microbiome care

Microbiome care is just starting. Many scientists believe that taking care of your microbiome is more efficient than taking care of your skin for example. For now, some scientific teams are currently looking for novel ways to use postbiotics to act on microbiota’s environment. The extension of this approach has the potential to develop patented bacteria that would allow the user to change or to improve something on his body. The modified bacteria would then act in a very targeted way. During an international Tech meeting back in 2018, the Italian company Roelmi HPC presented its latest personal care and beauty ingredient called Aective. It is a biotech-derived molecule that provides microbial defence as well as skin moisturization and elasticity benefits. This kind of molecule is precisely the sort of personal care technology that will lead to active-prep, microbiome-friendly product innovations.

10 Tips To Double Your Instagram Followers

Jennifer Hard
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Reading Time: 9 minutes

With more than 1 billion users, Instagram became the place to be for influencers and brands. While Facebook is going more and more towards private messaging, Instagram becomes the house of brands and products. Influencer marketing is a new trend and you need a considerable amount of Instagram followers if you want to be part of the game. No matter if you have 100 followers or 100’000 the main idea is to keep a healthy and natural growth to your account. Most of the time we tend to say that size does not matter but in terms of Instagram, influence size is really important. Never let yourself to be tempted to buy fake followers. This will never pay at the end. Most of the time Instagram will spot these fake accounts and will literally erase them, so you would lose time and money. So, in order to make you focus on what is important, here are 10 tips to make your Instagram account to grow constantly and even double after a while. These tips are also recommended by Instagram themselves.

Tip #1: Focus On Something Interesting To Share

Before start sharing whatever you think it is relevant, ask yourself what is original and unique about yourself and what you like in general. It is not really about a theme in general but more about your angle. You can be interested about a very generic theme like dogs, for example, but if you have a specific angle, you will gather interest about what you share. It could be dog clothes, or Dalmatians or Dog collars…. The more specific you are the best results you will get. You can also search on the platform for your interests and see what kind of content is popular.

Tip #2: Focus On One Theme If Possible

By experience, we know that a mono-thematic Instagram account has more chances to be followed than a multi-purposed lifestyle feed. Indeed, people tend to follow someone for one specific theme (or hashtag) which they know you will always post about it. It does not mean that it needs to be a single product or subject. It can be “yellow things”, or “black dresses”. By having one single angle, it will allow people to see you as a reference in one topic, therefore they will follow you.

best-instagram-accounts

Tip #3: Work Hard And Publish High Qualitative and Beautiful Imagery

If you want to see your account growing, you need to work hard to make it happen. This means you need to make sure you publish great content. Without investing o a shooting crew that will for sure cost you thousands of dollars, your phone, some clever “Photoshop-style” apps and a good sense of aesthetics can be sufficient to make the deal. Do not always try to be surreal or super perfect because you might lose spontaneity and authenticity. Do not be too ambitious and try to find your way to create content that does not represent a nightmare for you. Instagram should be a pleasant moment in time and not this weight you need to carry on a daily base. Be clever, ask the opinion of your friends and sometimes you might want to get advice. Today you can find classes of “photography with a smartphone”. It is done by professionals and you might learn a few tips that can help you with the publication.

Tip #4: Publish Often

It is said that someone who publishes at least once a day (something meaningful of course) gets ten times more followers than if you publish randomly during the month. in order to achieve such pace, you need to organize yourself. Certain hashtags like #tbt (Throw-back-Thursdays) or #mondays or #itstheweekend can help you organize your content. You can also get the help from some third-party software in order to help you publish at the right time on the right day but honestly, if you already start by publishing more often you will see an effect. Depending on how many followers you have at the start, you might see between 3 to 20 new followers per week. And this can climb very fast up to hundreds. Publishing often also brings higher engagement, which is also beneficial for your account.

how-often-to-publish-on-instagram

Tip #5: Publish Daily Stories

Something I have underestimated a lot is Instagram Stories. Due to the ephemeral state of this publication (only last for 24h), I thought it was not worth it to dedicate time to build them. I was wrong. Instagram stories are the best way for users to discover your content. You have natural visibility on top positions. Instagram is also promoting stories quite a lot. You can find them on your stories feed as well as on the discovery grid. It is also a good way for your current followers to see your work. More than 50% of interactions in the platform are produced by stories.

Tip #6: Interact With Other Instagramers Within Your Theme

If you have a strong theme within your instagram grid, do not hesitate to interact with other instagramers who are also interested in the same topics. Not only there is a natural fit, therefore a mutual interest to follow each other, but it generates interest from their followers as well who can take part into the conversation you create. Instagram is a social network, therefore you should interact with other users. It is known that most of successful influencers in the platform do interact with their followers and with others. It might be a bit time consuming but it is worth trying. Your primary motivation, of course, should be the quality and the interest of these human relationships, not only because these would bring you followers.

instagram-followers-growth

Tip #7: Study And Use Quality Hashtags

When Chris Messina invented the hashtags back in 2007, his preoccupation was to organize discussions within Twitter. Back then in Silicon Valley, there were plenty of IT developers and consultants using Twitter as a fast way to communicate. But very fast, everybody was lost in the discussions due to the high amount of tweets. And this is why Chris Messina tweeted this famous message that would change Digital marketing forever:

who-invented-hashtags

For the past 13 years, hashtags continue allowing you to organize and follow your discussions but above all, it became a marketing tool. The same way advertising agencies would think very hard on a slogan for your ad campaign, now they need to come up with a hashtag. My best advice is to choose not more than 3 to 4 hashtags. Some people will publish on Instagram with at least 15 to 20 hashtags. They think this will give them higher visibility in the platform. Please note that Instagram will consider these posts as spam. It is impossible that one image or one video relate to 15 to 20 different themes at the same time. So you have better chances against the algorithm if you choose carefully your hashtags. Do not forget that people can now follow a specific hashtag rather than people, which can bring visibility to your content and in-fine, new followers. I personally follow certain hashtags like #swissbloggers or #blogger_ch that helps me to connect to the Swiss blogosphere.

Tip #8: Host Contests That Generates Interactions

This is something than many agencies suggests but you need to be careful with this. Hosting contests it is a very good way to get quick followers. With mechanics like: “follow the account, tag 3 friends and comment this post and you might win this prize”, you might get for sure a considerable amount of new followers interested by the reward. Once the contest is over and someone did not win, (s)he might just unfollow you immediately. If you think you can host interesting contests in a regular way, it is for sure an interesting growing strategy. Just be careful to choose winners in a clever and honest way. There are some apps and softwares that can help you with that.

Instagram-contests-guide

Tip #9: Use Your Instagram Analytics For Better Posting

If you are really upscaling your Instagram game on a professional way, you might want to get into analytics at one point. By analyzing your publication results, timings. interactions and pace, you can easily identify the top-performer posts and try to learn from them. Why this post performed better than this one? Was it timing? Was it a video versus a picture? Was it the hashtags or a combination of both? Please note that using analytics will not give you a magical formula. Human beings can be very unpredictable and other parameters like current context might influence the performance of your post. You need to give it some time and spend a couple of month to get a good understanding. You might want to do some tests as well in order to prove your theories. It is learning by doing. The instagram platform provide some good basic insights but if you want to upscale your game, you definitely need a professional tool to bring you more details and granularity to the results.

Instagram-analytics

Tip #10: Be Patient, Be Patient And Of Course, Be Patient

Last but not least and by far the hardest point to manage: be patient. Rome was not built in one day and your Instagram community will not be build overnight. It is a long path. Unless you are the hidden child of some big celebrity or hosting your own very popular TV show, the growth will be slow. But every good strong follower you get, it is a great victory because this person will be part of your community and this is the beauty of it. I would strongly recommend not to buy fake followers. First, they are not real people and will never interact with your account. Engagement is much important than the number of followers. On top of this, Instagram chases fake accounts all the time and if you spend a couple of hundreds of dollars to buy fake accounts, these might just disappear overnight after an Instagram cleaning. So be patient, do a good job and you will be rewarded. Evolution is exponential. The more followers you get, the more followers you get. So you will be rewarded.

With all these tips you should be able to build a continuously growing community on Instagram. Do not let yourself tempted by easy tricks. It will not pay and you will always be disappointed. You can also check Instagram guidelines here to get familiarized with some important rules: https://www.instagram.com/about/legal/terms/

J.H.
Information sourced by the author for luxuryactivist.com. All content is copyrighted with no reproduction rights available. Images are for illustration purposes only.

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