Party hairstyles for New Year’s Eve
(Relaxnews) – New Year’s Eve is one of the most glamorous nights of the year, so it deserves a little extra attention when it comes to your hairstyle. Here are three show stopping looks and how to recreate them. Braided up-do Hair vlogger Kayley Melissa has come up with an intricate braided style perfect for […]
New Year celebrations around the world: New York
(Relaxnews) – Not many days from now, the planet will bid farewell to 2015 and welcome 2016 with open arms. We’re taking a world tour of the big cities where the New Year is a major cause for celebration. Let’s take a look at what’s planned in New York. The Big Apple is a must-do […]
Dubai 2014 firework display breaks world record: Guinness
(DUBAI-AFP) – Dubai shattered the world record for the largest ever pyrotechnic display on New Year’s Eve with a show involving more than half a million fireworks, Guinness World Records said Wednesday. “Ten months in planning, over 500,000 fireworks were used during the display which lasted around six minutes, with Guinness World Records adjudicators on […]
The calendar that ignores office days to help you make the most of 2014
(Relaxnews) – Time flies when you’re having fun — one minute it’s January 1 and you’re full of good resolutions and the next thing you know, you’re writing your Christmas shopping list again. Luckily, planning ahead has been made easier by design duo Half Three, with the launch of the Free Days Planner, which handily ignores […]
Sparkling Sydney kicks off glitzy global 2014 party
(SYDNEY-AFP) – Sydney kicked off a promised unprecedented spectacular to mark New Year celebrations Tuesday, the first in a wave of pyrotechnics to usher in 2014 from Hong Kong to world record-chasing Dubai. Tonnes of explosives were set to light up Australia’s biggest city, with fireworks shooting off the Opera House for the first time […]
Watch New York’s Times Square NYE countdown live on the web
(Relaxnews) – A billion people are expected to watch the New Year’s countdown from New York’s Times Square live on the web. And no fewer than one million people are expected to be attending the event onsite in the city. Starting at 6 PM (local time), Toshiba will be broadcasting live or pre-recorded videos featuring […]
Polished, precise cocktail classics to trend in 2014
(Relaxnews) – Look for cocktails to be cleaner, simpler with a focus on masterful execution in 2014, says the Spaniard who holds the title of world’s best bartender 2013. According to David Rios, who beat out 43 finalists from around the world to take the lofty title from a Diageo-sponsored event this summer, serious mixologists […]
Spending the night in a cemetery and other strange New Year’s customs
(Relaxnews) – Ahead of New Year’s Eve, the social networking site Badoo asked members to cast their votes to elect the world’s strangest and funniest New Year’s traditions. The locals in Talca, Chile came out in first place by a long shot in the “strangest” category with their custom of spending the night in a cemetery […]
Chefs to go ‘mad scientist’ and foods to be fermented in 2014
(Relaxnews) – After the spectacular success of the cronut this year, a trendspotting report out of the US predicts more hybrid food mashups to trend in 2014. It’s no exaggeration to call New York pastry chef Dominique Ansel’s part-croissant, part-donut creation the dessert of 2013. In addition to drawing pre-dawn queues outside his eponymously-named bakery […]
Where gourmands can dine for New Year’s Eve
(Relaxnews) – From a seven-course meal that includes foie gras ravioli at The Dorchester in London, to a Vaudeville-themed cocktail party at Grant Achatz’s Chicago bar the Aviary, here’s a roundup of how some of the hottest tickets in town will be ringing in the new year. Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester, London A New […]
Where Americans are ringing in the New Year
(Relaxnews) – Sun-soaked Orlando has outranked New York to become the most popular destination among Americans for ringing in the New Year, according to an online booking site. After looking at hotel bookings made on December 11 for travel between December 30 and January 2, Hotwire.com has deduced that revelers — likely those in snow-swept […]
Makeup: shimmer and metallic tones a must this Christmas season
(Relaxnews) – This year’s holiday makeup is directly inspired by the Fall-Winter 2013-2014 collections, but with even more shimmer and with a number of more traditional colors (including gold and silver). As always at this time of year, beauty brands have presented enchanting collections worthy of the most special occasions, including Christmas and New Year’s […]
The culinary buzzwords of 2014: ‘Hipster Asian’ and shakshuka
(Relaxnews) – Fluke, sweetbreads, tortas and cemitas. Not familiar with these food terms? Soon you may be, if the predictions of influential food diviners come true next year. In their annual trendspotting report, consultants at the New York-based Baum + Whiteman have curated a list of buzzwords and foods they predict will shape the culinary […]
Ethnic flavors of 2014: The new salt and pepper and the new quinoa
(Relaxnews) – Move over soy sauce, there’s a new umami-booster in town. Though Asian food enthusiasts have long known about the flavor-boosting properties of fish sauce, the smelly but highly effective condiment is predicted to penetrate more and more restaurant kitchens including those that serve Western fare in the same way soy sauce has penetrated the […]
Stella Artois releases Swarovski Crystal Chalice for holiday season
(Relaxnews) – Sparkling wine may be a traditional holiday beverage in many cultures, but this season beer also gets some added sparkle, thanks to a collaboration between Swarovski and Stella Artois. The crystal design powerhouse and the Belgian brewery have released the limited-edition ‘Crystal Chalice’, a version of the traditional Stella Artois beer glass studded […]
Apple’s seasonal goodwill coming to the US this year
(Relaxnews) – For the first time ever, the company’s 12 Days of Gifts Christmas app will be available for American iPhone and iPad owners to download this year. The app, which gives its users a free electronic treat every day over the course of Christmas, is a mainstay of European app stores but until now […]
How Americans will be spending the holidays: TripAdvisor
(Relaxnews) – New York and Orlando have emerged as the top US destination for Americans this holiday season. According to a TripAdvisor poll of 14,000 respondents across the US, for the 45 percent who said they plan to hit the road or the skies this month, the most popular domestic destination was the Big Apple, […]
Holidays: sophisticated fragrance gift sets for him
(Relaxnews) – Each year, honoring a long-standing Christmas tradition, perfume makers present their star fragrances in exceptionally enticing gift sets. In 2013, these brands are emphasizing elegance and masculinity, presenting boxes in black, white and grey containing luxurious male fragrances and skincare products. Tome 1 – La Pureté For Him by Zadig & Voltaire For […]
Holiday champagne collections include self-cooling boxes and speakers
(Relaxnews) – From elegant stemware, Swarovski crystals and even custom-made speakers, champagne houses have released festive holiday collections that up the ante in elegance and innovative packaging. Luxury champagne house Piper-Heidsieck, for instance, has teamed up with French crystal-maker Baccarat to create a $650 holiday gift featuring two bottles of bubbly and a pair of custom-made flutes. Set […]
US consumer watchdog releases toxic toy list
(Relaxnews) – Just in time for holiday shopping, the US-based consumer watchdog Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) announced this year’s list of unsafe toys sold in the country. Released Tuesday, the annual “Trouble in Toyland” report reveals the results of laboratory testing on toys for toxic chemicals including lead, cadmium, and phthalates, all of which can have […]