How To Beat Jet Lag

So you already know my main gig is being a makeup artist. That's been my career for years and years.
My second gig is blogging. I write around my insane makeup schedule. 
What you may not know is that I have a third business, which is taking small groups of women aged 35+ on private tours of Italy. They are called the Glam Italia Tours. Because frankly, they really are quite glam!

In June I have two Glam Italia tours, back to back. I'm so happy because Italy is my favorite place in the world to be.

With the combined total of both these tours I have no one who has ever flown internationally before. 
I'm thinking there are no doubt many of you reading this blogpost who have either never flown internationally, (or maybe never flown on a really long international flight before) or who are embarking on a big trip such as a trip to Europe, this summer.

The devil in long-haul travel is the dreaded jet lag.
Jet lag can steal the first few days of your trip if you're not lucky.
It can leave you in a brain fog, swollen, tired and irritated, and have you waking at 2 am and leave you barely able to put one foot in front of the other by 8pm.

Flying from Australia or New Zealand back to the USA gets me every time. The adjustment is always hard, partly because I get a heavy duty dose of homesick to pair with it, and partly because I break most of my rules to beat jet lag.

For my Glam Tour ladies and for anyone else doing some major travel this year, here is How To Beat Jet Lag

Before You Leave Home

So much of the key to beating jet lag happens prior to leaving home.

1. Get Extra Sleep

For as many nights as you possibly can, go to bed earlier than usual. An extra hour or more of sleep per night for a few nights can make a major difference. One of the worst things you can do is board an international flight sleep deprived.

Even if you do sleep on planes it's not deeply relaxing, restorative sleep. Unless you're up in first class.

For those of you who take a sleeping pill, know that that isn't proper sleep either. (and, oh lord! be careful taking Ambien - hello naked person running amok on the plane!)

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2. Get Extra Exercise

I love to do extra yoga in the days leading up to a long flight, and especially that morning if I can. I have friends who like to run (I hate to run) who add in an extra mile or two in the days leading up to their trip. Something you will never, ever catch me doing.

Whatever your exercise of choice is, go for it. Cardio and stretching/yoga/pilates types of workouts are generally the best. Bulky, heavy lifting not so much.

3. Super-Hydrate

For every hour you are up there you are going to lose an additional
8oz of water. You need to drink tons of water during your flight, but also drink extra in the days leading up to it.

4. Avoid Alcohol

Don't party-hearty before you leave. The effects of alcohol stay with you for a few days, so having a bunch of drinks in the days immediately prior to flying can add to the dehydration - feeling like hell syndrome that goes with jet lag.

5. Watch What You Eat.

Whether it's in the terminal before your flight or whether its at home, avoid high sodium, salty foods, processed foods and cruciferous vegetables  ( like broccoli). They will bloat you and make you gassy. 

image via Fresh Tart

During The Flight

1. Set Your Watch

Set your watch to your new time zone when your plane takes off.
You have to do your best to trick your brain into believing it's 2am not 4pm. If it's sleep time in the place you will be landing, try to sleep. If it's waking up time there, stay awake. Do whatever it takes to make your mind believe it's already on the new time.

2. Avoid Alcohol

Alcohol will super-dehydrate you and make you feel like hell when you land.
In saying that, I always have a glass of wine with my meal and a glass of champagne prior to take off when I'm flying first class. 
If you are going to have a drink with dinner, keep it to one drink and have an extra glass of water after, to try and offset it.

3. Wear Compression Socks

Absolutely the un-sexiest things ever, compression socks keep the blood flow moving and stop your feet and ankles from swelling. They also help reduce the chances of you getting DVT. I wouldn't fly without them.
Compression Socks At Nordstrom

If your seat doesn't have an ottoman or a foot rest put a bag under the seat in front of you and elevate your feet even just a few inches.

Read more about preventing Deep Vein Thrombosis on long flights

4. Sleep

If you can, sleep during the flight. 
Ear plugs, an eye mask, neck pillows can all help.
If you can't sleep on planes try using noise cancelling headphones to eliminate the buzz, and listen to yoga nidra. They say an hour of yoga nidra is equal to 4 hours of high quality sleep. I download yoga nidra programs onto my iPad, and if the airline doesn't have it on offer on their entertainment system I just plug into my own.
The one I use has some Aussie bloke chatting away on it. It's brilliant.

Bose noise cancelling headphones

Read About Why You Have Trouble Sleeping On A Plane

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When You Land

1. Get On Local Time
No matter how tired you are, get onto local time.
If it's lunch time, go eat lunch. If it's evening, go for a stroll and then go to bed. If it's early morning, have breakfast - even if you're not hungry.

2. Walk. And Walk, And Walk.

One of the best things you can do after you've checked in to your hotel or wherever you are staying, is go for a long walk. 
It gets your circulation moving again, helps your body after its been cooped up in a small chair for hours on end, and it clears your mind.
I swear by it.

3. Don't Nap.

No matter how tired you are, keep moving and don't nap. You have to get on to local time, and that nap is going to mess you up and put you back to your previous time zone.

4. Hydrate

Drink as much water as you can to help offset what you just lost in-flight. You will be amazed at how much better you will feel!

5. Stretch

A few sun salutations go a long way after a long flight. If you're not a yogi, still take the time to do some stretches. Your body needs it and you will feel so much better for it!

International Travel With Bitcoin

Are you wondering how to handle your money 

when you travel internationally?

I get asked about it all the time.

I also get asked about how to handle pickpockets stealing your cash or credit cards. Touch wood, so far I've been safe.

When I first started travelling internationally the entire money equation was a headache. You had to use International Travelers Cheques, which you would purchase in the currency/currencies of the country/countries you were traveling to, which was often a complete nuisance. 

You needed to wear a money belt under your clothes and keep your travelers cheques, passport and extra cash in it for safe keeping. 
You had to keep meticulous details on your travelers cheques - which you had cashed, and where you cashed them, in case your cheques were stolen.
If you had American Express travelers cheques you were OK because they would replace them within a day or two, but other companies were terrible, and you could be stuck out there in the world with no money for days on end.
You also paid a fee to get your travelers cheques, and then at the money changing places you would pay another fee to cash them.

Now we travel with plastic, but not all cards are created equal, and 
you have to be very careful which cards you travel with.

Currencies fluctuate from day to day and throughout the day, but you seldom get the actual official exchange rate when you swipe your card. 
Banks get really liberal with the numbers and are generally substantially different from the official rate. My bank is generally at least 6% higher than the official exchange rate, so I lose at best 6 cents on every dollar I exchange.
So in general, I don't use them.
When you charge something to a credit card you will pay multiple fees - sometimes from the local merchant, your bank will always charge you for using the card overseas, an exchange rate that is nowhere near the actual rate for the day, and a conversion fee. So if you are using a credit card, only use it for the big expenses. Also, unless using American Express you may find your credit card protection against faulty purchases, items broken in shipping, or shipped items that don't arrive, is either sketchy or non existant when dealing with a foreign purchase.

Ceramics purchased in Sicily arrived broken, Visa wouldn't help.

Last year I shipped ceramics from Sicily, some of which arrived broken. The merchant suddenly didn't speak english anymore, and Visa wouldn't reverse the payment, or help me at all.
(I wrote about it HERE) I specifically used a Visa card because I wanted a layer of protection.
But in the end I paid all those excessive credit card fees for nothing.

Debit cards are ideal, but also come with their share of headaches.

Firstly you have to find out what your bank charges you for walking up to a foreign ATM - there will be a fee and it is often a steep one. Also you may get charged by the local bank for using their ATM. You do however get the best exchange rate.
I use a credit union debit card as it has really low rates.


One thing I am looking into for international travel is Bitcoin.
Bitcoin is a crypto currency that is used digitally, and not affiliated with any bank, or any single currency.
I am looking at Xapo.com for bitcoin as they not only let you utilize a bitcoin wallet  (click link for information) but they also have a Xapo debit card, which you can use anywhere that accepts cards. Many major cities have bitcoin ATMs too.

One of the benefits of traveling with bitcoin is that lack of bank fees. Bitcoins instantly convert to the currency of the country you are spending them in, so all you pay for is the items you are purchasing. 
Another benefit is that with credit cards, merchants can wittingly or unwittingly share your payment credentials, exposing you to fraud. Plenty of travelers have had thousands charged to their cards or had access to their cards shut down while traveling due to fraud. Xapo.com is the leader in Bitcoin security, so you have that extra peace of mind when you are making purchases.

If you are relying solely on credit and debit cards when you are traveling you can find yourself in a world of trouble if your cards get lost or stolen. If you are in a major city such as Paris or Madrid, your bank can take days to replace your lost card, but it will probably get one to you. 
If you are anywhere remote, such as a small town or worse still on honeymoon in Bora Bora, there is absolutely no guarantee a replacement card will get to you prior to your trip ending.

Having a bitcoin account as a backup is a brilliant idea - if your cards are stolen you can still access money. And if you make purchases with your bitcoins you avoid all the credit card fees.

Last year on the Glam Italia tour one of my clients left her handbag in a taxi in Sorrento. Luckily I was able to retrieve it (after sprinting down the middle of the Corso Italia, looking into every taxi on the street), but had I not been able to get it back she would have gone multiple days on the trip of a lifetime, with no money.

 "Bitcoin perfectly acts as a single cross-border payment token that doesn’t ask hefty commissions or any sort of conversion charges. So selling a coffee on an on-board flight, or paying a restaurant bill in a foreign country becomes instantly easy, without relying on exchanging currencies firsthand."

Xapo.com Bitcoin is really easy to use. You simply download an app to your phone. At any time while you are traveling you can add money to your bitcoin wallet from your laptop. All you need is an internet connection.

Although I don't think that at this point I could exclusively use Bitcoin for international travel, I do think it will become the way of the future. 
I would however love to try taking a trip exclusively with bitcoin and see how well I do - wouldn't that make a fabulous live blog series??

For more information on traveling with Bitcoin, check out this article on the Benefits Of Bitcoin For International Travel

To purchase Bitcoins, or to get more detailed information on the crypto currency, check out www.Xapo.com

If you have traveled with bitcoin, or if you have a bitcoin story to share, please tell us about it in the comment section below.

International Travel Tips ~ Essential Items To Have In Your Cabin Bag

International Travel Tips – Essential Items To Have In Your Cabin Bag.

image courtesy of http://nyloncarryon.blogspot.com/2013/02/blog-post_19.html
not cabin bags, but I loved the picture!

With the first ever Corinna B’s World Glam Italia Tour getting ready to take flight,  (well, it’s a month away, but will be here in no time at all) I’m making lists for the ladies of things they need to pack.

They’ve never traveled internationally before, or to a country that functions in a different currency and a different language. Maybe you have, or maybe you haven’t, either way here is a mini check list of essential items to have in your cabin baggage.

image courtesy of Aviation With Style

1.    An International Power Adaptor

You can pick these up super cheaply now – I think they’re only around $10. I have one in my regular luggage as well as one that goes on board with me.

You never know when you will have unexpected delays in airports, be rerouted to a country you hadn’t planned on, or maybe your luggage takes a different route than you do, but with a power adaptor that can be adapted to different countries you can at least charge your phone while you are waiting.

2.    A Car Charger For Your Phone, iPad, Laptop

Last year I forgot to pack a car charger for my phone. It’s a small thing, but comes in super handy. You may not have access to a regular power point in the airport – others maybe charging their phones too. Even if you’re not driving, the person who is driving you, be it a cab, an airport shuttle, a business driver or a friend, can let you plug in and poer up. 

Having the option to get some juice into your phone before you hit your final destination can be a God send.

3.    Local Currency In Small Denominations

Always have cash on hand in the currency of the country you are flying to, and have it in small denominations. You can’t rely on there being a cash machine at the airport. Maybe it’s not working, maybe there is a line around the corner, maybe it eats your card, maybe it won’t read your card – there are so many things that can happen that get in the way of your first plan for getting cash.

Also having small denominations is essential. Not everywhere is going to be willing to break your paper money or larger denominations.

I once got refused buying a bottle of water because I only had a 5 euro note and the shopkeeper wasn’t willing to blow out all her change. Since then I always have coins for currencies that have higher value paper money. Some countries start their paper money at the $5/5 euro mark.

4.    Photocopy Of Your Passport Main Page

Things happen. Maybe you left your passport somewhere or maybe it got stolen. Either way if you don’t have it you can have a major problem. Having a hardcopy photocopy of your passport can be a huge help, both with your embassy, and with airport authorities.

Keep it somewhere separate from the rest of your travel documents, so that if your handbag is stolen or your wallet is stolen you still have your passport details.

Don’t rely on having the image on your smart phone. You may not be able to power it up, you may not have any internet service or wifi where you are. A hardcopy is always a good thing to have.

(While you are at it photocopy your credit cards/bank cards too. If you lose one or have it stolen it’s another fast way to resolve the problem)

5.    Pack A Small Bag For Inflight Needs

Before I put my cabin baggage into the overhead bin I get out everything I need during the flight and slip it into a smaller bag or a plastic bag. Books, headphones, beauty bag etc). Once that cabin bag is in the overhead bin you shouldn’t get it back out until the flight has landed.

6.    A Beauty Bag

You need skincare and makeup products, plus a couple of hair essentials, toothbrush etc both so that you can take care of your skin and  pretty on up before you land, and also because your main luggage may not make it to where you are going, or not get there at the same time as you.

If your luggage doesn’t arrive with you, you need to be able to clean up, brush your teeth and feel good until either it gets there or you can buy the replacement products you need.

7.    Clean Undies And A Change Of Clothes

As with #6, if your luggage doesn’t arrive with you it’s nice to be able to change into something clean. Especially when traveling internationally you tend to have a lot of hours between leaving your house and arriving at the new destination. The thought of spending yet another day in the same clothes is awful.

(One of my friends once got puked on by the child sitting next to her – I always want to have something to change in to if something like that were to happen to me!)

Check out this post on Aviation With Style. Its 20+ Tips Your Flight Attendant Won't Tell You, but wishes she could. Read it here

How To Make An International Flight Easy

I would love to know exactly how many miles I have racked up flying round and round the world in my lifetime.
Sometimes I can't even believe how many miles I fly in one calendar year.

Regardless of whether you are making your first long haul flight, or if you are a veteran, there is most definitely a way to make it an easy, (relatively) comfortable experience. I can't be bothered with jet lag, and at least on my outbound trip I want to arrive refreshed and ready to go.
So here's what I do

1. Make a sleep kit
Whether you buy one ready made, or make your own, set yourself up to win with everything you need to sleep.
An eye mask to block out the light
A neck pillow (although these days airline seats have head rests that totally support your head, so I almost never bother dragging one around with me)

Earphones. Get noise cancelling if you can afford them, like the Bose QC15 . Look for something that is comfortable and that covers your ears (as opposed to earbuds). Anything that blocks out the hum of the engines and as much of the other ambient noise as possible. If you don't have noise cancelling headphones, plug in to one of the yoga/zen/rainforest channels that all the airlines seem to have - it will help block unwanted noise and put you to sleep.
A blanket. I've traveled with the same giant pashmina for more than 12 years now. Its soft, very very lightweight, but warm. It also takes up no space at all.
Airline blankets can be scratchy, and don't always keep you warm enough. Some airlines even charge extra for a blanket. I prefer to bring my own.

2. Check Bags

It takes forever for a plane to board, largely because so many people drag on too much cabin baggage. Pack a bag with enough to last you a couple of days in case your bags don't arrive with you. Be mindful of security rules on sizes of liquids etc. Packing only what you need to get you through the first couple of days in your cabin bag and checking the rest can streamline your experience getting through security and onboard the plane.
Rules change from airport to airport, so rather than deal with any hassles at the xray, I prefer to check as much as possible.

3. Drink Tons Of Water

Probably the most important item of all is to drink as much water as possible. The biggest part of jet-lag is getting dehydrated. You lose an additional 8 oz of water for every hour that you are up there, so its crucial that you drink as close to a glass of water for every hour of the flight.
  
4. Pack Healthy Snacks
Or at least check the airline's menu ahead of time. Sometimes there are healthy options - but mostly not.
Pre-sliced fresh fruit, unsalted nuts etc will serve you better than the high carb, high sugar, highly processed snacks and foods on most long haul flights. Be mindful of how much you eat too. Its super easy to overeat when you're sitting there for 10 or 12 hours.

5. Dress For Success
Wear comfortable clothes that you can layer up and layer down. Be able to work with however hot or cold the cabin is both during flight and also when sitting on the tarmac. Comfortable shoes (and socks!) are a must too. I'm a big believer in flying in comfortable clothes, but also in always looking stylish and well put together. 
Airlines frequently oversell seats and have to upgrade passengers. I always want that upgrade. No matter how much of a model citizen you are, if you're not dressed nicely you won't get that upgrade.

6. Sit Down, Shut Up, Powerdown. 
The flight can't take off until everyone is seated, belted in, and all electronics are powered down.
More so on domestic flights rather than internationals it seems to take forever for people to just sit down and do as they're told. And there is invariably some tool who feels the need to talk on his cellphone at full volume throughout the process. 
Make it easier on yourself and everyone else by streamlining the process. Once you're in your seat don't get back up to get anything out of the overhead bin until the flight has taken off and the seatbelt lights are turned off.