The identity of the letter's author was revealed to be Oliver Beale, 29, a high-flying advertising executive, according to London's Daily Telegraph.

Mr Beale's addressed his letter directly to Virgin boss Richard Branson to complain about the quality of his in-flight meal during a flight from Mumbai to Heathrow in December last year.

He attached photographs of the meal as evidence.

In his colourful complaint, Mr Beale described his feelings about pulling back the tin foil on the main course thus:

"I'll try and explain how this felt. Imagine being a twelve-year-old boy Richard. Now imagine it's Christmas morning and you're sat their with your final present to open. It's a big one, and you know what it is. It's that Goodmans stereo you picked out the catalogue and wrote to Santa about.

Only you open the present and it's not in there. It's your hamster Richard. It's your hamster in the box and it's not breathing. That's how I felt when I peeled back the foil and saw this..."

He then described the biscuit provided for dessert:

"There was a small cookie provided. It had caught my eye earlier due to it's baffling presentation...

"It appears to be in an evidence bag from the scene of a crime. A CRIME AGAINST BLOODY COOKING. Either that or some sort of back-street underground cookie, purchased off a gun-toting maniac high on his own supply of yeast. You certainly wouldn't want to be caught carrying one of these through customs. Imagine biting into a piece of brass Richard. That would be softer on the teeth than the specimen above."

Mr Beale also complained about the TV screen for his in-flight entertainment, which he said had given him a headache due to the poor picture quality.

He finished off with: "So that was that Richard. I didn't eat a bloody thing. My only question is: How can you live like this? I can't imagine what dinner round your house is like, it must be like something out of a nature documentary."

The Telegraph reported Mr Branson had rung Mr Beale personally to apologise and invited him to select food and wine for future Virgin flights.

"He was incredibly nice about the whole thing but I haven't received any compensation since talking to him," Mr Beale said.

The passing of 2008 isn't likely to be mourned by anyone with an interest in either providing or consuming travel services.

Airlines and hotels saw traveler numbers dwindle, along with their profits. The suffering went well beyond paper losses, destabilizing the industry overall and jeopardizing the very existence of a number of carriers.

Last year's casualties included Aloha, Big Sky, Skybus, ATA, Silverjet, and Eos. Frontier and Sun Country are operating under protection of Chapter 11 bankruptcy. And those liquidations and bankruptcy filings took place earlier in the year, before the current global financial meltdown had pushed demand for travel off a cliff.

Consumers bore their share of the industry's misfortune. As profits plunged, the airlines imposed fees galore, and further devalued their loyalty programs by upping award prices and tightening restrictions.

The harsh economic climate shows no signs of abating, guaranteeing that 2009 will be another tough year for airlines and hotels. But amid the travel gloom, there's a silver lining for consumers who buck the just-stay-home trend and continue spending on plane tickets and hotel rooms. The falloff in demand for travel should force the airlines and hotels into generous bonus promotions and aggressive price discounts—both positives for consumers.

On the price side, we're already seeing widespread airfare sales for flights, and Las Vegas hotel rooms are selling for as little as $14 per night. If it's not yet a buyer's market, it's certainly headed in that direction.

The expected surge in mile and points promotions has been slower to develop, at least among the airlines. But in the hotel sector, the first signs of industry-wide loyalty program promotions have materialized, with significant new bonus offers from six of the largest hotel groups launching this month or next.

Here's a roundup of the hotel bonuses currently on offer, followed by some thoughts on which offers are the best deals for which travelers.

Best Western

Through February 14, members of Best Western Rewards (formerly called Gold Crown Club International) can earn double points for two nights, triple points for three nights, and quadruple points for four nights. Members earn an additional 250 bonus points when booking their stays on bestwestern.com.

Qualifying stays must be charged to a MasterCard. And as with all these hotel promotions, program members must register to earn the bonuses.

Hilton

Through April 6, members of the Hilton HHonors program will earn double Base points for stays at more than 2,400 participating Hilton Family hotels, including Hilton, Conrad, Doubletree, Embassy Suites, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Inn, and Homewood Suites.

Hyatt

Through April 30, members of Hyatt Gold Passport program can earn up to 20,000 Hyatt Gold Passport bonus points or airline miles at any of more than 365 Hyatt hotels in 45 countries.

Bonuses are awarded as follows: 2,000 bonus points or miles after two nights; 4,000 additional points or miles after four nights; 6,000 more after six nights; and 8,000 more after eight nights; for a total of 20,000 bonus points.

InterContinental

Through April 30, Priority Club Rewards members can earn 3,000 bonus points or 1,000 bonus miles for every third night at InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Hotel Indigo, Holiday Inn, Staybridge Suites, and Candlewood Suites hotels. There's a maximum of 30,000 bonus points or 10,000 bonus miles that can be earned during the promotion period.

Marriott

Between February 1 and April 30, Marriott Rewards members can earn 2,500 bonus points for the second and subsequent stays at participating Marriott, JW Marriott, Renaissance, Courtyard by Marriott, Residence Inn, TownePlace Suites, Fairfield Inn, and SpringHill Suites hotels, up to a maximum of 25,000 bonus points during the offer period. Alternatively, Marriott Rewards members can choose to earn double airline miles during the same period, with no maximum imposed on the bonus.

Starwood

Starwood Preferred Guest members can earn 500 bonus points per night, plus an extra 5,000 bonus points after the tenth night, for stays completed through April 30 at participating Sheraton, Westin, Four Points, Le Meridien, W, St. Regis, and The Luxury Collection hotels. So for every ten nights, they'll earn 10,000 bonus points. There's no limit to the number of bonus points that can be earned during the promotion period.

Your Mileage May Vary

All together, the offers from the six hotel chains apply to stays at approximately 15,000 hotels worldwide. But while these promotions all add extra value to qualifying hotel stays over the next few months, they differ in their suitability to various types of travelers.

For infrequent travelers, there's the entry hurdle to consider: how many stays or nights before the bonus takes effect. Travelers staying at Hilton or Starwood properties will begin earning bonuses on their first night. At Best Western, Hyatt, and Marriott, bonuses require a stay of two or more nights. And Priority Club Rewards members won't qualify for a bonus until their third night.

It's also worth noting that whereas the other four hotels' offers run through the end of April, Best Western's ends on February 14, and Hilton's remains in effect only through April 6. While the Marriott promotion extends through the end of April, it doesn't begin until February 1. Duration matters.

At the other extreme, for the ultra-frequent traveler, there's the cap to factor in: the maximum number of bonus miles or points that may be earned, no matter how many nights are logged. The Hilton and Starwood offers are not capped—the sky's the limit. But the Best Western bonus applies only to the first four nights; Hyatt customers may only earn 20,000 bonus points or miles, regardless of the number of nights they rack up; Marriott customers are subject to a limit of 25,000 Rewards points but no limit on the number of airline miles; and Priority Club members max out at 30,000 points or 10,000 miles.

High-frequency travelers have two choices: participate in a promotion with no bonus cap, or mix and match promotions to ensure that all stays qualify for extra points.

With these new promotions, the hotels have done their part to shore up slumping travel demand. But hotel stays only account for part of the cost of an average trip. What's needed next is similarly generous promotional offers from the airlines. That would make 2009 a thoroughly rewarding year for travelers.

Statistics New Zealand figures showed a 4.3 percent decline in national accommodation sales for the month on a year-on-year basis.

Most regions experienced a downturn, with Bay of Plenty, Otago and Auckland suffering the biggest drops.

Alongside Hawke's Bay and Gisborne, Wellington posted an increase in guest nights. The western Taranaki, Wanganui and Manawatu regions also recorded small increases.

While November figures were most likely boosted by political supporters and National Party entourages after the October election, the city held up resoundingly well all year.

Wellington has had a single month of declining year-on-year visitor numbers in 2008, with August down 2.5 per cent on the previous August.

Positively Wellington Tourism chief executive David Perks said Wellington's marketing strategy was diverse, aimed at domestic and international tourists.

"Most of the other regions choose to do one or the other. It means we don't have all our eggs in one basket."

Most of the national decline was due to international visitor nights declining 8 per cent, while domestic tourists' overnight stays only dropped 1 per cent.

Mr Perks said there was more work to do to bolster international visitor numbers for the region, but the decline in growth was less than other regions.

He said the triple focus on domestic, international and event markets gave Wellington an edge.

There was a continual need to invest in major events like the World of Wearable Arts and the Rugby Sevens tournament, but also to encourage "B-list" events such as the International Jazz Festival.

"If we can lift some of those to be bigger events, we do that," Mr Perks said.

Another $500,000 had been earmarked for marketing Wellington in one of the main cities in Australia.

YHA Wellington general manager Chris Sperring said the tales of woe for tourism had yet to hit his Wakefield St hostel, which was all but full last night and had enjoyed at least 80 per cent occupancy throughout last winter, the low season.

The hostel had diversified to attract a range of tourists and Wellington's stellar events schedule had helped.

"The amount of good quality events we pick up in Wellington is just fantastic," he said.

Mr Perks said the offshore marketing happening now was aimed at drumming up business several years ahead.

Cruise ship numbers, which did not contribute to accommodation sales, had remained constant despite the economic downturn and boosted retail spending on quieter days, he said.

He noted hotel occupancies were looking good through to March, after which they softened.

Mr Sperring said tourists were not booking as far ahead, which was creating issues as drop-in inquiries often had to be turned away from a full house.

With the rugby sevens tournament on Waitangi weekend looming, he was expecting to have to turn away tourists "in droves".

This cruise turned out to be four days of nonstop music and sun and fun. I even told my editors I’d need a week to recuperate when I got back. They thought I was joking! Obviously these wankers have never been on one of the Simple Man Cruises.

Billed as the Simple Man 2009 Cruise, it was hosted by Lynyrd Skynyrd. We were due to cast off at 1600 hours, and when we weighed anchor it was to the sound of music on the Lido Deck. But you could hear the music from anywhere on the ship, as long as you were outside. And who wants to be inside on a cruise? Four days of maximum sun is the sure cure for four months of snow up to your ass.

Four days on a cruise should rate two weeks to recuperate. There are times when men and women in combat will go for three, sometimes four days without a break, without sleep. To think that your body is moving for that long with little or no rest is scary! Even without the combat. After the third day I had to be reminded to take it a little easier. And what was reminding me was my whole body: It was tired. Beyond tired. But don’t pity me. It’s like the old guy with a 25-year-old hottie, it took three undertakers to get the smile off his face.

I’m gonna come right out and say it, people. This Lynyrd Skynyrd Simple Man Cruise was just phenomenal. Phenomenal that Simple Man Cruise arranged the perfect weather. Phenomenal that Simple Man lined up the perfect music Obviously, Lynyrd Skynyrd were the stars of the show, but lemme tell ya, straight up, they had to work to keep their star billing. The other acts were breathing down Skynyrd’s neck the entire time. “No prisoners!” was their war cry. Any band that slowed down the chase would have footprints up their back and down their front.

Somebody asked me as we were leaving the Marshall Tucker performance, “Who’s your favorite on the cruise?” I told her, “Marshall Tucker!” The next day, as we were coincidentally at the Oakhurst performance, she asked the same question, and I replied, “Oakhurst!”

The fake YouTube video is just another example of Australian advertising agencies' "crude" use of social media to promote brands, a marketing expert says.

In its latest campaign, Tourism Queensland invited people to send in a 60-second video of themselves to apply for a $150,000 caretaker job for Hamilton Island, which it dubbed "the best job in the world".

Local and international media outlets last week reported thousands of applicants had already sent in videos, including an Australian woman called "Tegan" who supposedly showed herself visiting a tattoo parlour to get a 10-centimetre tattoo proving her love for the Great Barrier Reef.

But Tourism Queensland has since admitted "Tegan" was not a genuine applicant, but a member of the ad agency that created the campaign promoting the Great Barrier Reef islands.

It said the "fake" video, one of the first posted, was only intended as a example of the creativity Tourism Queensland expected from applicants, and to spur people to post their own videos.

But there was nothing on the video or the campaign website to say the video was an example.

Marketing expert Tim Burrowes said the video showed Australian ad agencies were starting to use social media - such as YouTube, Twitter and Facebook - to promote their brands.

"Social media is a conversation between consumers and they are trying to insert their brand into that conversation," Mr Burrowes said.

"You're just seeing the beginnings now of Australian agencies doing it, but they are not terribly sophisticated so far."

Mr Burrowes - who was first to expose the fake Tourism Queensland video on his blog, Mumbrella - said Australian agencies' efforts so far at using social media had been "a bit lame and obviously faked up".

Many YouTube users sensed the Tourism Queensland tattoo video was a fake, some pointing out that the applicant's skin was not red, as it should be, after getting a tattoo.

Mr Burrowes also took aim at the weekend's story about a 24-year-old woman, Heidi Clarke, who has posted a video on YouTube reportedly to track down a mystery man whose jacket she found at a Sydney cafe.

Ms Clarke said she posted the clip because she was smitten with the man and wanted to meet him.

"I'm convinced that's a fake, just the way she talks about the jacket [and] how good the lining is ... it's almost becoming a cliche for advertising agencies to do this now."

A newspaper said the label inside the jacket belonged to a well-known clothing store that was about to launch the clothing line.

"I really think this [devious approach] will bite a lot of brands on the back side," Mr Burrowes said.

"Consumers are very cynical and the trust in these brands will fall away.

"The danger now is every time there's something interesting on some social media website people wont trust it - a lot of brands have been quite short sighted."

Tourism Queensland believes its tactic has worked, with the caretaker job having attracted 5800 applications by yesterday afternoon, and 6000 expected to have been received by the end of today.

More than 10,000 were expected to apply by the February 22 cut-off date.

Mr Burrowes acknowledged wide media coverage of the video had helped the campaign, but said much of the campaign's success also owed to its original "brilliant PR idea" of the working holiday.

One of the best examples of a company using social media to promote its products was that of Blendtec, a US company that makes blenders, which has a series of YouTube videos in which company founder Tom Dickson attempts to blend a range of items.

The "Will it blend" series shows Mr Dickson blending avocados, shoes, golf balls, and even an iPhone.

"I think the secret with social media is you want to go viral, and to do that you have to be entertaining and then your brand gets a nudge right on the corner of the story," Mr Burrowes said.

I pop the toasted grasshopper right in my mouth. It tastes kind of like bacon and is seasoned with chili and salt. Not bad! My kids wrinkle their noses.

We are walking through a market in Oaxaca City, where we've arrived just this afternoon. Locals are selling the "chapulines"—there are big piles of them—for just three pesos a bag (about 40 cents).

Oaxaca is in the southeastern part of Mexico and we've come here for a few days of cultural immersion after a week lazing on the beach near Playa del Carmen. (More about that in another column.) Mexico beaches are terrific, of course, but there is so much more to see and do in this country.

To make the most of our time, we've arranged for Austin-Lehman Adventures to plan our stay so that I don't have to fret the details. The benefits are immediately apparent when there is a glitch at our hotel and there isn't a bed—literally—for my 24-year-old son, Matt. While our guide, Nicholas Garcia, shows us Oaxaca's historical center—the famous Santo Domingo church dates back to the 16th century—Austin-Lehman's Carl McLellan finds Matt a room around the corner for the night, at no charge, saving me a huge hassle on unfamiliar turf. (If you book with Austin-Lehman, mention Taking the Kids and they'll throw in a free, pre-trip night accommodation.)

Oaxaca is famous for its food (mole, chocolate), its artisans, and the astounding beauty of its surrounding valleys where the Zapotecs, Mixtecs, and some 14 other ethnic groups live and preserve their culture. There are ruins to explore, carvers to meet, bike rides on dirt roads past farmers on donkey carts, fantastic meals (including tlayuda, a special Mexican pizza made on a giant tortilla), and the chance to see the world's largest cypress tree. Fifty people could hold hands in a circle and still not surround the tree in Santa Maria del Tule, which is about eight miles outside of Oaxaca City.

We even have the chance to join a cooking lesson taught by American chef Susana Trilling at her Seasons of My Heart culinary school, located on her hillside farm outside the city. Trilling has raised two kids here and is so accommodating that she welcomed a family with a baby to our class, even arranging for someone to take care of him. "Mexico is so wonderful for kids," she tells me. "Everyone loves children."

That's obvious in Oaxaca's Zocalo city center, where a cacophony of sights and sounds greet us. There are dancers performing and lights twinkling from the trees. A woman sells candied apples on a long stick; I've never seen so many colors of cotton candy. Kids run and play with balloons three times their size as their parents laugh. There are many tourists here, but very few Americans.

In one village, we watch a 15-year-old girl, decked out in a blue sparkly dress, being led down the street by a band to commemorate her quinceanera, the celebration of her 15th birthday. Surrounded by family, she smiles at us shyly as drums, trombones, and trumpets blare.

Another morning, we tour the ancient ruin of Monte Alban, where Zapotecs lived from 500 B.C. until 1500 A.D. The place is huge at some 12 square miles, and there are 21 buildings in various stages of excavation. The views of the surrounding mountains and valleys are stupendous. We climb down into an ancient tomb and marvel at the ancient toys in the museum. Can it get any better than this?

Sadly, tourism has still not completely recovered down here since the 2006 teachers' strikes and ensuing unrest. "Today, Oaxaca is friendly and safe and colorful," promises Chris Schroers, who, along with his wife, owns Como Agua Pa' Chocolate, a charming restaurant overlooking the Zocolo. We ate dinner there one night.

The few American families we meet couldn't agree more. Tracy Turner from Atlanta said her family opted to celebrate her sister's birthday here because the family wanted a place that would combine culture, good food, and shopping, as well as some pool time for the three teenagers along on the trip. "So many kids are learning Spanish now," she explained. "We wanted our daughter to see how useful her Spanish can be, and it's been great."

Then there is the chocolate. Oaxaca is famous for its chocolate, so we stop in at a factory and watch people order their favorites (cinnamon, almonds, vanilla). Workers mix the chocolate right in front of us, handing it to customers as a big yummy blob in a plastic bag. My chocoholic daughters are entranced. The place smells heavenly!

We stroll back to the hotel, stopping at a shop here, an outdoor crafts market there. I want to buy everything—colorfully embroidered shirts and dresses, scarves of every hue, beads and painted animals—but restrain myself, because I know we are soon going to visit artisans in their workshops.

Talk about loving your work. Sophia Reyes, 88, is a potter who works seven days a week, and she hasn't had a day off since she was eight. Sophia welcomed us into her studio and home in San Bartolo Coyotepec, a village about 25 minutes from Oaxaca City.

Nicholas Garcia, who was raised in Oaxaca, explains that the distinctive black pottery that Sophia makes dates back to 500 B.C. We watch as tiny Sophia pounds the clay and then forms it into a vase—no potter's wheel needed. She jokes that when she was a child, her mother and grandmother would slap her wrists if she did something wrong. Her daughter and grandchildren now work with her.

A short drive away, in the town of San Martin Tilcajete, Jacobo Angeles Ojeda supports 10 families—seven carvers and 40 painters, all part of his extended family—at his well-known workshop. There, they create the brightly painted animal wood carvings—bulls, owls, roosters, rabbits, dogs, and cats—for which this region is known. Some of the carvings are huge; others can fit in the palm of your hand. A group, which includes the artist's 13-year-old son, sits around large tables painting animals of varying sizes, and as they work they joke and laugh. "It is very special because we all get to work together," explains the 36-year-old Jacobo, whose work is exhibited around the world. The artist's four-year-old daughter, Maria Sabina, plays with friends close by. Too bad all jobs aren't this much fun!

The wood for these carvings comes from the copal tree. Thousands of new trees are planted every year with great ceremony, Jacobo tells us. The artist and his wife, Maria, serve us lunch that is prepared in the traditional style by a relative who owns a nearby restaurant. We start with memelas (small, thick tortillas covered with fresh cheese), soup, and azucena zapoteca (a squash blossom filled with cheese). Dessert is the best part. We watch as Maria grinds local chocolate in an old-fashioned mortar, adding nuts, cinnamon, and sugar. Women mix the chocolate paste with a little butter, sweet wine, and water to make the best chocolate sauce we've ever had; they then drizzle the sauce over ice cream. No one can resist seconds.

Read Eileen's blog and more Taking the Kids at TakingTheKids.com.

It's hard not to think of Norman when you're spending the weekend at The Vintage. His craggy, hatted features are festooned on posters throughout the development in the heart of the Hunter Valley wine district.

The Queenslander, who notoriously blew more majors than he won, designed the course a decade ago. Today it is regarded as one of the finest golf courses in Australia.

Friends will vouch for the fact that I'm a pathetic golfer. But the A$39 ($48) nine-hole dash after 4pm (including an electric buggy) is too attractive to miss. Especially as I've got two caddies on hand, not one.

My six-year-old, no sports fan, loves being the scorer because he can practise his maths (though my embarrassing score isn't helped by the three or four shots he adds to each hole). Meanwhile, the four- year-old has taken to shouting "terrible shot, Daddy," even before I've hit the ball.

You don't have to be a golfer to enjoy staying at the clumsily named Grand Mercure The Vintage Hunter Valley but obviously it helps. It's an apartment-style, two- storey complex clustered around a swimming pool and is a five-minute walk from the clubhouse, the practice ground and the first tee.

Our two-bedroom apartment is certainly swish in that minimalist, muted, modern manner. The king- size bed in our room lives up to its "luxury" billing, although the little luxury we value most is our own LCD television screen so we can sit back and watch something grown- up, while the boys focus on cartoons. First-release in-house movies are available but, surprisingly for such a new hotel, there's no cable television.

The rest of the apartment has everything we could need. Bathroom and separate toilet are stylish and amply sized. There's a gas fire for winter, air-conditioning for summer, mini hi-fi, DVD, broadband connection (for a fee), in-room safe, washer-dryer, steam iron and ironing board.

Then, of course, there's that luxury no Norman-influenced resort should be without: a garage with remote-controlled door and enough room for our car and our golf buggy.

The gas barbecue on one of our two balconies and a kitchen mean we can easily fend for ourselves. But on Friday evening we take the short walk up to the clubhouse, having booked a table at The Legends Grill, overlooking the 18th green.

Understandably, the children's menu isn't cheap ($14.90 for chicken nuggets, chips and ice- cream) but our meal – scallops and timbale for starters, barramundi and trevalla for mains, washed down with a bottle of Bimbadgen sem-sauv – is splendidly relaxing, with comfortable surroundings and welcoming staff. Par for the course.

Our Saturday experience, however, leaves us bunkered. We'd planned a quiet night in, knowing the hotel offers a room-service menu, with food prepared by The Legends Grill. When we phone, however, we're told the kitchen is closed for a wedding. To me, that's unacceptable in a hotel that bills itself as four-and-a-half stars. At the very least, apartment guests should be informed the restaurant will be closed when they check in. Thankfully, there's no shortage of dining options in the Hunter and we dash off for tapas at the Brokenback Bar at Arrowfield Estate.

We don't let that one problem spoil our experience of The Vintage. Indeed, there are probably weekend guests who haven't left the complex: there are two swimming pools, a gym and a floodlit tennis court. If all that tires you out, massage and beauty treatments can be arranged in your apartment.

So many of the Hunter Valley's highlights are within a 15-minute drive. Bimbadgen Estate winery, with its award-winning restaurant Esca, is the neighbouring property. Hunter Valley Gardens, about 24 hectares of floral adventure, is just up the road.

Would we recommend The Vintage Hunter Valley to Norman and Chrissy Evert? Yes: it's a fairway to heaven.

Grand Mercure The Vintage Hunter Valley, Rothbury, New South Wales, a little over two hours north of Sydney is stylish but slightly anonymous accommodation. Prices range from $299 a night midweek to $499 a night on weekends (two-night minimum stay). more at grandmercurehuntervalley.com.au.

"Come to my table," Jennifer says, beckoning me to her private and impeccably clean spot near the window. Introducing myself, I explain that I've been doing my make-up the same way for a few months now, and wanted an expert's opinion of what I am doing right and what needs improvement. I've also applied eyeliner and asked if I've applied it thin enough, and implore her to tell me tricks to keep the eyeliner from moving.

Jennifer listens to me, nods, and removes my make-up so we can start with a clean new face. I ask her about the many brides she's made-up for weddings, and if they come for pre-consultations. "Actually, a lot of women do not even realize they will be getting married until they arrive. Or maybe they had originally planned on a quick drive-thru style wedding, and once they are here, they realize that they want the full ceremony, so they invite friends, buy the dress, and get their make-up done."

We talk about skincare a bit, and then Jennifer takes out The Gun. Actually, it is machine called "Temptu" that sprays on foundation for a flawless finish. "I want one!" I exclaim, marveling at the result. It looks like I'm not wearing any make-up at all, yet I have that polished, finished look we ladies will recognize when we smooth new silk stockings from high-end stores like Wolford over our legs. The sheer stockings look natural, yet more polished.

Jennifer asks me what sort of look I want, and I explain that I'm a pretty formal person and am constantly attending meetings or going to a variety of events. "I pretty much keep the same sort of sophisticated day and evening look, " I say, at the same time explaining that I realize, when it comes to true sophistication, less is more.

I'm glad Jennifer agrees with my ideas. We go very light on the foundation with some blush that she also sprays on, light with the lips (just a bit of gloss), and per my request, makes my eyes dark, dramatic, and smoky. The look is perfect for Las Vegas - and for Manhattan, too. I walk out of The Salon feeling good that a lot of my ideas about skin care and the "less is more" look have been validated, and confident that when pictures are taken later in the evening at a conference event, I will photograph well?

The Salon
Wynn Encore Resort
3131 Las Vegas Blvd S
Las Vegas, NV 89109
(702) 770-7000