As most of you know, I took a little break last week and spent five days disconnected from the rest of the world in Fernando de Noronha, a small island off the coast of the northeast of the country. If you have never been there, I highly recommend booking a trip. Because of the limited number of tourists allowed on the island at a time, spending a week there may end up costing a lot more than flying to the Caribbean for a week from São Paulo, but it is absolutely worth it. The island is so beautiful  and surreal that several times I found myself thinking I was in Avatar's computer-generated Pandora.

I posted more information and pictures of Fernando de Noronha along with a few travel tips after the jump. Make sure to check them out. I already cannot wait to be back there.

If you are going to Rio to party non-stop, then yes, get a place in Ipanema or Leblon as usual. However, if you are traveling to Rio anytime soon and you are looking to relax and detox, then I suggest checking out Mama Ruisa, located in the heart Santa Teresa.

The brand new bed & breakfast offers seven modern and luxurious rooms with breathtaking views of the Sugar Loaf and the bay of Guanabara, and a swimming pool surrounded by palm trees. It also provides its guests with a masseur and a private chauffeur. Sounds to me like the perfect place to spend the weekend after attending all the new year's eve parties. View more pictures after the jump.

• Bombshell Izabel Goulart graces the cover of the Fashion Rocks supplement of Vogue Brazil.
• A gay marriage proposal at Mariah Carey's Vegas concert.
• The Fasano Group will be opening a new hotel in Salvador designed by Isay Weinfeld in 2010.
• Constance Jablonski was the girl who walked the most shows this season.
• What do you think of the new four-actress Vogue cover? It looks too much like like VF to me.
• Go-go boy or Brazilian cowboy?
• Caroline Trentini photographed naked by her bf Victor Demarchelier.
• A Q&A with Marc Jacobs.
• A sneak peek at François Nars' new book 15x15, celebrating the 15th anniversary of Nars cosmetics.
• More of Alexandre Herchcovitch's furniture line in partnership with Micasa.
• Perfect footwear for fall: Dr. Martens Weston boots.
• Watch the Black Eyed Peas' new video for Meet Me Halfway.

• Going Gaga: Raquel Zimmermann shows her poker face in the latest issue of W magazine.
• Calvin Klein's designer Francisco Costa was honored with the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award in fashion last Friday in Washington.
• Model Isabeli Fontana goes topless for a Brazilian ad campaign.
• Soccer player Kaká stretches with Cristiano Ronaldo in his first day of practice with Real Madrid.
• Amir Slama, founder of Rosa Chá, tells The Wall Street Journal what men should wear to the beach.
• The New York Times reviews the Hotel Fasano in Rio.
• Speedo break with photography by Dean Isidro.
• Jesus Luz in white briefs for Italian Vanity Fair.
• André Ziehe in the July issue of Gamos.
• Bar Rafaeli is rumored to be dating Brazilian polo player and entrepreneur Rico Mansur, who just so happens to also be one of Gisele's ex-boyfriends.
• Watch Kelly Clarkson's video for Already Gone.
• Loving Marc Jacobs' new tees in favor of gay rights.

• 
  Sérgio Mattos has posted several pictures of the castings for the shows in Rio on his blog.
  
• RG Vogue has pictures of Lorenzo Martone's 30th birthday in New York last weekend. 
• Entrepreneur Sérgio Luiz Pereira will be opening São Paulo's first gay hotel later this month, just in time for Gay Pride. 155 Hotel is going to be located at downtown São Paulo and feature 76 rooms spread over 10 floors, with rates starting at R$95. The initial investment in the project was of R$6 million.  
• Pedro Andrade gets a massage at The Plaza.
• Cauã Reymond is in Cannes to promote the Brazilian movie À Deriva. 
• The Sartorialist Scott Schuman said that all Brazilian women look the same while shooting the new campaign for luxury mall Cidade Jardim this week in São Paulo.
• This was one of my favorite TV series when I was a child. I hope the remake does it justice.
• Caroline Ribeiro wears white on the latest i-D. 
• I had promised to post part II of the portfolio with Renato Ferreira today, but I was too busy to edit all the pictures. Expect them this coming Sunday.