11 Things I Got Right for Spring Break, and 7 Absolute Mistakes
Plus a handful of Sephora sale essentials you shouldn't miss and an incredible discount code from one of my YCOHO brands!
As I wrote last year, I am famously bad at taking time off. Not because I’m not excellent at vacationing—perish the thought!—but for very mundane reasons. Being an entrepreneur meant working around the clock for years, and not taking a salary for longer than you’d imagine, which meant I was busy and broke for the majority of my adult life.
But then last year, I finally said: We are doing it! And (with the help of my amazing luxury travel specialist friend) for my parents’ 50th anniversary we headed out for the kids’ first big family trip and it was glorious. I mean, stressful getting packed and getting on the plane, but once we got there, it was a dream.
As someone who really loves to run the experiment again—that’s why we have two kids—I was looking forward to trying my spring break skill set this year, and see if I’d learned anything or not. And the answer is: Sorta? Some things I got completely right and others…not so much. So I’m sharing the good, the bad, and the indifferent today, in the hopes of helping anyone who might be vacationally rusty too.
SIDE NOTE: Before we get into today’s story, a brief Sephora alert! As you probably are aware, there’s a major sale/the Sephora Savings Event on for the next 48 hours, so here are a few things I recommend without reservations. 11/10 products only!
Violette FR Mini Boum-Boum Milk Rebalancing 3-in-1 Barrier Spray ($43) I bought it a month or two ago and am UTTERLY OBSESSED with this spray thanks to the radical hydration it imparts. I get why it’s a cult product and why the French are obsessed. Truly the best skin product I’ve purchased in at least a year.
Violette FR Bisou Jelly Sheer Shine Hydrating Lipstick ($29) My favorite shade (Pomme d’Amour) is currently in stock, so please get it. It’s so deeply sexy and easy.
Makeup By Mario SurrealSkin Luminous Hydrating Foundation ($44) Game changing, life changing complexion product that can be super sheer or fuller coverage, never clogs pores, and is just the GOAT.
Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Liquid Blush ($25) If I could only have one blush product for the rest of my days, it would be this one, preferably in Joy. It’s so beautifully pigmented, blends like a dream, and truly makes you look like your best self.
Rare Beauty Perfect Strokes Universal Volumizing Mascara ($22) I’ve written about this mascara many times because it’s so dang good, and if you haven’t tried it, I feel 150% confident about suggesting that now is the time. It’s great for work, date night, whatever, and gives really stunning lashes, but also comes off with just my regular face wash in the shower, which makes it truly a dream product.
Sephora Collection Pro Foundation Brush #64 ($34) If you recall my story from a few months back about my makeup lesson with celebrity artist Joey Maalouf, you might remember that I ended up picking up a lot of tricks and a handful of products. Of all the brushes I bought, this one is my daily driver. I also read somewhere that it’s Jennifer Aniston’s favorite too, so that’s cool.
Merit Day Glow Dewy Highlighting Balm ($32) Four years of daily use later, and despite testing all rivals, this remains my go-to highlighter. I personally use Cava, and love how it gives you a lit-from-within glow.
Crown Affair The Texturizing Air Dry Hair Mousse ($38) This product is an absolute dream. It gives you Olsen-esque easy waves without any effort or heat, and I truly am obsessed. The dry shampoo is also really wonderful. All of it’s good.
Roz Hair: I’m beside myself that Roz is finally at Sephora! Truly you cannot go wrong with any of Mara’s amazing products, but my absolute favorite and the one product I decanted into a small Cadence capsule for my trip? The Milk Hydrating Leave-In Conditioner Hair Serum ($52) which is absolute heaven.
11 THINGS THAT WORKED
Janessa Leone Rafia Scrunch Bag ($657)
If you’ve been here a moment, you know that I fuck with Janessa Leone hats, and I have since she gave me a hat for Coachella in 2012 and I just completely swooned. (Here’s some fun backstory on how it all happened!) My YCOHO is the brand’s Tinsley Hat ($287), which I wear in a large…and it actually fits my giant cranium! Truly size inclusive, especially for those of us who have oranges on toothpicks for heads.
Anyway, while I will be Team JL Hats for life, I’m also REALLY mad about her bags, specifically the new Rafia Scrunch Bag, which was the only bag I wore for my entire holiday. It’s perfect. The design is so classically cool, and I adore the fact that it has a regenerative leather top handle and there’s a longer shoulder strap inside, so you can carry it multiple ways.
It also fits an ungodly amount of stuff, which surprised me? Two kids’ water bottles, a wallet, sunglasses, keys, a paperback novel for me, two Dragon Masters books for the kids (our new favorite series), sunscreen, and a cardigan all fit nicely, plus there was room for more. It’s like a Mary Poppins bag, but way better. It’s also super lightweight and impeccably made, as all of Janessa’s products are. Truly an investment worth making.
Even better: The very kind team at Janessa Leone have kindly created a discount code for Hi Everyone readers (that’s you!). Use the code HILLARY15 at checkout for 15% off! This is a rare deal and you should take advantage of it!
Jamie Haller Sandals
My exact pair aren’t for sale right now, but The Gladiator Sandals ($550) and The Double Buckle Slides ($525) have a very similar vibe, just with some slight design tweaks. They are so insanely comfortable, you won’t want to wear anything else. I didn’t. Truly; these were the only shoes I wore, other than my pool Birks. I love that they’re customizable via the buckles, so you can get the truly best fit, and when I say the leather is the softest thing your foot has ever touched? Might be the truth!
Reformation Monette Linen Dress ($198)
This dress (and my Cara Cara dark floral dress) is already punching above their weight class in terms of usefulness and ease. It’s great with or without a belt, with simple black sandals or styled with something more colorful, looks adorable with pretty much any accessory—you really can’t lose. Plus it’s comfortable and supportive, so I didn’t have to wear a bra with it.
Mini Boden Swimsuits
I stand by last year’s advice that two-piece suits (rashguard and bottoms) are the way to go for kids, and I stand by that. I also am here to begrudgingly say that after a year of heavy swimming for my kids, I am now officially Team Boden for suits because they are so high quality.
I love the Boden Sunsafe Patterned Rash Vest ($35) in Pink Apple Blossom Floral; the matching bottoms won’t ship until June, but I ordered them. Also got the Patterned Bikini Bottoms ($20) in Multi Rainbow Swirl and the matching Sunsafe Patterned Rash Vest ($35) in Multi Rainbow Swirl, which are just soooo cute. The fabric is UPF50+ and my kids didn’t take on a lick of color underneath these suits, which is pretty remarkable considering they’re so wildly white.
Also love the boys’ suits; I got my kiddo the Swim Shorts ($32 ) in Red Multi Stripe, which is really just a rainbow print, and the aquamarine sea turtle print, because the kid loves sea turtles. And for peak turtle time, he also got a sea turtle rash guard.
And since these suits are more expensive than some of the ones I’ve recommended in the past, I will say I have strategies. First, I usually buying them a size big, so I get at least two years of wear out of them. Secondly, all the swim goes on sale at some point either on site or on Nordstom.com, so just keep an eye out.
Negative Supreme Shorts ($98)
I will be the first to admit that I struggle, heavily, with shorts. While I love how they look on other people, they are literally the bane of my muscular thighed existence. That said, historically I have also always loved a silky tap pant to sleep in; my college girlies know that my sleep uniform was a Hanes tank top and some sort of silky Vicky’s Secret short that they def don’t seem to make anymore. Sigh.
For this trip, I was looking for something to replace those old tap pants of the early aughts, and came across a welcome upgrade: Negative (yes, of my beloved sleep/life shirts)’s silky, washable shorts, with a relaxed tulip-style leg opening. When I tell you these are a hell yes, trust me! I have a navy pair in medium, and just love them. The contrast piping is adorable, you could definitely wear them outside the house if you wanted, and they’re just a perfect sleep/lounge option for a multi-generational trip.
Negative Swm Plunge Top ($98)
Full disclosure: I remain, as always, committed to my YCOHO swim brand, Left On Friday, and nothing will ever change that. The black Left On Friday Sunday Top ($95) and Hi Tide Bottoms ($95) in medium are my forever jam, and I have yet to hear a single person give the brand anything less than a 10/10.
That said! Since I love Negative so very much, I was excited when the brand offered to send me one of their newer swim options to try. I ended up getting the Swim Plunge Top in a 2 and oh my goodness it’s great. I haven’t worn an underwire suit in decades, but this one feels extremely comfortable, the material is extraordinary, and the fit is divine. Truly a revelation, and I like it so much, I’m buying the garnet colored one as we speak. I pair the Negative top with my regular Left On Friday bottoms, and it was a great match, just saying.
Tubing Mascara
While I still love my regular mascaras from Rare Beauty and Dior, recently I’ve noticed a slew of tubing mascaras on the market, and before my trip I bought a few to try. Two of them made it to vacation, and I’m here to say I love them both. Too Faced Ribbon Wrapped Lash Extreme Length Tubing Mascara ($29) is the more dramatic of the two, which is a compliment. Two coats gave me very va-va-va-voom lashes that stayed put through sunscreen reapplication, sweat, and both pool and and beach time. I also very much like Caliray Come Hell or High Water Volumizing & Lengthening Tubing Mascara ($24), which is part of Sephora’s clean program and won an Allure Best of Beauty Award.
Asceno Beach Wrap ($270)
Before you bark at me, the last time I bought a beach wrap was in 2009; it was a black print cotton voile number from H&M, and I still own it and love it. And she has been kind to me! But truthfully she has seen better days, and that’s okay. Hence why I knew it was time to find a new option, and this extremely luxurious style from Asceno is my new pool essential. It’s extremely soft and can be tied a zillion ways. I wore it every day of our trip and I have zero regrets!
J.Crew Stratus Pants ($98) in Textured Satin
I am now fully convinced (after four trips in as many months) that these are the perfect travel pants. They’re slouchy and comfy, but polished, and much much much cooler than sweats or joggers. They run big; I have the medium, but they’re almost falling-off big, so be aware.
Clare V Summer Simple Tote ($295)
Oh, this made going to the pool and beach so much fun! I packed Clare V’s cotton crochet tote in my carry-on bag/personal item, and then just dragged it straight to the pool. It’s so fun and cheery, plus it carries approximately one million pounds of kid gear. Very much recommend! I also love it in green and white checkerboard and classic black and white checkerboard too.
Early/Late Flights
So we flew out on a 7:30 a.m. flight, but with checked bags so we were at the airport by 6 a.m., and then landed at 11 p.m. when we returned. While it was definitely annoying to get up early, ultimately I think it was less stressful because the airport was strangely calm and there wasn’t any traffic. Same for returning so late. I don’t love the kids being up so late, but they didn’t have school the next day, so they could sleep in. Next time I’m going to make sure they have two or three full days to adjust to the time change.
WHAT DIDN’T WORK
I packed too much, especially because our room was a residence that had a washer and a dryer (!!!), which meant I could have taken literally half as many clothes.
I didn’t pack enough sunscreen, and had a hard time finding non-mineral spray sunscreen, which I despise.
Brought too many books (for me) for a trip involving kids. The kids needed a million books, and I got that right.
For reasons I don’t understand, my Virgo brain didn’t make plans for dinner, and I should have. Everything was packed, and I had to scramble to get our party of six sorted each night. I think this is a hangover from last year’s holiday, when we primarily stayed at our remote hotel, and were able to just walk to dinner without planning ahead. Lesson learned!
Why did I pack a curling wand? I was on holiday! I was not drying and doing my hair! Amateur!
Also could have done with about 75% less makeup. Again, I’m not sure what I thought I needed, but when you’re spending 90% of your time at the pool, beach, or on a hike, you don’t really need four different eyeshadow pencils.
All of that said, I probably should have packed my own shampoo and conditioner. I always think that I will like the hotel’s products and honestly I’m spoiled and picky. Much like Piper on The White Lotus, it’s time to admit that I am not as low maintenance as I’d like to think, and just need to give into packing some mini Roz shampoo and conditioner next year.
Okay friends, that’s it for now. If you want to follow me on @hillarykerr, I’d love it. And if you have anything to say or ask (preferably nothing terribly mean), please drop me a note either via DM or in the comments below.
As always, thank you for taking the time to read this post. I’m truly so glad you’re here. If you like what you’re reading, please consider sharing this newsletter. (And if you have the time to like it, that would mean a lot to me!) All products mentioned are independently chosen, and some may be affiliate links. Your support is appreciated.
Packing your own shampoo and conditioner is a game changer!
what do you pair your JCrew Stratus pants with for travel?