In Her Suitcase: Hawaii Honeymoon

I am so excited to be writing the first of hopefully many in the new series I’m rolling out called In her Suitcase! I always love packing for a trip…outfitting and seeing everything together is so fun and gets me so excited for all the fun things ahead! Whether it is bright, fun prints and accessories for somewhere tropical, sleek black staples with moody pops of color or texture for a big apple trip, or the cutest tailgating outfits for a weekend in Tallahassee or Athens – I’ll be sharing what I’m bringing and recap you on what I actually used or wished I brought. From clothes, to accessories, to products and the random things that end up being lifesavers, I’ll cover it all in In her Suitcase.

Our latest trip was to Oahu and Maui to celebrate our one year anniversary, and have the real honeymoon of our dreams. While our mini-moon through the Florida Keys was amazing, it really was our “Farewell to Florida” trip because we had our eyes locked in on Atlanta, and wanted to move here more than anything after we were officially Mr. & Mrs. Our priority was to move and start putting down our roots in the state and city we love rather than take a big honeymoon right off the bat. Fast forward one year, and we felt we had earned that Hawaii sun on our shoulders!

Things can get out of hand fast while packing for a trip, and it is so hard not to over pack. Anyone else reach for a top/dress/shoes that you haven’t worn in months, but for some reason think you’re going to wear for a weekend trip? Yeah, no, of course you aren’t going to wear them.  This trip essentially slapped me in the face with that fact, because I inevitably packed way too much, and so drastically that I couldn’t wait to get back to share my big learn with you all:

Even the fanciest of places in Hawaii are WAY more casual than what you’d think. Time exploring beats time primping – embrace it!

Whether for a night out or vacation, I typically do full hair and makeup, jewelry, heels, the works…and that is not necessary in Hawaii. It’s about so much more than just not wanting to be overdressed (if you’re in the mood to get dressed up, who cares if you’re overdressed right?), it’s about how you’ll feel once you’re there. Of course speaking for myself, but the last thing I wanted to spend time on is fully blow drying and curling my hair or fully contouring my face. An extra hour spent getting ready in a hotel room is an extra hour you could be paddle boarding the pacific, diving in a crater that you can hear whales in underwater, sipping an original mai-tai poolside, dance barefoot at sunset (all real examples too here)…catch my drift? Even during our stays at some of the really high end resorts or reservations at formal restaurants, the most I ever did was wear a nice dress and heels, but with pretty minimal makeup and air-dried beachy waves – like in this photo. There’s me – being as Hawaii fancy as it got 🙂 Keep scrollin’ for the items I definitely could have lived without, the essentials, and the go-to outfits.

The Overpacked

Before I dive into all of the items I packed, I want to cover the items that I packed but did. not. touch. I couldn’t wait to share this, because on a regular trip I absolutely would have used these items, but for a tropical, adventurous, naturally beautiful destination like the Hawaiian Islands, all they did was crowd my suitcase (which means less Kona coffee I was able to bring back). As with everything I have a “you do you” attitude, but if I could hit rewind these items would stay on my vanity and not catch the free ride to HI.

As far as hair goes, I packed my CHI and never once used it…I went heat free for my hair the entire time and never once felt the need to do anything different to it. Between the heat, wind, and all the time you’ll spend in the water, it honestly is a waste to put a bunch of time and energy into your hair. Keep reading below to see my go-to, heat free styles and products I did use while letting my inner Moana shine 🙂

Makeup wise, I could have reduced my kit down to just a few pieces. As I do with every trip, I packed the works…Anastasia cream contour kit, all my brushes, multiple urban decay pallets, tarte pallets, more lipsticks and glosses than any one person should even own, you get the idea. Scale it back to light coverage, breathable items that you know you can trust on your skin, and leave the full-glam looks for back home. I did wear a bright lip a few nights out because I love how it looks with a deep tan, and while I got a bunch of compliments, I also was the only gal with noticeable makeup. Again, not that I care about that kind of thing, but believe me when I say everyone is going natural and focused on what really matters…the outdoors, the food, the drinks, and each other. Do what makes you feel best!

As far as everything else, I majorly over packed on shoes. I ended up wearing this pair of sandals I spontaneously ordered from Lulu’s almost every single day…I even hiked a few trails while wearing them and a sundress – another “only in Hawaii” moment. They were perfectly lightweight, comfortable, cushioned, and super cute on (especially with a tan!). I packed 2 pairs of running shoes, 2 pairs of sneakers, and countless sandals, wedges, and heels. I ended up using 1 pair of running shoes, the lifesaver Lulu’s sandals mentioned above, 1 other pair of sandals, and one pair of heels. I bought so many cute jewelry pieces for the trip that I never ended up wearing (but will for summer here or on another trip, no doubt), simply because I didn’t feel the need to dress up my outfits.

The Lifesavers

I found myself reaching back for the same products and pieces  over and over on our trip, and these would be perfect for any tropical/beachy getaway. Linked below, here are the items I used and loved most:

 

Pictured top left to bottom right: Lush R&B Hair Moisturizer, Moroccan Oil Treatment, Moroccan Oil Dry Texture Spray, Not Your Mothers Beach Babe Dry Shampoo, Not Your Mothers Beach Babe Texturizing Sea Salt Spray, Maui Babe Browning Lotion, Mario Badescu Facial Spray (Purple + Pink),   Limited Edition Tartiest Contour Palette III, EOS Vanilla Bean Lip Balm Stick, Light Wash Denim Mini, White Crochet Cover Up,  Embroidered Mini, Neutral Studded Block Heels, Camel Sandals, Black Studded Gladiator Sandals, Cupshe Leaf Bikini, Cupshe Cutout One Piece 

Many of these products are great year round, but man are they perfect for the beach & sunshine. My first “real” winter has made me SO ready for Summer!!

The Outfits

Dressy Dinners

 

Both this Tart dress & En Creme jumper are from Atlanta boutique Boogaloos & paired with the Studded Lulu’s heels and sandals above. I ended up using an over sized cork clutch every day of the trip, and while mine is from Mud Pie and no longer available, this one is similar!

Beach Days

 

I lived in swim, shorts, and cute cover up tops! From left to right: My exact beach hat is no longer available, but this one is similar, H&M Cotton Button-Up, Shorts are Express but no longer available – I adore how all of their shorts fit though!, Merona Kimono Jacket, Aerie White One Piece, Topshop “Mom” Denim Shorts (my bleached-dipped are out of stock, but a ton of washes are available here).

Out and About

 

Left to right: Forever 21 Floppy Hat – similar here, Free People Sundress (no longer available in stores, similar here), Madewell bandana in Vintage Gold, Plain white off the shoulder tee (have had forever, but this would also be perfect), Light Wash Denim Mini, Camel Sandals

The Everyday

All referenced above, my go-to’s were easy, breezy pieces, shorts, and sandals with swim underneath. The White Crochet Cover Up mentioned above was my favorite for this and I wore it multiple times on the trip. It’s still a little chilly here in ATL, and I love pairing this cover up with my favorite pair of Rolla’s black skinny’s and the Lulu’s studded heels linked above. And how gorgeous is the Royal Hawaiian?

The only other additions to my suitcase that I’d highly recommend can be found in my Amazon Favorites: Travel list – definitely some must-have’s there that all ended up holding up so well on this trip (the go-pro accessories kit is still blowing my mind).

And there you have it! A little snippet of my favorites – I would love to know your travel go-to products and what you have to pack for any trip! Share in the comments below & make sure to use #inhersuitcase for your next packing session!

Until the next trip,