What to Pack: Resort Season

What to Pack: Resort Season

Around this time of year, every year, I get the insatiable desire to escape from Pearson and run off to a faraway land of above zero temperatures and adventure. In fashion speak, this would be resort season. And there’s no better place to find some amazing resort pieces like Hudson’s Bay. (The mere fact that I can walk to Hudson’s Bay from my apartment without ever having to go outside via the PATH makes this choice all the better). So, when they invited me to pack for my upcoming trips – yes, there’s more than one – with items from MAC cosmetics, Ray-Ban, Topshop and Skyway luggage, and share my travel tips with you guys, it couldn’t have come at a better time!

suitcase flatlay

I’m sure many of you are gearing up for Spring Break – and perhaps you haven’t started your vacation packing yet. One thing I highly recommend doing to get the jet fuel flowing is to visualize your entire vacation from start to finish. What will you wear? What will you do? Picture yourself on a yacht somewhere in the Caribbean sipping a beverage, or doing a yoga pose in the middle of the Arabian Desert. Your imagination is the perfect place to begin – and not to mention, thinking about warmer climates will most likely lift your spirits even before you leave the country.

DIY cutoff shorts cutoff shorts CK

Am I the only one who believes in the Law of Attraction?

As challenging as it is, I try to only pack the things I’m really going to need on my trip to avoid unnecessary drama (and excess baggage fees). Hudson’s Bay has an incredible selection of travel cases and matching luggage sets – and I highly recommend investing in a matching set. Sure, it may be very 1952 honeymooners, but trust me, it’s worth the investment in your jet-set lifestyle.

fitness outfit

One thing I cannot live without are my DIY homemade dust bags, in baby pink with royal blue ribbon. I made these ages ago when I was traveling to Amalfi with my two best friends after graduating from high school. I fill them with everything from flip-flops t0 dirty knickers mid-trip. Bloop! They were so easy to make and I grow more and more fond of them every time I look into my suitcase and see them all lined up neatly.

I like to plan my outfits around some key items and corresponding activities. For example, take this grey jersey tank top from Topshop. I can make it work as a beach tank, a casual top to an evening look with a fancy skirt; or wear it to a yoga class. (Did I mention I love taking yoga classes on vacation?) You can dress it up and dress it down. Make sure every piece you bring can be worn at the very least, with two different outfits. I like to stick to either day and night, or day and gym, beach and night, gym and night, etc.

packing tips

As for beauty – this is the hardest one for me. I always want to bring all of my cosmetics and beauty products with me however they are undeniably the heaviest of all items. Ever weigh a 2L shampoo bottle? Instead I work with essentials, which is what I end up using anyway. I cannot live without a toothbrush, contact lens solution and dry shampoo. For the face? Moisturizer, cleanser and eye cream. Makeup? Foundation, bronzer and mascara. And of course, nude lipstick. Duh!

Jetset Justine HBC Active Adventure 12

If I were to be doing hot yoga in the middle of the desert, for example, I would 100% need MAC’s Pro Longwear Waterproof Foundation (which is also amazing for the beach) and MAC Waterproof mascara, which goes on super clean instead of thick and gunky like most waterproof mascaras. I mean, it’s pointless to bring eyeshadow and fake lashes if you don’t plan on going clubbing on your holiday. In fact, resort is always a bit more casual than any other vacation or destination. Your makeup should reflect that.

Jetset Justine HBC Active Adventure 08 Makeup flatlay

Accessories are next. Honestly, this is where less is definitely not more. I can’t help myself when it comes to accessories – luckily, they’re almost always really light and easy to stow. Sometimes I’ll pack jewelry inside of socks and sunglasses inside of shoes just so I can squeeze a few extra pairs. As impractical as it sounds, bring the lesser of the following two options: one pair of sunglasses for every day you’ll be away or all your sunglasses. You can never have enough sunglass options on a trip – I promise.

This is why I love shopping at Hudson’s Bay so much when it comes to packing for an adventure-filled vacation. I can get all my favourite beauty brands under one roof, get my matching luggage set, apparel (whether it be designer at The Room or fast fashion from Topshop), shoes, accessories and everything in between.

cool bloggers

I’d love to know where you guys are headed this year. Drop me a line or leave a comment with your upcoming travel plans and if you have any tried and true packing tips, lemme know! Bon voyage!

This post was sponsored by Hudson’s Bay, however the opinions are my own. 

4 Comments

  1. March 23, 2016 / 9:43 am

    I always pack all my sunnies (5-6 pairs) but then end up sticking to one or two pairs, which makes me sad because I do love all of them, just not equally!
    Enjoy Miami! Super jealous

    • Justine Iaboni
      March 25, 2016 / 9:53 am

      I know right? I try to switch them up for the outfit posts but I’m a creature of habit! Thanks for stopping by! xoxoxo J

  2. Michelle
    March 23, 2016 / 8:46 pm

    I’m off to Miami in just a few weeks – looking for a few new pieces to bring with me. Would love to see more of what you packed!

    • Justine Iaboni
      March 25, 2016 / 9:55 am

      I’ll be posting some more outfit posts on IG so you can see all the things I packed. I always go to Zara and H&M and stock up on new looks for a trip because I know I will get sick of them by the time the trip is over, and I won’t have spent a ton of money. It’s win-win. Zara has some really cool resort pieces now! Highly recommend. And I love my SOAK sandals. They are perfect for beach and casual dinners or shopping…

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *