The List: Six Days in Miami and Palm Beach
The List: Six Days in Miami and Palm Beach
Where to eat, stay, and shop, and what to pack -- you need less stuff than you think.
As astrology queen, Chani Nicholas says, “There’s a time to analyze and a time to vibe.”
I’ve been vibing lately.
I took a long-overdue vacation that was perfect from beginning to end. It was the exact reset I needed: an adult Spring Break to force my bloom. And I really went for it. We did it up BIG. It was the perfect birthday gift to myself: me, my boyfriend, two besties and a lot of sunshine. As a result, here’s what’s on my radar.
#nightluxe, proof that everything old is new again. Remember all those drunken party photos you deleted from your socials after college? Well, they’re cool again, except this time with a martini and a side of sparkles. It’s giving Carbone, tbh — we ate there last week in Miami (a marathon five-hour hang) and I can attest that the unspoken dress code is 100% reflective of the OTT Night Luxe aesthetic. Think LBDs, Amina Muaddi and Mach & Mach shoes, Bea Bongiasca rings on expensive manicures (Gel-X!), pearls, patterned tights, silky dresses, velvet hair accessories, and perfectly-beat faces gleaming with well-placed Botox and Saje highlighter. Go ahead, have the filet and a half-dozen oysters. Then take your goop and shove it, because the post-wellness vibe shift has arrived, and not everyone will survive.
Speaking of Miami, staying at Soho Beach House was exactly what I needed to mentally kick off spring because optimistic, bold color was splashed everywhere. (Disclosure: while my membership scored me a discount, non-members can stay as hotel guests and enjoy all the same benefits, including the breezy second-floor members’ area, the rooftop pool, and the best beachside vibe in Mid Beach. I recommend it if you’re traveling to the area, it’s a lot of bang for your buck.) The bright upholstery and tile floors got me in a headspace to embrace the massive dose of color flowing into stores right now — a big adjustment for your neutral-loving girl here.
While I packed a lot of stuff (too much), I ended up relying heavily on just a few pieces while there: an Attico button-down (a score from my favorite Miami shop, The Webster) in a crisp flamingo pink, a pair of AGolde jean shorts, a pair of H&M bike shorts, a Hunza G swimsuit, a vibrant swimming pool blue Bottega clutch, a cute lil’ Jacquemus shoulder bag, a pair of beachy mesh kitten heels, sturdy sunglasses, and a trusty pair of white sandals.
We spent two nights on Palm Beach on our way farther south to Miami, and a cumulative six days in Florida snapped me right back to my own personal Reputation era: living on the island back in my early 20s and trying to figure out who the actual hell I was. (Before the Coconut Girl moniker.)
I’d forgotten its specific brand of balmy weather and the way makeup melts right off your face — I had to break out my old beach beauty tricks: really good priming sunscreen, my favorite cheap aerosol bronzer to fake some sun on my face and legs, Ilia skin tint for a dewy visage, drugstore waterproof mascara, my still-favorite cheek pop, and a LOT of lip balm and setting spray. (If I wore makeup at all!) The setting spray and mascara are clutch for keeping makeup and sunscreen from sweating into your eyeballs. (I carried this one in my bag for SPF touch-ups.) I also lived and died by a middle-parted, slicked-back bun on this trip, vacuum-sealed against the Florida humidity with the TikTok famous Ouai pomade. And gave my legs a little sheen + sun protection. Tbh, vibes nicely with the whole “Clean Look”.
When I lived on Palm Beach, the chi-chi new Sant Ambroeus hadn’t yet come along. (I’d have weighed more if it had.) And while I’ve had the princess cake at their NYC location, it really cannot be overstated how great it was to walk right off the plane and treat myself to a birthday slice on a sunny day in PB. I swear, it tastes better there. (Kinda wondering if they’ll ship it.) It’s approximate to favorite local haunt the Palm Beach Grill (get the oysters St. Charles) and a great outpost of NYC favorite Kirna Zabete, full of colorful Zimmermann dresses, Bottega clutches, and even more Bea Bongiasca, clearly the jewelry designer of the moment.
Over towards the island’s infamous shopping street Worth Avenue, Vogue and MyTheresa were hosting a pop-up shop at The Colony Hotel — most definitely where I’d recommend you stay if you’re planning a visit. We also came across a (new to me) gallery on Hibiscus called DTR Modern that immediately drew me in with their window display: a giant, violet acrylic Hunt Slonem bunny. We got to chatting with Bryan the Gallery Director, who sold me a sculpture by new-to-me artist Rainer Lagemann and recommended I take a look at collecting painter Halim Flowers. He was a delight and a huge art dork like me, I really had a lot of fun talking with him.
Parting thoughts: The yassification of another relic of your youth: Limewire, now peddling NFTs! This astrology of every Catwoman is the best thing I read all week. French girl formula foundation alert: Foulards are again here! And you love to see a sweet king winning. “Let’s talk about it.”
More to Love…
The cheapest and most effective skincare hack
How to make a perfect martini
…and also, an espresso martini
the nostalgic playlist getting me through these last cold days
the merits of being a bath person
how to care for your fashion items
everything I loved in February