When In France (Let it All Hang Out)

Poolside at Le Mas de Pierre, Nice | Ph. © Sean Santiago / Thisfruitblogs.com

So last week I was in Nice, France for work. You know, nothing unusual, totally par for the course or like whatever. Just kidding—it was a BFD and I was really lucky to be a part of this project, which I'll share with you when it comes out in September! That being said, there's not a whole lot to report from the fashunz department because we were only there for 48 hours and I am all about that #ContempoCasuals vibe when traveling.

I packed a bit more for this trip than I did when I flew out to San Francisco because I checked one piece of luggage. "Versatile-neutral" is the name of the game and the uniform goes something like this: vintage Levi's blanket-lined denim jacket (just in case it gets cold), black jeans, Converse hi-tops, cotton tee in grey or navy, adorable straw hat and linen shirt because France. (You can see this all in action here.) I also threw my suit in the bag for dining out and a pair of Birkenstocks to facilitate exporting my unique brand of homo-crunch East Coast liberalism. (Sidenote: Julianne Moore was on our plane coming back to the States and she was ALSO wearing Birkenstocks so I WIN LIFE.)

The Friday before my trip I got an email about 2(x)ist's new swimwear line, which features some totally adorable prints and I die. Their showroom is actually literally in the same building as my office, so I marched downstairs and snatched up the Awning Stripe Rio Swim Brief, possibly the most perfectest/cutest swimsuit for the south of France ever. (Also really loving the Block Stripe Rio Swim Brief, which comes in *princess blue*, ladies.) I feel like the exceptional dong-cradling capabilities of 2(X)IST swimwear are a given, but I was a little bit worried about pulling the suit off with panache. My body type is a far cry from the brand's gym bunny poster boy—could an #OtterPop such as myself make it werq? I think I did, and I learned a few things in the process. Before rocking the suit in public, spend some alone time with the nearest mirror and ask yourself...

1. When does it look like you're getting a faux-ner?
2. If you get a real boner, where is the nearest towel and how are you getting to it?
3. Are you showing ass cleavage ("coin slot")? Do you want to be?
4. Is your suit a size too small, giving you sack-gap? (Gap between your junk and the thigh of your suit. It's a thing.)
5. How subtly can you adjust your seat area to avoid weird lines/wedging?

The beauty routine is kind of the most crucial thing when traveling. I found the best moisturizer ever for when you're on-the-go is the Earth Tu Face Skin Stick, a mostly-organic salve that comes in totally compostable packaging and is super nourishing blah blah blah. It's a little scary when you're first putting it on because it's pretty shiny—a salve will throw you off like that. Apparently the geranium/vetiver blend is very protective/healing, plus you can also use this on your lips. I also loved Aubrey Organics Sparkling Mineral Water Complexion Mist with organic grapefruit peel and lavender oils. My co-workers and I liberally spritzed it all over our faces on the plane (it's only eight dollars so it's sorta like, spritz all you want).

The morning after we got back I indulged in Blueprint's cashew milk to pump up my energy levels. I don't know if it really worked, but it was outrageously expensive and for that one hour I was drinking it I could be like, "Sorry, I'm juicing?" so it was totally worth it. I did this trip the same way I did L.A., with my iPhone in one hand and my Pentax in the other, so look out for a film photo diary later this week!