Most every winter, New Yorker Bibi Cornejo Borthwick, the daughter of photographer Mark Borthwick and downtown fashion designer Maria Cornejo, hightails it to a warmer clime with her fam (usually accompanied by some of their industry pals). Here, she fills us in on the sun, surf, and products that have been keeping the gang nice and hydrated.

Dear ITG,

Bibi here writing to you from Mal Pais, Costa Rica!

It's been a real break, which we all need around this time of year, being surrounded by nature, monkeys, watching bananas ripen as the days pass.

My family and friends got here on the 27th of December and, at this point, I'm about 37 shades darker than my pale, winter NYC self—I started the holiday similar to the shade of... hrrrm... can't think of something, but now I'm the color of my coffee in the morning (big thanks to my gardenia Monoi Oil!). I'm French and Chilean, so about less than 1% of me has ever had an incentive to wear sunscreen, but I know it's necessary, so I wear SPF 4 Bain de Soleil, which is this orange gelee that I think gives you the best tan—and I also have a Shiseido SPF 35 Sun Protection Stick for my face. Aside from that, my dad and I swear by Monoi Oil—the gardenia-scented one!

The sun has been incredibly strong here—way stronger than the sun in Tulum where we normally go this time of the year. I made sure to reapply my sunscreen, especially after surfing. (By the way, the surfing is incredible here—it feels like you're running on water!) At night, though, it cools down, so I like to moisturize. Mum got me hooked on Goe Oil, which is this beautifully scented lotion/oil, for my body. On my face, I like to use Rodin Olio Lusso or an Avène moisturizer I got in a chemist in Europe. When I'm on holidays I never wear any makeup or do anything to my hair, which just looks like a curly poof in the heat.

Our days here are so mellow and low-key that I've ended up wearing the same thing everyday: a black tank dress (mine's by Covet), a swimsuit by my mom, and another by Lisa Marie Fernandez, and at night, I have a black silk dress by Organic, which I love because you feel practically nude in it.

I'm pretty useless at maintaining a consistent regimen when I'm on holiday; I end up going home with my front darker than my back, 2-3 small dreads in the back of my hair, freckles on my cheeks, and a suitcase of clothes I didn't even think to wear... But I suppose it's alright because I'm going home to New York to put on 500 layers, so no one will even be able to tell haha!

I hope everyone's having a beautiful start to their New Year!

With love,

Bibi

All photos by Bibi Cornejo Borthwick.