Our newest intern, 15 year-old Sailor Brinkley Cook (don't worry, it's part of her high school's winter study program!), recently went to Turks and Caicos with her fam, and we asked her to tell us what she packed, beauty-wise, for five days in the Caribbean. Here's her report:

Hey ITG, It's Sailor coming to you from Parrot Cay in Turks and Caicos!

I've been having the time of my life here; it's all sunshine and clear skies—quite the opposite NYC's never-ending winter. And I'm taking full advantage of it; paddleboarding and kayaking are my favorite “activities,” mainly because they're really just workouts in disguise. (And you get to wear a bikini.)

Since I've been outside most of the time, and the sun has been so intense, I'm having to double up on my sunscreen application. My favorites are Clarins UV Plus SPF 40 for my face, and Neutrogena Wet Skin SPF 50 for everything else. They've helped my skin quickly fade from a bright pink (I seriously hadn't seen the sun in ages), to a nice bronzed tone. Another thing I've been using is Sun-In. I know that most people swear this off because they say it makes hair orange, but if you're blond, I strongly recommend it. It's turned my winter-darkened hair into a sun-kissed platinum. Problem is, it also makes my hair pretty coarse, so I follow up with Ojon Damage Reverse Smoothing Glaze to moisturize. And for my dry skin, every night after a warm shower I cover my face with MyChelle's Oil Free Grapefruit Cream.

Other than that, I try not to pile on products while I'm on the island so my skin can get a break. But, since my eyebrows also get bleached platinum by the sun, I use Lancôme Powder Pencil for the Brows to give them definition when I go out for dinner. And it gets fairly buggy in the evening, so a good natural bug repellent is key. I use one made here called Rejouvenance Bug Away Oil. It smells amazing and actually moisturizes the skin.

Besides the bugs, this trip has been truly amazing filled with love, family, laughter, and relaxation. (The nice tan and slightly new hair color were bonuses.) If you have the chance to travel to Turks and Caicos, take a day trip to Parrot Cay—you will absolutely fall in love.

xo,

Sailor

Photos courtesy of Sailor Brinkley Cook.