Vacation Sunscreen: What I'd Actually Buy

I did not think I would ever have opinions about sunscreen packaging, and yet here we are. Vacation was founded in Miami in 2021 by Lach Hall and Dakota Green, two former advertising partners, together with Marty Bell, the creator of Poolside FM. That is a meeting of two worlds I like: advertising-minded creativity on one side and the retro internet summer of a poolside radio station on the other.

The three of them wanted a more enjoyable way into sun care, and the original scent was developed with Carlos Huber of Arquiste and Rodrigo Flores-Roux of Givaudan. The idea underneath the wink is practical: make the familiar sunscreen ritual feel inviting through scent, texture, unusual formats and that sunny resort story.

The Orange Gelée Revival is the clearest example. Vacation invited 11 superfans and beauty experts into the development of the updated product and told the process in installments, which is a very good way to turn nostalgia into something you can actually take part in. At its best, the brand makes protection feel like part of a real day outside.

Vacation's best idea is to treat sun care as part of the day, not an interruption to it. The Classic Lotion SPF 50 and the Classic Lotion SPF 30 are the straightforward starting points, and the Mineral Lotion SPF 30 gives the lineup another formula to consider. The Chardonnay Oil SPF 30 moves the texture toward oil, and the "Vacation" Shimmer Oil SPF 30 adds a glossier note.

I like how the Shimmer Oil SPF 30 Mini, the Chardonnay Lip Oil SPF 30 and the Pink Sun Belt Sampler turn a small beach bag into something that looks deliberate, and the Orange Gelee SPF 30 brings the retro gel reference back. My practical tip is to choose the formula for the plans, keep it where I can reach it, and follow the directions on the label. What I would skip is leaving it at the bottom of the bag, since the whole point is that you use it.

I like the tension at the heart of Vacation: the design winks at an imagined resort, while sun care stays the reason for being. The Orange Gelée story showed how seriously the team takes nostalgia, inviting original fans into a revival rather than borrowing a package look. That sensibility runs through the range, from lotions and oils to lip protection and samplers. It works best when the whole shelf feels like an invitation to step outside, not a lecture before you do, although I admit I would still buy it for the label.