With the holidays being the busiest time of year for the travel industry, there's even more incentive to strategize your vacation wear as you jet-set from one destination to the next. As a fashion stylist and reformed over-packer, when it comes to travel, both planning and packing can be two of the most stressful aspects of every trip. Whether preparing for a week-long excursion across the country or galavanting abroad, it’s best to lighten your load by bringing vacation-worthy looks that are not only essential but versatile enough for multiple combinations to wear throughout your trip.
Winter travel brings challenges of its own when visiting colder parts of the world. Unlike summer vacation, cold weather means bulky coats, oversized knits, and chunky boots that take up a lot more space in your suitcase. For my recent trip to London, to alleviate the stress of packing and overweight baggage fees, I prepared in advance with a try-on haul of what I planned to wear each day of my trip. From shoes to accessories and bags, I captured a photo to reference each look while on vacation. Staying comfy, cozy, and chic was my main priority and I wanted to achieve that goal with the least amount of clothes possible.
Making a mental note of necessary items ranging from sneakers, boots, and coats to matching sets, I narrowed my options to one of each style that would complement the few statement pieces I purchased for my trip. In the end, I opted for five neutral-toned staples I could rotate from day to night throughout the week.
Keep scrolling to see the five minimal items that maximized my winter London looks.
1.New Balance Sneakers
Shahirah Ahmed/xoNecole
Sneakers are a must-have when walking the cobblestoned streets of European cities. When planning outfits for this trip, I wanted a pair of sneakers that were just as functional as they were stylish. New Balance sneakers were at the top of my list because of their comfort, sleek and minimal design. When packing, I intended to create multiple casual outfits that were easily paired with one sneaker. In addition to their lightweight feel, the mix of silver, gray, and light neutral tones was the perfect combination for effortless cold-weather outfits.
2.Mini Telfar Shopper
Shahirah Ahmed/xoNecole
It’s hard not wanting a bag from every Telfar release. With each drop, there's a colorway I envision sitting pretty in my closet. My cream mini Telfar shopper was the perfect accessory while out and about, matching every stylish moment. Small yet large enough to carry essentials such as my phone and wallet, I wore it with ease as a crossbody keeping my valuables close at all times. When traveling it's best to be more mindful when walking in large crowds and taking public transportation around the city.
3.A Matching Set
Shahirah Ahmed/xoNecole
Wearing a matching set was top of mind when shopping for my trip. I came across this sheer nylon set with graphics and knew it would be a casual chic choice for my London aesthetic. To extend my range of options throughout the week, I separated each piece of the set into individual outfits. I wore the asymmetrical long-sleeve top with a maxi denim skirt for a transitional day-to-night look then styled the matching skirt with a layered corset for another night out to the theater. A set is a convenient and practical chic choice for a variety of options.
4.Classic Khaki Trench
Shahirah Ahmed/xoNecole
A khaki trench coat is a classic staple that continues to stand the test of time. Typically cold and rainy this time of year in the United Kingdom, this coat was perfect for layering and protecting me from the day-to-day elements. Traveling with one large suitcase, I was able to minimize bulk by avoiding oversized coats that would take up more space than necessary. The perfect winter look, this outerwear trend is forever a stylish moment when worn with just about anything.
5.Comfy Chic Boots
Shahirah Ahmed/xoNecole
With so much to do in the city, I brought my faux leather square-toe Jeffrey Campbell boots for cute and casual moments. From shopping trips to date nights, the trendy sleek design was the perfect complement to dress up both my daytime and nighttime looks. With a chunky platform and bulky heels, these boots were comfortable enough for all-day wear.
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Featured image by Shahirah Ahmed/xoNecole
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During the Los Angeles tour stop, which spanned three dates on May 21, May 23, with the finale on May 24, xoNecole had the opportunity to test out the glosses included in this soft launch, as SZA revealed in a statement that "this is just the start of other lip products, including plans to launch stains, liners, and creams all inspired by SZA's “infamous layered lip combinations.”
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So, what is included in the first Not Beauty launch?
The current Not Beauty products available are lip glosses that come in three shades: In the Flesh, Strawberry Jelly, and Quartz.
During my visit to the first LA Not Beauty pop-up activation, I not only had the chance to purchase all three glosses but also took a peek inside the blow-up log tent. Inside, fans got to experience SZA’s love for nature and her fascination with bugs, which are prominently featured in her performances for this tour. At one point, she even had human preying mantis prancing across the stage y'all.
There were blow-up photos of the beauty that is SZA for fans (myself included) to take photos, but in wooden-like tree trunks were a deeper dive into some of the ingredients featured in her products and their benefits.
For example, the glosses feature Hi-Shine Lip Jelly and Shea Butter as key ingredients and some of the listed benefits included are:
- Shea Butter - “A powerhouse ingredient, offering both functional and nourishing benefits.”
- Hi-Shine Lip Jelly (featured in the In the Flesh shade) - “Formula glides on with perfect adhesion to the lips without stickiness).
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What are in the products?
Featured in an orange package, with images of a bug and flower on the side, the back of the box reads: “It’s NOT BEAUTY, it just works. Developed by Solána “SZA” Rowe.
As someone who never leaves home without a good lip gloss, I loved how compact the wood panel packaging is. Perfect to slip into my purse, or in the case of the show at SoFi Stadium, into my pocket when I’m not carrying a bag.
Because I’m a sucker for a good black and brown lip liner and clear gloss combo, I decided to wear the Quartz flavor on night one of the Grand National Tour LA stop, and it did not disappoint. I’ll admit, it’s light weight feel made me nervous because it felt like there was nothing on my lips. However, when I checked my lips in my compact mirror several times throughout the night, I was shocked to find that my gloss was still intact. I only reapplied once out of the habit of looking cute and applying my gloss, but not necessity.
Here are some of the ingredients featured, but not limited to, in the Quartz flavor.
- Polyisoubutene
- Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea)Butter
- Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil
- Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil
- Tocopherol
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Lip prep
I’m a simple girl who loves to stay true to her roots. So ahead of the show, I stopped by a local Inglewood Beauty Supply store and grabbed a Black and Brown shade lip pencil for just under $2 a piece.
Shading the outline of my lips with the black pencil first, I used the brown to lightly fill the inside of my lips before applying my Quartz Not Beauty shade gloss.
How to apply
There’s truly no right or wrong way to apply lip gloss (in my opinion), with this being a brush applicator sort of product, I simply untwisted the top and swiped the gloss around my top and bottom lip generously.
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Results
Again, my Not Beauty Quartz product stayed on my lips from the start of the show, which began with a fire DJ set from LA’s very own, Mustard, to the conclusion when Kendrick and SZA reunited on stage to send us home to their duet, “luther,” featured on the rapper's GNX album.
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xoMAN started as an Instagram Live series and is now a full-cast production, with Walker as the host. Initially, she was skeptical about joining as the new host of xoMan. Not because she doesn’t have the chops to thrive in the role, but because coming in on something that wasn’t her original idea initially seemed daunting for the media personality.
However, since she loves a challenge, the CockTales: Dirty Discussionspodcast host embraced the task with an open heart and mind.
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“I was like, this is a cool concept, so I’m so glad that they decided to turn it into a podcast,” Walker tells xoNecole. “It’s been interesting to take somebody else’s idea and try to turn it into a thing, put it together, and bring it to fruition. I am anxious, nervous, and all things, but above all, I’m excited.”
When xoNecole's managing editor Sheriden Garrett approached Walker to take on the position, it felt like fate. She had previously attempted to get Garrett on her CockTales platform about six or seven years ago due to her expertise in the love and relationship space.
“I was like, wait, y’all listen to the show? And you want me to host a show where I’m only talking to men? And I’m listening to them and not giving them a hard time? I say that because sometimes I feel like, on my show, I may come off like I don’t even like men," she says.
"I love men, but it can be frustrating sometimes on that platform, social media, and other places when they continue to regurgitate the same rhetoric about what I like to call Twitter topics, like constantly talking about who’s paying as a man, as a woman. You should do this. You should do that…It’s been cool hearing the stories with the men we’ve spoken to so far at xoMAN, hearing these stories, and hearing them let their guards down.”
A Howard graduate, Walker almost didn’t enter the world of media after listening to advice from elders who said she would make a great lawyer because she loves to debate topics and sometimes argue (haha).
"It’s been cool hearing the stories with the men we’ve spoken to so far at xoMAN, hearing these stories, and hearing them let their guards down.”
After traveling to the nation’s capital to study political science, Walker soon discovered that her only motivation for becoming an attorney was the potential income and witnessing how boss women like Erika Alexander’s Maxine Shaw character on Living Single would look in their suits as career women.
“I realized that this was for real,” she says, studying law at Howard. “This is a lot of work, and when you think about what you do, I was like, this is not a performance, and I just wanted to talk. I wasn’t trying to defend anyone.”
A visit to a fair showcasing the different organizations on Howard’s campus, combined with her affinity for celebrity gossip and entertainment news, ultimately led Walker to explore a radio career. Soon, she auditioned for a show and landed the gig. By the spring semester, she was on the radio, ultimately leading her to switch her major to journalism with a concentration in broadcast news.
Soon after earning her degree in the field, Walker decided she didn’t want to do anything related to hard news. Instead, she became involved in lifestyle content. She used her friends' love of hearing her stories to motivate her to get into podcasting.
The rest is, as they say, history.
“Before podcasts became what they are, I was in a living room with a microphone before ultimately moving to a studio and refining the show. I loved it and knew people were listening because I monitored the analytics and everything," she explains.
"When we decided to do a live show, the show sold out in two weeks, and I was so nervous. I was like, 'Are we ready? Are we gonna be able to sell out this venue?' We didn’t have any sponsorship. We were still independent and had to front the money for everything.”
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“When they sold out in two weeks, not only did I price my tickets too low, but I thought, wow, we’ve got something. I was like, people spent money to hear me and my co-host talking about our shitty love lives. This is wild, all from an idea in my head. It made me feel like I was on the right path and encouraged me to stop doubting myself. I have imposter syndrome," she reveals.
"Even to this day, I’m constantly biased. But it’s like, if not me, then who? And, like, why not me? If people can do it with way less and way more. I’ve been trying to encourage myself and other people to eliminate the doubt that we have in ourselves so we can do whatever it is we want to do. I love it. No matter how many sleepless nights I have, I will continue to have bags under my eyes until the end of time because I’m enjoying it.”
"I have imposter syndrome. Even to this day, I’m constantly biased. But it’s like, if not me, then who? And, like, why not me? If people can do it with way less and way more. I’ve been trying to encourage myself and other people to eliminate the doubt that we have in ourselves so we can do whatever it is we want to do."
In between garnering a strong social media presence for her work as a podcast host, lifestyle influencer, and beyond, Walker has managed to use her many gifts and talents, like cooking, and most importantly, giving a strong opinion about the things she does (or doesn’t) believe in to carve out a lane of her own.
As she embarks on this chapter as the host of xoMAN, where she has already spoken with actors Devale Ellis and Skyh Black and Dear Future Wifey podcast host Laterras R. Whitfield, Walker hopes that it encourages people, especially women, to look at their male counterparts from a different perspective.
“I hope that anyone listening can listen to the first few episodes, hear how different each man is, and learn to let down whatever preconceived notions you have about me or a specific man, whoever it is in your life," she says. "Just listen, talk to them, ask them how they feel, and listen with an open mind, without thinking that you already know what the answer is.”
“I just hope that people learn to, again, not put people in boxes and make the other person, whoever it is, men specifically for this show, but sit down and talk with an open mind and listen to understand, not to respond. Help someone feel safe.”
xoMAN officially launches on Tuesday, June. 17.
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