Valentina

I live in Miami, where the UV index is high basically year-round, so sunscreen is not a summer thing for me, it's an every-morning thing. The problem is that most SPF is either greasy, leaves a white cast, or pills under makeup, and a sunscreen you hate wearing is a sunscreen you skip. This list is the sun care that's actually pleasant enough to put on and reapply. I've split it into two parts: what goes on my face every single day, and what comes out for beach, pool and boat days. Every note has a verdict so you know which is which. I'm not a dermatologist, this is just what works in real heat and humidity. Tell me your skin type in the comments and I'll tell you where I'd start!

Prime Big Deal Days is 90% noise: fake markdowns, gadgets nobody asked for, and five versions of the same air fryer. I went through the sale so you don't have to and kept only what fits how I actually live in Miami: the beauty and hair staples worth restocking while they're marked down, and a few home and travel upgrades that are hard to justify at full price. Every pick has a verdict. STOCK UP means it's something you'll use up anyway, so buy it at the low price. SPLURGE ON SALE means it's a real investment that only makes sense during a sale like this one. Deals move fast and can sell out, so check the price before you check out.

Miami humidity is undefeated, and I have thick, wavy hair that turns into a triangle the second I step outside. I've spent a frankly embarrassing amount of money finding out what actually holds up, and the honest answer is that some of the expensive stuff is worth every dollar and some of it gets beaten by a drugstore bottle. So I've split this list exactly that way: the splurges I'd rebuy tomorrow, and the cheap things that do the job just as well. Every note tells you which one it is. Tell me your hair type in the comments and I'll tell you where I'd start!

I make content for a living, for my own channels and for the brands I work with, and almost all of it is shot on a phone. People always assume there's a big camera setup behind it. There isn't. It's a small kit that fits in one tote, and every piece is here because it fixed a specific problem: shaky footage, echoey audio, bad light at 4pm, a dead battery mid-shoot. I've split it into what I use every single day versus what only comes out on proper shoot days, so you can start with the basics and skip the rest until you need it. Ask me anything in the comments, especially if you're building your first setup!

I've started and abandoned about nine wellness routines. The ones that stuck all had the same thing in common: they take under five minutes and they don't require me to feel motivated. So this list is split by when I actually use things — morning, evening, and the stuff that only comes out when I'm run down or travelling. Nothing here is a 12-step protocol and nothing costs more than it should. I'm not a doctor and none of this is medical advice; it's just what's genuinely on my counter. Tell me what's working for you!

Living in Miami means my jewelry gets beach, pool and sweat basically every day, and I've turned a lot of pretty pieces green finding out which ones can take it. So this list is organised around exactly that: what I never take off versus what comes off before I swim. Mostly gold and gold vermeil, a mix of real-investment pieces and ones that cost less than dinner. If it's on here it's survived at least a year of actual wear, not one photo. Ask me anything in the comments — especially about sizing.

I'm Miami-based but I'm in New York constantly, and I've stopped trying to do the tourist version. These are the places I actually book when I land — the ones I've been back to more than once, which is the only real test in a city with this much competition. Skewed downtown and Brooklyn because that's where I stay. I've flagged what needs a reservation weeks out versus what you can walk into, because nothing wastes a NYC trip faster than a two-hour line for something mediocre. Tell me what I'm missing, I'm there again soon!

I go back and forth between Miami and New York constantly, plus shoots and actual holidays, and after checking a bag one too many times I got militant about carry-on only. Everything has to earn its space — no single-use gadgets, no full-size anything, nothing I'd be upset to scuff. This is what's genuinely in my bag right now, including the boring stuff nobody posts about but that saves the trip. Flag anything I'm missing in the comments!

I work from cafés three or four days a week and I'm the friend who picks the spot based on the lighting, so this list is the result of a lot of “research.” These are the Miami cafés that are genuinely beautiful AND have good matcha AND won't kick you out after an hour — a rarer combination than it should be. I've noted which ones are actually laptop-friendly versus which are just for a pretty iced latte and a photo, because there's nothing worse than showing up to work and finding no outlets. Tell me your favorites in the comments, I'm always looking!

I went down the low-tox rabbit hole after replacing my scratched non-stick pans, and it turned into a full audit of my whole kitchen and everything under my sink. The problem I kept hitting: most non-toxic swaps either look like a science experiment or don't actually work. This list is the stuff that passed both tests — safe materials, genuinely good performance, and pretty enough that I leave it out on the counter instead of hiding it in a cabinet. Everything here is in my apartment right now. Ask me anything in the comments!

I've been testing beauty products as a content creator for years, and between Miami humidity and NYC winters my skin has been the ultimate stress test. I got tired of “clean” products that felt like a compromise — chalky textures, formulas that pill, packaging that looks like a health food store. So this is my running list of the ones that are genuinely clean AND actually perform AND look beautiful on the shelf. Everything here I've used for months, not once for a photo. I'll keep adding as I find them — leave a comment if you want my take on something specific!

I'm Miami-based and completely obsessed with Japanese food — I've been working my way through the 305's sushi scene for years, from $300 omakase counters to the ramen I get at 11pm in Brickell. These are the spots I actually send to friends when they text me “where should we eat?” Everything here I've been to myself, and I've noted what each one is best for — date night, group dinner, or a solo bowl of noodles. Let me know if you try one!