These Celeb-Inspired Vacation Destinations Need To Be Added To Your Summer Bucket List ASAP
The only thing that could make this hot girl summer any warmer is an impromptu vacation with you and someone you love, and luckily, xoNecole has a list of celebrity-inspired vacation destinations that are perfect for the occasion. Day after day, month after month of doing the same old thing can make even your best life feel boring, and there's no better way to switch up your routine than with a little R&R in a foreign land, even if that means taking a Greyhound to a destination only a few hours away.
Whether you decide to get flewed out with your girls or plan a romantic baecation for your man, these five destinations deserve to be at the very top of your list.
Adrienne Bailon - Palm Springs, California
If you're itching for a quick trip without leaving the country, Palm Springs can end up being the USA-bound getaway of your dreams. While Adrienne Houghton stayed at The Parker Palm Springs, which has luxury rooms starting at $229 a night, there are a number of stylish hotels and restaurants for you to visit while you're in this high-end Sonoran Desert destination. For even more adventure, try horseback riding in the canyons or go hiking in the mountains nearby.
Ciara - Fiji
Ciara and Russell Wilson just celebrated their three-year wedding anniversary in one of the happiest countries in the world, and now we want to go, too. With an abundance of botanical sanctuaries, white sand beaches and coconut palms, the only real question is why wouldn't you want to catch a flight to Fiji this summer?
Tracee Ellis Ross - Italy
Home of the Vatican, Italy is the answer to keeping your summer vacation on the lowest of keys. When in Rome, you do as melanated queens do and chill TF out. Tracee Ellis Ross was a whole mood when she kicked off the first day of summer with a sexy selfie of her poolside swim body in Europe.
Nelly & Shantel - The Bahamas
Nelly and his longtime girlfriend Shantel Jackson are heating up the summer early with their recent baecation to the islands. Although beautiful beaches and crystal clear oceans are reason enough to book you and your boo a flight to the Bahamas, there is so much more to explore beyond the cruise ship.
Tessa Thompson, Aja Naomi King, Gabrielle Union - Paris, France
Tessa Thompson, Gabrielle Union, and Aja Naomi King just pulled up in Paris and gave us the Brown Skinned Beauty R&B album cover we didn't know we needed. Traditionally, the city is seen as a vacay for lovers, but these Black girls in Europe prove that Paris is one destination you and your girls need to add to your bucket list ASAP.
Featured image by Instagram/@ciara.
Taylor "Pretty" Honore is a spiritually centered and equally provocative rapper from Baton Rouge, Louisiana with a love for people and storytelling. You can probably find me planting herbs in your local community garden, blasting "Back That Thang Up" from my mini speaker. Let's get to know each other: @prettyhonore.
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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Rihanna Talks Shedding Expectations And Finding Balance As A Mother
Since becoming a mother in 2022, Rihanna has defined parenthood by her terms and hopes to pass that sense of autonomy on to her children.
For Vogue China’s April cover story, Rihanna shared her perspective on raising her two sons with A$AP Rocky, and how she hopes to preserve her children’s uniqueness, devoid of societal expectations.
"The most beautiful thing...is that [children] come into the world with their own individuality and sincerity, without any logic or conformity,” she told the publication. “Which usually makes you feel that you must fit into a certain group."
The “Work” artist, known for her trendsetting style and captivating persona, expressed her desire to support children in fully embracing their individuality and encouraging them to be whoever they want to be. "It's really beautiful to see and I want to continue to help them navigate that and make sure that they know they can be whoever they want to be,” she says.
She continues, “They should embrace it completely, because it's beautiful, and it's unique. I love them just that way."
From shattering music charts to shaking up the beauty industry, Rihanna has forged a path that has since created the “dream” life we see today. One that she says has made her parents proud of.
“I’m living my dream,” she continued. “My parents were very proud of that because they just wanted me to be happy and successful. So, I think the key thing is to find some kind of balance. Yes, balance is important. Do this and you get the best of both worlds. You can write your own life the way you want, and it will be beautiful. Sometimes, you just need to let go of everyone’s expectations and start living your own story.”
Rihanna, who shares sons, RZA, 23 months, and Riot, 8 months, with rapper A$AP Rocky, recently shared her vision for expanding her family in the future in Interview Magazine.
When stylist Mel Ottenberg asked about the number of additional children she hoped to have, Rihanna replied, "As many as God wants me to have.”
"I don't know what God wants, but I would go for more than two. I would try for my girl,” she adds. “But of course, if it's another boy, it's another boy."
Featured image by Neil MockfordWireImage
