Peak Fall Weekends (and What to Pack in Your Beauty Bag)
Created with Falconeri
When the air is crisp enough that the leaves have really started turning, the Northeast might just be at its best. Taking a weekend to slow down and breathe it all in can be one of the more life-affirming activities there is. Wherever you go—the mountains, a beach, a farm, or a beautifully restored village—make your weekend extra renewing with moisturizing, nourishing essentials (and fun extras) for hair and skin.
The Weekend: Farmland Meets Forest
WHERE:
Piaule, Catskill, New York
The rooms at Piaule are cool individual wooden pods with window-walls that face out onto the forest, so you have total privacy along with a close-up view of the changing seasons. The food is exquisite, the spa is gorgeous, and you’re close to both Hudson and Woodstock. It’s a little rustic mixed with a lot of luxury—and the combination is very sexy.
BONUS BEAUTY TREATMENT:
Get a massage in the Nordic-modern spa.
PACK:
A creamy pop of color for your cheeks and lips looks so fresh and natural—and it’s moisturizing at the same time. Bring a cozy cashmere sweater to go with it.
WHERE:
Wildflower Farms, Gardiner, New York
In a stunning field of wildflowers, stand-alone cottages circle a large saltwater pool, a fantastic restaurant, a spa, and a luxe outdoor lounging area with a crackling wood fire. All of it overlooks a spectacular view of the Shawangunk Mountains, and you can take farming and cooking classes when you’re not dreamily soaking up the atmosphere.
BONUS BEAUTY TREATMENT:
The Cultivate facial at the sleekly designed, roomy spa is incredible (take home the products, too—they’re clean and so beautiful).
PACK:
This moisturizing sunscreen melts right into your skin—and it’s brilliant for both face and body.
WHERE:
Twin Farms, Barnard, Vermont
Already one of the most special places on the planet, Twin Farms is adding eight new tree-house cottages, each of them different, all designed by Michaelis Boyd, that have to be one of the most sumptuous ways ever invented to see fall foliage. The stunning surroundings, delicious food and drinks, unparalleled service, and deep sense of privacy make it a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience.
BONUS BEAUTY TREATMENT:
Soak in the house-size furo.
PACK:
It gets cold (and dry) quick in Vermont. This new moisturizer from Alpyn is rich and thick and comforting, yet it’s silky enough that it feels light on your skin.
WHERE:
Mayflower Inn, Washington, Connecticut
It’s hard to pull yourself out of your canopied, curtained, supremely cosseting bed, but do it: The public spaces, the food, and the gardens at this chicly restored hotel are more than worth it—make sure to have a cocktail on the lawn as the sun goes down (there are blankets and individual fireplaces). And the outpost of The Well spa is both enormous and ultraluxurious.
BONUS BEAUTY TREATMENT:
The bone broth at the spa is incredible, and get the Reiki treatment on a heated bed outside in a grove of evergreens.
PACK:
Spend even seven minutes letting this magic hair mask soak in and the bounce, softness, and remarkable shine you’re rewarded with is hard to believe.
The Weekend: Beach
WHERE:
The Reform Club, Amagansett, New York
The classic shingled cottages set in a beautiful meadow close to both beaches and town look like private homes, and the interiors are both gorgeous and deeply luxurious. The delivered-to-your-room breakfasts are divine, and the fireplaces and soaking tubs are generous. Chic white bikes can be borrowed for the ultimate fall-afternoon ride.
PACK:
Every year, Annee de Mamiel formulates a special skin oil just for the fall season—this year’s is rich, sinks in like a dream, smells incredible, and leaves your skin with the best glow. A white cashmere sweater goes from the beach to dinner at il Buco al Mare.
WHERE:
White Elephant, Nantucket, Massachusetts
A gorgeous renovation last year has completely transformed this classic Nantucket hotel, which overlooks the harbor and is an easy walk from anywhere in town. There’s nothing like a fall bike ride (there are Priority bikes to reserve whenever you’d like) out to Nauset Beach; dress warmly and don’t forget sunscreen—and know there’s an easy shuttle back to town if you don’t feel like riding back. And don’t miss a sunset dinner at its sister property, the Wauwinet.
PACK:
The most portable vitamin C there is (not to mention shelf-stable and powerful), this mixes easily with water (or moisturizer or sunscreen) to noticeably brighten your skin.
The Weekend: Cute Town
WHERE:
The Maker, Hudson, New York
Full of romance, mystery, and gorgeously personal design (every room is different, and every room is spectacular), the Maker is set on the lined-with-charming-antique-stores cobblestoned Main Street in Hudson. After a day of shopping, eating (do not miss lunch at the slightly-off-the-main-drag Cafe Mutton), and strolling, have cocktails at the Maker for sure (the bar is a refurbished double-height garage with a roaring fireplace, and the cocktails have to be some of the best on earth). Then have dinner in the conservatory restaurant and sink into your luscious bed (the beds, along with the sheets, the lighting fixtures, and even some of the art, can be purchased on the website).
BONUS BEAUTY TREATMENT:
There’s a scent room with every fantastic fragrance from the past 50 or so years available to spritz (along with, of course, every Maker scent). There’s also a very sexy minibar option in the rooms that includes Esther Perel’s playing cards and a goop G-spot vibrator.
PACK:
The sexiest, inkiest liner is also the easiest to apply—it’s a pen that dispenses glossy liquid precisely where you want it. Whether you just want more definition or love a full-on date-night cat-eye, this simple pen is the ticket.
The Weekend: Lakeside
WHERE:
Manoir Hovey, Eastern Townships, Quebec, Canada
Who knew the Appalachian Mountains reached this far north? Manoir Hovey is set right on Lake Massawippi, which reflects the fall colors like an especially spectacular mirror. You can ride horses, hike, fish, bicycle, bird-watch, or boat—and do not miss the 9,000-square-foot spa and its heat and cold experiences, endless pools and lounging areas, and incredibly thorough menu of treatments.
BONUS BEAUTY TREATMENT:
You can add the signature Thermal Circuit to any spa service—it’s fun, invigorating, relaxing, and definitely worth it.
PACK:
The fresh linens and beautifully designed rooms are as restful as it gets; before you go to bed, smooth on this powerful yet easy-on-skin milk that exfoliates and moisturizes overnight so you wake up glowing and renewed.
WHERE:
Mohonk Mountain House, New Paltz, New York
Set directly on one of the prettiest lakes on the planet (ringed by cliffs and forests), Mohonk is a family-run (same family since 1869), family-friendly grand old hotel that’s been thoughtfully brought up to date. The spa is spectacular; so are the gardens, the outdoor skating rink, and the hike up to the top of the nearby mountain.
BONUS BEAUTY TREATMENT:
The massage outdoors in one of the curtained cabins on top of a cliff is unforgettable. (Ask them to turn down the music and listen to the wind in the trees.)
PACK:
Mascara and an outdoorsy weekend are an awkward combination; this incredible serum is the solution. Use it daily for remarkable definition.
WHERE:
The Point, Saranac Lake, New York
It doesn’t get more fall than this former Rockefeller retreat on Upper Saranac Lake. Cruise the lake in silent electric boats to take in all the color (they’ll set you up with a private picnic lunch on an island if you like), play tennis in the forest, bike, hike, toast marshmallows over crackling bonfires, or lounge by the fire under layers of blankets—it’s all just very fall weekend.
PACK:
For the dressed-up group dinners in the great hall, a chic lip—this red is a lush classic—always works.
