Range of hooks
Chardonnay Oil SPF, own radio station.
Vacation
Retro leisure sunscreen with the "World's Best-Smelling" scents and its own radio station.
vacation.inc
Brand DNAA-83/100 · 40%
Site ExperienceC+70/100 · 60%
Brand DNA A- (83), Site Experience C+ (70)
See the breakdown
A retro leisure sunscreen brand with a world of its own.
- Voice19/20
Unmistakable: "Sunscreen With Its Own Radio Station", "Leisure Enhancing Formulas" and "World's Best-Smelling Scents".
- Look19/20
Retro 1980s Miami script over a windsurfer, a look you would know anywhere.
- Feel and vibe19/20
A full retro leisure world, copied by others and owned by them.
- Energy10/20
Vacation was covered in CPG Wire's This Week in CPG newsletter (Jun 10, 2026, https://thisweekincpg.beehiiv.com/p/vmg-backs-stars-honey-ag1-bets-on-creatine). Vacation was covered in CPG Wire's This Week in CPG newsletter (Aug 26, 2026, https://thisweekincpg.beehiiv.com/p/rael-secures-pe-investment-vacation-appoints-new-ceo).
- Positioning16/20
Owns leisure sunscreen with names like Classic Whip and Chardonnay Oil, though the H1 says "Homepage".
The seven Site Experience areas are further down, under See the breakdown.
The short answer
Vacation scores 75 (B-). Listed, No. 3 in Skincare. Best in class point of view. The path to checkout is where most of the points go missing.
Last graded
- Tools they run
- Postscript popup, Klaviyo forms, Klaviyo, Postscript, Triple Whale See the list
75% of the top-scoring brands run a reviews app.
Our scan didn’t find one on Vacation’s storefront. New buyers want to see who bought before them.
See all 4 gapsFix the H1
Use the meta line.
All 3 fixesThe stack
Tools they run
5 tools spotted in public storefront code, grouped by tier. 3 of the 7 core categories are covered.
The Defaults
4Table stakes. Nearly every brand we scan runs these.
Detected, not endorsed. Each app links to its profile in The Stack.
Go deeper
The full read
Brand analysisPositioning, point of view, audience, white space and validation
Strong
How strongly Vacation stands for something only it can say.
- "Hawaii Act 104 Compliant & Dermatologist Tested".
- Chardonnay Oil SPF, own radio station.
Clear
- Review volume and rating shown. "13,457 Reviews".
- Authority or third-party proof. Hawaii Act 104, dermatologist tested.
- Star rating on the product page. Review widget (bazaarvoice) loads by script.
- Certifications or clinical backing shown. “Dermatologist Tested” on the site.
- Creator, affiliate or UGC presence. Customer or creator content on the homepage.
Who the site speaks to. "Show the World That You Mean Business."
The strategist’s read
Where Vacation plays, and the next move
Skincare. Retro leisure sunscreen with the "World's Best-Smelling" scents and its own radio station.
"Show the World That You Mean Business."
"Hawaii Act 104 Compliant & Dermatologist Tested".
Range of hooks
Chardonnay Oil SPF, own radio station.
Risk reversal
No guarantee found. A plain guarantee answers "what if it is not for me?" before it is asked.
Fix the H1
Use the meta line. The best line belongs in the H1.
Our read, built from the quotes on this page. Opinion, not fact.
Customer reviewsNot enough public reviews yet
Not enough public reviews yet.
We only summarize reviews that are readable on Vacation’s own product pages. We found fewer than 25 there as of Oct 11, 2026, so there is nothing fair to say yet.
See the breakdownThe seven Site Experience areas, every point with the quote behind it
Vacation has one of the strongest voices in the set ("Sunscreen With Its Own Radio Station", "Leisure Enhancing Formulas") and "13,457 Reviews", with clear prices ("Classic Whip SPF 30 - $22"). The homepage H1 literally reads "Homepage" and we found no guarantee.
80First impression20% of the scoreSee what we saw
- ~Hero headline says what it is or the core benefitH1: "Homepage".14/25
- ~Subhead makes the benefit specificMeta: "Sunscreen that takes leisure as seriously as it takes protection."19/20
- ~Target customer and use occasion are clear"Show the World That You Mean Business."13/15
- ~Category understood within five secondsSunscreen, clear.18/20
91Point of view11% of the scoreSee what we saw
- ~Differentiation versus alternatives is explicit"Hawaii Act 104 Compliant & Dermatologist Tested".17/20
- ✓Distinct hooks and anglesChardonnay Oil SPF, own radio station.15/15
77Proof people love it14% of the scoreSee what we saw
- ~Review volume and rating shown"13,457 Reviews".19/20
- ~Authority or third-party proofHawaii Act 104, dermatologist tested.12/15
- ~Star rating on the product pageReview widget (bazaarvoice) loads by script.8/15
- ✓Certifications or clinical backing shown“Dermatologist Tested” on the site.10/10
- ~Creator, affiliate or UGC presenceCustomer or creator content on the homepage.5/10
32Getting to checkout16% of the scoreSee what we saw
- ~Clear offer on homepage and PDPWelcome offer.10/20
- ~Risk reversalNo guarantee found.2/15
- ~Reason to buy nowNo dated offer.4/15
84One story everywhere9% of the scoreSee what we saw
- ~Same core promise on homepage and PDPLeisure on both.38/40
- ~Proof numbers match across pagesNo conflicts.22/30
- ~Offer matches across pagesWelcome offer on both.24/30
Homepage against product page, from the same scan.
69The product page19% of the scoreSee what we saw
- ✓SW-02 Mobile viewport set upViewport meta tag present.10/10
- ✓SW-03 Images described with alt text57 of 57 homepage images have alt text.5/5
- ✓SW-04 Images below the fold load lazily54 of 57 homepage images lazy-load.5/5
- ✓SW-12 Free shipping threshold in plain sight“FREE SHIPPING ON ORDERS $45” on the homepage.10/10
- ~SW-13 Two or more ways to get helpSupport via email.2/5
- ~HP-01 One clear H1H1 is "Homepage".4/10
- ✓HP-04 Offer bar under the header“WELCOME TO VACATION®! FREE PEPSI LIP GEL ON ORDERS ABOVE $30! FREE SHIPPING ON ORDERS $45+…” on the homepage.10/10
- ~HP-11 Shop by category2 collection links on the homepage.2/5
- ✕HP-12 A story block or founder noteNo story or founder block found on the homepage.0/5
- ✕HP-14 A real reason to buy nowNo dated or limited reason to buy now on the homepage.0/5
- ✓PDP-01 Product name under 65 characters“Classic Whip SPF 30” (19 characters).5/5
- ~PDP-03 Reviews on the pageReviews on the homepage.8/15
- ~PDP-05 Thumbnails, video and variant imagesProduct video plus 1 product images in the gallery code.2/5
- ✓PDP-09 Quantity and variant pickers that update the priceQuantity input and variant picker.5/5
- ✓PDP-11 Subscribe and save in the buy boxSubscribe option in the buy box.10/10
- ✕PDP-15 Guarantee in the buy boxNo guarantee found on either page.0/10
- ✓PDP-16 Shipping and returns spelled outShipping and returns terms on the PDP.10/10
- ~PDP-17 Details, ingredients or FAQ in accordionsFormula sections.9/10
Lab speed (Core Web Vitals) isn’t scored yet.
65The tools behind it11% of the scoreSee what we saw
Coverage of the seven core tool categories. The full list is in Tools they run below.
Brand Tested Score, methodology v2.0: 7 of 7 areas scored.
How you stack up4 gaps vs Skincare peers and the top 20
4gaps
vs peers
vs peers
03 · How you stack up
Vacation vs. the best
Vacation runs 4 of the 10 lanes we track. Here it is next to 59 Skincare storefronts and our top 20. Start with the first gap on the list.
CRO and testing
GapVacation doesn’t show a CRO or testing tool in our scan. 40% of the top-scoring brands do. Price, offer and page tests show what really moves conversion, so nobody has to guess.
What the top 10 run here:
Intelligems4 of 10
Intelligems4 of 10Most common across our scan:Intelligems
IntelligemsUpsells and cross-sells
Gap40% of the top-scoring brands run a cart upsell or cross-sell app. Our scan didn’t find one on Vacation’s storefront. Cart recommendations raise order value on traffic you already paid for.
What the top 10 run here:
Rebuy4 of 10
Rebuy4 of 10Referrals, loyalty and affiliates
Gap40% of the top-scoring brands run a referral, loyalty or affiliate app. Our scan didn’t find one on Vacation’s storefront. Creators and referrals bring in buyers who already trust the person who sent them.
Subscriptions
Vacation: on the pageA subscribe option shows in the buy box. We couldn’t name the app from the page code, so it doesn’t count as a gap.
PDP and landing pages
Not spottedOnly 10% of peers run one, so it doesn’t count as a gap.
Post-purchase experience
Not spottedOnly 10% of peers run one, so it doesn’t count as a gap.
UGC and creator content
Not spottedOnly 2% of peers run one, so it doesn’t count as a gap.
Adoption is the share of storefronts where our Oct 9, 2026 scan found at least one app in the lane. Apps that live only in checkout or the back office can hide from a scan, so “not spotted” doesn’t mean missing. App names show what other brands run. They aren’t endorsements. A few links to software partners are referral links, and we may earn a commission if you sign up, at no cost to you. Money never changes a score.
The stack by funnel stageCoverage across acquisition, conversion and retention
Acquisition2of 3Getting new people in the doorDetails
- No referrals / affiliates app spotted. Most common in the top 20: Superfiliate
Retention1of 2Bringing them back for moreDetails
- No subscriptions app spotted. Most common in the top 20: Recharge
Spotted in public storefront code, scanned Oct 9, 2026. Checkout and back-office apps can hide from a scan, so treat a gap here as something to check.
Fix this week3 specific changes, free
Fix the H1
Now"Homepage".
TryUse the meta line.
Why it matters
The best line belongs in the H1.
Add a guarantee
NowNone found.
TryRefund a scent they dislike.
Why it matters
Lowers trial risk.
Show reviews on the PDP
NowNot visible there.
TryAdd ratings.
Why it matters
Proof belongs at the buy button.
Brand Tested Scores are our editorial opinion, based on our published methodology and what we saw on the brand’s own site, shown on this page as of Oct 9, 2026. They are not statements of fact about a company’s legal compliance, finances or product safety. Grades are set against the consumer brands we grade: 82 or higher is in the A range (the scale). Methodology · Request a correction
Last graded . How we grade
Questions about Vacation
Is Vacation worth buying from online?
Its own store makes a solid case for itself. We grade vacation.inc 75 out of 100 (B-) as of Oct 11, 2026, on how clearly it sells, what proof it shows and how easy it is to check out. We grade the store, not the products.
What does Vacation do best?
The point of view, which we grade 91 out of 100. The path to checkout has the most room to grow, at 32.
What tools does Vacation run?
On Oct 9, 2026 our scan of its storefront found Postscript popup, Klaviyo forms, Klaviyo, Postscript and Triple Whale. Checkout and back-office apps can hide from a scan, so treat a gap as something to check.
How does Brand Tested grade Vacation?
The Brand Tested Score is 40% Brand DNA and 60% Site Experience, built from Vacation’s own public pages, with a quote from its site behind every point. Vacation earns 83 for Brand DNA and 70 for Site Experience. Brands can’t pay to be graded or to change a grade.
For the Vacation team
Free
Claim your page
Verify you work at Vacation. Add a founder quote or story, respond to any finding and hear from us before the next update. Claiming never changes a score.
Free
Shipped a fix? Ask for a rescan.
Tell us what changed, or what we got wrong. We rescan the live store and note what moved on this page and in the changelog.
Listed
The Brand Tested badge
Listed brands can show it on their own site. Claim this page with an email at vacation.inc and we’ll send a link to your badge and the code to show it. It always links back here.
Claim this page