Figuring
out how to get my makeup to stay in place and still look good despite
heat, sunscreen, chlorine, and ocean waves has been a decade of trial
and error. At long last (thankfully!), I’ve cracked effortless beach
beauty. Here’s what you’ll need besides a serious dose of SPF— take it
from the ultimate water baby.
Tinted self-tanner for face
Summers on the Mediterranean and in New York have taught me that it
takes a whole lot of powder and primer for foundation and tinted
moisturizer to even think about staying put. Tinted self-tanner gives a
glow that increases over the day and provides just enough coverage. I
like Lancome’s Flash Bronzer Medium Colour Oil-Free Tinted Self-Tanning Lotion for Face with Vitamin E every other day— I find I need this less and less the more sun-kissed I get.
Waterproof eyeliner
Even though I tend to hide behind sunglasses when the sun comes out
(what else hides last night better?), no one wants panda eyes when they
get to post-beach cocktails. Simple definition of the eyes with a
smudge-proof eyeliner such as Shu Uemura’s new Painting Gel Liner,
stays in place and can be intensified for sweltering midsummer
evenings. Psst: those with blue and green eyes, go with an aubergine
tone, it enhances the color.
If going without mascara is the same for you as leaving your cell phone at home is for me, a light coating of waterproof mascara should last the day— just don’t rub your eyes. Dior’s DiorShow and Lancome’s Defincils Waterproof will do the trick.
Cheek and lip tint
My Anglo-Saxon heritage has made it next to impossible for me not to
mimic the rising thermostat with the color of my cheeks. Before I get
to that point in the day, however, a warm tint to the apples of my
cheeks not only helps define my face, it also gives a warm glow. I’ve
gotten most compliments when using Benefit’s Posietint (a soft pink version of their cult-classic Benetint) and Bobbi Brown’s Sheer Color Cheek Tint in Sheer Coral. Both of these work when dabbed on lips and covered with an
SPF lip balm— sunburned lips are the worst. For a two-in-one prod’, my
go-to is Kiehl’s Tinted Lip Balm SPF 15 in Golden Berry.
— Daisy
