Come summer, you’ll inevitably be spending long days in the sun, be it at the beach or by the pool. Whether you’re tanning, swimming or just having fun, you’ll be leading a super active lifestyle, and you might be worried about your makeup keeping up with it. The last thing you want to do is stress about how you look or if your makeup is smudged, so HC is here to give you some tips, tricks and suggestions for how to stay beautiful on the beach this summer.
1. Grab Some Waterproof Makeup
Your best friend at the beach is definitely going to be waterproof makeup. Makeup artist and hairstylist Kacie Corbelle and makeup artist Stacey Frasca both recommend Make Up For Ever’s “Aqua” Line because of how well the waterproof makeup works. This line offers a wide array of waterproof products, like mascara ($23), eye shadow ($23), brow gel ($20) and more!
Corbelle recommends sticking “to colors like peach, pink, gold and bronze for the eyes and lips because they compliment a tan well,” so try out Make Up For Ever’s Aqua Cream eye shadow ($23) in champagne shimmer or golden copper. The same line also carries a fabulous waterproof eyeliner ($19) in 26 colors for you to pick from! With these products, you can look super glam and still enjoy a swim in the ocean.
2. Get Beautiful Beachy Waves
We collegiettes always dream of having the perfect beachy waves, but our hair usually just ends up a snarly mess. Those of you who have tried to style it before going to the beach probably know that after a few minutes in a beach breeze or a dip in the ocean, all your effort was for nothing.
The trick to maintaining beautiful waves after a swim? Texture. Luckily, the salt in ocean water gives your hair great texture. “After taking a dip, make sure to brush your hair with a wide-tooth comb and throw some leave-in conditioner on the ends,” Corbelle says. It takes about 10 seconds to put this in, and it will save you from big, painful knots later. An amazing leave-in conditioner to buy is It’s A 10 Miracle Leave-in Product ($12.59). It detangles, adds shine and prevents hair breakage, just to name a few functions. It’s a must-have at the beach this summer if you want to have envious beach waves!
3. Protect Your Skin and Look Good Doing It
If you’re spending a few hours in the sun, it’s important to protect your skin. However, you shouldn’t have to swap your foundation for a greasy sunscreen. There are a lot of foundations and tinted moisturizers out there that have SPF included.
Corbelle recommends Motives Liquid Powder Mineral Foundation ($24.95), which she says “is super lightweight, covers well without feeling heavy and has SPF 15!” If you’re looking for more of a splurge or if you have sensitive skin that needs a higher SPF, Frasca recommends Laura Mercier’s tinted moisturizer ($43), which has an SPF 20. It’s oil-free, which Frasca says is “less likely to cause breakouts or skin irritation and sunburn.” The frequency with which you should reapply depends on how sensitive your skin is, but a good benchmark is every 40 to 80 minutes and always right after a swim.
4. Soothing and Masking a Burn
If you do end up having a little too much fun in the sun, any type of aloe gel will be your best friend. Corbelle suggests keeping aloe vera in the refrigerator because “the combination of the cold and the soothing properties of the aloe vera provides instant relief and promote healing.” A good brand to try is Fruit of the Earth Aloe Vera Gel ($3.97).
While aloe vera gel will provide pain relief from a burn, it won’t tone down visible redness. That’s where makeup comes in. Corbelle recommends Ben Nye’s Bella Luxury Powder in Banana ($12) because the yellow tone will help neutralize redness from your burn. This will tone down your skin color, and no one will ever know how fried your skin is!
5. Taking a Beach Look From Day to Night
Your daytime beach look should be a simple, healthy look. Corbelle says to “lightly sweep on a bronze or gold eye shadow, waterproof mascara and some bronzer.” Makeup Forever’s Aqua Cream Eye Shadow ($23) in golden copper is a perfect go-to eyeshadow when headed to the beach because it’s waterproof. Maybelline’s Great Lash Waterproof Mascara is a popular option for beach mascara, and tarte’s Waterproof Bronzer ($30) will give you a golden glow.
The easiest way to take your look from day to night is by adding a lip color. Frasca says that “the best lips are sheer lipsticks that give a hint of color,” and warns to stay away from glosses. If you’re going to a party or bonfire on the beach, glosses can be too sticky for an ocean breeze, and you don’t want your hair getting stuck on your lips! She suggests Studio 28 Lipstick in Dolce, See Thru, Slippery or Bitten ($18) to make your daytime look ready for evening.
Gone are the days when you have to stress over whether or not to wear makeup to the beach and whether or not it’s running down your face. With these tips, you can have fun in the sun and look good doing it!