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At long last, beach season has arrived. While hitting the sand and surf feels especially blissful this year, it doesn’t make the realities of braving the seaside elements—sweltering heat, high humidity, and exposure to UV rays—any less easy to contend with, especially when it comes to negotiating makeup and ample sun protection. In terms of finding the right products to stand the heat and keep you looking luminous, there’s no more bulletproof strategy than looking to the pros. Whatever’s in their beach bags, we want what they’re having. From glow-inducing skin essentials to the perfect ocean blue eyeliner, here, 21 pros reveal their ultimate beach makeup must-haves.
Carolina Dalí
“I love to warm up my complexion and give my face a subtle, sun-kissed glow without actually tanning my face. My go-to is the Serge Lutens Blusher in shade No. 1. It’s a powder bronzer that glides on smoothly and is easy to blend with buildable color. Using a large powder brush, I apply it around my temples, along the hallows of my cheekbones, and along my jaw. Using a small powder brush, I apply a touch along the sides and natural contours of my nose. This technique mimics how the sun naturally tans the face. Another added benefit is that it stays looking fresh for hours, so I can be out at the beach or poolside and don’t need to worry about touching up.”
Beau Nelson
“I love Laura Mercier’s SPF primer for the beach because it’s lightweight, SPF 30, has a gel texture that’s easy to spread, and doesn’t feel thick or greasy. You can easily layer it through the day for extra protection. Use a dime-size amount for the face, and don’t forget your ears!”
Jen Myles
“I love this product because it provides an extra layer of much-needed moisture for a day at the beach. It’s super nourishing and moisturizing, and I use it throughout the day after applying sunscreen by just spraying on my face and gently patting in. I find my skin can feel dried out from sunscreen and this helps to keep it feeling like I have that dewy, sun-kissed glow. It has aloe and vitamin E, so it’s also amazing for my skin when I’ve had a little too much sun. I use it at night for a post-burn detox.”
Tyron Machhausen
“At the beach, it’s important to have an eyeliner that truly doesn’t budge! The Stylo Yeux Waterproof by Chanel withstands the heat, sweat, and a swim in the ocean. It comes in many colors, from smoky dark brown and burgundy shades all the way to one of my all-time favorite colors: Fervent Blue, which is the most gorgeous intense blue that looks especially great in combination with bronzed skin.”
Emily Cheng
“People often forget about sunscreen for the lips! They need just as much protection, so it’s very important to reapply throughout the day. I love the texture of this lip balm, it’s thick and emollient so it stays on well. I love that there’s a little color so it is not only protecting your skin, but keeping you looking healthy and fresh.”
Alana Wright
“My favorite skin product for the beach is Dr. Barbara Sturm Sun Drops SPF 50. I’ve been a huge fan of this sunscreen because it doesn’t irritate my skin or leave a white cast on my brown skin. Sun Drops also give my skin a lovely lit-from-within glow! The best way for me to use them is to initially apply it on top of my serum/moisturizer and eye cream. I typically wait a few minutes in between applying to ensure that my other skin care absorbs first. After a few hours at the beach, I reapply by massaging it into my skin with clean hands. My skin maintains its glow and hydration and the Sun Drops protect all of my hyperpigmentation.”
Grace Pae
“My favorite skin product for the beach is the Shiseido SynchroShield Wetforce x Heatforce Sunscreen Stick SPF50+. I love it for so many reasons: It’s clear, lightweight, and doesn’t leave a white cast, convenient to reapply straight from the stick without having to use my fingers and hands, doesn’t break me out, and it becomes more effective in water and heat due to the Wetforce x Heatforce technology. It glides on smoothly and you don’t have to deal with the hassle of sand and liquid all over your hands while on the beach.”
Jessica Smalls
“My favorite makeup for the beach is the Tower 28 Bronzino Illuminating Cream Bronzer. I am a super fan of this product because of the texture: it’s creamy, not sticky. You don’t have to worry any sand will blow on your face and disturb your fabulous bronzed look. I love applying it with my fingers! I take my pointer finger, rub it in a circular motion to collect the product, then I apply the bronzer to the apples of my cheeks and apply upwards and outwards to give a natural, even color.”
Erin Parsons
“If you know me, you know I love extreme lashes! My favorite makeup product for the beach is Maybelline Sky High Mascara in waterproof because it gives your lashes the triple threat: lift, length, and volume. I always curl my lashes first, then I apply the mascara from the roots of the lashes. It will last all day and is also perfect for swimming! It’s an essential at the beach if you want a little bit of makeup that will make a big difference.”
Tasha Reiko Brown
“I use a lot of anti-aging skin-care products that, while turning over skin cells quickly, also make my skin more sensitive to the sun, so I must use SPF at all times. With a medium/deep skin tone prone to hyperpigmentation, I prefer light coverage. Chanel’s Sheer Healthy Glow Moisturizing Tint allows me to skip foundation and still have light coverage with the bonus of sun protection. I always toss the lightweight, leak-proof bottle into my beach bag and apply right as I’m ready to head to the sand. Because of the luminous finish and lightweight sheer texture, it’s easy to apply casually and without a mirror. It gives me just enough coverage for my uneven skin tone, while also being luminous enough so I look natural and foundation-free while vacationing.”
Lisa Aharon
“When it comes to makeup and skin care, I’m into a natural glow. But on the beach when you combine the glow, the sunscreen, heat, sweat, and water, it can get to be a little too much! I’ll see photos, and the light is just beaming off of every part of my face—not to mention, feeling icky by the end of the day. SPF is my number one priority, but why not combine it with a little shine control?! Supergoop Re-Setting 100% Mineral Powder evens out my skin tone, controls shine, and gives a perfect amount of sun protection for touch-ups throughout the day. Bonus, the powder texture doesn’t mix with sand—it gently dusts away whatever is stuck to your face.”
Rommy Najor
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“MAC Prep & Prime Fix + brightens and calms the skin once you’ve been basking in the sun since there’s cucumber and chamomile in it. I keep mine chilled and toss it in the beach cooler so that I can spritz throughout the day. It feels invigorating and your skin will look radiant.”
Camille Thompson
“It’s a solid choice for a natural, lightweight dewy glam that will withstand the elements. The foundation has a dropper so no need for a brush or a sponge to apply. You can simply take a few droplets and pat the foundation into your skin using your hands, which makes it travel-friendly and beach-friendly. The best part is that this clean skin tint combines makeup, skin care (with hyaluronic acid and squalene) and SPF in one step. It’s the perfect cocktail for plump, glowing, tight, and flawless skin that won’t clog your pores while frolicking on the beach.”
Cassandra Garcia
“I love to have minimal makeup at the beach—some glowing sunscreen and a lip! I love a good pop of color and my go-to is Bobbi Brown’s Extra Lip Tint in [pink peachy] Bare Melon. It’s moisturizing and gives a popsicle-like tint.”
Benjamin Puckey
“The newly reformulated Clé De Peau Beauté stick concealer is one of the best products to use on the beach because of the ease of application, the added SPF 27, and because of its small size, which makes it so easy to carry with you just in case you need a little coverage—because no one likes wearing foundation on the beach! I love how it applies over sunscreen and protects the delicate skin around the eyes with the SPF while completely covering dark circles and blemishes. When I’m doing makeup for shoots on the beach, I’ll just use this stick concealer because it leaves skin looking as natural as possible. It’s so easy to apply with your fingers by gently patting it on where coverage is needed, and it sheers out beautifully when blended out on areas that need less coverage.”
Michael Anthony
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“Summer skin is my absolute favorite! I have been giving all my clients the R.E.M. Eclipse Cheek and Lip Stick. It’s a 2-in-1 product that gives a natural flush of color. It’s so easy to use, just swipe it on the skin and buff it out with your fingertips or a face brush, and it gives you a rosy glow without feeling too made up.”
Soo Park
“I love this product because it’s a makeup and skin-care hybrid product. It’s a sunscreen stick with a tint so you can easily achieve instant color on your face while protecting from UV rays. The formula is sweat and waterproof and it is in a stick form so it’s easy to carry and easy to apply and reapply. Not to mention that you can easily tell where you have applied and where you have missed on your face. You can simply apply it directly all-over the face and neck as you would apply sunscreen or foundation. You can also apply on the high points of the face and contour, then blend it out with fingers, a brush, or sponge as you would use a cream bronzer as this will give you a subtle tan glow. For me, easy and fuss-free are the important elements on the beach so that I can enjoy and relax.”
Mélanie Inglessis
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“I love the Armani Beauty Ecstasy Balm because it nourishes the lips and protects them from getting chapped under the hot sun and salty sea air. Plus, it gives a tint of color!”
Sil Bruinsma
“The Chanel bronzing cream has a lightweight texture and velvet-matte finish that’s perfect for creating (or extending) a sun-kissed glow. They recently added a deeper tone to the line up and depending on skin-tone you may want to get both and play around with intensity and shade depth. What I also love is that it comes in a generous size, making it easy to dip a makeup brush in it to apply to the forehead, bridge of nose, and cheekbones for that sun-kissed feel. Or grab a body brush and go for an all over glow by hitting shoulders, arms, and décolleté!”
Daniela Gozlan
“I never go to the beach without baby powder! It takes the stubborn, sticky sand off the skin in seconds, leaving the skin smooth, dry, and smelling like a baby. The first time I used it, it felt like a miracle! It’s also the highlight of the day for the kids. They love getting powdered up and it comes off easily with a dry towel.”
Lottie
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“My favorite beach product is powder sunscreen. It keeps the face dry, but protected! My favorite is iS Clinical’s PerfecTint Powder SPF 40 because it’s small, portable, and isn’t aerosol. I love it over a tinted moisturizer for just a little coverage.”