Where we master beachside make-up
Day two at the Constance Ephelia in the Seychelles involved gallons and gallons of water: the ocean, a jacuzzi and a fair amount of sweat (well, it is over 30 degrees here) jointly tried to defeat our make-up efforts. While our make-up know-how was tested, we managed to triumph with the help of our trusty beauty kit and a raid of our trip make-up artist Sonia Deveney’s stash.
Before we share our favourites, here are a few beachside make-up ground rules:
EMBRACE A DIFFERENT LOOK. The wearing of make-up in exceedingly hot climes is a different beast to that of normal protocol and it cannot - no, should not - ape your city style. Like a precise cat flick? Switch it for a haze of waterproof black shadow stick instead. Like a matte red lip that screams vintage Hollywood? Try a stain. Of course if you have the energy and inclination for high maintenance make-up, crack on. We, however, categorically did not.
SWITCH UP TEXTURES. Forget powders. Forget opaque. Exposure to heat and water will only turn your make-up - and face - into a mess. Bear the words juicy, glossy and sheer in mind when choosing your look and you can’t really go wrong.
RELEASE YOUR INHIBITIONS. Trust us, we are not fans of excess shine or naked pimples but if our beauty kit can’t convincingly contain the two, we doubt there’s one on that planet that can. Besides, wearing a mask of make-up on the beach just doesn’t make skin look good. If you’re self conscious about shine, blot as much as possible and use a shine-reducing SPF, then just accept that a glowing t-zone is a standard byproduct of having a whale of a time in the heat. When it comes to spots, nothing makes them look more prominent in the sun than a heavy-handed application of foundation. Go for a sheer base and then conceal with a more heavy duty concealer where needed.
GET A GOOD KIT. Here’s a list of what we love:
- ZO Skin Health Oclipse Sunscreen and Primer SPF 30. This is slightly mattifying and provides light coverage as it’s tinted. - YSL Volume Effet Faux Cils Waterproof Mascara. We’ve all been using this on the trip and it’s served us very well. - Dior Lip & Cheek Glow. This is the perfect sheer pop of colour that’ll liven up cheeks without looking too obvious in the light. - Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge. A classic that works as well poolside as it does in London. - Suqqu Eyebrow Liquid Pen. Need to beef up brows? Meet your new best friend. It doesn’t budge under duress from water and mimics hairs perfectly.