Do you have any beach trips planned this summer? I am literally counting down the days until my trip of a lifetime to St. Maarten! I’m going on a girls’ trip to celebrate my friend, and pseudo sister, turning 50. I’m an only child, so it’s my best friend and her older sister we are going to celebrate! So get ready for Beach-Ready Beauty!
I’m looking forward to the turquoise water, the golden sand, the lounging in the sun without a care in the world… and yes, the Instagrammable moments! So I’ve perfected the art of packing a makeup bag that works with the heat and humidity, not against it.
Because yes, I will absolutely be wearing makeup during my tropical getaway! I want to look extra cute when I look back at those photos, and my bare face with only sunscreen just ain’t gonna cut it, ha ha!
While I’m sipping my pina colada beachside, I want to look fresh, glowing, and effortless in every photo – not melted. The sun, sweat, saltwater, and humidity can break down regular makeup fast, leaving us streaky or worse a disappearing act!
So here’s what is coming with me in my travel beauty bag, $27, for this tropical escape so that I can focus on fun in the sun while knowing I’m camera ready…
Protected Skin-First Foundation
I’m packing my trusty it Cosmetics CC Nude glow with SPF 40 , $47, as my anti-foundation (because, multitasking). This evens out my skin without caking up in the heat, is hydrating, and provides SPF.
Bonus: that dewy finish will be thanks to the brightening glow serum that looks amazing in sunlight. I wear shade “medium” in the summer.
Underneath it I will be wearing my newest addition to my facial sunscreen collection. The Youth To The People Youthscreen SPF 60, $30. It gets a perfect 5-star rating and is mega sheer, no white cast, but all sorts of extra skin protection and is the perfect primer before makeup.
Waterproof Eyes That Pop
Beach heat + humidity waits for no one—so I stick to tubing mascara like the Milani’s Highly Rated Lash Extensions mascara, $14, that isn’t going to smudge and dribble down my face! But it does easily remove with warm water and your fingers, because I ALWAYS seem to forget my eye makeup remover when I pack for a vacation – it’s a weird thing.
Also, a creamy shadow stick in a bronze or champagne tone is always the perfectly simple shadow look. A swipe across the middle of the lid down to the lash line, then smudged with your finger, gives an awake, polished, and ready for beachside lunch + dinner photos. These Nudestix magnetic eye pencils, $27, have spectacular staying power and I don’t even wear an eyelid primer with them. I like the satin finishes and am wearing two shades mixed here in “Nudity” and “Rustique.”
And I would never forget about my brows, and I’m using a newer product, the L’Oreal Faux Brow Filling Pen, $12, that has a fork appearance and draws on super realistic hairs and stays PUT with its waterproof formula. It took me a few times to play with this pen, but once I got the hang of it, now I love the way it looks. No waxy or obvious looking pencil or powders – just thin hairlike appearance! I wear shade “Brunette.”
Beach-Ready Beauty: Beachy Blush
You can’t get a more perfect beach cheek than the Benefit liquid Cheek Stain in shade “Floratint,” $26, which is perfectly described as a desert rose. I’m not sure how many times I’ve repurchased this shade, I always go back to it. The ease of the applicator to dot on the cheeks with no mess, is also a function I love.
Check out the done side of my right cheek in the photo above and what a perfect rosey shade it is! I use this cream blush brush, $23, to blend in ALL of my cream and liquid blushes – way better than using your streaky fingers.
Low-Maintenance Lips
I’m going for tinted lip stains and glosses with SPF. I have truly enjoyed the latest addition to the Clarins family with their Hydrating water lip stains, $32, as my base (no lip liner for the beach) and I’m wearing shade “Nude Water” here which is a wearable rosy brown.
Then I add the affordable e.l.f. Sun Boss Gloss in shade “pink me girl,” $7, on top of my stain because this has SPF 25 included and is super shiny! Our delicate lips are SO vulnerable when hanging on a boat or beachside, and so being able to have that “I just came from the beach bar” look with SPF protection is a must!
Beach-Ready Beauty: Body Spray Protection
I bought this Neutrogena Ultra Sheer body mist sunscreen, $11, after I found out it’s what Scott Barnes, celebrity makeup artist, uses on his clients like 55 yr old Jennifer Lopez, to give their skin a healthy looking sheen! Bonus, it’s got SPF 45! I buy it in value sizes all the time and it’s just the best sunscreen that isn’t sticky at all.
The Rest of my Beach-Ready Beauty Outfit Details
My Calia one-piece swimsuit, $50, is on sale now, and it has tummy control too – yay! // The Vera Bradley beach towels, $17, are currently 65% off and come in so many cute punchy colored prints. I just recently bought two of them bc I realized how worn and tattered our old beach towels looked. // This oversized one-size-fits-all crochet Amazon coverup, $19, is great for me because I’m not a fan of fitted cover-ups when I get sticky and wet. // My comfort cushion basic Walmart thong sandals, $21, are perfect in “taupe” and go with literally any beach color palette. // Similar straw wide-brimmed hat, $11.// Similar elongated gold hoop earrings, $18. // Waterproof bangle bracelets from Etsy, $35.
If you’ve ever been to St. Maarten and you have any advice or things we must do, please leave in the comments! Or if you have any fabulous summer plans, tell me where you’re going too and any beach makeup must-haves you always pack.
Since I’ve been saving up for over a year for this trip, when I return, I’m going to need to get back on a budget and doing a lot less spending! That’s why I wrote this post on achieving a Champagne Glam on a Soda Budget to share with you some cheap products that give you an expensive look!
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