Tip Tuesday: Beach/Pool Makeup!

One of my most asked questions while we were in Italy was how I managed to keep my makeup in place while at the pool.  And in the sweltering 30C heat it's not always easy to prevent your makeup from melting off, no matter how you apply it!  So I came up with a few tips on what worked for me.  While I totally understand that wearing makeup at the pool or beach is not practical for everybody, if you are like me and "putting on your face" is part of your daily routine then hopefully these will help you!  

1. Keep it simple

Keeping it simple can vary from person to person, so if you're like me and generally apply a full face of makeup everyday this will differ from someone who only wears concealer, mascara and a hint of gloss!  But either way you want to keep the number of products you use to a minimum.  When I woke up every morning I applied concealer, tinted moisturiser, powder, bronzer (because my face was always lighter than my body!), eyeliner, mascara and a little lipstick.  Later on in the evening before we went out I'd add things like blush, highlight and eyeshadow.

2. Skip foundation

During the rest of the year I use a pretty heavy-duty foundation (Estee Lauder DoubleWear) and while it's still one of my favourite products it just does not make sense for hot summer days!  So I switched to tinted moisturiser for the summer which is a lot lighter, doesn't look cakey or feel like a mask on your face.  I like MAC's Studio Moisture Tint.

3. Skip eyeshadow

I love eyeshadow as much as the next girl but for daytime by the pool it just doesn't make sense...I would generally either go without or use a very light wash of colour like nude or champagne shimmer all over the whole lid followed up by eyeliner.  Then for evening makeup when the sun had gone down and it wasn't as hot I had fun with different shadows, crease colours, highlight, etc.  

4. Keep the sun off your face

My face without makeup is always a few shades lighter than my body as I never like to sunbathe my face or neck!  Of course this will inevitably help keep your makeup from melting off your face but the main reason I do this is to avoid premature wrinkles & ageing.  I'm all for having a tan but when it comes to my face & neck, the fake stuff is good enough for me!  Sun-loungers nowadays usually have a small panel which you can put in front of your face to block out the sun and I always make good use of those, otherwise you can use a wide-brimmed hat or sunglasses of course.  

5. Touch up with powder if you need to

A good quality setting powder is sometimes all you need to keep your face from getting too shiny/sweaty looking.  I use Rimmel's Stay Matte Powder in 001 Transparent and would lightly blot this around my forhead/T-zone after coming in from the sun.  This would usually keep me going for a couple of hours!  

I hope you find these tips helpful.  Please remember that everyone is different and I'm in no way saying that you need to wear makeup by the pool/beach!  Do whatever works for you - and whatever makes you happy!  

xoxo

Anna