You’ve spent the last two months admirably persevering through winter weather and midterms, neither of which exactly translates into looking like a wanton beach goddess. It’s time to toss aside your tights and brandish your bikini, but don’t panic if you’re not yet in full bloom.
HC interrogated a myriad of beauty experts from makeup artist and creator of PIXI cosmetics Petra Stand, to Director of Skincare Education at Sanítas boutique skincare Krista Eichten, LE, to craft your all-inclusive, time-sensitive spring break beauty plan. With a clever mix of preparation and execution (and incandescent skin and playful makeup), you’ll be the one making the cabana boys sweat.
Skin
Before Your Trip:
- Start using eye cream containing caffeine, such as Garnier Anti-Dark Circle Eye Roller ($13, Walgreens) which tightens skin and increases circulation to decrease puffing. Pack it along for your trip and apply morning and night: late nights, lack of sleep, and salty margaritas are a prescription for dark under-eye bags.
- Hours in sun, sand, and saltwater often cause redness in skin, and nothing looks worse in tagged photos than your lobster-face. Stop using skin medications containing retinols like Differin and Retin-A a few days before you leave. “They make your skin more susceptible to UV damage,” says Krista Eichten, LE. If you’re pimple-prone, reach for products like the Tea Tree Mask which contain tea tree oil and clay to “tighten pores, control oil, and heal blemishes” and are safe for use in the sun.
Invest in a full-spectrum UVA, UVB, and UVC-blocking sunblock. “Most consumers don’t know that sunblocks are physical blockers, while most sunscreens you’d find at a drugstore use chemicals that allow skin to absorb the sun’s rays and just not burn. These chemicals are basically free radicals, that oxidize and cause loss of skin elasticity over time,” explains Eichten. Sanítas Solar Block is an oil-free sunblock that contains zinc-oxide, a super healing antioxidant that also neutralizes redness.
During Your Trip:
- Stay on a regimen. When you get back for the night, use a gentle cleanser and “avoid alpha hydroxy and salicylic acids—they’re too aggressive,” informs Eichten. Finish with a great moisturizer brimming with antioxidants, not waxes: “Antioxidant vitamins (like Vitamins C, E, and D) are our bodies’ own way of sun protection and help reverse the damage.”
- Using and reapplying sunblock every few hours is imperative and non-negotiable. “You may not see the damage today or tomorrow, but UV rays accelerate your aging, cause hyperpigmentation, fine lines, and wrinkles. The tone and texture will also change. It’s not a question of if, it’s when,” warns Eichten.
Body
Before Your Trip:
- Even the most adorable bikini looks pitiful next to scaly skin, and dead cells inhibit the absorption of ingredients during waxing, moisturizing, and self-tanning. Try a full-body exfoliator like Caress Evenly Gorgeous (Kmart, $5) in the shower to get even, and work it all the way down to your feet for soft soles.
- Hair removal is best done a couple days before you strip down to your bathing suit, to allow for healing. Schedule your wax or shave two days before you plan to depart, then soothe irritation by applying a cortisone cream.
- You now possess the perfect canvas to paint on your faux-St. Bart’s glow. Fair skin tones can build color gradually by applying Jergens Natural Glow Revitalizing Daily Moisturizer (Walgreens, $8). Then the night before you leave, apply a foolproof tinted self-tanner and allow it to dry before getting into bed. Beach Sexy Sunkissed Bronze Instant Self Tan Lotion with Tint (Victoria’s Secret, $12) imparts immediate color for even application and develops into a long-lasting tan.
During Your Trip:
- Conceal tan lines and maintain your self-tan with a body bronzer. Lorac’s TANtalizer Award Show Glow Firming Body Mousse (Ulta, $33) bestows a seriously gorgeous glow that is neither sticky nor shimmery and contains a cocktail of firming ingredients. Blend it over tan lines, along your collarbones, and down your legs to diffuse imperfections.
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Makeup
Before Your Trip:
- Waterproof mascara is tricky, usually clumpy and difficult to remove. If your eyelashes are naturally blonde or light brown, consider going to a reputable salon for lash tinting. For around $20, a lash tint will stay on for 3-5 weeks and add definition and drama to flaxen lashes.
During Your Trip:
- Complete your I’m-on-holiday look with spring’s vibrant color trends on your cheeks, lips, and eyes. “Coral is a gorgeous color for spring that is so flattering on all skin tones!” raves PIXI creator Petra Strand. Try Succulent Lip Twin in Coral (Target, $18), a multipurpose balm that adds a long-lasting stain to cheeks and lips. “Oozing with goodies like mango seed, jojoba, lavender—it is literally edible,” adds Strand.
- Whether it’s time to hit the sand or walk through town, Strand favors an early-Brigitte Bardot look of luminous skin, sun-kissed cheeks, and dark lashes. Illuminate Tint & Conceal (Target, $30), a waterproof oil-free moisturizer and full coverage concealer, creates a radiant complexion while saving space in your bag. Sheer Cheek Gel (Target, $18) is water resistant, so it goes the distance. “I rub a little into the apples of my cheeks in Sun-Kissed for a barely-there tan effect and even use on my lips for a subtle tint of color,” reveals Strand.
- As the sun sets and you get ready to go out, you want to look seductive and fresh—a full face of makeup will look jarring in any vacay setting. “Skin should be sheer and glowing with a hint of sun-kissed glamour and lips juicy,” says PIXI creator Petra Strand. “Play up succulent lips with a nude tone and really work the eyes, keep the lid color to a minimum but work in an intense pop of color at the lash line and under the eyes. Use a breakout color like teal and smoke it up with a little touch of black on the outer corner.”
Sources:
Petra Strand, Makeup Artist and Creator of PIXI Cosmetics
Krista Eichten, Licensed Aesthetician and Director of Education PR for Sanítas Skincare