Beach Beauty Essentials You’ll Regret Not Packing

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Beach days feel different, and your beauty routine should reflect that. Long hours in the sun, salty air, and ocean dips require more than your everyday products. That’s why a beach-ready beauty bag is essential. From SPF that stands up to the sun to lip tints that won’t melt away, we’ve compiled a list of products that deliver maximum results with minimal effort. These glow-boosting, skin-saving essentials should always be within easy reach—nothing can ruin a beach day like a beauty mishap. Keep reading to pack smarter and look even better.

Refresh & Protect

Let’s start with the essentials! In addition to sunscreen, a tinted SPF is perfect for an evening out your complexion while keeping your skin protected from harsh UV rays. For easy, on-the-go reapplication, pack a sunscreen stick. It’s fuss-free – swipe and relax.

Don’t forget your lips! A lip balm with SPF is crucial for keeping your pout protected and hydrated. Another MVP product? A refreshing facial mist. Trust us, you will be reaching for it all day long. We love Masktini’s Woke Bae Whenever Moisture Spritz for its ultra-hydrating, cooling properties. It’s a total game-changer while you’re basking in the sun.

Touch Ups

Even beach days call for a few beauty touch-ups, especially if you’re snapping pics or heading straight to a post-sunset soirée. A cream blush is your secret weapon for enhancing your tan and delivering that effortless, sun-kissed flush. For your lips, go with a long-lasting stain as it stays put even after a dip in the ocean, and top with an SPF-infused gloss. And finally, don’t overlook your hair. A travel-size dry shampoo is a lifesaver for reviving your roots after a salty swim or a quick sweat sesh. 

So before your next trip, be sure to prep your beach beauty bag accordingly!

Say Goodbye to Blemishes With This Spring-to-Summer Routine

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As the seasons shift, so should your skincare routine. Heavy creams and thick occlusives? Not it. With warmer weather settling in, your skin needs lighter layers, targeted treatments, and ingredients that soothe, brighten, and balance—especially if you’re dealing with breakouts, dark spots, or sensitivity.

Whether navigating the tail end of spring or already feeling the summer heat, this routine is built to calm flare-ups, fade marks, and keep your skin hydrated without overwhelming it. These are the real ones I’ve been using—some old favorites, some new staples—and yes, those microdart patches actually helped stop pimples in their tracks.

AM Routine

Start with a gentle cleanse to refresh your skin and prep for the day ahead. A pH-balancing formula, such as the Calm + Restore Gentle Nourishing Oat Face Cleanser, is great for those with dry and sensitive skin. Formulated with colloidal oatmeal, it gently cleanses without stripping, soothes irritation, and supports the skin barrier—perfect for sensitive, dry skin. Oatmeal cleansing milk also helps clear away dead skin buildup that blocks pores while leaving the skin with a natural radiance. Then use Bright & Balanced Aloe Vera Leaf Face Wash, which calms inflammation, hydrates with aloe vera, and helps keep blemishes in check without over-drying your skin. While the skin is still damp, apply either the Snail Rescue Blemish Busting Toner or Bolden Skin Brightening Toner.

Let the skin air dry, then layer on a serum. For daytime use, you can’t go wrong with the Physicians Formula Skin Booster Vitamin Shot Hydrating Hydratant and Physicians Formula Skin Booster Vitamin Shot Brightening Éclaircissant—or try pairing the Hydrating Hydratant with the Vitamins and Sea Beauty Dead Sea Minerals & Vitamin C Complex Toning Skin Serum. These serums help even skin tone, reduce hyperpigmentation, boost hydration, minimize dark spots, and protect against signs of aging—leaving your skin visibly brighter, more radiant, and giving it that Hollywood-meets-K-beauty luxury glow. Best of all, they don’t feel sticky, oily, or greasy, and they won’t clog pores or cause breakouts.

Once the serum has been absorbed, lock in hydration with a gel or water-based moisturizer like the Snail Rescue All-in-One Oil-Free Moisturizer. If you want your blemish scars to fade faster, follow with the Bright & Balanced Aloe Vera Spot Cream. Don’t let the name fool you—it’s not a heavy cream. The texture is gel-like, absorbs easily, and even if you apply too much, it won’t leave your skin feeling sticky or greasy. It settles beautifully into the skin.

Finish with a non-greasy, non-comedogenic sunscreen like the Suntouchable Invisi-Stick—preferably SPF 50 or higher—to protect your skin. And last but definitely not least, spot-treat active breakouts and blemishes (old and new) with the Mario Badescu Drying Lotion Blemish Spot Treatment.

PM Routine

When wearing makeup and SPF, it’s essential to start your nighttime routine with the Erase It All Makeup Cleansing Balm with Vitamin C to fully break down dirt, oil, and buildup. Always apply it to dry skin and massage for two minutes before rinsing with warm water. Follow up with a second cleanser—this can be the same one from your AM routine, or you can switch to the Snail Rescue Purifying Cleanser for a deeper clean.

Once your skin is clean and dry, pat in an exfoliating toner to help remove dead skin cells and boost luminosity. Use this step 2–3 times per week to avoid over-exfoliation. Next, apply a hydrating serum to help maintain skin elasticity, followed by a gentle retinol to support collagen production. If you’re new to retinol, start with a small amount and use it every other night to build tolerance.

REN’s Overnight Glow Dark Spot Sleeping Cream is another excellent product to incorporate into your PM routine—it works overnight to help fade dark spots and even out skin tone. Finally, finish with an eye cream and a nourishing night cream to lock everything in.

If you like a touch of color even at night, swipe on a lightweight water lip stain for a soft, just-bitten look—no stickiness, no transfer.

The Bottom Line

Healthy, radiant skin comes down to smart ingredients, steady habits, and a routine that works for you. This season, skip the overwhelm and stick with what your skin actually needs.

How to Perfect the Blush Champagne Cheeks Technique

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The most popular makeup trend among celebrities and in editorial shoots isn’t the classic contour or cat eye, it’s blush! Specifically, the “champagne cheeks” technique taking over the catwalks, social media feeds, and even appearances in shows like The White Lotus.

There’s a growing demand for more blush, but it’s not the 2000s style we’re used to. The current trend is to apply blush high on the cheekbones, similar to how one would use a highlighter. This technique creates a natural glow that lifts the face.

The key to achieving the perfect glow is in the tone: a peach shade with a hint of orange. When applied, it leaves a warm, subtle glow, making your skin appear lit from within, as if by bubbly champagne. Loren Canby, a professional makeup artist, used this technique on Sarah Catherine Hook from “The White Lotus,” and the result was stunning! The secret to this look? Apply the product to the highest part of your cheeks, where natural light hits your face.

From the red carpet to your beauty bag: champagne cheeks

Although it may seem like an editorial look, champagne cheeks is surprisingly easy to replicate. The important thing is to choose products with a luminous finish and tones that adapt to your skin undertone. Peach-gold tones work perfectly because they provide warmth without saturation, and they melt into the skin for a natural glow effect that doesn’t look like makeup.

To achieve this look, you can opt for products such as Rare Beauty’s Liquid in “Joy” or Pixi’s On-the-Glow Blush in “Juicy”. In addition, adding a touch of highlighter on top of the blush will give it an Illuminous and more frothy effect, because like all good champagne, the more bubbly, the better!

More glow, less contour

The success of champagne cheeks isn’t just because of how good they look—it’s a vibe. After years of obsession with sharp contours and complicated techniques, this trend invites us to relax, embrace the natural glow, and let the skin breathe.

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Beauty trends are increasingly influenced by food and experiences, ranging from tomato girl makeup to dirty martini glam. However, in contrast to these fleeting trends, blush champagne is a timeless choice. It is versatile, easy to apply, and flattering.

This spring is not just about sculpting; it’s about making a statement. It’s about looking refreshed as if you’ve just taken a rejuvenating nap or savored a glass of mimosa in the sun. Sometimes, the best enhancement comes from a touch of well-placed blush.

The Secret To Perfecting Poolside Makeup

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Jetting off to a tropical paradise? While curating the perfect resort wear wardrobe is key, don’t sleep on your travel beauty bag. In humid, sun-drenched climates, makeup needs to work overtime—think sweatproof, water-resistant, and glow-enhancing. Whether you’re lounging by the pool or beach-hopping all day, we’ve nailed down the products and techniques that deliver a sun-kissed, staying-put finish. Consider this your beauty packing checklist before takeoff.

Start with SPF That Does the Most

Sun protection is non-negotiable. Opt for a tinted sunscreen that doubles as a complexion perfector—it evens tone, blurs imperfections, and protects your face without feeling heavy.

Brighten + Bronze

Lighten up your under eyes with a brightening concealer in a shade slightly lighter than your skin tone. Then, grab a warm bronzer, like the Gucci Sun-Kissed Glow and the Bobbi Brown Bronzer Powder. Sweep it across your cheekbones, nose, and temples for that just-back-from-the-beach radiance.

Keep Brows Groomed, Not Overdone

Use a stronghold brow gel to shape and set your arches – humidity-proof brows are essential. For eyes, skip mascara and liner to avoid smudging. A soft wash of bronzer across the lids adds just enough definition.

Seal It with a Stain (and a Spray)

To perfect your pout, apply a lip stain, allowing it to set before gently removing it. Finally, lock everything in with the Caliray Surfproof Water-Resistant Setting Spray for a fresh, flawless poolside makeup look from morning lattes to sunset cocktails.