Last resort: Here's how to look your best on vacay
Go from brunch to a club with these makeup tips
Whether you’re heading to a local coast or one that requires a passport, escape the city with our guide to soaking it up.
Makeup: Beach-club baddie
If you’re trading “bus, club, another club, another club” for boats and beach bars, our guide to resort beauty is what you need.
Resort rouge: Elevate red lips to a ruby status that even The Wizard of Oz’s Dorothy would be proud of by adding a layer of glitter. As seen at Valentino and KXXK, skin was kept pared-back and fresh while lips were drenched in red and finished off with a layer of sparkling scarlet glitter or gemstones — perfect for rocking at the pool bar or beach club. Apply a matte red lipstick and add a clear gloss before packing on a loose glitter layer by layer until there’s no lipstick peeking through.
Try: Fenty Beauty Icon Velvet Liquid Lipstick in The MVP, R655; DreamSQNS Chunky Glitter in Aphrodite, R125.
Coastal kohl: Give yourself ultimate “cool girl” status while chilling poolside with a carefree smudging of black kohl. At Luisa Spagnoli and Jil Sander, models were sent out with eyes lined in black kohl and smoky colour closely wrapped around the lash lines. Go for a waterproof liner or eyeshadow stick that will stay put in and out the pool. Finish off with an element of light by way of a shimmer cream eyeshadow or eye pencil applied in the inner corners and waterline.
Try: Huda Beauty Pretty Grunge Eyeshadow Palette, R1 350; Fenty Beauty Shadowstix Matte Eyeshadow Stick in Cuz I’m Black, R575.
Star Girl energy: When it’s time to hit those New Year Eve’s parties, take inspiration from the viral Star Girl aesthetic. Modelled on socialite archetypes, a Star Girl has an effortless, undone approach with high-shine sparkle as her ultimate calling card. As seen at Philipp Plein, Star Girl skin is never overly dewy but rather subtly glossed in the right places. Keep coverage light with a second-skin, semi-matte finish and strategically placed chrome sparkle.
Try: Bobbi Brown Highlighting Powder in Pink Glow, R830; MAC Studio Fix Mattifine 12HR Shine-Control Primer 30ml, R625.
Tropical blues: It’s safe to say that we’re still obsessed with a touch of mermaid core. Adapt the trend with a wash of oceanic blue across eyes. At the John Richmond show, lids had an opaque, saturated application of cool-toned blue eyeshadow, leaving the bottom lash lines bare. Go for a blue cream eyeshadow for maximum colour payoff and set with a powder eyeshadow in a similar shade or intensify powder eyeshadow by applying it with a brush dampened with setting spray.
Try: MAC Eyeshadow in Triennial Wave, R410; The Body Shop All Day Long Biphase 3-in-1 Setting Spray 100ml, R250.
Beauty road test: Non-stop beat
Go from brunch to a club with these makeup tips
Do lay down a solid foundation. When going from day to night, you need makeup that’s going to last. Start with a pore-refining primer to smooth out texture and give foundation a base to grip onto.
Do use a setting powder and spray combo. Once foundation, blush, and concealer are applied, set it all in place with a translucent setting powder and puff, focusing on the under-eye area, forehead, cheeks, nose, and chin. Finish off with a generous spritz of setting spray.
Don’t reapply powder when refreshing foundation. Applying powder again when transitioning into the night can make coverage crease and look cakey. Rather blot oily areas with a tissue or blotting paper, tap coverage with a brush to unify, and spritz with a setting spray.
Don’t apply mascara to the bottom lashes during the day. By the time evening comes, this will have transferred to the under-eye area. Avoid panda eyes and rather apply mascara only to the top lashes in the day and amp up by applying mascara to the bottom lashes for the night.
Do opt for gloss over matte lipstick in the day. Refreshing matte lipstick that has worn off and caked during the day can be difficult. It is best to go for a tinted gloss, balm or cream lipstick in the day and then transition to a matte formulation for the evening.