Cathi's Beach Bag Must Haves for Summer 2011!

Warm weather has arrived, and while you’re online planning your vacation getaway, steal a few moments to take inventory of your beauty essentials to get you through the hot days!

Whether it’s Hawaii, San Tropez, or your own backyard oasis, here are some items this Pros has in her beach bag this summer! 

First off, sun protection! You should never leave the house without sunscreen. If you plan to be in the water for an extended period of time, make sure your sunscreen is waterproof and reapply at least every 2 hours.

I can’t even go to Starbucks around the corner without taking along Jan Marini Antioxidant Daily Face Protectant SPF 30. It is incredibly lightweight, can easily be worn under makeup, and has broad-spectrum UVA and UVB protection. It is also oil absorbing, which prevents clogged pores and don’t forget the Antioxidant Body Block!

Coming from a family history of skin cancer, I can tell you the areas most missed when applying sunscreen are: the tops of the feet, the top of the head (hairline part), ears, neck and hands.  Those are the most commonly exposed areas while driving, walking, and sitting outdoors that are extremely sensitive.

Dermalogica Solarshield SPF 15 Stick provides 80 minutes of sun protection in the water and is great for quick applications to the nose, lips and ears.

If you have a sunburn, rash, or insect bite, I have found Kiehl’s Centella Recovery Skin Salve to be an effective cure and provide quick relief. It’s also great to have around after a micro-dermabrasion facial or peel as it heals sensitive or irritated skin.

For those of you that like an SPF combined with your makeup, check out my new summer obsession! Intellishade SPF 45 Matte by Revision Skincare is the best skin science experiment! It comes in one shade, and once applied, changes color to match your individual skin tone! I wouldn’t have believed it unless I tried it on several different clients - all with varying skin tones. It matched them all, while providing light matte coverage. It also contains peptides that reduce the appearance of fine lines. Consider your five-minute makeup routine possible with this product!

Keeping with the theme of quick and efficient, other must haves in my beach bag are from NYX Cosmetics - cream blushes and lippies! Creams are fantastic for summer because they hold up well in high temperatures, are water and sweat proof, and have easy blendability.

These NYX blushes can be layered, and leave a fresh, sun kissed sheen on the cheekbones. I am currently obsessed with Bronze Goddess, which I apply to the high points of my cheeks, forehead and bridge of my nose, and voila! Beach Bunny!

For a flushed, romantic cheek, try the Red Cheeks color, and dab a bit on your lips for a light stain. For those of you in search of a more muted nude color, Tea Rose and Golden are excellent choices.

The Pros know lip gloss (whether it’s one or seven) is a must in every woman’s bag, and sunny days call for lots of gloss. But when you’re out having fun in the sun, who wants to constantly reapply? Introducing NYX Matte Lip Creams - moisturizing like a gloss, and color durability like a lipstick blended together to create a matte cream that lasts and lasts.

I have been using these creams on set for a few months and like to apply them as a stain and then layer gloss or lipstick as needed. They are perfect on the go, and at $6.00 each, you can have fun with all of the colors! Some of my favorites are Antwerp, Addis Ababa, Amsterdam, Stockholm, and Istanbul.

We all know bright colors are in this summer - with coral making a huge appearance. I fell head over heels for NYX Lipstick in Haute Melon. It’s bold, bright and will catch some attention! Throw it on with some tinted moisturizer and mascara and head out the door.

Speaking of mascara, I carry that in my bag too! I recently got to try the newest mascara from Smashbox Cosmetics, Full Exposure. Ever since I’ve started wearing it, I have been asked if I’m wearing false lashes, or if I had lash extensions put on. The answer is no, it’s just an awesome product! Part of it’s magic is that it contains aloe which hydrates and conditions the lashes, making them stronger, longer and more full. If you plan on jumping in the water, this mascara is not the best choice as it is not waterproof, but it is long wearing and smudge proof. For waterproof options, we like Makeup Forever Aqua Smokey Lash as a stay put formula.

Chlorine, sun exposure, and product build up all reek havoc on our hair. It’s important to give our lovely locks a little TLC too. I use several products from Enjoy hair care line, but find the Leave In Conditioner to be a wonderful sulfate-free product that fights frizz, tangles and gives hair the extra moisture it needs during dry weather.

I may be a slightly color enhanced blonde, but nothing beats the sun-kissed streaks in your hair after a day at the beach. John Freida Sheer Blonde Go Blonder Lightening Spray lightens hair in 3-5 uses. Just sprtiz and go. Great for a quick touch up in between color appointments!

We all love those effortless, texturized, wind-blown beachy waves in our hair, but if you don’t have an ocean nearby, this product is the next best thing. Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray is the cult favorite - key ingredient sea kelp extract gives fine hair volume and the perfect messy coif.

Energize your skin and keep it fresh on the go with one of my favorite hydrating mists from Youngblood Cosmetics. Minerals in the Mist spray comes in three blends, each packed full of vitamins, minerals and essential oils. Recharge energizes with ginger and mint; Refresh cools with tangerine and grapefruit extracts; and Restore calms with a blend of lime and rosemary.

A new addition to my bag this season is makeup artist Melanie Mills’ Gleam Body Radiance. Not only is the scent tropical and delicious, but also it hydrates and delivers a gorgeous sheen to any skin tone. The product garnered a lot of attention on the hit show, “Dancing With the Stars” as Melanie used it on all the performers to get them camera ready.

Gleam camouflages stretch marks, scars, and other unwanted spots and gets you ready for that yellow polka dot bikini. Get bronzed with any of the four shades: Rose Gold, Light Gold, Bronze Gold, and Deep Gold. Visit www.gleambymelaniemills.com to order.

Maintain that perfect pedicure after leaving the salon with Essie Polish No Chips Ahead Top Coat. Just one quick coat and your Pro paint job is extended by 10 days. My summer shade is OPI, Monsooner or Later and the Essie top coat has kept my polish shiny and chip free!

Hope some of my favorites make it into your beach bag this season! Whatever exciting adventures your summer brings, have fun, be safe, and don’t forget the sunscreen!

Beach Babes!

As a professional makeup artist I have seen my share of “makeup don’ts”!  The kind of silly or careless mistakes that make me want to go all cave man and drag a woman by the hair to the nearest restroom and scrub off the crazy cosmetics she has applied to her face! 

This Pro has many cosmetic pet peeves too: applying makeup while driving, too much glitter (at any age), streaked makeup from no blending, dark lip liner combined with very light lipstick, massively overdrawn lips, young girls with too much makeup on, unkempt eyebrows, clumped mascara, foundation build-up around the nose and chin, touching up makeup at the dinner table and most of all…beach babes that have on pounds of cosmetics!

It makes me laugh and want to ask them, “did Tyra crown you the next top Victoria’s Secret model when I wasn’t looking?” or “Are we doing a secret photo shoot and the professional photographer is pretending to be the Life Guard?”  I don’t see lights, reflectors, Miss J or even a little plastic snappy camera, so that leads me to believe that the girl or women is just so vain that they can’t wear less or heaven forbid, no makeup to the beach!

It really does look ridiculous when your face is made up for a night on the town, but your body is sporting athletic apparel!  Plus, you are at the beach, in the heat, in the sand, in the wind, in the water…that is not a good combo! 

Heavy makeup + heat is like sticking a clay pot into a kiln ready to fire!  Eventually your perfectly applied foundation, concealer, powder, bronzer, contour, highlighter, blusher, 3 shades eye shadow, eyeliner, (pause for a deep breath) mascara, lip liner, lipstick and lip gloss are going to crack, run and clog your pores!  Awesome dude!

If you choose to wear cosmetics that are not a waterproof formula and you venture out into the ocean, your makeup will resemble that of a sea hag instead of the gorgeous mermaid!  But, isn’t this elementary my Dear Watson?   This Pro wants to believe that women already understand basic Makeup 101, but I keep seeing it happening this time of year, so I must wrong!

Here is another thought: you’re all made up and you’re looking hot, but according to your internal sundial, it is time to reapply sunscreen.  Uh oh!  Do you apply it to your face over your cosmetic?  Hmmm…how well do you think that sunscreen is going to work to protect your skin from sun damage if you have a thick layer of makeup on? 

Also, if you didn’t apply sunscreen prior to putting all that "stuff" on your face because you thought that your cosmetic had plenty of SPF in it, guess what?  Cosmetic formulas do not have enough sun protection in them and the sun is strong enough to penetrate through your cosmetic.  Now, it is 2 hours later, your face feels warm and your skin tone is pink (but really it is red under the makeup) and you need to add more sunscreen! 

Your lovely face that you worked so hard on is going to be nothing more than a hot mess when you slather on the sunscreen and begin to rub it in and as a bonus, your skin is damaged because it is sunburned!  How pretty are you now?

Ladies…it is much easier on your skin if you cleanse, moisturize, treat and protect your face instead of spending senseless time in the mirror primping prior to sunbathing!  It is much better to throw an oversized helping of self-esteem into your beach bag along with other sea and sand accoutrement and rock that no makeup look with confidence.

Understandably, there are times when a little cosmetic can be appropriate for the beach.  Especially, if you are attending some type of event, party or maybe just attempting to capture the eye of that surfer guy.  I get it!  So, here is this Pro’s approved list of beach babe makeup…

Jan Marini Antioxidant Daily Face Protectant Sunscreen – oil-free matte finish, does not feel heavy or greasy on the skin, beige in color (not white) so you don't need to "rub" into the skin to absorb.

Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer – oil-free, hydrating formula.  Provides extra protection from UVB rays and harmful effects of the environment with an SPF 20.  Apply after skin care and sunscreen, use for spot concealing only (dark circles, broken capillaries around nasal labial folds, break outs).  Do not cover entire face!

Becca Beach Tint – waterproof tint adds a hint of color to cheeks and lips.  Oil free, streak free, contains antioxidant vitamin E and is paraben-free.  Use after skin care, sunscreen and tinted moisturizer.  Available in two shades Watermelon and Peach.

fresh Sugar Lip Treatment SPF 15 - lips are sensitive and with increased sun exposure they can burn just as easily as the rest of your body.  Apply Sugar Lip Treatment before Becca Beach Tint for extra sun protection.

Shu Uemura Waterproof Cream Eye Shadow – if you must wear an eye shadow, then choose one color in a waterproof, cream formula that is a neutral, matte shade.  Shu Uemura eye shadow will not crease or fade under extreme conditions.  Recommended colors: beige, pink or brown (lightest hue). Apply all over eye area with fingertip or brush and blend.

tarte cosmetic's lights, camera, splashes, 4-in-1 natural water proof mascara – apply one coat to the top lashes only for natural, longer looking lashes.  It's great for the beach and will not give you that "overdone" look!

Pass on the face powder (everyone will have the “dewy” look so you will fit right in) and skip everything else you usually put on your face!  Think of it this way, you get a chance to go on vacation from work so, give your face a little cosmetic break too!

Now that you have protected, hidden the sins of the skin and added a little tint to the face using waterproof cosmetics, you can feel free to frolic with Puff the Magic Dragon down by the sea and you can reapply your sunscreen when needed without feeling like you will mess up your makeup!  How liberating!!!!

PRO TIPS AND TRICKS:

Throw the tinted moisturizer into your beach bag and touch up a break out inconspicuously – Laura Mercier’s tube looks like a sunscreen component so you won’t draw attention if you happen to whip it out!  This Pro highly recommends investing in a sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher because you want to keep your skin looking gorgeous (and young) for years to come.  Since the LM Tinted Moisturizer is only an SPF 20, you will need to apply sunscreen prior to applying and/or reapplying this product in order to ensure maximum sun protection!

STAY TUNED:

Up next on IMPO:  In keeping with our summer theme, IMPO's next blog post will be all about sunscreen.  The best brands for your face and body!