Wear hair loose or lightly secured at the beach. Photo / Thinkstock
Go with the flow
"Don't get stressed about your hair, go with the gypsyness of summer," advises Louise Pilkington of Dry & Tea salon in Newmarket. "Go with your hair, work with the sea."
Use products with sunscreening properties and wear hair loose or lightly secured, she says.
The beachy look is popular for a good reason, so play it up.
If you can't rely on an ocean dip for that tousled look, then there's plenty of beach texture sprays out there which help re-create the effect, or use a conditioning product to stop natural texture becoming too tearaway.
Pilkington likes the side pony tail. Simply pull hair up, back and to the side and, once fastened, twist the pony around. An easy way to make this a more "done" look for an event is to use a curling tool such as the Cloud Nine Wand to create a more controlled spiral.
Among Pilkington's summer favourite products are the detangling Eleven Miracle Hair Treatment and Pureology's Essential Repair Max UV Hair Colour Defence ($42). Viva also rates Kerastase Soleil and Wella's Biotouch Sun ranges and Clairol has a new one out. A host of colour care ranges also include UV filters, but are more about preserving colour than specifically screening sun damage.
Step up to the shine
"Party makeup doesn't just mean more makeup," says Kai Vinson, Bobbi Brown's director of artistry for Asia-Pacific. The way to feel comfortable at a summer party is to be yourself, not effect a total transformation, he says. "Step up your makeup without looking entirely different."
Do this by strengthening your eyeliner and applying a little shimmer to enliven your normal eye shadow.
Vinson says colours need to be chosen to match skin, not just eyes. "Women say I have green eyes and wear purple shadow." A more subtle approach can be effective. "The best way to look 'holiday' is gold, it looks good on all skin tones."
Play up eyes or lips and don't forget blush, with a cream formula best on drier skins. Blush should tone with the natural colour of lips or the flush cheeks get from exercising. It should be applied high on the apple of the cheek and back toward the hairline, with an added pop of pink or peach on the apple.
For evening glow, a little shimmer on the top of the cheek, above the eye or on the decollete dresses up the party look.
Vinson recommends the multi-purpose Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick and her Sparkle Eye Shadow ($54). Shop around for other illuminating and shimmer products, but avoid anything overly glittery which sits on top of skin rather than smooth across it.
They left for a specific reason. But it could pave the way for more to follow.