Beauty and the Beach
Local experts reveal how to look hot this summer, from the inside out.
Beauty begins with diet.
“Your beauty bar starts in your refrigerator,” says Kristi Acuna, a holistic nutritionist in Newport Beach. A healthy, well-rounded diet is the key to preventing rapid aging—inside and out. So before you pile on the beauty products, look to summer’s farmers markets and fresh produce.
Acuna says a high-fat, low-carb lifestyle that includes plant and animal fats will provide all the nutrients and vitamins you need. Contrary to popular belief, healthy fats will not make you fat. “Vitamins A, D, E and K are essential to your well-being,” she says. These vitamins not only protect us from inflammation and harmful diseases, but also support a healthy gut, which affects everything from mood to weigh management to what we look like without any makeup. Animal fats (lard, bacon, tallow and butter, to name a few) are important because the body requires these fats to absorb or produce some vitamins. Eating these in combination with plant fats like those from avocados, nuts, coconuts and seeds helps nourish the nervous system and regulate hormones.
When it comes to carbs, Acuna suggests not eating very many and sticking to those found in nature—sweet potatoes, yams, parsnips and cassava, to name a few. “Skip on the wheat, gluten, corn, rice-based foods, and you will notice a [positive] shift in your skin,” she says, noting that fewer carbs and more fats will stabilize blood sugar. Subsequently, this balances mood, and who doesn’t find a pretty mood more attractive?
Let’s go skin-deep.
Your diet is balanced, your energy is high and your appearance is healthier than ever before. You could skip on the beauty routine altogether, save for the scorching rays, sand, salt, chlorine and other beauty busters that come with beach living. Enter a skincare ritual. Local makeup artist Amber Silva, who’s made up everyone from Newport Beach brides to magazine models, begins with an exfoliator: “Gently exfoliate at night to remove [dirt and dead-skin cells], smooth skin and enhance the skincare products you’re using,” she says. (Silva’s pick: Limelight Skin Polish—“It’s an exfoliator and hydrating mask in one.”) She’s also “obsessed” with facial oils, and likes to apply one in the morning under foundation (Our pick: Herbivore Botanicals’ balancing Lapis Facial Oil). Or even mix face oil with foundation for a fresh, dewy look, Silva says. (We’ll touch more on makeup later.) Silva further hydrates with Sonia Roselli’s Water Balm, which doubles as a makeup primer. “It gives skin a plumper look and prevents makeup from creasing,” she says. In the evening, Silva massages oil into clean skin on the face, neck and décolletage.
The benefits of sunscreen are up for debate (some medical experts and beauty gurus swear by it, while others argue that blocking out the suns rays limits vitamin D, thereby causing disease) but if you’re a proponent of SPF, stick to formulas devoid of harsh, hormone-disrupting chemicals. “There is nothing more important than protecting the skin on your face and body, especially when exposed to the sun’s damaging rays,” says COOLA Suncare founder Chris Birchby. “A broad-spectrum SPF of 30 or higher will protect against both UVA and UVB rays. This will not only protect against painful and unflattering sunburns, but also reduce the risk of premature skin aging and skin cancer.” (Our pick: COOLA Face SPF 30 Unscented Matte Tint, available at Planet Beauty and Ulta in Newport Beach—it literally feels like silk.) “One of the most common sunscreen mistakes made is not using enough,” adds Birchby. “According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, you should be using about a nickel-sized amount of sunscreen for the face and the equivalent of a shot glass for the body.” Apply sunscreen 30 minutes before you head outdoors, and reapply every two hours. If you’re swimming and sweating at the beach, you’ll need more frequent applications.
Dust on some shimmer after dusk.
Going barefaced at the beach (on the trail, tennis court or anywhere under the sun) keeps it simple: Pack extra sunscreen and a good lip balm (Our pick: Sun Bum SPF 30 Unscented Lip Balm, available at Ulta in Newport Beach), and you’re set. For an evening look that stuns, follow these tips from Silva: Repeat the same skincare routine you would in the morning, and then mix illuminating bronzer into your foundation (Her pick: Limelights Liquid Sunshine) for a deeper glow. Next, mix your favorite facial oil with a powder-blush, and then dab on cheeks and lips for a natural, flushed look. Or, opt for a cream-to-powder blush, which slides on smoothly and sets in just minutes. (Our pick: Jane Iredale In Touch Cream Blush, available at Planet Beauty in Newport Beach—the velvety stick-application is goof-proof and the translucent flush leaves a natural glow. Plus, this three-in-one color can also be used on lips and eyes.) To make makeup stay put when the weather gets sticky, prep skin with a soft powder, says Sasha Plavsic, founder of local natural-cosmetic company, Ilia Beauty. “This helps set makeup before it’s even applied,” she says, “by controlling oil production and keeping everything in place longer when it’s exposed to heat [and humidity].” She’s also fond of facial oil, and follows up with a tinted moisturizer, concealer (“to lighten dark circles”) and a warming illuminator. To choose the right color palette, Plavsic says, “You need to know your undertones.” For example, if lips have blue undertone, stay away from orange-based colors and stick to the berry family. Accentuate eyes by applying a color that compliments their different tones: “A light dove-grey shade with a touch of lavender will bring out green tones in hazel eyes,” she says. Plums are pretty for dark brown peepers, while burgundy makes blue eyes pop. (We also like Iredale’s Pure Pressed Eye Shadow Triples in Pink Quartz—the trio of plum and soft pinks compliment any eye color, and the shimmery option is ideal for evening.) Plavsic’s favorite feature to play up for summer is the lips: “I add a bright pop of color with [Ilia’s] coral Karma Chameleon Lipstick Crayon.” And she never leaves home without a lip treatment (Her pick: Ilia’s Tinted Lip Conditioner in Arabian Knights).
Tame your mane.
“Just like the skin needs protection from the sun, the hair does, too,” says Anna Ayers, co-founder of Rahua Amazon Beauty, which is mindfully made with only natural ingredients. She recommends applying a leave-in treatment during the summer months (Rahua’s Finishing Treatment is her go-to) and wearing a cute hat before heading out in the sun. Use a shampoo and conditioner that’s suited for color-treated hair if you have highlights, or one that nourishes normal untreated locks after a day in the sun (Our pick: Phyto Plage Hair & Body Rehydrating Shampoo, available at Ulta in Newport Beach). Using a comb or brush designed for wet hair (We like the Wet Brush, available at Walgreens in Newport Beach) will prevent breakage and further damage. A weekly mask, like Phyto’s After Sun Recovery Mask, will keep hair looking healthy all summer long. An up-’do during steamy nights will keep you looking hot and feeling cool. To keep strands in place, lightly spritz them with a natural hairspray (Our pick: Rahua’s Defining Hair Spray).
Whatever you do, be sure to enjoy your summer in Newport Beach. A genuine smile, after all, is the most beautiful accessory.
