Summer survival kit

One of the reasons I can never pack light for a beach trip? Vanity, and the bothersome belief that summer is unendurable without a slew of beauty products that are as vital to my summer ensembles as bejewelled flip-flops or the latest Lucite accessory.

This year, I’m adding a few more to my already extensive arsenal of beauty beach musts. Despite needling from a best friend who thinks packing for the beach simply involves a pair of board shorts and a plastic bag to dump the wet pair in after use, I can’t seem to isolate the frivolous luxuries from the bare necessities. The way I see it, the following products are necessities if I want to go bare:

1. L’Oreal UV Perfect Advanced Fluid Protector in Porcelain. I used to think a moisturizer with a high SPF was all I could ever ask for each time I hit the beach. I upped my standards, however, as soon as I started using L’Oreal UV Perfect in Porcelain, a tinted moisturizer with SPF 50 that eliminates the need for foundation and even concealer.

Aside from giving me an even complexion with one swipe, this moisturizer is also serious about sun protection. It contains Mexoryl XL, a patented technology that acts as a large filter against UVA (those pesky rays that cause premature skin aging) and UVB (responsible for your skin burning) rays. This component is liposoluble, increasing its protective factor, and giving the moisturizer a non-greasy consistency. Another patented ingredient, Mexoryl SX, is a photo-stable component that acts as a perfect shield against UVAs (which can penetrate glass and windshields, so don’t think you’re safe from sun damage just because you’re ensconced in your car).

Available at major department stores.

2. Scott Barnes makeup and Luminizing Mist. Remember Jennifer Lopez soon after she graduated from In Living Color, when she was just ol’ "Jenny from the block" and far from being the style-setting J Lo? Chances are, you don’t. And Scott Barnes would probably not have it any other way. As Jennifer Lopez’s makeup artist, he is partly responsible for the makeover that catapulted the singer/actress into glamorama, a do-up that involves sexy eyes, pale, glossy lips and golden, gleaming skin — a Barnes signature. The photographer-turned-maquillage man wants every woman to look "expensive" and achieves this look through "illumination." His makeup line was created exactly to give women a youthful, glowing complexion, which in summer and on beach shores constitutes a near-crime if not achieved.

Favorites from this capsule collection include his Eye Ices (glistening loose powder that brightens the eyes and illuminates the face), Chic Palette in Sun Dance (each palette consists of three complementary shades of powder blush, each one with a specific purpose: the matte shade contours, the middle demi-pearl shade adds color, and the light pearly shade highlights), and the Luminizing Mist, a refreshing spritzer that adds a touch of glimmer, as well as pumps maximum hydration into the skin (can also be used to set makeup).

I’m also eagerly awaiting stock of another Barnes signature: Body Bling, a shimmery lotion that is said to be one of the Hollywood stars’ secrets to getting that perfect all-over body glow.

Available at Rustan’s Essenses Makati.

3. Glytone Body Anti-KP two-step system kit. There’s actually a term for those small, unsightly red bumps that appear on your skin, usually after shaving or waxing: keratosis pilaris (I used to just explain it as "some allergic reaction.") The term sounds intimidating and foreign, but the affliction is actually common. This genetic follicular disease manifests as rough bumps on the skin, primarily on the back and outer sides of the upper arms, although it can also occur on thighs, legs and buttocks.

Now, not even the most stylish Rosa Cha swimsuit is enough ammunition for your "wow" moment if you’re up against KP. Nor is there a beach-friendly concealer magical enough to camouflage the affliction.

As common as KP is, the solution is pretty specialized, namely Glytone’s KP kit, a system that incorporates intensive glycolic acid levels to wipe out the bumpy reds. The system involves an exfoliating body wash and a body lotion. Used in conjunction, this two-step system smoothes away the rough bumps, leaving skin smooth, supple, and beach-ready.

Ask your dermatologist about physician-exclusive Glytone or call 81-KAKAI for information.

4. Lush Lip Squeek lip balm. Despite the globs of SPF-infused lip balms that I smack onto my lips, I still end up with dry, peeling puckers after a day of frolicking under the sun. I’ve taken to healing my sunburned lips with lip treatments heavy on conditioning and moisturizing, such as Lush’s Lip Squeek lip balm. Made with fair-trade cocoa butter (plentiful in antioxidants and vitamin E) blended with emollient and healing beeswax, Illipe butter and glycerine, this all-natural balm pampers as if your puckers had their own personal spa. This balm also contains a refreshing combination of fresh organic apple and sweet vanilla that gives it a delicious fruity taste, lemon oil and lemon balm that have excellent antiviral properties — excellent to combat cold sores — and sweet orange oil that encourages cell renewal so lips are in peak condition. Available at Lush in Greenbelt 3, Bonifacio High Street, and Shangri-la Plaza.

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