Whenever I do a beachy makeup concept, I try to channel THE ORIGINAL QUEEN of beach to dinner low-key beauty, Elisabeth Shue as Jordan Mooney in Cocktail.  Her flinging around under waterfalls with Tom Cruise in Jamaica to the tune of “Kokomo” was the most romantical thing I’d ever seen in the ’80s. What I love most is her easy, breezy makeup vibe throughout her vaca. Beachy, beautiful summer makeup looks are all about ease, longevity and above all, a natural vibe. And everyone knows low-maintenance looks aren’t about starting from scratch and redoing your entire cosmetics concept for evening. They’re about going with the flow! Here are a few makeup looks and products that ease the transition from sand to sultry summer night fare while discussing the elusive flugelbinder.

Ace Your Base
Steamy climes aren’t the times for a full face of foundation. You’ll sweat it off most unglamorously and it’ll show up on your towel, your bathing suit, etc. Opt for minimal coverage with either a BB Cream or tinted moisturizer–with SPF, of course! Or, if your skin’s up to the task, go entirely without–patting on a touch of concealer where necessary for a light, carefree makeup look. I’m loving the new Perricone MD No Concealer Concealer, which taps on and melds into skin. It never pills, cakes, creases or is even detectable. Its liquid consistency and brightening properties make it the perfect eye primer, as well. The Perricone MD No Concealer Concealer retails for $45 at sephora.com.

Stainiac On The Floor
Glossy lips are gorge in many environs–but extremes aren’t the best for this look. Windy temps whip your hair into your gloss; hot, hazy, humid situations just don’t help this kind of texture adhere. But stains are perfection for a beachy day and a sultry summer evening dining al fresco. They stay on, they don’t budge, they’re as subtle or as deep as you want them to be (simply layer it on) and they’re long-lasting. Don’t have a stain on you? Simply dab on your favorite lipstick using your finger for a stainlike effect. A permanent feature in my beach bag is Bite Beauty High Pigment Matte Pencil in Zinfandel, an electric coral. Applied with fingers, it adds a subtle pop of color and contains antioxoidant resveratrol.

Eshew Shadow
Beach-friendly beauty doesn’t fare so well with a major shadow effect, such as a smokey eye. And also, pairing that with a pop of color on your pout is NOT the definition of easy breezy, is it, friends? So I like to keep my eye makeup concept minimal on vacation. Just a couple coats of waterproof mascara on the top lashes only and some smudged (again, waterproof) liner on the outer corners. You can apply liner on the bottom lashes as well, if you feel you need a little more definition. Use a liner brush to apply pencil liner for a soft-focus feel. If you don’t want to part with your in-rotation non-waterproof mascara, Anastasia’s got you covered. Her new Anastasia Lash Genius ($21) acts as a clear waterproof topcoat you can apply on top of your current lash lengthener. It’s sold at sephora.com.

Everything Is Illuminated
Want to go super low-maintenance? Opt for a subtle wash of highlighter where the sun hits you–on cheekbones, browbones, collarbones above the cupid’s bow and the bridge of the nose and pair it with a bit of tinted lip balm for an ethereal glow that’ll last throughout mojitos after sundown. The best highlighter in my beauty arsenal by FAR is the RMS Living Luminizer walks that rare line of natural and beyond effective. In chick pearlescent white that veers just a tinge into gold territory, this hue is IT. It’s $38 at rmsbeauty.com.

What are your favorite makeup items that help you go from the beach to dinner?

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