There are few more challenging places than the seaside to remain looking cool and collected, here are some beauty tips and beach essentials that can help …
“Shall I part my hair behind? Do I dare to eat a peach? / I shall wear white flannel trousers, and walk upon the beach … “ These lines from TS Eliot’s Love Song of J Alfred Prufrock never get old – we love his vision of summer where trousers are white and life is peachy and beachy and small considerations seem to take up more of our time than usual …
Considerations like looking chic at the beach. Sun, sand, a breeze – when you think about it, there are few more challenging places than the seaside to remain looking cool and collected. How we envy those confident women who must have spent a lifetime of summers on the sand, so practised are they in the art of beach chic – not for them an overstuffed bag and flushed face, just a little rattan mat, a tiny towel, a tiny bag and an even tinier bikini.
For mere mortals, there are a few rules. You must be well-protected from the elements to prevent overheating and that means quality sun protection (try Ultraceuticals or Sisley) a great big floppy straw hat and the biggest sunglasses you can find. Practical, yes. Chic, definitely. (If you are holidaying closer to home, keep SPF and sunnies on your list and something warm to wrap up in if the temperature drops. And we do love a pair of white linen pants – classic with a Breton top. A look that quite honestly, never gets old either – thank you Coco Chanel.
You’ll need to tie your hair up, or at least pull it back from your face while it’s covered with suncream. Sophie Buhai’s shell-inspired hair clips and barrettes at Net-a-Porter are elegant, but if there’s a chance you might leave one on the beach by mistake: stick with more affordable brass barettes from Cos (€19). We need to protect the skin on our decolletage and the back of our neck too – prime spots for those burns you don’t even feel until the sun has gone down and you have a cool drink in your hand. Pack a silk scarf in your beach bag – you can drape it around your neck, use it to tie up your hair, fashion a swift bandeau top, or festoon your basket with it.
The most elegant way to remain cool and somewhat covered on the beach, is by wearing a dress or kaftan. Better still, combine the ease and comfort of a kaftan with the details of a shirt dress. KDK’s kaftan dresses in four gorgeous prints are made from a liquid, drapey (and sustainable) polysatin, silk or crepe de chine. They are buttoned at the front, with a flattering V-neck and elbow-length sleeves. They are perfect over bikinis or swimsuits and smart if swimming and sunning drifts into lunch at a beach bar or restaurant. KDK’s Sexy Fish crepe de chine kaftan dress, a gorgeous pink print. The Daisy satin kaftan has an abstract print of overblown daisies and the Laguna silk kaftan dress in classic cream just couldn’t be any more elegant. Wearing a cool, comfortable and flattering piece like this literally transforms how we feel about life on the beach. And if there is one style that for us embodies the spirit of a seaside escape, it’s the Jungle satin kaftan, with its swirling blue and white print which reminds us of rolling waves and breaking surf. Easy, breezy, lemon squeezy … Or should that be peachy, beachy? Sorry, just couldn’t resist …
Find gorgeous scarves and kaftan dresses at www.kdk.ie.