The most anticipated time of the year is here—and it’s been one for the books, with the return of the World Cup, the heatwave and dreamy Italian honeymoon pictures from Dua Lipa. As sweltering as temperatures have been, the heat isn’t getting in the way—girls everywhere have jetted off to their well-earned vacations, with many more slow days by the water ahead of them. Summer is a time to be savoured, after all.
And there’s nothing more important—or as fun—as packing your bag for a nice day out. Some of us wind up at the beach or the pool, while others might prefer to sip ice-cold drinks on a verandah or read by a sun-lit window in the house. Regardless of your summer plans, finding and having the right essentials close by can make it all easier. Maybe you were hoping to achieve a sun-kissed flush, to seek out your scent for the season or to refresh your post-dip hair—in any case, the best place to look is in the bags of true sun-loving souls. Sharing their dream summers, beauty favourites and more, four women take Vogue Singapore through their warm-weather rituals and the contents of their beauty bags.
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Mishti Rahman (@mishti.rahman)
What does your perfect summer day look like?
Since moving from Australia to France, I’ve fallen in love with the slower rhythm of summer, especially in the South. My perfect day starts with waking up naturally, no alarms, before wandering through the local market to pick up ripe peaches, tomatoes, fresh basil and a warm baguette. We’d head home to cook a long, leisurely lunch and spend hours talking around the table before making our way to somewhere like Porquerolles, with a speaker playing a little Sade in the background. I love waiting until the sun begins to soften before slipping into the water for a late-afternoon swim. It’s my favourite time of day, when everything feels a little slower and quieter as the sun begins to set.
What beauty products do you keep in your beach bag?
Sun protection is something I never compromise on, so the Guerlain Abeille Royale UV Skin Defense Youthful Radiance Protective Fluid is always in my beach bag. I also keep the Aesop Protective Lip Balm and Chanel Hydra Beauty Essence Mist close by; they’re my favourite essentials for keeping my skin protected, hydrated, and refreshed after a swim.
Name one beauty product that you would never be caught without this summer.
For me, it’s always fragrance. It has the power to become a memory, especially in summer. Diptyque L’Eau Papier has been my favourite lately: it’s delicate, comforting, and quietly elegant.
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Charlotte Wang (@charlottewangwang)
If it were up to you, how would you be spending a summer’s day?
My perfect summer’s day would be me and my friends on vacation somewhere sunny, exploring a new city, shopping for vintage and locally-made things, wearing a cute outfit—I’m thinking micro shorts, a linen shirt over a bikini, flip flops and chunky jewellery—with something fruity and icy in my hand like a lemonade slushie to cool off.
What’s in your summer beauty bag?
The Naked Sundays Hydrating Glow Mist to reapply throughout the day for sun protection and a healthy glow; for a sun-kissed flush, the Rhode Pocket Blush in Date Cake on the cheeks and Augustinus Bader’s The Tinted Balm in shade 3 on the lips; Panpuri’s perfume oil in Andaman Sails for a touch of something beautifully refreshing on a hot summer’s day.
Name something you won’t leave the house without this season.
I’ve been loving having my hair down, so to avoid it looking frizzy from humidity I have been using the Tsubaki Premium Treatment Water. Just a couple of spritzes, then a comb-through, and it keeps my hair sleek and shiny all day long.
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Sasha Mei (@sasha.mei)
Describe your perfect summer day.
My perfect summer day starts with a hot coffee, followed by a long run in the early morning to the farmer’s market. We love running to the farmer’s market on Saturday mornings and having breakfast there—everything is so fresh. Then I would bike to the beach or a pool and read a good book by the water in the afternoon, followed by a spagliato on a terrasse with friends.
What beauty products are in your beach bag?
I do not leave the house without sunscreen. I love all of Caudalie’s sunscreen products, particularly the Vinosun Protect Invisible Stick for my face and the Vinosun Sun Water for my body. To cool down, I keep the Rhode Glazing Mist in my purse. I also love Beauty of Joseon’s after-sun products after a long day outside. I’ve also been throwing a Chanel Rouge Coco Hydra Gloss in all of my bags for a little something extra.
Name one beauty product that you would never be caught without this summer.
I am a makeup minimalist in the summer when I have a little colour in my complexion, but I can’t live without the Chanel Duo De Baumes Multi-Use Duo Stick in Intense Glow. It has everything I need: a berry-toned balm for lips, cheeks, and eyes, and a golden-hued highlighter for all the high points of my face.
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Jess Whitney (@jess_whitneyx)
Describe a day in your perfect summer.
I love a European summer. The past few years I’ve spent summer in either Saint-Tropez or Greece. My perfect day is the kind of afternoon that stretches out with cold drinks, copious amounts of food and great conversations that go absolutely everywhere with people I love the most. Just sun, sea, and the kind of company that makes you forget what time it is.
What are you bringing with you to the beach?
My current daily sunscreen is Allies of Skin’s The One SPF 50 Invisible Sunscreen Gel, along with the Piz Buin Moisturizing Sun Lipstick. I mix a few drops of the Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Multi Dry Oil into my sunscreen for a glowy finish. The Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant lives in my bag year-round, working as a hand cream, a cuticle fixer and an everything-fix, really. My go-to scent this summer has been Solferino’s Reverie Sur Seine Eau de Parfum. And I always, always have my M.A.C Studio Fix Conceal and Correct Palette with me—I’ve been loyal to this palette for almost a full decade. Not to forget my sun hat by Helen Kaminski, of course.
Name one beauty product you’d never be caught without this summer.
Sunscreen, because healthy skin is just as important as beautiful skin.
