The tropical high temperatures and humidity of Bali can be a challenge beauty-wise - inside and out, head to toe! Keeping makeup on and skin luminous rather than sweaty, keeping hair lush and your body healthy and hydrated is important and requires some specialist products and practices. Be prepared to beat the heat and still look sweet with this simple but oh-so-essential Bali beauty survival guide.
SKIN
As much as you might feel like you're melting, it's crucial to keep up a healthy cleansing, toning, moisturising and protecting skincare regime during your Bali visit.
- Start with a cleanser that cleanse deep or do a two step cleanse and exfoliate every day to remove the toxins of pollution, air conditioning and the day's products from your face and neck.
- Toning can act as a prep for your serum or moisturiser and is especially loved by oily skins for tightening the pores. A spray toner becomes a refreshing facial pick me-up when placed in the fridge - day or night or throughout the day.
3. If moisturiser is your final step for the day, you will absolutely want to make sure it comes with some SPF protection as the damage from the sun will show up in discoloured spots or worse, redness from burning. Sunburn will quickly dehydrate the skin and peeling is not pretty or easy to cover-up.
"There is no cosmetic for beauty like happiness."
- Maria Mitchell
MAKEUP
Less is more in Bali - and not just in terms of clothes on your body. Lightweight, breathable makeup is key to keeping it on for longer - or at all! Even as a Queenslander travelling to Bali in their version of winter, the humidity got the better of me and my makeup routine got a, well, makeover.
CC creams and tinted moisturisers with SPF and pollution sheilds are your friends, plus setting spray or the oily-skinned girls best friend, mineral powder foundations (again with SPF) and mattifying powder make for a great lightweight base. Skip the heavy concealing and baking and embrace some of your natural glow. A swish of blush on the cheeks and eyelids, a swipe of bronzer for light contouring right down to your decolletage, a sweet lip and a coat of your favourite mascara and you're good to go.
Of course, a lash and brow tint pre-vacay can also dramatcially speed up the situation and keep makeup to a minimum - sweat and pool proof too!
* The typical results are different for everyone. Results vary depending on individual skin type, body composition, age, eating patterns, exercise, and the like.
HAIR
Up, down, tousled or semi straight, carefree hair is fast, easy and fly-away okay in this island melting pot. Humidity, chlorine and 'hard' or polluted water can wreck havoc on your tresses so come prepared with a good quality hair masque or leave-in nourishing treatment, a serum to soften some of the fly-aways and some texturising or sea salt spray to embrace the effects of hot hair! Dry shampoo might also be your bestie in Bali if you're planning on prioritising exploring and cocktails by the pool over primping and preening in the bathroom.
BODY
Cleanse, scrub, moisturise, protect and hydrate from within for silky smooth hot weather holiday skin. Keep it simple and pack a moisturising shower gel, a body oil for a healthy glow and deep moisturisation, and a multi-purpose cooling gel for sunburn, sore muscles and all over smoothing and soothing. A lip treatment as a balm or under gloss or lipstick is also a smart way to beat the signs of aging and damage from too much sun or too much punch. And instead of hoping your perfume smells the same in high temps as it does at home, save space and potential damage to your fragrances by using your favourite pure essential oil blend as fragrance on the go!
