Hedayat Reda Summer is for the girls. Nothing is more beautiful than hair that has been lightened by the sun, a smattering of freckles on cheeks and sun-kissed shoulders (that have just avoided a major burn).
Since days of old I have always been a Sahel girlie. June comes and I’m ready to pack up and migrate towards saltier waters. In the past few years, I’ve observed a variety of beach-going women.From the Gouna Hippies to the Greek Goddesses, everyone has a summer archetype. And accordingly, a summer beauty regimen.
Find your match.
The Gouna Hippie
You can usually spot her by her collection of silver jewellery, permanently sun-kissed skin, and the fact that she somehow knows everyone.
She’s practical beneath the bohemian exterior. Gouna trips and Gouna living teach you quickly that the water is not always your friend. In particular, your hair’s. This earthy mermaid’s beauty routine mirrors her personality. Easygoing, down to earth and a little bit extra. Think SPF that is light and breezy. Leave in conditioners that coat, as well as protect. Nourishing masks and bronzation-enhancers. Her makeup mirrors the landscape around her: sandy browns, terracotta tones, brushed brows, and skin that looks like it’s spent the entire day outside. At night, however, she occasionally abandons restraint. A flash of turquoise liner or a metallic copper lid feels right under desert stars. Her perfume smells faintly of patchouli, tobacco, and wood. The kind of scent that lingers after she’s left the table.
Her Beauty Kit:
- Eva Sun & Sea SPF 50+
- Bobana Aloe Vera Gel
- Garnier Hair Food Banana Mask
- L’Oréal Elvive Extraordinary Oil
- Essence Bronze Your Way Bronzer
- A copper or turquoise liner for evenings
- Le Labo Santal 33 or a woody dupe
You know her, you’ve been her. Now, you can emulate her.
The Sahel Stan
There is something reassuringly classic about the North Coast girl. She returns to the same beaches, knows exactly where to find the best iced coffee, and somehow always has a paperback tucked beside her towel. She is like sunshine- bottled. She’s mastered the art of looking polished while appearing as though she made no effort at all. Whether she’s a Diplo-goer, or a Hacienda hottie, this beach babe is always on the run, tote in hand, next destination mapped. Years of Mediterranean summers have taught her that the beauty goal is enhancement, not transformation. Her beach go-tos are surprisingly sparse. She knows the tan will arrive on its own. The hair will become wavy whether she plans for it or not. She doesn’t overthink beauty because she doesn’t need to. Her job is simply to keep everything healthy.
You can catch her surfing a wave, or sunning herself with speakers on loud- Uncle Kracker blasting the Diplo shores.
Her Beauty Kit:
- Infinity SPF 50+ Sunblock
- La Roche-Posay Anthelios Invisible Fluid
- Kiko Milano 3D Hydra Lipgloss
- Essence Juicy Bomb Lip Oil
- Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Shimmer Oil
- Gisou Hair Oil Mini
- Clinique Happy or Marc Jacobs Daisy Fragrance
The Red Sea Explorer
Chances are you know at least one of these witchy divas. For her, summer is not something to be observed from a sunbed, she’s usually found chasing wind conditions, planning her next dive, or disappearing underwater for hours at a time. She is all about spontaneity and adventure. There’s an ease to her routine.This girl is the kind that will break your heart and leave you in her dust.
Accordingly, function dictates every beauty decision she makes.Her skincare is built around resilience. High-protection SPF, hydration, barrier repair, and after-sun care take priority over makeup. Any product she carries must survive heat, water, and movement.She doesn’t need fifteen products because she spends too much time doing things. If she appears at dinner with a sharp swipe of eyeliner, it feels almost rebellious.
Unlike the bright freshness associated with traditional beach scents, she gravitates towards something deeper—vanilla, amber, woods. She is adventure bottled.
Her Beauty Kit:
- Bioderma Photoderm SPF 50+
- Eva After Sun Cooling Gel
- Bobana Hyaluronic Acid Serum
- L’Oréal Elvive Hyaluron Moisture Mask
- Aquaphor Lip Repair
- Waterproof brown eyeliner
- Kayali Vanilla 28
The Greek Goddess
Whether she’s island-hopping through Greece, dancing in Mykonos, or boarding a boat somewhere along the Croatian coast, this girl treats summer like an event. She’s the friend who knows about a restaurant before it becomes impossible to book. She packs outfits around potential photo opportunities. She made the reservations, booked the flight, and stamped the passport.
Unlike the understated elegance of the Sahel minimalist, she embraces visibility. Summer, in her view, is far too short to be subtle
Thus, her beauty routine is strategic, polished, and surprisingly disciplined. Colour, shimmer, statement sunglasses, a fragrance that announces itself before she does. She approaches beauty with intention. Her makeup is beach appropriate, but only technically. Bronzed skin, coral cheeks, glossy lips, luminous shoulders—everything is designed to catch the light. Even her sunscreen feels luxurious.
While Greece may not be an Egyptian beach destination, it’s become so popular it may as well be. This diva knows how to spoil herself.
Her Beauty Kit:
- ISDIN Fusion Water SPF 50
- Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Blush in a coral shade
- Makeup by Mario SoftSculpt Bronzer
- Fenty Gloss Bomb
- Sol de Janeiro GlowMotions Body Oil
- Chanel Chance Eau Splendide
Different beaches. Different playlists. Different boarding passes.
One spends her mornings kite surfing. One is planning her next dive. Another is already dressed for dinner. Another spends hers turning the pages of a paperback beneath an umbrella. Yet they all share the same instinct: the desire to feel a little freer than they do the rest of the year.
Summer has always been a beauty trend. Salt on the skin. Hair that’s impossible to fully tame. Long afternoons that stretch into evenings. The confidence that comes from spending more time outdoors and less time looking in mirrors. In so far as beauty goes, summer is a mood. The products may differ, but the objective remains the same: protecting what the sun gives you while embracing everything it changes.
This is the time to be safe, but playful. Daring, but vivacious. And mostly, to have fun.
So the question isn’t where you’re spending the season.
It’s who you become when summer arrives.
What’s your summer beauty archetype?
