We’re taking it to the seaside with Megan Burgdorf, coach to Team USA beach volleyball players Amanda Dowdy and Corinne Quiggle for their beach makeup advice that both works and works out.

At first, the very idea of wearing foundation at the beach may seem a little silly. After all, this isn’t some after-hours dance club calling for full-on glam squad application. But here’s the deal  . . . if you’ve invested time and money tracking down the most flattering swimsuit, stylish sandals, cutest coverup, and to-die-for sunglasses, of course you want to put your best face forward before hitting the sand.

Meet our players

The beach (or at the pool for that matter) is all about showing some skin while still protecting the skin.  So for this we went to the toughest experts we could think of, Megan Burgdorf coach of Team USA beach volleyball players Amanda Dowdy and Corinne Quiggle.  If something works for them as they’re flying through the air and dealing with sweat, sun and sand for hours on end, it’ll work for you for sure.

Says Coach Burgdorf, “To be honest, my players didn’t wear much makeup – either while playing or in their day-to-day lives – until they tried Mineral Air.  Now we all do both. Our aesthetic is fresh, healthy and natural and not at all ‘done’. Mineral Air has literally been a game changer for beach volleyball because it is able to do what no other foundation has been able to do; look perfectly natural, stand up under the most stringent circumstances and not budge. 

Getting to work

OK so what does our trio of experts have to say about beauty at the beach as they hit the courts?

1. Choose the right sunblock

For all outdoor athletes – from triathletes, cyclists, golfers, tennis players to us –

sunblock is a tool, as valuable piece of equipment as anything else. The parameters are clear. It has to stand up against a lot of sweat and it can’t under any circumstances drip into the eyes. At the same time, it can’t be so heavy that it will clog the pores and cause breakouts. And reapplication has to be quick and easy.

Their three favorites are:

Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protection Lotion WetForce SPF 50+ Sunscreen

Amanda says, “This is a very lightweight formula that absorbs immediately and invisibly and never feels oily or greasy. I love that it disappears into the skin and yet gets stronger and stronger throughout the day. Because it feels so light, reapplication is super easy.”

Supergoop Everyday Sunscreen SPF 50

Corinne says, “My skin tends to dry out. This water-resistant formula keeps it hydrated but isn’t oily or gloopy.”

Sun bum

Coach Burgdorf says, “I’m a huge zinc oxide fan. In contrast to many other zinc formulas that can look pasty, this one never does.

2. Give it time

Since it takes up to 20 minutes for sunblock to sink in so that it ‘works’ at maximum efficacy, it’s a good idea to apply it at home before you land on the beach

3. Don’t forget to SPF the lips . . . and often

Lip tissue is super sensitive,  burns easily and can wear off in a few minutes. Our athlete’s lip protection of choice are:

(for in the sun) Classic Liplux Orangic Lip Balm Sunscreen SPF 30

(to rehydrate after the sun and on the road) Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask

4. Choose the only foundation that will do the job (paging Mineral Air) over sunblock

Many of the parameters for athlete-effective sunscreen – not pasty, not stingy, not gummy, not drippy, super simple to reapply – serve for foundation too.  Because it disappears onto the skin, covering flaws yet still leaving skin looking like skin and lasts for hours, Mineral Air passes the test with flying colors.

“When we play,” notes Amanda, “We’re playing before hundreds of people. When we’re televised, we’re being broadcast to hundreds of thousands of people. We’re athletes first, always, but we want to look our best too for our audience and for the cameras.  For us, Mineral Air is confidence in a bottle.“

Adds Coach Burgdorf, “On myself, what I love about Mineral Air is that is lays perfectly flat and I never have to touch my face to apply it. Rather than beach makeup, I think of it as a skin enhancing tool.”

5. Reapply, reapply, reapply

Just as daily sunscreen needs to be reapplied at midday by regular Joes and Josephines, even superpower sunblocks need reapplying after prolonged contact with sweat, salt or water.  A quick swipe with a makeup remover wipe (or believe it or not a baby wipe), a spritz of sunblock and a 20-second mist of Mineral Air means that our team is able to accomplished this in under 90-seconds.

6. Invest in the best performance sunglasses

If you plan on spending any time outdoors this summer, look into athlete-approved performance sunglasses with tons of UV filters.  Not only will this save your eye health and vision over the long term but also offers extra sun protection for the soft skin around the eyes and help to minimize crow’s feet. Our team’s sunspecs of choice are EVZero by Oakley.

The takeaway here is that thanks to Mineral Air, there is no conflict between high function skin protection and gorgeous and glowing real skin beauty. Here is foundation-on-the-go that is as good on the sand as it is for selfie-inspired maquillage tutorials.

Coach Megan Burgdorf concludes, “It’s only in the last decade or two that elite outdoor athletes and their coaches have become mindful of skin health and skin cancer prevention.  At the same time, there is a newfound expectation of protecting the skin from premature aging is possible.  So in my players’ backpacks we automatically include a visor, water bottle and sunblock.

And now, we’re putting Mineral Air in there too as part of the uniform.”

“Mineral Air has literally been a game changer for beach volleyball players because it is able to do what no other foundation has been able to do; look perfectly natural, stand up under the most stringent circumstances of sweat and sand and not budge.”

Megan Burgdorf
Beach volleyball coach, Team USA

IG @megburgdorf
IG @corinnequiggle
IG @adowdy11