Make sure your summer beauty look is 100 per cent beach-proof and avoid make-up meltdown with our insider tricks and tips

When the mercury is rising, how on earth do you stop your make-up from sliding south, your lipstick looking too intense and your mascara giving you panda eyes, while emerging picture-perfect for those summer holiday snaps?

It's actually surprisingly easy to pull off a glamorous, cool-as-a-cucumber look on the beach although most of your regular cosmetics won't be up to the job. Go for an understated look, and invest in a clutch of hard-working and long-wearing beauty essentials that will withstand the heat and still look fresh and pretty at the sunset bar.

For skin that survives the heat
Think healthy, radiant skin is impossible to achieve when it?s hot and humid? Leave the heavy foundation and blush at home, and aim to even out your complexion and enhance a sun-kissed glow; your best bet is a tinted moisturiser or light, oil-free foundation with added sunscreens, although you'll also need a separate facial sun protection lotion.

Try Daniel Sandler Mineral Sheer Tint SPF20, (£20, available from www.beautique.com or call 01923 845370) which is as light as a tinted moisturier, oil-free and available in five shades, or Origins Nude and Improved Bare-Face Make-up with SPF15 (£17.50).

'MAC Select Tint SPF15 (£18) is my favourite,' says MAC senior make-up artist Martina Luisetti. 'And to eliminate shiny skin and help your make-up stay put for longer, carry MAC Blot Film Blotting Papers (£10) with you at all times.' Alternatively, slip Bourjois' new Anti-Shine Blotting Sheets (£4.95) into your summer make-up bag.

If you have good skin, you might like to try a facial moisturiser containing a hint of self-tan, which will build gradually during your holiday to a natural-looking glow. We like Boots Time Delay Time for Radiance Sun Touched Facial Moisturiser SPF15 (£5.50 for 50ml).

For eyes that look fresh all day long
With a range of on-trend colours and formulations at your fingertips, water-resistant eye make-up is really easy to find, and essential in ensuring a glamorous beach beauty look that goes the distance.

'You can easily stop your eye make-up from going awol,' says Rimmel celebrity make-up artist, Lee Pycroft. 'If you are applying liquid liner, make sure the lid is well powdered first so the liner doesn't smudge into the socket of the eye, and if using a pencil make sure it is not too greasy. A denser texture will give a better colour payoff and hold longer. Apply to a powdered eyelid and pat with a fingertip to blend. Remember, sex kittens can get away with a little smudging round the eyes!'

Try a water-resistant eye pencil such as Dior Waterproof Eyeliner (£12) or a liquid liner like MAC Liquidlast Liner (£13). We also love Clinique Touch Tint for Eyes (£12) and the gorgeous, limited edition Bobbi Brown Surf & Sand Eye Palette (£35, from April), which features sheer, shimmering shades of aqua, soft pink and beige.

Waterproof mascara is your secret weapon when you're in and out of the water, defining lashes while allowing you to emerge from the sea looking like the bona fide beach babe you are. We like Estee Lauder Illusionist Waterproof Mascara (£16.50), Maybelline Lash Stylist Waterproof Mascara (£6.99) and No7 Stay Perfect Summer Eye Duo (£10, from 23 May), which contains wearable chartreuse green eyeliner at one end and mascara the other. Both formulas use silicon resin to give strong colour that won't smudge, flake or fade.

Or why not push the boat out and check in for a touch of semi-permanent eye make-up. Leading semi-permanent make-up specialist Alison Doughty works wonders with eyebrows and eyeliner, and the results last up to three years (£395 per procedure; visit www.permanentmakeup.org.uk, or call 01273 777456).

For lips that last until sundown
If you must wear lip colour on the beach, choose a non-transfer formulation. 'Try using a lip pencil first then blotting your lip colour or gloss over the top,' says Lee Pycroft. 'A long-lasting lipstick can also be effective in terms of staying power. Again, patting it on will give a lighter result rather than looking too painted and obvious.'

Alternatively, invest in a tinted lip balm or lip gloss, ideally with added sunscreens, which you can dab on with a fingertip. We love Bobbi Brown's new Tinted Lip Balm (£12, from May), Clinique Glosswear for Lips (£10) and Tesco All About Face Lip Gloss (£1.97) in Shade 2, a juicy, watermelon pink.

Complete your foolproof summer look with a generous spritz of No7 Really Reviving Skin Spritz (£9.75 for 200ml). This subtle, all-over scent lifts your spirits, refreshes your senses and keeps that beach feeling going long after the sun has set.