My Sister: The Beachy Glow (and Hair)
Couldn’t Be More Legit
They surf, spa, and run a fashion business together, so perhaps it’s unsurprising that sisters Oleema and Kalani Miller, cofounders of the chic swimwear and clothing line Mikoh, have a similar approach to beauty: Let the beach give you a hand. “I don’t even know how to do beach waves,” says Oleema, whose long dark hair gets its texture from early-morning dips in the sun-warmed Pacific, surfing after work (she used to do it competitively), and the gentle, salt-flecked breezes of Oahu, where she and her older sister, business partner, and best friend, Kalani, both live part-time. “Neither one of us knows. We don’t even brush our hair,” she laughs. At 33 and 34, the sisters have found that their approach to taking care of their skin has become a bit more intentional—sunscreen has always been part of the picture, but moisturizing has recently become more important—while their makeup philosophy remains fresh and fun.
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Oleema’s
sun-protective skin glow
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Kalani’s
bright-red lip
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The skin essential they both love
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Both Millers radiate a dewy summertime sheen that’s part the beachy lifestyle (Kalani also used to surf competitively; her partner is world champion Kelly Slater), part a few magic skin and makeup secret weapons, and part the satisfaction of running a business they love together. “Experiencing all of this with Oleema—traveling to Tahiti and Bora-Bora, doing our first runway show—makes it even more fulfilling,” Kalani says. “We want to kill each other sometimes, but five minutes later, we’re eating lunch together. There’s a transparency that you might not have with even a close friend.”
Oleema agrees: “We’re not scared to be honest with each other because we always bounce back. First we’re sisters, then best friends, then business partners,” she says. “We’re a good team: I do most of the creative, and Kalani is the producer—she’s amazing at negotiating and getting into all the trade shows.”
They maintain their casually polished aesthetic with thoughtful skin routines—Kalani has dry skin and Oleema deals with hyperpigmentation—along with easy pops of color to further amplify that dewy, just-went-for-a-surf glow.
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Mineral Sunscreen Is Everything
“For sunscreen to really work, it has to be mineral to reflect sunlight. Mineral sunscreen is huge (tinted options are also great)! My boyfriend is a lifeguard, and he swears by it, too. I’m obsessed with Beautycounter Dew Skin; I actually just bought some on goop,” says Oleema of the silky tinted moisturizer and SPF 20 in one. “I’m actually a double sunscreen wearer, so it’s Dew Skin, which is super light, and then another mineral sunscreen, too.”
The two picked up their sunscreen habit from their mom. “Have you seen what our mom looks like? Her skin. She’s proof that you don’t need makeup to look or feel polished. Her mom is from Hawaii and her dad is from China, and she grew up with a minimalist approach to beauty, too,” Oleema says. “She always made us wear sunscreen or a hat, but her biggest thing was appreciating what you have and drawing confidence from that.”
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Warm Skin with Pretty Colors
Both sisters favor easy pigments that glide on, melt right in, and leave their sun-burnished skin looking a touch more even. Kalani spot-treats with a few swipes of the foundation stick from Westman Atelier. “I’m obsessed. It looks so natural, and it’s light enough to not erase my freckles,” she says. “I also do a touch of ILIA’s Limitless mascara and the highlighting stick.”
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“She just sort of smears on the highlighter,” Oleema laughs. “I’m also pretty minimalist: My go-tos are the Westman Eye Love You mascara and a dark lip stain, which I put on my cheeks, too.”
3
Moisturize Like Crazy
“We’re in our early thirties, and we’re both conscious of needing to moisturize more than ever. I don’t want to get to a point where I feel a need to get an invasive treatment,” Oleema says. “So I’m covered in layers of serums and toners. I’m obsessed with The Rich Cream from Augustinus Bader—that stuff is the sh*t. We both like Caudalie and Tata Harper, and I like the eye cream from Osea.”
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“I finish with oil to seal in all the moisture,” says Kalani, whose favorites are from Symbiome. “And I add those retinol pods from True Botanicals; they’re so cool and make my skin smoother and plumper.”
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Spa at Home
“I’m the biggest spa freak in the world,” says Oleema, whose favorite, along with her sister’s, is the Tierra Santa Healing House at the Faena Hotel in Miami Beach. “I sort of made one here at home: I have an infrared sauna, plus a shower and tub, which are outside in the open air, which is great for body scrubs and face masks—Tata Harper makes the best face masks. The resurfacing one supports cell turnover and refreshes my skin after being in the sun. It’s easy on skin, but the results are amazing.”
5
Go All Out for Going Out
“Bare skin and a matte red lip—that’s my signature going-out look. I love all the ILIA shades,” Kalani says.
Oleema also goes for a bright lip. “A great coral lipstick is my thing, and an extra-dewy, combed-up brow,” she says. “I’m a jeans, sweater, and statement-earring girl. Last night, I wore a cashmere sweater to my boyfriend’s parents’ house. It was 80 degrees, but it still felt right.”
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Eat, Drink, and Throw Parties
“We’ll be hanging out at the beach, and then all of a sudden everyone’s back at my house in the sauna, then in the pool, and it’s a party,” Kalani says. “I love bringing people together—and I looove a tablescape. I’ll serve fish, rice, sweet potato fries, maybe a quinoa salad. When Oleema hosts, she usually does something Italian and rustic with bean salad and sundried tomatoes. And sunset drinks—we both love a great glass of wine.”
