Your Makeup Skills Can Take You To This Vibrant Travel Destination

If there are two things Cosmo girls love more than anything, they’re makeup and traveling. Now, Ever Bilena is giving you the chance to combine both passions with a contest that rewards your makeup skills with a trip to the island of Phuket in Thailand.

The popular destination is known for its azure waters edged with golden beaches. Other than sand and sea, however, Phuket has a huge number of other attractions—both cultural and leisurely—to enjoy. Here’s a list of things to see and do in this tropical paradise.

1. Make a stop at Wat Chalong.

Set against a mountainous backdrop, Phuket’s oldest and most respected temple is worth a visit for its beautiful architecture, cultural significance, and amazing views from its highest tower—stunning Instagram photos guaranteed. The majestic structure also harbors a fragment of the Buddha’s bone, making the space sacred and worthy of a visit.

2. Check out the pop-up street markets.

These open-air street markets are best for soaking up some local atmosphere—even if you don't actually buy anything (but that’s highly unlikely given all the pretty knickknacks you can pick up at these bazaars). The Weekend Market in Phuket Town is an essential stop as it sells everything from snacks to souvenirs. But if you want more photogenic backdrops for the ‘gram, check out the Chillva Night Market with its painted upcycled shipping containers set up as stalls and Phuket Walking Street with its stalls set against historical Sino-Portuguese shophouses.

3. Chill at one of the island’s iconic beach bars.

Phuket has more than 30 beaches, and most of them have a bar where you can sink into a lounger, plant your toes in the sand, and prepare to watch one of the island’s stunning sunset shows. The most popular beach bars include Catch Beach Club in Surin Beach, Joe’s Downstairs in Patong, and Dream Beach Club in Layan Beach. And where there’s a gorgeous beach and amazing sunset views, a cocktail can't be far behind.

4. Get your fix of real Phuketian culture at Old Town.

This historic quarter is the best place to immerse yourself in Phuket’s unique Peranakan (Chinese-Malay) heritage. The pastel-colored shophouse boutiques strung with red lanterns, cute colonial cafes serving local delicacies, and bold street murals by Thailand’s most renowned urban artists will look amazing on your IG stories.

5. Try all the food Phuket has to offer.

If you love taking flat lay #FoodPorn photos, then Phuket is perfect for you and your Instagram feed. With Indian, Malaysian and Chinese influences, the food at this southern Thai island is fragrant, flavorful and amazingly delicious—not to mention photogenic. Local specialties include sizzling sausage skewers, fluffy oyster omelettes, spicy seafood noodles, velvety curries, and piping hot roti.

Are you convinced yet? If you’re itching to head to this Thai paradise, join the Ever Bilena’s Big Beauty Challenge to possibly win a trip to one of Southeast Asia’s most intoxicating locales. Now on its third year, this beauty challenge features 10 different weekly themes that will test the creativity and talent of makeup lovers nationwide. Contestants must come up with an exciting look using only Ever Bilena products, based on the concept for the week. Cash prizes await weekly winners, plus the chance to qualify for the grand prize: a trip to Phuket.

To learn more about Ever Bilena’s Big Beauty Challenge, follow Ever Bilena on Facebook.

This article was created by Summit Storylabs in partnership with Ever Bilena.