Christen Harper in Bathing Suit Has "Good Lil Weekend"

Christen Harper, the Sports Illustrated model, enjoyed her weekend with her boyfriend, NFL player Jared Goff. The couple decided to spend time at the beach with their dog, and even enjoyed a picnic. Harper posted a series of photos of their day on Instagram, including one of the couple sharing a kiss. She wore a blue patterned bathing suit, showing off her figure. She captioned the post, "Was a good lil weekend." How does she stay so fit? Read on to see 5 ways Christen Harper stays in shape and the photos that prove they work—and to get beach-ready yourself, don't miss these essential 30 Best-Ever Celebrity Bathing Suit Photos!

Harper is a model, which means she has to have great skin. While you'd assume that she likes to wear makeup all the time, you'd be wrong. Harper revealed a lot of her skincare secrets in an interview with Skincare.com. She says that she tries to go makeup-free as often as she can. "I try to spend as much time as I can without makeup on, so that my skin can breathe. If I feel like I need to be a little more put together—on the weekends, or for lunch plans—my go-to look is a swipe of tinted brow gel, some mascara, and a pop of lip salve."

Harper tells Skincare.com that one of her favorite products to use is coconut oil. "It's great for makeup removal, as a face mask, or to give my skin hydration after being out in the sun," she explains. "Keep some in a small jar to throw in your purse—or, beach bag—as you never know when you might need some extra moisture."

Harper tells Skincare.com that after a shoot, she makes sure to take extra care of her skin and hair. "Many don't realize how little control models have when it comes to what they are wearing and what is being done to their makeup and hair. Sometimes products don't agree with our skin, but have to be applied for a specific look. Photo-ready makeup is generally very heavy and when it is applied day-after-day, it can take a toll on your skin. My skin is prone to breakouts, so after I wrap a shoot, the first thing I do is take off my makeup with a makeup remover wipe—so my skin can breathe. As soon as I get home (no matter how tired I am), I make sure to thoroughly wash my skin, tone, and apply a facial oil."

Now that Harper has a large platform, she wants to use it for good. She tells SI Swimsuit that charity work is extremely important to her, especially after her years of working in the modeling industry. "I think working as a model for most of my life gave me such amazing things; however, it also left me unfulfilled in so many ways. I felt like I wasn't doing anything to help people, and everything often felt very shallow. So over the past few years, I turned my attention to spending more time giving back and getting involved in important organizations, and It really has given me so much. I wake up every day filled with gratitude and hope, knowing that maybe my small actions can make a difference for someone even for just a day or a moment."

Harper tells SI Swimsuit that she wants to be a role model for young girls out there. She says that this is why she works with the charity, Girls Inc. "So many young girls don't have the opportunity to have a strong support system or a positive mentor in their lives. Girls Inc steps in to fill that role. I think it is so important to encourage and inspire girls to be confident and bold, to raise their hands, to speak up for what's important."