The summer is here, the beach is calling!! Or the lake, or the park, or wherever you need to have a beach bag handy to get you through the day, but are you ready? Do you have all the essentials to keep you looking fabulous, but not overdone? Here are my favorites to keep your skin and hair protected while still looking flawless.

Have these in your beach bag?

1. First, start with a sunscreen that will protect without clogging the pores, my favorite is AmorePacific Spf 30+++. This sunscreen is completely oil free and filled with antioxidants. The +++ is the international label for the highest sun protection you can get from both UVA and UVB rays. AmorePacific’s Spf 30+++ also contains oil absorbing properties so you can apply all over you face in the morning as your moisturizer without feeling like you just put on a thick Spf. AmorePacific uses bamboo sap in lieu of water, Korean red ginseng, and green tea as their main ingredients so even the most sensitive skins will love this line.
2. For some color, try Laura Mercier Bronzing Gel, $30. It is in a handy little tube and a little goes a long way! Just put some on your fingertips and dab on your cheeks and forehead to give your skin a sunkissed glow without the harm of the sun.
3. For lips, gloss is a must! For the beach, a little shine never hurt so I never leave the house without my sephora lip gloss palette in shades of bright pink, only $4!  I think I have these everywhere, my bag, my car, my desk, just in case I need a little pink pick me up! And because they are only $4, you wont care if you lose it on the beach.
4. Waterproof mascara always looks fabulous on the beach, your lashes just need a quick coat of L’Oreal Voluminous Waterproof Mascara in black.
5. A quick fix for your hair is to extend your sunscreen you use for your body into your hair, it will keep your hair protected and hydrated at the same time. A hydrating spray to apply when you get out of the water is a definite! I love Phyto’s entire line of summer hair care products.  The Protective Beach Spray is the best! It has Spf and olive oil extract to keep your hair silky smooth even out in the sun!

Don’t forget a towel that screams your personality and your favorite summer read to keep you busy on the down times. But if you go with your friends, I doubt there is any down time, too many cute boys and girls to check out! Have fun but stay protected, the sun is hotter than ever so keep applying the sunscreen every four hours. Keep at least two bottled waters with you in your bag or maybe the floral water that you spray on your face, getting dehydrated just isn’t cute! Keep drinking lots of water all day, the sun is harsh and you need to replenish what it tries to take away.

The warm weather has finally arrived in New York! After weeks of being rained out, I finally got a chance to leave my umbrella home, drop the top on my convertible, and show off my pedicure!

The sunlight gave me an extra little boost, but I got to thinking: “How can I update my summer look?” Everywhere I turn I see my fellow brunette’s lightening their locks ever so naturally. I just loved the highlight’s on Victoria’s Secret’s Angel Alessandra Ambrosio, E!’s Guiliana Rancic, and of course, the Queen of Sun-Kissed Locks, Jennifer Aniston!

Armed with copies of the latest fashion and gossip magazines (you caught me!), I went to see my stylist to update my looks. We looked through some pictures together, and before I knew it, she had bleach and toner mixed and the perfect plan to update my look.

A few hours later, I emerged from the salon a new woman, ready for the summer sunshine! So, what do you think of my new look? What do you ladies (and gents) out there do to freshen YOUR summer style?

Photos: Bauer-Griffin

Our sense of smell conjures memories and feelings more powerfully than any other sense. A scent can function like a wormhole to the past; a person walks by and suddenly you’re no longer on the F train heading to Brooklyn but in the garden at your grandmother’s summer cottage.

Perfume can also be a statement. Complexity and clarity work in tandem to create something you breathe in deeply, eager to find out more, or to simply enjoy.

“The Black Masterpiece,” (or “L’Oeuvre Noire”) By Kilian is a line of 6 perfumes that are little to heavy for me, but if you enjoy the notes of Sambac Jasmin, Brazilian rosewood, and more; you will enjoy this scent. I particularly enjoyed the truly entertaining literature Killian provides! Baudelaire, Faust, Rimbaud and yes, Snoop Dogg are invoked on this twisted journey toward nasal nirvana. The sampler includes:  Love, Beyond Love, Liasons Dangereuses, Cruel Intentions, A Taste of Heaven, Straight to Heaven and the brand new and 7th, Prelude to Love.

• Love ~ neroli, Sambac jasmine, rose and iris.
• Beyond Love ~ tuberose with animal notes.
• Liasons Dangereuses ~ notes of Egyptian geranium and cinnamon.
• Cruel Intentions ~ bergamot, rose, vetiver and styrax.
• A Taste of Heaven ~ Absinthe and includes orange blossom, amber, and patchouli.
• Straight to Heaven ~ rum scent deepened with nutmeg, Brazilian rosewood and cedar.
• Prelude to Love ~ bergamot, Seville orange, lemon, ginger, pepper, neroli, orange blossom and Florentine iris.

Pricing: 1.7 fl.oz refillable bottle is $225.00; a 1.7 fl.oz refill is $115.00