This summer is all about life & style. Time to put in your PTO, store away that frumpy winter wardrobe and gear up on all the season’s must-haves for healthy living and re-creating your identity through fashion.
WELL COLOR ME HAPPY
Using a color wheel, identify complimenting hues to determine a color scheme for your summer wardrobe. Also, feel free to incorporate metallic, neon and cool Caribbean colors to compliment your basic color scheme.
ACCESSORIES
• Statement Jewelry: Bold & chunky and or metal & masculine
• August and brimmed hats and fedoras
• Cat-eye sunglasses
• Aviator shades
• Parasols and or light umbrellas
• Classic gold or silver watch
• Retro swim wear (60’s inspired)
STAPLES FOR YOUR SUMMER WARDROBE
• Basic denim jacket
• 70’s inspired bell-bottoms
• Palazzo pants, like royal groove pants, available at: www.concreteroseboutique.com
• Designer inspired t-shirts, like Celine, Marc Jacobs, YSL and Chanel available at: www.loveoflabelsboutique.com
• A good pair of skinny jeans
• Wedge sandals
• Intricate beaded sandals, like Pikolinos, available at: www.pikolinos.com
• Patriotic/flag inspired apparel
• White on white trend, also known as the “white-out trend” and or lace/embroidery over white
• Cropped top
• Sleeveless dress
• A pair of cut-off shorts
• Camouflage inspired apparel, like camo luxury auto apparel, available at: www.sheluxecouture.com
• A carven skirt
FRESH FRUIT, NUTS & WHOLE GRAIN
In case you didn’t get the memo, food is also subject to trending. Summer is the season to be seen munching on fresh fruits, like berries and melons, nuts, like pistachios and almonds, and whole grains, like wheat toast and whole grain nutritional bars. Not only a tasty treat, fruits, nuts and whole grains are low in calories, high in fiber and contain tons of vitamins and minerals. According to a journal published by the American Chemistry Society http://portal.acs.org/portal/acs/corg/content by Marshall G. Miller and Barbara Shukitt-Hale of the Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University http://www.tufts.edu/ in Boston, Mass., strong scientific evidence conclude that eating berries such as blueberries, blackberries, strawberries and other fruits in the berry family, result in beneficial effects on the brain, age-related memory loss and other changes.
FLOWER POWER
Possess the power of flowers. From your closet to your dinning room in-table and in full view on your desk at the office, floral prints, in feminine pastels, and fresh flowers, like, tulips, daisies’ orchids and perennials, in bright warm hues are a must have. “Flowers, just like peace, are good for our mental health,” said Sally Auguston, applied environmental psychologist and principal at Design With Science. In a 2013 article published by the Huffington Post http://www.huffingtonpost.com/, Auguston, explained that research consistently links indoor flowers with wellbeing, concluding evidence suggesting improved mood and cognitive performance in the workplace, less anxiety and creativity.
DRY SKIN?… OVER MY DEAD BODY
Keep your skin hydrated, resilient and soft all summer long with Kiehl’s decadent body butter, Crème de Corps. A rich, yet light air-whipped mixture of soy milk, honey, shea and jojoba butters, this addictive moisturizer provides instant penetration to restore, protect and soften skin against the harsh effects of dry and irritated skin. $37 online at Keihls.com
BEAUTY BALMS AWAY!
A triple threat gone quadruple, BB creams have got you covered all summer long. Used as a moisturizer, primer and or to combat uneven skin, most BB creams now offer the benefits of sun block with added sun protection factors. Choosing a BB cream with added SPF can help protect your skin against the harsh effect the sun has on our skin. According to The Skin Cancer Foundation, skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States; annually diagnosing more than 3.5 million skin cancers in over two million people.
TOP 5 SONGS FOR YOUR PLAYLIST
• Jennifer Lopez feat. Pitbull – Live it up
Purchase download at: iTunes.com
• Justin Timberlake feat. Drake – Right Here
Purchase download at: iTunes.com
• Kat Dahlia feat. Polly A. – Money Party
Purchase download at: iTunes.com
• Kenex feat. Logic – Cut’er Loose
Purchase downloads at: itunes.com (free downloads at reverbnation.com)
• Madeleine Peyroux – Bye Bye Love
Purchase downloads at: iTunes.com
YOUR BEST SUMMER COMBINATIONS
• Abdomen & legs: Reduce or maintain your body weight this summer with stomach and leg exercise.
• Cucumbers & H20: Swap out those sour lemons for refreshing cucumbers in your drinking water.
• Leisure & outdoors: Take your activities outside this summer by challenging yourself to an outdoor activity.
• Frugal & fabulous: Fashion is even more fabulous when it is free, throw a closet party and swap fashion with friends.
• Cocktails & cabanas: poolside with your favorite cocktail… need I say more?
• Romance & dinning out: Hot guys/girls and hot food equals a cool summer
• Novels & art: Intelligence is sexy. Familiarize yourself with literature and art through reading.
Have a summer STAPLE you didn’t see on the list? I want to know! keep me and other readers in the loop by sharing and commenting below. HAPPY FIRST DAY OF SUMMER FOLKS!
