Summertime & Sunshine: 13 Top Picks You Need This Season

By Katie Gray

    1.   The Honest Co By Jessica Alba Bug Spray -  Actress, Jessica Alba, founded The Honest Company. She has stated, “I founded The Honest Company because I wanted safe, effective products that perform. After all, you shouldn’t have to choose between what works and what’s good for you.” The Honest Co. consists of healthy and safe products for your families and children. It ranges from juice boxes to vitamins, personal care products (like shampoo and body wash) to cleaning products, organic infant formula to diapers and wipes. One of their products is a must have this season for you and your family: Honest Bug Spray. It’s organic, non-irritating, hypoallergenic and effective. It smells good, too! It’s made with a refreshing blend of rosemary, wintergreen essential oils and citronella. Usually bug spray is harsh and you have to use it to prevent getting bug bites. However; this product is gentle and gets the job done. Plus, the aluminum bottle is recyclable. Go green!

   

    

    2.    Burt’s Bees Honey Moisturizing Lip Balm -  Burt’s Bees honey lip balm is a must-have product this summer. It’s important to keep your lips hydrated and the Honey and Vitamin E makes it a winner. The tagline for the product is, “A sweet treat for your lips.” It is indeed! Burt’s Bees was founded in 1984 and since then has been producing earth friendly and natural personal care products. They manufacture their products using natural ingredients, with little processing to keep the purity of the ingredients in tack. Burt’s Bees was purchased for $925 million dollars in 2007 by Clorox. The use of honey is the ideal natural moisturizer.

    3.     Redken Shampoo & Conditioner - In the summer, we are out in the sun a lot, enjoying the wonderful weather. This means we have to take good care of our hair, to make sure it stays hydrated and doesn’t get dry from the sun. Redken 5^th Avenue NYC products are amazing! These haircare products cleanse, moisturize, nourish, strengthen, smooth, repair and protect your hair. To maintain your color and shine, I recommend the color extend shampoo and conditioner from Redken. The shampoo & conditioner cleanses, while providing anti-fade protection, which is what you don’t want to happen from all of the exposure from sunlight. It features Redken’s Interlock Protein Network (IPN) to keep your hair healthy, shiny and fresh. It also has a UV filter, conditions with cranberry oil, and makes your hair radiant!

   4.    Lancôme Skincare - La la love, Lancôme! The top pick this season, are Lancôme skincare products. This includes the full set: mousse radiance and crème radiance cleansers, clarifying exfoliating toner, high potency moisturizing cream, eye cream, makeup remover, visionnaire skin corrector, and génifique youth activating concentrate. These luxury products are a must-have, to keep your skin looking flawless. These products complement all skin types, are enriched with smoothing, purifying and revitalizing ingredients, which make your face appear more luminous and youthful, with refined texture. The products keep your skin healthy and fresh, while maintaining your youth. Their eye cream specifically, helps to keep your youth intact. It’s never too early to start preventing aging and to start taking care of your skin. Their génifique and visionnaire products in particular, are anti-aging products that help take away wrinkles, blemishes and bags under your eyes – which all can be caused by various factors. Lancôme is a French luxury perfumes and cosmetics house, founded in 1935 in Paris, France. They distribute products internationally. You can find them in luxury shops, department store counters, as well as online. (Julia Roberts has been the beautiful face of Lancôme!) Pamper yourself this summer!

     

    

    5.      Kate Spade Bright & Bold Handbag - A pop of color! This summer we are thankfully seeing so much color, and very bright and bold tones. An essential accessory you need this season, is a bright colored handbag or crossbody bag. Designer, Kate Spade, is known for having colorful handbags and accessories. You can expect to find crisp color, graphic prints and playful sophistication with Kate Spade New York. The line offers a wide range of colors, including very vibrant tones. At Kate Spade they swear by the motto, “Live Colorfully.” A colorful accessory can brighten your mood and put a pep in your step.

   

    

   6.  Mirina Collection Statement Necklace    -   Make a statement this summer! The hottest accessory right now is the statement necklace. Mirina Collections is a great place to obtain these staples. The brand is based in New York City and their jewelry is handmade, custom to order. The collections are inspired by the Roman Empire, Queens & Kings, and Royalty. You feel like a Princess when you wear their jewelry! A lot of the art details are based on Roman, Greek and Egyptian designs and empires. This fine retailer will have you feeling summertime fine! Treat yourself this summer to these beautiful necklaces.

    7.    Avon Foot Works in Pomegranate Chocolate - In the summer, your feet are always exposed! Making sure that your feet have a pedicure is important. Whether you’re wearing sandals, or are barefoot at the beach, you want to have angel feet. Avon has a great line called “Foot Works” that is designed to specifically keep your feet in great shape. I recommend their smoothing foot scrub, moisturizing foot cream and soothing foot soak trio. Those products in pomegranate chocolate are amazing! Show off your feet this summer.

    8.      ‘Into The Water’ Book By Paula Hawkins - “Secrets can pull you under.” Paula Hawkins is the #1 New York Times Bestselling author of The Girl on the Train. Her recent release ‘Into The Water’ is the perfect summer read! Read it at home or take it with you to the beach. It’s another well written thriller, mystery, and truly packs the punch with suspense. The best part about Hawkins’ books are that they are original and not cliché. Oftentimes you can guess what is going to happen in a book, but this author keeps you on your toes and surprises you, which is all you could hope for in a good book! Summer is about relaxing and unwinding. This is the beach read you’ve been waiting for.

    9.  Oribe Hairspray - The best hairspray around is Oribe! It smells amazing, which is a true treasure when it comes to hair products. You’ll want people to smell your hair after using this product. It’s that amazing! You’ll smell like an Angel straight out of Heaven. This sheer, modern hairspray with a good hold, is light weight and stays in place. The brand designed this to bring new technology to old-style glamour. This ultra-dry finish won’t dampen or dull your smooth style. The result is flexible, brushable and shiny-soft locks of hair. Sometimes hairspray can make your hair crunchy because it’s holding it tightly in place, this hairspray however; doesn’t at all. That’s right, it leaves your hair soft, smooth and luxurious! Creative Director of Marie Claire, Nina Garcia, uses this product. She even included it in her box that people can subscribe to, in order to receive products from the style icon.

    10.  Lavender by the Bay Relaxation Mist - Lavender is an essential oil that should be incorporated in your routine year round. Lavender by the Bay is a great brand located in The North Folk, Long Island, New York. Their ‘Lavender Hydrosol’ and ‘Relaxation Mist’ are amazing products. If you’re in the New York City area, they sometimes can be found with a booth in the Union Square market in Manhattan. You can also visit them in Long Island, as well as online to order products. The lavender hydrosol has a natural lavender essential oil distillation process. With earthy and sweet grassy undertones, this wonderful flower water makes for a delightful aromatherapy spray or facial toner. Lavender hydrosol is great for all skin types. Give a spray after you cleanse your face, before applying your favorite serum or cream. Use post-workout or on a hot summer's day; your bound to feel refreshed!

    11. Stila Convertible Color Dual Lip & Cheek Cream - Stila, is one of the best names in the makeup industry. Stila products are used by top makeup artists around the world. In my interview with top celebrity makeup artist, Chelsea Yusuf, she said one of her favorite products is the Stila Convertible Color, for lip and cheek. It is truly amazing, and doubles for lipstick and blush. This is one of the must-have essentials for summer and year-round. I have the Stila convertible color in “Peony.” It’s the perfect color for summer. You can pick any color that you feel looks best with your skin tone and matches your personal preference. Find the shade that you feel the most comfortable wearing. An added bonus: It’s perfect to take with you on-the-go and makes it super convenient because it’s 2 in 1. Shine on all summer!

   12. Neutrogena Makeup Remover Wipes - Also in my interview with celebrity makeup artist, Chelsea Yusuf, she stated that one of her must haves is Neutrogena makeup remover wipes. They work so well and don’t leave your skin in rough shape. They actually make you feel refreshed! It’s apparent that they moisturize your face and keep your skin healthy. And most importantly: glowing. You can find these at any drugstore and they are fairly affordable. Neutrogena makes good over the counter products that are dermatologist tested. These are definitely a must-have this summer, as we feel like we are melting sometimes from the humidity which can be negative for your skin. Use these to take off your makeup and protect your face!

   13. Nike Running Shoes  -   Just do it!!! Summer is all about adventure. Enjoying nature and the warm weather is all part of summer fun. Whether you’re exploring the great outdoors, partaking in sports, working out in the gym, or running errands – you need a pair of Nike running shoes. There are so many different color options to choose from. There are nice neutral tones that match with any outfit you’re wearing, and there are also fun neon colors. The most important thing is comfort first, when buying shoes – just like Kathy Kelada mentioned in my interview for her “Be The Shoe” book. Nike keeps your feet comfortable, prevents blisters, and gives you a bounce in your step. You feel like you can take on the world in them. Plus, they’re stylish too!

Katie Gray is a Marymount Manhattan College alum with degrees in Communication & Media Arts and Business with a concentration in Entrepreneurship. She is a New York City based freelance writer, journalist and reporter. She has had jobs and internships with: Marie Claire, Fox News, 5W Public Relations, NY1 News, Bloomingdale’s flagship, Cumulus Media with radio stations NASH FM & PLJ, Tribeca Film Festival and New York Fashion Week with the Council of Fashion Designers of America. Her work has been featured in print and online publications: Brooklyn Reporter, Cupid’s Pulse, The Daily Meal, The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Center for Communication, Bensonhurst Bean, and more. You can find more articles from Katie on her website: www.xoxokatiegray.com.