Luckily, over the years I have learned and my bags have become smaller and smaller. I’ve learned to pare down and prioritize, and I can see more clearly things I can’t go without. This year I can’t resist my favorite Johanna Ortiz swimsuits and those very summery, casually chic strappy dresses from Graces of London. I’ve also found some gorgeous and beautiful hats at Moda Operandi (to, you know, keep the sun away and my skin healthy and glowing). I’ve also added in a few precious jewelry pieces from Silvia Furmanovich and Federica Rettore for good measure, since I am a jewelry lover after all!

Cosmetics/Beauty: The beauty department is especially tough in the summer, since the threat of the sun makes it feel like we need everything. But I have some essentials that I’ve decided I can’t do without. Chantecaille Ultra Sun Protection SPF 45 is probably one of the best products in the market. Very easy to apply, leaves your skin with such a soft, velvety effect. They have a SPF 15 tinted moisturizer, too, which I love. Cheek Gelee offers a very natural, summery effect. For the evenings I use a tiny drop of their illuminator as well.

Philip Kingsley is the best product for hair that I have found so far – elasticizer is a must for the summer, in case you swim a lot and your hair is inevitably exposed to the sun. You may also enjoy their after sun scalp mask and weatherproof hair spray. I picked up a few of my favorite shampoos for the summer: Re-Moisturizing Hydrating Shampoo and Conditioner, Moisture Extreme Hydrating Shampoo – are the best one. They can seem a little heavy, but are better in the long run for hair that is constantly wet, sandy, and being washed.

And finally, I can’t do this summer without l’Artisan Parfumeur’s Bana Banana fragrance. It’s light and gentle with a very peculiar ingredient – banana?! – that blends surprisingly and beautifully with Jasmine. Give it a try!

THE JEWELRY ICON

In my world Pearls and Roses symbolise love and loyalty. Just ask Oscar Wilde. The other day I was reading The Nightingale and the Rose to my daughter, his heartbreaking children’s story in which a nightingale observes an emotionally distraught college student lament the absence of a red rose among the myriad of plants before him. The red rose, he wails, is needed to win over the hand of his true love.
“Mummy, what if there really were no more roses in the world!” exclaimed my daughter. “What would we do?”
“That’ll never happen,” I replied, but in truth she got me thinking. How would we cope with a world without roses and pearls?

So many perfumes and beauty products are created from this beautiful flower. I decided to dedicate a short post to them and to my favourite pearls.
Cruelty-free, vegan Chantecaille’s superb, concentrated Rose de Mai rose face oil and cream, is one outstanding example. And Chantecaille’s rose water is on the list too. It’s the best, purest rose water I have ever tried.

And I certainly don’t want to contemplate a world without my favourite Mizuki pearls! In the skilled designer hands, these orbs are transformed in highly modern and sculptural ways, perfectly reinvented for the contemporary woman. And of course, nothing flatters the complexion like pearls.

THE JEWELRY ICON