Look Great All Summer Long with These Trendy Beach Fashions

It's been several long months of ice and snow, but summer is finally here! It's time to clean out your closet, put away those thick sweaters and boots and bring out your great summer fashion accessories. When it gets hot and humid out (and it's definitely been humid this past week in Ohio!) it can be tough to stay in style; all you want to do is lay around in a bathing suit and drink lemonade. Here are a few summer fashion trends that can help you stay cool while looking hot!

1. If you have long hair, especially if it's thick, it can be tempting to simply throw your hair up in a ponytail every day until fall. Now you don't have to! There are so many cute hairstyles for the summer heat, and if you practice and experiment you can do them quickly and easily yourself. My first suggestion is for girls like me, with thinner long hair. Gel is your best friend in the summer; it prevents hair from frizzing and going limp as soon as you step outside. Thinner haired ladies: before blow drying your hair and after towel drying, use your hands to apply gel all over your hair. Squeeze parts of hair in your hand as if you were trying to achieve the curly, crimpy look, and do this until you feel it could air dry and stay wavy. Let it air dry for three to five minutes, then scrunch again with your hands. Now it's time to blow dry. Trust me, if you have long, thin air, don't worry about the curls setting in. They will be gone as soon as that blow dryer touches your hair, now you can make it straight yet thick for putting up. It's up to you after this, whether you want to twist it into a bun (make sure to always keep a "poof" in the front, this will hide any unattractive changes from the heat, like sweating or hair becoming completely flat) or tease it into a low pony. My favorite: big poof in the front, messy thick bun in the back. Somehow this amazingly easy look can appear dressy or rock-star chic, however you play with it.

2. Skirts, skirts, and more skirts. I have always hated skirts! Until recently, I was always worried about the size of my legs. Girls, get over it. It's summer! Every woman of every shape and size will be wearing a skirt, so do not stress. My favorite: Abercrombie and Fitch mini denim skirts (but beware, they do mean mini!) or long white skirts reaching down to the ankle. I love these longer skirts because the flowiness of them can make you seem carefree, and they are always in style. They look adorable with a spaghetti tank and long beads. With the denim mini, I think there is nothing better than wearing a classic, dressy tee with ballet flats. This is my all-time favorite summer trend, if you could be arrested for wearing the same outfit too many times in a season I would definitely be in trouble. Puffy sleeves and silver jewelry look sexy and preppy, add high heels and a cute bag for a night on the town. Be careful with the amount of skin showing though, remember that you should only put one of your many great assets on display: lots of leg means no stomach and cleavage, for example.

3. Sunscreen! It sounds cheesy, but wearing sunscreen can help you stay sexy and cool. Why? Because no one likes a lobster! Purchasing a great self tanner can really boost your confidence in the summer months. Applying sunscreen at the beach might seem disappointing because you're not really "maximizing" your tanning potential. This is not true. You would simply burn, and despite what you have been told burn does not immediately turn into tan. It goes away and you are pale again with more freckles. :) Shower after your day at the beach, and then use this little trick: put the sunless tanner on after showering, not four hours before like they suggest. It will appear darker and your skin will look more bronzed, yet you are secretly better than those fried beach bunnies because your skin is healthy, and you can control your tan whenever you want to! Try St. Tropez products, I have been using them for years and am totally in love.

Okay, now you're ready to get out there and enjoy the warm weather! The most important thing to remember about summer is just to be confident about your own beautiful body.