Surviving a Southern Summer- Seven Tips to a Successful Summer Season

Living in Louisiana, we have our fair share of hot and humid summer months. With a little practice, and trial and error, I share with you five tips that anyone can use to survive a summer in the south.

1. Add light colored pants to your wardrobe- Do not shy away from buying those light khaki pants or white jeans this summer. If you are like me, and feel like a sausage in casing in white jeans, here is a great tip- buy your light-colored pants a size larger and have them tailored down where needed. I heard a sales girl at The Limited tell another customer this and I felt like my life changed, ha. I actually did go out and buy my first pair of white jeans though and I love them.

2. Invest in a keratin-based hair product- I have frizzy and curly hair, so some kind of keratin-based product for my hair is a must in the summer. I recommend either Organix Ever Straight Brazilian Keratin Therapy or Tresemme 7-day Keratin Smooth.

3.  Make a pool day playlist- During the hot summer months, I try to get out to a pool as much as possible to cool off. There's nothing more relaxing then laying out in a lounge chair and listening to music that makes you feel like you are on an island vacation. Relaxing tunes like Coldplay's "Paradise" or Bob Marley's "Could you be Loved" are great additions to a pool day playlist.

4. You can use sunscreen and still get a decent tan- I'm at an age now where it's just not smart for me to only put on tanning oil when laying out. I like to use a face moisturizer with at least SPF 30 and sunscreen with at least SPF 25 on my body. My trick though, is that I put dark tanning oil on top of the sunscreen, which still results in a sunkissed glow.

5. Don't be afraid of neon colors- Neon colored clothes have been a trend for a few years now. While neons can easily make an outfit look cheap, they can also be incorporated into an outfit in classy ways. I use neons as my pops of color in the summer. Whether a statement necklace, bracelets,  a design on a shirt, or even shorts paired with a neutral colored top, neons can make a summer outfit fun and stylish. Oh, and they for sure make you look tanner than you really are. :)

6. Find a go-to summer cocktail- My go-to summer cocktail used to be a margarita all the way, but I discovered the St. Germain cocktail just this week. It's 4 parts dry sparkling wine, 1.5 parts St. Germain, lemon for garnish and fill with ice. Delish!

7. Drink lots of water- If water isn't your thing, many brands have come out with products to flavor your water. My favorite is the Crystal Light line- so many good flavors!