I like Pina Coladas, getting caught in the rain, an arsenal of beauty potions that I'm tempted to taste. Boston is a city full of beauty maniacs. But who really has the time to meander in and out of every shop, looking for the perfect summer picks? We do! Our mission was to find the sweetest concoctions on the shelves. Coconut, nectarine, lemon, chocolate, matsura and strawberries . . . It's a sweet, sweet, summer.

Kiehl's Lecithin & Coconut Enriched Hair Masque
Although we usually associate dry hair with the brutal winds of winter, summer flirtations with sun and chlorine can cause a bad case of the brittles. Kiehl's Lecithin & Coconut Enriched Hair Masque, an intensive conditioning hair cream infused with coconut and avocado oils, is formulated to impart shine and softness to your scalp to the tips of your tresses.

Shu Uemura Sweet Lip Gloss
Newcomer to Newbury, Shu Uemura is a modern and gorgeous shop with a ceiling adorned by brilliant butterflies. The spare space showcases its fabulous products. I was immediately drawn to the Sweet Lip Gloss display. The candy colors are complimented by names like Orange Marmalade and Nectarine Jam, not to mention Pear, Peach, Lemon and Lime. They smell as sweet as they look. Try these tempting tubes in transparent and translucent formulations for sheer bliss on your lips.

Fresh Lemon Sugar Eau de Parfum
Summer scents can be tricky. Cloying fragrances just don't work when the air is thick and heavy. Fresh, a Boston-based cosmetics company with a Newbury Street boutique, has a line of sugary products that have a light and airy spin. The effervescent perfume has notes of Italian lemon, orange blossom, ginger flower and caramel. For the full effect, layer with Sugar Shower Gel or Bath Cubes, plus Body Lotion.

Peter Thomas Roth Fresh Ripe Wild Strawberry Scrub
Did winter leave you looking like an alligator? The Beauty Mark in Beacon Hill suggests you scrub away your scales with Fresh Ripe Wild Strawberry Scrub by Peter Thomas Roth. It contains aloe vera and sweet almond oil; your skin will savor its superb moisturizing effects. If you plan to self-tan, don't forget that exfoliating is absolutely essential, so scrub-a-dub.

Fake Bake Self-Tanning Sheer Chocolate Mousse
In a cosmetics emporium like Sephora one can easily be overwhelmed by choice. But who can resist the rare beauty offering with Chocolate Mousse in its name? We've all tried legions of self-tanner, might as well add one more to your list. The mousse glides on easily and dries quickly. Inhalation allowed, but please, no tasting.

The Body Shop Satsuma Body Butter
If you decide to go the old-fashioned route for a tan - baking in the sun - make sure you replenish your skin's natural oils with plenty of moisturizer. Satsuma is a type of citrus, and a newly added "flavor" to The Body Shop's line of delectable body butters. The cream is both hydcrating and invigorating; rub it in all over.

Eliza B. Strawberry Flip-Flops
Surely your toes will be perfectly pedicured all season? Slip on these super-cute and preppy flip-flops by Eliza B. The strawberry pattern will bring you back to the days of Lisa Birnbaum, unless of course, you never left. If you prefer graphic designs, she also does them in plaids, eye-popping stripes and punchy polka dots.

- Marni Elyse Katz

Directory
Kiehl's, 112 Newbury St., Boston, 617.247.1777
Shu Uemura, 130 Newbury St., Boston, 617.247.3500
Fresh, 121 Newbury St., Boston, 617.421.1212
Beauty Mark, 33 Charles St., Boston, 617.720.1555
Sephora, Shops at the Prudential, 800 Boylston St., 617.262-4200
The Body Shop, Shops at the Prudential, 800 Boylston St., 617.261.1876
In The Pink, 133 Newbury St., Boston, 617.536.6423