luxe : less - The Beach Hair Edition

Beach hair is a great low-maintenance style for the warmer months. Bonus is it's also not as hard on your hair as heat-treated styles (as long as you condition regularly to help keep the salty products from drying out your tresses!)

Bumble and bumble offers the best known and most praised beach hair spray, called surf spray. This product is awesome - it smells like the beach and adds instant body. But at $23 for 4 oz I'm wary to make this luxe spray a product staple. 

Luckily, towards the end of last summer I found a fantastic less stand-in that works just as well. It's from Not Your Mother's and is only $6 for 8 oz -  only 13% the cost of b+b's per oz!!! The Beach Babe - texturizing sea salt spray smells eerily similar to Bumble's and works just as well. To use: spray it onto damp hair after a shower, comb through and tousle your hair with your fingers - done!

luxe : less - The S/S 2011 Sandal Edition

Spring/Summer 2011 runways had a few shoe trends that honestly made me cringe - clogs and the "shoe sandal." But as the warm days draw nearer I've been pleasantly surprised with designers' translation of other runway themes into fresh sandals with closet staying power. The brands I covet turned out the real keepers: Chloe, Reed Krakoff,  and Pour La Victoire. The trends I'm loving: wedges, straps, saddle leather, and neutrals. Find four luxe and less pairings below!

1. Chloé Wooden wedge leather sandals (luxe @ $575) - beautiful wooden wedges that will pair gorgeously with almost any dress. I like how the straps are thinner on this pair

2. Coach Maleena wedge in whiskey veg leather (less @ $198) - very similar silhouette to the Chloé pair, thin and elegant straps here as well

3. Pedro Garcia Thais Vacchetta leather and suede wedge sandals in cigar (luxe @ $430) - another example of the beautiful saddle leather coloring, I love the suede platform here as an alternative to wood, cork, or the traditional espandrille

4. J.Crew Marguerite leather wedges in toffee (less @ $165) - another all-suede wedge with a deep rich brown leather. Pair these or the Pedro Gargia pair with cropped pants or jeans, skirts, and dresses

5. Pour La Victoire Crisscross flat sandals in black (luxe @ $224) - a flat and thick-strapped sandal like this adds a bit of funk to a basic outfit - I'm imaging these with cropped jeggings and a plain tee while walking the city or running errands

6. J.Crew Salina leather sandals in black (less @ $98) - an awesome match to the Pour La Victoire pair, at less than half the price. I actually prefer how this pair lacks the crisscross straps across the top of the foot. These are also beautiful in the toffee color as well

7. Reed Krakoff Leather ballerina flats in toffee (luxe @ $395) - I personally am loving the neutral / nude trend for Spring/Summer. These leather flats would go with anything, and the stitching and toe cap details are gorgeous

8. J.Crew Classic leather ballet flats in tawny sand (less @ $110) - an amazing dupe color-wise, J.Crew flats are super comfortable with soft leather and a padded foot bed

luxe : less - The Bright Handbag Edition

Brights were on every Spring 2011 runway - and who wouldn't want Proenza Schouler's Coral PS1 Pouch Leather handbag ($1,225) on their shoulder this Spring and Summer? Gorgeous bag, and if it's one of your few investment handbags this year - go for it (and let me borrow it). If you're hoping to save some cash but need this crossbody look for your wardrobe, try Kate Spade's similarly hued Essex Small Scout bag ($295) and save yourself almost a grand.