Summertime style quick hits

For summer highlights, beach -- don't bleach

Want a head start on your summer look? Brad Johns, the creative director of the Avon Salon & Spa, says you should "beach" your hair.

Beaching is gradual highlights that are lightest in the front and darker in the back, mimicking what really happens to hair when you're sunning yourself, Johns explains.

It's youthful and looks more natural than other color treatments, he says.

Johns, who has given the treatment to Brooke Shields and Natasha Richardson, was inspired to create the coloring technique after seeing "a beautiful sun-kissed child" on the beach one day.

Survey finds buyers fall for flip-flops

A majority of people are flip-floppers -- at least according to an Old Navy survey.

The survey of 2,654 adults, conducted in the dead of winter (February), found that 58 percent owned at least one pair of flip-flops, and among those who do, 60 percent own multiple pairs. Women are the biggest fans; 67 percent own the warm-weather accessory.

More than half of those surveyed said they'll buy a new pair this year, and they're an attractive purchase because they are easy and inexpensive.

A majority (62 percent) said the sound of walking in flip-flops makes them think of the beach, while others said it reminded them of a backyard barbecue.

One-third of respondents said they'd most like to explore Bermuda while wearing flip-flops, but Fiji was a close second choice.

Touch up with a sunny coral glow

Coral makeup can brighten up a face like a sunny spring day. It also happens to be one of the season's top cosmetics trends.

Debbi Hartley-Triesch, the national beauty director for Nordstrom, says coral creates a youthful glow.

"I really truly believe anyone can wear coral if you just find the right shade. The range of corals is very wide, so finding the right coral is easier than ever," she explains.

"The new coral is shimmery and sheer. You're not looking for a thick matte coral shade, you want a coral with brightness and energy," Hartley-Triesch explains.

The easiest way to introduce coral to your makeup palette is lipstick, she says. If you're used to pink lipstick, try a peachy pink, which is a warmer version of pink. (She recommends Laura Mercier's iced melon.)

If you're someone who normally wears bright red, try an orange-red or tangerine, and if you normally favor neutrals, go for a nude peach.

Another option is dabbing a coral lip gloss over your normal lipstick color.

On the eyes, a peach shimmer shadow will add light, but use neutral shadows to blend it, and a dark eyeliner and lots of dark black mascara.

For the face, start the spring with a light, paler coral and as the season progresses -- and skin gets sunkissed -- go for a warmer shade, advises Hartley-Triesch.

Cosmetics usually follow fashion trends, she explains, and the coral will complement all the citrus brights you'll be wearing in the months ahead.