As you tweak your wardrobe for summer, think about updating your fragrance too. Just as linen feels cool against your skin on a steamy day, so does a spritz of a fresh light scent. “We are creatures of nature,” says Mandy Aftel, a perfumer and author of Essence and Alchemy: A Natural History of Perfume. “We crave different tastes, textures and smell when it’s hot and humid than we do when it’s cool and dry.”

Summerize a Signature Scent
Summer’s heat and humidity intensifies any fragrance. If you have a signature scent that you stick with year-round, wear a little less of it, or switch from a perfume to a less concentrated eau de toilette formula. “You want something that has a radius of only 1 or 2 feet,” says Adam Eastwood, co-founder of LuckyScent.com, an online fragrance boutique, “rather than a long reach that will diffuse throughout your office.”

Robin Coe-Hutshing -- a veteran Los Angeles fragrance consultant who founded the famed cosmetics emporium Studio BeautyMix at Fred Segal in Santa Monica, Calif. -- says that layering a summer fragrance or body lotion under your heavier gardenia-tuberose or patchouli scent will also make it less overpowering on a sultry day. “It’s like changing the slipcovers with the seasons,” she says, “and a way to hang on to something that pleases you.”

Scent Selection
Choosing a new summer fragrance can be overwhelming. So many gorgeous bottles, so many alluring names! Even before your start sniffing, edit your selections by thinking about where you like to vacation during the summer and what you enjoying eating or drinking. Then, look for scents that contain those notes.

Fresh Squeezed
Citrus notes -- lemon, lime, grapefruit and mandarin -- are refreshing and stimulating … just the thing to keep your energy up on an oppressively hot day. For a touch of summer romance, look for citruses combined with florals, such as lily of the valley, ylang-ylang and hibiscus.

Tropical
Pineapple, coconut, sea spray, gardenia, white musk, jasmine and ginger lilies: These aromatic elements evoke a day at the beach or a walk through a rain forest.

Succulent
Like biting into ripe fruit, fragrances with notes of peach, apricot, melon, honeysuckle and pomegranate serve up the carefree feeling of summer concerts and backyard picnics.

Green
Freshly cut grass, peppermint, green tea, a touch of herbs, verbena, morning dew. Like a perfectly chilled glass of chardonnay at sunset, these notes have a sporty, but refined, appeal.

Shopping Tips
Now that you’ve narrowed down your fragrance choices, here’s how to approach the perfume counter:

1. Arrive Naked.
Don’t wear fragrance -- including scented body cream. Any scent that’s clinging to your skin will mingle with the new ones you’re testing.

2. Practice Restraint.
Resist the temptation to grab every bottle and start spraying -- it’s a sure path to olfactory overload. Instead, sniff the atomizer. If you like what you smell, spray a scent strip. Wait 30 to 60 seconds before sniffing to allow the alcohol to dissipate.

3. Take a Break.
After four to six different scents, clear your nose by sniffing a few coffee beans, the olfactory equivalent of eating sorbet between courses. Fragrance boutiques often provide small dishes of beans on their counter. Or, tote a sweater or scarf; sniffing something made of wool will also clear your nasal palette.

4. Test Drive.
Once you’ve identified a few favorite fragrances, apply them to the pulse points on your wrist or inner elbow. “Skin is where a scent comes alive,” says Coe-Hutshing. “You have to experience how it interacts with the warmth of your skin and your unique body chemistry to tell if it’s a fit.”

Before you purchase the scent, go for a stroll or do some shopping. A fragrance may be released from an atomizer in a single spray, but the molecules unfold over time. It takes about 20 to 30 minutes for the various notes in fragrances to settle down and rearrange themselves into the perfect composition, says Coe-Hutshing.

At some point, it’s a decision every couple confronts. Try to sidestep it, and you’ll risk drab-looking, damaged hair or endless arguments that begin with “Did you finish my shampoo without telling me, again?!”

We’re talking, of course, about whether or not you and your mate share shampoo, conditioner and hair styling tools, or maintain your own. Merging his-and-hers may seem like the budget-friendly, eco-smart thing to do. And it may be -- but not if you use twice as much electricity trying to dry your hair into submission because you’ve started out with the wrong cleansing and conditioning regimen.

Here’s what you should consider:

1. Shampoo and conditioner. The newest science on hair care shows that different hair types have distinctly different structures. Fine hair, for example, contains 50 percent less protein than thicker hair, and curly hair has a twisted growth pattern that creates a lot of friction between strands. Coloring or relaxing your hair weakens the strand’s protective layer, which can leave it rough and dull. Finally, long hair has been exposed to way more washes, styling products and sun damage than shorter hair, making it more vulnerable to split ends, frizz and breakage.

What this means is that, to get your healthiest and most beautiful hair, you’ll want to choose products that are created especially for your hair type. Unless you and your partner have the exact same hair type, you’ll each want to choose the hair care products that suit your own hair texture.

Eco-friendly tip: Consider a two-in-one shampoo and conditioner to cut back on hair care product clutter.

2. Hair Dryer. Ionic, ceramic, tourmaline -- with high-tech innovations, today’s dryers do a lot more than simply blow hot air. Not every technological option is best for all hair textures, however. For example, tourmaline dryers contain ground mineral crystals that can speed up drying time by 70 percent. That’s a terrific time-saver if you have thick hair. But if you hair is fine, the extra power is a disadvantage. “Your hair will dry so fast you won’t have time to style it,” says stylist Sonya Dove, co-owner of the Doves Studio in Santa Monica, Calif. What’s more, says Reeve McNamara of Atlanta’s Van Michael Salon, “if your boyfriend or husband is going to share your dryer and his hair is thinning, the intense heat might burn his scalp.”

Keep in mind that with dryers, like jeans, fit is everything. “The single most important consideration when you pick a dyer is how it feels in your hands,” says Dove. If your hands are small, you might be most comfortable with a dryer that’s light and compact, while he’ll have better control with a heftier model.

Eco-friendly tip: Save electricity and still create the style you want by letting your hair air-dry before you use your blow-dryer.

3. Brushes. For starters, there’s the ick factor with sharing brushes -- they can spread lice or ringworm of the scalp. Beyond hygienic considerations, having a brush that’s suited to your hair -- thick, thin, curly or straight -- will make styling easier. If you have fine or thin hair, a ceramic brush with a small, square barrel will let you get right up against your scalp to lift your roots for a volume boost. To get the bounce and bends of a salon blowout on thick, coarse hair, choose a large, round brush that has a combination of synthetic and boar’s hair bristles. The nylon bristles will grip your hair, while the natural ones impart shine. If you have curly hair, skip the brush and opt instead for a detangling comb with a double row of extra-long teeth.

Eco-friendly tip: Clean out dead hair and dust with a tail comb every few days, and your brush should last about five years.

When it comes to touching up your hair and makeup at work, scrubbing your face clean and starting from scratch is not an option. So we asked some of Hollywood’s top makeup artists and hairstylists for makeup tips on how to make the transition from sedate to dramatic while using the least amount of products.

The Best Touchups Begin at Home
By doing barely there makeup in the morning, you cut the risk of creasing and caking later in the day. So start with a tinted moisturizer or a sheer foundation, followed by a primer-and-mascara duo (which should deliver a long-lasting coat that doesn’t need a second one) and a neutral, rosy lipstick. “Pack the items you’ll need for the evening: a dark lipstick if you’re planning on a strong mouth, eyeliner and smoky eye shadow if you plan on strong eyes instead, translucent powder to absorb shine and an eyebrow pencil with a spooly brush on one end,” says Tonya Crooks, a Los Angeles-based makeup artist who grooms the brows of Megan Fox.

Refresh Your Complexion
Whether you’re coming in from a long lunch or heading out the door for the evening, the linchpin of the touchup is clean, healthy-looking skin, says Crooks. Job No. 1 is to cancel out imperfections: Blot out breakthrough shine with oil-absorbing rice-paper tissues. If your skin is dry, spray your face with rosewater and redistribute your existing foundation with a clean makeup sponge. Cover blemishes or dark circles with a creamy light-reflecting concealer, rub a little cream blush onto the apples of your cheeks and set everything with a light dusting of translucent pressed powder (or the talc-covered side of the rice-paper tissues).

Eyeliner for Evening
The quickest way to define your eyes at night is with eyeliner, says Eugenia Weston, a Los Angeles-based makeup artist. “Use a gel liner because it goes on creamily and gives you some playtime, unlike liquid eyeliner that dries so fast it demands precision,” she says. “Using a fine eyeliner brush, draw the line gradually thicker as it approaches the outer edge of the lid, and add a small cat-eye wing if you like.

“Fill in your brows with an eye pencil and brush them upward with the spooly end. And if you’re going for a strong eye, which I think you should because dim restaurant lighting calls for it, stroke on eye shadow in deep plummy brown, eggplant or espresso. If you must have more mascara, wet your fingers slightly to moisten your lashes and soften the old coat. Let dry, and then apply a new one, separating lashes with a tiny metal comb.”

Hair Care in a Hurry
“If your locks are droopy or oily, spray the roots with a dry shampoo and brush out thoroughly,” says stylist Lia Dominguez of the Tom Brophy salon in Beverly Hills. (Dry shampoo will add volume and traction for styling.) Using a rat-tail comb, tease the top for a little height and secure your hair into a French twist with four bobby pins.

High Style
“After work, give your hair a good brushing and gather it up into a high Barbie ponytail, which can look fun and youthful,” says Christopher Dove, creative director of The Doves salon in Santa Monica, Calif. “It also gives a nice sleek curve to the back of your head.” Final touchup tip: Ditch the plain brown or black elastic band for a slightly wider fabric-covered one in a color that coordinates with your blouse, dress, shoes or purse.

With all the great products on the market, it’s easy to amass quite a beauty stash. When they’re kept too long, however, cosmetics can go from enhancing your clear complexion to compromising it with funky colors and smells -- plus they can spread bacteria.

“Over time, preservatives stop working efficiently and it’s possible for staph, fungus and yeast to contaminate makeup that’s been stored past its prime,” says New York City-based dermatologist Francesca Fusco. So resolve to keep your get-glam arsenal well-edited and up-to-date this year.

First thing’s first. These are the key items to have in your makeup bag, says Global Creative Design Director Pat McGrath of Procter & Gamble: foundation, concealer, powder, bronzer or blush, eye shadow, eyeliner, “bold” and “safety” lip colors, and mascara. Now use this cheat sheet to figure out when to toss different beauty products. Begin the countdown when you first open the product.

Foundation: Six Months to 18 Months
If you live in a hot, humid climate, liquid or cream foundation can break down in as little as six months. “Pitch foundation if there is separation or if the liquid starts to get grainy or extra-thick,” says celebrity makeup artist Sue Devitt. Stored in a cool place (not under the lights of your medicine cabinet), liquid foundation can stay fresh for as long as a year.

Powder-formula foundations will last an additional six months, as long as you wash the sponge applicator weekly.

Tip: Sniff your foundation when you buy it. “If the smell changes at all, toss it,” advises celebrity makeup artist Joanna Schlip, who has worked with Sandra Bullock and Sarah Jessica Parker. “It’s not worth holding on to the product and risking a breakout.”

Concealer: Six Months to One Year
Powder and stick concealers last a year, but liquid formulas should be replaced in half that time. Again, watch for shifts in color, consistency or scent.

Pressed Face Powder: Up to Two Years
Moisture or oil from your face can transfer back to the compact as you perfect your complexion, so prolong the life of face powder by cleaning your brush weekly with shampoo or a mild detergent, or replacing sponge or puff applicators when they become soiled from use. While pressed powders can last as long as two years, they should be discarded if a hard film forms on the surface of the powder before then, says Schlip.

Blush/Bronzer: Six Months to Two Years
A powder bronzer or blush will impart pure, true color for up to two years. Consider liquid blush or bronzer to be expired after 12 months. Cream blushes or bronzer often come in a pot or compact that you swipe with your fingers, so be alert to texture changes as soon as six months and discard after a year.

Powder Eye Shadow: Up to Two Years
Like face powder, these can be kept through two birthdays. Just be sure to practice clean-tool maintenance, says Fusco, so you don’t pick up bacteria from the moist eye area and transfer it back to the shadow pot or compact.

Liquid Eyeliner: Three Months to One Year
If your liner is drying out and you can no longer achieve a flirty Bardot cat-eye, you may need to say farewell at the three-month mark. However, liner can safely be used for a full year. “You’ll know it’s still good if it applies smoothly,” Schlip says.

Eye Pencils: One to Two Years
Luckily, your cache of colorful pencils can stick around a while. Most have a wax base, and bacteria can’t grow on wax, notes Devitt. Tip: Sharpen once a week to keep pencils fresh.

Mascara: Three to Six Months
As soon as the smell is off or the wand is nearly dry when you pull it out, it’s time for the heave-ho. “Mascara is the most likely culprit for breeding bacteria,” says Fusco, “because it’s stroked so close to the mucus membrane under the base of the lashes.”

Lipstick: Up to Two Years
Those bold reds and deep berries you save for glamour nights will safely last through a couple of New Year’s Eves or Valentine’s Days, since lipsticks generally contain wax in their base.

Lip Gloss: One Year
Although, with frequent reapplication, you’ll likely go through your favorite shades way before then!

Ready for a hair and makeup makeover, but don’t want to commit to a major change? No worries. Subtle tweaks can have a surprisingly big impact. Here are six baby-steps that will give you a whole new look.

Bring Back Eyeliner
If you stopped using eyeliner years ago, it’s time to reconsider. “Eyeliner is a tried-and-true way to make anyone’s eyes pop -- and it doesn’t have to be heavy or harsh,” says New York City makeup artist Kimara Ahnert, whose clients include Catherine Zeta-Jones, Gwyneth Paltrow and Isabella Rossellini. For a soft look, skip the liquid liners or pencils and apply eye shadow along your upper lash-line with a stiff eyeliner brush. This will create a forgiving natural line that won’t run or smudge. For the most flattering look, you can accent blue eyes with dark brown liner, hazel eyes with wine shades, or green eyes with bronze. Add depth and shine to brown eyes with emerald and purple jewel tones.

Define Your Brow
Embrace a fuller eyebrow shape with a little help from a professional. “Women tend to over-tweeze their brows,” says celebrity brow expert Ramy, whose motto is, “when in doubt, don’t pluck it out.” A well-groomed, professionally shaped arch can almost have the effect of an eyelift: Eyes look more refreshed, under-eye bags less noticeable. Brow artists do more than remove straggly hairs; they also carefully trim the hairs that remain with small grooming scissors -- something that can create bald spots if you try it on your own -- and they can tint pale, barely visible brows.

Roll up in Velcro
If you’ve been considering a professional straightening treatment or a permanent wave to add sleekness or volume to your hair, you can get the same effect by using medium-sized Velcro rollers. “It works well on both freshly shampooed, towel-dried hair and day-old hair,” says stylist Domingo Serquinia, co-owner of the Paint Shop in Los Angeles. “You’ll look like you just got a blowout.” The effects won’t last as long as expensive chemical treatments, of course, but you can get a good two days out of the few minutes you spend putting your hair in rollers if you avoid mousse and oil-based styling products. Finish your hair with a light-hold spray instead.

Add Some Highlights
Got the color blahs, but don’t want the bother of maintaining dyed hair? Talk to a colorist about highlights. They can create just as much pizzazz, but because they don’t lead to visible roots, highlights can be maintained with just three salon appointments a year. What’s more, says Los Angeles colorist Shanice Felix, “a few highlights placed around the face bring a brightness to the complexion that you can’t achieve with monochromatic color.”

Go for Red Lips
Expand your repertory of looks in 10 seconds flat by swapping your nude or neutral lip color for a sophisticated, bold red mouth. Yes, it may feel like a scary change, but you can ease into it by starting with a sheer berry or red lipstick or gloss, says Ahnert. Ahnert points out that today’s options go far beyond the old blue-red that could be difficult to pull off for anyone but women with pink undertones to their skin. Try brick reds if you’re olive-skinned, or deep purple or berry reds if you have a dark skin tone.

Bring on the Bangs
You want a radical new ’do but you don’t want to cut 6 inches from your long tresses. Done! Bangs can give you the head-turning shake-up you’re seeking -- without sacrificing length. Serquinia suggests skipping the full-on fringe and asking for softer, longer layers that you can sweep to the side. “Straight horizontal lines are too severe-looking,” he says. “Go for movement and the soft pretty haze of layered edges.”