Among the many other countless reasons ladies everywhere are loving the change of seasons, we’re here to highlight all of the reasons why you look beautiful in the summertime – and what you can do to bring out your best during this season of warm, breezy nights and balmy afternoons.

1. What have you done to feel beautiful from the inside as of late? The famous saying maintains that you are what you eat, and it’s also true that healthy, beautiful skin starts with a good diet and regular exercise. Stick to non-processed foods and non-bleached flours and sugars to reduce the levels of inflammatory agents in your diet (which often lead to those unsightly breakouts), and do be sure to weave a workout into your daily routine. According to Allure, exercise helps reduce cortisone spikes – often the result of stress – and ultimately leads to smoother, clearer skin. If you’re feeling especially nutty over your health, get yourself into the habit of taking supplements – vitamins and minerals aren’t just good for your dietary health, but they usually come with hidden beauty perks as well.

2. Watch that glow. We know it’s tempting to want to dash your pasty winter skin to bits by hitting up the tanning salon or spending long hours on the beach, but what looks good now can only age you faster and potentially lead to skin cancer – how ugly is that? We’re not saying you have to shield yourself from the sun, but make sure you apply broad-spectrum sunscreen to protect your skin from all forms of UV rays, reapplying periodically if you’ve been out all day or in the water. Better yet, try a self-tanning product – many leading brands offer high quality formulas that are way less prone to streaking than you probably think.

3. Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize! You should be drinking your recommended eight glasses anyway, but your skin is just as thirsty as your gullet. Use lotion and moisturizer every day to keep that skin touchably smooth, healthy and radiant.

4. Why not express with your nails? Thanks to the departure of gloves and arrival of sandals (and in some cases, bare feet), your mani/pedi can be used as a font of expression more than ever before. Go wild with bright, citrus shades, two-toned looks and even edgy French tips using bright, fluorescent shades in place of white.

5. Don’t be afraid to rock the bedhead. A sultry, day-after look is sort of al the rage at the moment, so if you’ve got a sleepy head of locks, a naturally tousled mane or salty, piecy locks from rolling about on the beach, do embrace them. Even if you can’t pull this look off without a hint of effort, you can enlist your curling iron, voluminizing spray and texturizer to help you create the illusion that you woke up looking this sexy and glamorous.

6. When it comes to makeup, do lighten up. You’ll probably need a new foundation that’s a shade or two darker than the one you use in the winter, so go ahead and buy a lighter, more breathable formula or a tinted moisturizer while you’re at it. You’re sweatier in the summer, which means your pores can get clogged more easily – and besides, you don’t want to totally cover up your natural sun-kissed glow.

7. Put your brightest pout on. This season is coming up all shades of honeysuckle, tangerine, cherry and magenta, and your lips should say so accordingly. Go ahead and stick to lipstick or gloss if that’s your thing, but lip stains in particular are a majorly hot way to boost your summertime appeal.