These are the days we dream about,
When the sunshine paints us gold.

Summer in New York means that the city flocks out East to the stretch of the islands and beaches, once home to the elite, and now mushrooming with life and lifestyle. The Hamptons have been a staple of my New York summers, and this time I was thrilled to be invited to the Bella New York Magazine summer issue launch and 5th Annual White Party. It was hosted by the stars of Girlfriend’s Guide to Divorce of Bravo TV at the Southampton Social Club, a country club with a shimmering backyard for the day, and a nocturnal nightclub by night.

Before diving into product discoveries and sponsors, the white dress code theme meant I dropped my penchant for over the top color and adorned a muted shade, but charmed it up with accessories. A Guess blazer was teamed with a Rogues of London side slit shirt, with Roberto Cavalli cream leopard print pants (a trend that was clearly a staple of fashion week). The red leather Milanese designed Giorgio Brutini shoes teamed well with the Alexander McQueen studded clutch and my staple Dior glasses, with some custom made jewelry, a Rado watch and my standard Cartier bracelet. Cheers to detailing.

Of drinks, the Rose All Day team threw phenomenal light on their business, bringing the trending wine to a beer-can style familiarity, while retaining its exclusivity. While not the biggest fan of sake, I appreciated the cucumber flavored TYKU Sake, a neat and strong punch on a summery day. And of the bespoke cocktails, the Long Island Sportscar-tini with your usual punch of Dirty Martini ingredients, was a staple sipper on the hot day.

With a display of beauty products catering mostly to women, I found myself drawn to the branding of Fake Bake, the flawless sunless glow line, with an enviable booth and succulent products. Dermatologica had some curiously relaxing swag and a luscious invitation to their Soho spa. Sulwahsoo brought their Korean beauty wisdom with a refreshing, anti-humidity air mist signature product which worked to hydrate the parched skin.

And of all the sponsors, the eyewear and swag from Brussels Airlines was a heartening reminder of my incessant need for travel, and my history of having lived in Holland (close enough to Brussels!).

Overall, it was a fun afternoon of mingling with New York‘s elite and meeting a host of luscious people from different walks of life. New York truly is, and always will be, an alluring melting pot.