Hot accessories to help you keep & look cool

Hot enough for you? Don’t answer that — it takes too much energy. But since it’s here, how about we embrace the heat and cool down with some adorable beach and pool accoutrements? Because we’ve still got at least five weeks to get through in this mega-hot summer, so we might as well live it up with a few things that make us smile more and sweat less.

Grab some undeniably cute floaty things, like:

SunnyLife’s Tube Lilo ($70 on sunnylife.com) in Rainbow. Its candy colors roll out like a packet of Starburst, and it feels almost that sweet to lie back into in a pool, lake or the waves of a salty beach. Not to be outdone is the Orange Giant Pool Inflatable ($58 on bloomingdales.com) from ban.do, a big ol’ inflatable orange slice that you can sprawl out on. (It’s 60 inches in diameter — any questions on comfort?) Make all of that even splashier by adding on the Kai Drink Caddy ($99 on potterybarn.com). Constructed of Sunbrella fabric, the pillow-shaped vessel floats besides you, won’t fade from sun or chlorine, and has space for four drinks and an ice bucket. It all gives your pool an immediate style boost — even if it’s just an oversized kiddie pool on your deck.

Add in some lightweight, pretty towels, such as:

Slowtide’s Dylan Cotton Beach Blanket ($80 on bloomingdales.com), a lightweight Turkish-style chambray cotton weave. So it’s soft to sit on, but also very pretty thanks to a fringed hem and neutral stripes. And that neutrality means it goes with anything else — pillows, towels, picnic bags — you put on it. And talk about lightweight: WildHorn Outfitters Sand Escape Beach Blanket ($29.99 on amazon.com) is compact and strong, made from parachute nylon. That makes it a cinch to carry to and from the beach and — most importantly — sand doesn’t stick to it. Built-in sand anchors and a zippered pocket make it easy to hold down, and give you a place to stash your phone, wallet, car keys and lip gloss.

Water and drink bottles you’ll want to take with you everywhere:

We all have our favorite water bottles for workouts and hikes, etc. But in weather this hot, the priority’s gotta be keeping things chilly. And of course, cute. On both fronts, the Corkcicle Canteen Classic Collection Water Bottle & Thermos, 16 oz. ($34.95 on amazon.com) wins. In all kinds of colors and patterns from Luxe Leopard to Unicorn Pink Dazzle, its two secret weapons are a triple-insulated stainless steel that keep liquids cold for 24 hours and a completely leak-proof cap.

Chic and effective sun protection:

Some people like SPF built into their moisturizer or foundation; others just want the option to put it on straight. If you’re in the latter camp, Shiseido has a terrific Ultimate Sun Protector Lotion SPF 50+ Sunscreen ($49 on sephora.com) that gets stronger and more protective when exposed to heat, water and sweat. And it’s lightweight, so it works for nearly all skin types — normal, dry, combination and oily. Or, if you’d rather have it built into another essential product, go for a proven high-end winner like Laura Mercier’s Tinted Moisturizer Natural Skin Perfector Broad Spectrum ($47 on sephora.com). It’s bolstered with SPF 30 and comes in 20 shades that hydrate your skin for 24 hours.

Which is definitely about 10 times longer than you’re going to want to stay in the sun on days as hot as these, anyway.