Not everyone is going for airbrush tanning and fake bake. Here are some of our porcelain-skinned Hollywood favorites: Cate, Dita, Julianne, Rachel and of course, Nicole.

Associated with beauty, purity, and nobility in Asian cultures, skin whitening, lightening, and brightening is all the rage. Historically and culturally it’s most apparent in the traditional face painting of Geisha. These female entertainers began painting their faces white to establish themselves in society. A white face showed that a woman had not spent her life working in the fields and signified nobility and wealth.

Today, the desire for lighter and brighter skin has become prominent in the United States. Whether it’s the pesky freckles around your nose you’ve been annoyed by since childhood or an uneven skin tone you’ve developed with age, there’s a treatment to lighten and brighten. Utilizing ingredients that bleach away existing spots and prevent the future production of melanin that causes hyperpigmentation, companies have created their own lines of products that either work separately or in a system. Lighten up with one of these magic potions!.

The skin lightening and brightening pros at SK-II have new product. The SK-II Whitening Source products utilize their unique SK-II Derm Complex of Vitamin B3, ascorbyl glucoside, and Pitera, the company’s signature ingredient, to restore moisture and balance skin. The Whitening Source Clear Lotion uses the complex as well as glycerin to help exfoliate dead, dull, and discolored skin cells preparing it for a more intense treatment. And, peppermint leaf extracts leaves skin refreshed. After prepping with the lotion, the Whitening Source Dermdefinition adds a powerful punch of brightening. This formulation helps restore bright skin and reduce discoloration with the highest concentration of the SK-II Derm Complex. The potent solution resets the skin’s tone and improves color by stopping the overproduction of melanin to prevent further skin discoloration.

Available at Saks Fifth Avenue, and www.saks.com

The new kid on the block, Dermalogica’s ChromaWhite TRx will be making its debut this fall. The C-12 Concentrate is a highly potent brightening and conditioning treatment that uses brightening peptide, botanical skin brighteners, and algae extract to minimize discoloration and improve skin clarity. The algae extract helps to control the continued formation of melanin. The non-greasy gel formula absorbs quickly into skin leaving a smooth. For a more intense treatment, the Extreme C formula offers a more potent punch of the formula, and the white tea extracts help to accelerate skin brightening and strengthen the skin’s defenses to prevent future pigmentation. The powder is simple to apply and rubs easily into the skin.

Available at www.dermalogica.com

What do Lindsay Lohan, Jennifer Love Hewitt and Sir Anthony Hopkins have in common? On the surface, not much! But all three celebs have been sporting the Clarus Q-Link Pendant, a personal energy system that operates within the “biofield,” a new area of research that studies beyond the physical body and extends to states of being. Sound like gibberish? Let’s break it down.

The silver, teardrop shaped pendant contains a resonating cell –no batteries, no magnets- that operates like a microchip, programmed with healthy frequencies that interact with your body on the cellular level, aiding the body in feeling healthy by using Sympathetic Resonance Technology.

Still raising your eyebrows over this one? Don’t worry. We were skeptical, too. That is until we draped a fashionable, waterproof Q-Link around our necks. The reversible necklace, which can be worn silver side out or with the brown and black puzzle piece side out, is supposed to increase energy, improve concentration, enhance mental acuity and stamina, reduce stress and decrease other negative effects caused by electromagnetic radiation from cell phones, power lines, and computer monitors.

During our road test of the Q-Link, we wore the pendant over our sternum. We not only looked like we were sporting a trendy, stylish necklace, but within a week, we felt less irritable under the harsh, buzzing fluorescent lighting at work and less fried at the end of a long day attached to our PDA, even during PMS! It may very well be mind over matter, but we felt it working. Even if it doesn’t do anything for you or your biofield, you can take the company’s 90-day, money back guarantee or just enjoy the Q-Link solely as an accessory.

Available at www.q-linkproducts.com.

Adrian De Berardinis

It’s been a long time since I took a turn for natural when it comes to coloring my hair. That’s probably not the most common thing to hear from someone who changes her hair almost monthly. But I’m one of those few that can’t resist a risk. Whether it’s hurling myself out of a plane or putting black streaks in my hair (not the same caliber, I know), I jump at the chance to be daring.

All too quickly though, those constant color risks stacked up to equal a head of hair that was one thing: confused. It was time I took a step back from myself to evaluate how much I like having a healthy head of hair. I realized I more than liked it, I needed it. It was time to start a routine whereby my hair could stay healthy and still have regular color treatments. Seeking out a more sensible, yet beautiful and striking color process led me to a newly-opened salon, De Berardinis.

Front desk at De Berardinis in NYC

Owner Adrian De Berardinis, opened the salon in December, 2007, but the official launch was in March. Most of his experience with hair comes from working in the parent property, owned and run by his father, and international salon owner and stylist, Giancarlo De Berardinis. Giancarlo owns salons in Toronto and Milan but the flagship is in one of the Nutmeg state’s most prosperous towns, Greenwich. Though it’s only about 35 miles from Manhattan, not many New Yorkers would make the northward trek. Hence came Adrian’s desire to open a salon for patrons who need a city dose of De Berardinis.

“The Greenwich salon influenced the Manhattan location through its refined, sophisticated design,” said Adrian. “I wanted to take some of that without making it too intimidating to our guests. It still feels upscale and refined but has a sense of humor about it.”

Summer is in full bloom and cleaning out the closet is so last season. Instead, try cleaning out your makeup bag and replacing tired old powders, blushes and shadows with new, clean and green cosmetics.

For those not in the know, Suki Pure Skin Care has built a huge cult following thanks to their 100% pure line of skin care products. Founded by self-taught entrepreneur Suki Kramer, who suffered from sensitive skin and chronic eczema, the soothing line recently launched an extension…Suki Color, a pure and natural line of mineral-rich cosmetics.

Our summer picks from the collection? So glad you asked!

Suki’s Tinted Active Moisturizer SPF in Natural or Bronze is light in texture and absorbs quickly like a second skin. Anti- inflammatory ingredients reduce the appearance of blemishes and redness while potent vitamin c liposomes protect the skin from sun damage.

For eyes, the Cream Eye Definer in Amber is a shimmering neutral that creates a wash of illuminating copper for eyes. This versatile shade is a must-try for all eye colors.