It’s easy to cultivate golden skin if you’re spending the dog days of summer on a yacht in the south of France. What’s that you say? You have a job to attend to? Well, it turns out you can get a little bit of that luxurious vacation in your local department store. Estee Lauder, a name entirely synonymous with sophistication, has launched their 2009 Sensuous Gold Collection.

While neon colors are currently the hot trend for nails, that doesn’t mean the classics should be ignored. Sensuous Gold is a shimmering rose color that can easily transition from day to night. The collection’s darker tone, black amethyst, is a deep purple shade reminiscent of OPI’s Lincoln Park after Dark. While we know some critics detest dark nail colors during the summer, we’ve been sporting black amethyst for a few days and really love the deep punch of color. At $18 a pop these obviously aren’t bargain basement polishes, but you are paying for the attractive bottle that looks more like designer perfume than nail polish. We suggest splurging on one, and using the color as your go-to for the rest of the summer.

The fearsome foursome of lip colors from the Sensuous Gold Collection are rich, sun baked shades of Estee’s Hydra Lustre lipstick that you may have seen in this month’s Harper’s Bazaar. Rose Amethyst is a shimmery baby pink, which we found a little too frosty in color. Terracotta was our personal favorite, as it’s a warm, toasted pink to red shade. For berry lovers, plum amethyst is a rich, pink-purple shade that’s great for the ladies who have deep tans and want to show them off on a summer evening. And lastly, we liked the cinnamon shade best on dark skin tones, as pictured. Each color is a relaxed summer shade that could easily transition from the office to the deck of a yacht. Besides the luxe shades, our favorite aspect of the Hydra Lustre Lipsticks is the rich, hydrating texture. Each color moisturizes to leave you with a creamy, colorful pout.

Highly blushed cheeks can be too severe in the heat of August. But just a small hint of pink on the apple of the cheek is great by itself, or on top of bronzed skin. The Estee Lauder blush is top quality and beautifully packaged, and the price definitely includes the glamorous case and design.

The Sensuous Gold Collection’s Pure Color Multi Shimmer Lip Glosses are 3-layers that blend together to make soft, summery colors that look fabulous on their own, but even better on top of lipstick. They’re sticky enough to stay in place, but not so uncomfortably-strong that all your hair gets caught on your face.

In the summer time, eye shadow can sometimes look too heavy when you’re heading to beach barbeques and volleyball games. That’s why we’re fans of the Estee Lauder Signature Eye Shadow Quad, which each feature 4 packs of complementary colors in relaxed, summer shades. The Rose Gold palate is a lighter, less severe blend of pinks and purples, while the Rose Amethyst collection is a deeper foursome that goes further into the realm of deep pinks, purples and brown. Naturally, each shade perfectly fits into the Sensuous Gold Collection, giving you the complete look for a golden summer.