the spf challenge...

ok people, i have a little challenge for you (and me).

as you may have noticed, spring has sprung. everyone is starting to spend more time outdoors, wear less clothing, and show off their skin. that's great, really. but did you know that unprotected sun exposure is the number one cause for premature aging skin and wrinkles and spots and more? yeah i know, your  mom told you to wear sunscreen when you were younger. and people preach about it all the time but do you actually use sun screen? maybe? i know i never do. i do spend lots of money on anti-aging creams and potions in the hopes that i will never wrinkle (so far no wrinkles! ). but lucky for me, i pretty much never ever sat out in the sun when i was growing up. i still don't. ok, maybe once or twice a year. but that's probably it. (with baby oil... omg, please don't kill me)

but that's not enough. we should be using sun screen when we drive, when we go to the dog park, when we walk through a parking lot...

in a few weeks i am going to begin laser hair removal treatments. to be honest with you, i hate shaving my legs etc. so, i'm just going to do it. why do i bring this up? well, you have to avoid sun exposure. which, for me, should be easy enough. but if you know me, you also know i'm debating a move to miami beach. how will i avoid the sun there?? and so, i present you with the spf challenge.

im challenging myself to use spf protection all over. every day. no matter what. cloudy? spf. sunny? spf. rainy? spf. just do it. i have been on track for about 2 weeks now and it's easier than you would think.

so i want to challenge you too. can you protect your skin every day this spring and summer? hopefully you'll form a habit that you can take with you into the fall and winter. and you know what? maybe this is a great anti-aging skin care program. i bet in 6 months, i'll look younger than any other 27 yr old female who is not using spf protection.

and as much as i love my perricone md products, maybe i'll save a few bucks because i won't really need all the face firming dream creams. (who am i kidding? i adore perricone md)

my fave: australian gold spf 30 plus lotion.
pros: not greasy or sticky and i love the tropical scent
cons: i wish it felt a little more hydrating.

new on the scene (at least for me): supergoop
cool product: spf wipes! so neat! now you have no excuse to "forget" your spf when traveling - tsa approved!

come on people, you can do it :)

xoxo
the flirty floridian

steppin out...

it's spring time. that means lots of fun shoes that will need pretty feet to fill them! avoid dry, cracked heels with steppin' out from the lippmann collection ($38). it's an ayurvedic foot cream loaded with kokum butter.

what's kokum butter? well, it's similar to cocoa butter and melts just slightly when it comes into contact with skin. it's also rich in essential fatty acids, allowing for accelerated cell oxygenation which makes nutrients more readily available to our skin. it doesn't clog pores and it absorbs quickly so you won't have a sticky feeling after using it.

traditionally, kokum butter has been used in india (comes from the garcinia indica tree) for skin softening. it naturally restores elasticity and heals rough calloused skin. the garcinia indica tree belongs to plants in the mangosteen family. hello anti-oxidants! i love love love mangosteen! but i digress...

pros: smells great and feels even better!
cons: it doesn't come with a hot pool boy to rub your feet... damn.

ps if you have nut allergies, be careful.

love it!
xoxo
the flirty floridian

anastasia's illusion of better brows...

im not going to lie to you here, i have amazing eyebrows. i get stopped constantly. they are thick, dark, and full. and i have natural high arches. they're beautiful. really.

recently i thought i'd be extra greedy and try to figure out how to make them even more beautiful. so i did some reading and i decided to try anastasia's brow enhancing serum ($36). this is basically a clearish colored gel in a horribly designed tube with brush applicator that is supposedly packed with vitamins and proteins and is meant to help condition, repair, and restore your eyebrows. you apply it day and night to clean brows and wait for your luscious new brows to grow right in. of course this will require consistent application and patience.

i used this for about 4 weeks and i did grow brow hair. but i was also not going in for my biweekly threading appointments and i also avoided using my tweezers no matter what.  as a result, i started to look like selma hayek in frida. ugh. of course your brows are going to "grow", you're not touching them!!

pros: it is easy to use and non greasy etc

cons: but as far as results... i'd say this is more gimmick than gain.

next.

xoxo
the flirty floridian

aquolina pink sugar

im sure you've all  encountered pink sugar from aquolina ($29-$59). i don't want to use harsh language but i hate this perfume. its overly sweet... saccharine, lets say... and sticky. ick.

i especially do not enjoy people who wear this to the gym and then use the machines near me. why?

i will say that the intentions of this perfume give the illusion of a wildly feminine scent. notes include: bergamot, sicilian orange, raspberry, fig leaves, lily of the valley, licorice, strawberry, red fruit (vague), cotton candy (the culprit), vanilla, caramel, musk, wood, and powder.  that sounds promising right?

please pay attention here or take notes... if you are over the age of 12, you should not be wearing this. 

next. 

xoxo.
the flirty floridian  

green apple peel...

i am currently testing out the green apple peel sensitive treatment from juice beauty ($39). this is an organic mask designed specifically for sensitive skin (thank god). it's got a hydroxy acid complex in it comprised of apple, lemon and grape juices as well as a raw cane sugar that together help to dissolve dead skin that can leave your complexion looking dull and blah. you know what i'm talking about.

ive had it on now for about 3 minutes and it is starting to tingle, which is expected from a product with fruit enzymes. it's interesting that i am testing out this product after already trying the full strength version. let me tell you... when they say peel, they are not here to play games. i thought my face was peeling off for real. ouch!

the full strength version ($45) is made it 12% alpha hydroxy acid from real fruits. it's also got vitamins a, c, and e. i don't have sensitive skin but the full strength version was unbearable for me. it really burned! and right now, the sensitive formula is kind of killing me as well.

intermission... i need to wash my face!

ok, i am back... my face feels smooth but it is also red and blotchy. and it is warm/hot to the touch. :( in my opinion the sensitive formula may be a bit too intense for people who really do have sensitive skin or problem skin.

as much as i enjoy a good exfoliator, i don't like to recommend these types of masks. i feel the same way about kate sommerville's exfolikate (review to come). it's awesome, but it was just too much for my face. however, if your skin can handle it, more power to you. if you want my advice... stick with the clarisonic.

and before i leave you, please understand that this type of product will increase you're skin's sensitivity to sun exposure so please use protection on your beautiful face! it's the only one you've got!

xoxo
the flirty floridian

a girl's second best friend...

i say "second" best friend because we all know about a girl's primary best friend. i might even go as far as saying best friend #2 is worth its carat weight in best friend #1.

the clarisonic.

let me begin by saying i was pressured into this purchase by one of my go to girls at my local sephora. "oh, it's fabulous! you'll love it! i can't believe you don't already have one! and best of all, it helps all those other products you spend so much money on actually do what they are meant to do!" sold. 

and this is where my relationship with clarisonic began. that was about a year ago and i can safely say this is one thing i am so glad i didn't say no to. at first, i was reluctant. i was sure this was an over promising under delivering fad. two hundred bucks for a face gadget? seriously? but ok, i mean, sephora takes returns no matter what soo... 

a few weeks go by and i am totally over the $200 face brush. i was breaking out every day and i never... ever... break out. i tried to return it. but no, the sephora girls said i had to give it 2 months and that i would not regret it. sigh. ok i will try it for a few more weeks.

weeks had passed. i endured taunting from my older brother about my new gadget. and then by week 4 or 5, people started to comment on my glowing skin, my smooth skin,  my healthy skin! as it turns out, the clarisonic face brush definitely delivers. the reason i broke out at first was only because the clarisonic was bringing all the impurities in my skin to the surface and getting rid of them! it cleans your skin better than you'd imagine. basically, it gently and effectively loosens dirt and oil to clear your pores. With a patented sonic frequency of more than 300 movements per second, the gentle massage action cleans, softens and smoothes your skin in just 60 seconds! and it beeps to let you know when to move on to another section of your face.

so now that my skin was free of excess yuck, my creams and primers and magical potions were actually doing more of what they are meant to do and i am saving money because i don't really need all those super strength anti-aging products (i am paranoid of wrinkles).

all i need is my clarisonic. :)

xoxo
the flirty floridian

guess who...

you might recognize me from my alternate blog:  part time sweetheart full time smartass

i hope so, but if not...  it's nice to meet you. my name is vanita. vava, nita, vanita applebum, vanita bonita... whatever's easier for you sweets. i'm here to talk to you about skincare and beauty products and maybe a little bit of random fun in between.

i want to let you know that this blog is long overdue. i am going to make a legitimate effort to make up (ha ha make up) for the past few years of beauty blogging that i was doing in my head but nowhere else. so here we go - i've tested and tried more products that you can imagine and i am a complete nut for good skincare. i know my stuff and i want to share it with you so you can get gorgeous! after all, looking good makes you feel good and when you look and feel good, you can flirt with the best of 'em!

want me to review something specific? leave me a comment and i'll get right to it!

want personal beauty consulting? get in touch with me at flirty.floridian@hotmail.com

want daily tidbits? find me on twitter! @flirtyfloridian

let's get this show on the road ;)

xoxo
the flirty floridian