SHIMMYSHEA...."Shea What Yo Mama Gave Ya"

There is nothing more lovely than beautiful brown skin that glistens in the summer sun, and a diva armed with fierce shades and glowing skin is unstopable!! Shimmy Shea is a must have product for your summer skin, and if your are lucky enough to live someplace where the sun smiles on you year around then this stuff should be a staple product for you!
Shimmy Shea is a shea butter based product infused with oils and shimmery minerals to produce the most luscious, moisturizing cream I've come across. The shimmery minerals dance across exposed skin for the perfect sunkissed complexion.

The ladies of Shimmy Shea created their product specifically for women with olive to mahogany skin tones and have come up with creams that cater to a variety of skin tones. You can choose from 4 different ShimmyShea Shades to find the one that complements your skin best. I purchased the Bahian Bronze Shimmer and LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it! I slather the product on skin that will be exposed in the summer sun, like my legs, arms and chest. My husband can't get enough of this stuff ladies...whenever I wear it he says "you look lickable."

Besides a stellar product these ladies have outstanding customer service! For the first time ever, I ordered something and it never found its way to my door step. I contacted the company and they had confirmation that my product had shipped and had in fact been delivered to my home...who knows what happened to the original order, but Prachel with ShimmyShea wanted to make sure I tried their product and shipped a new order out right away...THANKS PRACHEL!!! Not only did they send my requested item, but they also included free sample of shea butter as well as the Strawberry Honey Shimmer which came in a perfect tin size for travel (I took it to Vegas with me).

I heart this stuff. It gives the skin the perfect amount of shimmy without looking like a damn stripper. No offence to strippers but when you are flirting with 40, you can't have all that glitter mess all over you! Again, so y'all know I not lying about using the product, here's my stash!

~Nikki

I'm a Sephora Whore

I've been selling my ass for a few years now...Strolling the local malls looking for my next customer. I've tried to quit...get my butt out of the mean corridors of the Mall of America... but Mistress Sephora is serious about her hoes making her money...and lets just say that Sephora's pimp hand is strong when it comes to me. I'm hooked...I can't shake the lifestyle.
The rush I get every time I fall to my knees in worship of some great product...it brings chills to my spine even now. And did I mention Mistress Sephora will give you up to 3 generous samples of any product in the store without even purchasing anything! What kind of pimp lets you sample her hoes for free!?! Sephora is one bad bitch y'all, and I'm in deep...

Stay tuned for more of the Sephora Chronicles and the products that keep me giving all my money to my pimp...Mistress Sephora.
~Nikki

Friday Fitness!!

Let's all jump on the fitness band wagon. Hey if you don't like working out and sweating (yeah La Juana I'm talking about you) then find some other way to improve your health and fitness. Eating more fresh fruits and vegetables, trying a new exercise class like yoga or a pole (yes I mean pole as in stripper) fitness class.

I'm in detox mode for the next week in an attempt to get rid of some of the toxins in my body. I will be eating nothing but fresh fruits and vegetables for the next 7 days people...my skin and colon will thank me I'm sure. I am also considering doing the Master Cleanse for a week to 10 days after I finish my fruit and veggie detox, but I don't want to get to far ahead of myself..lol I just feel the need to really cleanse my system and start to eat cleaner, healthier and bring exercise (and for me that means sweating) back into my life's routine.

For the next two months Fridays will be dedicated to fitness...hence the term Fitness Friday! And who knows...we may keep this as a regular segment here on The Flirty 40's! Lets all try to live healthier lives...good luck with your individual journeys, cuz I sure as hell need luck and help with mine!

~Nikki

Lush's Aromacreme Deodorant

This is a prime example of why free samples are so important!! When I received my order from Lush Cosmetics they threw in a few freebies, one of which was a deodorant. I should start off by saying that as a general rule I don't like my deodorant to smell like anything...I have no desire to walk around smelling like baby powder or some odd mountain fresh scent. I should also mention that I am what I call a "stinky girl!" My sweat stinks! There is no such thing as a two day deodorant for me. If I were to go two days without showering my pitts would be ripe...hell I would be down right funky. When I wash my tops, tee's and blouses, I add a cup of white vinegar or baking soda to the laundry to ensure that no residual funk lingers and that the armpit area on my shirts don't turn yellow. I digress, but I thought that you should know that I take deodorant and underarms VERY SERIOUSLY!

Anyway the nice folks at Lush sent me a sample of their Aromacreme Deodorant. My main problem with this deodorant is that it is just to damn fragrant for my taste...note the product description:

Neutralizes odors with absorbent, micro fine scented powders. Aromacreme solid deodorant is a beautiful combination of micro fine powders in a moisturizing almond oil and shea butter base. It not only perfumes your armpits with exquisite flowers and neutralizes odors with absorbent powders, but it keeps your armpits soft and supple too. Take a small blob and stroke it onto dry underarms. It sticks, stays, and makes you smell lovely.

First let me give it its props...a little of this stuff goes a long way and for those of you who are concerned with having soft and supple armpits, this stuff is a keeper thanks to the shea butter and almond oil.

As a stinky girl my primary goal is to have my deodorant fight odor and this stuff will do just that, but its scent is way to over powering for me. You should not...I repeat NOT wear any other fragrance when wearing this deodorant..it's that damn pungent. I smelled like this deodorant all damn day! I could actually smell the floral fragrance of my armpits and the scent was not one I would have personally chosen as a primary fragrance and this deodorant acts as a primary fragrance!

The sample I got was enough for 3 applications...maybe even 4, and yes I wore the deodorant on 3 separate occasions. First because I am cheap and not going to waste perfectly good deodorant and second because I wanted to be fair in my review. For those of you who like heavy scented lotions, body butters and perfumes, you will love this stuff...otherwise I would say you should pass on this product. The good news is that you can go into a Lush Store or a Lush Counter and get a sample before committing to the $11.25 price tag for 3.5 ounces.

~Nikki

The Questions Every Stylista Looking for a Steal Must Ask Herself

Before you make that next purchase, there are a few things you MUST ask yourself. The savvy stylista NEVER buys before thinking and is ALWAYS in control of her coins!

• Can I REALLY afford this?

I once had a friend tell me that she only buys something if she can afford to pay for it TWICE WITH CASH...and still maintain her current standard of living. She applied that theory to handbags, shoes, her car, her condo...everything. Look ladies, if you have to eat Mac & Cheese for the next 2 weeks because you bought a pair of Jimmy Choos...guess what, you couldn't afford it!! Take a lesson from Sex and the City. Before Carrie landed her book deal, she had closet full of fabulous clothes...and not much else. Unless you're creating the next great collection of American short stories, let's try not to end up borrowing money from friends to satisfy your shopping addiction.

• Why am I paying full price for this?

In this economy there aren't a whole lot of reasons to pay full price for anything. In ANY economy, you should only pay full price for the following items (and only if you have no other choice):

1. Skin Care & Makeup



2. Jeans that ACTUALLY fit



3. Any item that will be a staple in your wardrobe: Black Suit, Little Black Dress, Crisp White Shirt, Classic Black Pumps, etc.



4. Hair Care

• Before you buy anything you have to ask yourself the following three questions in this order:

1. Am I buying this because it looks good on HER?



2. Am I buying this because it looks good on me?



3. Am I buying this because it's the new, hot trend?

If your answer to #1 is yes...I BEG of you, PLEASE make sure your answer to #2 is also yes. Not everything was made to look good on everybody. If your answer to #3 is yes, you'd better not be paying full price!

• Why am I buying this fake ass handbag?

If you have to buy a knockoff, please scroll to the top of this post and see the first question you should be asking yourself. Don't settle for fake! If the label is important to you, save for the real thing!

• What will happen if I don't buy this RIGHT NOW?

Ummmm...children will not die if you don't buy that scarf. In fact, you'll probably just end up wearing something you already own that's just as cute. Just like buying a car, always make sure to maintain your "walk away" power.

The moral of the story is...think before you buy. If your wardrobe is worth more than your house, you have a problem.