Living in South Florida means I’ve seen my fair share of beach-goers. The beaches down here are filled with beautiful people with beautiful bodies and perfect tans. However, they aren’t always filled with people who are easy on the eyes. Nor is every beach day an episode of Baywatch. As summer approaches, more and more people are heading off to the beach to catch some rays and waves — which mean you’re going to do a lot of people watching. For better or worse.

Here are the 10 people you’ll definitely see at the beach this summer.

Peppered throughout magazines and blog sites are optimistic articles about delicious summer activities and fashion trends to anticipate and enjoy. However, there is one thing about summer that is so heinous and disgusting that I feel I must warn the masses before it destroys them: flip-flops, fashion’s Anti-Christ.

I can hear the gasps and verbal WTF’s already. I know, I know, flip-flops are practically the poster children for summer fun. Calm yourselves, I have reasons.

1) They Make Any Outfit 1/4 As Cute: No matter how much effort you put into your ensemble this morning or how much you paid for that sundress, if you add flip-flops to the equation it will look instantly less cute. Much less cute. So much so that it defeats the purpose of even trying to make a cute outfit and you should have just worn sweats.

2) Your Feet Will Get Dirty: Want to know why outfits are less cute with flip flops? Perhaps it’s because dirty feet are not cute. On anyone. And dirty feet are inevitable when flip flops are involved. Your toes will turn brown, your heels will turn black and your calves will be covered in whatever crap that flop is flipping up. Seriously, no one wants to see your cracked and crusted feet stomping around in fluorescent rubber contraptions.

3) They Make Your Legs Look Fat: For some reason, colored slabs of rubber are not the most slimming choice for summer fashion. Optical illusion? Perhaps…At any rate, you spent all winter in the smelly gym to look like this, so don’t waste it on flip-flops!

4) Shoes Should Not Be Noisy: Sexy can be defined as the sound of stilettos clacking across a marble floor. The opposite is true for the sound of flip-flops slapping against your dirty feet.

5) They Aren’t Practical: Let’s face it – having half-an-inch of rubber barely attached to your foot is not the smartest choice available in footwear. They lack traction, stability, and could cause bodily harm (or at least a serious bruise to your ego). Who hasn’t flipped out of their flop before, or slipped on a little spilled beer?

6) There Are Cuter Options: This season it is almost a crime to opt for cheap-o flip-flops when there are gladiator sandals and adorable flats! Fringes, patent, and metalwork – oh my!

Now that I’ve stated my reasons, I would also like to point out that nothing beats a lazy day on the beach with nothing but a pair of flip flops and a good book to keep you company. For me, however, the beach is where my flip-flops will stay.

[This story was originally posted by Katie - Michigan State]

Get it? Got it? Good. Want some more? Don’t worry, there are plenty more faves where this came from.

It’s strange, but for some reason spending 45 minutes on the elliptical feels unnatural when the weather starts warming up. It’s like lying in a tanning bed when it’s 80 degrees and sunny outside.

Clearly, I’ve already grown tired of my normal workout routine for the year.

The solution? Exploring outdoor activities that will provide me with a sense of adventure as I tone up. Now you may be wondering, “Hmm, is there really anything fun out there that will burn lots of calories?” I felt the same. But the reality is, YES, YOU ABSOLUTELY CAN! Check out these options below. Read More »

I live for the summer.  In the spring, I count down the days until my last final and I miss it terribly during the fall.  I love the way the sun‘s rays touch my skin, I love reading novels lazily on the beach, my morning outdoor runs, and enjoying picnics and BBQs.  I love the skin-exposing, brightly colored fashions I get to wear.  I want nothing more than to be carefree during my favorite season, but unhappily I cannot be. There are two frightening words that come to mind whenever I’m wanting to bask in the sun and they are a constant reminder to apply sunscreen and limit my beloved time in the sun: skin cancer.

With that in mind it certainly is important to apply sunscreen, avoid tanning beds, and limit hours in the sunlight. But obvious these steps are not all that we can do to protect oneself from the sun’s damaging rays. It turns out that the foods we eat can have a protective effect! Read More »

Do you avoid wearing your hair wavy or curly in fear of the crunch? Do you blow dry and flat iron your hair just so you don’t encounter it? Then this video is for you.

For years I lived with crunchy waves, but now there are so many products to make your waves soft and lovable. Here are a few techniques you can use to have your hair looking beachy and touchable in no time! Read More »

Summer is in full swing and while we’re all busy toiling away at our internships and jobs, it’s hard not to dream about those relaxing and fun summers of our past. Not only did we have zero responsibility back then, but we had all of our friends to chase through sprinklers and get Dairy Queen with. Not anymore. With all of our college friends spread across the country and the dreaded 9-5 gig, summers just aren’t the same anymore.

But they don’t have to be a total bust. It is summer, after all.

When it comes to summer break, there are only 5 friends you need for optimal summertime fun. You keep these peeps around and you’re golden through Labor Day. Read More »

It’s starting to get hot, hot, hot outside! While I’m stuck in landlocked Alberta, where no one has pools, I’m sure many of you out there are gearing up to start hitting the beach, or hang out poolside on a weekly (if not daily) basis.

Whether you choose to wear a bikini or a one-piece, you’re going to need a cover-up for going to the beach, or even just covering up a bit to avoid extreme sun exposure.  Lucky for you there are some really cute options this year that will easily transition from the beach to the boardwalk (assuming you dry yourself up enough to avoid those pesky wet marks around your boobs…). Seriously, toss a pair of wedges and a few bangles into your beach bag and you can take these things all over town.

So put on your sunscreen, grab your shades and don a cute cover-up as you get ready to hang out by the water!

Read More »

Memorial Day has come and gone, I’ve already sweat through three of my favorite t-shirts and my hair is at 89% frizz.

Yes, it’s officially summer, ladies!

While some people are crazy aren’t major fans of the summer season, most of us at CollegeCandy couldn’t be more excited. What’s not to love about flip flop weather, 7-11 Slurpee runs and going out without having to worry about whether the bar has coat check or not? And the way your sun-kissed skin looks in a coral sundress? Sigh. Is there anything like it?!

With the temps rising the our favorite TV shows coming to an end for the season, it’s time to bust out those summer whites, scrunch some gel into your hair and enjoy the best the summer has to offer. Here are a few of our favorite things. What do you love most out summertime?

Emmy – Loyola University Chicago: My favorite thing about summer is being able to sleep in ridiculously late and laying on the beach.

Sara C – Fordham: Favorite thing about summer? Definitey the overabundance of Mr. Softee roaming around the city. Nothing beats a twist at sunset with friends!

Cristina – Michigan State University: Sitting in the sun with a popsicle and a beer.

Rachael – University of Miami: I’m not a huge fan of summer (I’m almost albino pale, so no beach time for me, and I go to school in Florida anyway), but I guess what I most like about it is the overall sense of freedom: time to be a little lazy, catch up on pleasure reading, wear loose and flowy clothing, etc. Oh! and street fairs in Manhattan – I love shopping there, or even just walking around. Read More »

It’s that time of year again: The season of the skirt. In all honesty, shorts really aren’t my thing. Sometimes they squeeze in all the wrong love handles places and give me some serious wedgie dilemmas. That is why I have a great relationship with all of the skirts out there. They are girly, breathable, comfortable and wedgie-free. What more could a girl ask for?

One of my favorite things about summer is slapping on some sunscreen, shoving a towel and a Nicolas Sparks novel in my beach bag and throwing on a skirt and a tee. Then, come evening, all I have to do is slather some aloe on my arms, exchange the flip flops for some comfy wedges and hit the town for some summer lovin’. Care to join me/rub sunscreen on my back? First, take a lookie at these pretty numbers.  I promise they will not disappoint.

[Click on the skirt to get all the shopping info.]

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By now, everyone is looking forward to the summer. Thoughts of a pool, a raft and a cold beer are about the only things getting us through the hell that is finals week. But while I love me some summer sundresses and the prospect of a steamy summer fling, summer isn’t all rainbows and butterflies for me. Yes, this whiny girl with a Jew-fro has a bit of a bone to pick with summer.

Actually, I’ve got ten bones to pick. Not that I really understand what that little phrase means anyway. It’s sorta gross, right? Picking bones? All I can think about is that graveyard the hyenas hung out at in The Lion King.

Anyways, back to the list:

10. It’s really hot
Great for a day at the beach, not great for a day in New York City when you’re running late to your internship and have to stand in a 100 degree subway station (that always smells like pee) with zero breeze and you can feel the sweat start pooling on the back of your neck and between your boobs. By the time you get to work, your armpits are completely soaked through and you have to manually pull your thighs apart as they have molded into one thunder-thigh on the train. Read More »