Finding a perfect lip gloss is a lot like finding the perfect man. You want both to make you feel beautiful, to smell (and taste) delicious and to stand up in the face of licking and biting situations. And with so many glosses (and men) to choose from, recognizing perfection can be a daunting task.

These lip gloss faves and flops may not help you pick the guy of your dreams, but they can certainly lead you down the path to oh-so-kissable lips.

Benefit’s “Her Glossiness”

Rating: 5 smooches!

Put a twinkle in your eye … and on your lips … with the amazing “Her Glossiness” lip gloss from Benefit. A bit more sparkle than shine, this smooth gloss has a fluffy little applicator, goes on evenly with a swish of the wand, includes jojoba oil to moisturize and stays steady for hours, even through a latte break (or two!). No sticky gloss lips here and the scent is clean and subtle.

$16, www.benefitcosmetics.com

MAC’s “Lustre Glass”

Rating: 3 smooches

Easy, now. Its no secret that MAC lip gloss has long been a staple in many a beauty arsenal and was, for a while, hard to come by because it flew off the MAC shelves. While its shine power is exemplary, sometimes shine isn’t the only thing to consider. This stuff makes lips shimmer like the top of the Chrysler Building, but its gooey texture makes for the “sticky gloss lip smack.” However, it redeems itself with such intense and impressive staying power.

$14, www.maccosmetics.com

“Glamour Gloss” from Too Faced

Rating: 3 smooches

Booked as a product that wears like a lipstick and shines like a gloss, “Glamour Gloss” isn’t as heavy on color as expected, and the pigment is a more translucent gloss than opaque lipstick. But we applaud the effort because glosses have long attempted to strike the lipstick/gloss balance. It is impressive, however, for its smooth texture and natural ingredient list, which includes a bevy of essential oils for lip-healing and -protection.

$18, www.toofaced.com

Lola’s “Lip Indulgence”

Rating: 4 smooches

Oooh! The satin finish on this product is luxurious, and it feels and looks great. It also includes natural ingredients from fruits such as mango, coconut and passion fruit, which not only give this great product a scent boost, but also make for a sugary sweet taste. YUM! The only scandal with this product is its itty bitty applicator, which requires a few dips and wrist flicks for even distribution.

$16, www.sephora.com

French women are special; apparently, they don’t get fat. And, according to Mirielle Guiliano (author of French Women Don’t Get Fat), those slender femmes have quite a different perception of food from their Americans counterparts – one that keeps them slim. She tells us that the French have elaborate food rituals, where they eat better-quality food, savor it more consciously and “fool themselves” into being satisfied with less (unlike the gluttonous folk).

The truth is her “non-diet” advice is right on. Each meal should be a savory experience instead of a 20-minute rush to calm a starving tummy. No deprivation, no guilt, just enjoyment: These are things that Americans are already beginning to adopt as part of their health regimes.

Yet, you shouldn’t begin worshiping the ladies of France just yet: Only 20 percent of the French population still eats this way. Due to a shift in eating habits, the culture of traditional meals is being replaced by snacks, fast food and prepared meals. Sounds like Ms. Guiliano should be coaching her own people, no?

Now France is seen to be suffering from an obesity crisis. Oh, la la! More and more of its youth are packing on the pounds. Although the level of fatness as a percentage of body weight is at 11.3, it is far below ours (22 percent). Yet, the obese population is rising fast and the French government is tr&#8217s distraught. Food labeling, nutritional education and in-school exercise programs have been implemented in an attempt to reverse the upsurge in weight gain.

I guess the Frenchie females can’t call us fatties anymore. They do get fat.

Settling into fall wouldn’t be possible without orangey-red leaves, slouchy boots and your beloved TV season-premiers. Just like that fitted turtleneck is a staple in your clothing collection, your life would feel incomplete without a little Grey’s.

You know that too much of anything isn’t good for you. Yet, the time you spend staring at that screen weekly, could equal a 30-hour work week – allowing you to not only remain sedentary, but to also become chubby. Think about how your precious TV time prevents you from doing anything active. Throw in a few bad snacks and you’re likely to have a tough time slipping on that fitted top.

Naturally, the idea of routine exercise might bring tears to your eyes. But it doesn’t have to. Did you know that shopping for 30 minutes burns three times as many calories as watching TV? Dancing can burn 232 calories while Dancing with the Stars only burns 30. Or create your own Amazing Race, by burning about 100 calories in 30 minutes by running or biking.

Of course, if you simply cannot unglue yourself from your plasma screen, try exercise while watching TV. At-home exercises like tricep dips, squats, lunges, crunches and bicep curls can be done in front of the tube or during commercial breaks. Not only will you get to forego that annoying OxyClean commercial; you’ll be the most limber and fit couch potato in history. And, remember: You can always go to the gym and hop on the treadmill while getting your fix.

Get your ass off the sofa so you don’t end up an overweight desperate housewife hoping for a little nip/tuck. That’s one finale nobody wants to see. Scary!

It’s time to remove the sugar-coating and reveal the brutal truth: You’re seriously kidding yourself if you think maintaining a long-distance relationship in college is a good idea, let alone healthy.

College is all about the freedom, the fun and the insanity. Relationships are all about the commitment, the compromise and the effort. Mix a little distance into that equation and you’ve got too much to juggle. How can you fully engage yourself in your potentially fabulous college life when, essentially, half your life is somewhere else?

He’s your high school sweetheart, the first and only guy you’ve ever had sex with and his mother treats you like one of her own. You don’t want to let go of all of that and you don’t have to. But consider this: High school is over. College is a new chapter in your life; one that should be experienced to the fullest. Continuing a committed relationship with him is only extending a significant portion of your high school life and making it difficult for you to begin a college one.

You can’t imagine your life without him. Not talking to him on the phone multiple times a day seems unbearable, and the thought of not seeing him at least every other weekend is a tad scary. But the thing is, despite your attachment to him, you will be fine on your own. It’s just a matter of making the break, letting go of the energy you put into keeping that relationship up and focusing it only on your life.

There’s no good reason to break it off. Yes, there is. You both deserve a worry-free, irresponsible, crazy college experience. This is your time to be selfish, not married. It’s pretty impossible to have a regretless social life with a long-distance significant other worrying about your actions. The truth is, if you’ve got each other’s best interest at heart, you’ll let go and have separate lives. Even though it’s clich&#8217, if you’re meant to be together, you will be in the long run.

You think your self-love first diminished when you realized being a girl meant looking beautiful — and thin. The endless magazine covers, ads and commercials only emphasize the need for perfect skin, perfect hair and perfect weight. And now you can’t help but compare yourself to the flawless air-brushed figure and try to become her.

Drop that glossy! It’s time to accept your body and ignore the “perfect” ones today: Love Your Body Day sponsored by the NOW (National Organization for Women) Foundation. Thanks to this feminist organization, more and more women are realizing they can fight against the images that create such negative self-perceptions.

Help promote a positive self-image on your campus. Hand out fliers, start a petition or arrange a campus-wide march (anything is possible at the last minute).

For last year’s Love Your Body Day, Ithaca College’s IC Feminists held events for an entire week. Sponsored by Planned Parenthood, the group set up a table in the campus center offering information on eating disorders and body images. Laura McKenna ’06, last year’s IC Feminists president, says “I think it’s a really important issue, and it kind of gets swept under the rug. Seeing people come to us and get the info was really encouraging — and that may be because it’s not as acceptable as it seems to starve yourself thin.”

For more information, visit loveyourbody.nowfoundation.org.

Just because you have yet to make it up on the silver screen, you’ve never canoodled face-to-face with A-listers and you’ve never had a stint in the Betty Ford clinic doesn’t mean you can’t at least smell like a star! Forget book deals and movie options! The name of the celebrity game these days is to have a namesake scent that captures personal style. And with so many celeb scents to chose from, selecting the right scent seems to be just as difficult as selecting that Oscar-winning script.

So, which celeb are you? Take the quiz and find out.

1. On a Friday night, you can be found at which of the following:

a. At home with your puppy.

b. A martini bar trying out the latest flavor.

c. Only desperate people go out on Friday night.

d. Dancing on the bar in a new pair of cowgirl boots.

e. Something low-key; you get up early Saturday to work out.

2. Which of the following looks do you prefer:

a. Espadrilles, breezy dresses and the occasional daisy duke short.

b. Jimmy Choos, sleek cocktail dresses.

c. Bright colors, sky-high heels and micro-minis.

d. Jeans and feminine fitted tanks.

e. Preppy skirts, ballet flats, solid tops.

3. Which of the following best describes your personality:

a. Sugary sweet.

b. Chic and sophisticated.

c. In-your-face sexy.

d. Confident and independent.

e. Soft and sporty.

If you answered mostly As, you’ll love Jessica Simpson’s Taste Deliciously Kissable Fragrance (at Sephora.com, $10). This scent is so sweet, it’ll give you a toothache, with its hints of vanilla, chocolate, honey and coconut that leave you smelling like a delicious confection in no time.

If you answered mostly Bs, you’re one for Sarah Jessica Parker’s Lovely Fragrance (at Nordstrom and Macys stores, $49.50-$65, sarahjessicaparkerbeauty.com). It’s mega-chic, just like you, with notes of lavender, orchid and apple martini, adding up to a sexy, distinguished scent for a chic night on the town.

If you answered mostly Cs, you’ll think Paris Hilton’s namesake fragrance is so hot (available at Sephora.com, $40-$50). This thrilling fragrance from our favorite heiress is exotic, featuring hints of Tahitian vanilla, bergamot and red berries for a scent that is anything but understated.

If you answered mostly Ds, you’ll dig Shania Twain&#8217s namesake fragrance by Stetson (Visit stetsoncologne.com for stores). This country crooner’s personality is captured with a feminine wild-prairie rose scent mixed with sexy pomegranate and freesia scents for a fun and feminine scent that’s just perfect for a prairie girl like you.

If you answered mostly Es, you’ll give Maria Sharapova’s scent a match point ($70, PerfumesOnline.com). Lemongrass, pomegranate and grass scents make for a sporty yet pretty scent that is noticeably understated for on-the-court affairs or after-match social hours.

A few years ago at a Yale party an unidentified man twice the age of the rest of the partygoers snuck into the shindig uninvited: one hand on his beer, the other aggressively groping every female within reach. Students failed to notify police for over an hour.

Despite the fact that campus police forces are present and dorms have check-in systems and RA’s, one out of four college females have been victims of sexual assault.

Are our campuses safe?

With colleges constantly competing for students, professors, athletes and grants, many are wary of bad publicity and tend to conceal their assault records.

So how can we get reliable information? Enter the Clery Act: a federal statute that requires Universities to publicly release crime statistics for their campus.

Curious if your home away from home is safe?

Check it out: http://ope.ed.gov/security/search.asp.

Also keep in mind the simple steps you can take to reduce your risk:

1) Go out in groups.

2) Don’t accept open beverages from anyone who is not a server or bartender.

3) Carry a whistle.

4) Locate the emergency phones on your campus.

5) Check out safe walk and safe ride programs.

6) Look into taking a self-defense class on your campus.

Getting inked is forever. Which is more than you can say about your last relationship.

While you love the allure of having permanent art on your bod, your commitment allergy just won’t let up. And dare we mention how the “buzz buzz buzz” of the tattoo needle leaves you a bit weak in the knees?

For gals like you, Sailor Jerry comes through with a line of gear emblazoned with the classic tattoo designs of the late Norman “Sailor Jerry” Collins — the father of the thick-lined, nautically inspired tat.

Leave the pain to the tattoo parlors. In no time, you can have painless ink from head-to-toe, thanks to the silk-screened tees, dresses, bags and even knickers that feature the nautical stars, anchors and winged skulls of the great tattoo master.

You’ll look like a total dreamboat. Now all you need is a worthy seaman to follow suit.

Sailor Jerry gear is available at sailorjerry.com.

Friday night, 10 o’clock. New highlights? Check. Cutest heels ever? Check. Tank top that clings in all the right places? Double check. But your best friend doesn’t notice your highlights, heels or tank top despite the fact that you’re shaking your hair in her face. What the hell’s wrong with her?

This might sound a little crazy, but everything isn’t always about you. What if she just broke up with her boyfriend or got into a yelling match with her mom? If you worry too much about why she’s mad, you might need to grow some thicker skin. Think of it this way. If you’re thinking that much about yourself, other people are thinking that much about themselves! Try some tips from Lybi Ma of Psychology Today to stop harping on some self-made negativity:

Take things less personally. Someone else’s negativity may have nothing to do with you at all. You might have entered their line of fire at a really bad time.

Don’t be self-focused. Thinking too much tends to cause us to make our faults look bigger than they are. Try to look at a broader picture.

Don’t worry about looking stupid. Everyone does stuff that they think is embarrassing, but those people who laugh it off or change subjects move on quicker. Haven’t you heard that saying that everyone makes mistakes?

Don’t be quick to blame. Just like you, everyone has good and bad days. So don’t blame your friends if you’re not getting noticed. Give it some time!

You’re a busy girl. You have class all day, friends in crisis, a job (or two) and maybe an internship to boot. So who’s got time to sit and eat?

You do.

At least, you will when you realize that it may help stave off that “freshman 15″ (which can be more frightening than the plague and a midterm exam combined). Taking more time to enjoy meals can actually help you lose weight. So, become a mindful eater:

Think about why you are eating: If your answer is, “because chocolate won’t dump me” as tears roll down your face, it might be better to back away from your 20th fun-size Hershey bar.

Pick nourishing food that is not only tasty, but healthy, too. This doesn’t include pizza and beer. Sorry.

Be aware of your surroundings while you eat: Take the time to gather the smells and textures of your food, and the location in which you eat it. By incorporating all your senses, you are less likely to gorge unnecessarily.

Think of why or when you chose the food. Late at night while cramming may not be the best time to eat a bag of chips and a pint of ice cream.

It’s that simple. Once you take a little time to enjoy your food, take a little time to enjoy that svelte college hottie in the mirror.

Ta-da!