Q. What is the best way to wear booties?

A. Not only are ankle boots a huge trend, but they’re also extremely versatile. You can wear them with jeans or leggings or in place of a pump with dresses and skirts. Since booties range from super low (sometimes called shooties) to heights that are well above your ankle bone, how you wear your boots depends on the style of boot.

Shooties or shoe booties look best with skirts, dresses and long skinny jeans or leggings. These are the most flattering style to wear since they come down low on the leg, making them look longer than with other styles of boots. Booties that come up a bit higher on the ankle can also be worn with skirts and dresses but look best on women with slim calves. Another option for ankle boots is to wear them with skinny or boot cut jeans or leggings. Here are some celebrity photos for inspiration: Read More »

Alright, we’ve been through this familiar phase one too many times. There’s that cute guy in your English class, you make eye contact, exchange a few words, and then you call every single one of your friends to fill them in with excruciating detail. Then, a few weeks go by, nothing happens, and this routine soon becomes much too unexciting for you.

So…what happens next?

Is it okay to wait for English cutie to make a move, or should you be that bold girl who walks up to him and shatters his expectations? And if you do make that “forbidden” first move, does that mean you’ll be making moves for the rest of the relationship? That you’ll be in charge? That he can just sit back and enjoy the ride?

That’s what some people think, but I am not one of them.

I’m a big believer in going for what I want, because if not now, then when? If that were me, I wouldn’t hesitate in asking English cutie out to lunch because I’ve really got nothing to lose.

The problem is, many people fear “breaking the rules” of typical relationships or taking charge changes each partner’s roles in said relationships, too. Many people also fear that a woman who makes the first move is then in control of the relationship as a whole and no longer needs to be courted or romanced.

I simply do not agree. Despite the fact that I may ask out English cutie, when we do go out, I will still expect him to open the door for me, treat me like a queen, and, most importantly, to make the next move if he likes me back.

No, I am not a stuck up girl who expects every guy to bow down to me. That’s ridiculous. What I mean is that I am confident with myself and I know what I deserve from guys. Simply because I decide to change up the game does not mean that I have decided to lower the level of respect I both expect and deserve. Why? Because having a guy open the door for you does not mean you can’t open it yourself, it means that he thinks you’re amazing enough to go out of his way and do it for you.

Sure, saying that guys need to maintain their respective role in the relationship can conflict with gender stereotypes. I understand that. But does the modern woman becoming more confident and self-assured mean losing the respect that was once there? Are all the go-getter type of women suddenly seen as less respected, intimidating, and less than worthy of a little romance?

The answer to these questions will never be clear cut, but one thing is for sure: regardless of what changes our dating world is going through, it is important to realize that no woman should ever lower her standards just to keep herself in the game. It’s not the things that guys buy you that represent the respect in a relationship, but simply their behavior and mannerisms around you. I’m not saying dump him if he refuses to pay for your dinner or doesn’t bring flowers on the first date, but just follow your gut. Does he make you feel special or are you always initiating the moves?

For example, I once dated a guy where I made the first move in getting his contact information. Yet, after the relationship progressed, I noticed that he always forgot our month anniversaries, only called every so often, and consistently put his friends before me. This was definitely a red flag of disrespect! I was constantly questioning my happiness with him because I was more content hanging out with my friends than going out on a date with him. Not willing to be the relationship ring leader (or the only one who was even really there), I ended things with him. I went into the relationship because it was something I had initiated and wanted, but I left the moment I felt unappreciated.

So ladies, do your thing that makes you unique and exceptional from the rest. Be fearless in making your moves, flirting your way to his heart, and following your gut. But stop for a moment and make sure you’re getting as much back as you’re putting in. It’s fine to take charge (in fact, it’s exhilarating to go for what you want!), but you deserve a whole lot in return.

And to all those guys who can’t take a hint, get this: I may not be shy to ask you to hang out, but that doesn’t mean you should stop trying to court me like the gentleman you are. Bring on the flowers, dinner dates, cute texts, and late night phone calls…if not, I’ll find someone else to put the moves on.

Fact: on a daily basis the majority of us treat our bodies like crap. Sure we work out, we (try) to eat healthy, we pour over the latest health magazines and shell out dough for cute workout gear. But there is nothing healthy about an existence made up of 3 hours of sleep; daily Venti Americanos; and too many weekends filled with booze, late night pizza and drunkity drunk dip, to keep count.

And yet we wonder why our skin is broken out, our energy is low and why we have that extra layer of bloat that’s keeping us from feeling anything but skinny in those damn skinny jeans. Then we ponder said issues with our friends on a hungover Sunday brunch that obviously consists of eggs, cheese, bagels and giant pot of coffee.

So when I heard about the Blue Print Cleanse, I was immediately enticed. Giving my body a much needed 3-day vacation sounded great. I was ready to make like that rapper who sips on Gin and Juice… only minus the Gin. So in efforts to see if this really works I swore off food for 3 whole days and kept a journal of my moods for you fine ladies. Read More »

I’m not gonna lie – when my friend sent me a link to an 8-minute YouTube video last week I was less than thrilled. Was I going to take 8 precious minutes away from Facebook-stalking to watch some dumb video and then spend another 4 minutes feigning interest in it?

Out of friendly obligation, I pushed play. And it was seriously the coolest thing I’ve ever seen. I couldn’t look away; not even when I saw my Facebook tab blinking, informing me my FWB was FB-chatting me.

I haven’t jumped rope since my mom signed me up for Jump Rope For Heart in middle school (and even then I only did it to win a fluorescent pink water bottle with a bendy straw). It’s not the coolest sport in the world. In fact, until I saw this performance, I didn’t consider it a sport at all. But these girls (especially the little ones!) are true athletes. And what they can do with a couple pieces of rope is pretty effing insane.

Just watch and you’ll agree.

Looks like someone could use some low fat cheese snacks.

Ah, Finals. How I love you. You fall during the greatest time of year and have me reading textbooks instead of drinking Gingerbread lattes and enjoying the holiday sales. You leave dark circles under my eyes and extra inches around my waistline.

Basically, you suck.
Big time.

But, I’m not going to let you conquer my spirit and beat me down to a mumbling, dribbling fool this year. You may not be easy like my Freshman year roommate; I may always scream for joy as I darken the last circle on my last Scantron form, triumphantly dumping my notes in the garbage. But with enough determination I, and the many other good looking and smart students like me, can emerge from the semester with my sanity intact.

How, you ask?
What, are you mocking me?
Don’t look at me like that, Finals. I’ll f**k you up!

OK, here’s how. With a little help from these friends.
How you like them apples, FINALS?! Read More »

There are many beauty freaks out there like me and trust me, we don’t ever get sick of unwrapping new beauty supplies for the holidays! I love the sweet smell of lotions and perfumes, eyeliners and mascaras! Honestly, I’ll take beauty products over another gift card to Bloomies, any day. Let’s be honest, I’ll end up spending that on stuff at the MAC counter anyway.

Most of the beauty supply stores are doing huge doorbusters and giving away lots of free stuff, so you can snag plenty of swag to get your friends. We beauty freaks appreciate the little fragrance samplers and mini tubes of lipstick, so I’ve put together the perfect guide for your beauty obsessed friends! Read More »

This is just bad.

Pamela Anderson tries another path…

Let’s put an end to camel toe!

I don’t want this Santa in my chimney.

This is why birth control exists.

Who the eff is styling Rihanna these days?

Oh, boys—can’t live with them, can’t live without them. First he’s joining you for a romantic snowball fight or making you a thoughtful, handmade gift, then he’s holding your sexy pictures hostage and updating his Facebook status on your wedding day.

If only they could just read our minds and know what we really want. Spontaneous bouquets? Fabulous! Constantly yapping about his ex? Not so great.

Oh well; I guess things could be worse. You could be a poor, pants-deprived 11^th grader like Taylor Momsen (TayTay: I blame women like you for why there aren’t more female CEOs) or a soon-to-be-sacked slacker like the guy who let a Real Housewife crash the White House state dinner. You could be in a position where you have to resort to taking alcohol pills or subsisting only on freaky cafeteria food. You could be an actual groupie, rather than a recessionista who just lives on a groupie’s budget.

So chin up, lady, and don’t let the guys get you down—it’s Friday! Take a breather, indulge in some retail therapy, and try laying off the dudes for as long as you can stand it. It couldn’t hurt to take some me-time this weekend.

By now, the sordid details of Tiger Woods’s first major scandal are familiar to anyone who keeps up with celebrity gossip: the mysterious car accident! The golf-club wielding wife! The alleged mistress, who says that being asked about her relationship to the golf legend is like being asked “to comment if there are aliens on Earth”! The whole mess is shaping up to be the biggest tabloid story this side of Jen, Angelina, and Brad.

The main question on all of our minds, though, is the same one that always crops up when rich, powerful men cheat on their gorgeous wives with trash like Rachel Uchitel, Nicole Forrester, or Ashley Dupré: “What the hell is wrong with him?”

Jessica Wakeman of The Frisky brings up an interesting point about this line of thinking. As she writes, “What I want to know is why we insist a woman’s beauty—which is highly subjective!—is some kind of barometer—which is highly shallow!—of whether or not her hubby will cheat.”

Wakeman’s right. People have affairs because they’re unhappy for whatever reason, not because they suddenly find their significant others hideous. “The implication,” she goes on to say, “is that Nordegren is too pretty to cheat on and that Tiger’s infidelity would make more sense if she were ugly—but since she’s beautiful, there must be something else she did that drove him to do something so insane.” Read More »

Success?

I was a huge Disney princess fan growing up; I had the Sleeping Beauty sleeping bag, I dressed up as Belle for Halloween…every year, and I even still know all the songs by heart. And can occasionally be heard singing them in the shower. Recently, as yet another way to procrastinate studying for my finals, my suitemates and I Netflixed the Disney version of Cinderella and spent a girls night enjoying one of the greatest classics of all time.

Much like the Golden Girls and The Simpsons, looking at one of my favorite childhood movies from a slightly more mature perspective was a completely new experience. I was alarmed by some of the things I saw. No, there weren’t any dirty jokes that once went over my head, but there were some seriously flawed messages being conveyed to the young and impressionable viewers. One, that evil people all have really big butts. The other, Disney’s very jaded, very antiquated definition of success for a woman.

At the end of any princess movie (or romantic comedy, for that matter) the girl is successful because she gets the guy. It doesn’t matter how awesome her life was before (Hello, Ariel was a princess and got to live under da sea!), she isn’t successful unless someone’s put a ring on it.

I hate the idea that success for women is defined simply by meeting the man who can make everything better. And I hate that I spent a good chunk of my life buying into that crap. As a single lady in the 21st century, I very much believe that before you can fall in love with someone else, you have to know and be confident in who you are. That’s what a healthy relationship develops from. And that confidence is what ultimately leads to a woman’ success, married or not. Read More »