We recently ran a series that everyone here at the CollegeCandy offices thought would be an awesome way to give our usually pro-body-acceptance readers a self-esteem boost. But instead Celebrating Celebrity “Flaws” turned into a body-bashing he-man-woman-hater’s club. We didn’t see that coming. We were just trying to celebrate our differences that everyone, from the media to our friends, is telling us are wrong and ugly. Instead the very people we wanted to celebrate (you!), cut each other down.

How are we ever going to learn to love our bodies, if we can’t even talk positively about differences?

The conversation about flat celebrities wasn’t about the pressure to have big boobs (and of course a skinny frame), but rather about how all skinny, flat woman “obviously” have eating disorders. The conversation about big noses and bushy eyebrows wasn’t about the pressure to have petite/adorable facial features, but instead about how these women didn’t have big enough noses, or weird enough noses, or bushy enough eyebrows.  It’s as if you’re saying that it has to be one or the other. A small nose or a huge nose; groomed eyebrows or a unibrow. There’s no middle ground.

While we were pretty disappointed by all the body-bashing in the first 3 posts, we seemed to touch on some real issues in the curvy girls post and we were really interested by what we read. There was tons of backlash about who we chose — and a lot of people were upset that we included people like Monique, Nikki Blonsky, and Gabourey Sidibe. Apparently there’s a line between curvy and fat; and we crossed it. Not were we unaware of that line, but we were also pretty surprised that so many people defined “curvy” so differently.

So we wanted to open up these questions to everyone and find out what our readers really think. Read More »

Is it just me or is there another “revolutionary” new makeup product introduced every freaking day?! Just walking into Ulta or Sephora (or even Walgreens!) sends many chicas into fits of hysteria, reaching for the nearest brown bag to regulate their breathing. It’s all so overwhelming. So how can you know which product – among the sea of thousands – is the best? Which does what you need it to do? Which ones are worth the extra money? Let me help. I don’t know every beauty product out there, but I’ve tested a lot of them and I’ll let you know which are worth the money and which are not.

(Disclaimer: This product was purchased by me for review purposes. Because I can never have too much makeup!)

What it is: e.l.f. Shimmering Facial Whip in Spotlight

Why this should be in your bag: Even though highlighters can be tricky, when done right they just make you GLOW! I’ve only recently jumped into the world of highlighters, but I can honestly say that they make a difference. A little dab on your cheekbones and under your brows gives you an instant lift and makes you look fresh-faced even if you’re coming off of a 6-day bender. Read More »

Is that you, Wednesday?

It’s me, the girl who wants it to be Friday already. The girl who has been up far too late every night reading “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” and can’t drag her ass out of bed to get to her internship in the morning. The girl who ran out of clean underwear on Monday and needs a nice, Saturday afternoon to do her laundry. The girl who is about ready to scream if she has to look at one more freaking Excel spreadsheet or get one more GD cup of coffee for her bosses.

Yeah, I’m over you, Wednesday. And the only thing getting me through this long ass day of clerical work and a terrible lunch (so. sick. of turkey sandwiches) is knowing that an ice cold Amstel Light (or 6) is coming my way at 5 p.m. Mmmmm. Refreshing. Too bad those bad boys are gonna leave me feeling fat and achy tomorrow morning…

Which got me thinking:

Would You Rather there be a beer that had zero calories or a beer that didn’t give you a hangover the next day? Read More »

God, I wish I didn't defriend the ex....

We’ve all been there.  You break up with your boyfriend, fight with your Bio lab partner, resent your freshman year roommate for getting a better internship than you.  In a booze-fueled rage you sit at your computer at 2am going through Facebook, wanting so badly to cut these people off altogether.  Why do you need to know that the old roomie is hanging out with Kanye?  Or that your ex already found a rebound girl and her boobs are really, really big?

Before you know it, you get caught up in the whirlwind that is FB’s newsfeed and suddenly you’re hating on people you haven’t seen in three years.  Sarah’s mom sends her care packages from Sephora?  Bitch!  Jamie is dating that hot TA?  You had your eye on him first and she knows it!  Your best friend is dating your little brother?  Gross and unacceptable!

In a flash, the floodgates have opened.  You’re going to defriend them all, that’s what you’re going to do!  With your mouse hovering above the delete button, you pause for a moment.  Sure, consciously getting rid of a Facebook friend is the modern day equivalent of sending someone to the guillotine.  Off with their heads and their damn status updates!  But while it might feel good in the moment to erase these people from your life account, it’s more than a little likely that you’ll come to regret your cutthroat ways.

In a few months you’ll probably be dating someone new and the hurt caused by your ex-BF’s fling with Pam Anderson will have subsided.  It was, after all, just a fling and apparently he ditched her via wall post.  Too bad you gave him the axe; you would have loved to read that one.  Not to mention your roommate got fired from her internship for enjoying an event’s open bar a little too much.  Talk about the funniest tagged photos you’ll never see.  Actually, it seems that whole unfriending spree really cut you out of the loop with everyone. Read More »

When my hair does that it isn't nearly as cool.

Who or what inspires your style? Many of us use Hollywood A-listers (like Diablo Cody) or actresses (like Sanoe Lake) as style inspiration, even though, most of the time, they are being dressed from head to toe by the best stylists.

Which we don’t have.

And sometimes it’s damn near impossible to work their Hollywood looks into our not-so-Hollywood lives. I’ve made it my mission to tap into the mind of a fashion stylist and show you how to take your style inspiration – whatever it may be – and make it more you!

Before the days of dating the super delicious Jason Momoa, or the days before she birthed the naturally stylish daughter Zoe with her then-husband LENNY KRAVITZ (her taste in men is impeccable to say the least), Lisa Bonet was simply Denise Huxtable on The Cosby Show. It’s easy to say, “No wonder she has such a unique style when she’s been surrounded by influential people all of her career.”  But when you think about it, Lisa’s weird-cool style was expressed through her character way back in the days when Billy Cosby’s oversized sweaters were surprisingly “in.”

Lisa’s style evolved in the ’80s and ’90s from tomboy, to ’80s hipster to indie earth child.  This half-African American half-Jewish actress has different layers to herself, which she stylishly expresses through her clothes. She somehow maintains a natural and almost organic feel to her fashions, while also mixing in a hint of edgy and a heaping dose of cool.

And I looooove it. Read More »

And not just because he’s Jon Gosselin….

Bring on the shine with these gorge metallic bags.

Show us your abs, Taylor Lautner. SHOW US!

It’s all about the bright and beautiful this summer.

What makes that boy so irresistible? Find out.

Is Kevin Costner going to clean up this oil mess?

One of my biggest issues with The Hills is that all these kids have a ton of money and do nothing all day. Wait, that’s not where I meant to go with this. I mean, yes, that is a big issue, but not my point. My other biggest issue with The Hills is that the producers make ridiculous things happen and never really fully develop them. Fine, MTV, you don’t want to explain how Kristin became BFFs with the bartender Spencer was flirting with 2 seasons ago? Whatever. And OK, I’ll buy that Kristin and the rest of the girls are fine and that her really big, really serious coke problem just sorta went away. Much like Holly Montag’s drinking problem.

But don’t bring Justin Bobby in all his greasy glory back into the picture and just gloss over his past with Kristin. THAT I WILL NOT STAND FOR, MTV.

I know it’s making for a much bigger scandal to shove stinky JB between Audrina and her cartoon character boyfriend, Ryan Cabrera. I know that Audrina and Justin Bobbo have a more complicated past than he did with Kristin. I know that it only makes sense to stir the pot with Audrina because she’s dumb enough to go back to the guy who broke her heart a thousand times…and also wears combat boots to the beach. Read More »

[There are over 100 million sites on the Internet. 100 million! You might think you know about all the important ones (CollegeCandy, Gmail, Google, TFLN…), but there are thousands of other sweet sites out there (like Covet, Any Clip, and Live Mocha) and more showing up every day! We get it – it’s not easy or fun sifting through the crap and porn to find those gems, so we’re gonna bring the gems to you. Just sit back, kick up those feet and allow us to introduce you to the diamonds in the internet rough.]

Ah, summer. There’s something about this time of year that brings back memories of the beach, county fairs, baseball, and, of course, family vacations.  Although at times, my family drove me crazy on those trips and I’d much rather have been anywhere else than with them, there are still tons of great memories of all those long drives to see relatives, camping trips, and visits to amusement parks that filled my summer vacations growing up.

So in honor of both summer (which officially starts next Monday) and Father’s Day this Sunday, I give you: Dads on Vacation. Read More »

Say it ain’t so, Al. SAY IT AIN’T SO!

Wanna win a Botkier bag?!

Happy Father’s day to the worst celebrity dads.

You dating a liar? Find out.

Who do the teens love most this year? The nominees are….

What’s it really like to work at American Apparel?

While the rest of the world is inundated with ads encouraging them to get “slim by summer”, us college ladies are on a slightly different page. You see, for the many of us that aren’t taking summer classes, summer is a time to kick it a little bit slower, relax (while we’re not working or interning), and escape the constant pressure of being surrounded by young, good looking people 24/7.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m exercise’s #1 fan (not really, but I tell myself that trick me into doing it every day). It makes you healthier, happier and hotter. But as my fellow CC gals know, it’s summer time-and that comes with certain duties as a college student. Let’s not kid ourselves here, sometimes day drinking just takes precedence over willpower or dietary discretion- and I don’t know about you guys but I’m still coasting on what’s left of my Spring Break bod.

But alas! Three months fly by too fast, and before we know it, we’re back at school sweet school. And if there’s one goal college women can agree on, it’s that we want to look fierce during welcome week. So put down the margarita and get ready to turn heads on the first day of classes by giving yourself a summer fitness challenge!

First things first: Weigh yourself and figure out your BMI. Set a realistic goal weight and BMI for you to reach by move in day/welcome week/ your first day of classes. Next, determine how many calories you need to eat and burn in order to reach your goal-here’s your secret weapon. The only way to lose weight – the right way – is to burn more calories than you’re eating. To find out how many calories are in whatever food I’m eating (fresh fruit doesn’t have nutrition labels, much to my annoyance) I like to use Calorie King. It has virtually every food’s nutrition facts, along with graphs that show you what percentage of the food is fat, protein, carbs, etc., so it’s easy to make sure you’re getting the right amount of each at every meal. And it tells you exactly how many minutes of various exercises like biking, jogging and rowing it will take to burn those calories off. One warning though, after a moment of weakness I broke down and got Moe’s – seeing how many hours (yes, hours) it would take to completely burn off those calories was slightly traumatic.  I’ll never look at a burrito the same way again. Read More »