So you’re going to be a freshman. Thanks to your advisor/mom/campus tour/Bed Bath and Beyond advertisements, you think you’re ready. You learned how to do laundry, you’ve purchased the Twin XL sheets, you measured your future dorm room (and cried when you realized you could touch all 4 walls from the middle of the room) and all those A.P. classes have prepared you for the workload that comes in college.

Congrats. You now know about 10% of what you need to know to survive freshman year.

The truth is, there is a lot that happens your first year of college that no advisor (and especially not your parental units) is going to know about. And that’s why we’re here – to get you from Welcome Week through final exams in one glorious piece. And to try and stop you from making the same mistakes we did. Again and again.

You wanna survive your first year of college? Avoid any and all of these freshman year faux pas: 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 provided to me for review purposes)

What it is: Tarte Park Ave Princess Matte Waterproof Bronzer

Why this should be in your bag: Like I’ve said before, bronzer is a total pale-face lifesaver. A swipe of bronzer can literally make you go from dull to glowing. I myself use bronzer in my makeup routine every day of the year and enjoy testing out different formulas. Tarte (along with a few others) have developed waterproof bronzers, designed for use on the beach and at the pool, but also for those humid summer days. I’ve definitely experienced makeup meltdown, despite the use of heavy-duty primer, so I would find a waterproof bronzer insanely useful. Read More »

I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m still reeling from Monday’s Bachelorette finale. I’m not sure whether I am so sad for Chris L. or so happy that he’s still a single man (and I’ve got a free Southwest Flight to use to hop on over to Cape Cod to snatch him up). I just can’t imagine what Ali was thinking. I know, I know – it’s not like Roberto was the Vienna of Ali’s season, but still.

It’s Chris Freaking L! COME ON.

But what’s done is done so now it’s time to move on and look forward. And what am I looking forward to? Tonight’s episode of Top Chef (yes, reality TV is the only constant in my life). Because we all know that the only thing that can take anyone’s mind off of Chris L’s body is a perfectly seared scallop with some lobster foam.

And all that got me thinking (and drooling): Read More »

Attention college grads: put down your martini for just a moment and check out the new poll conducted by Gallup.com.  The results show that 71% of college graduates like to get their drink on, compared to only 58% of those with a high school degree or less.

Think about the last time you got your buzz on.  Was it last night?  The night before?  This morning? I’d venture to say it probably was in the not-too-distant past.  While some scientists might be scratching their heads over this significant drinking gap, I can think up a few explanations for this post-university bender we find ourselves on.

Duh, the economy’s got us all depressed.
A lot of us are unemployed.  You may have a job working at Baby Gap, but that’s not a career.  The general lack of a 9 to 5 schedule means we’ve got more room for late nights out and hungover mornings.  And when you’re a twenty-something folding shirts or scooping ice cream all day, you often need a drink to soften the blow of “Is this my life?” moments.

Sometimes the booze is free.
If you’re living with your parents to save on rent, chances are you don’t have much money to spend on alcohol either.  You’ll never get those student loans paid off if you bankroll your friends at the bar, but invite them home and drink the good stuff courtesy of Dad’s liquor cabinet. When it’s just sitting there, how can you say no? Read More »

Who or what inspires your style? Many of us use actresses (like Taylor Momsen) or socialites (like Nicole Richie) 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!

Remember years ago when Gavin Rossdale, Gwen Stefani’s delicious British boy-toy, was accused of having a secret love child even from before the times of No Doubt or Bush?  I heard about it around the days when I still wore a Catholic School uniform to represent my “style” and didn’t believe it was true.  Then I never heard about it again.

Until now.

That little mistake’s all grown up and her name is Daisy Lowe. Daughter of designer/songwriter Pearl Lowe and Gwen Stefani’s main trick, Gavin Rossdale, Daisy might be the coolest “Uh Oh!” ever.

Daisy Lowe hails from across the pond (like fellow style icons Emma Watson and Alexa Chung) and was first discovered as a model. Not shocking, given her gorgeous parental units. What is surprising though, is that Ms. Lowe’s body is as far from the typical model’s body as you can get. Yes, this girl’s got some curves and she’s not afraid to show them off. Like, really show them off. As in get naked, cause a scene to start a revolution. She even told a British newspaper that she’d felt the sting of rejection from a fashion house for having a heavier body than a model should have yet she still refused to lose weight.  Boom. Roasted.

Daisy Lowe’s giving some of the non-waifs some faith in humanity.

And it’s opening many doors for her. Daisy is the face of Converse and has worked with Agent Provacateur (probably because she isn’t afraid to shower her provacative side). She was recently featured in the Vogue’s “Today I’m Wearing” feature, documenting her daily style for their May 2010 issue. And if that’s not enough, there are some rumors that she’ll be rolling out her own edgy and sexy clothing line as well.

But until then, we’ll just have to settle for pulling our own pieces together in a way that would make Daisy proud; with a  little sexy (without the trashy) and a dash of wild-child (while still refined).

Read More »

Helloooo major fall cuteness at JC Penney!

Justin Bieber’s memoir has no words.

Is there another Britney album on its way?

Joe Simpson is the worst manager of all time.

Lindsay’s rehab center might be harder than jail.

Is this guy a serial photobomber?

[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 Beauty Story; Dear Blank, Please Blank; and Specials Agent) 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.]

One of the best things about college is meeting new people.  You make lifelong friends, form relationships with professors and mentors, oh–and did I mention there’s lots of guys? The dorm and partying lifestyle of many college students definitely promotes lots of hooking up, but once in awhile you might get lucky and meet a guy who actually wants to take you out on a real date (instead of inviting you over to watch a movie in his dorm only to try to take your pants off the minute you turn the lights off).

While dating can be a great way to get to know someone and possibly start a serious relationship, it’s not always perfect.  We’ve all definitely had our share of bad dates, though nothing compares to the crazy dating situations featured on Bad Date TV. Read More »

Are you watching ‘Pretty Little Liars’? You should be.

How do you know if you’re exclusive?

We’re LOVING these eco-friendly bangles.

There is going to be a Baywatch reality show. WTF.

It’s not all bliss for Alicia Keys and Swizz.

Check out the new Brian Lichtenberg line for Forever 21!

[The following post was written by dating coach, Kira Sabin, a keg of dating and relationship wisdom. She's been helping people find love for years so we thought we'd tap this keg and see what sort of brilliant advice she has for the CollegeCandy readers. Drink up, ladies.]

Have you ever met someone and wished you had a crystal ball to see into the future? Would there be a date?  Would he like your friends?   Would your parents like him?  Could a relationship form?  Does he have the potential to be “the one”?

“Love is blind” is a quote I believe in whole-heartedly, but in a little different way than most.  I find most people blindly look for love hoping to “bump” into the right person.  They look for the connection and attraction.  That’s all fine and good, but it’s not the stuff healthy relationships are made of.

It is great if you have chemistry and both of you like Lost, but if you aren’t aware of the all the other important stuff – core values, communication, deal breakers – you are probably going to wake up one day and realize you wasted your time.

I am not the dating fairy who can sprinkle magic dust and show you five, ten, or 15 years down the line.  But, by keeping your eyes open, you’d be surprised how much you can really learn about a person without spending the next six months wading around in a questionable relationship.

In fact, with a little know-how, you can learn a lot in the first 30 minutes.
Here are red flags you can watch for when you meet someone to realize if the have real dating potential. Read More »

It’s almost that time of year again. Time to pack up those boxes and head back to campus to endure the infamous walk of shame walk to class, cafeteria food, cute boys in uniform, and a little math problem I like to call “peppermint schnapps + chocolate milk = excellent football game material.”  Cheers to that.

If you’re as excited as I am, it’s time to get a jump start and fill up your dresser drawers with some Fall-ish suga – aka the perfect fall wardrobe.  Lucky for me, this season (because I’m obsessed with it) gray is the new neutral.  Bye bye lint rolling the shiz out of all of my black clothes, right!?!  Aren’t you ecstatic?! Gray is such a soft, easy color and goes with absolutely everything under the sun.  So instead of running for cover in an end-of-summer sale rack of black, high tail it on over to the grays.

You won’t re-gray it. Sorry, couldn’t resist. Read More »