Let’s face it: Sometimes we need to sound more intelligent than we actually are.  Whether it’s for an interview with a potential employer or the need to have the last word in an argument, a great vocabulary is vital for sounding smart… er, I mean, perspicacious. Implement these 20 words and phrases (complete with contemporary examples) in your everyday speech and your diction will become more sophisticated, cultured, and most importantly… smart!

Avant-Garde: [uh-vahnt-gahrd]  –noun

The advance group in any field, especially in the visual, literary, or musical arts, whose works are characterized chiefly by unorthodox and experimental methods

Example: Lady Gaga’s avant-garde sense of fashion continues to awe many of her fans.

Bravado: [bruh-vah-doh]  –noun

A pretentious, false display of courage

Example: The cheerleader was full of bravado at practice, but became extremely nervous when she stepped on the field.

Caustic: [kaw-stik] –adjective

Severely critical or sarcastic

Example: The frat boy made a caustic remark when he told the pledge to take a day off.

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A few campus style tips from Rory Gilmore

Would you do the undie run?

How to make a killer grilled cheese in the dining hall

The hidden costs of college

The only college bucket list you’ll ever need

Should you break up or stay together?

Attendance is optional…and 3 other college class lies

Kegs and eggs goes horribly wrong

The perfect credit card for college students

What are the steps after graduation

Plan your college Eurotrip

It’s Sunday morning, you sit up slowly in your bed, vision blurred, hair lookin’ a hot mess, and attempt to take note of where everything is. After seeing a dress and shoes laying on the floor, you decide that’s enough and fall back into your bed. A second later you pop up and that”oh crap” light bulb pops in your head. You reach for your phone and hesitantly scroll through your sent messages from last night, and before you even open it, you see the name of your ex (from high school) pop up on the screen.

We’ve all been there, the moment when you realize that you might’ve done a few (hundred) bad things the night before that didn’t seem too horrible at the time, only to wake up having to deal with the consequences.

There are some faux pas that few people do, like paint balling an old teacher’s house, and ones everyone does, like drunk texting your most recent ex. So, just to make sure we are on the same page, here are the 5 biggest drunk faux pas:

Getting your Emotion on- Drinking,for some reason, brings out emotions that you never really knew you had. Like how you are still hung up on the boy who threw dirt in your face that one time when you were 9. Luckily you have his number and can call him to explain how he scared you and he is the reason you can’t find a boyfriend. All the while crying to your best friend who is trying, desperately, to shield the cute guy from your English class from seeing your mascara drip down your face. Not a pretty sight, girlfriend.

Losing…EVERYTHING. Getting drunk happens to bring out the forgets. Like, you forget your cellphone in the bathroom, and your purse outside the bar, and your shoes in the taxi, and your dignity next to that weird kid’s futon. Read More »

So, graduation’s over. College is done. You got nothing to your name but a new set of luggage (thanks, Uncle Steve!) and a lot of uncertainty. And anxiety. And drunken photos that you have to un-tag because you’re trying to get a job.

Cue the freakout, right?

We get it. We’ve been there. It’s dark and it’s scary and the worst part is, you don’t even have your BFFs by your side. You’ve got your parents and as good as they are, what do they know? How can they understand what you’re going through?

Well, good news, ladies! Brittany knows what you’re going through, because she’s going through it too. And she’s kicking ass. We sat down with her (OK, so we chatted with her on AIM – homegirl’s too busy at her awesome job to sit down with us anymore) to get her take on post-grad life. Here are some inspiring thoughts from the mind of Ms. Brittany:

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As the end of May gets closer, I start to crave the summer foods of my childhood: potato salad, greasy hamburgers, funnel cakes, Push Pops… It can’t just be me, right? However, a lot of those foods aren’t exactly, um, healthy. To lighten things up a little bit, let’s talk about fruit.

Watermelon and pineapple are two of my favorite summer fruits. And guess what? They’re delicious together. And they’re delicious grilled, either outside on your dad’s charcoal grill or inside in a skillet.

And, obviously, they’re super good for you! Watermelon is high in antioxidants, as well as lycopene and vitamins C and A. Pineapple is an anti-inflammatory and it can also provide a boost to your digestive and immune systems. Pineapple is also a great fruit for the summer because it can help protect your eyes against macular degeneration, which is caused by sun exposure.

I picked this recipe because… I love to grill things. It’s a great way to spice up pretty much anything. And grilling is an inherently social activity. Plus, you can make it for cookouts and say, “Look guys, you don’t have to eat an entire week’s worth of calories today!” Read More »

Waves are great.  But I’m not talking about the beach, which I love.  Minus the sand.  And sea critters. And old men in Speedos. Whatever.  Waves are always in, and there are oh so many ways to style them.  You can do the beachy surfer girl crunch, the old Hollywood glamour, the pincurl wave, or this: the loose wave.

We’ve seen ‘em on everyone, like Lauren Conrad, Laura Preppon, and all of the Victoria’s Secret Models. And now you can have those perfect, laid back waves, too. They may seem difficult to master, but they’re not. It only takes a little bit of time and patience. And if you happen to burn yourself with your curling iron like I do all the time, I won’t judge you.

So, I’ve got your tutorial for these awesome loose waves.  This is definitely my go-to style and maybe after this, it will be yours too!

Even though it’s been three weeks, Alabama still needs your help. Click here to see the drop off locations in your state if you have donations for the tornado relief!  Your support is much appreciated!

Got something you want me to cover? Post it in the comments below. And don’t forget to follow us on YouTube and check out my other videos right here! And for more beauty related tips, check out my website and follow me on Twitter!

I don't need no stinkin' fried food!

[Everyone’s got a vice, a bad habit, something they know they need to change. Unfortunately, everyone also has a million excuses why they just can’t do it. Not anymore. Every month we will be following a different CollegeCandy writer as she takes on a personal challenge. This month, Khalea is giving up....wait for it....FRIED FOOD. She tripped up a bit last week, but it looks like the fried tide may be turning.]

For the first time in weeks, I don’t have any dreams about mozzarella sticks.

I don’t wake up longing for the crunchy taste of hash browns in my mouth. I don’t even want a chicken wing….that much.

Even though I miss them, I’m really getting used to life without fried foods in my diet. I feel like I’m cutting so many calories from my daily intake and it feels amazing!

You guys know that the beginning was a struggle. But the comments from the readers in my last post really helped me get through this week. I’ve been having so much fun finding ways around my restrictions. At first I was afraid that everything would taste really bland without my favorites, but I was totally wrong. Read More »

An international product you’re going to want

Swimsuits for the slightly insecure girl

What do different breakout spots mean?

How to choose the right foundation

Your self-care cheat sheet

Would you wear a high-waisted swimsuit

Pull off Pippa’s style

The surprising summer nail shade

An exhibit every fashionista should see

Five variations on the flare jean

Mac’s awesome new product. Check it out!

A few weeks ago, CollegeCandy posted a piece on How to Have the Best Vaginia in Town, a post that featured a number of ridiculous, but real vajazzling techniques (which, by the way, was not supposed to be taken as serious suggestions). But even with so many crazy options to choose from, the issue that really took over the comments was the idea of waxing at all.

The opinions were strong and varied and led to an eighty comment debate on the appropriate way to wax your pubic area, if there even is an appropriate way to do that. So with all that backlash, we thought it might be a good idea to create a post that attempts to dive into some of these issues as well as attempt to determine why such a personal choice has become such a public issue at all.

So really, we’re not answering any of your questions, we’re just trying to understand them. This post is not trying to sway you one way or the other. I’m just laying out some differing opinions and creating a forum for discussion. And I thought the best way to do that would be to go straight to your comments. So why is this such a big issue? Why do women have such differing opinions on it? And should we even be attempting to justify something that we ourselves have called medieval torture?  Let’s find out.

Comment # 1: Shaving down there is no worse than shaving ur legs or ur arm pits for that matter. It’s all in what u (as a woman) like. 

Can it be that simple? Can it be as easy as girls, to do what you want to do because you want to do it, whether that means living with an entire forest or going bare. Be comfortable and confident in your decision and just go with it. Don’t worry about what other men or women think. It’s a nice thought, but that’s easier said than done, especially after reading comments like the one below.

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The Passage was originally released last year and maintained its hardcover form for quite a while, so I had to pass. It wasn’t the price that bothered me – I can handle the occasional $15 book – it was the weight! At almost 800 pages, the hardcover version of The Passage weighs at least a couple of pounds and is definitely not purse or travel friendly (no matter how large the bag!) I don’t like to be restricted by my reading material, especially when I’m that girl who constantly hauls around a book to the gym, in her purse, etc. Needless to say, I jumped for joy when I saw that The Passage was finally being released in trade paperback form on May 17th.

The Passage is a vampire novel, but stands alone in this bogged-down genre. Instead of telling a love story between vampire and human or recalling an epic battle that has been secretly raging for centuries between vampire clans, The Passage takes a scientific approach. It begins with the story of Amy, a little girl abandoned by her mother and taken by FBI agent Brad Wolgast to become part of a top-secret experiment. However, a myriad of things go terribly wrong and the experiments (vampires!) escape and begin the destruction of the known world. Wolgast escapes with Amy and, as time goes on, it becomes clear that Amy may be the key to stopping the vampires.

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