Yay! You survived another school year!

It’s only natural that you, the hardworking collegiate, wants to  veg out in front of the TV and let your mind go numb. One small problem stops a girl from letting her brain decay—there’s nothing on TV in the summer! Just like college is on break, so are the major TV networks. Instead of playing our favorites, the networks throw out gems like “Wipe Out” or countless reality shows about pseudo celebrities (see: any VH1 show).

So what’s a college student to do? Here’s a few suggestions about surviving summer TV.

1. Catch up on old shows. Summer is the best time to catch up on past seasons of shows. With websites like Netflix and Hulu, it’s easy to order DVDs of shows. Netflix also allows you to stream a lot of series directly to your computer. But if you’re too broke to afford a Netflix membership every month, try a website like Hulu, which allows you to stream the last five episodes of their many featured shows.

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Did you guys have a great Memorial Day weekend? I did. And by “I did,” I mean, I ate everything in sight. Just kidding, but it certainly feels like it. Nothing like a barbecue to remind you that it’s almost bikini season and you’re not nearly ready to flash those abs.

Speaking of bikini season, let’s talk about one of my favorite summer snacks: chips and salsa. Mmmm. I don’t know if it’s the crispy chips or the spicy salsa but there’s nothing quite like it, am I right? Especially on a summer day.

For this week’s recipe, I decided to switch salsa up a bit and add a fruity twist… and make it into a dessert, because I need healthier desserts in my life.

It took a long time for me to appreciate mangos – I used to really dislike their texture, even though I always loved the flavor. I got over it eventually, and now I love them. And it turns out, they love me, too! Mangos are a great source of fiber, as well as vitamins B6, A, D, and C. Summer for me is all about fruit, so this recipe is just perfect for a relaxing day reading books and lying in the sun. And the best part? It’s sweet and indulgent, but won’t have you feelin’ bloated in that bikini. Winning! Read More »

I want to start off by saying there are tons and tons of ways to care for your skin.  What works for one person may not work for someone else.  I’ve spent years perfecting my skin care routine and completely personalizing it to me.  Find what works specifically for you and you alone.  That being said, there are still rules that should be followed no matter what products you’re using.

I cringe when I see someone using a regular bar of soap to clean their face and I don’t want to judge. But, actually rubbing that bar of soap directly on your face is a no-no.  I love tequila.  Does that mean I should drink it in class?  No, same concept.

So I’ve got your absolute basic face washing rules in this vid regarding temperature, time, and motions.  It’s super simple, but a lot of people don’t know these rules straight from my dermatologist.

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!

[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. Last month, Khalea gave up fried food. This month, Michelle is going to come face to face with stress eating. Can she stop the emotional ice cream binges? We'll find out....]

Stress eating – who doesn’t do it? Comfort foods have come to define college life. Macaroni and cheese, ramen noodles, peanut butter anything… And honestly, how can you not like comfort food? I mean, it’s called ‘comfort’ food for a reason. When you’re stuck at home studying for a test and it’s 2am, mashed potatoes and gravy with a side of ice cream tastes delicious. Stress eating can take its toll though – digestive problems, weight gain, lowered self-esteem… It’s not good for anybody.

For the month of June, I’m going to try to stop stress eating. You know what that means? No chocolate chip cookie at 2pm when I’m feeling drained (but not hungry). No candy snack at the check-out in the grocery store. No crunchy potato chips when I’m browsing Craiglist at night and wondering what I’m going to do with my life. No eating when I feel an unpleasant emotion… I guess I’ll just have to, you know, feel it.

This week, we’ll look at what stress eating actually is and what steps I’m going to take to curb my stress eating.  Anyone who wants to can take this challenge with me, but you are free to choose your own methods and goals. I will be completely honest for the next month: when I’ve succeeded, when I’ve failed, and most of all, what I’ve felt along the way. Read More »

Get this super fun green and pink makeup look!

This dress looks perfect for this weather

Get all your tricky bra questions answered

Do ruffles in 4 ways

The fabulous find of the week

An awesome cat eyes tutorial!

How to shop for handbags

Check out this custom eyeshadow from Mac (too cool!)

These online clubs are now offering personal stylists

31 top summer makeup buys

Summer beach bag essentials you need NOW

Happy Birthday Angie!

You’re 36 now and looking young as ever. Seriously, how do you look so young? I age every time I rush to turn in a term paper, yet you Benjamin Button every time you add a new kid to the fam.

As soon as you blow out those candles, we’ve got 6 gifts for you (one for every 6th of your life! Get it? No? 6 kids? 36/6=6? Too much? Okay cool just go along with it.) Here’s to all of your incredible movies, your awards, your humanitarianism, and your poise!

Summer is here (or almost here for some of you!) and that means breaking out the fun, beachy reads. You know – chick lit, young adult, etc. Who can focus on a tough read when they’re at the beach and there is so much scenery to take in? And by scenery, I mean half-naked men playing beach volleyball and rolling around in the sand. For days like this, I turn to my favorite YA and chick lit authors, and lucky for me, Meg Cabot has just released a new book that totally fits the bill.

Abandon is the story of Pierce Oliviera, a 17-year-old girl who has been moved to Isla Huesos, her mother’s hometown off the coast of Florida. She’s had some issues at her previous school and her mother has decided that the best thing for her is a fresh start. However, Pierce’s past and one mysterious boy, John, seem to be following her to Isla Huesos and making the whole “starting over” thing a little bit impossible.

Pierce met John the day the she died. Yes, you read that right, Pierce has died before. She was eventually revived and lived to tell the tale, but her run-in with John forever changed her life. Like the myth of Hades and Persephone that this novel was loosely based on, John wants Pierce to live with him, in the underworld. I know, it seems kind of cheesy and weird if you’re not familiar with the myth, but I appreciate Cabot’s efforts to pave a new way in the bogged down genre of paranormal young adult fiction. It’s not about vampires (thank god), but instead draws on ancient Greek religion (really interesting stuff) and I really respect her effort.

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[This post and contest come hot off the Internet presses from our friends at CollegeFashion! Read on, enter, and win an awesome new summer bag!]

In celebration of the (unofficial) beginning of summer, we’re super excited to announce our latest giveaway.

This time around, we’ve teamed up with the amazing people at Foley + Corinna to offer an amazing prize that we know you guys are going to love… One lucky reader will win a fabulous Foley + Corinna Mid City Tote (worth $395) in the color of her choice!

As you guys may know, Foley + Corinna bags are a long-time favorite among style bloggers, celebs, and fashionistas alike. And the brand’s “City” bags are by far their most popular style, loved for their slouchy-yet-structured leather, roomy interior, and versatile fold-over design. Long story short? This bag is an incredibly covet-able prize!

Win a Foley + Corinna Mid City Tote.

Single Girl Society Lesson 26: Maybe You Had It Right At 15

Taylor Swift has built a career off of perfectly explaining those moments where you look at someone and just know — the way their hair falls, the way they look at you, the way the environment just seems to envelope you, the feeling that you could live in that moment forever. And as much as we grind our teeth at such cliché and cheese-tastic moments, we can’t help but hope that there’s one in our near future. So what if listening to Taylor Swift makes you feel like you’re 15 again? Maybe that’s not such a bad thing.

Don’t get me wrong, there’s not a lot I remember liking at 15, certainly not having my mom drop me off at the mall where I could buy Wonderbras and matching tube tops with my five best friends. And I definitely wouldn’t want to go back to the high school hallways, with my locker not so conveniently located next to the cheerleaders’ hangout spot in between classes, watching them smack and twirl their Bubble Yum and flirt with whatever football player played well that week.

But I have to admit, there were some great things about being 15, like the way you felt when “Slide” by the Goo Goo Dolls came on (because there’s nothing like a subpar to mediocre ’90s soft rock song to make you want to fall in love). Not too long ago, love was the most important thing on my mind and just six years later, I can’t imagine having love on my mind as much as I did then. Frankly, it sounds exhausting and that’s saying a lot…since I am, after all, a dating blogger.

Those older and wiser than me would laugh at the way my feelings shifted in the last six years, saying that if I’ve got no right to sound so jaded at 21. I agree with them. It’s crazy to sound jaded at my ripe 21 years, but the world is moving faster than ever and young adults are not just keeping up, they’re leading the way. If everyone is growing up faster and faster than it makes sense to endure some wear and tear at an earlier age.

If you’re anything like me, you want nothing to do with your 15-year-old self’s fashion sense, but maybe it’s time we take note from the part of ourselves that loved to feel. Back then a date was more than a few texts and a potentially awkward dinner; it was an opportunity to feel, not just love, but excitement and butterflies. Dating in college can get kind of routine and over the years, we lose that luster as we find out that the trend is that you have more mediocre dates than spectacular ones and that most of the time, you’re not “on a date” so much as you’re “just hangin’ out.”

The trick is to pick out the great moments from your life at 15. While you’ve got to consider all of the lessons you’ve learned since then, you should also remember that being 15 and green to the dating world gave you the advantage of diving in and really investing your heart in a relationship or person. While it can be tough to balance that willingness to feel with the heartbreak you’ve already racked up and your need to be independent, it can be ultimately rewarding. That doesn’t mean you have to forgo your single life to hunt down love and by no means am I suggesting that you need to fall in love to be happy but at the same time, don’t block it. Being willing to open up emotionally does not make you dependent on love — it makes you human.

Got it? Feel empowered? Good. Now get the first 25 rules of the Single Girl Society right here.

June is finally here and we’re officially out of that back-and-forth late-winter/spring weather we were having (well, at least in New England it was like that, but then again — the weather’s ALWAYS “what season is it again?” here) and it’s starting to get HOT out there.

Is the humidity frizzing up your hair? Are you fighting a losing battle against sweat? Have no fear! I’ve got 10 easy and cheap ways to cool down and beat the heat this summer.

What do you do to stay cool? Is there anything on our list you wouldn’t do? Leave your tips and tricks below!