A couple of weeks ago, the epic Take My Breath Away came on the radio, to which my friend exclaimed “OMG, the theme song from Clueless! You know at the end where…?”

Though most people alive today would immediately associate this song with Top Gun, the fact that this association with Clueless immediately popped into my friend’s head is just one of the many examples as to how Clueless and Alicia Silverstone defined our early teenage years.

Who wouldn’t have wanted that gorgeous blonde hair, the biggest house on the block, the best wardrobe, the chance to actually be the most popular girl in school, and to end things dating Paul Rudd? Um…AS IF!

While the girls in Cluless certainly had their setbacks, there was never any questions that Cher was going to come out on top. This was the girl who could fix anything, anybody and any wardrobe malfunction. And phrases like “Total Betty” somehow rolled off her tongue effortlessly. While the rest of us could try and imitate Cher, it was impossible; she was one of a kind, and the best that we could do was look to her for some important life lessons.

So, in honor of Alicia Silverstone’s birthday, I would like to offer her a big thank you for teaching me so many valuable lessons as an impressionable teenager. Thank you, Alicia, for teaching me that no matter how poorly you do on a test, your grade is never set in stone. Thank you for teaching me that dorks are totally dateable. And, most importantly, thank you for teaching me that being nice to people is actually important…so long as they aren’t trying to replicate your wardrobe.

Happy Birthday to the girl who unintentionally defined our impressions of Beverly Hills and turn what could have been a run-of-the-mill chick flick into a completely life-defining movie (yes, life-defining. No, this is not a typo…did you not read the first paragraph of this article?)

If you want even more Clueless, click here for facts that I didn’t know about the movie, so you definitely didn’t!

Honey removes dirt from pores and dead skin cells from the surface of your body, while yogurt is an incredible moisturizer.  Strawberries have lots of folic acid and vitamin C, which help clean your skin and close pores.  Milk is great for softening the skin, vinegar will make your hair shiny, and using honey as a conditioner will increase your hair’s moisture.

So why should I go out and spend $10 on face lotion, $17 on under eye cream, and $10 more on body lotion when I already have all of those things in my kitchen?

Duh, I shouldn’t, and either should you. Instead, let’s all use everyday food and other products we’ve already got lying around the house to do the same things as all those expensive beauty products. Here are 5 at-home remedies to start with that are fun to make, all-natural and easy on the wallet. I think this is what Charlie Sheen would call ‘Winning.’

1. Eye Makeup Remover

Olive oil is a great eye makeup remover because it moisturizes the skin around your eyes as well as your lashes as it removes the makeup.  Just use it the same way you would use a normal product; dab some on a Q-tip or a cotton ball and wipe away.

2. Body Scrub

For exfoliating, combine brown sugar, a little bit of sea salt (removes dead skin), honey, lemon juice, and olive oil together.  This will create a product with the same kind of grainy texture as an exfoliating product you might buy in a store. Plus, since it’s all natural, it will be way better for your skin!

3. Hand and Foot Exfoliator

Salt+ sugar +olive oil= hand and foot exfoliator. If you are doing an at-home manicure, try massaging this into your skin before you start polishing.   Total cost= virtually nothing.

4. Face Mask

Mix a half cup of oatmeal with half of a peeled cucumber (chopped), an egg white, a teaspoon of olive oil, and a tablespoon of honey.  Blend these together in a bowl. Wash your face and hold it over a bowl of steaming water for about ten minutes to open your pores, then place the mixture on your face and let it sit for 15-20 minutes.  The natural mask will moisturize and nourish your skin, giving you a healthy glow and baby soft skin. If you feel like really indulging, put some cucumbers over your eyes.

5. Deep Conditioner

As strange as it may sound, the protein in eggs is great for damaged hair.  Add a tablespoon of olive oil to mixed eggs, put it on your hair, and wrap it in a warm towel for 20 minutes.  Afterward, you can shampoo and condition like you normally would. Cheaper than one of those deep conditioning treatments at the drug store, this will give your hair a much needed pick-me-up from your normal routine.

In addition to helping you save money, these natural products can often be better for your face and body than chemical-filled products.  It can also be nice to know exactly what is going on your skin, instead of using a pre-made mixture full of ingredients you can’t pronounce. And these few ideas are only the tip of the iceberg; there are LOTS of options for skipping the drugstore and making your own stuff at home. (Here are 50!)

If you have any more tips about great at-home remedies, share the wealth and comment below!

In this day and age, it seems like every one of my friends is on the birth control pill.  However, unlike most girls, most of my friends went on the pill to have sex at the end of high school, and simply stayed on it to enter college.  And while most people know the basics of birth control, few people ever bother to read the fine print.  So here are some of the most important things that you should know (i.e. all the stuff that’s on that little packet of info you throw out every month):

1.   Being on antibiotics can make the pill less effective

This is something that most girls do not know, but is often the most common mistake that girls on the pill make.  Even if you are taking your pill at the exact same time every day, if you are on antibiotics, they are working so hard to fight viruses that they can sometimes fight the effects of the pill.  If you are taking antibiotics, but are still healthy enough to be having sex, use a backup form of birth control.

2.   You may not get your period every month

As I personally learned from being on Loestrin 24, sometimes the pill may make your period so light that it will disappear for months at a time.  While you should probably get a pregnancy test just to be on the safe side, missing your period for a month or two DOES NOT mean that you are pregnant.

3.   Missing one pill means that you should use a backup form of birth control for the next SEVEN DAYS

Even though you might think that missing a pill in the first week of your pack isn’t a big deal, everybody has a different cycle and not using an additional birth control method, like a condom, can lead to pregnancy. And the effects last longer than the 24 hours that pill was good for. To stay completely safe, use an extra form of birth control for a full week. The only time it is okay to miss a pill and not risk pregnancy is if it is one of your placebos.

4.   The pill does not protect against AIDS and other STDs

While this might be obvious to a lot of us, many people think that the pill has the same effects as a condom.  This is completely and totally wrong.  While the pill protects you against pregnancy, it offers you 0% protection against STDS, so using it doesn’t give you an excuse to have a drunken one-night stand and know that you’re protected.  You might be protected from a future child, but that doesn’t mean that you are immune to everything your sexual partner has.

5.   Generic versions are basically the same

Many people pay up to $30.00 a month for the pill, meaning that they will spend $360.00 a year on birth control.  For those people on a tight budget, ask your OB-GYN about generic versions.  While they might not look as fancy, they are just as effective, and most importantly, they will protect you against pregnancy and give you a chance to splurge on an extra pair of shoes.

6.   Heat and moisture make the pill less effective

The best place to keep your pack of pills is probably in a cool drawer away from heat and moisture.  However, this is not always practical, especially if you want to ensure you take your pill the same time every day.  My advice is to grab a little pouch lying around (I use one of my old minuscule wristlets) and keep nothing but your pills in there. And DON’T store them in the bathroom! If you are going to be outside, shove your purse under a table or in the shade.  It never hurts to be just a little bit safer.

7.   All pills are not the same

When you begin taking the pill, you might get your period once every two weeks.  You might have mood swings.  You might have an ultra-light flow. All of this is totally normal.  However, if this continues after a couple of months, there is no harm in switching to another brand.  Sometimes girls have to try out four or five pills to find the right ones for their body, so if after two or three months you are still feeling down, don’t suffer in silence.  Call your OB-GYN and learn about other options.

Remember, the pill is one of the best things out there, but like every other form of birth control, it needs to be used responsibly to have the maximum effect.  If you have something else about the pill you want your fellow CC readers to know, comment away and share the knowledge below!

While we can’t predict if your invitees will go gaga over a hand-carved ice luge, we can give you the answers to throwing an absolutely awesome house party.

1. Invest in a variety of alcohol…and lots of it

Nothing says lame party like the house that runs out of alcohol before midnight.  People at parties have this great habit of making a drink, holding onto it for five minutes, and then forgetting about their cup and pouring another drink.  Therefore, buy more.  It is absolutely okay to get cheap vodka and cheap rum if that means that more people can drink it.  You and your friends will have the leftover alcohol to use for the rest of the year.  If you need a guide, there are 17 shots in a fifth and 40 shots in handle.

2. Don’t forget the beer!

Even if you aren’t a beer drinker, a party without a keg means no flip cup, no beer pong, and a larger chance that someone will throw up in your house, since hard alcohol drinks will get people drunk faster than beer.  Set up the keg in the corner somewhere, and make sure you have lots of cups.

3. Jungle Juice and Jello Shots

In my personal opinion, Jello shots are awesome and fun for a few people, but if you are having a party with over 75 people, they are a waste of good alcohol and a waste of money that can be spent elsewhere.  However, Jungle Juice is easy to make, can be made as strong or as weak as you want, and minimizes the amount that people pour their own drinks into cups, helping you somewhat monitor how much they are drinking and how much alcohol is consumed

4. Make an awesome playlist

Have you ever been to a party where all of a sudden the Pokemon theme song comes on?  I’ve hosted this party.  Make an exceptionally long playlist with every song that people might want to hear at a party so that nothing embarrassing happens to you…putting your iPod on shuffle is the kiss of death. Need help? Check out these great suggestions!

5. Lock up your iPod or Computer in a room on the first floor

Because parties are all over Facebook these days and it is likely that some people you don’t know are going to show up to your house and drink your alcohol.  While this isn’t really a big deal, you would rather be safe than sorry when it comes to your valuables.  Take it from someone who had her iPod stolen during welcome week…lock the iPod in your room, and plug it into speakers or an extension cord that you can wire under the door.

6. And while your on it, get rid of your food

Reeses Puffs.  Pretzels.  M&Ms.  A bottle of Sangria.  All things that I have seen stolen at various parties.  Drunk people are hungry people and hungry people will raid your fridge and your cabinets.  Make sure that you’ve stashed anything important in your room, and if you are able to lock your fridge, by all means, just do it.

7. What goes on Facebook is there for everybody to see

If you want a smaller party with only people you know, try to make it a private event on Facebook.  Otherwise, it is really hard to dictate who comes through your front door and figure out who is a “friend of a friend” versus who “just got bored and saw a party and wanted free alcohol.” Also, a lot of school’s have their public safety guys cruise Facebook looking for open events where they can bust underage drinkers.

8. Invite your close friends to pregame

It’s a good idea to have 20 people or so at your house at the beginning of the night.  Nothing is more awkward than starting the night with your four roommates and 10 people from freshmen year who you haven’t spoken to since then.  Having people who you know at your house early makes it less awkward when your less close friends stop by, and also is an easy way to start your party.

9. And the last thing…ending the party

If it is 4am and you still have some stragglers, turn off the music, start cleaning, start putting things away…these people will get the idea….

Any other advice for first time party throwers? Any questions for the party experts? Share below! And feel free to check out our insider’s guide to the college party scene.

However, there are many people every year who don’t have the luxury to worry about buying gifts for their own friends and family. These same people have trouble affording their homes, feeding their families, and providing necessities for their children. So instead of worrying about whether or not to get your boyfriend that ultra-expensive wallet, why not take some of that extra money you have lying around this season and donate to someone who really needs it? Or, if you don’t have your own money to spend, why not use some your Christmas Break to volunteer your time?

Here are five charities that are definitely worth your money and your hours.

1. Project Night Night has a mission to make homeless children know that someone in the world cares about them. The charity donates bags containing blankets, books, and stuffed animals to children without a place to live. By giving children comfort items, Project Night Night hopes to lessen the trauma that is associated with not having stability in one’s life. If you would like to donate or get involved in the charity, visit www.projectnightnight.org

2. First Book is a charity that provides new books to low-income children to help them learn how to read. Its founder learned that almost 80% of preschool and after-school programs that are catered to low-income students do not have age appropriate books, and these children easily fall behind in school and never completely learn how to read or love literature. First Book has already sent over 70 million books to children in need, and you can donate to them on their website at www.firstbook.org.

3. Ronald McDonald Houses give funds to sick children’s families to help their families stay with them during serious medical crises. The homes provide “homes away from homes” for families so that they can be near their children at almost no additional cost. Not worrying about money allows families to focus on their child’s sickness and getting them better, and also allows families to travel to seek the best medical care without worrying about both taking care of their child and dealing with keeping up their home. To get involved by volunteering or donating money, visit rmhc.org

4. Nothing but Nets is a campaign to help save people from malaria. Their focus is in Africa, where malaria is the largest killer of children and many of the homes are not built well enough to protect families. A $10 donation to this charity can help buy an anti-malaria bed net and educate families oh how to properly use it. If you are interested or donating to the cause, go to www.nothingbutnets.net.

5. New Eyes for the Needy helps families without health insurance obtain free eye exams and eye glasses. The organization provides help to vision-impaired people both in and outside of the United States, helping children do better in school and adults obtain jobs due their newly increased vision. If you would like to donate old glasses or money to this organization, please visit www.neweyesfortheneedy.org.

As you can see, it really doesn’t take much to change someone’s life. So take some of that money to allocated for holiday shopping and add a few other people to your list this season. It’s easy, it will make a difference and it will make you feel even better than finding the perfect gift for your beloved parents.

What other causes need us right now? Share them below so other CollegeCandy readers can help them out!

As far as people go, I am rather intolerant.  I am intolerant of people who do not clean the coffee maker after they use it.  I am intolerant of couples that walk too slowly together on the sidewalk and therefore block all of the people behind them.  Mismatched outfits and too much eye makeup make my blood boil. And don’t even get me started on people who don’t know how to parallel park.

However, I’ve always felt that I exemplify a very accepting society when it comes to the bigger issues. Things like racial inequality or sex discrimination. I’m all about equal rights for everyone, regardless of race or gender. In fact, when my professor made me argue for school segregation and against gay marriage last week as a class exercise, I started laughing because I literally had nothing to say.

Why wouldn’t we want everybody to be happy?
Doesn’t everyone feel this way?
Doesn’t the law basically say just live and let live?

Yeah, apparently not. The events of the past couple of weeks have informed me that I am completely wrong about the world and the people living in it. Turns out, my tolerance isn’t the rule, it’s the exception. And minority groups, especially the gay population, have to put up with way more than I realized.

As a University of Michigan student, my local news is recently headlined with the story of Chris Armstrong, our student body president who is being harassed by Andrew Shirvell.  An Assistant Attorney General for the state of Michigan, Shirvell has gone out of his way to harass Armstrong online, accusing him of using his presidency to advocate a “radical homosexual agenda.”  Shirvell has not only shown up at student government meetings to criticize Armstrong, but also seeks him out at home.  While Shirvell claims he has freedom of speech to say whatever he wants, as someone who has actually studied Supreme Court cases, I was always under the impression that government officials were the ones trying to limit hate speech despite the First Amendment preserving its existence.  Wrong again.

And then I heard about Tyler Clementi jumping off of the George Washington Bridge forty minutes from where I live.

In an effort to not turn this into a rant about cruel people or bad judgment, I’ll just sum it up again.  Clementi’s roommate had a WebCam in their dorm room that taped Clementi having sex with another man.  His roommate took this footage and streamed it to the Internet.  A couple of days later, Clementi jumped off the bridge.  Coincidence?  Highly doubt it.

Though the Civil War ended in 1865, it took about a hundred years for real laws to come in place giving African-Americans their rights.  And in the middle of all of this, there was still persecution and murder and violence.  I can no longer speak for what the rest of the world thinks, but I do not think it is appropriate for a group of oppressed people to have to wait one hundred years before they can stop worrying about being bullied on a daily basis.

While America may allow everyone to have his or her own belief, this freedom does not entitle us to be cruel.  As a society, we see stories every day about our neighbors going out of their way to make others’ lives a little more difficult. For what? What’s the point? If Shirvell or Clementi’s roommate are experiencing higher quality lives after what’s gone on during the past two weeks, then someone please alert me.

So just stop.  Stop being difficult just for the sake of being difficult.  Stop ruining other people’s lives just because you can. I don’t think that being a little more accepting really ever hurt anyone.

I spent all my cold winter nights dreaming of beaches and sunshine and the perfectly bronzed skin I’d have come the end of summer.

Then summer came and I was happy (minus a few sunburns and one month-long humidity frizzfest). Then summer came even harder — 95 degrees harder — and as the sweat pooled in that little fold behind my knees I knew it: I was ready for fall. I began to yearn for loosely draped scarves around my neck, crunchy leaves under my leather boots and pumpkin spice EVERYTHING.

While “end of summer” might sound depressing if you’re forty with a real job or 17 with another year of high school coming at ya, fall for the CollegeCandy girl is fa-fa-fabulous. And here are 8 reasons why.

1. Fall TV, duh. We’ve been waiting a long 4 months on pins and freaking needles to find out if Chuck and Blair will get back together and if the Glee club will ever get a break. And we’ve had to rely on crappy Project Runway and re-runs of Flipping Out to pass the long, stressful days. Well not anymore. Welcome back to my life, Fall TV!

2. Beasting Out. Now that I’m not wearing bikinis and mini-skirts every night, no one will know if I’m a Venus Goddess or a wolverine under my skinny jeans

3. Football season (!!). If you go to a Division 1 school, the joy of the Football Saturday needs no explanation. After all, Saturday morning is the best night of the week.

4. Bum It. When it was sunny every day, I always felt like a bum if I didn’t go running. Or to the beach. Or get out of my bed because the room was spinning and/or there was a Real Housewives marathon on Bravo.  However, now that it’s going to get cold, I can hang out in my bed with coffee and some Pop-Tarts and not feel like God is ashamed of my general slothiness.

6. Drinking, but no driving. Back on college campuses, no one has to worry about a DD.  And that’s a win/win for everyone (because the only thing worse than being the DD is having to hang out with Grumpy McDesignated Driver).

7. Parental Control. Pause. Not. Even as a senior in college, I still have to report to the parentals where I’m going, what I’m doing, and who I’m going to be with.  Now, if I want to spend the afternoon day drinking or watching Michigan squirrels roam around campus, no one will stop me.

8. Extra Padding. If you gain 5 pounds, it’s just a little added warmth for your walk to class. And with all those thick sweaters and school sweatshirts you’ll be wearing from now until April, no one will be able to tell anyway.

And that’s a bingo!

Welcome back, Fall. It’s good to see (and smell) you.

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:

1. 8am class.
Despite thinking that 8am really is not that early, there is no way you are actually getting up for this class once you begin to discover that there is potential to party every night of college.  Do yourself a favor and don’t even try. 99% of the time, this class will be offered at another time or another semester. If you have to re-work your entire schedule and eliminate time for lunch between classes, do it. I promise, it’s worth it.

2. Hooking up with an older frat boy…and thinking that he will automatically fall in love with you.
In reality, college boys have been waiting three years to finally be big men on campus and use this status to hit on freshman girls.  Have fun, just try not to get too attached.

3. Puking in Public.
You’re in college.  Great job! This means you have pretty much unlimited access to alcohol.  This does not mean that your tolerance has gone up since high school. While the people around you may be able to slam 10 beers in 10 minutes, it might not be the case for you. Don’t be stupid. And if you are, excuse yourself before you become “girl who puked in her hands.”

4. Skipping Class.
I get it: skipping lecture where there are 300 people and no one takes attendance is tempting. But don’t do it. Lecture notes are incredibly important to your academic success and oftentimes the professor will discuss things that are not in your assigned reading but are in your final exam. Getting to class isn’t hard, so suck it up, bring some snacks and get to it.

5. Showing up to a frat party with male friends.
The rule of frats is simple:  chicks are in, and guys are always going to have to wait.  Do yourself a favor and make your group at least a 2:1 ratio in favor of the female gender.

6. All Sweats, All The Time
Ah, sweatpants. Love ‘em. But despite the comfort they provide (especially after you #3 and you’ve got a #1), they don’t love you back. Between the drunk eating, nasty dorm food, and major beer calories, you will gain weight. And without the guide that only a non-elastic waistband can provide, you’ll never know it. Put on some jeans once in awhile.

7.  Overdressing in theme.
Theme parties are great, but remember that as a freshman, you will likely be party hopping (especially if you mess up on #4 and can’t get in to the party you dressed for).  Don’t go all out for a “CEO and Corporate Hoes” party unless you plan to stay there all night.  Otherwise you may end up wearing a bra and a pencil skirt at an ’80s party, and that’s just not cool.

8. Spending all of your time video chatting.
While your home friends are great, so are the people at college!  Branch out, and learn to put away your Skype for some real person time so that you actually make new friends.  While a little bit of homesickness is normal, a relationship with your computer is not.

9. Winging an Exam.
If you did fine in high school not studying, good job.  That’s not how it works here.  Even those of us who do study can’t always make the grades, so don’t hurt yourself before you even take the exam. This is what you’re here for, after all.

10. Drunk Dialing Your Parents
It’s funny at the moment, but no one’s laughing the next morning when your mom calls at 9am and gives you “the talk.”

Romance?  No.
Chocolate?  No again.
Flowers?  Absolutely not.

Traditionally, Valentine’s Day is about spending two weeks trying to find the perfect gift for your boyfriend or girlfriend and often failing miserably. Then spending another two weeks talking about said failure with your friends. It’s exhausting and its not what should be occupying your time.

This year, instead of you and your partner both exerting your energy worrying about getting each other the “perfect gift,” why not focus on gifts you can share together? It takes the stress off of your shoulders and brings the focus back to what this holiday is really about: spending time with the one you luuuurve.

Sexy Lingerie. While possibly a little bit cliché, this gift will always work (especially when you bust it out again in March, April…you get the point).  You get to look really hot in some expensive Victoria’s Secret get-up and he gets to get hot when he sees you. Then you both get to enjoy what happens next. And again in the morning.

Weekend Getaway. If you’ve been dating for a long time and you want to do something ultra romantic, plan a weekend trip to a bed-and breakfast.  Spend the days wandering in and out of shops in the cozy little town and the nights snuggling in your quaint little room. If that’s too much to plan, booking a nice hotel in your college town for the night is a cheaper and easier alternative. It may not seem like much, but it’s amazing what a clean room without roommates can do.

Concert Tickets. If candy and chocolate is not your thing, check out who’s playing around town and split a pair of tickets with your man.  If that sounds too pricey, you can also always look up an open mic night or a café concert for something different, intimate and special.

A Date Day. Instead of doing gifts, plan an over-the-top date! Get breakfast together, come home and watch a movie, feed each other chocolate, cook a meal together, spend the night together…anything that keeps the two of you together for the entire day.  Valentine’s Day is a great day to just be with the person you love (cheesy, but true) and just clearing your schedule for the other person can sometimes be enough.  So enjoy!

For me, 2009 can be broken down to Miley Cyrus at football pregames, Lady Gaga at frat parties, and my best friend who cannot rest until she creates a line of people to each take a shot during the “Shots Shots Shots” chorus. There was also a bit of studying somewhere in there (which was accompanied by the Kings of Leon), and some working out (to Kelly Clarkson). And that is how I’ll always remember my year.

Now that 2009 is almost o-v-e-r, I put together a playlist of the biggest and baddest songs of 2009. This top 20 list will take you back to the days before Kanye and Taylor Swift. Before Sully landed a plane in the Hudson River. Before we lost Michael Jackson. Even before Perez Hilton got a black eye from the Black Eye Peas. (Remember that glorious day??)

Play it as you scroll through your drunken Facebook photos from the year. Play it as you get ready for that mega NYE bash. Play it in 2011 when there are all those new tween stars being overplayed on the radio and you just wanna hear a little Party In The USA, dammit.

Just play it.
Happy New Year!