Help one CC reader make her dream come true.

And so Ali Lohan’s downward spiral begins….

Which flat iron is best?

I have a major love/hate relationship with this shirt.

Facebook HQ is not happy with “The Social Network.”

Looking for your dream job? Belvedere can help.

As a native Minnesotan, the frigid cold of winter is nothing new to me. And while the snow might be pretty sometimes, dry skin and hair never is. Keeping your hair moisturized in the winter can be difficult, but this College Candy girl has worked at a hair salon for three years and is going to share her knowledge on the best products to help your hair weather out the winter on a college budget. (And that’s the end of my talking in third person…)

To have your best hair in the winter, experts say you have to start with the basics.

Starting with a moisturizing shampoo is crucial. And there are plenty of them out there that won’t cost you a fortune. My favorites:

Pantene has a great line called Winter Rescue Pro-V Moisture Renewal. Their shampoos and conditioners are cheap and great for all kinds of hair. And the deep conditioning treatment is on par with the kind you’d pay one month’s rent on in a salon, but costs mere dollars.

Herbal Essences also has a great moisturizing line called ‘Hydralicious’ and it has a variety of moisturizing formulas for all different kinds of hair. Whether you have crazy dry hair like I do, or fairly thin hair that needs to be conditioned but not weighed down, this line has you covered and moisturized.

Another great resource is the Moroccan Oil Restorative Hair Mask. It’s definitely on the pricier side, but works wonders, even on my crazy curls that tend to go uber dry in the wintertime. I put this on my hair and leave it on for ten minutes or so while in the shower, and then my hair regains all that coveted moisture it lost in the frozen tundra cold.

If  the winter has taken the shine and luster out of your hair, you may want to invest in John Freida’s Color Glazes. They can help keep hair looking shiny and healthy between colors. And if you’re one of those lucky gals that has a beautiful natural color (I hate you), John Frieda also makes a clear shine formula that will give you hair-commercial hair in no time.

Now, protecting your hair doesn’t stop in the shower. It’s what you do once you get out that really counts. Especially when it comes to drying that mop. And you must dry it. I repeat: you must dry your hair! Going outside with wet hair means frozen hair, which is a one-way ticket to Split-Endsville, no matter how many hair masks you use.

And since you’ll be using a hair dryer/flat iron daily (assuming you shower that often), you are going to need to protect those tresses from the heat. You definitely want to do this year round, but it’s especially important during the winter when everyone’s hair is generally drier. There are many different (and expensive) options for heat protectant products, but I really love TRESemme’s Heat Tamer spray that you can use before blow drying, flat ironing, or curling! It gets the job done and leaves your hair smelling deeeelish.

Regardless of which exact products you use, the important thing is to give your hair a bit of extra care and conditioning during the winter. Conditioned locks are not only healthier, but they’ll keep you looking classy, even on nights when you might not be acting so classy yourself!

Know of any great winter hair tips or products? Share with us!

It’s now almost three weeks since Christmas (and only 353 ’til Christmas Day 2010… not that I’m counting!) and, like many of you, I have a slew of gift cards for different retailers, many of them to Sephora. This year, instead of spending my gift cards on lots of little things, I’m planning a few splurges on beauty products that are really worth my cash.

Whether you’re planning some gift card splurges or just want to upgrade your beauty regime, here are five beauty products worth splurging on:

1. Blow Dryer/Flat Iron

It might be a bit of an exaggeration to say that my life changed when I got my T3 hairdryer for Christmas a few years back, but I can honestly say my locks haven’t been happier… or more hydrated. The same could be said for my CHI flat iron – my hair has never looked this good.

Now, your drugstore blow-dryer/curling iron/flat iron might be doing the trick for now, but higher end styling tools cut down the time you spend on your hair by at least half, and they also make hair look silkier and shinier. Don’t buy it? CollegeCandy.com’s beauty blogger Caitlin just raved about her new T3 Evolution Tourlmaine Blowdryer ($129.50 at BeautyChoice). Great quality flat-irons include those by Farouk CHI ($69.72 at Amazon), GHD’s IV Styler ($240 at Sephora), and Solano’s HAI ($55.95 at Amazon).

As a girl who used to spend 30+ minutes blow drying and 30+ straightening her hair, I guarantee these products are so worth the investment. Seriously, this is one splurge your hair will thank you for.

Find out the other 4 splurges worth making at CollegeFashion.net!

A pill that can do that? Sign us up!

Last week we found out about a pill made of alcohol. Our excitement over the potential to skip the calories and the burning sensation in the back of our throats were almost too much to bear. We thought, “This is the best thing to ever happen to us college girls.” Which was true.

Until now.

It seems like geniuses everywhere are coming out of the woodwork and shoving all sorts of awesome into teeny, tiny pills. The newest venture we are freaking out over?

A pill that can take your hair from straight to curly (or vice-versa!).

That’s right; scientists at the Queensland Institute of Medical Research have found out that the trichohyalin gene is responsible for creating curls. Now that they know this, treatments can be developed to make hair curlier or straighter, and the scientists are in talks with a major cosmetic company in Paris to bring them to the masses.

The fact that these people claim it very well could be possible to create a pill to alter one’s hair texture is music to my ears. When it comes to hair, the grass is greener on the other side. Curly-haired girls envy those who just wash and go with their perfectly straight locks. And those with thin, straight hair covet the ringlets on their curly haired biffers across the fence.

And now there is the possibility a little pill can propel you right on over that fence to frolic in the green meadows, then hop back over again when you’re done?

Heaven. to. my. ears.

How many hours of going over wavy hair with a flat iron would this save us? How many months of hair rehab could we avoid after a season of curling, teasing and hair spraying for holiday parties? How much anguish would we avoid over those annoying broken hairs that stick up on top of our heads no matter how much we (inconspicuously) lick our hands to smooth them out?

It seems almost too good to be true, but at one point so did taking a pill to prevent pregnancy and look at us now!

Just imagine the future: baby free and with perfect hair? Science has never been so fabulous.

Got something awesome everyone needs to know about? Email your “The Know” ideas to Jill@collegecandy.com and I’ll pass them along to everyone right here, right now. Everyone’s got something to cool share and it’s the season of giving so give it to me.

Folica.com
If its one thing I hate shopping for, it’s beauty products. Between makeup, hair products, hair tools, skin care, body wash, and the list goes on, I usually find myself running around to a million different places when in reality I’d rather just use that time to sit on my couch and watch TV and just walk around looking like a hot-mess. But I know my grandma would not approve and tell me that it is NO way to meet a husband.

But now I found the BEST way to still sit on my couch and look damn good too. Folica is by far the best all-encompassing beauty site out there. They have everything from the best flat irons to the best potions to get rid of that monster zit on your face. Not to mention they always have SWEET deals and usually free shipping. And they ship it out faster than you can type in your credit card information. Check out this curling iron by Enzo Milano; I’m OBSESSED. It’s pricey, but gives you red carpet curls that last all night.

One more thing to know: through tonight they have a big holiday sale going on. You can get $20 off any purchase of $100 or more and $35 off of purchases $150 or more! Plus FREE shipping! Aren’t you glad you’re in The Know?

Nonja The Camera Happy Orangatan
You thought you were the selfie queen? Well, meet Nonja. She lives in the Vienna zoo and is quite the photographer. She’s developed a huge following around the world, got herself an endorsement with Samsung, and even has her own Facebook fan page (though I’m pretty sure she’s not managing that herself). The updates are written in German so I have no idea what they mean, but the adorable photos are easy enough to understand and love.

I don’t know what it is about monkeys (especially ones that take pictures), but I’m obsessed.

There are many beauty freaks out there like me and trust me, we don’t ever get sick of unwrapping new beauty supplies for the holidays! I love the sweet smell of lotions and perfumes, eyeliners and mascaras! Honestly, I’ll take beauty products over another gift card to Bloomies, any day. Let’s be honest, I’ll end up spending that on stuff at the MAC counter anyway.

Most of the beauty supply stores are doing huge doorbusters and giving away lots of free stuff, so you can snag plenty of swag to get your friends. We beauty freaks appreciate the little fragrance samplers and mini tubes of lipstick, so I’ve put together the perfect guide for your beauty obsessed friends!

The Sephora Ultimate Blockbuster
This $400 value makeup kit is selling for just $48! That is a HUGE steal! It contains 84 eyeshadows, 60 lipglosses, lipliners, eyeliners, some brushes and a book with instructions for various looks. It all folds together neatly in a portable case and is definitely the most versatile gift you can get one of your beauty freak friends!

ULTA 3-in-1 Shower Smoothies
1. These bottles are gigantic. I’ve had one last me a year and a half.
2. They smell delicious and don’t leave an overpowering scent after.
3. They come in tons of flavors like Appletini, Pink Champagne, Chocolate Milkshake, and holiday flavors like Gingerbread Cookie and Candy Cane!

Right now they’re only $8.99 AND buy 2 get 1 free! That’s a major deal!

The Clarisonic Mia
I put this beauty tool on my Christmas list and it’s the only thing I want this year. The wonderful folks at Clarisonic have released a smaller and cheaper version of their skin cleansing brush. This tool is revolutionary for skincare. It gently exfoliates and gets all of that makeup, dead skin, and dirt off of your face leaving you with smooth, silky skin. The kit includes the Clarisonic Mia, charger, a sensitive brush head, and a trial size gentle cleanser. If you order from Clarisonic directly, you get a free gift and you can personalize your gift with an engraving!

Benefit BADgal World’s Best Mascaras
Benefit makes some great mascaras, and this duo of plum and black mascaras makes a great stocking stuffer! I’ve used both of these, and they’re amazing products. The plum instantly brings out the color in eyes, and everyone needs a good black mascara for everyday wear.

Deluxe Fragrance Sampler
Finding a good perfume is hard. Have you ever tried sniffing all the newest scents at the store? If you don’t end up with a headache, you do end up with some awful scent because they all start to smell the same. Well, not with this little kit. It comes with 12 samples of new fragrances that she can actually try on and take for a test drive and a voucher that your giftee can bring to Sephora to redeem for a free full size bottle of a fragrance she loves best!

Bedhead Mini Styling Iron
There is nothing worse than spending 30 minutes straightening your hair in the morning only to walk outside and have it frizz out in seconds. That is why every girl needs her own travel flat iron. This one is super cheap and the perfect size to throw in a messenger bag. She can fix her hair between classes, at the gym… the possibilities are endless.

Not Soap Radio Sorority Products
If you have a long list of sisters to gift to this year, Not Soap Radio’s line of sorority inspired goodies will do the trick. They’ve got everything from hand lotion to face palettes personalized for every chapter out there. The packaging is adorable and the products are really great, too.

Post courtesy of StyleBakery.com. These ladies know their fashion, so check em out.

When you’re in a rush to get to school or work, looking perfect isn’t always your top priority. But halfway through the day, you catch a glimpse of yourself in the mirror and wish you’d tamed those flyaways and put on a little lip gloss. Fortunately, we’ve found some amazing miniature beauty products that you can carry with you when you’re on the go – just stash them in your bag, locker or car!

The Pro Silk Ceramic Mini Flat Iron ($19.95) fits easily into your purse for fixing spots you missed this morning or getting rid of frizz when you’re on the go. It’s so tiny, it heats up within seconds for a quick fix. For girls with unruly bangs or cowlicks, this tool is a must-have. To order, call 1-866-434-8100.

Create a sophisticated look with this palette plus your fingers on days when you don’t have time to do a full face of make up. The Josie Maran Finger Paints ($36) can be mixed together and applied to your eyes, lips, and cheeks for a natural yet pretty look. The compact is very small and is a great alternative to lugging around a bunch of different products at once. Josie Maran cosmetics are available at Sephora.

If you’re going to be applying make up with your fingers or eating on the run, you need to make sure your hands are clean. Instead of boring hand sanitizer, try Fruits & Passion Purifying Waterless Hand Soap ($6.50). It comes in five deliciously fruity scents and a pretty little bottle. To purchase or locate a retail store, visit fruits-passion.com.

Sometimes all you need to look amazing is a little lip gloss. We’re obsessed with these adorable YOYO Lip Glosses ($6.98). They are retractable, so you clip ‘em onto your waist or bag, pull, apply, and let go! But their convenience and cuteness aren’t the only benefits – these glosses smell yummy and add luscious shine to your lips. To order, visit yoyolipgloss.com.

When I was in elementary school my mom would wake me up an extra 20 minutes early on some very special mornings to crimp my hair. Eyes closing, head drooping, I would sit on my bathroom counter as my mom went through my (excessively thick and fro-ey) hair – section by section – with my purple and teal crimping iron. The end result was horrifyingly awesome. I had the coolest hair in school.

But as quickly as my crimper came into my life, it made its exit. As soon as I hit middle school I realized that giant hair was not in and that, maybe, a round brush and a hair dryer was the way to go. I tossed that crimper in the trash and never looked back. Because no one should. Because that hairstyle was completely ridiculous and it really looked good on no one.

Which someone should explain to Madonna and Lohan.

I don’t care how famous you are, ladies, but this look is not. hot. Yes, Madonna, I realize that you have been this major trendsetter for.e.ver, but this is not a trend that I am ready to embrace (again). I know that I totally hopped on the cone-bra-train back in the early 90′s (literally – I was 6 and would put ice cream cones under my shirt), but this is different.

This is crimped hair. And it looks awful.

I don’t know who yours stylists are, ladies, but it’s time to give them the boot. In the ass. The 90′s may be back at American Apparel, but they are not returning to the salon anytime soon. Get a Chi and let’s move on.

So can we blame her when her love for the bottle and her passion for high fashion collide….in the form of vomit splattered all over some super couture dresses…which she returned…without cleaning them?

Um. Ew.

And, yes. Yes we can.

I’ve been there. Too many times. Like the time my friend borrowed a pair of boots, got drunk and peed behind a dumpster…drowning my boots in urine. Or when I went to use my Chi and found chunks of vomit from a roommate’s particularly bad evening. (“Seriously, I couldn’t even get to the toilet. It was totally projectile!”) Or that time I loaned out my favorite t-shirt only to have it returned with some…er…male secretion splattered all over the front.

The point is this: we don’t care what you do in our clothes, just clean that sh*t up. Especially for Harvey Nichols.

Although, on the bright side, at least it was just vomit. Who knows what this girl is capable of?!

Admit it. You have one. Everyone has one. Some people like to talk about theirs. Others, like me, do not like to reveal that we put any effort whatsoever into our appearance. But this is a new age of honesty.

Every website from slate.com to style.com is questioning and analyzing the device. They are not bemoaning it in a critical way, but reconciling with its wondrous powers. Their articles say, “yes, flat irons are divine inventions, and we will test out several varieties so you don’t blow $200 on a piece of crap that will fry your hair.”

Slate’s intellectual approach to the flat iron has me sold on a new one, since they rated my precious Chi only an 8.4/10. I have been duped! Apparently, the $189 Hai Elite Digistik is the way to go; it will bless you with smooth hair for five days .

Never again will I trust my Tri-Delt friend Becky for hair advice, even though she has a head of flaxen cornsilk (so unfair!) that she attributes to her Chi. From now on, I will only trust the Ivy Leaguers at Slate, who put their degrees to use by testing out hair products for smart women who like to look good. Like you and me.

Slate’s Flat Iron review:

style.com’s essential hair tools for fall.