It’s almost impossible to get through a meal with a group of girls and not talk about body image. And we’re not talking girl power sessions where everyone sits around pumping each other up. We’re talking about those conversations (that Mean Girls so brilliantly mocked) where everyone takes a turn pointing out a personal physical flaw. So now matter how good your body self-esteem may be, it’s hard to leave the table without questioning if you have a muffin top or cankles or too-short eyelashes.

That’s where Operation Beautiful and its founder, Caitlin Boyle, step in to the picture. Caitlin began Operation Beautiful to remind all women that they’re beautiful. She’s didn’t do it through a blog and she didn’t do it through a Today Show interview. She did it by leaving Post-it notes with positive messages in public places. What started as a one-woman mission turned into a grassroots movement with thousands of women leaving thousands of anonymous notes to remind women everywhere that they are beautiful, loved and perfect the way they are.

It’s inspiring and heart-warming and we just knew we had to talk to the woman who started it all. Read More »

Mornings are hard enough without having to deal with fancy make-up techniques and surprise zits. Keep these 3 steps in mind when you’re rushing out the door and you’ll be sure not to show up to class with an eyeliner disaster.

1. First things first; after you splash your face with fresh cold water in the morning and smile at yourself in the mirror (damn girl, you lookin’ fine) make sure to avoid these make-up blunders. I think Snooksters should read this…

2.  Acne is the first thing I notice on my face in the morning. For some scary reason I thought the zitty buggers would stop popping up after I endured a brutal awkward phase and puberty. Hmph, not so much. It’s a mine field on your face sometimes. Come morning, take the natural route in fulfilling your wildest clear skin dreams.

3. And most importantly, remember to love yourself.  As you look in the mirror every morning, take this note to your body (personalized for you) and recite it.  Being comfortable in your skin is the best beauty tip out there.

“It’s the rule of life that everything you’ve ever wanted comes the very second you stop looking for it.”

This quote sums up my life over the past few weeks. Why does life work like that? I swear, whenever I am thinking that I could really use a good boy in my life, there are none to be found. Or when I am feeling like a solid rebound fling would be just what I need, the proper candidate is nowhere in sight.

I’ve been going out of my way this summer to ensure that I don’t get involved with any boys. I have finally cut my ex out of my life for good, and I am really enjoying my independence this summer. My internship and nannying job take up most of my time and energy. And when I do find myself with a little free time, I spend it with my girlfriends. Aside from my dream ATM boy and that one accidental date, it’s been a great summer of margaritas, beach days, and chick flicks.

It’s nice to have months and months free of any drama of the male variety.
I’m happy. Like, really, really happy.

Yet, somehow, now that I’m completely content with my life and not looking for anything in male form, the guys are just pouring in. Maybe even flooding.

In the past week, I’ve had four boys ask for my number. Four! And it’s not like a “hey, let’s work on this class project” sort of number exchange. This is the real deal. Times four. Maybe this is normal for some people, but it is not for me! It’s usually a big deal when one normal, nice, intelligent boy that I could be interested asks for my number…. and I’ve been giving him the eyes all night. But now, when the last thing I want to do is fake flirt with a dude at the bar, they’re coming over in droves. I don’t know what is going on, but it’s odd. I mean, I’m not complaining, just confused! Read More »

2010 is here. What do you hope to achieve this year? What intentions will you set?  For many of us, we resolve to change our health- to lose weight, to quit smoking, to eat healthy, to cut back on booze, to join a gym. We get motivated. We make positive steps forward after the indulgences of the holidays. And then – bam! – a few weeks later, it’s all over and we feel crappier than ever. Now, not only are we eating junk food, failing to exercise, and engaging in addictive behaviors, we also feel like losers because we can’t follow through on our resolutions.

This year, I invite you to OWN your health. What does that mean? That means loving yourself exactly how you are – flaws, warts, addictions, and all. Until you can love yourself, you’ll never affect lasting positive change in your life.  If you have bad habits, own it! Love your body just the way it is. Accept yourself, even if your health is not optimized. Learn to live in your skin and be present with what is. It’s the only path to sustainable change.

Once you learn to love yourself as you are, you may find that you naturally want to nurture yourself. When you’re coming from a place of loving acceptance, you may no longer feel like grabbing for that bag of potato chips. You’re more likely to feed a body you cherish fresh, organic fruits and vegetables. When you love yourself- curves, lumps and all- you may find that you naturally morph into your ideal body weight.  When you feel comfortable in your skin, you’ll relish moving your body- doing yoga, going for a hike in nature, jogging on the beach.

From this place of self-love and acceptance, radical change can happen. And you don’t need to resolve anything. You will want to do it. Your body will know what it needs to be healthy. But in case you’re searching for some inspiration, here are some thoughts. Read More »

When we decided to devote a week on CollegeCandy to eating disorder awareness, we wanted to get some facts and statistics from the experts. We reached out to the people who study and know these diseases best, and in doing so, met Stacey, a survivor who is using her rough past to help others. We immediately fell in love with both this woman and her message and wanted to introduce her to you.

Here is Stacey’s story:

Don’t get me wrong, I love guys (I mean I LOVE guys), but what if the story had been different?  What if Adam had emerged from Eve’s rib instead of vice-versa?  Would we be living in an entirely different world?  Would a woman’s success be gauged monetarily and a man’s physically?  Would aggressiveness be seen as a feminine quality and submissiveness as masculine?  Would women eat whatever they wanted while men counted every one tenth of a calorie?  I have no idea, but I asked this five years ago when starting EvesRib.com, a company that promotes positive body image and self-esteem in girls and women through fashion, while donating a portion of our proceeds to the National Eating Disorders Association.  However, this was not the only thing that led to The Creation of Eve’s Rib.

I used to miss school because I was too ugly, miss parties because I was too fat, and miss life because I was too [insert any and all negative adjectives here.]  It was assumed that I would grow out of this after high school, but things only got worse.   While having a blast on the outside—seriously, an All-American, collegiate blast—I perfected the art of self-hatred on the inside, and no one was the wiser; sometimes not even myself. Read More »

Being college-aged women, we tend to spend more time noticing what we hate about ourselves than what we love. We stand in front of the mirror and pinch our fat, measure our thighs and obsess over our pale skin/big nose/ugly ears. But how often have you ever looked in the mirror and celebrated your body and yourself?

During a week we devoted to the Eating Disorder epidemic, we feel it is important to stop hating on ourseles and, instead, focus on the extraordinary things we have to offer. So, we asked the CollegeCandy writers what they loved about themselves and it looks like we have some pretty fantastic writers.

What is your favorite thing about yourself?

Amanda – Wagner: I love my ability to laugh at myself. I think its important not to take yourself too seriously and try to just laugh at all the crazy in your life. And, of course, I always have a good story to tell because if that.

Brithny – Duke: I love how I am an ABC- American Born Chinese. It’s given me more opportunities and experiences than I could ever hope for.

Leah – Ryerson University: I love my body as a whole.  I wouldn’t change one thing about it.

Alex – Lakehead University:  My smile and laugh. I snort and usually other people laugh at my laugh, so I get people smiling. Read More »

You know when life just sucks? When one crappy thing happens after another, after another and you feel like life just took a big dump on you?

Yeah, welcome to my life as of late.

It’s like I can’t get out of these series of unfortunate events that are just cropping up day after day. Not everything is totally sh*tty, I do see the good things that are continuously happening, but it’s like I’m being stoned and the world just keeps on throwing rock after rock at my face.

And it hurts.

The worst part of it though, is that I’m having a hard time separating these crappy times from my self-esteem. When life gets me down, my self worth tends to go with it. And most times, I end up at the end of it all trying to get my life—and my body—back in loveable condition.

But this time I say NO.

This time, despite all the sh*t, I’m trying my hardest to keep my body-love separate from my life-love. So what if my life sucks, I am determined not to let the self-esteem I have worked so hard to build crumble along with the rest of my life. Even when everything else is going down, I am working on staying strong.

I happened along the blog La Dolce Vita’s most recent entry, an affirmation to YOU.

There is no one else in the world like you. There is no one who has experienced every single experience you have or shares the exact same outlook that you do. You bring something unique and wonderful into this world every single day you are in it. You are one of a kind and while it might be nice to admire the bodies, personalities, achievements and other attributes belonging to others, you can only be you. Read More »