CollegeCandy » marilyn monroe

As a little girl, lipstick was always the first item I’d reach for in my mom’s purse. I always watched her swipe a little across her lips and look instantly beautiful. I wanted to look beautiful, too.

And now that I’m actually old enough to be wearing the stuff…well, lipstick scares me. Although it defined icons like Marilyn Monroe and Christina Aguilera, I find the whole thing a bit stressful. There is a very fine line between looking glam like Gwen Stefani and looking like you’re just trying too hard to look glam like Gwen Stefani. And I always worry I’m in the latter category.

But I still want it! Lipstick is classic. And if it’s done right, it’s glamorous.

So how does one do it right? How do we college girls find the right lipstick to enhance our lips without making us look like a clown? I’ve been doing my research (OK, so it was for my own selfish reasons, but I’m sharing it with you now!) and I found some general lipstick guidelines for choosing the best shade and wearing it well.

Picking a Color: For everyday wear, choose a color that is only a few shades darker than your natural lip color. Remember, your lips are naturally a few shades darker than your skin tone so if you’re testing a color on your hand (you know, to avoid germs…I’m a freak) keep that in mind. Choosing a color this way will enhance your lips naturally and not scream, “I’m playing with my mom’s makeup bag!” In general, the lighter your skin tone, the lighter shade you should choose.

If you are going for a less-neutral/more dramatic nighttime look, light skinned girls should go for pinky tones, medium tones should choose berry shades, and those with dark skin can go for deep browns or reds. This article on eHow talks more about undertones and specific shades of colors, but in general the simple guidelines above work well.

Pick a Type: Lipstick comes in several different types like matte, long-lasting, liquid, metallic… Matte and long lasting lipsticks are great to provide a defined look, but if you are looking to make your lips appear fuller, a lipstick with shine or gloss will be a better choice. Another option is a lip-stain, which provides intense, lasting color and shine.

Lip-liner: My girl New York is known for her beautiful lip-liner, but I’m guessing you don’t necessarily want to emulate her style. Basically, most of us college-aged girls don’t need lip-liner. Our lips are pretty full already, so lip liner isn’t necessary until we get old and our lips thin. At this point lip-liner is just going to look ridiculous and over-the-top, so stay away.

Don’t be afraid to use some color on your lips. If you do it right – i.e. pick the right shade for your skin – you can look beautiful and glamorous just like Marilyn, Gwen…and your mom.

It’s Time for Rehab, Lindsay Lohan

Brittany - University of Richmond — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 16:00:30 +0000

Dear Lindsay,

Word on the street is that they’re trying to make you go to rehab and you say no, no, no. While Amy Winehouse turned that jam into a monster hit, do you really want it to be the theme song to your E! True Hollywood Story? I have to be brutally honest with you, Linds; you’re not looking good. We all see that damaged, over-processed hair and all that chain smoking as if your life depends on it.

Remember when you used to look like this? Now, you’ll be lucky if you don’t crack that orange, leathery face of yours.

And here’s an FYI: just because pills are “prescribed” doesn’t mean you can down them like Tic-Tacs. Have we learned nothing from the loss of Heath Ledger last year? Granted Heath was a sexier blond than you will ever strive to be, you don’t have to drown your sorrows in a water bottle filled with vodka. Yes, we’ve caught on to you.

So what’s next for you, LiLo? We are all waiting with bated breath. Do you honestly want to say you hit your peak as a Mean Girl? That your last stab at acting not only didn’t make it to theaters, but went straight to ABC Family!?

Can’t you see that you’ve hit rock bottom? I thought it was blatantly obvious when you accepted the role in I Know Who Killed Me. Perhaps you were trying to relive the twin glory that you received from The Parent Trap, but playing the part of a strip club amputee and her equally mutilated twin sister was not your finest hour. And from I’ve seen of your pole-dancing skills, I’d urge you not to quit your day job. Oh wait – you’ve already done that.

Your father has told us that you’re not acting right now because you can’t. “Because the girl with all the talent is hidden and buried deep inside this fungus that’s grown because of the prescription drugs.” Yeah, that’s right. You heard the man. He’s telling the world you’ve got fungus. Herpes we expected, but fungus? Are you going to let him get away with that or are you gonna put down the pills, dust off those leggings and show the world what you’ve got?

I won’t lie to you Lindsay; sometimes I too see the beauty in dying young like Marilyn Monroe. Who doesn’t want to be glamorous, even in death? But I think you’re taking it a little too far. If you won’t go back to rehab for me, and you won’t do it for your dad, at least do it for Samantha.

She would be lost and fame-less without you.

Thanks, bitch.

Sincerely,
Brittany
(On behalf of all of the Mean Girls fans out there.)

Makeup 101: The ABCDE’s of Moles

Ali - Syracuse University — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 15:00:28 +0000

Moles helped make celebs like Marilyn Monroe and Cindy Crawford famous. Their moles were sexy little perfectly-shaped beauty marks that everyone wanted to have. And did by picking up the press-on variety at the neighborhood beauty supply store.

Unfortunately, though, a mole isn’t just another beauty accessory; it can also be the sign of skin cancer.

One of my best friends has been having trouble with her moles for years, constantly getting them removed. After hearing about her latest round of whack-a-mole, I began to panic; I had never even thought to have my moles looked at! What if they were dangerous? What if I only had days left to live?!

Shaking, I dialed my dermatologist and made an appointment to get everything checked out. And good thing I did! I thought I only had a couple of moles but it turns out I was wrong. Unbeknownst to me, moles aren’t only the raised brown marks on your skin – they can also look just like freckles.

In fact, moles can be raised, flat, large, small, dark, or light, and you may not even know that you have some. And all of them – even those moles that have never seen the sun (yes, like that one on your booty) – can be cancerous, so it’s important to get them checked out by a professional. My dermatologist recommended that everyone performs a monthly mole self-check. This will not only allow you to discover any new moles that may be popping up, but to follow the ones you already have. When moles start changing in any way, it could be a sign of a problem.

Here’s what to look for when you do your check, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. If you discover any of the following you should give your Derm a call and have him or her take a look.

The ABCDE’s of Moles:

A: Asymmetry – When the mole is not a consistent shape; when one half of the mole is significantly different from the other half.

B: Border - When the edges of the mole are ragged, blurred, or irregular.

C: Color – If the mole is different colors, or if it contains tones of tan, brown, black, red, white or blue.

D: Diameter – When the diameter of the mole is larger than 6mm (about the size of a pencil eraser).

E: Evolving – If the mole experiences any change over time it could be the sign of a problem. This is why it’s important to keep an eye on the moles often so you will be able to notice differences over time.

Simple use of sunscreen can help prevent a mole from becoming cancerous. If a mole is found to be suspicious, a dermatologist will likely perform a biopsy to test if the mole is actually cancerous or if it is benign (safe). The doctor will then remove the mole if it is found to be cancerous.

It’s better to be safe than sorry with moles, so protect them, check them, and have a professional do the same.

Makeup 101: Theme Party Looks by the Decade

Ali - Syracuse University — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 15:00:57 +0000

So it’s 9pm on a Thursday night and you just found out that you have a theme party to go to. Ballin right?

Okay, so what are you going to wear, and just as importantly, what are you going to put on your face?

Getting your 70’s makeup to match up with your Flower Power dress can be tricky. So here’s a quick reference guide for how to do your decade makeup from “20’s Great Gatsby gal” to “80’s (Like a) Virgin.”

The Roaring 20’s: Skip your bronzer and opt for some light colored face powder; skin during this time was pale. Exaggerate your lip lines by outlining a cupid’s bow shape above the top lip and fill in with a deep red hue. Keep your eyes dark as well with thick coats of mascara and black liner. Keep shadow dark, either black or grey. This classic look will really help your eyes and lips pop. Accessorize with a feathered headband and dangly earrings.

50’s Desperate Housewife: Whether you are playing a housewife or Marilyn Monroe, the 50’s was also a classic makeup time. Like with the 20’s, keep lips a deep red and outline with a liner to help keep the color inside. Keep skin pale but accentuate your cheek bones with a rosy blush sweeping upwards to create a natural blush line. Contrary to the 20’s, keep your eyes light except for extra coats of thick mascara over curled lashes. Pull your hair back into a bun or create loose curls. Accessorize with a penciled-in Marilyn mole or pearl earrings.

60’s Flower Child: To create a mod, Twiggy-like look, focus on black and white. Paint your lips a pale pink and then apply false lashes and go over your bottom lashes with thick mascara. Try to find lashes that are spaced apart or get individual lashes so you can create clumps. Coat your lids with a white shadow and accessorize with both of the colors. If you want a flower-child hippie kind of look, choose a brighter shadow shade such as green. Braid you hair when it is wet, hairspray and unravel before you go out to create a messy crimped look.

70’s Disco Dancer: Think bright and sparkly! Choose a bright pink or fuchsia for your lips and shade your cheeks with a pink hue. Try to find a silver or gold glitter liner, or a fun color, like purple. Don’t be scared of chunky glitter to put over your lids. Accessorize with disco ball earrings and a flippy-‘do.

80’s Material Girl: To channel Madonna circa Desperately Seeking Susan paint your lips a bright pink. Darken your eyes but keep the rest of your face clear. Accessorize with a ribbon headband and large bow, or cross earrings. If you’re going for an 80’s jazzercise look instead, keep the bright pink lips but choose a bright blue liner or shadow. Create a wing by blending your blue hue outward and try blending several colors together like blue, pink and purple. Think chunky jewelry and bright scrunchies.

Halloween Costume Ideas That Don’t Require You to Look Like a Total Whore

CC Staff — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 15:10:37 +0000

I cannot lie – I am that girl who has used Halloween as an excuse to completely hooch it up.

My best friend even has a Top 10 Melissa Tramp Outfits, and there are easily three Halloween costumes on there. (Editor’s Note: So 70% of those outfits were a normal day? Awesome.)

So, in order to keep myself off any Tramp lists this year, I decided to seek out non-slutty alternatives to my typical Halloween looks. After all, I’d much rather be recognized for my creativity than my boobs on October 31st this year.

Shocking, I know.

Marilyn Monroe

This may be a questionable choice to some, but I don’t find this trampy in the least. The pink number from Gentleman Prefer Blondes is iconic and it’s almost like a two-in one deal because you can say that you’re the fabulous Marilyn or Madonna.

Carrie

Halloween isn’t Halloween without a little fright and gore (note: not boobs and legs), and if you’ve seen the movie Carrie then you’ll know what this is allll about.

The Goddess

This version is called ‘Atlantis Queen.’ I love it not only for the pretty blue, but because it proves that to be a goddess you don’t need tons of cleavage or a super short skirt.

Gangster Moll

This version is free of garters or inappropriately short anything where you have to worry about who might be looking at your hooha when you bend over to pick up that beer pong ball off of the floor. And even better: pants and jacket = warmth! If you want to make this more ‘girly’, you can opt for the pink version of it.

Get political.

With either the right pant or skirt suit, you can easily be Sarah Palin or Hilary Clinton.

The Classic Witch

Long sleeves, long skirt and a high neck and still totally classic. If the typical witch isn’t your thang feel free to switch it up; I always loved the witch from Sleeping Beauty.

Or, if you’d prefer to steer clear of the classics, my three favorites that I’ve found so far are:

If you do decide to go with Twister, though, don’t let anyone put any hand on yellow. Or blue. Or green.

[All photos from buycostumes.com]

The Pros and Cons of Dressing Up for Class

CC Staff — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 17:30:26 +0000

I am one of those random girls who will wear dresses and skirts and too pretty/impractical shoes to class more often than not. Don’t get me wrong – I will absolutely show up in my gym clothes on occasion, but for the most part, I just prefer dressing up. Strangely enough, what I wear elicits quite a wide range of reactions and people often feel more than comfortable sharing their opinion of my clothes with me.

Here’s the general breakdown:

Pro: Being known as the fashion plate. I like that after a meeting with my cool, young English Prof she said, “I love your style. I was waiting to see what you’d wear to our meeting.”

Con: Being perceived as the girl who tries too hard. No, I actually didn’t wear this dress to impress any of the lame guys in our poly sci class. Really.

Pro: Compliments abound. I’m not vain but it is nice to hear people say that they like what you’re wearing.

Con: Criticisms abound. My best friend will never let me live down this exchange:

BF: What are you wearing?

Me: What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?

BF: Other than the fact that you’re wearing sequins at 10 am? Nothing.

Pro: It’s a conversation starter. I feel like I don’t have enough female friends/acquaintances in my life and I can be sort of shy, so if my shoes get a girl to start talking to me then that makes me happy.

Con: People thinking that you did the walk of shame to class. Someone asked me once if I was wearing last night’s outfit. Um, no. Very embarrassing.

Con: Bad weather. I hate looking super cute only to have it rain/snow/go all tornado-y and have my skirt blow up a la Marilyn Monroe and expose me to the world.

What are YOU wearing to class?

[photo from www.fashionzealot.net]