Oy.

We ladies spend a lot of our time making ourselves beautiful. Between the haircuts, the tweezing, the manicures, the bronzers… it’s exhausting. And it could all be a waste of time, according to a poll over at Glamour Magazine. They asked some guys what they thought of our beauty tricks and the boys let it all out.

Turns out they’re not fans of super thin eyebrows, over-tanning, claw fingernails, and caked on makeup.  To most women, this seems fairly obvious, but since there were pictures accompanying this article (i.e. photo evidence that these beauty blunders actually happen), it might not be as obvious as I thought.

Being a lady who writes for ladies, I thought I’d do everyone a service and break down beauty’s seven deadliest sins and share why you might wanna put the breaks on that daily GTL. Read More »

I’ve missed my sandals. I missed them so much that I dragged them out of the back of my closet a month ago, only to gaze longingly at them every day, sigh, and pull on another pair of warm socks. After a long, hard fall, winter AND spring of boots, rain boots, and snow boots, I am dying to leave the house in nothing but a kick ass summer dress and a fantastic pair of gladiator sandals.

Before that happens, though, I have to take care of one teeny problem. You know that long hard winter of boots I mentioned? It has left my feet looking….less than pretty. So, in preparation for the day when all my sandal dreams come true, here are some step-by-step instructions for an at-home pedicure that will have your feet ready to see the sun before you know it! Read More »

By mid-February, the winter weather will have taken its toll on millions of hands across the country. Whether you suffer from brittle nails that are constantly breaking or hands that feel like sandpaper (and may even crack and bleed, they’re so dry- gross!), there’s no reason you should let Jack Frost win. Winter storms may be harsh, but with a little extra effort, you can keep your soft, delicate hands year round!

1. Drink enough water.

You’re giving the weather a head start if you don’t properly hydrate yourself. Just because you’re not sweating from the summer heat doesn’t mean you can cut down on your h20 intake. Continue to drink plenty of water, and limit your fizzy soft drinks and alcohol, which will dehydrate you faster than you can say “blizzard.”

2. Invite skin care into the shower.

One thing’s inevitable: you have to shower, right? So purchase soaps and body wash that won’t dry you out. According to About.com, bar soaps are more likely to dry out your skin, whereas emollient-rich cleansers will actually battle the effects of dry skin. Try Dove Delicate Cream Body Wash, or look for the word “butter,” as in “Shea Butter,” “Cocoa Butter,” or just plain “Body Butter” when you’re selecting your next lather. Your hands feel the cleansers you use the most, since they are slathering the stuff all over your bod. Read More »

One of my biggest gripes about being a woman is not the fact that I can’t get paid as much as a man for doing the same amount of work (though that is up there), or the amount of maintenance that is expected our gender (hair, nails, waxing, working out, etc.).It is the fact that my period makes me really, really horny.

But it’s not like I can do anything about it, right? I mean, I don’t even want to think about what’s goin’ on down there, so how can I ask someone else to actually venture in that direction? At the same time, though, guys love sex and would do anything to have it. So maybe they really don’t care if their mate is currently hanging out with Aunt Flo?

I needed some answers, so I turned to someone who could get me the scoop: a dude. Read More »

So, I told ya all what the best options for making your face look flawless this summer; now I’m gonna help you complete the look by revealing this summer’s hottest trends in hair and nails. While traditional styles stand strong, fun & funky details in make-up, hair and nails are a staple of the next few months. It’s all about encapsulating the fun of summer and reflecting that in your look, so whether you want to look like a classic beach beauty a la the 40’s and 50’s, or an edgy, rocker chick, embrace your look and run with it.

HAIR:

The Bob: Back again, the focus this year is on strong graphic outlines and catering the look of the bob to the individual’s personality. Utilize curves and sharp lines, go for an asymmetrical style, mix lengths gradually and if you want to soften the look, backcombing and wisps are both great ways to do so. If you don’t wanna chop off your lovely locks, just roll your hair from the bottom with the ends on the inside of the roll, bring the roll to the nape of your neck and pin it up, you’ll get a fantastic bob without having to sacrifice your hair.

Fringe Cuts: These are still hot and like the bob you can use them to their maximum potential for your face shape and personality…soft and wispy, choppy and bold lines are all popular now. No matter what you choose, going for the fringe is about feeling sexy and confident. Read More »

I may be living on a McDonalds budget these days, but growing up with some of the finer things in life have left me with some Caviar taste.

I am not talking about yachts or private jets; more like pretty handbags and a little bit of pampering. And while I can’t always afford the things I adore, I have become quite deft at finding deals on some of life’s little luxuries. Like the manicure. Nothing makes me feel good at the end of a rough week like a good finger soak and coat of Wicked.

But, even with the low prices at many nail shops these days, throwing away $12 on something that is going to chip, crack and have to be re-done in a week is hard for a lady on a budget.

Doing it yourself, though, is easier than you think and will save you tons of money without having to sacrifice a sexy set of hands. Read More »

I can honestly say that I find nothing better in life than a manicure/pedicure combo for the beautiful price of $25. Those Korean / Vietnamese women and men really know what they’re doing! Warm towels, massages, my favorite Essie colors (Wicked for the toes and Waltz for the fingers, obviously!) and Maury Povich playing the background; it is simply heaven.

Unfortunately, my last trip to my favorite neighborhood nail shop –the difference between it and the other 20 salons on my street I could not tell you, besides the fact that it is closest to the Dunkin Donuts where I get my morning brew – left me with less than a happy ending. (I am not speaking of that kind of happy ending.)

I have no problem with the fact that most of the people who work at this particular nail shop have a difficult time with English. I have been getting my nails done at shops like this for years, so it really comes as no surprise. But, until this particular day, I never realized just how much there is to learn about communicating in English beyond just verb conjugation. Read More »

So one of my favorite bloggers, the Imaginary Socialite, snapped a pic of a girl wearing the latest nail craze – blue nailpolish. Blue is totally the new black for nails and the best shades are dark and navy-ish for summer.

As the Imaginary Socialite says, “Her nails are navy blue and they seem like a good compromise between the goth moment of fall and the other colors – metallic, light orange, hot pink – that seem just a little bit wrong.”

Start painting those digits blue.

OPI in “Ink Shimmer        Essie in “Aruba Blue”        Suncoat in “Peacock Blue”

Disclaimer: College Candy in no way endorses underage drinking, excessive drinking, or throwing hammers at people.

College Kids and Drinking Games: is there any more compatible pair? Kids have long been playing Beer Pong, Kings, and Quarters, but I would like to introduce you to my personal favorite: Nails (or, in some parts of the world, “Stump”).

Equipment:

- Tree stump (or other large block of wood)

- Standard badass hammer

- Galvanized nails (one per player)

Objective:

- Knock all other players out of game.

- A player is knocked out of the game when the head of her nail is beneath the surface of the stump (be it hammered or bent). Read More »