From Winter Wear To Spring Flare: 5 Fresh Ways to Wear Your Scarves in Spring

Scarves are the perfect accessory. They revamp your look and add flare without you having to work too hard. With spring just around the corner, you may be thinking it’s time to pack away your winter scarves. But not so fast! There are plenty of ways to turn your winter wear into spring flare! Watch this tutorial to check out five fresh new ways to transition those winter scarves to mod spring-time wear.

Did the vlog tutorial help? Make sure to check out other CL tutorials, like how to get the perfect smokey eye in less than 5 minutes. Send us your thoughts and any suggestions for future beauty or fashion tutorials!

XO Sunny

Sana Ashraf is a fashion writer and fashion show intern for College Lifestyles. She is a junior at the University of Michigan. Sana loves reading fashion magazines, shopping sprees, city lights, color coordinated closets, and all four seasons.

Valentine’s Day Fashion: CLassy vs. CLiche

Valentine’s Day can be fun for everyone, whether you have a special someone or a few—your girlfriends! A private dinner doesn’t always have to be for two, so if you and a couple good friends want to celebrate but don’t have a beau to celebrate with, look up one of the classiest restaurants on campus and make reservations for the group. After all, everyone needs an excuse for a classy night out with the ones you love most! Now that the “What should I do on Valentine’s Day” question is out of the way, let’s focus on the best part…what to wear!

Everyone’s first instinct is to raid their closet (or quickly sift through their ROYGBIV organized closet) and head for the reds and pinks. STOP right there. Do not do this. As hard as it is, resist the temptation to go with the CLiche colors, and instead be CL CLassy. If volunteering at a children’s Valentine’s Day party or celebrating at a friend’s Valentine’s Day themed party, dressing up in the traditional red and pink may be a fun choice; but for a classy private dinner, drop the candy cane dress or the pink Forever21 shirt that’s raining hearts and instead go with a sophisticated, elegant color.

Stand-out colors for a fabulous Valentine’s Day date are deeper shades like navy, burgundy, emerald, or the classic LBD. If you want to add a touch of color, throw on a vibrant pair of heels—mustard or peach for example. To achieve the poised princess look, check out my example below. I am wearing a navy dress from TopShop that has a graceful look, but has a fresh fun twist to it with the rhinestone embellishments and poncho-style sleeves. If you don’t want to shop through your closet, check out TopShop, Forever21, Urban Outfitters, American Apparel, or H&M for some great last minute deals. And remember, the best thing a classy co-ed can wear is her confidence!

Happy Valentine’s Day sweethearts! Xoxo — Sunny

Have the perfect outfit, but need help with your makeup? Check out CL’s first beauty tutorial on how to get the smokey eye in 5 minutes and 9 easy steps!

Sana Ashraf is a fashion writer and fashion show intern and is a junior at the University of Michigan. Sana loves reading fashion magazines, shopping sprees, city lights, color coordinated closets, and all four seasons.

Get The Smokey Eye in 5 Minutes and 9 Easy Steps!

The “Smokey Eye” is the classic night-time eye shadow look that works on everyone! Whether your eyes are large or small, almond or round, or anything in between the look is a staple that every girl should add to her make-up how-to. A lot of people have trouble with this look or just think that it takes forever, but I’ll show you how to do it in 9 simple steps and the best part is–it only takes 5 minutes! Go from a plain jane to simply stunning with a few simple steps! Follow along with me below and check out College Lifestyle’s YouTube channel!

Did the vlog tutorial help? Send CL your thoughts and any suggestions for future beauty tutorials!

xo Sunny

Sana Ashraf is a fashion writer and fashion show intern and is a junior at the University of Michigan. Sana loves reading fashion magazines, shopping sprees, city lights, color coordinated closets, and all four seasons.

Score Your Own Touchdown This Superbowl…With Style

Every girl has the dream at least once in her life to date the super-cute football player (if you were in high school or a fan of the NFL). With Superbowl around the corner, I found stylish outfits for you to look like the ultimate fan and feel unstoppable enough to score a touchdown yourself!

We all know this game will end one of two ways, the Giants will win, or the Patriots will win, but as far as style goes I’ll call it a tiebreaker. Both outfits are equally cute and sporty, so just sit back, grab some snacks, and get ready to cheer!

The first look I created was for the New York Giants. I was inspired for this by the classic, football-loving fashionista who loves to be comfortable and cozy when watching a game. I love 80’s style and was instantly inspired when I found this Giants off-the-shoulder burnout sweatshirt. Junkfood Clothing makes the stylish vintage sweatshirt (famous for the “Little Miss…” shirts) and it sells on Amazon for $39.00. Pair with a burnt orange tank from generalpants.com to complete the look.  The steal of the outfit is the ‘I’m a great catch’ underwear from Victoria’s Secret for $3.99! It is a cute touch showing spirit from head-to-toe. I am also I huge fan of ripped jeans; it goes along the relaxed look. My favorite brand has to be Joe’s Jeans. The denim is super-soft; it’s almost like wearing your favorite sweats. I purchased mine from Sack’s Fifth Avenue for just under $100. Lastly, what outfit would be complete without accessories? I found these adorable slippers with the NY Giants logo and colors for $30 from nflshop.com.  The baseball hat, $22 from Amazon, adds a flare to the outfit. Last but not least the tote! Wouldn’t you be the coolest girl at the Superbowl party carrying all the snacks and goodies for on Sunday? You can purchase the bag for $25 from the nflshop.com.

Now to be 100% fair, there is another team fighting for the title, the New England Patriots! My favorite football item of all time would be the sequin football shirt. I personally own a Pittsburgh Steelers sequin shirt, and you can purchase it for any team from Victoria’s secret for about $50. Match it with a white long sleeve thermal, I found this one for $14, and this puffed Patriots’ vest both from Victoria’s Secret. One of my favorite trends this year is the trend of colored denim, particularly red. Show off you’re Patriots’ spirit with red jeans like these J Brand ones I found for $69 from barneys.com! To finish off the look, how perfect are these New Balance shoes in the New England’s navy and scarlet red? Go ahead and tell your friends the “N” stands for New England!

I can assure you whatever look you decide to sport, you won’t be disappointed, and who knows, you might score the football cutie you always wanted. That’s a touchdown if you ask me!

Alex Lomicka is a freshman at Kent State University. She loves fashion and football. She has and always will be a Pittsburgh Steelers girl, but this  Superbowl she will be cheering for the NY Giants.This is her first semester interning for College Lifestyles TM!

Gossip Girl: ‘Father and the Bride’ Schemingly Good

*Spoiler Alert!*

Last week’s episode left most GG lovers annoyed and frustrated. Blair losing a baby with no real consequences and making a pact with God to never be with Chuck, along with Serena and Dan starting a fake relationship was a disappointment for a midseason premiere. So, naturally with the 100th episode of the hottest Upper East Siders just around the corner, I was definitely hoping that “Father and the Bride” would bring plotting mediums back to Manhattan. Luckily for me, GG got its scheme back (for the most part). Check out the top 5 OMG moments Gossip Girl stirred up to get me back, and take a quick look at the top 5 moments that could have been left out.

Top 5 OMG Moments

1. The Tripp Trap: Pardon my pun, but I couldn’t help myself. The trap was perfect. Serena and Nate stage a fight, use their biggest frenemy Gossip Girl to their advantage, and get Tripp exactly where they want him–feeling like he almost got away with it. I have to admit, I usually catch things but this plot I didn’t see coming at all. When Serena fought with Nate, I couldn’t grasp my head around how she could believe Tripp over Nate. After all, he was the the culprit in nearly killing Serena in a car crash to escape a political scandal. But as Serena was discussing details of the car crash with Tripp, and discussing how Nate has changed I really thought she believed Tripp. Just as Tripp starts to tell Serena who he thinks is responsible (his wife Maurine), voila! Open sesame, que in dramatic door opening with Nate and Grandfather Archibald present the whole time. As I guessed, Tripp was responsible for the crash that killed Blair’s baby and ruined Chair’s chances. So what was the juicy motive behind Tripp’s second car crash stunt? Being unloved by Grandfather. Guess we can’t have our cake and eat it too.
2. Beauty and the Beast (Beatrice and the Priest): Okay, so Beatrice is no Belle but during most of the episode she tries to step into Belle’s lovely and pure hearted shoes. Sucking up to Blair is her main goal and she even decides to throw her an alternative bachelorette party to keep Chuck from finding her. Of course, the OMG moment wasn’t that she had a secret agenda with her partner in crime, the Beastly Priest. (I still don’t understand how a servant of God could commit such dirty crimes, but I guess anything’s possible on the Upper East Side). Instead it was that she backed out, and dumped her heaven on earth for her own angelic reasons. At first, Princess Beatrice and Father Carvallia attempt to get Blair humiliatingly drunk and alone with Chuck to reveal her true feelings, thus keep Father Carvallia on the Royal Court. However, Beatrice surprisingly gets a conscience after a drunken night full of heartfelt conversations and a mistaken arrest. Beatrice’s future sister-in-law losing her baby was obviously not enough for her to start caring, but a wild night out on the town with lots of tequila and Officer Weiner was.  But hey, whatever works. As for the Beast, when his Princess backs out he decides to let his inner ugliness take over and gets Beatrice banished to missionary bootcamp in East Africa. Yet, another failed attempt to incorporate religion in a world full of plotting priests and lying lovers.
   

   Bride to Be with her gals at her Bachelorette Party

3. Void Vows: As Gossip Girl mentioned in her sign off, “Talk is cheap. So if you don’t have anything nice to say, you might as well shut your mouth.” Or just do what Louis did and get someone to talk for you… er write for you. I don’t know if it was just me, but I was totally surprised to see that Dan would do that. Then again, Dan’s character has been below sea level. We’re all just drowning in his demise. But really? I thought he cared about Blair (which he clearly does since his vows were piercingly touching). But writing fake vows for a guy she’s about the spend the rest of her life is a low blow, especially for Dan– Brooklyn’s token good guy. Guess you can take the man out of the Upper East Side, but you just can’t take the Upper East Side out of the man.
4. Divine Intervention: Badass Bass is back. Yes, the “I’m Chuck Bass” Chuck is scheming with none other than Father Carvallia to break off the wedding. “She already thinks I’m a villain, I may as well become one” is how he devishly replies to Father Carvallia’s divine intervention deal. I was definitely surprised to see the two unexpected allies teaming up, though it makes sense since they share a common goal: to stop the Royal Wedding. Now all we can hope for is that Blair doesn’t end up hating Chuck for leaving his Good Guy ways for his schemingly better red suit.
   

   Chuck spying on Blair.

5. Dan’s Yoga Stretch: I didn’t think Dan was going to have much more a story line than being Serena’s fake boyfriend or Blair’s punching bag. But surprisingly, his so called Western pitch is too far of a stretch for what his viewers and publishers want. They would much rather read a sequel to his gossip-filled, juicy look into the inside life of Manhattan’s elite (who wouldn’t?). What’s more OMG material than the fact that he’s writing a sequel to Inside, is what executive producer Josh Safran has to say about it. “His second book is going to be very integral to the second half of the season,” Safran says. “If his first book ruffled a few feathers, this ons will ruffle a lot more.” Ruffling feathers? Sounds schemingly perfect to me.

 

Top 5 UGH Moments

1. Serena Uploading S By S to the Spectator- After Nate pulls Serena’s column, she snoops around and figures out it was Seriously thought she had more class, loyalty, and patience than that.
2. Serena Lying to Dan about Their Fake Relationship- I almost hate Serena as much as Dan right about now. Why are both of their characters losing quality personalities? Okay, quality might be pushing it but at least they were confident before. Now Serena is so insecure that she can’t come out and tell Dan she has feelings for him. Does she really have to lie about Blair needing them to continue their fake rendezvous? Clearly, effects from the car crash are bogging her memory and she forgot that she is Serena Van der Woodson. Serena, there are a million men in Manhattan–move on!
3. Blair’s Belief in Beatrice- Blair and Beatrice on good terms? That stunk of fakeness from the opening moments of episode 12. Blair used to be Queen B, the queen schemer. She always kept her friends close, and enemies closer, catching the bad in the brat before they could even blink. To see her losing her royal powers to Beatrice saddens me.
   

   Beatrice cozying up to Blair before the Bachelorette Party.

4. Dan’s Blame Game Against Chuck- Dan had no reason or proof to think Chuck was behind the riot at Blair’s bachelorette party and it was really annoying to watch Dan blame him with no proof. The fact that Dan told Blair and once again kept Blair in the dark from Beatrice’s true motives was pathetic, and sadly so Dan to mess things up. I miss the old Dan. (Anyone agree?)
   

   Blair telling Chuck to stop following her.

5. Baby Blues- The fact that the show uses the loss of the baby as the fake reason for why Beatrice and Blair are on good terms is not okay. If it was the real reason, then the show would have been doing something right. They would be showing that something as serious and life changing as a miscarriage can bring two bickering women together. Instead, they use it as the fake version of Beatrice’s conscience production. Come on writers; you can do better than that!

This week’s Gossip Girl was definitely better than last’s, and I’m hoping the 100th episode starts off with a bang. We know there are going to be a few bruised egos (and hearts), guess we’ll just have to tune in to see whose. Also, if you haven’t seen the promo check it out here! Our favorite bad turned good girl is back, dear old Georgina.

– Xoxo Sunny

Sana Ashraf is a fashion writer and fashion show intern and is a junior at the University of Michigan. Sana loves reading fashion magazines, shopping sprees, city lights, color coordinated closets, and all four seasons.

2012 Brings New AND Exciting Changes to College Lifestyles!

Happy 2012!  We hope you had a wonderful holiday season and wish you all the best for 2012.  College Lifestyles is excited to announce NEW article content for 2012!

 2012 NEW Article Content:

Dating and Relationships.  Bringing you dating tips, relationship do’s and don’ts, and dating etiquette.

Dorm/Apartment.  Don’t let moving be a drag.  We will cover everything from packing list, apartment leases, and roommate etiquette.

DIY.  Love crafting?  Entertaining?  We will bring you the best in DIY crafts, entertaining, and dorm/apartment decor.

Celebs/Entertainment.  Missed your favorite TV show?  Love the look of Lauren Conrad?  This category will feature all in TV, music, and movies, celebrity interviews, celebrity look for less, and TV reviews.

 Recipes.  You asked for it!  Bringing you our favorite recipes as well as recipes related to food allergies.

 Study Abroad/Travel.  Thinking of studying abroad?  Traveling?  We cover all from packing, what to wear, and choosing your best location.

College Prep.  Are you a junior or senior in high school?  We will cover everything from campus tours to your first day on campus.

Professionalism.  Are you a graduating senior?  We will cover all from job/internship hunting, job fairs, and your first place.

Ask CL.  Have a burning question?  Be sure to ask us!

Contest.  Check this category periodically for our upcoming contest.

Product Review.  Want to know if a product is great?  Check out this section for our honest review on various products from tech to beauty.

Book Club.  Join in on our chats with our favorite authors and review our favorite books.

Stay tuned to more exciting changes to College Lifestyles!

Shelly Marie Redmond, MS, RD, LDN is the Editor in Chief of College Lifestyles.  She is excited about 2012 personally and professionally!