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If you smoke marijuana, does that mean that you’re eventually going to start smoking cigarettes? According to one recent study, um, sort of. Apparently, prolonged exposure to THC, which is the main ingredient in marijuana, can make you more vulnerable to the addictive aspects of nicotine, which is found in cigarettes. Basically, new research says that smoking pot can lead to smoking cigarettes down the road, especially for teens.

This sounds a little weird to me. I mean, smoking cigarettes and smoking weed are two entirely different things. How can one lead to another? I was really skeptical about this and hesitant to believe it, but apparently the science is there to back it up. The lead scientist of the study says that in the majority of cases, people start smoking marijuana before they start smoking cigarettes. He adds that teens who smoke weed are even more likely to develop an addiction to cigarettes when they’re older because the longer you smoke marijuana, the greater your risk is for being addicted to tobacco.

To sum things up quickly, a lot of THC in your system makes you more likely to be addicted to tobacco. So if you’ve been smoking pot for a few years, and one day you decide to pick up a cigarette and try it out, you’re more likely to become addicted than someone who has never smoked pot in their life.

Sounds scary, right? Yeah, sort of. Who knew that marijuana could be a gateway drug for cigarettes? As researchers pointed out, cigarettes are usually the ones being called a gateway drug for other drugs… like weed. But I guess that all we knew is wrong. Sigh.

This doesn’t mean that just because you smoke pot you’re going to smoke cigarettes at some point in your life. But if you do smoke marijuana, this is a pretty big warning sign to never consider trying a cigarette. Not only are cigarettes really, really bad for you, but you’re also now even more at risk for getting hooked on nicotine. And as any former smoker can tell you (you can talk to my grandpa about it if you want), nicotine addictions are not fun.

What do you think about this study? Do you smoke cigarettes? Would you ever try? Does this make sense to you? Tell us in the comments.

Which is worse for you: smoking weed or drinking alcohol?

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This morning I read a really cool story about a woman from Massachusetts, Phoebe Baker Hyde, who stopped shaving, wearing makeup and doing her hair for a full year. As someone who spends way too much time shaving, putting on her makeup and focusing on her hair, I was fascinated. This woman talked about how stopping her daily beauty regime made her feel liberated and more beautiful than ever.

Why did Phoebe do this? She explained on the show Katie that she was sort of starting to feel trapped by her shaving cream, makeup and hair supplies. Before you say that sounds ridiculous, listen to how she explains it – you might be able to relate. She said, “I had become a nervous, critical, angry, insecure woman. I was not the woman or the role model I wanted to be, especially in front of a big-eyed baby daughter. I was at war with the word around me and at war with myself.”

Phoebe went on to explain that she threw out her makeup and cut off all of her hair so that she literally had to put no effort into her appearance. Every day, she “did what a man would do” and only put on deodorant and used a little hair gel. She saved tons of money on beauty supplies, started feeling super comfortable with herself and also gained a lot more free time. Okay, let’s just stop right here. I’m not only fascinated by this woman… I’m also really jealous.

I fee like I could never give up my beauty regime. I feel naked without makeup. I feel uncomfortable when I don’t shave. And I will miss out on events if I’m having a really bad hair day.  Before you call me superficial, hear me out. Sometimes, I wish I didn’t feel this way… but I do. And I honestly can’t imagine a life without wearing makeup, doing my hair or shaving. But I wish I could.

I mean, I love makeup a lot (just look at my bedroom for proof), but I’ve had some moments where I wish it didn’t exist. As much as I love the way eye shadow and eye liner can change up and glam up your entire look, there are some days when applying it is just, ugh, exhausting. Sure, I’ve gone out without makeup on before – but in general, you’ll always catch me with at least a little mascara, eyeliner and foundation on. I just enjoy the way I look with a little makeup on my face.

As for shaving? Don’t even get me started. I hate shaving. Like really, really hate it. But, I don’t know, I just couldn’t imagine going a week, let alone an entire year, without using a razor. Feeling clean shaven makes me feel good about myself. It’s the same with my hair – as annoying as it can be to blow dry it or curl it or whatever, I always feel more confident whenever my hair looks good. Always. Also? Most of the time I like taking a long time to get ready to go somewhere. It’s kind of like my me time.

The point is, I don’t really think there’s anything wrong with feeling more confident from shaving or wearing makeup or doing your hair. I think that everyone feels confident from different things and I think that generally people should do what works for them. But I can also admire a woman who can stop doing all of those things and feel confident in her own skin. That’s pretty cool. And I’m jealous because, seriously, think about all of the free time I would have if I stopped shaving and doing my makeup and hair? So much free time! I would stop being late everywhere and also I could watch more TV. That’s pretty important.

In the end, I think this would be kind of a cool experiment to try… one day. Maybe not any day soon. Because as jealous as I am of this woman, I do genuinely enjoy my beauty regime… and I don’t see us parting any time soon.

What do you think? Could you go a year without shaving or wearing makeup or doing your hair? Why or why not? Tell us in the comments.

I have hairy legs and I like it that way

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So, this is pretty random. A recent study found that guys with baby faces are seen as more trust-worthy than guys with more… manly faces? I don’t know. But apparently if people are wondering how to know who to trust, they’re most likely going to go for the dude with a baby face.

A small study in the Czech Republic discovered this by having people look at a group of 40 men and 40 women and rating them based on their levels of trustworthiness, as well as a few other factors. The majority of people rated guys with baby faces as being more trustworthy, but the same didn’t hold true for women. This was a small study concentrated in only one part of the world, so let’s take it with a grain of salt, but I still think this is pretty interesting.

What exactly is a baby face? This article from the Huffington Post describes it as “bigger mouths, broader chins, bigger noses and more prominent eyebrows.” Hm. That’s kind of a lot to look for in someone, but I guess our brains register this information without us even realizing it. The baby faced guys who were seen as more trustworthy in this study also had a more cheerful face, which makes a lot of sense to me. If you’re trying to decide who you can trust, you’re probably going to go for the dude with a smile on his face rather than the one who looks angry at the world.

Does this mean you should always trust guys with baby faces? Um, probably not. This study didn’t find that men with baby faces are more trust-worthy, just that they seem more trust-worthy. Technically, baby faced dudes could kind of start using this to their advantage, but I’m going to trust that they won’t stoop so low.

After taking all of this in, I only have one question: is Ryan Gosling’s face considered a baby face? What about Zac Efron? Because, I don’t know, I just have always felt like I could maybe really trust those guys. You know? I’m not even kidding here, I’m being really serious. I’m curious! I’m definitely going to have to start paying attention to facial features on guys I deem worthy of my trust. Anyone else?

What do you think about this study? Do you think it’s ridiculous or interesting? What makes you see someone as trustworthy? Tell us in the comments. 

How to decide basically anything

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The other day I read the words “incurable gonorrhea” and kind of freaked out a little bit. I mean, does the world really need another incurable disease, especially a sexually transmitted one? No. No, it doesn’t. But it looks like we got one anyway, because incurable gonorrhea is a thing and it’s happening.

I know this sounds super scary, but before you freak out, it’s important to know exactly what’s going on. This incurable gonorrhea has been a threat to us for a while now, with individual cases popping up in the United Kingdom, Austria, France, Japan and Norway since about a year ago. Up until recently, there were no known cases of this particular strain of the disease in North America, but that changed when researchers found that nine patients in Toronto, Canada seemed to have contracted it.

Gonorrhea is normally treated by the antibiotic Cephalexin, but this new incurable gonorrhea is resistant to the drug. The nine patients in Toronto with the disease were still infected with it even after being treated with Cephalexin. The good news? They were eventually cured when doctors used an injectable form of the antibiotic.

But even though those patients were cured, doctors are still worried that this means this new strain of gonorrhea could become resistant to all forms of the antibiotic. Eek. That doesn’t sound too promising. However, the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control are well aware of the problem and are actively searching for new ways to treat this disease.

Still, searching for new disease treatments can take a very long time, and even though no one knows for sure what’s going to happen, I’m going to have to urge you guys to be super careful whenever you’re hooking up with someone. I know you’ve heard this all before, but this is some pretty serious stuff.

For one thing, you should be in the know about what exactly gonorrhea is. It’s the world’s second most common STD and it can be spread through contact with the mouth, vagina, penis or anus. Symptoms in women include vaginal discharge, burning and pain while urinating, increased urination, sore throat, feeling pain during sexual intercourse, pain in the lower abdomen and fever.

For another thing, this is just a reminder to always practice safe sex. Girls – condoms. Wear them. Your chances of getting incurable gonorrhea will decrease a lot if you put those little bad boys on before you do the deed. It’s a good idea to get tested for STD’s after each new sexual partner, and it’s an even better idea to have a sexual partner get tested before you two get it on.

Despite everything I just wrote about how scary this sounds, I’m not trying to freak you guys out here. Just keep this info in the back of your head – and always use a condom. Trust me.

What do you think about this news? Are you worried about incurable gonorrhea? Do you always practice safe sex? Tell us in the comments.

Are you at risk for gonorrhea?

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Anyway, according to Twitter, new music from both JT and Destiny’s Child is the best thing to happen to music in basically forever. And while I have a personal vendetta against JT (I met him and he was so rude. Let’s not talk about it), I have to admit I dig his music. I also have very fond memories of a teenage Jessica singing along to Destiny’s Child with friends, so I’m pretty excited. But probably not as excited as these 15 people, whose tweets are just too funny to ignore. Check out our favorite funny tweets about these two huge music announcements right here:

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Are you excited about Justin Timberlake and Destiny’s Child releasing new music? What did you tweet about it? Which of these tweets was your favorite? Tell us in the comments!

Dress like 10 Disney Princesses!

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I’ve rounded up some of the most seriously awkward on-screen kisses of all time. If you were wondering how to kiss, here’s a tip: don’t do the stuff done in these videos. There is only one way to describe these smooches: bad. Just… ouch. I’m cringing watching them.

Charlotte and Brad from Sex and The City

Let me just agree with Charlotte, Samantha, Miranda and Carrie: Ewwwwwww! This is gross. Just… no. No. I can’t even watch this dude lick her mouth like that. It’s seriously grossing me out.

Harry and Cho from Harry Potter and The Order Of The Phoenix

This kissing scene was awkward enough to read about in the book, but it was even more awkward to actually watch it in the movie. I mean, the girl was crying over her dead boyfriend. How can you kiss someone while she’s crying about something like that?

Rachel and Blaine from Glee

This kiss itself wasn’t that bad, it was more of the situation surrounding the kiss. Like the fact that we watched Kurt watch his biggest crush of all time kiss someone else – a girl, not a guy! – right in front of him. I felt his pain. Talk about awkward.

Olivia and Vanessa from Gossip Girl

Ouch. This was… bad. Not because it’s two girls kissing each other, but because a) Vanessa looks so incredibly uncomfortable as Olivia is coming towards her and b) Dan and Vanessa are just extremely awkward in general. This threesome was not something anyone believed would ever happen.

Michael Scott and a client from The Office

Michael Scott is weird and so it’s weird to think of him kissing anyone. But this scenario is even more awkward than what an actual kiss would be like because that actual kiss? Never happens. Oof. No one wants to be Michael’s shoes at this moment.

Joey and Rachel from Friends

I wish I could have found a video of Joey and Rachel’s first kiss, but unfortunately, I couldn’t. Anyway, basically every time Joey and Rachel kissed was awkward because… Joey and Rachel? No! There was a reason she pictured Ross almost every time they locked lips.

Damon and Elena from The Vampire Diaries

I’m sure this first kiss was very satisfying for fans of The Vampire Diaries, but for me? Not so much. I mean, look at Damon. He’s sweating because he’s sick and has a fever! Not because he’s hot for Elena. He looks like he’s seconds away from being unconscious. It’s just… weird.

Ben and Jamie from The Bachelor

Another kiss that was painful to watch, but even more painful because IT WAS REAL. It just looked like this girl was trying so hard… her dress even ripped! Ouch. Awkward. And this exchange was equally as awkward: “Do you like me sitting on your lap?” “This is A-okay.” Girl, stop talking. Just. Stop.

Pauly D and Deena from Jersey Shore

I literally screamed at my TV while this was happening because it was so horrible to watch. Deena, Pauly, I love you, but please don’t ever kiss on camera again, ever. That lip bite? Ouch. The look on Ronny’s face says it all.

The Virgin Diaries TLC Commercial

This takes the cake. I am convinced it’s not real. It can’t be real. Right? Right?!?!

Which of these kisses do you think was the most awkward? Do you disagree with any of these choices? Which bad kissing scenes did I miss? Tell me in the comments!

How do I know if I’m a good kisser?

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I don’t see the problem here… | Source: WENN.com

I’m obsessed with sweatpants, preferably the yoga pants from the Victoria’s Secret PINK line. What’s not to love? They’re comfy, they’re warm, they’re cozy and while they don’t scream “FASHION”, I honestly think they can be pretty cute. So I feel personally offended by this post on the New York Daily News that totally puts down Mila Kunis for being photographed in sweats. The dek for the post literally says this: “Once ‘Sexiest Woman Alive,’ ‘Black Swan’ star now dresses like an ugly duckling.” 

I mean, seriously? Is that really necessary? Okay, so she’s been photographed wearing a lot of sweatpants lately. Um, who cares? How does this affect us? I get that she’s a celebrity and her appearance is always going to be judged, however unfairly that may be, but this article is just way too mean and nasty to ignore. Not only is it absolutely ridiculous to call someone who looks and acts like Mila Kunis an “ugly duckling”, but it’s totally not cool to rip on sweatpants.

Before we get into why sweatpants are amazing, let’s just talk about why Mila Kunis can rock sweats as often as she likes. The Daily News says, “Sexiest? More like schlubbiest woman alive” but I don’t agree. Let’s face it: whether she’s wearing dirty sweats or a $10,000 gown, Mila still looks hot. I don’t think she’s “seemingly eager to shed her Sexiest Woman Alive title”, as the Daily News says, and I don’t think she looks “dumpy” or “frumpy”, either.

Also, I don’t understand this: “She’s a Golden Globe-nominated actress for Black Swan, not a member of Justin Bieber’s entourage.” So, wait… being nominated for an award means you can’t dress like a bum on your off days or when you’re on your way to the gym? Whoa. Where have I been? Why didn’t I know this?

The article then goes into detail on the more respectable celebrity females who take the time to dress casually chic rather than “dressing like an unwashed teenage boy.” That’s when I stopped reading. Sorry.

Let’s get this straight: sweatpants are awesome and I don’t appreciate anyone telling me they’re not. I also don’t appreciate the NY Daily News trying to make girls feel bad about themselves for not looking like they just stepped out of the pages of Vogue magazine every single day of their lives. I love fashion as much as anyone, but that doesn’t mean a girl can’t rock a pair of sweats whenever she wants. Give me a break! 

How do you feel about sweatpants? Do you think this Daily News article is totally ridiculous? Do you think Mila should change up her wardrobe? Tell me in the comments.

Is Jennifer Lawrence kind of dissing herself here?

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Other stuff you’ll love:

18 WTF celeb tributes that are for sale on Etsy [The Frisky]

Is Apple going to release a cheap iPhone? [Global Grind]

13 ways to be a better BFF in 2013 [HuffPost Teen]

Everything you need to know about incurable gonorrhea [Buzzfeed]

How to tell your parents that you’re gay [Your Tango]

Is the 50 Shades of Grey movie getting an NC-17 rating? [Hollywire]

Our 10 favorite alt-gothy girls from the ’90s [College Candy]

He just broke up with his GF, when can I ask him out? [HerCampus]

Check out the first photos from Catching Fire [Crushable]

Win the entire Modern Family nail polish collection [Teen]

24 funny pictures of babies who look really drunk [Smosh]

Check out Jamie’s brand new video role! 

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Just friends? I don’t buy it. | Source: ShutterStock

This is a proud day because science has finally proven me right. Finally! Finally. I have always said that men and women can’t be just friends without at least one person crushing on the other person, and now new research has backed me up. It’s pretty much official, girls: researchers have stated that guys and gals can’t be simply friends without the opportunity for “romance” hanging out and waiting in the corner.

I know plenty of people are going to disagree with both me and these researchers on this. I’m sure there are tons of you who have guy friends who you would never dream of hooking up with or dating officially. But let’s face it, do you really know how they honestly feel about you? Because here’s the thing: as I’ve always suspected, men think about opposite-sex friendships much differently than women do.

This study looked at 88 pairs of opposite-sex friends and discovered that the majority of men were attracted to their female friends. The majority of men believed that their female friends were attracted to them also – but those guys were wrong. It turns out that majority of women were not attracted to their male friends and also had no idea that their male friends were attracted to them.

I’m not saying that I don’t think men and women can be friends at all. I do! I just think that in these friendships, one person is always going to have more than platonic feelings for the other person. Maybe your guy friend secretly thinks you’re hot and sort of wants to get in your pants. Maybe if the opportunity presented itself, he would take the chance of full on dating you.

Why do I feel this way? I’ve seen the evidence way too many times, and I’ve also discussed this with plenty of dudes who have agreed with me. Most guys I talk to about it say basically the same thing: they would date and/or hook up with any of their female friends if given the chance. Even our resident guy expert Ethan pretty much agrees! Do you know how many times I’ve heard dudes say that it’s not possible for girls to be friend-zoned because their friend would always be willing to try to take things to another level?

It’s also happened to me on numerous occasions. When I used to waitress, I was friends with most of the guys that I worked with. At work, we joked around and also talked about more serious stuff; after work, we hung out together with everyone else and had a good time. I had zero romantic interest in most of these guys. Almost all of them ended up hitting on me at one point or another. It was super disappointing, because I really wanted to believe that we could be just friends without having any awkward romantic situations going on. And I’m not trying to sound cocky, like it only happens to me – no, I’ve watched it happen to all of my girl friends at one point or another.

So what’s the definitive answer on this? Based on this research, it seems like guys are more likely than women to have romantic feelings for their opposite-sex friend. And while they might not come right out and say that they have a crush or that they would be willing to hook up, they would take things to that level if they had the chance.

But keep in mind that this research was only done on a small group of people. This doesn’t mean that every single guy out there thinks his female friend is hot. It doesn’t mean that there is no girl ever who feels friend-zoned by a guy. Still, I find myself pretty convinced: unless someone can prove otherwise, I truly don’t think guys and girls can be just friends without one of them sort of crushing on the other person.

What do you think – can guys and girls be just friends? Have you ever been in a totally platonic friendship with a guy? Do you agree or disagree with this study? Have you ever been friend-zoned? Tell me in the comments.

Is there a link between food and love?

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Well, I might not be a real life princess (never say never!), but at least I can dress like a cartoon one, right? I love taking fashion inspiration from the on-screen heroines who were my role models growing up. And you can dress like them, too! No, that doesn’t mean getting decked out in ball gowns every day… it means using their Disney outfits as inspiration for some cute outfits you can wear any day of the week. Check out these 10 looks based on 10 of the best Disney characters ever, and don’t forget to click on the picture if you want to find out more info on the clothing!

Ariel from The Little Mermaid

Pocahontas from Pocahontas

Aurora from Sleeping Beauty

Belle from Beauty and The Beast

Mulan from Mulan

Cinderella from Cinderella

Jasmine from Aladdin

Snow White from Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs

Tiana from The Princess and The Frog

Rapunzel from Tangled

Which of these outfits is your favorite? Are you going to try any of them? What did we miss? Who do you want to dress like? Tell me in the comments!

 Dress like 10 fantastically evil Disney villains

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