Source: ShutterStock

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

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter

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?

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter

Source: ShutterStock

When I was in high school, I dated a guy for about five years ( I know). As silly as it sounds, I barely ate in front of him when we first got together. I avoided dinner dates and stuck to “lady-like” foods like salads or picking at fruits when I was forced to eat so that I didn’t pass out. It was ridiculous.

As we got closer and more comfortable with each other, I let my guard down and actually started eating in front of him. My ex was relatively thin and could pretty much eat whatever he wanted without having to worry about gaining a pound. Me, not so much. Once I felt stable in our relationship, I started eating a lot. Like a lot. I figured, why should I care so much about my appearance? My guy loves me the way I am and he’s not going to leave me if I go up a few pounds.

Obviously, I gained a bunch of weight – and while my ex never said anything, it bugged me. I wondered if I was the only one who had gained weight once they were in a relationship, and I quickly figured out that I wasn’t. Over the years, I’ve watched many, many girl friends spend their single lives dieting like crazy, only to get into a relationship and gain all of that weight, and more, back. I’ve watched cousins get married and pack on the pounds. Basically, I’ve seen people literally transform once they get into a long-term relationship.

Now, there’s nothing wrong with gaining a little weight. It happens. It’s nothing to beat yourself up over. But I’ve always wondered: is there really a link between food and relationships? And apparently, yes, there is.

The Huffington Post recently spoke to a psychology professor Maryanne Fisher, who has done a little research on the subject. According to Maryanne, food and love are sort of linked in your brain. She says that in the beginning of a relationship, “Food is a way to display skills to a potential mate. You might buy nicer food, prepare better meals. It’s fascinating how it can be used as part of the relationship.”

TOTALLY TRUE. At least according to my love life. When I first started dating my current BF, I wouldn’t touch greasy chips or fries or candy in front of him – I wanted him to think I only ate healthy foods that are good for you. Why? I don’t know. I once watched my boyfriend wash down two jumbo Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups with a bag of BBQ pork rinds, so I don’t know why I felt the need to lie about my own eating habits.

Maryanne goes on to say that in the beginning of a relationship, people tend to eat less due to the fact that they release an abundance of “reward hormones”. These hormones make you happy and give you energy, and can sometimes suppress your appetite.

However, those hormones don’t stay up throughout the entire course of a relationship. The levels go up and down, and in extreme cases they can even cause obesity. Many other studies have found that people who are married or in long-term relationships are more likely to gain weight. Why? I can only imagine that it’s for the same reasons I gained weight: you feel comfortable and secure in your relationship and you don’t really feel like you have anyone to impress anymore. So you let things slide.

This all makes total sense to me and I’m sure it’s something that a lot of us can relate to. So I want to know: have you ever gained weight during the course of a relationship? Have you ever seen friends do it? Tell me in the comments!

If you’re slightly overweight, you may live longer

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter

Source: ShutterStock

Ugh… emotions and feelings can be so annoying sometimes. Wouldn’t life be so much less messy without them? I guess so… but it would also be a whole lot more boring, when I really think about it. But still – sometimes our feelings can turn on us and make things super complicated. What am I trying to get at it, exactly? That moment when you have feelings for more than one person at one time.

I saw this topic being discussed in the message boards and wanted to see what else you guys had to say about it. Do you think you can be in love with two people at the same time? Or should that kind of love be reserved for only one person? Read what these girls had to say and then tell us your thoughts.

prettygurlkrissy said:
Can you love two people at once? I think that people get too wrapped up in dumb morals that society has set up for us… why is cheating so bad unless you do it to intentionally hurt someone or to feel like pimp? If they don’t know and you love them anyway, why does it matter? But do you think its possible to love more than one person?

shopaholic17 said:
When it comes to love, there is no normal. Feelings are different for everyone. I think it’s definitely possible to love two people at once. That’s not the problem. The problem is, you’re going to have to choose between the two eventually. If you truly care about them both, you won’t want to hurt them. Because even though you can love two people at once, you can never love them equally or have an honest relationship with either.

leslie_love16 said:
In our society, it is morally wrong to cheat and is looked down upon. But if you want to defy the societal norms, then go right ahead. Though you will only end up hurting people and will be looked down upon by others. I think it is possible to love two people at once. But they’re not your true love. You only ever have one true love. 

My opinion? Personally, I’ve never loved two people at once – but I do think it’s possible. We as humans are really complicated and have a lot of different emotions and feelings going on all the time. Of course there are going to be times where we have really strong feelings for two different people at the same time. Sometimes, we can’t control our emotions as much as we wish we could.

What do you think: can you love two people at once? Have you ever been in that situation? If you don’t think it’s possible, tell us why. Talk about it in the comments.

How do you talk to a super shy crush?

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter

Source: ShutterStock

Check out what’s new on our boards! Right now, girls are talking about how to deal when your boyfriend says he’s bisexual:

KaylaMay said:

My boyfriend is bisexual. Can someone help me? Today, my boyfriend told me he has had sex with a guy… but a couple of days ago he told me he was a virgin. I’m getting really uncomfortable. What should I do?

How would you deal if your boyfriend told you he was bisexual? Do you think it’s a big deal or it shouldn’t matter? What advice would you give this girl?

Got something to add to this convo? Then go for it, girl! Let this girl know what you think about her situation right here.

Need advice on a different topic? Do you have a story you want to share? Post your own thoughts and questions in our boards and start chatting with other girls.

You should follow Gurl on Twitter

Source: ShutterStock

Liking a shy guy can be really tough. It’s easy to talk to a dude who’s happy to talk right back to you, but it’s not as easy to chat up someone who barely gives you more than a one-word answer. And forget about the talking stuff: it’s almost impossible to know if a shy guy is into you or not.

Most of us have probably been in this situation at some point (after all, not all dudes can be super outgoing and make the first move), so when I saw this question in the message boards, I knew I had to get more advice for this girl. Check out her dilemma, see what other girls had to say and offer your own words of wisdom.

SerenKairan said:
So there’s this guy in my class who I like, but he’s extremely shy around girls! I don’t know how to start talking to him, how to start something with him, or if he even would like me… I’m kind of in a frenzied state… Please! Any kind of advice is welcome.

dramagurl187 said:
Tell him he’s a sexy biatch and you should hang out sometime.

someoneeee said:
The best thing to do is first hang around the people he hangs with; like if you know anyone that knows the person you like, then tell them to help you and slowly get to know him. With shy guys, try not to overwhelm them. Start off nice, then slowly start showing him what kinda of personality you have. Good luck!

It sounds like you’re going to have to be the one that makes the first move with this dude. Don’t stress about it! If he’s really that shy, he will probably love and respect the fact that you have the guts to make a move on him. Before you tell him how you feel, start striking up conversations with him. Ask him about anything you know you have in common or schoolwork. Get him comfortable by talking about simple things that aren’t going to make him feel even more shy.

Once he seems like he’s opening up more, you can try asking if he wants to hang out sometime. If you’re feeling super uncomfortable about doing that, start slow by inviting him to hang with you and your friends at the movies or a party or something. Just take things slow and see what happens. And if you want to make a bolder move, go for it!

Have you ever crushed on a shy guy? How did you handle it? What advice do you want to give this girl? Tell us in the comments!

He has a girlfriend… but still flirts with you

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter

Does he deserve a second chance? | Source: ShutterStock

Check out what’s new on our boards! Right now, girls are talking about forgiving or not forgiving a cheater:

theonlyone said:

Recently I snooped through my boyfriend’s Facebook while he was at work. And I didn’t like what I found. There were messages between him and some girl in September. We’ve been together for nine months. I found them in the beginning of December. He was flirting with her and they exchanged nude pictures. I confronted him about it and he admitted that she was an ex. He said he was sorry and he ended it back in October. He admitted he was jealous that I had guy friends and thought that I would be bored of him eventually. I’m very affectionate and 100% faithful to him. I want to make things work but I can’t help thinking I should leave. I don’t know what to do… Help.

Got something to add to this convo? Then go for it, girl! Let this girl know what you think you should do – or tell her if you’ve ever been in this situation. 

Need advice on a different topic? Do you have a story you want to share? Post your own thoughts and questions in our boards and start chatting with other girls.

You should follow Gurl on Twitter

Source: ShutterStock

Imagine if you finally got the nerve to convince yourself to tell your crush that you like like him (not just as a friend). Then imagine that instead of the fantasy daydream you had happening in your head where he confessed his undying love for you, he just sort of… never answered. At all.

How do you deal when you kind of, sort of get rejected, but you’re not really sure because you haven’t heard a yes or no at all? That’s what this girl is dealing with right now, and I know she’s not alone. So what is she supposed to do – bring it up again to get an answer, or drop it altogether and move on? Read what some girls had to say, then give us your opinion.

dolce_amore said:
I’ve been crushing on one of my guy friends for a while. I had a feeling that he liked me too because of how much time we spent together alone just talking and having lunch, so I decided to tell him how I felt. When I told him, he just kept smiling and seemed to be at a loss for words. All he really said was, “I don’t know what to say” so I slowly strayed away from the topic . He has never had a girlfriend so I can’t help but think that maybe he just doesn’t know how to handle the situation. It’s been about a week and neither one of us have reached out to the other, but I really want to talk to him. How can I bring it up to him without seeming desperate?

pumpkinspice said:
Get to know him better. You could try flirting and see how he responds. If he seems to give in and tag along, then he likes you and you guys can ease into a relationship. When you flirt and he inches away or pulls away…then he wants to stay friends. And be cool with it, you don’t want to lose your best friend.

chunkier_munkey said:
If I were you, I would prepare myself to take a hardhit. This could go either way in which it would either go you two become boyfriend and girlfriend or you guys could never talk to each other.  Prepare yourself mentally so at least if it turns out the way you didn’t want it to, you can move on easily. Then definitely talk to him face to face, and just make it a casual talk: “hey, I like you and I think that we should hang out sometimes more than just a friend, what do you think about that?” If its a no-go… on to the next one, but if it goes well make sure he’s comfy with it since it would be his first.

Let me just congratulate you on having the guts to tell your crush how you feel. I’ve personally never made the first move like that, and I admire anyone who does it – and it’s something you should be proud of, regardless of how things turn out.

That being said, the only way you’re going to get a real, concrete answer to this is if you talk to this dude again. You can say something like, “Hey, have you thought about what I told you at all?” or “Are you interested in being anything more than friends, or no?” If he still doesn’t want to talk about it, it’s time to forget it and move on. If he rejects you, it’s your decision whether you want to stay friends or not. And if he says yes? Yay! But I’d say the best thing you can do here is talk to him – otherwise you’ll forever be wondering what’s going on in his head.

What advice would you give this girl? Have you ever been in this situation? What do you think this guy is feeling? Tell us in the comments.

He has a girlfriend, but still flirts with you. What do you do?
You should follow us on Twitter

Source: ShutterStock

Check out what’s new on our boards! Right now, girls are talking about not having any kind of sexual feelings:

chrissyy said:

So, I’m wondering if it’s weird that I don’t really like anything sexual. I’ve been fingered a bunch of times and I’ve only actually enjoyed it once. I refuse to let anyone perform oral sex on me because it grosses me out. I’ve never had sex, because frankly, I have no one I like enough to have sex with – but also, just the thought of it seems terrible and like it would hurt really bad. I’ve never had an orgasm, like ever, if you were wondering. Is it weird that I don’t like anything? Or are some people just not sexual?

Got something to add to this convo? Then go for it, girl! Let this girl know what you think about her situation and if you’ve ever experienced something similar.

Need advice on a different topic? Do you have a story you want to share? Post your own thoughts and questions in our boards and start chatting with other girls.

You should follow Gurl on Twitter

Source: ShutterStock

What’s the last thing you do before you go to bed? If your answer is that you go on your smartphone, laptop or tablet, you might be ruining your sex life. Seriously.

We already know that smartphones, tablets and laptops are huge time-wasters, but do they really keep you from having a normal sex life? I mean, I know how hard it can be to not check your Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram or whatever before you go to sleep, but would you really choose staring at your iPhone screen over getting close to someone? I feel like the answer to that would be no. After all, studies recently confirmed that people enjoy sex more than they enjoy Facebook.

But a new study says that because we spend so much extra time on our various electronic devices, we’re going to bed up to 90 minutes later than we would if we didn’t have these distractions. Going to bed later means you’re more tired, which means you’re probably less likely to get down and dirty. So I guess over time it would make sense that your sex life would start dwindling.

Hold on, though, because I’m confused. Didn’t a study just come out that said that smartphone users have more sex than those people without smartphones? Oh, um, yeah it did, because I wrote about it. So which is it: are smartphone users having more or less sex than other people? Or can we just call this one a wash? These constant sex/technology studies are really messing with my brain, guys.

Here’s what I’m going to take from this recent research: we should probably stop using our phones, tablets or laptops right before we go to bed. I know this is true in my case. Just yesterday I went to bed two hours later than normal because I found myself stuck on Pinterest, scrolling through endless pins, all while wondering why I wasn’t sleeping yet. I mean, I literally wasted two hours of valuable sleep time. This is so not like me, because sleeping is my favorite.

So tonight, why don’t you try something different: keep your electronics away from your bed! Okay, I know you need to keep your phone near you. That’s okay. But don’t look at it! Just give yourself a little break before bed. Who knows? It will almost definitely help you get more sleep and maybe it will even make your sex life a little more interesting.

Do you go on your phone, laptop or tablet before bed? Do you think that affects your sex life? Are you going to try to take a bedtime technology break? Tell me in the comments!

7 ways to end a really bad relationship
Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter