Inner beauty's overrated

Courtesy of Roshan Norouzi/ZUMA press

I'm very proud to be half Persian, but it does come with its downsides. I was born with my father's eyebrows, which require more upkeep than a blonde's. God forbid you want to lighten your hair, you'd need a lot of bleach. (I've been blonde before, and the maintenance is not worth it.) 

Nose jobs are not uncommon in our culture. After a successful procedure, a friend of a friend deleted all her "before" pictures off of Facebook.

Decode men's confusing texts thanks to new site

Courtesy of Island Records 

DOES HE LIKE ME?! In an age where girls try to gauge the depth of a guy's feelings from texts like "Hi" and "Wazzup", an increasing number have turned to the internet for answers. Since its launch in October, HeTexted has been receiving women's perplexed questions about texts, in which users can vote "He's into you" or "He's not into you." The site has had between 25,000 and 40,000 visitors per day.

Lady Gaga vs. Kelly Osbourne on bullying

Courtesy of Getty Images

Nothing's more fun than girl drama and hypocritical celebrities. Who cares about the Golden Globes when Kelly Osbourne and Lady Gaga are feuding?

Starting salaries for new grads have risen 3.4%

Courtesy of Flickr

Finally some good news! For the graduating class of 2012, the average starting salary rose by 3.4%, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), a non-profit group that links college career placement offices with employers. The average salary for a graduate with a bachelor degree is now $44,455, compared to $42,987 in 2011. 

On fragrance and flattery

Courtesy of Juicy Couture

My sister is a perfume connoisseur. She knows scents like people know wine. She, like several of my girlfriends, likes to have a "signature scent" and gets very aggravated if someone else "copies" her. No matter they had no idea she even owned the same bottle.

They say imitation is the highest form of flattery.

Can "coming out" affect your career?

Courtesy of Biography.com

My family and I were talking about Ricky Martin the other day and why he hasn't come out with any hit singles lately. Did coming out as gay kill his music career?

My dad blames it on Barbara Walters. I already knew he was gay from the get-go, but the speculation didn't really start until after this awkward interview:

Scarface, and other famous deleted scenes

Courtesy of Universal Pictures

Until the invention of DVDs, I was unaware that anything beyond the actual film existed. Now I don't consider a movie "done" until I've watched behind-the-scenes footage and deleted scenes. Sometimes I'll turn on the commentary if I'm feeling up to it. Here's some famous scenes that didn't make the final cut.

When to break up- with your friends

Courtesy of MTV

This matter seems to be shoved under the rug when compared to romantic relationships, but breakups between friends are just as prevalent, if not more dramatic (especially if they involve girls).

Just as you know what to look for in a boyfriend/girlfriend, keep those qualities in mind when it comes to friends. Loyalty is high on my list.

How not to ace an audition

Courtesy of Fox

Last year there was a casting call for a film fest at my university. So I was like, #YOLO and went to the audition.

All the women were given the same monologue to read out. The waiting room was packed full of girls mumbling lines under their breath and getting into character while I snacked on some bread rolls. I had confidence and a butter stain on my paper. I was ready.

Blondes vs. brunettes

It's the million dollar question: Do men consider blondes or brunettes more attractive? Not only is it a question of desirability but success. 

A study by the University of Westminster and the Scandinavian Journal of Psychology suggests men find brunettes more attractive... On paper.

LA might ban circus elephants

Courtesy of Kristian Schuller

I have fuzzy memories of seeing the circus as a kid. The kind where I'll have to fill in the gaps as an old, senile grandmother someday.

When my sister and I were a little older my mom wouldn't let us visit the circus anymore. "They're not nice to the animals," she told us. Of course we agreed. We'd seen Dumbo, hadn't we? (If you haven't, it's heartbreaking.)

How to say no with class

Courtesy of Columbia Tristar

I have some friends who are incapable of saying no. This is partly because they don't want to come off as "mean" or they want to avoid confrontation. I learned to get over these fears in the first grade when I stood up to a girl who used to boss me around. I have my grandma to thank for teaching me to be assertive, the greatest gift she could give me. As someone who's not afraid of playing bad cop, here's a few tips for turning someone down without coming off as a jerk. 

Jay-Z writing score for The Great Gatsby

Leo looks like a cheesy friend of mine courtesy of Warner Bros.

I just died.

Not only is The Great Gatsby being directed by one of my favorite directors, Baz Luhrmann (he also directed Moulin Rouge) but the score will also be co-written by my favorite rapper, Jay-Z. I am officially in heaven. 

Modern love- Are you Facebook official?

Courtesy of Bell Telephone

Do you display your relationship status on Facebook? It's not my thing, but then again most girls I know say they're "married" to their best friends so it's not exactly a certificate of authenticity.

I was reading somewhere that people who display their status as "Single" on Facebook have more sexual partners between relationships than those who opt out of displaying it.