Nancy Mucciarone

Yeardley Love had everything going for her: She was a good student, a phenomenal athlete, and had a great family and circle of friends. The 22-year-old senior at the University of Virginia had a promising life ahead of her until a violent relationship with fellow classmate George Huguely tragically ended her life.
 
While it’s easy to write off terrifying stories like this one with a simple, “That would never happen to me,” the sad truth is that violent relationships are more common than we think. Relationships that appear to be perfect on the outside could be seriously dangerous behind closed doors. These abusive relationships can happen to anyone, from ordinary college women to celebrities like Rihanna.
 
While violent relationships are frightening and sometimes can be extremely hard to get out of, being educated on these types of dangerous men and the warning signs that come along with the abuse could be what saves your life.
 
Why College Women?

After a full year of dealing with guys whose idea of a great date is video games and pizza, a summer in the city surrounded by young professionals is just what the doctor ordered.  But even if you’ve mastered the dating scene on your college campus, a night out with an eligible bachelor in his 20s is a whole other ballgame.  We talked with two professional dating and relationship experts to give us the 411 on making the adjustment to dating older men.

1. Be prepared for real dates.  On a typical college campus, the idea of dating is almost non-existent.  Most meetings will happen if you see each other out at a party or if you happen to run into each other on campus.  The dating scene with older guys is “more traditional in that there actually are dates,” says Shannon Fox, a relationship expert who has been featured on Millionaire Matchmaker and The Tyra Banks Show.  “He’ll pick you up instead of just meeting somewhere, and it’s not bad to expect that he’ll get the check.” 

2. Expect that there will be nicer outings than what you’re used to.  Most college kids are living off their parents or a low-paying part time gig, so they really don’t have a disposable income.  Older men, on the other hand, typically have a real job and a steady income, so dinner at a nice restaurant rather than your campus pizza place is a possibility.  “With a man in his 20s, you’ll be more likely to go on nicer and more grown-up dates, like to wine tastings or networking events,” says Laurie Davis, an eFlirt expert who has been featured in The New York Times and The Washington Post.

Winter weather is a drag, especially on your skin. Between the dry air, the cold wind, and the minimal sunlight, your skin is parched, itchy, and just plain washed out. But don’t worry, there is a solution: check out HC’s guide to great-looking winter skin and be flake-free in no time.

Why it Happens: Cold weather means dry air, and when the air is dry, it’s much harder for your lips to keep in moisture. “Without proper care, lips get no relief the entire cold-weather season, because you have the excessively low humidity indoors in heated homes, while outdoors it is cold and windy,” explains Dr. Erin Welch, a dermatologist at Dermatology Consultants.

The Bad Habit: While licking your lips seems to give you temporary relief from the burning and stinging of chapped lips, it’s actually making things worse. “While you may think the moisture will be helpful, saliva does not actually moisturize, and its evaporation actually dries out lips even more,” says Dr. Welch.

The Fix: Start by exfoliating your lips to get rid of the dry, dead skin cells. Mix a few tablespoons of Epsom Salt with a little bit of petroleum jelly and gently rub the mixture on your lips. Once your lips are smooth, protect your pout with a lip balm with a high SPF.

More Products to De-Flake Your Pout:

Ashley* was just a freshman at the University of New Hampshire when she discovered Adderall. She had never heard of the drug before college, but a handful of her newfound friends routinely purchased Adderall pills from friends who had prescriptions. “They told me it was the best study drug, and that it helped keep you awake and focused on your work,” Ashley recalls. One night, when she had a 10 page paper to write, Ashley took her friends’ advice and bought one of these magic study pills to help her concentrate. The pill worked wonders, and soon, Ashley began taking them regularly – even to help her complete menial tasks.
 
Ashley realized that not only did Adderall help her complete assignments, but it also had one other major use: it helped her lose weight. “I noticed that any time I took Adderall, I just wouldn’t be hungry,” Ashley says. “I could go a full day without putting any food in my body, and I still felt energized.”
 
Today, as a junior in college, Ashley still takes Adderall regularly, without a prescription; and nowadays, her affinity for Adderall isn’t all about her grades. “Seriously, it’s great, because it basically combats all the beer and junk food I drink on the weekends,” she says.
 
Many college students nationwide are following suit with Ashley and taking Adderall as a dietary supplement. But while Ashley and many other college students see no harm in it, taking any drug without a prescription is a problem, and Adderrall certainly has its own set of dangerous side effects, especially when used as a weight loss aid.