Beat Out the Ex-Girlfriend & Make Your Face & Your Mind Up About These Cute, Delicious, and Highly Pigmented Finds

 Super Cute holiday gift guide

If you missed some black Friday deals and are still scurrying for those last minute gifts? We have the best gifts for your friends and family without breaking your wallet. These gifts are sure to win points with your loved ones, while also being economically sensible.

  If your budget doesn’t allow you much wiggle room, the first thing is to make a budget. Stores often lure consumers in with sale prices, however, a lot of these sales aren’t much of a steal at all! Make a limit and KNOW your limit. If you’re looking for 20 dollars and under, here are some things your loved ones will enjoy:

1.    Nail Stickers- these fun and creative items are fashionable as well as affordable.

2.    Beanie- Beanies are a sensible and comfortable gift that both guys and girls can enjoy

3.     iHome portable speaker- While these items are sometimes expensive and can break the bank, stores such as 5 below and Walmart carry smaller versions of this expensive treat, that pack just as much volume!

4.    Eyes. Lips. Face Palette- every girl loves dolling herself up and looking a bit more glamorous at times, this a makeup palette is affordable and does the trick!

5.    The Holiday Handbook- This creation carries a trio of lotions that will please just about everyone! This kit can be found at Sephora, and is sure to be a hit with your loved ones!
By         By Gabriella Barnes Pretty REEL

How To Get Your Favorite Guy to Give You A Little Mistle-Toe Action

Being someone's special lover, your Christmas gift should also be unique from that of others. You just don’t want to wish merry Christmas by giving a gift; the message that you love him needs to be conveyed along with.

So, why not think something creative to gift your boyfriend this Christmas. Think of things that can make him feel special, and something that he will remember and cherish throughout his life.

Give a personalized touch to your gift so that your boyfriend feels good about you taking an extra effort to plan the best gift for him. Here are some good ideas for Christmas gifts for boyfriend.

Scrapbook: Making a scrapbook is probably the loveliest idea to show your love. Record important days and events of your relationship. Try creating a timeline with pictures, messages and emotions from the first day you started dating. Things like an old movie ticket, which you guys saw together, dried flowers, gift wrappers, or any other substance that you both can relate to your love could be put in the scrapbook. 

Take him through the fond moments and memories that you both have lived and enjoyed together. Be thoughtful when giving captions. Decorate the pages with tiny pictures, love symbols, and other decorative items. This effort will surely bring you both closer than before. Experience: Gifting experience is beautiful. If you can gift your boyfriend a feel and experience that he has always dreamt of, there can be nothing better than this. It may be tickets to a concert, passes for a sports match he likes, or may be an adventure he always wanted to experience like skydiving or kayaking. You must already be aware about the likes of your boyfriend, so plan accordingly.

Holiday: To spend some quality time together, you can plan a special outing. Gift a holiday package, as this will give you both an opportunity to be together without any distraction. Even if it’s not too far, then at least you can visit some nearby locations.

By Raven Keenan REEL Fly

Collegiate Crew's Cruise Through the Holidays Guide: The Pirates Have Discovered Land

College Guide to the Holidays

Wrapped up in a nice tidy bow from me to you.

Most of us don’t need a guide for any break, let alone a Christmas one. Sleep. Eat. Friends. Sleep Again. Eat Again…more sleep. And while it’s important to unwind, equally important is making sure we don’t let this break pass us by with no gains. Following are 5 vital tips for staying on top of your game.

Handle your business

Resume, business cards, portfolio: now is the time. The holidays provide the perfect opportunity to get these non-negotiables up to date. Create a master resume which holds all of your experiences, skills, and qualifications, and then use it to populate specialized resumes for your major or a given job. Once all is intact you can make moves to secure an internship. No matter your classification, experience is a must.

Google me Baby

But seriously; Google yourself! Nowadays it’s less about conceitedness and more about awareness, (just a step above fb stalking a potential lover.) Be conscious of your online presence and what it tells those who see. You may need to private or even delete an old account. Future employers will be sure to see check your status so why don’t you?

Got Skills?

Think about your dream job: where do you want to end up in life or at the very least after you graduate? Find those jobs and see what skills they require, make a list of those skills, and then work on obtaining them. Sites such as Coursera offer free classes which could provide just the edge you are looking for.

https://www.coursera.org/

Speaking of skills

Work on that hobby/skill you love. Are you a writer? Start a blog. An artist? Put out some solid pieces of work. Log all of your skills technical and otherwise on your LinkedIn profile. Which reminds me: if you don’t have one, create a LinkedIn account! What you couldn’t fit in between this semester’s 10 page paper and math exam is begging to be addressed now.

Self Improve

Challenge yourself to fix one bad habit this break, just one! They say it takes 21 days to develop a good habit so you have the perfect amount of time. Whether it’s waking up at 7 am or starting your days with positive affirmation, now is the time to be better.

Graduation may seem super far away, but as a college student on the way out the door, I promise it comes sooner than you think. This year for Christmas, give yourself the gift of marketability. Mozel ton!

By Sharlita Green REEL Softspoken

Women’s Guide to Convenient Hot Holiday Fashion: Haute, Haute, Haute, Merry Christmas!

Bah, Hum, Bug! Does this dreary, cold weather and your empty bank account leave you feeling like Ebenezer Scrooge? Does this put a damper on your Christmas spirit and your closet? Well I’ve consulted with the fashion gods of Christmas past, present and future and they’ve all spilled the hot chocolate on fashionable finds that are functional and affordable. For the more traditional spirit, an easy way to spice up your wardrobe is by layering chunky knit sweaters with crisp collared shirts, over-sized cardigans, structured blazers, furry vests and buttery leather jackets from Target and H&M with a budget between $10 and $60. You can spruce these staple pieces and essentials or any other outfit combination up with color blocking. The different variation of color adds vibrancy to the simplest of outfits. But, no outfit is complete without accessories. Scarves are a cute and comfy way to stay warm stylishly.  They come in an array of colors, fabrics, prints, and styles for no more than $15 at JCPenneys. Boots are a must-have; Uggs, booties and thigh-highs all serve their purpose at some point of the season and are just an investment you will have to make.  Get a pair and love them. Whether it’s a slouchy beanie, fitted beret, or a funky fedora, hats can also be just the peppermint you need to get fresh. One accessory that women often forget to wear is lipstick. With the holiday season in full swing, Mac Cosmetic’s Rebel is the perfect plum that can take your festive frock to the next level for just $18 bucks. Since the deep purple hue is a hit with all skin tones, it is the ideal stocking stuffer. You can peak into the future of fashion with a pair of readers.  Although not new, readers add an element of sophistication and power to match anyone’s personality. They are a trendy addition to holiday hotness that hybrid geek and chic. Take your hair to new heights with a high bun. Buns are easy and classic. You immediately light up the room with your presence. I hope you will unwrap these gifts of tips and utilize them every year. Don’t be caught dead beside a Christmas tree that’s more decorated then you. Christmas is just around the corner, kick your style into gear and strut right into it. “Let it snow, Let it snow, Let it snow!” you will be ready.

By Asiah Williams REEL Stylish

She Said. He Said. Santa Says He's On the Naughty List Anyways!

Female Perspective:

Ladies it’s that time of year again….Christmas shopping for your man. As we know, men are difficult to read and even more difficult in telling us what they want. We may get the right gift or we might get the wrong gift but we all know that it is the struggle. Now consulting the gift gods, I have come to realization that to get the PERFEC T gift, you must decipher what kind of man you have. There are multiple types of men, but the main ones are the technology lover, the music lover, the pop culture lover, and of course we cannot forget about the sports lover.

With our tech lover what better than what he can use every day? Any man who enjoys backing up his information to flash drives will love the Ravage Transformer Flash Drive that 8GB of storage and unique design of the transformer Ravage from the movie Transformers. It is well known that almost everyone has a tablet the perfect gift is the foosball game table for iPad that will let him and others play the fun game. The ultimate gift for your techie is the Beats wireless speaker where he can have his music wherever he wants without any cords.  Now the mother lode of gifts for your man is the latest phone whether he is team Apple or Android he will love a fancy new phone to bring in the New Year.

Now, if your man is a music lover than he is going to love anything that will make him enjoy his music better than ever. Now he doesn’t not want an iTunes card, he wants to be surprised. And what will surprise him more than concert tickets to his favorite artists show? Nothing.  Another option if your man play the guitar is the guitar pick punch that makes more picks when needed from old cards. Also, you can get him that gift that keeps giving all year round with a paid subscription to Spotify, unlimited streaming music to all his devices.

For your pop culture man, who loves anything involving his favorite movies, magazines and TV shows. For this kind of man you can get him special editions of his favorite movies like The Hobbit or Fast and Furious 6, both recently released. Or you can get him subscriptions to his favorite magazines for the next year so he won’t have one gift all year but more. Another idea is to get him a subscription to Netflix so he watches whatever and whatever he wants. Another gift he would love would be entire seasons and collections of his TV shows that are now on DVD.

Now for the sports lover, the most common type of man is the widest range of gifts you can buy for him. You can get him the sports package for his television provider, allowing him to have more sports available at his fingertips. You can get him 2k2014 for basketball or football because it will have his favorite players to play as in games. You can also buy him a new jersey for his team. But the gift to put the cherry on top would be tickets to the super bowl whether his team goes or not but what’s better than the super bowl? Nothing.

With these gift ideas, you will make his Christmas one to remember with any of the gift choices.  Make Christmas 2013 the best for your man and the best for you knowing you succeeded in gift choices.

By Jordan Bryant REEL Spicey

Male Perspective:

      If you’ve ever had trouble thinking of gift ideas for your man, Drake provided the best advice for you that I could think of; “Don’t think about it too much…” men are not hard to shop for. If this is a task that you find difficult, then you’re more than likely putting too much thought into it; so please, ladies, allow me to help you out.

   ELECTRONICS! You can never, ever go wrong getting your man an electronic gift. Men love gadgets! Anything from TVs and video games to handheld devices. Always remember that the newer the gadget, the better. When it comes to electronics, men love to keep up with the Joneses.  If you buy your man something that just recently released versus something that’s a few years old, then you’re already winning. All of that being said, don’t let Wal-Mart be your first option. Wal-Mart is great, but try to start somewhere that specializes in electronics, like Best Buy. If you find a gift there that you think is a keeper THEN you can go to Wal-Mart or Amazon to try to find it at a better place.

   There aren’t too many dudes out there who don’t watch sports, and ladies, if your man is a sports lover then it is very important that you take note of his favorite teams! You can almost never go wrong with a sports-related gift, whether it is tickets, apparel, or any other form of sporting memorabilia. Don’t go out and get your man an expensive, brand-name shirt, because there’s always a chance that he may not like it. For example your man may like Hugo Boss, but that doesn’t mean that he would wear everything in the Hugo Boss store. When it comes to stuff like that, it’s best to let him pick his own items. I know that women love to shop for clothes, but men don’t want to dress up like women do. 

    Even though you’re shopping for a man, women still shop with womanly instincts, so if you’re going to buy clothes, make sure they’re clothes with the logo of your man’s favorite team! Buy him a jersey, a hoodie, a sweat suit, a hat, a sweater or even gloves as long as it has his favorite team on it. If you do this, it is almost guaranteed that he will wear it while watching that team play or after they win, and because you gave it to him, he will think of you when he puts it on.

     While we’re on the subject of clothing…do not buy your man a tie, or any article of dressy clothing for that matter. Men take pride in dressing up professionally, and when you buy your man dress clothes then it’s almost as if you’re trying to pick out his clothes for him...that only flies in marriage. If you aren’t married to him, stay away from ties, suits, blazers, vests, sweaters, etc.  Once you do marry him, then you can go to Jos. A Bank and buy out the store, but if you’re just dating each other then stay away from professional and casual retailers. While I’m at it, stay away from socks and underwear…please.

     Lastly ladies, I leave you with this: most men take great pride in their cars, so if you can, get your man something automobile related. Showing him that you care just as much about his car as he does is a guaranteed way to win him over.

Happy Holidays, and happy shopping!

By AAron Doggett The REEL OG

Spin The Globe and Drop the Ball

Five, four, three, two, one... The clock strikes twelve around the world as past becomes present and we are launched into the arrival of the New Year. Raising glasses, popping off fireworks, or grabbing a significant other and pulling them in for a midnight kiss are some New Year’s traditions that many practice faithfully. But what if you wanted to switch up your routine this year? Spicing up the celebration can be easy when you pull inspiration from around the globe. We all welcome the New Year with the same enthusiasm, but from South America, to South Africa, everyone throws their party a little differently. In the Philippines, for example, wearing polka dots and eating round fruits is supposed to ensure a prosperous new year; in Spain, wolfing down handfuls of grapes as the clock strikes 12 is said to have the same effect. In other parts of the world, the purifying power of fire is often used in ceremonies. During the Scottish festival of Hogmanay parades of village men swing giant blazing fireballs over their heads as they march through the streets. In Panama, effigies of popular celebrities and political figures—called muñecos—are burned on bonfires. Other bad-spirit-banishing customs are less fiery and more fun, like the Danish tradition of jumping off chairs at midnight (which gives new meaning to the term “leap year”). No matter how odd they may seem to us, though, these customs share an optimism that’s hard not to appreciate. Out with the old, in with the new!

By Delaney Davis Oh So REEL

Are You Pounding On the Excitement for the Holidays or not? What's the Skinny?

Say goodbye to that gorgeous figure you worked so hard for over the summer. It’s that holly jolly time of the year again! Surrounded by the love of family and friends and, of course, what would Christmas be without the food? We crave the turkey, the ham, the sweet potato pie, and all other treats and gain those happy holiday pounds. According to The New York Times, media stories say that the average person gains anywhere from seven to ten pounds between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Also, in surveys people say that they gain about five pounds this time of the year. To maintain your weight, Kathleen Zelman says to shop smart for holiday foods. Include plenty of fruits, veggies, whole grains, and low-fat dairy. Healthier desserts, such as chocolate dipped strawberries are a delicious treat. So let’s say cheers to a flavorful, but more healthy holiday season to avoid adding those “ho ho ho” pounds. Have a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year!

By Rhyan Weller Reel Exotic