Blog Posts by Smitten, Glamour Magazine

by Gena Kaufman, Glamour

I know, I know. As a non-14-year-old, who came of age way before everyone and their toddler had a cell phone, I should be a fan of the old-fashioned phone call. I should lament the decline of the spoken word and the forgotten art of conversation.

Whatever. Phone calls are 80s. (Pagers are 90s, obvs.) A lot of dating advice experts will say you should expect a man to call to confirm dating plans or to ask you out. And maybe you should listen to them, since the only thing I'm an expert in is being single and occasionally crying about it. But I generally hate phone calls and specifically hate them from guys I'm dating, and I'm not changing my mind any time soon.

Allow me to list my reasons.

1. Have you ever heard your voice played back to you via recording? Did you like the sound of your own voice? No, you did not. The only people who like the sound of their own voices are politicians (timely and true!). Yes, that IS what you sound like on the phone. Yuck.

by Gena Kaufman, Glamour

This is your brain on men you don't even know.

In a recent study, conducted in the midst of an actual speed dating event between 78 women and 73 men (all heterosexual), scientists have determined that people can gauge whether or not they'll make a romantic connection with another in a pretty snap decision.

See more: 10 Things He's Thinking When You're Naked

I mean, that's kind of the point of speed dating, right? It's right there in the name. But this wasn't just about the five minutes participants were given to talk to each potential suitor. Before the event, 39 of the participants had their brain activity recorded while they viewed pictures of the people they'd meet at the event. In just a few seconds, people gave a 1 to 4 rating of how much they'd like to date each person, and rated the person's physical attraction and likeability. Those initial interest ratings turned out to be 63% accurate to the person's decision after the actual event.

The cool

by Gena Kaufman, Glamour





















Bye bye Halloween, hello mustaches! Movember begins today. How are we feeling about it?

As has become popular in recent years, in November men around the world start growing mustaches to raise awareness and funds for men's health issues. In honor of the movement, the Zoosk team sent over a survey they conducted among 8,500 members to discern their feelings on facial hair, and they were pretty positive in the good old U.S. of A. In fact, 64% of American men claim to sport some facial hair, and 80% of American women say they are fine with their guy sporting some growth. A few other random facts for your entertainment:

* Why do American men grow facial hair? It makes them feel better. How so? Here's the breakdown: 40% feel more confident, 36% feel more attract, 15% feel more sophisticated, and 9% feel more intelligent. Aww, do what you gotta do, fellas, but know that we love you anyway.

See more: 11 Fall Hair and Makeup Looks You'll Love

* Our international

by Gena Kaufman, Glamour

Home may be where the heart is but it wouldn't hurt if it were also where are the single men are, would it?

According to a new Bloomberg study, ranking cities based on total population of single people, percentage of single men and women, and median household income, these are the 15 places I need to consider moving to, stat.

See more: 50 Things Men Are Afraid to Ask For (But Really Want)

Well I don't care that much about median income, but I am very interested in these cities where there are lots and lots of single men. What can I say? I like to have options.

Here are the top 15 cities according to overall score--but I've included the stat that matters most to me, the percentage of males who are single.

15. Frisco, Texas, 27.57%
14. Highlands Ranch, Colorado, 30.78%
13. Johns Creek, Georgia, 29.03%
12. South Jordan, Utah (tie), 37.82%
11. Maple Grove, Minnesota (tie), 36.25%
10. Cupertino, California, 34.71%
9. Weston, Florida, 37.82%
8. Ellicott

by Gena Kaufman, Glamour

In the spirit of getting through the bad weather and power outage together, here are a few activities for you and your guy to keep your mind off being worried, to entertain yourselves, and maybe even to get things really heated up.

Board Games, possibly the "Strip Edition": Get out your classic board games like Monopoly, Scrabble, Life, etc., and make up your own added rules, such as "Remove one item of clothing when you pass go" or "Loser owes winner an amount of kisses equal to the points by which they lose." Play by candlelight in case of electricity problems AND for flattering light (but don't forget to be careful!)

Pillow Time: Pillow fights, pillow forts, whatever. Act like a kid on a snow day but with the added benefit of being a grown up. If you just can't get into the silly effort of actually constructing a fort, just open your pull out couch, pile all the blankets and pillows on the bed (or just use the floor ), and watch a movie on your fluffy new

by Grace Gavilanes, Glamour

We're always so focused on the love stories of the hero and heroine in movies, that we never stop and think, "What about the villain? Doesn't he/she want love too?" So with the arrival of Halloween, we think it's time to finally pay homage to our favorite bad eggs and the love lessons we can learn from them (for better or worse).

More from Glamour:

27 Hairstyles to Try This Month

Men's Secret Bedroom Fears

35 New Ways to Wear Your Jeans

30 Sex Tips Every Woman Should Consider

by Gena Kaufman, Glamour

I thought football had a lot of suggestive terminology, but how could I forget baseball when the entire base system has basically been re-appropriated as a series of hookups?

Are you watching the World Series? (Or maybe you'd rather just watch your favorite baseball movies?) Last week when I was visiting my parents, I watched all the playoffs games with my dad, a huge Tigers fan. So needless to say, the first World Series game last night was a big disappointment. But to get my mind off that (or to celebrate the win, if you're a Giants fan), let's talk funny lines you could use to make a love connection while rooting on your team.

See more: 10 Hot Date-Night Outfits (According to Guys)

Here goes. Disclaimer: I can't promise any of these would get you anything but laughed at.

* My base or yours?
* I have a feeling if you let me round first I'll want to go straight for the home run.
* Is that a Louisville Slugger in your pocket or are you just glad to see

File this under "Ideas that are good on paper, maybe not so in real life."
by Gena Kaufman, Glamour

It sounds like a dream: You guy surprises you one morning, telling you that you won't be going to work today because he's taking you away on a surprise romantic vacation. He's taken care of everything--booked a flight, found a great hotel, and even packed your bags.

See more: 35 New Ways to Wear Your Jeans

So why do three out of five women say they would totally hate this? Well, it turns out most women want some time to prepare and plan for a vacation. Like, seven days and eleven hours notice and three shopping trips, to be exact, according to research from British Airways. Says one woman whose boyfriend planned a surprise trip to Morocco for their one year anniversary: "It was a really sweet idea to celebrate our first year together but really I hated it. He packed my bags so I had all the wrong clothes and my hair straighteners had been left behind. I had to grin and bear it because