Blog Posts by Cosmopolitan.com

Partying is most likely a big aspect of your social life, although it's not fun (or pretty) to be a big ol' drunken mess. Some of the best among us, however, have been there: The night starts with promise and ends with a vow whispered into the toilet to never, ever get that smashed again. Once you know how much you can handle, you can use these tricks to keep from getting totally trashed.

1) Pacing is key. If you drink too much too fast, your self-control will be shot before you know it. So try to linger over your drink. Find out the sexiest drink you can order- according to bartenders. One ploy to cut back your consumption is to begin imbibing later in the evening. Start your night with a glass or two of sparkling water and you'll have less time to toss back the hard stuff. If you have trouble remembering how many drinks you've had, save the bottle caps from your beer or straws from your cocktails to keep track.

2) Another trick is to use "spacers" - alternating a glass of

Thanks to 16 and Pregnant many women think of getting knocked up outside of marriage as something that might happen in high school, but is unlikely once we become adults and are more responsible and educated about condoms and the Pill. (And yet how educated are we really? Read on to learn what your gyno hasn't told you about birth control.)

But a report from The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancies says otherwise. More than one-third of unplanned pregnancies are to unmarried women in their 20s. And seven in 10 pregnancies that happen to 20somethings are unplanned.

And don't think that just having a Pill prescription or bringing condoms along when you hook up will keep you in the clear; you have to use these correctly each and every time. Almost half of all unplanned pregnancies among young, sexually active women are due to birth-control lapses and screw-ups, according to a report by the Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive-health organization.

Have some

The SATC chicks have endured the good, the bad, and the totally bizarre when it came to dating. Cosmo studied some of their most memorable relationships to find out what we could learn from the fabulous foursome. Find out everything you want to know about SATC 2.

Case study: Miranda and Steve
When Miranda met bartender Steve Brady, she was skeptical as usual. He was nice (and easy on the eyes) but clearly not relationship material. Not surprisingly, their divergent careers created problems: conflicting schedules, fights about money, and different outlooks on life. Miranda could have deleted his number from her BlackBerry, but ultimately, his laid-back personality and devotion won her over. The unlikely pair started a family and eventually tied the knot.
Lesson #1: Date against your type.

Enter the Sex and the City 2 Caption Contest

Case study: Carrie and Mr. Big
Sure, Carrie might have done some of the chasing, but in the end it was Mr. Big who showed up at her door the

The warm weather is finally here, and along with excitement about summer vacations and beach days and fun dresses, comes the anxiety around being seen in a bikini. We talked to five star trainers and found out how they get their celebs in top shape.

Eva Mendes: Celebrity Trainer Harley Pasternak
"When you're at the gym, focus on the muscles on the back of your body, like your rhomboids (do reverse incline dumbbell rows), triceps (do lying dumbbell triceps extensions), and hamstrings (do dumbbell deadlifts)." Do three sets of 15 to 20 reps each with enough weight to make your last five reps in each set extremely challenging.

Try the beauty products that celebs can't live without.

Jennifer Garner: Celebrity Trainer Valerie Waters
"You have to eat better - nobody can out-train a crappy diet. I start all my clients off with a kitchen purge. Get out the trash can and throw away all of your processed junk: crackers, cookies, and white bread, rice, and pasta. Willpower alone won't

Yep, we've caught the Glee bug (who hasn't?) and we're pretty into this new Cosmo photo shoot with the show's leading man, Cory Monteith, aka Finn Hudson. We already know the guy can sing, but is a modeling career in his future too? Here, he helps us model the summer's hottest jean looks. Which photo is your favorite?

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1.) On her: blouse, Elizabeth and James, $265; bra, Jenna Leigh, $118; skirt, Bebe, $89. On him: jacket, What Goes Around Comes Around, $198; shirt, Alternative Apparel. 2.) On her: bustier, Topshop; jeans, DKNY Jeans Jrs., $69; boots, D&G; leather cord necklace, Urban Outfitters; bracelets, Chan Luu. On him: shirt, Urban Outfitters; jeans: Diesel. 3.) On her: dress, Catherine Malandrino, $495; boots, D&G. On him: shirt, The Clothing Warehouse in SoHo; jeans, G-Star; boots, Eleven Vintage. 4.) On her: dress, Topshop. On him: jacket, The Clothing Warehouse in SoHo; shirt, What Goes Around Comes Around, $178; pants, Abercrombie + Fitch.

Cory Monteith isn't

Who said work was supposed to be fun, right? Well, why the hell not? If there was ever a time to take a chance and be innovative, it's now, when the market for traditional jobs is tight. Turns out, there are crazy-good ways to score your rent that are so cool and surprising, you may not know they exist. Several of the fun jobs that follow are potential career paths; others are one-timers that earn you extra cash. Whether or not you're ready to jump, just knowing about these wacky positions will inspire you to think outside the box.

Doggy Flight Attendant
Crazy about travel? A sucker for creatures with four legs and a tail? Consider flying with Pet Airways. As a pet attendant, you'll take charge of animals at the pet lounges, dole out belly rubs and ear massages en route, and deliver them safely to their owners at the end of the trip. Be sure to squeeze in some shopping and barhopping before flying back to home base. Pet Airways hires people who have worked with pets

These four fads that range from annoying to unfair to downright dangerous are finally on their way out. Let's send them on their way and hope to never, ever see them return.




1. Bridezillas: Most Obnoxious. Term. Ever. Not only is it just a veiled way of calling a woman psycho, but let's be real - most of us aren't going to short circuit if our bouquet has 11 sprigs of baby's breath instead of 10. Which is why we're so thankful for finicky hubbies-to-be like Russell Brand and Simon Cowell, whose ridiculous demands for their weddings have inspired the term "groomzillas." This new addition to the lexicon has helped place bridezillas on the endangered species list - which is exactly where they belong.

The Real Reasons Wedding Season Is So Darn Dramatic!






2. Soaking Up UV Rays: You know that a real tan - from the sun or a tanning bed - is all kinds of bad for you. And when the new Tan Tax goes into effect in July, we expect to see the cancer-triggering trend decline at an even faster rate.

We all want it, but sexy, shiny hair isn't always as easy as the shampoo commercials make it seem. It's all about smooth strands. That's because the smoother the hair cuticle, the more light it reflects. When a cuticle is damaged, light gets absorbed into cracks and crevices, making hair look dull. "For megashine, you need to fill in those cracks and use styling techniques that smooth the cuticle instead of rough it up," says Tommy Buckett, stylist at Sally Hershberger Downtown salon, in New York. How do you fill in those cracks? We found out how to keep your hair shiny (and healthy).

What do guys think of your hair and makeup?

CURLY HAIR
The big shine killer for curly strands is dryness. Give your mane major glow by moisturizing at every step.

Hydrate: "Curly hair tends to be drier than straight hair is, and the cuticle is a little rougher," says Buckett. Use a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner (try the Garnier Fructis Moisture Works line) to hydrate your strands so they'll shine