Cosmopolitan October 2013

1. BINGE LISTEN to Ariana Grande's debut album Yours Truly, a '90s-inspired insta-classic. Download "Piano" and try not to hear shades of Mariah. 2. LEARN YOUR ABC'S from A-cups to zombies with The Book of Jezebel, the ultimate encyclopedia to being a girl in today's world. 3. LONG LIVE the royally out-there designs from the likes of McQueen and Gucci at "A Queen Within: Adorned Archetypes, Fashion, and Chess" opening October 19 at the World Chess Hall of Fame, in Saint Louis, Missouri. 4. BURN ONE DOWN Nest's limited-edition Passion candle (a sweet mix of roses and peonies) supports the girls in your life—10 percent of the proceeds from each candle sold goes to Evelyn Lauder's Breast Cancer Research Foundation. 5. BRUSH UP ON YOUR SEX ED Showtime's new Masters…

LOVE AT FIRST READ "I have always liked Demi Lovato, but after I read her story in last month's Cosmo, I fell in love with her. I too have struggled with body-image and self-harm issues, just like Demi. And to see her come back so strong from all of it and to show that she does still feel pain but pushes through it every day is so inspiring. Most people don't tell that side of the story when they share about their recovery. But I love that she showed us that recovery isn't just one and done—you deal with it every day." —Geena L., Pittsburgh, PA STRENGTH IN NUMBERS "Thanks, Cosmo, for running Carolyn Moos' story about having been engaged to Jason Collins [the NBA player who came out as…

Jancee Dunn In "Jennifer Lopez: All-Access" (p. 132), Dunn writes about her insider experience with our powerhouse cover girl. How I got my start. "After college, I worked at a crappy ad agency, fact-checking heart-medicine copy. One night, I was at a party and met a girl who worked at Rolling Stone. I had one shot and I wasn't going to blow it, so I said, 'Can I please give you my résumé?' I got an interview, and I researched Rolling Stone like it was the Dead Sea Scrolls. I was so intimidated, but I really did know my stuff and I got the job." Gardner Edmunds Hairstylist Edmunds was part of the on-set team who gave four real girls beauty transformations in "Are You Ready for a Change?" (p.…

Cosmo Party! We got in the spirit for fall and bid good-bye to summer in typical Cosmo fashion: with a party! Just before Labor Day, we hit L.A. to toast September's cover girl, Nina Dobrev, the gorgeous and very cool star of The Vampire Diaries. She and the best of young Hollywood came out to celebrate Cosmo, what an amazing summer it's been, and all that awaits us this fall. Check out all the fun party pics. I love a photo booth! You know what else fall means? Football season. I am a Brit and don't mind admitting—like Americans with cricket—I find the game incomprehensible. But last February, I went to the Super Bowl in New Orleans and got hooked. The winning, the cheering, the team loyalty…suddenly, I understood the…

I think my best feature is and I play it up by Of all the movies I've made, I still have a soft spot for: a. Selena b. Out of Sight c. The Wedding Planner d. El Cantante because The best advice I ever got on love was from My biggest turn-on is Netflix the movie that brought the booty. She's an expert at smelling irresistible! JLOVE by JLO, $49, Kohl's The thing I'm most proud of is The one clothing item I can't live without is I love being the middle sister because The woman who inspires me the most is Bustier, skirt, and belt, Michael Kors; shoes, Roberto Cavalli; earrings, Shaun Leane; cuff, Deborah Pagani; ring, Nikos Koulis Sneakers, Giuseppe Zanotti Design, giuseppezanottidesign.com…

"I was on a date with a guy who asked to come up, but my place was a total mess. My bed wasn't made. I had hair extensions hanging off my dresser. He was like, 'You said it wasn't tidy…and you weren't lying.' We didn't go out again!" No. 1 GUY CONFESSION Thieves in the Night "My friend Jake's family had an end-of-summer bash at their lake house. Jake brought his hot coworker, Jessie, and I went after her right away. We ended up hooking up in the guest cabin, then falling asleep next to each other. The next thing we knew, it was morning, and Jake was waking us up. Turns out, we'd stolen the cabin from another couple—they were supposed to sleep there, but when they saw us…