Bella and Edward (Twilight) – It’s gonna take a crapload of pale cover-up to achieve the milky complexion of the undead Edward and the precise shade of Bella’s “I’m-from-Arizona-but-am-forced-to-live-in-Oregon” pale.

Edward: Mess up your locks and douse them with Dep hair gel and then steal your girlfriend’s hairspray and use all of the remaining goo to make sure that your ‘do retains its disheveled sexiness for the entire evening. Insert fake blood suckers (unless you’ve got a pair of your own). Smear pale foundation (your girlfriend will know what this is) all over your face, hands, and neck. Now, apply glitter to every part of exposed skin and you’ll shine exactly like Edward does when he gets caught in the sun – a rare occasion in the drizzly town of Forks, but if you’ve seen the movie you’ll know what we mean. You can bet your ass that nobody else at the party will have diamond vampire skin.

Bella: Ditto as Edward with the pale make-up. Tousle your hair so that it looks like you haven’t brushed it or washed it in seven days. Wear jeans, a plain t-shirt under a plaid shirt (unbuttoned), an oversized jacket and black, high-top Converse. Now you must pout, pout, pout until your lips hurt from pouting so much that you can’t help but really pout because now you’re sad. If you feel like smiling, ask yourself, “What would Bella do?” and pout!

Kurt and Courtney (Nirvana) – The unstable royal couple of grunge, Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love, make for a timeless costume idea.

Kurt: Obviously, greasy blonde locks will be essential here. Hopefully you’ve thought this through and you bleached your hair last month and now you’ve got some sweet rock’n’roll roots. You’ll also need to borrow your grandfather’s favorite fuzzy cardigan and, in Seattle in the early ‘90s there was no such thing as too much plaid, so the same goes with this costume. You’ll need the classic black Chuck Taylors that Kurt worshipped. For props, a cigarette (or candy Popeyes if you’re a nonsmoker) and big buggy plastic sunglasses (we like the red ones!) to hide your bloodshot eyes are all you’ll need.

Courtney: We’re going for Court’s grunge glamour look here: platinum blonde hair with greasy three inch roots. Eyes rimmed with heaps of charcoal liner, heavily smudged. Your pucker will be most accurate if you sloppily apply it with fire-engine red lipstick. A white, low-cut satin dress (get it a bit dirty first) and – you guessed it – a pair of black high-top Cons will give you Courtney’s edgy red-carpet look. Borrow a doll from your younger sister, dress it up like their lovechild Frances Bean, and you’ll have the entire Cobain clan in the house.

Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungen (The Sex Pistols) – Into self-destructive bad-asses, but detest ‘90s fashion? Fret not – channel 1970s wild child Sid Vicious and Nancy, his troubled, rebellious girlfriend.

Sid: Dye your hair black and then spike it all around the circumference of your head so that you look like a frightened porcupine. You’d be so hardcore if you went shirtless for this costume (Google Sid and you’ll see why), but if you’re gonna whine about your cold your nipples all night, then please make sure you have a leather jacket on standby to protect your wimpy torso. Wear motorcycle boots, your black drainpipe hipster jeans and a thick chain around your neck with a dangling padlock on it and you’ll look so damn punk that you’ll probably start dressing like this all of the time.

Nancy: Nancy kind of looks like Courtney Love (or should that be the other way around?), except she gets to wear fierce leather pants. But we think Nanc hit the fashion jackpot when she wore a punklamorous outfit of a mini black-and-white striped sweater dress over shredded pantyhose and black pumps. You’ll need from-a-bottle blonde hair that is frizzy and teased to infinity and so much dark shadow around your eyes that they look like two vacuous blackholes. Enter the party with a subtle drugged stupor and people will instantly ask you if Sid’s coming, too.

Wayne and Garth (Wayne’s World) – This is a costume for a party-on couple that could be hilarious if the chick doesn’t mind dressing up as a dude (but Garth kinda looks like a lady, anyway). Excellent!

Wayne:  Ingredients: 1 long black wig (with bangs, for best results). 1 black t-shirt (slim fitting, but not douchebag-tight). 1 black trucker hat with a “Wayne’s World” decal (ask your mom to iron it on for you). 1 pair light denim jeans, ripped in both knees. 1 pair black, high-top Converse. 1 toothy grin and a perfected “Schwing. Double-schwing!”

Garth:  If you have long blonde hair then you won’t need a wig, just lots of hairspray (and again, preferably bangs. If you don’t have them, cut some. Everyone loves enthusiasm and realism in a Halloween costume). Like Wayne, you’ll need worn, holey jeans and black Converse high-tops. A heavy metal band t-shirt layered under a ratty plaid shirt is all you’ll need in terms of wardrobe. Finish off the look with a pair of thick, horn-rimmed frames and let’s not forget Garth’s awesome chuckle and that awkward, no-top-lip grin.

Marilyn Monroe and JFK (Zombie edition)– Get creative and imagine what Ms. Monroe and JFK would like look if they rose from the dead to recreate their steamy, 1962 affair with a graveyard romp.

JFK: Start with a stately black suit, a skinny tie and a silk hanky to go in the pocket. Now, cut the bottom off the pants unevenly, loosen the tie so that it hangs low from your neck, and wrinkle the hanky. Part your hair on the side and use gel to achieve smoothness fit for a President, then blow it with a hair-dryer to mess it up and add leaves and twigs to it (remember, you’ve just clawed your way out from underground). Zombify your skin to make it look pale, bruised and bloody and replace that famous pearly smile with a pair of false rotten teeth.

Marilyn: Find a glamorous, low-cut dress with a wide skirt. Do your hair in rollers and wear false eyelashes and lots of glam red lipstick. Like your dead lover, you’ll want to add debris from your lawn to your hair and get your dress real dirty and ripped (don’t be too slash-happy though and turn this into yet another opportunity to be an uber-slut on Halloween when you’re an otherwise respectably dressed gal). Get your skin all bloody and bruised, buy the same rotten smile that Johnny Boy has and, remember, Marilyn might be dead, but no one will buy your costume if you don’t perfect her oh-so-signature sexy voice.

Which celeb couple will you be this year? Click here for more hot Halloween costume ideas!

And we think it’s about darn time that Beer Pong – the collegiate house-party staple – gets its moment in the spotlight outside of grimy student kitchens or beer-stained living rooms. Adapted from The Book of Beer Pong, this article demystifies the perfect Beer Pong shot with tips (and handy illustrations!) about the grip, aim, and toss.

The most unforgivable form of social suicide for undergraduates is a Beer Pong toss that constantly misses its bulls-eye, so stop being a chump and embarrassing yourself in front of your buddies and female partiers with your shameful shot. (Please note: Beer Pong might not be an Olympic sport – yet – but the girls will still size up your skills, and then they will automatically assume that this is a reflection of your athletic agility in all other sports, as well.)

Like learning how to knot your own tie without looking like a dufus, or experiencing your first encounter with the fairer sex (“she touched me!”), mastering the Beer-Pong shot is a male rite-of-passage. Don’t screw this up.

Click here for tips from the pros: http://howto.wired.com/wiki/Throw_a_Proper_Beer_Pong_Shot

1.)    The Power Suit: Does the old saying “the suit makes a man” ring a bell? It should, being as this statement is completely true. A good suit is undeniably a closet staple for every man and as it’s probably been some time since you’ve last purchased a new one, we encourage you to get out there and do so.  Exchange that baggy thing you call a suit for something a little more sleek and sophisticated. For fall 2009, go with a double breasted jacket and sleek pants and presto, you’re in!

2.)   Knitted Sweater: Fashion meets function? Hard to believe, right? Well in this case, not quite. Celebrate “sweater weather” with a comfy knit sweater. Enough said!

3.)    Leather Jacket: Have you got one of those leather numbers that fits sort of loose and tapers around the waist? Burn it! Times have changed and so should your leather jacket. Reach for something a little more form fitting, you’ll explode with joy- no not literally!

4.)    Combat /Motorcycle boots: If you don’t already know, the first thing a woman looks at is your shoes and if she says she doesn’t care, she’s lying. Grab yourself a great pair of motorcycle/combat-esque boots, pair them with some great jeans, and the women will flock. Don’t believe us? Try it out!

5.)    Plaid: In case you didn’t get the memo, plaid is in! Plaid shirts are a great casual alternative and most of all they’re comfortable. No excuses, this one should be easy.

6.)    Long scarves: They’re all over the runway and they serve a purpose- a great thing called warmth! This one is by far the most pocket friendly way to update your look. (*don’t tie it, wrap it!*)

7.)    Cardigan: A cardigan can bring your outfit from work to play instantly. If you’re low on cash stick to a neutral colour/pattern that will work with your whole wardrobe.

8.)    Military Jackets: Honour the King of Pop with a military inspired jacket this fall.

So we’ve made this pretty easy for all you fellas out there but we want you to keep in mind a few extra things. Grey is not only a popular colour for this season but it’s also a great neutral that will match everything in your wardrobe and please steer away from baggy items!

Over the years, many of HOT or NOT’s loyal users and fans have asked for a place to check in on what’s happening and gain insight on what’s to come for the HOT or NOT community.  They’ve also requested a place to give us feedback on new (and old) features and to suggest new ideas, services and features that they’d love to see become part of the HOT or NOT experience.

So, to kick off 2009, we’ve launched this blog – the first forum sponsored by and focused exclusively on HOT or NOT.

Posts will be written by members of the HOT or NOT team, and updated regularly.  As we continue to invest in HOT or NOT, by rebuilding and extending HOT or NOT’s systems and products to better serve you, our customers, we hope you find this to be a valuable place to share your feedback with us regularly – the good, the bad and the ugly.

So stay tuned, its going to be a very exciting 09!

- The HOT or NOT Team