As a teenager, I was tantalized by glossy magazines promising a better beach body, sexier hair and cute boys. (Okay, I’ll admit—they still draw me in 10 years later). Magazines like Seventeen were my guilty pleasure. When I got my hands on an issue and subsequently devoured every page, I only took the advice offered as entertainment, however, not as gospel.
So when I stumbled upon high school senior Jamie Keiles’s blog, “The Seventeen Magazine Project,” I was pleasantly surprised to find that Jamie has embarked on a special research project to …

Dear Readers,
Ever wanted your own private photo shoot or the inside scoop on the latest trends? Mochi Magazine is launching our first-ever “Beauty and Fashion Consultation Giveaway.” The rules are easy.
Fill-out the application and write an essay or make a video about:

How being Asian American has affected your view of beauty
What you hope to gain from this consultation

Deadline is June 30, 2010 at 12:00 a.m. If you have any questions, contact Alice at alicehu@mochimag.com
The Goods:

A fashion and beauty consultation from our editors.
A photo shoot featured on www.mochimag.com for the fall 2010 issue.

Other …

Beside not having to leave your chair, the best perk of online shopping is finding special deals. Enter Ebates, a shopping website where you get cash back for every purchase.
Ebates gets a commission from the stores whenever you make a purchase—and generously enough, they share that commission with you. Since the site launched in 1999, Ebates has already paid over $50 million in cash back to its members. You just have to sign up for the site for free and start shopping away.

As young adults and students, a lot of you have the heart to give to those in need, but not necessarily the financial means. That’s why we’re eager to let you guys know about this simple, immediate and powerful way you can help bring books to children in Asia, just by watching a quick video and making an online vote. The Asia Foundation, a nonprofit organization focused on philanthropic work in Asian countries, is currently holding an campaign through their program “Books for Asia” until March 29, 2010. You just …

“I know it’s a conference, but I want you guys to just forget me, it’s okay.”
When Ho Chie Tsai, the creator of TaiwaneseAmerican.org and maker of the “Stinky Tofu Walks Alone” T-shirts said this at the start of his workshop at the ITASA 2010 East Coast Conference held at MIT, people laughed nervously, wondering what the catch was. It seemed a little self-defeating to tell people at a conference you wanted them to forget you.
What was his point then? “I’ve been at a lot of conferences, pretty much forgotten who …

What started off as a project for a senior class at New York University has become a highly-talked about blog that puts the spotlight on fashion-forward college students. Starting off at NYU, Street-Spotted captures street fashion on college campuses, showing how you can study hard and look your best, too. In our exclusive interview with its founder, Caroline Tseng talks about how it all started.
When did Street-Spotted launch and who are the founders?
Street-Spotted launched on July 23, 2008, and it started off as a class project, actually. The four founders are myself, …

In addition to attending the Twinkle by Wenlan show at Fashion Week in New York, we also caught the Yigal Azrouël show at The Promenade at Bryant Park.
Spring/summer 2010 is all about geometry for Azrouël, who showed some very uniquely cut pieces in both light and structured fabrics. Achieving this look can be done by pairing unusual pieces with more cleanly cut, classic and simple pieces.

Mochi recently hosted a Shoebuy.com gift certificate giveaway contest, where contestants had to write a 300-500 word essay about their favorite pair of shoes. After reviewing the essay submissions among our editors, we would like to congratulate the winner of the contest, Kriti Garg, on winning a $75 gift certificate to Shoebuy.com. Our runner-up, Anne, also submitted an essay well-deserving of mention. Below are the following essay submissions from both Kriti and Anne, demonstrating how their favorite pair of shoes have formed a story of their own.

iPods may be simple and easy to use, but everyone has them. Check out Mochi’s alternatives for some cute and efficient MP3 player alternatives.

Samsung T10

Company: Samsung, which has recently been branching out to MP3s
Memory: 4 GB
Features: These candy colored MP3 players are the ultimate pleasures to the eye. Besides, they all have touch screen control arrows that make listening to music more fun.
Price Range: $80-$100
Places to Buy: …

Natalie So, 17, from Saratoga, California (currently located in Cambridge, Masschusetts) is passionate about photography for the way it highlights “beautiful trivialities in the world” that most people don’t notice. “Photography turns personal experiences into shared experiences, albeit vicariously,” she says. For more of her work, please visit http://quotidian1.wordpress.com
Natalie says: Robert Frost once wrote that “Nature’s first green is gold.” Every time I see beautiful flowers, I am reminded of the concept of birth and beginning. Though they may wilt …