Girls' Life magazine - December 2025 - January 2026

Leah Sava Jefferies is a real-life legend

Peter Johnson who? In this house, we stan Annabeth Chase (and the god-tier talent who's bringing her to life).

YOUR SNOW DAY STARTER PACK JUST DROPPED

It includes a snuggly pair of socks and a book guaranteed to knock them off.

BEING A ROCKETTE CHANGED MY LIFE- BUT NOT IN THE WAY I EXPECTED

Behind the curtain at Radio City, I found strength, sisterhood and confidence I never knew I had.

Your pop culture party playbook

'Tis the season for celebration: Secret Santa swaps, fancy dinners, New Year's Eve bashes-basically, all the sparkly shindigs you can squeeze into your cal. And thanks to lessons learned from some iconic fêtes, every event this year can shine even brighter than your tree.

Liamani Segura

Float on by? Hardly. A sidewalk-stopping tulle frock demands serious attention (and attitude).

ALL THAT GLITTERS

From holiday fêtes to fabulous formals, highlighter is here to make your whole face shimmer.

GET Decked Out

Hanging ornaments, wrapping presents, frosting cookies... why should decorating for the holidays stop at the tree? This year, add festive details to your get-ready routine, too. Try cute extras like glittery embellishments, sweet bows and shiny tinsel to craft a holiday look that says, \"It's me, hi, I'm the gift, it's me.\"

Tress the Halls

Sleigh the season with strands made for the spotlight.

Did we just invent holi-dating?

Every sappy holiday flick, song or Coca-Cola ad makes you want to curl up with that special someone...but when it’s zero degrees, you need something pretty spectacular on the sched to lure you out of hibernation. Enter the holi-date, an out-of-the-box outing that makes the most of the freezing season and works whether you've just met your match or have been coupled up forever. (Plus, heading into a crush hangout with a plan takes the pressure off and spares you the classic, awkward “Sooo, what do you wanna do?” moment.) Consider this our early prezzie to you, dear reader: a bundle of inspo to take your winter break love life from sleepy to swoony.

IS YOUR CRUSH crushing you?

The butterflies, the banter, the daydreams during AP World History. ..having a crush is kind of the best. But sometimes that little spark can spiral, leaving you more stressed than swoony. Take this quiz to find out if your crush is actually making life sweeter—or totally stealing the spotlight.

PSA: YOU'RE NOT JUST FRIENDS

Ever had a friendship that suddenly feels, well, different? Maybe you share not-so-distant history, like being seventh-grade sweethearts. Maybe you noticed their vibe shift when you started talking about that new cutie in class. Maybe there's a tiny spark every time your eyes meet across the caf.

Dear Carol

I have a crush on this guy—and I think he knows. He is super shy, so he won't ask me if it’s true.

NO FRIEND GROUP? NO PROBLEM

You know that feeling when you get on Insta and it seems like literally everyone has more friends than you? There are the girls from French class showing off their huge Secret Santa exchange, your cousins at a cookie-baking party with their summer camp pals and your crush cheering on the home team surrounded by all their besties.

FIX YOUR BROKEN ATTENTION SPAN (IN JUST ONE WEEK)

Not only is rebooting your brain highly possible- it's also much easier than you think. Up for a mind makeover?

Read this before you open ChatGPT again

AI is everywhere...but that doesn't mean you should use it for everything. Here's why you need to be smart about the thing that seems smarter than us all.

MANIFESTING YOUR BEST YEAR YET...

December always brings the same exciting question: What do you want to accomplish next year? Maybe you're dreaming of getting all A's, finally signing up for piano lessons, starting your own BeautyTok account or landing the perfect part-time job.

THE NICE GIRL'S GUIDE TO setting boundaries

Hey you, the girl who just took on an extra assignment (again) for your group history project.

WE JUST PLANNED YOUR WINTER BREAK (and yes, you're booked)

School's out 'til January, extracurriculars are on pause and you finally have a moment to breathe.

WE FOUND YOUR NEW WORKOUT MOTIVATION

And it's the only one you'll ever need.

And your 2026 wellness vibe is...

You, every year: Eat healthier, exercise more, actually get a good night's sleep.

'TIS THE SEASON CHRISTMAS

December was practically made for squad sleepovers.

MAKE IT Merry

Bab humbugs begone! We're solving all your holiday hang-ups.

IT'S YOUR TIME TO SHINE

13 ways to celebrate Swiftmas

December is officially Swiftie season. Better make the most of it!

Your 2026 mantra, based on your sign

THINK OF IT AS YOUR COSMIC PEP TALK (AKA THE INSPO YOU'LL WANT ON REPEAT ALL YEAR).