Pre-Fall 2013: Back to Basics

Top: Express (similar here).  Necklace: Nordstrom.  Planner: Erin Condren.

 In preparation for the semester ahead, we're putting together a few of our favorite staple items: hot pink, statement necklaces, and our trusty Erin Condren Life Planners.  Call them "basics" if you will; these items are a part of our weekly rotation.  And the planner?  Part of our daily routine!  We love how It Girl Cristina pairs a simple hot pink peplum top with a bold necklace.  It gives her shirt a whole new feel!  The same can be done with plain tees, graphic tees, and your favorite chambray button down.  Add a pair of dark denim jeans, and you've got a chic look in a snap.  

What basic items are a part of your wardrobe rotation?  Tell us below!  Oh and P.S. be sure to order your Erin Condren planner in time for Back to School season!

Easy Breezy Summer by Becca

Photography: Rachel Elaine Photography

Summer is here and finding that perfect look is always a dilemma . It's too hot for full hair and makeup so TSS Dolled Up Contributor, Becca, compiled a guide for the perfect effortless summer look. 

Easy Breezy Summer
by: Becca

Nothing says summer quite like beachy waves! Bumble and Bumble’s Surf Spray is just the thing to help you achieve that look even if you live no where near the ocean . Spray freshly washed and slighty damp hair all over, then separate into four sections and braid . Let your hair dry for 15 minutes then remove braids and scrunch hair and voilà, perfect beachy waves ! 

Onto your fabulous face. Prep eyes for eyeshadow with a primer (my favorite is Urban Decay’s Primer Potion)  and sweep on a single shade from the Sonia Kashuk Shimmering Sands Quad (super cheap and available at Target!). 

TIP: Every cosmetic routine has two parts: skincare and color. Skincare is everything before cosmetics and color is all the fun stuff post skincare. Start your color portion of your makeup routine with the eyeshadow to avoid fallout from excess pigment or sparkles. 

Apply Ole Henriksen Perfect Truth CC Cream evenly over face with a brush or fingertips. CC Cremes are a great summer option because they are light, provide coverage, and help to correct imperfections and protect the skin with SPF. 

Follow up with the NARS  bronzer blush duo in Orgasm/Laguna. Apply bronzer on the outer perimeter of the face, bridge of the nose and mid cheeks, then apply blush on the apples of the cheeks moving upward toward the ear. 

Finish the look with a coat of Tarte’s  Lights Camera Lashes mascara and some Maybelline Babylips and you’ve got the perfect effortless summer look!   

Have more questions or need some more Dolled Up beauty tips? Contact Becca at becashmon@yahoo.com or via Instagram at @beautybybec.

5 Things You Need to Know When Purchasing Plane Tickets!

Between all of us on the TSS team, we've done A LOT of traveling this Summer!  One of our Co-Founders is even leaving for Japan this week and we have a lot more traveling to do this year!  We've learned a lot about purchasing plane tickets and we've done some research to give you our TOP 5 tips that you should know when purchasing your next plane tickets!

Do you have any other tips we should know about purchasing airline tickets?  Comment below or send us your secret at secret@thesororitysecrets.com!

Bon Voyage!

It Girl Trend Report: Graphic Tee

I am sure you have discovered before that we have an obsession with graphic tees. Graphic Tees are a fashion piece that are timeless; they never go out of style! Our It Girls agreed too so we were curious what their go-to graphic tees were. If there is any store we can count on to have some awesome graphic tees it is Forever 21 and that is where Avery found her super cute, flower-crowned woman graphic tee. Avery said, "I usually pair it with a jean jacket, some white converse, and a fun statement necklace if I'm feelin fancy! It's really easy to just throw it on and go! And it's soft and comfy too!" Another place that sells some really trendy graphic tees is Urban Outfitters! Their "Day of the Dead" inspired graphic tees always catch our eye, and they caught It Girl, Cristina's eye too! Graphic tees are also fun to wear when the graphic is a word. Marisa's favorite graphic tee has a special meaning to it because it represents a part of her heritage. "My brother bought me this shirt when he went to Florence because he said that all the Italian men say "ciao Bella" when an American girl walks by!"--we love it! There is nothing like a cute graphic tee with images and words imprinted on them. Just ask Victoria and Allie with their graphic tee choices! Victoria absolutely loves her graphic tee from Zara sharing that, "The dolman shape of the tee with the tie front makes it dressy enough to pair up with a cute flowy skirt, or tone down for a night on the town with teal high waisted skinnies and black patent heels. Plus, the shirt gives off a mature vibe so you still look put together and not childish. The texture and colors are such a plus, too!"--we agree! Allie's graphic tee comes from an online company we hadn't even heard of called Necessary Clothing. Allie said, "They have really cute affordable stuff that's different from the stores!"--we love new store finds so we'll have to check it out! Our last favorite graphic tee style is sporting a famous person on your front. This has remained a popular fad and Serena just loves her Bob Dylan tank from Brandy Melville. She explained, "I love my Bob Dylan graphic from Brandy Melville! Not only am I a huge fan of John Galt graphics, but Bob Dylan is also one of my favorite artists of all time! I love this tank because I can wear it tucked into shorts in the summer or pair it with leggings and a light weight sweater when it's cooler out".

Are you a fan of graphic tees too? Where are your favorite places to shop for graphic tees? 

The Benefits of Threading vs Waxing

While tweezing has its benefits, we have turned to better solutions to keep our eyebrows looking great like threading or waxing. Both offer a cleaned up look, but we were starting to wonder if one might be better than the other. So, we asked our sorority sisters their thoughts on threading and we came up with a couple of reasons as to why threading is better than waxing.

• No burning! In order to use wax it needs to be warm, but in some cases the wax can be too hot for your skin and cause lots of pain and scabbing/scarring. You don't have to worry about any of that with threading since no heat is used.
• No chemicals. If you have sensitive skin, chances are waxing can be irritating since lots of preservatives, resins, and fragrances are components of the wax. With threading no chemicals are used-just a piece of thread!
• Less skin contact. While both threading and waxing have an interaction with skin, waxing seems to have more contact with the skin as it pulls at it while removing the hair. Threading has more contact with the root of the hair rather than taking the skin. 
• Limited redness. Since waxing pulls at the skin, it causes inflammation and creates a distinct red color in the areas of the skin pulled. Threading also causes some redness, but it is very mild and does not linger like after waxing does. It usually disappears within the hour.

Which do you prefer: Threading or waxing? Weigh in here or let us know on Instagram, @thesororitysecrets.

Giveaway: Erin Condren Life Planner! (CLOSED)

Just in time for Back To School, we've teamed up with Erin Condren to give TSS readers the perfect organizational necessity... the 2013-2014 Life Planner!  It's stylish, it's personalized, it's everything you need to stay on track for a successful year ahead.  Watch the video, need we say more?!  We love the little touches, such as the adorable graphics and inspirational quotes sprinkled throughout.  This planner brings smiles to all of your busiest days.  We use our very own Erin Condren planners in our daily lives; they're an organized and color-coded dream come true!

We're so excited for one lucky reader to win a $50 eGift Card provided by our friends at Erin Condren!  Use it towards your very own Life Planner, or for any other fun items on their site!  Here's how to enter:

Here's how to enter:
Step 1: "Like" Erin Condren on Facebook (click here to "like")
Step 2: "Like" The Sorority Secrets on Facebook (click here to "like")
Step 3: Leave a comment below, telling us how the Life Planner would help keep you organized!  Make sure to leave your email address so we can contact you if you win!

Good luck, and make sure to stay organized this coming fall with Erin Condren's fabulous planners!

*Contest ends 7/25/13.  Winner will be notified via email*

7 Best At-Home Workouts

1. Power Jack
2. Foam Roller Push-Ups
3. Side Plank Crunches
4. The Reverse Lunge
5. Plank Kickbacks
6. Power Jack
7. Foam Rolling

Oh the gym, how we wish we could visit you more often! With our super busy schedules, we always feel guilty not making it to the gym. A lot of the time we find ourselves working from home, so it dawned on us that maybe a better solution to ditching the gym is bringing the gym to us with some quick and easy at-home workouts. TSS Reader and one of our great friends from Arizona State University, Estela, is a Fitness Specialist so we asked her to share with us some simple at-home workouts that will help keep us in shape.The best part of all, is that to complete these workouts, you only need four things: comfortable workout shoes, a foam roller, an exercise mat, and your body!

Estela numbered each workout in reference to the order it should be performed. For workouts #1 and #6, she recommends using those two workouts as a warm-up and to finish as a cool-down when you complete exercises #2-#5. For every exercise she suggests doing 10 - 25 reps of each without rest, repeating 3-5 times depending on your fitness level (please consult your doctor or trainer). 

Ok, so we lied, you actually need five things to complete a workout....CUTE WORKOUT CLOTHES! Estela is wearing her favorite workout apparel brand: Lululemon, however, for a more affordable price, she recommends trying Ellie. 

Try out all the workouts and let us know which one is your favorite!

For more fitness tips, email Estela at estela@power1k.com. 

6 Photo Editing Apps You Need to Download!

PicFx, AfterLight, A Beautiful Mess, GalaxyFx, PicFrame, Camera+

So, we're all about sharing our personal secrets and favorites! I mean... that IS the whole concept of TSS, right?  So many of our readers and Instagram followers ask us everyday what type of photo editing apps we use on our Instagram account (@thesororitysecrets), so we decided to share our Top 6 Favorite Photo Editing Apps!

What are some other Photo Editing Apps you like to use??  Share your secret and email us at secret@thesororitysecrets.com

It Girl Trend Report: Favorite Summer Sandals

As much as we love boots in the fall and a nice pair of UGGs in the winter, we look forward to hanging those up and giving our feet a breather in some cute summer sandals. There are always so many sandal styles to choose from that we asked our It Girls to share with us their summer go-to sandals for this week's Trend Report. One thing is for sure, wearing sandals is the perfect excuse to show off your fabulous pedicure. Victoria loves to show off her painted toes in her Nine West glitter sandals. As a true sorority girl, crafting and glitter runs in her veins, so when she saw these sandals it was love at first sight. Victoria added,  "They're great paired with a flirty summer dress, or even some casual colored shorts, and what girl isn't a sucker for gold glitter?!" Avery and Marisa prefer to wear sandals that are classic and can go with anything. Avery loves her gold sandals from Francescas by the brand called Report. These sandals are so cute and well priced too which is always a bonus! We laughed when Avery admitted, "My two best friends even had to get them...now we always have to call each other before we go out wearing the same shoes". Marisa goes for the gladiator look with her super fab gold Vincent Camuto sandals that she wears with everything during the summer season since she says, "they match with pretty much any summery color". There are always certain brands you can count on for some awesome pair of sandals. Cristina knows she can never go wrong with sandals from Steve Madden. We just love how trendy Steve Madden sandals are- they really are comfortable, fashionable, and can also go with anything. Serena couldn't decide between Lilly Pulitzer and Jack Rogers for her favorite summer sandals so she chose both! "I love both of these sandals because they're pretty and versatile, they can be dressed up or down depending on the outfit. Plus, they go with almost everything". A little embellishment makes all the difference too, so we absolutely loved Allie's favorite summer sandals pick from Chanel. The cute flower embellishments add a perfect summery touch to your feet.

Got a favorite pair of summer sandals? We want to see it! Hashtag them on Instagram or Twitter with #tssummerlook! Don't have Twitter or Instagram? Then leave a comment or send us your summer sandal secret at secret@thesororitysecrets.com!

Summer Style: Orange Crush

Dress: Forever 21 (similar here).  Shoes: Forever 21 (similar here).  Purse: Louis Vuitton.

We're currently crushing on orange this summer, and It Girl Allie shows us how to wear the color in style.  Feminine touches such as bows and a flared skirt make this dress as cute as can be.  Her shoes tie the look together, incorporating both orange and another warm hue-- hot pink.  Hot pink and orange pair nicely to add a color blocked effect to the look.  We love how Allie paired the ensemble with a nude handbag, complimenting the colors in a subtle way.  It's a perfect look for the weekend... date night, brunch with the girls, you name it.  Have a happy Friday, everyone!

Rabbit Juice

Ok, so no, this is not actually rabbit juice, but one of our reader's, Ursulline, created a pretty fabulous healthy juice drink that she named "Rabbit Juice" because it is infused with lots of vegetables, specifically carrots! So what is juicing you might be wondering? According to Ursulline, "Juicing is the quickest way for the enzymes to absorb in your body". We have always wondered what the benefit is over juicing rather than just using a regular blender and Ursulline explained that, "The enzymes go to work a lot faster and break down any toxins in your body because they are live organisms as opposed to blending which still has amazing benefits, but not with the same intensity".  Do you love juicing too? If so, then you will totally love this recipe she created as a part of her healthy drink regimen.

 You will need these ingredients to make "Rabbit Juice":

• Chia seeds
• Ginger root (1 inch)
• Large carrots (qty 4)
• 1/2 of a beet
• 1 orange
• 1/2 of a green apple
• Ground cinnamon (as desired amount)

Simply place all of these ingredients inside your juicer, one at a time, to make the Rabbit Juice drink. The best juicer that Ursulline recommends is the Omega 8006 Juicer! Keep in mind that beets have a very strong color to them so your drink will have a dark reddish-purple look when complete.

Do you have an awesome juicing recipe? We want to try it so please email your recipes to secret@thesororitysecrets.com!

How To Perfectly Roll Sleeves

Rolling up your sleeves brings new life to long-sleeved tops, and helps keep you cool in those hot summer months.  Hey, some of those long-sleeve shirts are too cute to put away in July!  But we have a problem here... how do we get that perfectly folded sleeve effect?  We see it in stores when we purchase a new shirt, but as soon as you wear it or wash it, that beautifully rolled sleeve is long gone.  Try after try, the folded sleeve just never looks the same again.  But don't you worry, we've discovered the trick to achieving that great looking sleeve, and it's easier than you think!

Step 1: Start with the long sleeve all the way down.  Make sure the cuff is not buttoned.
Step 2: Roll the sleeve halfway up, so the cuff hits just above the elbow.
Step 3: Fold in half one more time.  The cuff will be exposed.
Step 4: Fold in half one last time, covering up the cuff.  Adjust & straighten as needed.

Now go out there, and enjoy your perfectly cuffed long sleeve shirt... all summer long!

It Girl Trend Report: Celebrity Style Crush

"Fashions fade, style is eternal".- Yves Saint Laurent

Usually, our styles are determined by the latest fashion trends seen on our favorite celebs. For example, Ali can always count on fashion inspiration from her style celeb crush, Rachel Zoe. We were curious what celebrity's style influenced our It Girls' wardrobe so this week they shared with us their celeb style crush. Like Karen, It Girl Avery's style celeb crush is Kourtney Kardashian. Her favorite style piece she is always on the lookout for from Kourtney Kardashian are her different, big stylish shades she always has on. For Marisa, Victoria, and Cristina their styles resemble a more classy and modern look similar to Sakura. Marisa has a huge style crush on Lauren Conrad "because she keeps it classy with solid and timeless pieces and always accessorizes to make it modern and dressy". Victoria loves to mix and match the personalities and character of what she's wearing to how she is feeling that morning, or tailored to something she'll be doing that day. Victoria refers to her style as eclectic meets boho hipster so for those reasons, Blake Lively is most aligned with her style. Cristina has an obsession with both the looks of Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen, but she identifies with Ashley Olsen's diverse, fashion forward style more. Allie opps for a more modern royalty look with her celeb style crush, Kate Middleton. Serena loves the classic, sophisticated look of a style icon: Audrey Hepburn. "I picked Audrey Hepburn for obvious reasons-she's classy, demure, beautiful, and she knew that being a woman was about more than looks and measurements".

Who is your celebrity style crush?! Leave us a comment sharing your style icon - we would love to hear!

Favorite iPhone Cases

1. New York 2. Besties 3. Hello Sunshine 4. Pinwheel 5. Millionaire 

6. UO Blanket 7. Boss 8. Phone 9. Bonjour

A cute iPhone case is an absolute must! You spend most of your day carrying around your phone so your best friend (aka your cell phone) must be well dressed, right?!  You might have seen some of these cases on our Instagram account, so we thought we would spill the beans and tell you where we like to shop around for iPhone cases.  Our personal favorite places to get iPhone cases are Kate Spade, Anthropologie, and Urban Outfitters.  Where are some of your good places to get iPhone cases??  Just e-mail your secret at secret@thesororitysecrets.com!

Have a fabulous day!

It's Independence Day!

O beautiful for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain... happy July 4th everyone!  We hope you have a day filled with lots of patriotic spirit.  Show off that red, white, and blue, and catch a fireworks show later tonight-- that's what we will be doing!  Mention us on Instagram today and show us your American pride, for a chance to be featured in a shoutout.

Have a safe & happy Independence Day TSS readers!

Ready for the 4th?

1. Paddles  2. Sunglasses 3. Socks 4. Skirt  5. Towel 6. Swimsuit  7. Headwrap  8. Phone Case 9. Converse 10. Cut-Off Shorts 11. NY Tank 12. Leather Handbag 
13. Platforms

Time to get patriotic with America's favorite holiday: 4th of July!  The TSS team got together and compiled our favorite red, white, and blue items!  Everybody needs some patriotic ensembles to represent for America, so we were obsessed when we found these cute shorts from Singer22.com. Pair that with a plain white tee and some converse and you'll be star-spangle bannered out! Since we're all headed somewhere hot to celebrate the 4th, we knew that bathing suits and sunglasses during the day would be a necessity. Wildfox has the cutest bathing suits like the one you see above. Pair that with a patriotic beach towel, and you will be fit for the occasion on the beach or at the pool. To keep the patriotic party going at night, match this cute skirt from Top Shop with these pretty red, white, and blue platforms and the Rebecca Minkoff MAC Bag from ShopBop to tie the whole outfit together.

However way you decide to look on the 4th, make sure you're rocking the red, white, and blue!

Happy 4th of July!

Reader's Favorite Fitness Instagram Accounts

*The photos in this graphic are not the property of The Sorority Secrets.

The other day we were talking about how we get motivated to workout, eat healthy, and overall stay in shape and we all admitted that we have a Fitness Crush. A Fitness Crush is someone who inspires you to get up off your couch and whip your butt into shape (or at least attempt to!). A lot of our Fitness Crushes we found on Instagram and we just knew that there had to be more influential fit Instagrammers out there. Last week, we asked you, our readers, who your favorite Fitness Instagram accounts were and many of you shared some awesome people. We wanted to highlight a couple of these accounts that are inspiring a lot of you each day!

@angelicakathleen: We love how dedicated and motivated Angelica Kathleen is. She describes herself as a National NPC Bikini competitor, full time college student/intern, and a Team ProSupps Athlete. Her passion for fitness is seen throughout all of her photos where she highlights her journey toward competing and all the foods and drinks she takes to stay fit. 

@littlebblog: Otherwise known as Brittany, Brittany is "FitFluential" as she describes on her Instagram page. We love Brittany's Instagram because she highlights her regular routine life amidst eating clean and going to the gym. Her account makes you feel motivated to have fun while still maintaining healthy habits. Also check out her personal fitness blog here where she shares clean eating recipes and awesome workouts!

@karenakatrina: Karena and Katrina are another set of influential Fitness Instagrammers. Karena and Katrina are trainers and promote the idea of toning it up through their site, " Tone It Up". What makes their page really motivating is they encourage a community of sharing fitness and nutrition. Their bright spirits and playful demeanor make you feel like you can be just as happy and in shape as they are.

Who is YOUR Fitness Crush? Share it below as we would love to hear! Check out the rest of your favorite Fitness Instagram account choices on our Instagram: @thesororitysecrets!

It Girl Trend Report: Summer Sweet Treat

Popsicles, lemonade, and yummy ice cream sandwiches are just some of the sweet summer accents that we look forward to during this time of the year. There is nothing like some sweet summer treats to cool down a hot summer day, so we turned to our It Girl Interns for their favorites. Avery made our mouths watered when she reminded us how good the frozen bananas at Disneyland are! Lucky for her, (and us!) she discovered that you can enjoy this same delicious treat from Trader Joe's called Gone Bananas. Avery said, "It tastes yummy, curbs your chocolate cravings, is ice cold and hey...it's still a fruit so it's sort of a healthy way to go!" Hmm...we're not sure how healthy it is, but we don't mind going with that theory! A classic sweet summer treat that is Cristina's weakness is cookie dough ice cream and we can't blame her because we are guilty of eating it right out of the carton! Cristina isn't the only one who has a love for ice cream; Allie and Victoria love it too!  Victoria chooses to buy it locally at her favorite ice cream shop in Seattle: Molly Moon's. Her favorite flavors to eat there are Honey Lavender or the rich Salted Caramel. While some of our It Girl Interns prefer cold treats, Marisa prefers the delicious snack otherwise known as puppy chow which she loves to easily make with her sorority sisters. Check out the recipe here! Serena also loves to whip up her favorite sweet summer treat which is a smoothie using a pro-biotic rich yogurt drink called Kefir. Serena explained, "By blending Kefir, your favorite fruits, and a little raw Manuka honey, you can have a mouthwatering smoothie that promotes good health with a fraction of the calories!" YUM!

What are some of your favorite sweet summer treats? 

TSS Summer Bucket List 2013

Ever since Karen saw her little sister's Summer Bucket List taped to her wall, it inspired all of us to come up with our own Summer Bucket List! We love the idea of coming up with a list of things we need to accomplish before summer's end because it makes each summer day worthwhile. A Summer Bucket List is a list of things you haven't done that you would like to do before summer ends. For us, our Summer Bucket List mainly consists of things we have done, but have not done in a long time. Sakura is determined to make her way back to Disneyland, Ali is looking forward to taking a mini road trip with friends, and Karen is determined to ride the big, new Ferris wheel in downtown Seattle. Life is just too short, and so is summer so live it up, take chances, and make memories! Make your goal this summer to ACTUALLY do things on your Bucket List.

Flawless {Makeup} Finish

Makeup: Victoria's Secret, MAC, Bliss Pro.

In the quest for a flawless complexion, our search is finally over!  From a fun night out, to looking perfectly polished everyday, we found 2 fabulous products that have become a staple in our makeup routine.  TSS Co-Founder, Ali, has personally been using both of these products for years... and we're all hooked!  

To start... if you're not already using a primer in your daily makeup routine, it's time to give it a whirl.  The Oil-Free Airbrush FX Face Primer made by Victoria's Secret not only protects your skin with SPF 15, but it creates a velvety smooth canvas for your makeup.  Ali is flat out obsessed with this product, and swears that she can't go a day without it.  Even on the days when you're wearing less makeup, it provides a clean look for your skin.  For the times when you're wearing heavier foundation, it's a must-have.  The primer provides a base for even makeup application (it even makes your pores less visible), and gives it all-day staying power.  

After applying the primer, MAC Studio Fix Fluid is the next step in the flawless complexion process.  This foundation is a bit on the heavier/full coverage side, but you can choose to either apply a little or a little more depending on the look desired.  Start small, and go from there if more of the foundation is needed.  Ali suggests applying the foundation first with a makeup brush, and then taking a beauty blender to smooth any lines created by the brush.  The beauty blender is also key to providing that "airbrushed" effect at home.  Pat down with the beauty blender all over your face, focusing on the areas around the eyes and nose, and you will create a beautifully smooth look.  Extend the foundation application a little under your chin, fading off onto your neck, as to avoid a harsh line between the coloring on your face and neck.

We hope you love our tricks for creating a flawless complexion.  Give it a try, and let us know what you think!