5 Hair Products You Won't Be Able to Live Without!

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If you’re anything like me, you need to have one of every hair tool/styling product out there. I need a curler, a flat iron, a blow dryer, a wide barreled crimper, and various products ranging from heat protectants, hair masks, frizz fighters, and everything in between. Being a college student, money isn’t always flowing so I’d prefer to make an investment that will give me the best for my bucks and that will last a long time; with that in mind, I thought I would share a few of my most essential picks!

1. Sedu Revolution Tourmaline Ionic Styling Iron

If I go on a trip anywhere, no matter how short or long, this guy comes with me. Not only is it slim and easily packed into a suitcase or duffle bag, but it also creates a wide range of styles. If I need to travel light and can’t bring my wand, I know I can count on my iron to achieve curls, waves, or totally flat hair!

2. TheBellezza 4 in 1

If you want the most for your money for the perfect wand, this is where you can find it. This wand is unique because it comes with 4 barrels in different diameters so you can have perfect curls of any size. It heats up quickly and is easy to use with arrows that allow you to select your desired temperature. Plus, it works pretty quickly, too. It’s a high quality hair styling tool with ceramic ionic barrels that won't make your poor ends feel dried out and crusty. Finally, with the interchangeable heads the wand comes apart and can be easily stowed in a small makeup bag. What more could you want?

3. Bumbleand Bumble Deeep

This one is a little more expensive, but I promise it’s worth every penny. As much as I try to reduce styling my hair and causing heat damage, from sorority socials to philanthropies and work, I find myself having to style my hair every day!  Just 20 minutes of this amazing protein masque- it leaves my hair feeling so much more alive.  The only thing you need to be careful of when using this product is not to leave it in for too long. I tend to leave masques on my hair longer than necessary to maximize the effect, but with a protein masque too much protein can have a reverse effect and make your hair brittle. Overall, this product is amazing and it's definitely worth a try!

     4. FHI HeatBlow Dryer

     Every girl needs a blow dryer- Most of us women live life on the go, and many of us are always in a rush. When I say I’ll be there in 5 minutes, it means I’m still tugging my iron through my hair one more time and making sure my eyelashes are evenly coated with mascara. The great thing about the FHI Heat is that it significantly reduces drying time, even for those of us with very thick hair. But my absolute favorite part of the FHI Heat is that it comes in pink! 

      5. Sedu Anti-Frizz Polishing Treatment with Moroccan Argan Oil

      Can you tell I have a slight obsession with Sedu? You probably will too after you try it!  This treatment acts as a heat protectant, moisturizer, and anti frizzing agent. You may have heard of putting Argan oil in your hair for moisture and shine- well this product has it all. I use it before any kind of heat styling, and sometimes just to reduce frizz. The serum is easy to distribute through your hair and makes styling a breeze. Additionally, while the bottles aren’t cheap, one lasts a long time and a little bit of oil goes a long way.

      Happy Styling, everyone!

#RentScareReturn

Halloween is right around the corner and with a full agenda, finding a Halloween costume could have completely slipped your mind! Well, for those of you that forgot to get a Halloween costume or want something completely original- Rent the Runway and Etsy (two online stores that we just can't get enough of!) have brought you Halloween Bazaar! Check out their list of 100+ creative and fashionable Halloween costumes you can easily RENT, SCARE, and RETURN!

Rent the Runway has saved our lives yet again!

A Day At The Pumpkin Patch

TSS Readers, meet Maddie... an Alpha Chi Omega from San Diego State University!  Maddie is the newest addition to our It Girl team for 2014.  Want to learn more about her?  Well, you're going to have to wait a little bit-- our new It Girl team will be unveiled soon!  Until then, here's a sneak peek into the life of the newest member of our It Girl family!  Welcome, Maddie!

There’s something magical about fall- the leaves change, the air is crisp, and you can order pumpkin-flavored anything. We don’t exactly get a traditional fall season in San Diego; we’re still wearing flip-flops and going to the beach. But, our sisterhood event at the Pumpkin Station in Del Mar let us pretend! We picked out pumpkins, rode the rides, bought huge buckets of caramel corn, and pet adorable animals. It was a great way to bond with our new members and celebrate this beautiful season.

When we got back to our chapter house, we held a decorating competition- it was so fun to see everyone’s crafty side. We split the girls into teams and gave them supplies to decorate with, including pipe cleaners, pom poms, paint, glitter, and different types of candy.   One team crafted a hilarious witch with hay, a paper hat, and a pickle nose.  Another team did a cute aqua ombre pumpkin using paint and glitter.  All of the pumpkins make a festive addition to the front of our chapter house.

We love the mix of Halloween tradition and glamour on the pumpkin with the jeweled spider on it. Some pumpkin patches sell kits with stick-on jewels, but you can also get large gems and rhinestones from any craft store and hot glue them to your pumpkin!  When you decorate your pumpkins, you can get inspiration from Pinterest, your favorite movies, and even the supplies you have lying around. We had a blast at this sisterhood event! I encourage you to go with your chapter or your friends. Even if you don’t pick a pumpkin, you’ll get loads of great photos together!

Celebrity Artist, Haley Buckner's 10 Must-Haves

My 10 Must Haves:
1. Moisturizer - If you have nothing else in your routine, at least moisturize. It will keep your skin looking youthful.

2. MAC Fix + Spray - It makes foundation look more like skin.

3. Beauty Blender Sponge - Get it wet with warm water before applying foundation and your skin will look perfect.

4. Urban Decay Primer Potion - A thin layer helps eyeshadow stay for hours.

5. High quality makeup brushes - If you invest, they last forever.

6. OCC Lip Tars - A little bit goes a long way and if you want, you can mix them together to create any color you want.

7. Loreal Voluminous Mascara (SALE!) - The best, hands down.

8. Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette - It's all your neutral blending colors in one.

9. Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer - For those days that you want a lightweight coverage.

10. Clarisonic Brush - Exfoliate.. It's worth the investment for radiant skin.

1. What do you love most about doing make up?
Meeting famous people and getting to work with them is so much fun and it really inspires me, but the greatest part of my job is that I get to help people feel beautiful. The most rewarding experiences I've had are helping people who have cancer and have lost their hair from chemotherapy. Teaching them how to naturally fill in their eyebrows and apply false lashes seems like such a small thing, but when they look in the mirror and are overjoyed because they feel like themselves again touches my heart in the biggest way.

2. How did you get started? What got you to the next step?
I always loved beauty, so I started working for Mac when I was 18 in Reno, Nv. It's where I learned the most about skin and makeup techniques. I dreamed of working with celebrities so I knew I needed to sacrifice being close to the ones I loved and move to a bigger city. A few years later I moved to Vegas and worked in Caesars Palace where I met so many people and was blessed with amazing opportunities.

3. What is one thing (foundation, mascara, eyeliner, lipgloss, etc.) that you feel every girl should always wear? why?
Every face is different, so I don't think every girl should always have a specific product. It's important to capitalize on your best feature. If a client sits in my chair with lips like Angelina Jolie I make them the primary focus of the makeup. If someone has long lashes and beautiful eyes, I think they should accentuate them with a great mascara.

4. What's in, what's out?
There are always changing trends in makeup. As artists we are always changing looks on our clients, but in my opinion a classic red lip is never out. Skin is also always important, and for summer a bronzed look is usually desired.

5. Who/Where do you look for inspiration?
I'm continually inspired by fellow makeup artists. I've worked with some of the best artists in the industry and when I see them do something mind blowing it makes me want to continue to push myself to be on that level. Since day one my biggest inspiration has been Mac Senior Artist Victor Cembellin.


A special thank you to Haley for her time and sharing us her beauty tips & secrets.  For more information on Haley, visit her site at www.haleybuckner.com and follow her on Instagram! 

Bright PINK Power Hour Highlights

Last week, Co-Founder Karen and TSS It Girl/ Zeta Tau Alpha, Victoria, had the pleasure of attending Westfield Southcenter Mall's Bright Pink Power Hour Fashion Show in Seattle. In case you didn't know, Bright Pink is the only national nonprofit dedicated to the prevention and early detection of breast and ovarian cancer in young women. We just couldn't miss out in participating in such an awesome event as 100% of the tickets sold went toward the nonprofit. Besides the cool raffle prizes {Karen won the Gene Juarez spa package!} and awesome vendors like The Confectional, SeattleMagazine, Luna, Styled Seattle, Go Girl, and so much more, we were especially intrigued by the fall fashion show! There are many looks to choose from this fall from affordable stores, all of which hit the runway that night. We had some personal favorites and below were the different fall fashion categories introduced on the runway:

RICH METALLICS
Get the look with layers of silver and gold with studded, sparkly details

PUNK PRINCESS
Get the look with faux fur, fitted leather pants and edgy prints

WARM AND FUZZY
Get the look with soft sweaters and warm, cozy jackets

PRIM AND PROPER
Get the look with ladylike silhouettes and dainty accessories

TEXTURED GLAM
Get the look with rich fabrics and layers of lace, prints, and patterns

FEMME FATALE
Get the look with ultra fitted dresses, statement accessories, and chic outerwear

Overall, the event was amazing and we loved supporting Bright Pink. Be sure to check out their non profit and offer a donation. 

10 Curl Commandments

If there is anyone who knows a thing or two about curls, it is our It Girl, Marisa Simone. Do you want some nice curls? Or better yet, would you like to maintain them? Well, Marisa dishes with us how to maintain perfect curly hair. Just follow her '10 Curl Commandments' and you will be ready to rock some playful curls!

1. Sleep on a satin pillow case

• It will reduce dryness and breakage and hold some of the moisture in.

2. Detangle to protect your perfect mane

• Use a wide tooth comb; never a brush.

3. Limit heat use on your hair

• Heat pulls out moisture from curls, makes them dry and shapeless. 

4. Shampoo less

• It is not necessary to shampoo your hair every day, try for every other day. 

5. Condition, condition, condition!

• The curlier the hair, the longer it takes for natural oils to travel from the scalp to the ends. 

6. Style when wet

• The tamest your hair will ever be is when it is wet. You will have much more control.

7. Read the ingredients of the products you use

• Limit products with alcohol in them to avoid that crunchy, ramen noodle look!

8. Leave it alone!

• Towel or blow drying can cause a bigger mess then just letting your hair dry naturally.

9. Make sure to diffuse 

• If you must blow dry always use a diffuser, the regular nozzle changes your curl pattern. 

10. Love your hair no matter what!

• We always want what we can’t have, so just think about all the girls out there pining for luscious, curly locks!

When Do I Tip?!

Okay, so is it just us or do you ever feel weird about when to tip? Lately, we have  been participating in activities like having our items moved or our luggage picked up by airport staff and in the back of our minds we are thinking, "Hmm I wonder if I should tip them?"  Nobody wants to be "that girl" who unknowingly doesn't tip so we've compiled a list of times where it is definitely appropriate to leave some extra cash. Be sure to leave your suggestions too so we can add to the list!

May Designs: Giveaway & Promo Code!

 Planners: May Designs

Well now I don’t know about you guys, but the only way that I am able to accomplish anything school wise is to motivate myself with my planner… so naturally, I have to have the cutest planner out there. I’m obsessed with finding something that is unique and usable. Although I have used Erin Condren and Lilly Pulitzer planners in the past, my whole life changed when I stumbled upon May Designs products!

Who doesn’t love personalized everything!? I know that if it wasn’t weird, I would tattoo my monogram on my own body. This is one of the main reasons May Designs is the epitome of perfection for me. Every planner can be personalized for exactly what you want it to be! But wait…they don’t stop at planners. You can order personalized plain and lined paper notebooks, so you can stay stylish and be the envy of every girl in your class. And if that’s not enough, you can also order a budget journal, or exercise and diet diary! These two are my personal favorite of the bunch because they really keep you on track and make it easy to set goals and stick with them. These May Books are the perfect size and can fit them into any purse, backpack, or can even slip into the same case as your ipad mini!

If the beautiful books didn’t get ya, then than personalized paper products totally will! I LOVE to write personalized cards to anyone and everyone. They are just so much more fun then writing an email...am I right?  Sending out cutely decorated cards, really makes a statement and the more memorable you can be the better!

Even more exciting, the ladies of May Designs are doing BOTH a Giveaway & a Promo Code for TSS readers!  Enter the Promo Code sororitysecrets13 at checkout for a 15% discount, now through Sunday 10/13/13.  In addition, one lucky winner will receive a custom May Designs book!  Here's how to enter:

Step 1: "Like" May Designs on Facebook (click here to "like")

Step 2: "Like" The Sorority Secrets on Facebook (click here to "like)

Step 3: Comment below, telling us how a May Designs book will help to keep you organized!  Be sure to leave your email, so we can contact you if you win!

Good luck, and be sure to use our Promo Code sororitysecrets13 on your May Designs 

purchase now through Sunday for a 15% discount!

 *Contest ends 10/16/13.  Winner will be notified via email*