Sephora Sale: 3 Things To Get + 2 Things to Buy Elsewhere.

      What a week for sales! I chatted about and shared a wishlist for the one happening at Shopbop earlier this week on the blog, and today we're talking beauty buys and the Sephora Sale. I have to start this post by being fully honest: I'm not the biggest Sephora shopper! In the last year especially, I've been trying to switch to as many drugstore beauty products as possible. I would say right now about 80% of my hair and makeup products are from drugstore brands. So I tend to buy a lot of beauty stuff mostly from Ulta, Walmart and CVS! But with that said- there are a few things that I do shop at Sephora for, and since they don't often do sales, now is the time that I stock up on these things. 

10 BEST Drugstore Beauty Buys: Things I Keep Repurchasing.

     I'm sure you don't need me to tell you that drugstore beauty products can be really hit or miss. On one hand, it is so great to find an affordable beauty product that exceeds your expectations and works well the first time your try it for your skin or hair. On the other hand, there can be a lot of flops with cheaper products, and it can be frustrating to keep trying various $5-10 items that don't work- that's when you start thinking maybe it would've been better to just splurge on a prestige brand item that would work the first time. Today, I'm sharing my holy grail favorite 10 drugstore beauty products! These are the affordable favorites that I've fallen in love with using.

Best Richmond VA Hair Salon: My Experience at Rituals Salon & Spa.

     For the past few months, I've been on a journey... a hair coloring journey that is! My 25th birthday was in September, and I decided a great way to celebrate my quarter of a century would be to change up my naturally dark hair. Later in the fall, I was looking to continue going lighter with my hair, but I was also in the market for a new salon, as I wasn't in love with the first one I went to. It was perfect timing that Rituals Salon & Spa in the Richmond area reached out to me at this time! I've now been a client at Rituals for about three and a half months, and I'm excited to share a full review of my experiences and their services with you today. Make sure to read all the way to the end of the post as I have a discount code to share with fellow Virginians (or anyone if you happen to be in the Richmond area!). 

     I was gifted some complimentary hair and spa services in exchange for today's review- but all opinions of Rituals Salon & Spa are honest and my own.

SO... I Colored My Hair!

     Hello friends! I'm back after a mini blogging break during my trip to Charleston. Getting back into blogging this week by chatting HAIR! This year, I decided to give myself a birthday present! It's something that I have wanted to do for a long time, but was always too nervous to pull the trigger on or I didn't feel that I was at a place financially to invest in doing it well. But enough was enough, time to finally take the plunge on coloring my hair! 

The Easiest Half-Up Hair Tutorial Ever!

     This post was sponsored by Revlon Hair Tools as apart of Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own. 

Photography by Kate Greer

Girly-Girl Party Outfit.

     Sometimes I worry that moving to Vermont and also working in a casual environment for my day job has started to turn me away from my natural fashion sense, which of course tends to veer on the side of very girly, bright, and sometimes over the top. But all it took was this outfit to bring me right back to my fashion "roots"! 😉

Photography by Melissa Lynn Studios

This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting Southern Belle in Training blog.

Top c/o // Skirt {old, identical here} // Shoes {old, similar here} // Purse c/o // Lipstick 

     I can't get enough of this white crop top from Chicwish! You might have seen how I styled it with a different skirt for an outfit that I posted on Instagram (seen in this blog post). I think it's a great top to build a black and white outfit around, and then you can accessorize with bold pops of color, which I did here with my floral pumps and bright lipstick. Wouldn't this make a cute outfit to wear for a summer party or date night? I know that as girls we often reach for our favorite sundresses for these occasions, and while there's nothing wrong with doing that, it's always fun to mix it up for an occasion sometimes! I love the flirty flair that a tulle skirt and crop top paired together gives to an outfit. 

     I've been having such a fun week! My former roommate Ciera has been here in Vermont visiting. If you follow me on social media than you know that we spent a couple days in Montreal this week for a concert and to explore the city! This was my second time in Montreal to see a concert since I moved to Burlington- despite being an international location, it's the closest major city to me! I'll be writing a "24 hours in Montreal" travel guide for the blog soon and sharing more about what Ciera and I did while we were there. 😊

     Enjoy your weekend! Ciera is here until Sunday so I plan to show her more of my new city after work each day!

     God Bless,

     xoxo Annaliese (or Charlotte XO on the radio!)

HAIR TUTORIAL: How To Get Big Southern Curls (+ My First Blog Video!)

      Today is a very exciting Monday on Southern Belle in Training! Many of y'all have been requesting that I do a hair tutorial on the blog for years. (And no I'm not exaggerating- actually for years now! Cue the #embarrassedmonkeyemoji) And friends- that day is finally here- YAY!

My (Least) Favorite Hair Products: Things I Won't Buy Again!

     This post marks part four (and the final part!) of my four-week haircare products post series on the blog. Parts one, two and three featured my favorite hair products in various categories, and this week's post will take a slightly different focus: I'm instead talking about a few products I've tried that didn't meet my expectations, and that I won't be repurchasing!

     I will not be putting in product links to these items, since I would not recommend them, but instead at the bottom of the post I'll link up some of my favorite items from the past few posts again!

     Here are the items I won't be repurchasing!

My Favorite Hair Products: Curl Enhancers + Hairsprays.

     Time for part three of my favorite hair care products series! Check out my post on shampoo and conditioner here, and the second post on dry shampoos and volume products here. Next week I'll be concluding this series by talking about hair products that I dislike and won't be repurchasing, so stay tuned for that as well!

     Before sharing today's items, which are my favorite curl enhancing products and hairsprays, I want to give a little bit of background on my hair. I had naturally pin straight hair up until the start of my freshman year of college (ironically around the same time that I started this blog!), when I decided to perm my hair on an impulse. The hairdresser told me that my newly wavy hair would only last for about six months.... instead it lasted two and a half years! Today my hair still isn't as naturally straight like it used to be, but most of the curls and waves are finally gone. For the years that the perm was still in tact, I tried tons of curl enhancing products to bring out my waves and make it look less frizzy. 

     These are my two favorite products from when my hair was more permed! 

My Favorite Hair Products: Dry Shampoos + Volume Product.

      I'm back with Week Two in my favorite hair products series for the month of February! You can check out last week's post here, in which I shared my favorite shampoo and conditioner. As always, no post in this series is sponsored in any way! Just a chance for me to share with y'all what some of my favorite hair care products are (and I'll be sharing few of my least favorites too in a couple of weeks!).

      First up in today's post: dry shampoo! As I mentioned last week, my hair is naturally extremely oily. That means that if I'm going to attempt second day (or third day... bless!) hair at all, dry shampoo will definitely be a necessity.

My Favorite Hair Products: Shampoo + Conditioner.

     One of my blogging goals for 2016 was to start sharing more beauty posts with y'all! I've had several requests to film or photograph a hair tutorial for how I curl my hair. I plan to work on that this summer, after I graduate (and a.) have time to work on non-academic projects and b.) am hopefully living somewhere with a better lighting situation then my depressingly dark dorm room!). 

     In the meantime, I thought it would be fun for the month of February to do a little series for the blog on my favorite hair products! For each Thursday this month, I will be sharing different types of products that I love. And the last week of the month- I'll be sharing a few "misses," or products that I won't be buying again!

     First up for Week One is my shampoo and conditioner! 

Southern Belle in the Bunk: Strawberries & the Sea.

     This is Week Four for my Friday summer post series here on the blog, called Southern Belle in the Bunk. This blog series combines my love of fashion, beautiful scenic locations for fashion posts, and the fact that I'm spending this summer back in my hometown area of the Kennebunks region of Southern Maine! You can read more about the inspiration for this series in the intro post HERE, Week One HERE, Week Two HERE, Week Three HERE and Week Four HERE! Xo

Top: TJ Maxx {Old, Similar here} // Jeans: American Eagle Outfitters // Shoes: Banana Republic // Sunglasses: Le Chateau {Canadian store} || Purse: Vintage Chanel {Similar here} // Earrings: {Old, Similar here} // Bracelets: c/o Swell Caroline, c/o Urban Peach Boutique, {Local boutique} // Lips: L'Oreal Colour Riche Lilly Pulitzer Collection in Rose Melody  {Sold out, Similar here}

     My oh my does it feel good to be back to fashion blogging again! I had an unexpected break during my last two weeks abroad in France, and then during my first few days home I experienced severe jet lag, as well as feeling not so great due to some bug bites that I returned home with... which were later in the week diagnosed by my doctor officially as bed bug bites. :/ So dealing with that hasn't been the greatest. Honestly the highlight of my week has just been getting into somewhat of a routine again and going back to my usual eight hour shifts at work! Haha. 

     Fashion blogging is another part of my regular routine that I am so happy to be getting back to! In honor of the fact that I was making the switch from living in 90+ degree temperatures (and extreme humidity) in Nice to cool and breezy temperatures in the low 70s back in Maine, this outfit seemed like the perfect fit for my first post to re-kick off my summer Friday post series, Southern Belle in the 'Bunk! It feels amazing to be in weather again that is cool enough that I can actually where jeans and other pants, and with all of the bug bites and scabs on my legs this week (sorry if that's TMI but it's true!), I wanted to wear pants especially in the earlier part of the week. 

     I rediscovered my love for this fun applique top upon my arrival back home! I have had this shirt since high school, and it always seems to resurface now and again in my closet. It is the perfect way to dress up a pair of skinny jeans, but I have also paired it before with a mini skirt and heels! Tops like this are so easy because you really only need minimal accessories with them. I chose to go with a fun little bracelet stack and my favorite purse, my vintage Chanel!! Some of you on my Instagram were asking about it- it was originally my grandma's, who gave it to my mom, and she gave it to me last year. :-) 

The location:

Can you tell that I'm throwing a rock in these pictures? Haha!

     

     For this week's edition of Southern Belle in the 'Bunk, I wanted to do something beach themed (especially since I had just been away from home for a month in the middle of summer!). But since I frequently shoot my blog photos at two of my favorite beaches in town, and the whole point of this post series was for me to reach outside my comfort zone of my favorite OOTD locations here at home, I decided instead to think outside the box a little bit and remember another favorite ocean spot of mine that is a little bit more off the beaten path. 

     Strawberry Island is the name of the area that these photos were taken in! It's not exactly an island... more just like a clump of rocks that can or can't be accessed depending on the tides. I think that at one point there was more of a tiny island that you could walk out to after the rocks, and that there were some bushes growing on the island, including some strawberry plants. At least that's how I think it got its name! Anyways, this little area is just under a mile away from one of the local beaches. You can even see some of the beach houses in the background of the pictures! It's found on a dead-end road, so it's a very quiet little area. The perfect spot for pictures (or watching the sunset) when it's low tide! My mom took these pictures of me right at sunset, and the light was very interesting on this day, as you can see reflected in the photos! They have a nice soft summer glow to them.

     xoxo Miss ALK

Rainy Day Brights.

     Sweater: Izod || Jeans: American Eagle Outfitters || Vest: L.L. Bean || Jacket: Izod || Boots: {Local store in Maine} || Headband: Glitter {local NC accessories store} || Earrings: Talbots || Necklace: J. Crew Factory || Umbrella: G.H. Bass and Co || Lips: Revlon Lip Butter in Lollipop 

      This was my first day of school outfit for this brand new semester! It was a chilly and rainy day on the Monday that classes began, but I didn't want to let the dreary weather bring down my spirits (or fashion choices!). 

     I am wearing several items in this outfit that were either Christmas gifts this year or last year! My sweater, jacket and necklace were all gifts from my mom this year, and I received my umbrella and vest last year (as gifts for my trip to the UK!). My mom knows that in the past couple years I have gotten really into wearing plums, fuschias and berry tones, so I have loved recieving new additions to my wardrobe in these colors! And of course I am still obsessed with my J. Crew Factory pearl necklace- I have worn it so many times in the few weeks that I have had it!!

     My latest Netflix obsession is Gossip Girl... I know, I know, I am way late on the trend on that one! But I am enjoying it nonetheless! :-) I am midway through the second season right now, and like many other fans of the show, my favorite aspect of Gossip Girl is probably the fashions of all of the show's leading ladies! I have found myself wanting to pull out more of my favorite headbands and bows lately, and that always makes me think of Blair Waldorf. Speaking of Gossip Girl- I'm actually particpating this coming Monday in a Gossip Girl themed style link-up here on the blog! I can't wait for y'all to see more about that next week.

    More exciting blog news- I have a giveaway especially for my local Charlotte readers coming to the blog tomorrow!! If you're a Queens City gal then you won't want to miss this post!

    xoxo Miss ALK

Favorite Monogrammed Attire with Carolina Clover!

Top: c/o Carolina Clover || Leggings: Victoria's Secret PINK || Sneakers: Nike {from DSW} || Headband: c/o Carolina Clover || Earrings: Claire's || Mug: Lilly Pulitzer || Nails: Essie in Merino Cool

    First off, shout-out to me for another unexplained mini blogging break! I only posted once last week as my first week back at school for the new semester proved to be much busier than expected! My new weekday routine is a lot different then in the past semesters- for the first time I have 8 a.m. classes M-Th (and afternoon classes only one day a week!), and in the past I have had all afternoon and night classes. In addition to a change in my class schedule, I have a new roommate this semester (who by the way is wonderful!), and have also been getting back into my internship, sorority and club involvement on campus, and of course catching up with friends and sisters who I missed very much over winter break. And over this weekend I planned and attended a blogging meet-up in Greensboro which y'all will be hearing a lot more about soon! But anyways, hopefully now that I'm getting used to my new schedule I can get back to more consistent blogging again. 

     Since I have such early classes this semester, I am already learning that it can sometimes be hard to look cute that early in the morning (as much as I'd like to!). Some days it happens... and some days it just doesn't. I have never been the type of girl to wear sweatpants to class, but sometimes you do just need a comfortable yet still cute outfit for the days when you don't want to try as hard. That is why I was so excited when one of my favorite NC based monogramming companies, Carolina Clover, reached out to me about reviewing some of their popular monogrammed attire for this month! This long sleeved top and headband are so comfy to wear, and instantly add a little bit of chic to a very casual outfit. I wore this outfit yesterday (Sunday) for an afternoon of homework in the school library, but it also could have worked well for early morning classes, or a workout at the gym! I am also excited to try wearing some of my favorite scarves with this top to dress things up a bit. 

     One of the things that I love the most about working with Carolina Clover is that their monogramming options are literally endless! They have so many different font and thread color options. If you look closely at the pictures, you can actually see that I have different monogram font types for both the shirt and the headband (one is script and one is interlocking!). Here is the link to Carolina Clover's personalization page! 

    The shirt that I am wearing can be bought here, and the direct link for the headband is here. :-) I would definitely recommend Carolina Clover for all of your monogramming needs (and also for sorority shopping as well- I reviewed some of their sorority items last winter!). 

      xoxo Miss ALK

Guest post: Sorority Summer Style by Greek Streak

     Today I have a special guest post lined up for y'all! My friends over at Greek Streak, a sorority and fraternity apparel company, have requested to guest post here at Southern Belle in Training! They also sent me an adorable Alpha Delta Pi tank-top from their sorority apparel collection to review. I love this fun tank, it is light-weight and perfect for summer, and I know that I will get a lot of use out of it on beach days especially!

Tank: c/o Greek Streak || Leggings: Victoria's Secret PINK || Sandals: Target || Sunglasses: Charming Charlie || Bow: Glitter 

     Their guest post is customized a bit to Alpha Delta Pi since that is my sorority, but the fashion ideas in the post are things that girls in any sorority could try with their own sorority's symbols and colors. Enjoy the guest post from Erica of Greek Streak! 

Sorority Summer Fashion

Just because it’s summer doesn’t mean you shouldn’t display your Alpha Delta Pi sisterhood pride. In fact, the hot summer months are actually the perfect time to showcase the style that defines the Alpha Delta Pi sorority! From diamonds to custom T-shirts, there are plenty of ways to showcase sorority style during this season away from school. Want some fresh inspiration? Looking for new ways to work sorority love into what you wear? Here are a couple specific options for showing you’re a sorority girl this season!

Shiny Sparkle and Bling

The diamond is the official badge for Alpha Delta Pi, so add some dazzle to your wardrobe this summer! Whether you buy cubic zirconia stud earrings or rhinestone-studded sandals, adding a little bling to your outfits is a subtle way to show your sisterhood pride, as well to add some sparkle to your style.

Blue and White Colors

Nothing says summer beach living like the classic combination of white and blue. And since these are the official Alpha Delta Pi colors, you have more than one reason to work them into your wardrobe this summer! Try a white maxi dress with an azure blue statement necklace or white jeans with a royal blue blouse. Any way you work the white and blue together, you’re spreading sorority pride.

Violet in Your Wardrobe

Since violet is the official flower of Alpha Delta Pi, try incorporating it into your outfits through violet jewelry, tops or dresses. Whether you pick a violet bikini or a violet sundress, this pretty color is a shout-out to all things Alpha Delta Pi.

Custom Sorority Shirts

Maybe the easiest way to show off Alpha Delta Pi pride is also the most effective: wear a custom-designed shirt. When you sport a T-shirt with the Alpha Delta Pi logo or a shirt with Alpha Delta Pi name, you make the message clearer than ever that you’re a sorority girl who’s proud of it.

What ways will you show off sorority pride this summer break? Will you follow the fashion ideas above, or do you have some of your own? Whether you’re sporting sorority pins, sorority colors or something else, finding ways to promote Alpha Delta Pi is not only fun — it’s also a great way to draw new recruits! Let everyone around you know that you love Alpha Delta Pi, and join your sisterhood around the country promoting the sorority vibe!

Erica Wolfe is a proud Delta Phi Epsilon member and a Marketing Associate Greek Streak – an online Greek apparel retailer providing fraternity and sorority clothing for the Greek community.

OOTD: April Showers bring May Flowers.

Top: Izod {old} || Jeggings: American Eagle Outfitters || Cardigan: Forever 21 || Boots: {old} || Sunglesses: LOFT || Headband: Forever 21 || Earrings: In Pink Jewelry || Ring: Kohl's || Nail Polish: Forever 21 || Lips: Maybelline The Elixer ColorSensational Lip Gloss in Nude Illusion 

     Well- this post is a first! Minus the lip gloss that I'm wearing (and a tiny dab of concealer on my chin), I am completely make-up free in these pictures! That is a first for any of my outfit pictures on this blog! As y'all know, I absolutely love make-up; buying it, experimenting with it, watching tutorials, wearing it... etc etc. But as much as I do enjoy make-up, I am still confident in my own skin. I do wear it most days, but not everyday! I happened to have a make-up free day last week, and got the idea to take a few blog pictures while that happened. I do go out in public without make-up sometimes. I'll run errands around town or if I'm at school I'll go to the cafeteria or library without it on the weekends. Overall, I prefer wearng make-up because I think it's fun and a way to enhance my features, but I wanted to show y'all that I'm also comfortable in my natural state. I'd love to see any make-up free OOTD pictures from any other bloggers as well! (Fun fact: the part of my face that I'm most self conscious about without make-up is actually my eyebrows! I fill them in with a pencil and brow gel normally. )

     Maine has been having a really slow start to the warmer season. The past couple weeks have been in the 50s and 60s, and mostly cloudy and rainy. At least all of the rain is making all of the plants and trees look extra pretty and green! I'm hoping that warmer weather will be around the corner soon. At least I've had lots of excuses to wear my cute floral rain boots! :-)

     Hope that y'all had a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend!

     xoxo Miss ALK

OOTD: A Carolina Winter Wonderland

• Coat: Landsend
• Jeans: American Eagle Outfitters
• Boots: UGG Australia (bought at The Walking Company) 
• Headband: Charming Charlie
• Scarf: old
• Purse: Target
• Gloves: Charming Charlie
• Necklace: c/o A-List Greek Designs

     My college campus is now in its third day of being covered in fluffy white snow! I'm not sure of the next time that I'll see this much snow in NC, so I decided to take advantage of the weather and do a snow day outfit post!

     I found this adorable black bag at Target earlier in the week. I've been looking for a simple black purse for quite some time. I wanted something that looked in the style of a Kate Spade purse, but with a smaller price tag. I was so excited to find exactly what I was looking for at Target, and I know that this bag is definitely going to appear in lots future OOTD posts!

     I also loved getting to wear my A-List Greek Designs necklace again! It is a delicate piece, which made it perfect to wear with a sweater and fuzzy scarf. 

     

     And on a different note- Happy Valentine's Day!! I hope that all of you are having a wonderful day. Even though I am single again for this Valentine's, I was still very excited to celebrate with some friends from my former college! Sadly because of the snow those plans had to be postponed for next weekend, but you can bet that today I will still be sporting some pink lipstick. ;-)

     xoxo Miss ALK