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Fall Wardrobe Staples Under $100

Now that tomorrow is the beginning of November, I think I'm finally ready for fall clothes. Although I'm definitely looking forward to all of the holiday coming up as well! But until then, here are some of my most worn pieces and a few current options that are all under$100!

Trench Coats
I found the older version of this trench almost 3 years ago now, and wear it almost every day to work before I bring out my wool coats for winter. As much as I love a classic, I have found a few fun ones that will make any outfit!


Flat OTK Boots
I love that over-the-knee boots are still trending, I think they are so much fun to wear! They're a statement, but also comfortable. I've had 3 pairs over the last few years, and I definitely prefer the styles of boots that are either elastic on the back side or have a drawstring. The pair I'm wearing in the above photo have elastic at the top that has worn out after a few months. So the pairs I am linking below will hopefully avoid that problem.


Field Jackets
If I had to pick 1 jacket for fall (and spring) when I was in college, it would have easily been a field jacket. Pick a neutral color and pair it with stripe tees, button down shirts, light sweaters, and you're set for the season! I had a cobalt blue one that I often wore to class during my college days, and now this navy one has been great for early fall evenings!



Velvet
Growing up in ballet, I loved velvet details on leotards. Coincidentally, just after I got out of ballet, velvet became trendy! A little texture can go a long way and it has been just about everywhere lately, from tops and dresses to shoes and jackets!



Corduroy
I don't think I have worn much corduroy since middle school until last year. And I am a big fan of all of the ways I have seen it brought back lately. After looking through some dresses, I think I need to start adding one or two to my closet!



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Paperbag Pants









Photos by Deeana Kourtney Photography

Paperbag pants (under $20) c/o | Similar lace top | Similar statement necklace | Sam Edelman pumps | Neely and Chloe bag | Prada sunglasses

I feel very corporate-looking in this outfit, but these pants are actually a lot like pajama pants! I paired them with this old top (that is actually a peplum...) and my old standby black pumps. I've only had them a few weeks and I have worn them to work at least 3 times. They're so versatile and the tie-waist detail adds a lot to a simpler outfit. I need some comfortable pieces for work going into the holiday season, and I think these will be worn quite a bit!
Speaking of holiday, let me know if there is any holiday content you would like to see in future posts! I may do some polls on Instagram to gauge some interest. I would love to know if you preferred more holiday outfits over gift guides, holiday recipes over decorating, etc.!



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Think Pink









Photos by Deeana Kourtney Photography 

Ellie Activewear "Think Pink" set c/o

Every once in awhile, I will wear mostly black activewear to a workout. But about 90% of the time, I reach for some color, like the hot pink in this fun set! As you probably see from my regular outfits, I have always been drawn to colorful clothing. And if you have read any of my other fitness posts, working out also makes me happy. So needless to say, leaving a workout in some bright colorful activewear is double the boost of positivity! I have been trying to consistently keep a few morning workouts in my schedule lately, and it may not seem like much, but I think fun activewear can help motivate me to get out the door before 6am. Whatever gets me there, right?!

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Navy Windowpane Top







Photos by Deeana Kourtney Photography

Navy windowpane check top c/o | J Brand jeans | Naturalizer "Emiline" flats c/o | Similar earrings | Similar bag | Stella and Dot sunglasses c/o

Well, I had this post planned as another option for what to wear in between seasons. However the weather in Charlotte has decided to just skip right over fall this week. Today is a little more typical of southern "fall" day, but was very surprised to see it was barely above freezing when I woke up yesterday! Regardless, these loafer-style flats are perfect for when the sandals have been put away but you aren't quite ready for boots yet. They are SO comfy, I love the navy metallic finish, and they are very versatile. I have lately been wearing them with skirts for work or with jeans like I have styled here!



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How I Have Been Dealing with Acne in My Twenties


If you have been reading here for a very long time, you may remember I wrote a "How I Fixed My Acne" post almost 3 years ago. I wrote that post when I was fresh out of college, back in January of 2016. The above photo was taken in October 2016, just before my acne came back with a vengeance at age 22. So if anyone out there is in a similar place, I thought I would share some of the ups and downs of dealing with acne again, after I thought I had beat in college. Along with some newer solutions I have found for it. Spoiler alert, the most recent fix is not a skincare product!

If you have not read my acne post from 2016, I'll sum it up by saying I had some severe acne in my teen years. The only thing that really helped clear it was a visit to the dermatologist for prescription topical medications (Epiduo and Aczone) and antibiotics (Minocycline), which worked through college. I would still get the occasional breakout, and still needed to be careful about certain skincare products, but it was pretty much kept in check for years. 
About the end of November of 2016, my acne started to come back, and quickly. I was a few months into my first full time job, and November-December was a very busy time in the office. So I attributed it to stress at work and the change in weather. It continued to get worse through the winter and by March (as pictured above), my skin was starting to look like it did at it worst in high school. At its very worst, my acne was mostly on my forehead and chin. This time around, it was worst on my cheeks and around my mouth. I also had some constant breakouts on my chest and back, similarly to my teenage years. At 23 years old and new in the working world, it was quite embarrassing. I was meeting new people in a new city, going on dates, and just did not feel confident in myself. One thing about having a blog is you can literally watch how your skin changes when you are taking outfit photos so often. So after those photos were taken, I visited a new dermatologist, and tried to figure out what else I could do. It turned out I had become resistant to the old prescriptions, so I was prescribed a new antibiotic (Arithromycin) and an additional topical medication (Clindacin). I luckily saw results quickly, and I was just about all clear again by June!

The solution I found in spring of 2017 only lasted for so long. Again, after the change in weather and stressful holiday season at work, I started to see acne come back. This time, (at age 24) it was only in one area on my face, but was persistent. As you can probably tell from the photo above, it was mostly on the right side of my face. Since it was only on that area, I kept thinking I could fix it. I was eating a little healthier, the weather was about to warm up again, I kept up making up possible reasons I thought it would go away. Then in March, it was time to go back to my dermatologist to check in with my prescriptions given a year before. I expressed my concern for the problem area, and was given another antibiotic, which did not exactly go as planned. 
I quickly started to see how lucky I had been that the first two visits for prescriptions went so smoothy. Over the next few months I was prescribed two more antibiotics and although they both worked quickly, I also experienced some negative side effects. The first one (Bactrim) was a sulfa drug, and I quickly discovered I had a sulfa allergy when I experienced consistent muscle pain. So I headed right back to the dermatologist and was prescribed yet another antibiotic (Keflex), to only to take as needed. I ended up not needing to take it very often, and I was just so happy to have my acne fully under control again. However, after a few months, I started thinking I was becoming lactose intolerant. It turned out that the new antibiotic (although I was not taking it frequently), was causing digestive issues.
However, here is my most recent solution that does not even involve my skincare routine. After all of these visits to dermatologists from ages 17 to 24, I was never once asked about my diet. My diet is currently a major improvement from what it was during high school and college, but I was still taking in quite a bit of dairy (I just really love cheese). I wish I was asked about this years ago, because I now think the main cause of my persistent acne was dairy. When I started to think I was becoming lactose intolerant, I started to eliminate dairy to see if I felt better.  After a few weeks of limiting my dairy intake and only using topical acne medications, my skin had never been clearer! Even when I thought my face was completely clear, I usually had some clogged pores. So as much as I would love to say a particular cleanser or moisturizer is what has helped my acne the most, but it was actually just a simple diet change, combined with topical prescriptions. It has been about 6 weeks since I figured this out, so maybe I'll give another update in a few months. I have not completely eliminated dairy, but I have been saying no to some things like pizza and ice cream (which is good for me, regardless) and looking to some dairy-free alternatives. So I basically wrote out all of this to say: if you feel like you have tried everything for your acne, the main cause could be lying in your diet. Or if you have recently started taking an antibiotic and do not see results yet, you may need to try a few before you figure out what works for you!

Also, here are a few of my favorite skincare and makeup products for my acne-prone skin:



Origins Zero Oil Moisturizer
Origins Zero Oil Cleanser
IT Cosmetics Micellar Water
Dr. Jart BB Cream
Hourglass Setting Powder

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Stripe Swing Dress








Photos by Deeana Kourtney Photography

J. Crew stripe swing dress | Similar scarf | Earrings c/o | Similar bag | Similar booties

Fall weather is finally starting to happen in Charlotte. Of course by that I mean it has dropped below 80 degrees...although I have had some strange weather transitions with my recent travels. I left Charlotte for cooler weather in NYC last week, but came back to warm weather again. Which followed me to Charleston this past weekend, and now Charlotte is cooler! Which is not my favorite, I was hoping for some more of the 70-ish degree days, but it seems like we are jumping down the the 60s. Anyway, my point is that I am starting to bring out things like scarves and booties for outfits like this one. I'll probably start bringing out my lighter sweaters and jackets as well. This outfit would also be easily worn for some cooler temperatures by adding a classic trench.




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