Hello, beautiful - and welcome back to Haley Marie Blog! If you follow me on social media, then you'll know that the reason why I've been quiet lately is that my sorority (the Eta Chi chapter of Kappa Alpha Theta, located at Boston University) has been getting ready to welcome a bunch of new members into our chapter.
Following a busy recruitment weekend, I'm now out of commission with a bad cold - which thankfully gave me the chance to sit down and catch up on my blogging. So, inspired by my experience this weekend (my first time on the other side of recruitment!), I decided to bring you my must-haves for surviving the crazy, hectic weekend that is sorority recruitment.
In this post, I'll show you all my favorite beauty and life hacks to keep you feeling good - yes, even on five hours of sleep - and ready to chat up some PNMs like your life depends on it. This post is geared toward chapter women who are getting ready to recruit, but if you're a PNM, don't forget to check out my Ultimate Guide to Sorority Recruitment on Haley Marie Blog for some tips from the other side!
Now, without further ado, here are all the emergency items I couldn't survive without during the formal recruitment process....
Sweats
First thing's first: you must arrive with a pair of sweats for sorority recruitment. Most days, you're bound in high wedge heels or ill-fitting jeans/dresses. Arriving with sweats on under your dress and a pair of Ugg moccasins on your feet gives you a much-needed break from the hell your feet are about to experience for the next eight hours. Another pro-tip? Change into your sweats on your lunch/dinner break - a simple change of clothes can be absolutely life-changing when it comes to recruitment morale!
Jewelry
Some nice jewelry staples are all you need to help you through the recruitment process. If your chapter is anything like mine, you've probably already been told what days you'll need to wear silver and what days you'll need to wear gold. Either way, I love wearing a statement piece with your letters on it, such as my KAO Alex and Ani bangle, to spark conversation and show your enthusiasm for recruitment. Another must-have is a pair of cute studs. Whether they're gems or pearls, your studs will follow you wherever you go, no matter the outfit, all throughout the next five days of recruitment.
Beauty
Nothing is quite as complicated as a recruitment beauty routine. Though you start to feel lazier as the days go on, your outfits technically get fancier. However, it's important to strike a balance between looking and feeling like yourself and looking and feeling like you're put together. While your normal self might be a disorganized sack of potatoes, you don't want to give away your lack of confidence to new PNMs looking to join your chapter!
A good base is the most important thing, in my opinion, to makeup that will last throughout the sweat and tears of the recruitment process. I like to start with a primer - my current go-to is by the Ordinary, and cost just $5 at Sephora - and finish with the Urban Decay setting spray to make my makeup last. As for lips, the Anastasia and BareMinerals matte lipsticks are both amazing, long-wear formulas that embody that perfect "your lips but better" shade. (But don't forget to hydrate with EOS chapstick beforehand! No flaky lips allowed.)
Nails
No one wants to show up to recruitment with dirty, chewed-off fingernails. That's why I went the acrylic route this year, with a pair of French tips from a local salon that gave my whole chapter 20% off for recruitment. However, if you don't have access to a discounted service like this and can't afford a professional mani, Essie makes an amazing range of baby pinks that are perfectly recruitment appropriate.
Body
It's important to give a lasting impression during recruitment, which is why I find scent so important. One of the identifiers I most remember about a person after meeting them is the way they smell. I can easily forget someone's name within seconds, but I'll always recognize their perfume once I smell it the first time. It might seem weird, but your scent says a lot about you - so naturally, you want to smell fresh, clean and polished, not stinky and unshowered.
Deodorant is a must to keep in your bump box during recruitment. (Pit stains? Big no-no.) I like LaVanilla Healthy Deodorant or Toms of Maine Deodorant because they're both formulated without aluminum, which has been linked to risk of breast cancer many times before. Additionally, bring along a mini rollerball or atomizer of your favorite fragrance. My personal faves? The classic Chloe perfume, or the original Prada Candy. (But if you're on a budget, then you can never go wrong with Bath and Body Works!)
Last but not least, I would never go through recruitment without a couple bottles of hand sanitizer at the helm. Take it from a girl who got sick after shaking that many hands: you can't tell who's carrying the common cold just by looking!
Hair
First thing's first: I couldn't have survived sorority recruitment without a big bottle of Dove dry shampoo. When you're going to bed at 1:00 AM and waking up at 7:00 AM every morning, washing your hair is the last thing you feel like doing. Luckily, dry shampoo saps up the oils just the same and leaves your hair feeling full-bodied, soft and just the way you left it after your last shower.
I also became addicted to my curling iron during the recruitment process, curling my hair for three out of the four days of recruitment. A big barrel iron, some Tresseme heat protectant spray and Not Your Mother's texture spray are all you need to get the loose curls of a wavy goddess. The key? Using low-to-medium hold hairspray to ward off crunchiness and keep those curls touchable and smooth.
Snacks
And, of course, what kind of post would this be if I didn't talk about the snacks that got me through sorority recruitment weekend? The best snacks for this kind of event tend to be non-perishable, which can be a challenge when you're trying to stay healthy. However, old staples like Luna bars, popcorn and Go-Go Squeeze applesauce packets make the perfect portable dishes to stash inside your bump box for recruitment.
I also recommend bringing your own coffee to recruitment. We personally did not receive a break until day two of recruitment, and that break wasn't until 2:00 PM - so if you're like me and need coffee to survive and thrive, then you need to get your fix before you're trapped in that stuffy old room. Take it from me, and don't bump PNMs without your daily dose of caffeine!