Hello Lovelies!!
Recruitment season is upon us! While many women experience the recruitment process before the fall semester or informally at any time of year, formal recruitment in January or early February is a common practice at a number of universities. For the thousands of women going through formal recruitment in the cold winter, the struggle to stay warm, prepare for the occasion, and get plenty of rest is so real.
In this guide, I will outline my inspiration for recruitment-ready outfits, hair, makeup, and much more! Also! Keep reading because at the bottom of this post, I have a FREE download for you all that includes all sorts of advice on conversation starters, dealing with rejection, making tough decisions, and much more!
Outfit Ideas
So I have gone in depth with outfit ideas in a previous blog post here, but I figured I would add my two most important pieces of advice when it comes to recruitment outfits!
Every university is different when it comes to the recruitment week schedule, but typically, recruitment consists of several rounds of parties with varying dress codes from casual to semi-formal. For he more casual days, this is the time to stand out and be memorable! On more formal days, accentuate your natural beauty and show off the real you! Here are a few examples!
Stand Out
Whether you have a colorful scarf or trendy shoes, find eye-catching pieces to make your look more memorable! This is the time when you will be meeting everyone for the first time, and you do not want to get lost in the crowd!
Shop each of these looks here and here!
Show The Real You
Now that you are acquainted with each of the chapters, for the final rounds of recruitment I recommend accentuating your natural beauty! By now you have narrowed down your choices, and instead of working to stand out, it is time to keep things simple and be yourself! This may seem contradictory, but as the week gets more serious, it is important to focus on finding the right fit.
The Emma Dress from Virginia Dare Dress Co. is perfect for either a business casual round or a semi-formal round! I love how this dress is comfortable, feminine, and modest, bringing attention to your natural beauty and the meaningful conversations you will have! Stay tuned for more info on how to keep the ladies you meet engaged with conversation starters!
Another important thing to note: if your school recruits in January and February like mine does, it is very important to dress for the weather, and if the outfit you chose is not weather appropriate, I recommend bringing a large coat, leggings, and even UGG boots to keep warm! I’ll explain this further in the What To Pack section of this article!
Makeup and Beauty
Recruitment is all about putting your best foot forward, and that includes makeup, hair, and everything!! Now if keeping things minimal is a part of who you are, stick with whatever makes you comfortable! If you are the type to enjoy the glamorous ritual of getting ready for recruitment, this section is for you!
Salon Appointments
A few weeks out, I like to schedule salon appointments to trim my split ends, paint my nails, fill my eyelashes, and more! If you are in the Oxford area like I am, I HIGHLY recommend booking with Attitudes Uptown! Also, if you are looking to get your lashes done (perfect for recruitment!) I have a whole blog post and YouTube video on my experience with eyelash extensions for y’all to check out here and here! Plus, my lash lady, Ashley, is doing a special for 30.00 USD off full sets for new customers! And if you give her my reference, here’s a coupon for 10.00 USD!!
Just show the image above! And check out the video below for more!
Tanning
This year I am so excited to try the Isle of Paradise tanning water! I have tested this product and I love how it is so easy to apply! I just spray it on, rub it in, and wake up to glowing skin! Also, there is essentially no transfer! Not even with my white sheets!
Skincare
To take care of my skin, I love adding face masks and other specialized products to my routine! Below are some of my must-haves for recruitment-ready skin!
The Vitamin Nectar Mask from Fresh is my favorite for plumping and refreshing my skin the day of any event!
These eye masks from Peter Thomas Roth are my ultimate must-have to make me look like I got a full night’s sleep! I use them morning and night for instant, calming results!
Overnight skincare is also very important to repair and prepare your face, I love using the Summer Fridays Jet Lag Mask both as an overnight mask and as a makeup primer!
Another nighttime product I recommend is this lip mask from Laneige!
Lastly, to get glowing this year, I am excited to add Luci Skincare to my routine! More reviews and information to come!
Makeup Favorites
So of course I recommend going all out with makeup (without going overboard and keeping things natural) but here are a few things that HAVE to be in my makeup bag!
The Omega bronzer from Marc Jacobs is my new favorite! The formula smells amazing and it is so easy apply! (You definitely do not want to look like this is your first time with contour!)
Another easy product is the tinted moisturizer from Laura Mercier! This product blends so easily and the texture is perfect for layering your makeup!
Personally, I judge everyone by their eyebrows, so I highly recommend the Anastasia Beverly Hills brow wiz combined with the 24 Hour Brow Gel from Benefit!
Hair That Lasts All Day!
This hairspray from DryBar is life-changing! I love how I can have long-lasting, bouncy curls without sacrificing the natural movability of my hair! This stuff is not sticky at all, so I am much less likely to find tangles at the end of a long day.
I am just obsessed with this hair and body oil from Ouai – love!!
My new favorite dry shampoo from IGK is perfection! It is so easy and quick to refresh my hair before styling it!
Another favorite is the Olaplex No. 3! This mask is a miracle worker for my split ends!
What To Pack
So during recruitment week I have what I call my “go bag” with all my necessities for the day! I will likely go more in depth with this on social media in the coming weeks, but here are some things I always have in the go bag!
- Water
- Sephora Cleansing Wipes
- Deodorant
- Setting Spray (Mario Badescu, Tarte, Marc Jacobs, Tatcha)
- Extra hair ties
- Warm clothes (sweatpants, boots, coat for walking around between parties)
- Entertainment/Work (laptop, headphones, etc.)
- LIP BALM (I am not a big fan of sporting a bold lip choice on such long days, so I always have tinted lip balms – yes balmS – from Fresh to reapply throughout the day)
- Blotting tissue
- Snacks (mostly energy bars)
- MINTS – this should be higher on the list, but you cannot go into a party smelling like that ham sandwich you ate for lunch, and gum can be tricky bc you need to remember to spit that out lol
There is so much more but that is most of the important stuff!
This is not the end of my guide to sorority recruitment! Subscribe to this blog below to get a FREE DOWNLOAD of Part 2! This pdf download includes all sorts of advice on conversation starters, dealing with rejection, making tough decisions, and much more!
Click here to download part 2 of my FREE guide to sorority recruitment!
Thank you all so much for reading! I hope this post encouraged y’all to thoughtfully pursue and prepare for sorority recruitment! Good luck!
xx,
A
Please note that all opinions are my own and this outfits, products, and information reflects my personal inspiration and experiences.