Holiday Nails {by Cristina}

 Nail Polish: OPI All Sparkly and Gold, OPI Big Apple Red.

Its that time of year again... CHRISTMAS! I don’t know about you girl, but Christmas is my absolute favorite holiday. I enjoy everything from decorating the house and tree, to finding the perfect holiday accessories. I want to focus on something that I have noticed a lot of this year, holiday nails! We all love the classic red nails, but today it’s all about making your nails unique for this holiday season!

If you're looking for something classic but glam, look no further. I used Big Apple Red by OPI for a gorgeous red base coat. It's one of my favorites for a classic red hue! Then to add a little holiday feel, I used All Sparkly and Gold by OPI at the base of my nail in a half moon shape.

Hope you love this quick & easy way to add a little "holiday sparkle" to your favorite red nails!

Holiday {Statement} Sparkle

[1] Forever 21  [2] J. Crew  [3] J. Crew  [4] Kendra Scott  [5] Kate Spade  [6] Ann Taylor  

[7] Kate Spade  [8] J. Crew Factory

A little touch of sparkle turns a holiday outfit from "good" to "GLAM".  Statement necklaces are the easiest way to transform your old outfits into something new as well.  Your favorite LBD for example?  It takes on a whole new life once you add a statement piece!  Add some pretty tights, and you're ready to jingle all the way.

Not getting fancy?  Well, that statement piece also pairs perfectly with your favorite tee, or layered over a sweater.  Add some jeans, and you've got a perfectly styled ensemble.  During the holidays, there's always time to shine!

What's your favorite way to style a statement necklace?  We would love to hear!

TSS Favorite Things {December}

[Beanie][WISH Pillow][Sugar Paper][Candle][Necklace][Sweater][Curling Wand][Faux Fur Vest][Lip Balm]

Although Christmas is around the corner, there were just some items that we couldn't wait to purchase this month! Tis the season for warm clothes, holiday parties, and festive accessories for our homes. We figured, just because it's cold outside that doesn't mean our wardrobe has to suffer, so getting a cute beanie and/or faux fur vest definitely needed to make our December list. We've been invited to quite a few Ugly Sweater parties already and if you have had any trouble like us, an ugly sweater is not easy to find. But, luckily Wildfox has a selection of ugly sweaters and the best part is that they're cute enough to wear again! Our December Favorite Things list just wouldn't be complete without some fun home pieces to put us in the holiday mood. The nice holiday-scented candles from Bath & Body Works are great holiday mood-setters. As always, be sure to click through each of our favorite things and leave a comment below sharing with us your favorite things this month too!

Happy shopping!

Get To Know Our New It Girls!

Start Preparing for your Summer Hair with Purvana

Summer may be a couple months away, but it's never too early to start preparing for that long Summer beach hair!  Co-Founder, Sakura, shared her secret to getting thick hair like hers in the past (read here), but we have another secret to actually GROW & GET THICKER HAIR and that is Purvana.  

Purvana is a product from Wellgenix that contains 2500mcg of high potency Biotin that promotes not only hair growth, but healthier skin and stronger nails!  We all take and love Purvana and we definitely recommend it!  You can purchase Puvana at Walgreens or most online drugstores, but we're giving away 100 Purvanas to our readers!  Purvana has great reviews all across the internet and it's an amazing product that we just had to share with our readers!  There's also a Purvana MAX that gives you twice the biotin!  

Here's how to enter the Purvana Giveaway:

1) Like The Sorority Secrets' Facebook Page (Click Here)

2) Like Wellgenix's Facebook Page (Click Here)

3) Enter your email address below in the "Comment" section!

That's it!

Happy Monday, Everyone!

Our Mary Kay Holiday Look: Silver Screen Siren

Earlier this week we told you that we received some awesome complimentary makeup from Mary Kay through Condé Nast!! It has been fun so far using all of the Mary Kay products and our recreation of the three “Vintage Holiday” makeup looks that Mary Kay has going on this season have turned out fabulous {we've been getting lots of compliments}! Ali showed you how she pulled off Flapper Chic. So let's check out how Co Founder, Karen, pulled off Silver Screen Siren in preparation  for her upcoming holiday parties.

Okay, so when you think Silver-Screen Siren you're probably thinking lots of silver, right? WRONG. Silver-Screen Siren is all about old Hollywood glam; 1940s silver-screen starlet style. It's all about shimmery eyes, violet tones like plum lips, and subtle flush for your cheeks. Karen has an obsession with lip stuff so she quickly gravitated toward the Plum Lip Liner and True Dimensions Mystic Plum Lipstick to replicate the look (p.s. the lipstick is silky smooth and has instant shine; you really don't need to couple it with lip gloss!). Using Dolled Up Contributor, Becca's, Lip liner advice, Karen first applied the lip liner around her lips and then applied the beautiful lipstick to get that Hollywood glam violet lip look. Less is more, so this look is not about vibrant blush colors, but rather more subtle flesh-toned blush. Therefore, Karen went for the subtle shimmery blush using the Sparkling Cider Mineral Cheek Color to her cheekbones. If you want to really add more violet to your makeup look, apply some eyeshadow! Our favorite from Mary Kay is the At Play Baked Eye Trio.

Tip: Use Mary Kay's Cheek Brush as pictured above to nicely apply your blush!

As always, no look is complete without some mascara and eyeliner so be sure to apply that before you step out to your next holiday party.

Holiday Decor Favorites

Photo Credit: @ladyeide, @ztafraternity, @kappakappagamma, @cusetheta, @mizzoualphaphi, @uscaxo, @baylortridelta, @dg_cornell, @kappadeltausd, @deltagammasdsu, @jennyleigh010, @sparklesense_, @sarah_stringham

In celebration of the holiday season, one of our favorite activities dates back to a childhood favorite... holiday decorations!  We love looking at the pretty lights & decor that make this time of the year a festive favorite.  We searched throughout Instagram to bring you some of the highlights in holiday decor!  We loved seeing the decorating creativity of the chapter houses throughout the nation!

A few of our favorites?  We love the beautiful ornaments!  The anchor & kite ornaments are the perfect addition to your tree to show off your Greek pride.  And the gorgeous chapter houses decorated with garlands & lights are perfection!

'Tis the season... feel inspired, and deck those halls.  Happy holiday decorating, everyone!

Draw the Line by Becca

As a makeup artist, I have learned countless tips and tricks, but what continues to amaze me is the power of a simple line. Be it liner for the eyes or lips, one line can make a world of difference. 

So, why line you ask? Lining your eyes has a world of possibilities! It can enlarge the eye, make lashes appear thicker and eyes look brighter. Lip liner can give you lips when you have none and can add the perfect kick to the lipstick that needed a little something extra. Plus, it increases lipstick wear time--SCORE! 

Now that you understand the importance of the line here is a guide to my favorite lines.

Eye Liner: It Gives You Wings !

I know…It’s hard. They never match and you just can’t get it but today you can! Step one is a good liner, I use Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Eyeliner. It comes in pen form and is incredibly easy to use, thus my love for it. Now that you have the appropriate tools you may begin. Line your eye across the top; if u miss a spot you can always go back. After you have the initial line it's time to add a wing! With your eye open, mark the height of where you’d like your wing to be. Draw downward from the point you’ve marked connecting your dot to the initial line you created. Then fill in the rest to form the wing! Repeat the steps on your other eye then check for symmetry. If your wings don’t match no worries; take a q-tip with a little makeup remover and remove any excess where needed and VOILÀ! The Perfect Wing!

The Perfect Red Lip …Liner 

Start with moisturized lips then choose a lip color and complimentary lip liner. One of my favorite combinations is MAC, Russian Red lipstick along with their lip pencil in Brick. Start by tracing the lips along the natural line paying special attention to the top lip and the Cupid’s bow, so as to emphasize the shape of the lip. After lining fill in the lips with lipstick be sure to cover lips even over the liner. After this, rub your lips together and if necessary use a q-tip to perfect any imperfections. You now have the perfect lip and liner look! 

Happy Lining! 

xoxo,

2013 Holiday Gift Guide for Your Guy

Whether it's a gift for your boyfriend, brother, or dad- buying a gift for a guy can be a tad bit tricky! Throughout the years, we've all gotten pretty good at selecting gifts for the guys so we thought we would create a "2013 Gift Guide for the Guy" list!

We have presents that are suitable for everyone!  Check it out and if we missed any great gift ideas, share them with us by commenting below!

1. Birch Box Man Subscription
2. Apple TV
3. Playstation 4
4. Call of Duty Ghost
5. BEATS Pill
6. iPin Laser
7. Apple iPad Air
8. Tickets to a football game
9. A Stay-cation
10. Bow Ties & Ties
11. Erin Condren Men's Keep It Simple Notebook
12. Helo TC iOS Helicopter
13. Personalized Leather Dopp Kit
14. Happy Socks
15. Nike+FuelBand
16. Mad Men Season 5
17. Warby Parker Sunglasses
18. Barney's New York Sperry Topsiders
19. J. Crew Sweatshirt Sweater
20. Alien Workshop Andy Warhol Skateboard
21. Jack Spade Tech Accessories
22. Beard Scent by JAO
23. Everlast strike bag
24. Everlast boxing gloves
25. Everlast weighted jump rope

Happy Gift Giving!

Our Mary Kay Holiday Look: Flapper Chic

With all of these holiday parties underway, it was such perfect timing to receive some awesome complimentary makeup products from Mary Kay through Condé Nast!! This season, the holiday makeup looks from Mary Kay were so fab that we just had to try them out and recreate the holiday looks! “Vintage Holiday” is the makeup theme that Mary Kay has going on this season and the three vintage-inspired looks are: Flapper Chic, Silver-Screen Siren and The White-Hot Suit. Throughout the week we will be showing you our looks. First up is Ali showing off her rendition of "Flapper Chic".

Besides a wavy bob, long pearl necklaces, and sequence head bands, when we think of Flapper Chic from a makeup perspective, we think dark, dramatic eyes paired with neutral blends on the cheeks and lips. We're loving the lash & brow building serum from Mary Kay's Special-Edition Lash Spa...Co-Founder Ali has been testing it out for the past week! In addition, we also adore the Mary Kay Lash Primer and Lash Love Lengthening Mascara. The primer adds some oomph to the volume & length of lashes, and the mascara ups the lash drama as well-perfect for every Flapper dramatic eye look! Both the primer & mascara are pictured on Ali and really dramatize her eyes. For an even more dramatic look, add a little smokiness with eyeshadow. The Mary Kay At Play Baked Trio In Tuxedo is absolutely perfect for that sort of smokey eye look--it has blends of dark colors that you can use all at once on your eyes. There should be a balance when you apply an intense eye look so keep your cheeks and lips neutral. We would recommend the Mary Kay Mineral Cheek Color in Shy Blush and Mary Kay NouriShine Plus Lip Gloss in Café au Lait.

Helpful tip: Lots of eye makeup is fun to apply but equally harder to clean off! Have no fear; when you're ready to remove your eye makeup use the Mary Kay Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover--it nicely removes every little bit of that beautiful eye makeup off of your pretty little face!

Now you have seen Ali's rendition of Flapper Chic from the Vintage Holiday makeup look from Mary Kay. Check back for our recreation of the Silver Screen Siren and The White Hot Suit Mary Kay Vintage holiday makeup looks.

P.s. Mary Kay products make great holiday gifts. You can use them for beauty baskets, secret Santa gifts, or even to give yourself a holiday makeover.

Energy Bites Recipe

Every time I make these bad boys I am hounded by everyone who bites into one until I send the recipe over. Every ingredient serves a purpose (besides making them taste amazing) and is uber healthy (would I post anything that wasn’t?). Bonus: They are crazy portable! So next time you need a quick pick me up before a hike, yoga, gym class, or if you just want a little bite (or two or three) of yumminess, whip some of these tasty little balls of health.

Ingredients
1 C dates
1/2 C honey
1 tbsp of chia seeds
1 tbsp of ground flax seeds pinch of sea salt
1 C old fashioned oats
1 C shelled pistachios
1 C dried cranberries
1⁄2 C unsweetened coconut shreds
Optional: Add 1/2 C of chocolate chips, or white chocolate chips... I’m already drooling.

Directions:
1. Combine the dates, honey, chia seeds, ground flax seeds, and salt into a food processor. If you don’t have a high powered motor, soak your dates in water for about an hour first to soften them up. Blend until smooth.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine oats, pistachios, coconut, and cranberries, add the blended ingredients and mix until evenly distributed. This might will definitely get sticky. That’s ok. I just ditch the spoon and get in there with clean hands. It is also pretty much a requirement that you eat the portions that are relentlessly sticking to your spoon and hands. For me, this is a pivotal step in creating these tasty little nuggets.

3. Put mixture in the fridge for about 20 minutes to cool (if there is any left). This will make it easier to shape into bars, balls (come on now, grow up), or whatever geometrical or non-geometrical shape you so desire. Another tip: coat hands in coconut oil before shaping.

Whole Grain Oats: Can help lower cholesterol and improve heart health. They are full of good dietary fiber, antioxidants, phytochemicals, and are a great source of energy. Whole grain oats are good for regulating blood sugar levels, and have been shown in scientific studies to help enhance athletic performance when ingested 45 minutes to 1 hour before exercise of moderate intensity.
Dates: Dates are chock full of vitamins and minerals, fiber, and are often used for a quick energy boost. Their high potassium content makes them a great addition to this snack, especially when eaten pre or post work out!

Pistachios: Are a great source of healthy fats. They are loaded with essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that nourish your body. Pistachios are especially great for eye, skin, and immune health.

Honey: Raw honey is a natural way to sweeten your food, and your health. It is anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-fungal, has an array of essential vitamins and minerals, and natural probiotics. Bonus: It actually works better to soothe and heal sore throats and coughs than over the counter medicine. Honey is always my sweetener of choice!

Chia Seeds: They don’t call chia seeds a superfood for nothing. These babies are extremely high in omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, minerals, fiber, and protein, while also low in calories. They help to reduce inflammation, enhance cognitive function, improve cholesterol levels, and help regulate blood sugar. Bam.

Ground Flax Seeds: These low calorie seeds are packed with omega- 3’s, fiber, antioxidants, and B vitamins to help boost your immune system and keep you feeling full for hours. You can eat flax seeds in their whole form, but they are not as easily digested and absorbed as when they are ground, so make sure to either buy them ground or grind them up yourself in a coffee grinder!

Coconut Shreds: Besides providing a boost of energy, shredded coconut will provide you with an array of minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, fiber, protein, and healthy fat. While some may worry about it’s fat content, the medium chain fatty acids in coconut are amazing for your health. These fatty acids can actually help you to burn more fat for a whole day after consumption, and help to reduce your appetite, helping you to stay on track more easily, as well as immediately improving cognitive function. 

Miracle Nails: 7 Day Nailpolish!

Nailpolish: CND Vinylux, Romantique.  Topcoat:  CND Vinylux Weekly Top Coat.

It's a miracle!  We love having fresh & shiny nails, but the maintenance that manicures require can be somewhat of a pain.  When you're a busy girl on the go, it's hard to find the time!  Gel nails are great, but it can get costly & we like to switch up our polish colors more frequently.  There needed to be something... a happy medium between gel & regular nail polish.  Low & behold we made a big discovery: CND Vinylux Weekly Polish!

Literally, this stuff is genius.  Made by the same people as CND Shellac, it comes in the same fan favorite shades (and a few new ones too!) that match their Shellac colors.  It can be applied yourself, or take it to your local nail salon for application.  It paints on just like regular nailpolish with a few special tricks; you can't use a base coat (it needs to "stick" to naked nails), and you have to use their special top coat to seal the deal.  Regular nailpolish remover will take it off too... no soaking required, yay!  No UV light is needed either, it dries on its own just like traditional nailpolish.  Fun little fact- natural sunlight exposure (not from a special UV light, just regular old sunshine!) actually works to harden the nailpolish even further once you apply it.  No need to put in any extra effort to get sunshine, just regular daily activities do the trick!

Co-Founder Ali is a nailpolish fanatic, so she was eager to give it a whirl.  For a full 7 days she tried it out, and to her pleasant surprise, it held up to its claims!  By day 6 she started to notice some subtle chipping, but only by the nail tips.  The color kept its shine the whole way through.  All in all, it truly is a weekly polish that is completely DIY friendly with no salon required!

Give CND Vinylux a try, and let us know what you think!

Video Premiere: You Can Sit With Us

Special Thanks: Taylor Freeman/Freezy Film Productions, aMaes Photography, 224 Apparel, and our beautiful extras!

Bul·ly·ing, verb.  The participation in any intentional behavior that causes physical, emotional, or social damage, through the abuse of power.

Nobody deserves to be bullied.  Since when was it ever cool to be a 'mean girl'?  Well, it certainly isn't cool in our book.  From name calling on social media, spreading rumors about your peers, to harming someone face to face; bullying has become a widespread problem.  Shattering someone's self esteem certainly isn't funny, and is something that is not to be taken lightly.  Ladies and gentlemen, why do we do this to one another?  It's a whole lot easier to be nice than it is to be mean.  As Plato said, "be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle."  You never know what issues someone is dealing with in their personal life, big or small.  Life brings us challenges, but why intentionally make another person suffer?  Targeting anyone as the subject of abuse not only shows a lack of compassion, but a lack of humanity as well.  

One thing is certain- bullying is an enormous issue.  Saving the world from bullying is a pretty large feat (although we're up for the challenge).  So, what exactly can you do?  We're starting small.  We're starting with the people we know and love.  Start within your circle of friends, your sorority, your family; anything you're involved in where you have felt the sting of someone being bullied.  If you're witnessing bulling, stand up for the victim.  If you're the target, stand up for yourself.  And if you're the bully... well, it's never too late to turn things around.

We're on a mission to stop the cycle of hate, and start spreading the love.  Join the movement.  Come and grab a seat, YOU Can Sit With Us.

This is our first step in a cause we hold dear to our hearts.  Next, we want to hear from YOU.  We ask that you please share your bullying experiences with us; whether you've witnessed it, been the target, or been the bully yourself.  We want to hear you, we want to hear your voice.  Please leave your comments and a contact email below, so that we can get in touch with you for future posts regarding our You Can Sit With Us campaign.  Thank you!

Buy the "You Can Sit With Us" tanks at

www.thesororitysecrets.bigcartel.com

Holiday Party Dresses!

[Topshop] [Gap] [Rag & Bone] [NastyGal] [ModCloth] [Forever21] [J.Crew] [Betsy Johnson] [Anthropologie]

Thanksgiving is officially over and we're now in the month of December!  December is full of quality family time, yummy food, and holiday parties with friends! If you're not attending an "ugly sweater" party, you're probably in-need of a cute holiday party cocktail dress!  

Check out some of our favorite cocktail dresses that you should rock this year!

Happy December! 

Dreidel, dreidel, dreidel!

"I have a little dreidel, I made it out of clay.  When it's dry and ready, then dreidel I shall play.  Oh dreidel, dreidel, dreidel, I made it out of clay.  Oh dreidel, dreidel, dreidel, then dreidel I shall play!"

-The Dreidel Song

In honor of Hanukkah, we decided to play a little game of dreidel.  How do you play, you ask?  Well, we have broken it down into easy steps!  Grab some chocolate gelt (chocolate coins covered in gold foil) and join in on the fun!

You will need:

-A friend or two (or more!) to play the game with

-A dreidel

-Chocolate gelt or any other fun tokens (candy, etc) 

1. Distribute the gelt evenly among players.

2. Take turns spinning the dreidel!  Each time before you spin, put one piece of gelt in the center, or "pot".

3. The letter the dreidel falls on determines what happens next. 

• Shin: put one more piece of gelt in the pot.
• Nun: do nothing.
• Gimmel: take all of the gelt in the pot!
• Hay: take half of the gelt in the pot.  If it's an odd number, round up.

4.  If you run out of gelt, you are out of the game... or you can ask another player to borrow!
5. Keep passing the dreidel, until someone wins the whole pot.
6. Winner eats the chocolate... hopefully your friends like to share!
7. To keep playing, each player can put a token back in the pot.  Resume the game.

Have fun playing this classic Hanukkah game, and Happy Hanukkah everyone!

Black Friday Survival Guide

Ready, set, SHOP!!  Black Friday, the busiest shopping day of the year, is upon us.  With all of the sales & great deals going on, we love taking advantage of this hectic day.  But facing the masses at the mall, just to get those killer boots on sale, is no easy feat.  Have no fear fellow shoppers, we're here to help you make the most of Black Friday... and successfully survive the day!

First and foremost, eat something.  You're stuffed from your Thanksgiving turkey, and might be experiencing a mild hangover from yesterday's food coma.  Have a light breakfast, and throw an extra snack (granola bar, protein bar, trail mix) in your purse for later.  Trust us, that mall food court is going to be BUSY... you'll be happy you packed a treat!

Bringing someone with you is key.  You can help each other wait in lines, carry things (honestly, a girl can only carry so many shoe boxes by herself to the register), you can give each other a second opinion, and keep you company as you navigate through the crowds.  Team effort here!  Having a trusted person's opinion can really help when sale shopping.  Just because it's on sale, doesn't mean you need it... see items #7-9 on our list about that topic as well.

Before you get too shopping happy, don't buy everything in sight just because it's on sale.  Ask yourself: "do I own at least 3 outfits in my closet that I could mix & match this with?"  If the answer is no, think twice.  If you're not sure (and want to buy it while it's on sale), just make sure that the store you're purchasing from allows returns.  Make note of their return policy, and save your receipts too!

Black Friday is a great day to get lots of bargains, but they still can add up fast.  Set yourself a budget that you feel comfortable with before you head to the mall.  That way you can feel happy, not guilty, about your purchases once you get home.  After all, Black Friday is supposed to be FUN!  On your mark, get set... GO and get your shop on!

8 Cutest Dogs on Instagram

As you all already know, we're obsessed with dogs!  We bring our babies (aka our dogs) to the office all the time because we just can't part with them.  We love all dogs- small dogs, big dogs, furry and fluffy dogs, hairless dogs, puppies, full grown, you name it!  We all have our favorite dogs to follow on Instagram and out of about a million, we narrowed it down to our top 8 favorite dogs to follow on Instagram!

Make sure to follow these cuties!

1. @BarkleySirCharles (101K Followers)

Meet Mr. Sir Charles Barkley!  He's a die hard Seattle Hawks fan that has an unbelievable smile from ear to ear.  He has over 101,000 followers and he's Mr. Popular in the Instagram world.  The funniest part about this is THE actual Charles Barkely knows about this infamous French Bull Dog!

2. @SammyAndTheCity (45K Followers)

This little pomeranian resides in where else but of course... New York City (hence the insta name).  He's the cutest little thing with the cutest pictures!  Our favorite pictures are the ones where he's wrapped up in blankets!  TOO CUTE!

3. DigbyVanWinkle (191K Followers)

Meet Digby & Aloysius Van Winkle!  Aloyisus (the black cutie) is the newest addition to the Van Winkle family!  They're Griffons from Wellington, New Zealand.  They love to get dressed up and they even like to match at times.  There's something about these Griffons that make them so funny looking, but yet so cute!

4. @MenswearDog (69K Followers)

So not only does this Shiba Inu have an Instagram account, he also has a Tumblr account.  This Mr. Fashionista lives in NYC.  He rocks everything from suspenders, hats, suits, and glasses!

5. @WanderlustPug (11K Followers)

Meet Darwin the Wanderlust Pug!  First of all, can we talk about those puppy-dog eyes?? He is the funniest, cutest thing. He loves dressing up, playing in the snow, and playing fetch.

6. @TrotterPup (176K Followers)

This is Trotter the Black French Bulldog.  This fashionable pup lives in San Francisco and has all different kind of styles that we just can't get enough of.  Everything from dressing up like Ms. Gaga to Mr. David Beckham!  Definitely one of our favorite little pups to follow on Instagram!

7. @BeckermanBlog (106K Followers)

The Beckerman Blog is actually a fashion blog instagram account to the owners of these adorable two Pomeranians, but they were just too cute that we had to add them onto our list!  Aren't they just the cutest??

8. @HelloWinston (289 Followers)

So this little guy may look familiar to some of you that follow our Instagram account- Mr. Winston here belongs to one of our Co-Founders, Sakura and he was just too cute not to create him his very own Instagram account! Winston is a 9 week old Miniature Schnauzer that lives in Arizona and he will soon to be THE doggy Instagram account to follow (crossing our fingers)!

What are some of your favorite dogs to follow on Instagram??