Fall Nail Colors to Have

1 - "In the Lobby" by Essie

2 - "Roar" by Deborah Lippmann

3 - "French Paradise - Vernis in Love" by Lancome

4 - "Army and Ready" by Essie

5 - "Very Important Poodle" by MAC

6 - "Matte About You" Finisher by Essie

7 - "Myrtle" by Julep

8 - "Austere" by JINsoon

Fall is here and what are we most excited for about it?! Fall nail polish colors, of course!  Nail polish colors are very seasonal and they also change every year- burgundy has been trendy these last couple of years, but you'll be seeing a lot more camel & coppers this year.  The camel shade is great because it's a little more neutral and goes with everything, but if you're really trying to stand out then copper is your color.

We're also currently obsessing over matte nails, but matte top coats are a hit or miss.  We've tested it and it's amazing- try Essie's "Matte About You" finisher!  It will dry your nails in a giffy and give you that perfect matte finish on any color you desire.

What are some of your favorite fall colors you see this year?!

Gifts For Your Little

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We know that Big/Little Reveal is around the corner for a lot of you ladies so we decided to do a little shopping for you to help you choose the absolute cutest gifts for your Little. For those who don't know what Big/Little Reveal is (or Mom/Dot (Daughter)) it is when an active member gets paired with an initiated member based on best fit. It is common throughout the years of being in your sorority to do functions with your Little and really bond with them. For Big/Little Reveal gifts, it is 100% about personalization, which is why we really loved this Acrylic Block Letter Monogram Necklace from BaubleBar. You can each have matching ones!

The Best Face Primer...Ever!

Hey ladies {and maybe a few gents!}! We have searched high and low for the best face primer and we really were having limited luck. Then, of course our amazing friends at Sephora put us on to the best face primer, like EVER. If you want to have your face matte, oil-free, and smooth as a baby's bottom then you have got to get your hands on Mister Mat Mattifying Foundation Primer from Givenchy. Co Founder, Karen lives for this product and has experienced nothing but compliments on her face makeup since she has been using it. She loves it because it has a gel-like balm feel to it. It also glides over the skin like a soft, powdery halo with a velvety finish that keeps the complexion perfected and shine-free. Try it out and let us know what you think!

The Best Homecoming Dresses To Rent

How is it already almost Homecoming?! This was one of our most favorite times when in college. It's one of the few times that we can reconnect with alumnae and have week long activities on campus dedicated to nothing but school pride. But, best of all are all of the date parties! We know how hard it is to find a dress that the next sister won't have, so of course this is why we love Rent the Runway. Above are our favorite dresses and below are the links where you can find most of the dresses on their site.

Halston Heritage Pink - https://www.renttherunway.com/shop/designers/halston_heritage/berkshires_dress

Badgley Mischka Sparkle
-https://www.renttherunway.com/shop/designers/badgley_mischka/fifth_avenue_showstopper_dress

Blue Dress Monique Lhuillier
-https://www.renttherunway.com/shop/designers/ml_monique_lhuillier/katerina_dress

Fuschia Dress Monique Luhillier
-https://www.renttherunway.com/shop/designers/ml_monique_lhuillier/delicate_arrangement_dress

Slate & Willow Copper Dress

Which dress is your favorite?

Fall & Winter 2015 Coat Must-Haves

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Ok, so we have an active GroupMe going on right now with our friends debating on where to buy the best fall coat. For those of you in the colder cities, you know just how important having the right coat is. It's about keeping warm while looking uber stylish. At the top of our list are the famous Burberry trench coats (p.s. Did you see Olivia Pope last week looking amazing in her Burberry trench coat?! We died!). They're more on the pricey side but everyone we know that owns one says that they last forever and are the perfect fit. Banana Republic is another awesome store to snag some cute coats like this one here. Department stores like Macy's, Nordstrom, JCPenney, and Sears usually having a plethora of high end and low end coats to choose from. Grane carries some really nice, affordable coats at Sears like this one. If you're looking to be more trendy than full-fledge warm, you cannot go wrong buying a coat from Betsey Johnson's line! Think pinks and faux furs and everything in between!

Do you have a coat that you absolutely love for fall & winter? Share with us the brand(s) you love in the comments below!

The ColourPop Fall Makeup We Love

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Oh em gee, can ColourPop be any more perfect...and affordable? Waiting for your package from ColourPop always leads to one thing: shopping for more ColourPop stuff, especially since fall is here! One of many things that sorority and non-sorority girls can relate to is makeup so we took it to the TSS streets to find out what are the fall makeup favorites from ColourPop and below are some awesome makeup colors to try for this fall season. Tip: with all of the Lippie Stix, be sure to buy its corresponding lip liner. Lip liner helps keep your lipstick in line and adds great definition to your lips. P.s. We just learned that you can skip the extra charges if you checkout using PayPal {secret steal}!

Eyeshadows: Boy Band, Girl Power, Downtown

Lippie Stix: Ellarie, Leather, Pitch

Highlighter: Most Necessary

What are some of your favorite ColourPop makeup looks perfect for fall? Share with us below!

TSS Master List of Bid Day Themes 2015/2016

Wow, you guys really outdid yourselves this year with your Bid Day themes. We have loved skimming through our emails and Instagram looking at all of your fun Bid Day themes. You guys have really stepped up the originality since our last Bid Day Themes compilation in 2013. Here at TSS we are all about sharing 'sorority secrets' which is why we asked you earlier this week to share with us your Bid Day themes. The goal is to share the love and give other sororities ideas on how they can theme up their Bid Day. Below were some of our favorite themes that we saw. This year, we linked up the theme with the sorority or sorority girl so you can visually see how they did that theme.

1. Welcome to Paradise
2. Welcome to the Big Leagues
3. Flying First Class
4. Coachella
5. Topgun
6. X Marks the Spot
7. Draft Day
8. Aloha
9. Just Got Brighter
10. California Dreaming

We want to add to the list! In the comments below, tell us what theme you did and leave your sorority's Instagram handle too!

TSS Contest: Most Beautiful Sorority Homes!

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We're on the hunt for our country's most beautiful sorority homes!  There are so many different styles of sorority homes all over the country and we want you to submit your house if you think it deserves to be on our Most Beautiful Sorority Homes list!  We will be selecting our winners next week so submission ends this Sunday!

To Enter Email Us at info@thesororitysecrets.com:

1. high quality photo of the exterior of the house (if you want to include the interior too, that's great, but optional).

2. Your school

3. Your sorority

4. Your chapter's Instagram account to be tagged in

Or you can enter by tagging us in a photo of your house on Instagram!

Submission ends this Sunday, September 27th!  Good luck!

Boots With the {Faux} Fur

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Too soon to talk about boots? Nahhhh! Of course, we started shopping around to all of the high end and low end faux fur boots and lucky for you, we compiled our favorites above! We are absolutely in love with faux fur boots with a nice heel like these cute ones from Ann Creek Ltd. Whenever we would walk around campus in the fall and winter, we were suckers for UGGS and these Lamo boots are a striking resemblance at a more affordable cost.

What are some of your favorite faux boots? Share with us below!

Game Day Glam

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Yay for football season! Gah, we missed those days of dressing up in our maroon and gold (GO SUNDEVILS!) to show off our school spirit. There are so many cute and fun ways to be game day glam so you can stand out from all of the other fans. First, head to Michael's Craftstore and snag some rhinestones. Deck your game day shirt with rhinestone bling and you will definitely catch people's attention. Buy fabric in your school's colors and cut them into strips. Tie each strip to a simple head tie and eventually it will be a cute ring of fabric on the head tie that you can tie onto your hair or even use as a fun form of a bracelet. You just can't go wrong buying eyeshadow and lip stick in your school colors. Colourpop is the absolute best site to snag the lipstick as their lip products are $5 {talk about a secret steal!}. Buy some fun accessories to throw around your neck like beads and pom poms to wave that you can get at Party City, Oriental Trading Company, or Stumps.

Whatever you do, get all decked out and rep your team to the fullest!

Why I Went Greek: Shyla Bassey From Delta Sigma Theta

School: Arizona State University
Sorority: Delta
Year You Pledged: Junior
Year Initiated: Spring 2009

What did you hear about sororities before you went through recruitment?

I believe every person has a desire to fulfill a greater purpose in their lives. When I was in high school, I was exposed to many of the NPHC organizations. At that time I did not know much, however I was certainly intrigued to learn more.

What encouraged you to go through recruitment? 

My freshman year on campus was a whirlwind, as for many! I immediately involved myself in numerous organizations on campus to be better acquainted with my new environment. What stood out was the involvement of the women of Delta Sigma Theta. They were small in number but mighty in representation. These women exemplified the way I wanted to be and held themselves to a high academic regard. So, as some wise women shared with me, "Do your research!" meaning, read about all organizations to ensure I know why I am pursuing and what stands out amongst the rest. My research made it even more clear and solidified my decision to pursue such a distinguished Sorority.

Joining Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. was the best decision I've made in my life. Being apart of a bond with such an illustrious history of trailblazing women who have paved the way, so that I can press forward and succeed is priceless.

How did your sorority develop you as a person?

I went Greek because I knew it was in my heart to be apart of a sisterhood of women who carried similar ideals. I wanted to serve a greater purpose in my community, on my Campus and through my daily life. Joining Delta Sigma Theta taught me perseverance, humility, dedication, how to efficiently multitask, run a meeting, organize events, effectively delegate, public speaking, and never to quit even when things go wrong! The lessons learned truly could go on.

If you could go back in time, what would you want to relive in your sorority?

Membership in Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. does not end after college with alumnae chapters all over the world. If I could go back in time and relive my collegiate days, it would simply be spending time with my Chapter Sorors running the yard and hosting events on campus that served the greater need.

Thanks for sharing your sorority experience, Shyla!  If you have questions for Shyla leave them in the comment's section below!

The New Way To Take Notes!

Taking notes is something that you'll do at all ages whether you're in high school, college, or in the real world after college!  Some people prefer taking notes by hand in a notebook, but some prefer having everything on their computer so it's easy to keep everything in one place.  If you're like us and want to keep everything digital AND organized, we have the best kept secret for you that we're sharing today!

Even if you keep everything on your computer, files easily can get lost if you have a lot of different files and notes saved all over the place.  Google docs are also great, but collaborating on notes or sharing them has to be easier, right? Well it is if you take your notes using Evernote!  We've been using Evernote for our note taking/organization tool for quite some time now and as school starts up again, we thought our users can use this little magical tool!  Try it out!

A Sorority Girl's Puppy Sitting Solution

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Red rover, red rover send a puppy sitter right over! Do you have a sorority house dog or simply share a little doggie with your sisters? If so, we all know how hard it can be sometimes to find a pet sitter. This is why we are major fans of Rover.com. Much like a human babysitter site, Rover.com allows you to find pet sitters. You can view their profile and rankings to ensure that they're the right fit. It's literally the answer to your pet sitter prayers.

Sorority Budget Calculator

Are you thinking about joining a sorority but you can't decide whether or not you can afford it? We totally get it and want to help you out! We created a Budget Calculator for you that can allow you to see how much you're spending month in and month out. You can factor in how much your sorority dues will be and how that adds up against your other expenses. You can use this calculator to help you stay on track with your expenses. One thing that we do know is that sororities are always willing to work with you so sit with your advisors to come up with a payment plan that works for you. Paying for your sorority dues is super important because it funds all of the activities that help sustain your sorority which include sisterhood events, philanthropies, date parties, and much more! Our Sorority Girl's Budget Calculator is free to use so be sure to download it once you open it up and share it with your sisters, friends, and any one interested in joining a sorority.

Roommate Etiquette

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Earlier this year we talked about how to survive living with a roommate. But, there's more to elaborate when it comes to living with your sorority sister or college dorm mate. Here are a few pieces of advice to jot down when it comes to living with other women, especially your sisters:

1. Respect each other's schedule (class or work)
2. Don't talk on the phone in the room when your roommate is sleeping
3. Clean up after yourself, especially in the common areas
4. Respect your roommate's space and things
5. If you're going to borrow something, make sure to ask their permission!
6. Deal with problems quickly instead of letting it build up
7. Be respectful when inviting guests over
8. Respect each other's quiet time

All-in-all, it's really important to establish some basic rules before starting your roommate journey.  It will only help you moving ahead and know the dos & dont's!

A Sorority Girl's Back-To-School Shopping List

For many of you, it's time for some back-to-school shopping. If you're anything like us, we enjoy having a starting point to reference what exactly to buy so that's why having a list is essential. Above, you will find a real life checklist that you can print out and take to the store. Online shopping is huge and super convenient so we have provided you clickable links of every day things we needed as sorority women below.

Here are some great products to help you in your back-to-school shopping! Many of them you can order and pay online but pick up in their store:

Cute notebooks (Lilly Pullitzer and Erin Condren are our faves!)
Tease comb
Hamper
Cute and comfy bras
Scent plug ins for dorm
Picture frames
Mason jars (for pencils and pens)
Portable, plastic drawers for little accessories
Jewelry box
Bike
Shelving (wire shelving can create a lot of space in your dorm!)
Comforter (this shabby chic one is too cute!)
Pillows (add some accent decorative pillows too)
Luggage
Perfume
Paint
TV
Window curtains
Cute pictures 
Custom apparel
Wall decals
Pens & pencils
Hairspray
Makeup
Shower head caddy
Yoga mat
Cute undies (Hanky Panky's are the best!)
Every day essentials (i.e: toilet paper, toothpaste, soap, etc.)

Why I Went Greek: Alyssa Conti from Alpha Chi Omega

School: Arizona State University

Sorority: Alpha Chi Omega

Year You Pledged: Freshman

Year Initiated: 2006

What did you hear about sororities before you went through recruitment?

I heard sororities at ASU were all about partying, however, it should be noted that that's the general stereotype about ASU as a whole. People told me I would be "buying my friends."

How much of it was true?

Well, we definitely had our fair share of fun! It was definitely not all about the party though, we participated in a lot of charitable work as well. As far as "buying my friends" .... That's just a silly thing people like to say. I met two of my best friends through AXO.

What encouraged you to go through recruitment?

I can't say that anything in particular encouraged me. I had my mind set from the beginning.

Who was the first person you fell in love with in your house?

A girl named Drew. She was super sweet and funny. I felt instantly comfortable.

Favorite sorority moment?

I can't say there is one particular moment that I would call my favorite. But, I did love the date parties!

If you could go back in time, what would you want to relive in your sorority?

The first moment I met my best friends. It's crazy to think it's been almost 10 years since that time.

Any advice for anyone going through recruitment?

Be yourself and trust your instinct.

Thanks for sharing your sorority experience, Alyssa!  If you have questions for Alyssa leave them in the comment's section below!

Dorm Room Decor

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Decorating your dorm room is probably the highlight of every college girl, sorority girl or not! If you're obsessive like we were, then you're probably not ashamed to admit that you probably started a Pinterest board of all of your must-have dorm room decor items. We are a sucker for Target because they have the absolute best, most trendy affordable room decor. How cute is this chevron rug they have available? It is the perfect focal point for your dorm room and you can contrast it with bold bright colored wall art like this fun yarn art from Nordstrom. Speaking of Nordstrom, they have an awesome home decor section! We have pulled some of our favorite home decor pieces for you to shop so find them above. Good luck!

Designer Handbag Secrets

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Your purse is your arm candy. It sometimes walks into a room before you! There are just those staple purses that when you see them, you say, "I have to have that purse". But, designer handbags don't typically line up with the college, sorority girl budget. However, we know the secret to getting designer handbags at a much cheaper rate. Yes, we're saying you can buy an upscale, classic handbag like this Vintage Chanel. The secret: buy it pre-owned from Luxe Designer Handbag ! It's so much cheaper to go the pre-owned route! It's the real deal holyfield, just depreciated in value since it has been used. Half the time they look all the way brand new. Best of all, it's not illegal (haha, no need to head to your favorite hole in the wall for a knock off!). Shop our favorites from their shop here!

Sorority Spotlight: Alpha Chi Omega, California State University, Fullerton

[picture descriptions: 1 & 2. Photoshoot from polish week, a week where they prepare for their upcoming recruitment and "polish" things up! The big group shot is of all 130 of their members (minus their Rho Chis who had to disaffiliate for recruitment) and the smaller group shot is of some of their Fall '12 senior class. 3. Photo of them celebrating when they reached 2,000 followers on Instagram. 4. Picture of their most recent graduating class. 5 & 6. Pictures from their "Disney" and "Born In the USA" themed days of polish week.]

Earlier this month we hosted a contest to determine the BEST sorority Instagram. The winner received a spotlight on our site. The sisters of Alpha Chi Omega from California State University, Fullerton won the contest so today we are featuring them and their amazing sorority. This month they also released a brand new School Spirit video on their sorority's YouTube account, so be sure to check it here!

Let's learn more about them...

University: California State University, Fullerton

Chapter: Epsilon Kappa Chapter of Alpha Chi Omega

Founded On: Locally, we were founded December 7th, 1968. The first ever AXO chapter was founded October 15, 1885.

Sorority Symbol: The Lyre, a musical instrument 

Sorority Colors: Scarlett Red and Olive Green

Philanthropy: Nationally, we support victims of Domestic Violence and promote Domestic Violence Awareness (DVA). Locally, we volunteer each month at a Women's Transitional Living Center and support Laura's House and Mother's Against Drunk Driving (MADD) due to losing 2 of our sisters to drunk drivers.

Awards/Achievements: Awarded Founders' Roll for having donated $100,000 to the Alpha Chi Omega Foundation, named a 5 Star Chapter on Campus (highest honor for a Greek chapter. We excelled in Greek Week this year winning 1st Place in the Volleyball Championship and 1st place in the Lip Sync Championship a 2nd year in a row, and we raised $13,000 during Greek Week for CSUF's philanthropy Camp Titan, a camp for underprivileged children in the Orange County area.This year, we raised $700 during our Healthy Relationships Week, $4,761 at our annual pancake breakfast and $12,215 at our annual Mr. Alpha Chi event. All proceeds went to the Alpha Chi Omega Foundation and the local women's shelters we support.