Its formal season ladies, which means the return of dresses, dates and…drinking. So, below are a  few tips to help you prepare for this fun time of the year before you have to park yourself in the Rock and grind for finals.
DRESSES
Don’t drop bills on dresses for one night, borrow dresses from your friends! Post in your sorority or club Facebook groups to see if anyone has any dresses you can wear for the night. Or better yet, just text your group chat or ask your gals to borrow their past formal dresses or any others they may have in their closet!
If you can’t seem to find a friend’s dress to borrow, check out Misguided, Revolve or Topshop for super cute and economically friendly dresses. You can always re-wear a dress from last year’s formal…no one will notice but you. And, you can always accessorize with a statement necklace or dangly earrings to spruce up the fit! Throw on some heels and you’re good to go!
For makeup needs, the HC Survival Kit has some of the best mascara from Buxom and L’Oréal’s Sublime Bronze self-tanner! Ladies, let’s be honest, we all love a nice sun-kissed glow. If you’re not confident about your own makeup skills, we recommend finding that one friend who’s bomb at makeup and asking her to help you out on the day of. Odds are she’ll be more than willing to practice her palette-skills on you!
DATES
Don’t have a current hookup to ask to formal? Don’t stress—ask a guy or girl friend to be your date. It will probably be more fun anyway.
Have you had your eye on a particular person for a while? Formal is the perfect chance to scheme! Be BOLD and ask them to be your date. If you don’t have their number, get it from a friend or have one of your besties break the ice for you and “set it up.” While it may be initially awkward, once you’re there you have to stick together and it’s a great excuse to make your move and dance.
DRINKING
Obviously you don’t have to drink to have a good time at formal, it will be a great night of dancing no matter what. But if you plan on drinking and getting ~loose~ on that dance floor, be careful. You don’t want to be TOO drunk and have to leave the party early. We recommend starting off with a nice mixie or a spiked seltzer while you’re doing your makeup!
Definitely be sure to have a good dinner the night of to prepare yourself. In addition, the HC Survival Kit has some healthy, delicious granola bars from Garden of Life. They are perfect for an on-the-go snack, right before you start ripping shots or tearing up the open bar.
Given that this formal season precludes finals and winter break, it is one of the last hoorahs to dress up, drink and dance with all your friends! Make the most of it, and have fun!