For those of you lucky enough to have been randomly placed into Randolph, Blackwell, or Hotel Bell, congratulations! You will not have to worry about the Durham heat problem as you hang out in your new air-conditioned dorm.
Unfortunately, the rest of you will find out just how hot and humid Durham can be. While Giles, Jarvis, Southgate and the rest of the dorms may have their advantages (bigger rooms, main quad locations), AC is not one them.
Some of you may have been smart enough to get a doctor’s note for your “asthma” or “allergies” when you found out you’d have no AC. However, the majority of you should and will be wondering how you will possibly survive the first weeks of school in your sauna of a room. As simple as it sounds, the answer is fans. If you don’t already have a fan, stop reading this and go to Target right now and get one…or several.
The fan(s) save you from sweating unbearably in your room at least, but, if you are anything like me, you have bigger fish to fry when the heat and humidity roll in. Keeping your makeup and hair in place can be tough and the last way you want to be remembered in O-Week is as the girl who had mascara half way down her face.
As much as you’d like to think you won’t sweat when going from one class in Soc Sci to your next in Gross Chem, it will happen. To try to avoid any makeup disasters, always go for waterproof mascara. It may be a pain to remove at night, but it will be worth it during the day. Also, steer clear of any heavy liquid foundations. Instead, try a powder foundation like Clinique’s Almost Powder Makeup (a bonus it also has SPF 15) or a tinted moisturizer.
For a quick fix during the day, whether you’ve opted for foundation or a natural look sans make up, make sure to keep Oil Blotting Papers with you to freshen up.
Finally…frizzy hair. In order to maintain the smooth, silky hair you desire, I recommend using an anti-frizz serum. Personally, I find John Frieda’s Frizz Ease Hair Serum to be the most effective product. It is the only thing that keeps my naturally wavy hair from turning into a complete frizzball.
If you don’t want to bother with applying a serum every morning (especially when you start that 8:30 am class) you can always go for a quick and hassle free hairstyle such as the top knot a la Miley Cyrus (granted, she’s opted to just chop her hair off completely, which is always another option). Or you can try a simple braid.
On the upside, the weather doesn’t change too much, so all those summer beauty supplies will still be good in November. The other products are worth the investment so you can enjoy the Southern sunshine worry free all year.