During these first few months of school, walking to your classes feels like walking through a sauna.
This is all a part of the University of Florida experience, and it’s, unfortunately, unavoidable. Looking cute for your first day of classes seems like a futile attempt once the heat destroys all the effort you put into choosing actual clothes and straightening your hair. Fear not, though, there are some ways you can still keep yourself put together and looking cute throughout the day while on campus.
Keeping your makeup from sweating off
As a third-year student at the University of Florida, I know the struggle of trying to keep your makeup from melting off your face while navigating campus in the September heat. Through trial and error, I have learned some of the best makeup products for keeping your makeup flawless all day long.
The key thing I learned is making sure you buy the proper foundation. A lot of foundations I previously used contained oil in the formula. This caused my foundation to literally melt off my face because the combination of my sweat and the oil made it too easy for the foundation come off. I tried multiple drugstore foundations to find the best one to last throughout the day, even when I sweat buckets.
One of the best foundations I found that’s affordable and stays on all day is the Maybelline Super Stay Full Coverage Foundation ($8.49 at Target). This foundation works absolute wonders and is full coverage.
If you’re looking for more of a natural foundation, another option I found that works perfectly and is super affordable is the e.l.f. Flawless Finish Foundation ($6 at Target). This foundation has less coverage for a more natural makeup look but will last while dodging Turlington tablers and waiting for Krishna.
Another crucial item for dealing with this Florida heat is blotting papers. These can save your life when you have oily or sweaty skin. Many brands sell blotting papers, but the best I’ve found is the Clean & Clear Oil Absorbing Sheets ($5.19 at Target). If you don’t feel like going out and buying blotting papers, coffee filters and thin toilet paper are also good alternatives.
The last must-have makeup product is waterproof mascara. Wearing regular mascara on campus just doesn’t work when it’s 100 degrees outside. If you plan on wearing mascara, opt for a waterproof one because it will help you avoid the black undereye smudges. One great affordable waterproof mascara is the Maybelline Great Lash Waterproof Mascara ($4.49 at Target). This product will stay on your lashes all day and won’t lead to raccoon eyes..
Maintaining your hair through the heat
Preserving your hairstyle and preventing frizz in Florida’s 12-month summer is no easy feat. One product that works magic on your hair to keep it from frizzing is frizz gel. The John Frieda Frizz Ease Secret Weapon Touch-up Creme ($7.49 at Target) works to calm frizziness so your hair doesn’t puff out on you between classes.
Another way to keep your hair together is carrying hairbands with you or styling your hair in a cute ponytail. This will help to keep your hair off your neck and away from your face so you don’t sweat even more, especially when you have a lot of hair.
One last thing you should consider carrying with you would be a hairbrush. If you plan on wearing your hair down for the day, this item is essential for making sure your hair stays untangled.
Essentials for your bag
An item I would highly suggest carrying in your bag when traveling around campus would be a fan. There are portable fans that are small enough to fit in your backpack, so when you need to cool off, you’ll have something to help you. A very popular type of fan that I see people use on campus are the fans that attach to your iPhone. These are mini fans so they aren’t bulky and they’re very easy to use. The StyleTech Inc. Portable Fan ($7.95 at Walmart) is a good option and is affordable. There are also keychain fans, such as the O2 Cool Keychain Fan ($9.01 at Walmart), that you can attach to your lanyard, making it that much more accessible.
Sunglasses are also a necessity. In order to shield your eyes, bringing sunglasses for your daily rush around campus is a must. Try to make sure the sunglasses you choose have good sun protection otherwise they won’t shield your eyes well enough against UV rays.
Lastly, one other product you should bring with you in your bag would be perfume. The heat brings out a rather unpleasant scent whether you notice it or not, so save yourself the uncertainty and bring a little bottle of perfume to reapply before class.
Everyone knows that the heat is insufferable. Hopefully these quick tricks for surviving the heat on campus can keep you feeling and looking good. Remember: Think cool thoughts!