I remember getting all dolled up with a full face of makeup and straightened hair to look my absolute best as me and my roommate took on our very first frat party during welcome week. Once we stepped just one foot into that sweaty basement all my hard work was ruined. Neither my makeup nor my hair managed to survive the night and I genuinely woke up with my hair the curliest it has ever been after I spent an hour straightening it the night prior. While this experience is inevitable, I’ve accumulated some valuable knowledge on how to maintain your look throughout the night and survive going out in general…
Makeup
No one wants to spend hours on their makeup just to sweat it all off the second they go out. I am here to tell you that there is a way for your hard work to be preserved, it just takes some work…
- Invest in a good setting powder: The first of your makeup to sweat off will be any concealer or foundation. Investing in a high quality loose setting powder will not only preserve any cream products used, it’ll keep your under-eyes from caking and creasing so you have that filter look the whole night. Some of my favorites are Huda Beauty, OneSize, and Laura Mercier.
- One Size Setting Spray: If there’s one makeup product I will die by, it’s the One Size setting spray. It’s somewhat pricy but well worth it in my opinion because your makeup will not budge the entire night. If you needed any more incentive, it’s the setting spray that Beyonce uses and if it’s good enough for her world tour, it’s good enough for a frat party look.
- Set your lip liner: There’s no worse feeling than perfecting a lip combo just to have it come off completely after one sip of a beverage. Setting your lip liner with loose powder then reapplying the lip liner before finishing off your lip combo will ensure your lippy lasts past the first drink.
- Always carry lip gloss: Consider purchasing some cheap $1 lip glosses from the beauty supply store that you can bring with you when you go out and not be heartbroken if it gets lost. This way you can make sure you won’t have crusty, dry lips while not having to fret about losing your $40 Dior lip oil.
Hair
Already having frizzy hair, I really struggled with keeping my hair how it looked at the beginning of the night. Here are some products to use and hairstyles to try so that you don’t like like you took a dip into the pool and then got electrocuted when you encounter the treacherous frat party humidity.
- Slickbacks are your savior: No matter how hard I try, I just cannot manage to wear my somewhat wavy/kinda curly hair completely down for a night out. Instead, I’ve done just about every slick back variation there is wether that be a braided ponytail, bun, high ponytail, half up half down, etc. Not only are there so many variations to be done, having your hair up or partially up will snatch your look and be mostly salvageable.
- Hair products: A multitude of hair products can be used to maintain your hair throughout the night depending on your hair type. Wax sticks are inexpensive and can easily be thrown into a purse to bring with you for people with mostly straight hair. I personally require something with a little more strength and am a fan of Eco Gel. For my ladies with curly hair that require even more strength, Wetline Xtreme gel is a good option.
- Oils & Serums: If you insist on wearing your hair out, which even I sometimes do, anti-frizz serums like Color Wow and Frizz Buster can work to keep your flyaways down. Hair oils like the Olaplex No. 7 Bonding Oil are a good product to put into your hair before heading out as well.
Essentials
- Frat shoes: This is a necessity all college students need seeing as your shoes will get dirty in ways you didn’t even think possible. Designate an old pair of shoes you don’t mind getting dirty as your frat shoes. An old pair of converse or Air Force 1s can get the job done.
- Fracket: My genius of a hall mate came up with the idea of having a cheap jacket you won’t be heartbroken about losing that you can wear to frats. Not only is this way smarter than wearing your $200 North Face and hiding it in a corner praying no one will steal it, it’ll allow you to continue to wear whatever tops you want regardless of the season.
- Cheap jewelry: Now I’m not sure if this is just a me problem but I’ve lost so many of my favorite rings and bracelets over my first semester of going out that I’m devastated about. I’ve purchased cheap jewelry that can afford to get lost or broken to wear out to parties.
- Fan: While I’ve never brought a fan with me, I wish I had! This is more useful during the spring or summer but a small handheld fan is an essential to bring to stop yourself from boiling in that crammed frat house.
safety
- Go out with people you trust: It’s easy to get caught up in the fun of going out and forgetting to stay safe so making sure you go out with people you trust to not desert you is important.
- Share your location: Sharing your location with your roommate or hall mates is essential in staying safe. It’s an easy way for your friends to keep an eye on you if you’re not going out together or if you’re going somewhere unfamiliar.
Now that you’re knowledgeable about the ins and outs of going out as a college girl, I hope these tips serve you well for the spring semester ahead!