Senior journalism major Ellen Fishel is a typical college student — except she lives with five boys.
The products I use to get ready on a day-to-day basis are much different than those the guys use. And over the years, this disconnect has necessitated a lot of compromise.
Cosmetic products are pretty much a nonissue for guys (especially my guys) — they could get by pretty much with a tooth brush, tooth paste and soap and be fine. So when I run out of things like mascara or bobby pins, I can’t exactly borrow some from someone down the hall.
After I adjusted to the shock of living such in such an amenities-devoid environment, I started to become much more resourceful — men’s hair gel can stand in for mousse in a pinch, and some of their bath products can actually be really nice.
I’ve also realized that super girly products, such as conditioner or shaving cream, are really only marginally different from their male counterparts. After sharing a shower with Brad for two years now, we’ve given up on buying our own separate things — sharing makes much more sense. Since we alternate buying, we alternate in gender specificity.
And although smelling like Axe body wash takes me back to seventh grade, it’s really not so bad. By the time I’m out of the shower and going about my day, you really can’t notice anyway.
After moving in with the boys, I soon realized girls take access to certain basic supplies for granted. For example, one day on my way out to the guy I snapped my hair tie — a true tragedy in really any situation, but made much worse when I realized it was my last one. Panic set in.
None of the roommates’ girlfriends were home, meaning there was no chance an extra was anywhere near the premises, so I literally had to stop at CVS and buy a whole new pack. (Although now that Garrett’s growing his hair out, this may not be an issue for much longer).
Girls, let this serve as a lesson: You should always be prepared, because you never know when you’ll be trapped in a house of boys with no way to keep your hair out of your face.
