How Am I

by Attila on August 29, 2005

. . . supposed to wear makeup in weather like this? I mean, at 35% humidity, I’m basically powdering over a wet surface: one mistake and I can’t just “blend” the eye shadow or whatever to cover my mistakes. I suddenly realize why people talk about “powdering their noses” to cover “shine.” I try it. My face is immediately wet again, and I realize that if I keep powdering I’ll soon have about an inch of yucky solidified sweat-powder on my face.

OTOH, my hair is curling a bit on its own, like it did when I was on the East Coast.

The only thing worse than living in California would be living somewhere else.

UPDATE: Well, okay. Thirty-five percent is probably not record humidity for anyone living in the South, Midwest, Northwest, or Northeast. However, it does change the usual formula for converting California temperatures into those in these other regions. Usually 100 degrees in the Southwest is like 80 degrees elsewhere. But when it’s 95 degrees here and there’s some water in the air, it’s pretty uncomfortable. Especially when I have sensitive skin, and thre are pools of salty sweat on it for long periods of time: yesterday I had a heat rash so bad, it looked almost like a tan, from scratching my legs all night long.

On the other hand, there are the enhanced waves in my hair, and there’s the fact that I have to gulp down less water on a regular basis. And I don’t have to keep picking my nose, since normal California weather generally makes me feel like someone has shoved pieces of plastic up into my nostrils.

And there’s no worry about forgetting the water bottle somewhere and having people come across one’s parched bones in the supermarket parking lot or outside the dry cleaner. Visitors here are always so disturbed when they see sights like that.

{ 5 comments }

k August 30, 2005 at 12:00 am

Ummm…I take it you mean the 35% is high humidity?

Attila Girl August 30, 2005 at 12:37 am

Um. It’s all relative, right?

Desert Cat August 30, 2005 at 11:15 pm

Here in Tucson, we start moaning when the dewpoint crosses 50 degrees Fahrenheit. I don’t know what that is in %RH at 105 degrees air temperature, but it is not a high number. All joking aside, there is something to be said for “dry heat”.

William Teach August 31, 2005 at 7:12 pm

35%? That’s like wintertime in NC. 🙂

Attila Girl August 31, 2005 at 11:04 pm

If it’s a dry heat and the wind is blowing, all is well.

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