Dreaming of being at Coachella in the California sunshine? You and me both! I’m longing for a day of music in the beautiful weather with my sunglasses on, wearing gladiator sandals, not trudging around in wellingtons and a damp hoodie.
However, let’s be honest, festivals are tricky even for the most experienced beauty addict. Contending with the temperamental elements, risking god knows what in the toilets and lack of showers isn’t really up anyone’s street. When it comes to being a festival beauty, using tried and tested multi-tasking products, is the way forward. Now is not the time to be experimenting with contouring, but to master looking like a fresh-faced camper all weekend.
For beautiful ‘I’m with the band’ skin take a tube of L’Oreal CC Cream in Anti-Redness or Anti-Dullness. Lighter than a foundation, but with more coverage than a tinted moisturiser, you’ll be getting all the skin benefits with added coverage. The clever colour pigments neutralise redness and fatigue to create your best looking skin, with the added bonus of SPF.
Late nights can cause dark circles and redness around the eyes, so use a Mac Studio finish concealer to hide those tell tale signs, which won’t budge until you take it off.
If you want to look like a sun-kissed goddess, I recommend using a bronzer such as Benefit Hoola or Nars Laguna Bronzer to quickly sweep across the cheekbones, décolletage and down the shins. These are both quite pigmented so will last all day. Avoid the fake tan though. Risk of rain and prolonged jumping up and down in a sweaty mess is destined to end in streaky disaster.
Benefit’s Fine One One may be new to the market but it’s definitely worth the hype. The trio stick of colours can be blended together to create gorgeous dewy cheeks with a pop of colour to lift the skin back to life. Or you can use the colours individually as lip stains for a touch of colour.
The British weather is hardly a girl’s best friend, especially at a festival. So stock up on a waterproof (I don’t mean a poncho, but that’s your call) and have beautiful glossy lashes all weekend long. Style recommends Maybelline Falsies Mascara in Waterproof, it’s been gym tested, festival tested and even break-up tested. Ladies this stuff is gold!
No festival chick is worth her wristband without black eyeliner. Smudged, precise, winged, however you like to wear it there are no limits when it comes to liner at a festival. Rimmel Scandaleyes waterproof kohl kajal is one of the best on the market for a Kate Moss inspired look.
Don’t weigh yourself down with half a lipstick counter; instead take one or two chubby gloss sticks. This make-up product has really caught on over the last year, but my favourites are Topshop Lip Crayon in Clueless (bright neon pink), Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Romantic (sheer blue-toned red) and Victoria’s Secret Lip Sheen in Boudoir Pink (beautiful nude-pink). These colours suit most skin tones, but the texture and colour pay off from all three brands are incredible and cost under £10.
From ‘newbies’ to veteran ravers, your hands are on full display. So paint them in a bright colour to get you noticed. Barry M’s Gelly nail paints come in a range of trend led colours and have a gel like finish. At less than £4 a bottle you can afford to be experimental with some nail art.
Unless you’re crazy, or blessed with insanely great natural hair, I’d recommend you avoid washing your hair in the communal showers and instead take a can of Batiste Dry Shampoo. There are so many different scents available that you’ll be spoilt for choice. Plus they now come in mini versions too.
Make-up, sweat and dirt will clog pores, so remember to take some make-up wipes with you. Simple’s make up wipes are perfect even for sensitive skin, and useful if you just need a quick freshen up.
Three little letters most of us forget about, SPF. It may be cloudy, but damaging UVA rays will still get to your skin, especially if you’re outside all day. So wear at least a minimum of SPF15. P20 is great as you only need to apply it once a day. But just remember layering your SPF, even if in your make-up, won’t get you a higher protection. If the last one you put on was SPF15, then that is your protection factor.
After all that partying your skin will be in need of some TLC, so pack a mini can of Eau Thermal Avéne Water Spray to cool and relieve tired skin. Plus it has healing benefits for those unfortunate enough to get a little sunburnt or suffering from eczema. Hand sanitizer because well, you never quite know what you’re going to touch and pick up. Plus there’s not always soap in the toilets.
One last thing…don’t forget to pack a paintbrush and your neon paints! From Glastonbury to Reading, from Global Gathering to the Isle of Wight, no festival goer is complete without neon stripes and spots emblazoned on their face!
