This summer I am attending a selection of different festivals, from music festivals like Latitude to food and alcohol festivals (gin and prosecco mainly). I’m super excited to have the opportunity to attend all of these fantastic events. I know that I’m in for an amazing summer, and I literally cannot wait. (It’s going to be INCREDIBLE!)

 

Now, I’m no festival virgin; I’ve attended a few different festivals before, but the one thing that I always seem to get wrong is my packing. I never seem to pack the right items, but this year that’s about to change. To help ensure that I pack all of the right items for every festival that I attend, I’m putting together a range of festival packing guides, featuring that festival-essentials that every gal should pack into her weekend bag for the next festival she attends.

 

When I first attended a music festival back in 2013, I messed up when it came to my beauty essentials and I couldn’t enjoy the trip as much as I would have liked as a result, so this first guide to all about festival beauty essentials, or some of them, at least.

 

So, what are my must-have festival beauty items?

 

 

5-star sunscreen

 

The very first festival that I attended, taught me an important life lesson: if you’re going to be outdoors, always wear sunscreen even if it doesn’t feel that hot. I left T in the Park back in 2013, the colour of a lobster. I was sore and incredibly sunburnt. I swore there and then that I would never attend a festival without sunscreen again. Therefore, one of the most important items on my beauty packing list is sunscreen.

 

What sunscreen would I recommend? There are a lot of sunscreens to choose from, that’s for sure, so it’s not always easy to decide which brand to opt for. A word to the wise, always pick a sunscreen that has a 5-star UVA protection rating as well as a high(ish) protection factor. I personally like the Altruist range of sunscreen; it’s created by dermatologists, offers a high level of protection, is hypoallergenic, fragrance and paraben-free, water resistant, and comes in a range of protective factors.

 

I will be packing two bottles of Altruist sunscreen, one SPF 30 cream and one SPF 50 spray, both of which are non-sticky, unscented, and easily absorbed. (Factor 30 is the lowest amount of protection that dermatologists recommend using, so I always buy this factor or higher.) I’m easy and will use either of these two sunscreens, but the fiance is super fussy about sunscreen and hates being covered in cream, so the aerosol spray is for him.

 

Dry shampoo

 

A festival essential for any gal with long hair that’s prone to getting greasy easily. Festivals are renowned for having limited shower facilities, which is why packing a bottle of dry shampoo is a must. For me, there’s no dry shampoo that beats Baptiste so this will be what I choose to pack.

 

Prior to festivals, what I usually do is wash my hair the morning that I leave, brush it out and dry it. I then style my hair into my fave festival style – half up, half down space buns. I will wear my hair like this for the first two days, I’ll then apply dry shampoo and french braid my hair to keep it as manageable as possible. (I usually tend to leave my hair in french braids until I get home and can wash all the dirt, grease and grime out of it.)

 

 

Light, breathable foundation

 

I’m never one for caking myself in foundation and concealer, instead, I prefer a more natural look, and that doesn’t change when I attend festivals. I like to pack foundation that offers a light, natural-looking finish, like my Lily Comely Miracle Cushion foundation that offers buildable coverage, allowing you to choose how ‘heavy’ you want your foundation to be.

 

What I love about this foundation is that it’s super handy for travel. As it’s a ‘cusihion compact’ and not a bottle of liquid, I don’t have to worry about the lid popping off or the bottle splitting and the foundation spilling out everywhere, which is rather refreshing. Plus, as it comes in two sizes, a normal option and a travel size mini, it’s ideal for when you have limited space, such as when packing for a festival. Want to see swatches of this foundation? You can read my full review here

 

Fake eyelashes

 

What’s festival makeup without some falsies?! I don’t know about you but I never get all dolled up without a pair of false lashes on. I mean, I just feel like my eyes look really plain without a little-added drama, which a good pair of falsies adds.

 

One of my favourite false lash brands are Kiss Cosmetics; they’re lashes are just so natural-looking yet opulent at the same time. What I love about the Kiss Cosmetics range of lashes is the fact that not only are they easy to put on and take off, but they are also reusable, and best of all, they come in a wide range of styles, so that you can create that perfect look.

 

The lashes that I plan on packing this festival season are the Kiss ‘Natural Flourish Blooming Lash’ style, which feature ‘flourishing layers of lashes’ situated at multiple angles. Plus, these come with glue included that (I always find) holds incredibly well and withstands almost anything, unlike so many other lash glues.

 

 

Pretty fake nails

 

While I could pay to have my nails done at my local salon, I personally prefer to use stick-on nails, because they’re far cheaper, and IMO they look just as good as professionally painted nails. Plus, what I love about certain brands of fake nails is that they tend to hold well but unlike acrylics, they aren’t fused to the natural nail by such strong glue, so aren’t a risk for ripping the nail if they get caught on something.

 

I’ve tried a lot of fake nail brands, and I have to admit that out of all of them, the Impress range is my absolute favourite. Why? Because these nails don’t require glue, instead they have an integrated gel pad inside them, which means you simply buff your nails to rough them up slightly, apply the cleansing wipe, peel off the gel pad’s backing, and stick the nails onto your fingers. There’s no fiddling with glue or anything – the application process is simple and mess-free. Plus, these nails come in all manner of styles, ensuring that there’s a perfect design for every occasion.  

 

Face masks

 

I don’t know about you but I always find that when I am outside a lot, my skin ends up getting a little dry. So I like to do everything that I can to ensure that it remains hydrated. My skincare regime includes cleansing and toning morning and evening, followed by using a deep moisturising face cream. For an extra hydration boost, I also find that face masks can be incredibly helpful.

 

My prefered face masks for hydration are from Lily Comely London. These are ideal for taking to festivals because they are a sheet mask, which means no mess or need to wash the product off. You simply unpeel the mask, place it on your face, wait 15 minutes and then remove it, rubbing in any excess moisture.

 

I use these masks at home at least once a month, and I must say that I love the results. Afterwards, my skin feels so soft and smooth. Plus, these masks don’t cause redness or stinging like so many others do, due to the fact I have very sensitive skin.

 

 

Hair & body glitter

 

You categorically, cannot attend a festival without packing a lot of glitter to coat yourself in from top to toe. Being a proper glitter lover, for me the fact that coating yourself in glitter is completely acceptable and totally normal at festivals is amazing – if I could, I would coat myself in glitter every live long day… #LivingTheUnicornLife.

 

There are a lot of festivals glitters available, from subtle ones to chunkier mixes. Personally, I like to use a combination of glitters, with one of my favourites being the Norvell, Strictly Come Dancing Dazzle Shimmering Mist. It’s easy to apply, as it’s a spray, and can be used on hair and body, plus it smells like coconut. Being quite a fine glitter, I would probably use this in combination with a chunkier glitter, to create a more eye-catching look.

 

Fake tan

 

I love having a tan. Without tanning my skin, I am super pale and pasty. However, I refuse to use sunbeds, because I just don’t think that it’s worth the risk. I know the whole skin cancer risk might be small, but I’m not prepared to increase my risk even by a teeny tiny percentage. So my only option for achieving tanned skin is to use fake tan. Of course, the issue that I always have with fake tan is that it ends up looking streaky, even those ‘streak-free’ brands leave me looking patchy.

 

Luckily, you can now buy use-at-home spray tan kits. These are simple and easy to use and work just like a normal aerosol, spraying out a fine mist of fake tan. There are a few brands to choose from, but one of my favourites is the Norvell, Strictly Come Dancing Perfect 10, because it’s easy to use and really does produce a streak-free finish. As it doesn’t need washing off after application, you could even apply it easily while at a festival, which is why it will be in my bag for every festival this season.

 

There you have it, a guide to my festival beauty essentials. Have I missed anything important out? Let me know in the ‘comments’ section below.