Festival season is already in full swing and there are many more big and local festivals on the way. Glastonbury is just a week away, are any of you going? Today I’m going to be talking to you about my make-up essentials for a festival. I’d like to say a big thank you to New Look for teaming up with me to create this post. I’ll also be sharing a mini review alongside each product from the Pure Colour range.
When it comes to wearing make-up at a festival I like to keep things very simple, unless glitter is involved. In my experience you either end up fighting against lots of rain or boiling hot sunshine and in both situations you don’t want to be wearing too much make-up.
So, let’s start things off with the obvious, lip balm. Not only should this be in your make-up kit but I would suggest having one to keep in your handbag at all times. I’ve been using the lemon lip balm over last week and it’s very hydrating. It’s packed full of vitamin E, Jojoba oil & Shea butter and has a subtle scent of lemon sherbets.
Next it’s all about nail varnish. I tend to paint my nails the evening before I’m going to a festival. I wouldn’t say that it’s necessary to take the bottle with you but if like me, you hate to see a little chip then pop it in your bag. I also take a tub of removers with me as they won’t add any weight to the bag. I’m really into classic, bright red shades at the moment so I picked out this red (60) nail varnish. The nail varnish is delightfully easy to apply as the brush fans out across your nail. It drys very quickly too which I was pleased about. I think I’m going to pick up a few more of these nail varnishes as New Look have a good selection of colours in stock.
Right, this will be a controversial one, not really, it’s only foundation. You’ll find that a lot of people like to avoid the hassle of foundation when they’re at a festival. However, I always take one with me. I think it’s very important to feel comfortable at a festival (waterproof shoes, floaty dress and a warm jumper) and if you haven’t had enough sleep then you’ll want to look fresh faced. A good foundation (and mascara) will do the trick.
I went for the Light Beige – 02 (way too light for me but I’ve tested it out around the house) with the New Look Pure Colour liquid foundation. What I like most about this is that it’s not too heavy. It offers a medium coverage which can be topped up with a little powder throughout the day.
Onto mascara. This is the companion that’s going to keep your eyes awake and sparkling after a long night of dancing and sleeping on the hard, cold floor. I generally stick with black, waterproof mascara but if you spot some colourful ones a festival is always a fun place to use them. This Resistance mascara has a medium sized brush, there’s no signs of clumping and with a couple of coats it leaves your eye lashes looking long. It also does a good job of staying in place all day without being too hard to remove with a good micellar lotion.
This is optional, but I always use an eye pencil to line or create a smokey eye. I went for the dark grey eyeliner pencil which applies smoothly, is easy to blend and lasts throughout the day. I normally use black but I’ve enjoyed trying out a softer shade over this last week. I’ve used this as a kohl liner or just above/under the eye for more of a dramatic look.
I’ve said this before but as much as I love lipstick I can be really lazy with it. At festivals you spend a lot of time eating, singing, sipping cider and downing water. So, it’s important to have something easy to apply. You don’t want to go too bright, because who has time for mirrors and neat application. I like to have a quick swipe across the top and bottom lip and be good to go.
The final product is eye shadow. At festivals or when I’m travelling I love products that double up. This baked eye-shadow in cream (13) adds a light sparkle to your eyes and I’ve found that it also looks good as a highlighter for my skin tone. Once I’ve had more of a play with it I’ll let you know about the staying power.
This selection of make-up came in at just under £25, that’s pretty good. I don’t like taking high-end make-up to a festival, for many reasons. It could get lost, dirty or even ruined. We’ve all had that heartbreak of dropping a well loved blusher or highlighter.
If you’re someone who uses make-up brushes then I think it’s a good idea to take a couple with you. Maybe even pick up some cheap and cheerful ones so that you don’t get your favourites too dirty. Using brushes to apply your make-up at a festival may sound a little high maintenance, but using dirty hands is unhygienic.
Oh and don’t forget, if you don’t fancy putting anything on your face at all then don’t. As always, there are not rules but sometimes it’s nice to have a selection of your everyday favourites to hand.
I’ve really enjoyed trying out the New Look make-up range. I’m currently using most of the products (except the foundation because it’s the wrong shade) on a daily basis and have been getting on really well with them.
Other things which aren’t strictly make-up but are related and very much essentials for a festival are:
Make-up wipes – these are not only easy for removing your make-up and glitter after a day of dancing but they’re good for cleaning up you hands, removing mud and supplying to other people.
Hand sanitiser – this is pretty obvious but I always take a few bottles of the stuff.
Dry shampoo – i tend to take a mini bottle of this and use it within the roots of my hair. I then use a hat or put my hair into braids.
Tissues – another obvious ones but these are very useful throughout the whole of the festival. I suggest taking as many as you can and having a pack in your handbag at all times.
Will you be attending any festivals this year?