Everyone needs a cause to get behind, and this is the one which caused me to awake from my digital slumber and reneg my abandonment of this blog. You see, friends and I rang in the new year dancing to The Roots at Falls Festival in Byron bay a few weeks ago. The weather was hideous - hot, humid, with only enough wind to cover everything in a fine layer of dust.
Before I left I pondered a great deal about what I should take beauty wise. Apart from the obvious sunscreen, I felt I needed to turn to the thousands of internet beauty pros for some advice. Unfortunately, the only articles I could find on this subject were tutorials involving flower crowns, denim nappy shorts and an inch layer of makeup. Not the most practical look for hungover application in a sweltering tent in the middle of a valley.
So, out of sheer exasperation, I've given myself a little retrospective advice on what to take to a camping festival, and what to leave behind.
At the time I felt these were the bare essentials but the eyeshadows were quickly cast aside. First and foremost, however, is a good sunscreen. I spent too much of my workdays searching for a facial sunscreen that wouldn't break me out or leave me looking like an oil slick. I considered Clarins and La Roche-Posay but ultimately settled on Mecca Cosmetica's To Save Face. It does exactly what it says on the tube - a matte finish, no oil and fairly good protection. I forewent foundation and just went for a cream concealer and a sweep of setting powder. I am a great fan of Illamasqua, and their cream concealer is no exception, however, I did find it separated a little from the heat, so perhaps a liquid concealer would have been better. At the end of each night I used the Ole Henriksen Truth to Go wipes to remove my makeup. These wipes are a must have when you're travelling and don't have your usual skin products at hand.
I used Illamasqua's blush in Obey to lightly contour and bronze - well, as close to bronzing as I'll ever get, being so morbidly pale. It's so pigmented you only need the lightest of touches. Cream blushers seem last longer on my skin and look more natural and dewy so I opted for Topshop's Afternoon Tea. This was my first experience with both cream blush and Topshop makeup and I was pleasantly surprised. The blush is incredibly bright but blends out well with naught but fingers.
As I mentioned, I did pack my Urban Decay Naked Basics palette for a natural eye but on waking up the first morning in a hot tent, it was too much to attempt anything non-essential for Went straight to eyelash curling and waterproof liner and mascara. I am on a continuous search for the ultimate liquid liner pen - I've tried countless - and Maybelline Masterpiece liner is the only one I've been happy enough with to keep. It's not perfect but it doesn't smudge and it's opaque in one swipe so I can't really complain. You may not need anything for your brows but my unruly caterpillars need something to at least keep them in place everyday and Maybelline's brow drama does the job.
Waterproof mascara is essential for a festival - I've been to good many music festivals all over the world and if it's not sweltering heat or rain ruining your eye makeup, it's the drunk punters flinging beer and water all up in your business. Lancome Hypnose Star waterproof is so long wearing I struggle to remove it.
All I wore on my lips was the Korres lip butter in Quince - very moisturising with a plummy tint (although mine did melt in the heat). I saw quite a few girls walking around in matte red lipsticks (obviously searching out the festival fashion photographers) and while they looked enviable, I couldn't help think why bother? It's far too impractical to have to carefully reapply a heavy drying lipstick all day. But then that's the festival experience so many people these days, isn't it? Walking the fine line between edgy and cool, and too tired and filthy to even pretend you're not trying to be edgy and cool.
So, that's it. If you're interested in seeing a FOTD with these products, or want to see another festival guide (maybe a fashion one which doesn't involve bikini tops worn as clothing), comment below. I'll try to join in on the slightly narcissistic peculiarly millennial phenomenon of regular blogging so please let me know what you'd like to read about.
THANKS!
Before I left I pondered a great deal about what I should take beauty wise. Apart from the obvious sunscreen, I felt I needed to turn to the thousands of internet beauty pros for some advice. Unfortunately, the only articles I could find on this subject were tutorials involving flower crowns, denim nappy shorts and an inch layer of makeup. Not the most practical look for hungover application in a sweltering tent in the middle of a valley.
So, out of sheer exasperation, I've given myself a little retrospective advice on what to take to a camping festival, and what to leave behind.
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| L to R: Ole Henriksen Truth to Go Wipes; Urban Decay Naked Basics palette; Maybelline Brow Drama in Dark Brown; Mecca Cosmetica To Save Face matte facial sunscreen; Lancome Hypnose waterproof mascara; Shu Uemura lash curlers; Topshop cream blush in Afternoon Tea; Illamasqua blush in Disobey; Illamasqua cream concealer; Korres Quince lip balm; Bare Minerals Mineral Veil setting powder. |
At the time I felt these were the bare essentials but the eyeshadows were quickly cast aside. First and foremost, however, is a good sunscreen. I spent too much of my workdays searching for a facial sunscreen that wouldn't break me out or leave me looking like an oil slick. I considered Clarins and La Roche-Posay but ultimately settled on Mecca Cosmetica's To Save Face. It does exactly what it says on the tube - a matte finish, no oil and fairly good protection. I forewent foundation and just went for a cream concealer and a sweep of setting powder. I am a great fan of Illamasqua, and their cream concealer is no exception, however, I did find it separated a little from the heat, so perhaps a liquid concealer would have been better. At the end of each night I used the Ole Henriksen Truth to Go wipes to remove my makeup. These wipes are a must have when you're travelling and don't have your usual skin products at hand.
I used Illamasqua's blush in Obey to lightly contour and bronze - well, as close to bronzing as I'll ever get, being so morbidly pale. It's so pigmented you only need the lightest of touches. Cream blushers seem last longer on my skin and look more natural and dewy so I opted for Topshop's Afternoon Tea. This was my first experience with both cream blush and Topshop makeup and I was pleasantly surprised. The blush is incredibly bright but blends out well with naught but fingers.
As I mentioned, I did pack my Urban Decay Naked Basics palette for a natural eye but on waking up the first morning in a hot tent, it was too much to attempt anything non-essential for Went straight to eyelash curling and waterproof liner and mascara. I am on a continuous search for the ultimate liquid liner pen - I've tried countless - and Maybelline Masterpiece liner is the only one I've been happy enough with to keep. It's not perfect but it doesn't smudge and it's opaque in one swipe so I can't really complain. You may not need anything for your brows but my unruly caterpillars need something to at least keep them in place everyday and Maybelline's brow drama does the job.
Waterproof mascara is essential for a festival - I've been to good many music festivals all over the world and if it's not sweltering heat or rain ruining your eye makeup, it's the drunk punters flinging beer and water all up in your business. Lancome Hypnose Star waterproof is so long wearing I struggle to remove it.
So, that's it. If you're interested in seeing a FOTD with these products, or want to see another festival guide (maybe a fashion one which doesn't involve bikini tops worn as clothing), comment below. I'll try to join in on the slightly narcissistic peculiarly millennial phenomenon of regular blogging so please let me know what you'd like to read about.
THANKS!
