You Can Have A Beauty Routine At A Festival – These Are The Products To See You Through In Style

When you think of festival season, the first thing you think of probably won’t be your beauty routine. You’ll be more preoccupied with planning euphoric days of watching your favourite artists and discovering new music, followed by nights spent dancing until it blends into morning – before stumbling back to your tent and doing it all again the next day.

But might we just make the case for a little self-care while you’re there? After all, festivals are renowned for being sweaty, muddy and often shower-free events (a survey found that 42% of attendees at Reading & Leeds festival didn’t wash for the entire weekend, delightful). So introducing a few multitasking products will not only help you stand out from the crowd (in all the right – read: clean – ways), but potentially help you feel better, too. Because we all know that a weekend of minimal sleep, potentially a few too many drinks and days of walking, singing and dancing usually results in you feeling run down, as well as sad that it’s all over.

So, without further ado, here are the best products to take with you to a festival to help you look and feel as fresh (and hangover-free) as possible. These are our tried-and-tested, high-performing and very low-effort skin and hair products, along with some great statement makeup and a sprinkling of supplements to boost your nutrient intake...

The Skincare To Pack For A Festival

Festivals aren’t the place for a full 10-step skincare regime, but these multitasking products – all in handy mini sizes – will leave your skin clean, bright, moisturised and protected from the sun, in just a few simple steps.

To Cleanse: If you don’t have immediate access to running water, remove makeup and grime with a few sweeps of Garnier Micellar Water Facial Cleanser on one of the brand’s Micellar Reusable Make-up Remover Eco Pads to reduce waste. Alternatively, turn to RMS Beauty Ultimate Makeup Remover Wipes – the individually wrapped biodegradable wipes are soaked in coconut oil, which will remove the most stubborn makeup and grime.

To Treat: Late night? Fake a full eight hours’ sleep by applying Fresh Rose Deep Hydration Sleeping Mask after stumbling into your tent – you’ll have plumper, brighter skin by the time you wake. For any unexpected spots, pop on one of Peace Out’s Acne Dots to calm blemishes within a few hours – they’re clear, so you can even wear them during the day.

To Moisturise: For deep daytime hydration that sinks into the skin with ease (providing a great base for makeup or a subtle sheen if you’re going without), try Paula’s Choice Defense Essential Glow Moisturizer, which handily contains SPF30 for added protection.

To Protect: Come rain or shine, a weekend outdoors requires one thing above all others: SPF. Ultra Violette’s mini Preen Screen SPF50 mist is small enough to carry in your bag or pocket for top-ups throughout the day (it’s great spritzed across shoulders, too).

Festival Haircare To Pack

Depending on your hair’s texture and length, a weekend without access to your favourite products might prove tricky. Fortunately, these travel-sized heroes can help.

To Cleanse: If you don’t plan on braving the communal showers to wash your hair, then dry shampoo is a must. Living Proof Perfect Hair Day™ Advanced Clean Dry Shampoo helps to remove dirt and oil – and leaves your hair smelling great. Or, if you just need a quick root refresh, sweep one of Hair By Sam McKnight’s Lazy Girl Biodegradable Hair Cleanse Cloths over your hair to remove build-up and keep your strands hydrated.

To Style: Lean into the bohemian festival vibe and make the most of your hair’s natural texture. For straight and wavy hair, work in a little JVN Complete Air Dry Cream to smooth ends, add shine and encourage beachy waves. For curly and coily textures, Charlotte Mensah Manketti Oil Hair Pomade creates definition and hold without a crunchy texture. (Admittedly, this one isn’t travel-sized, but the fact you can use it to slick your hair back into a bun one day and restyle it the next day without any reside means it’s a must!)

The Best Festival Makeup

The real beauty of festival makeup is that anything goes – so statement eyes, lips and cheeks are all welcome. For an easy route to high-impact glamour, these are the products to pack.

The Base: Applying an even layer of foundation in a tent is easier said than done, so unless full-coverage is your thing, opt for a multitasking lightweight formula, such as Jones Road Just Enough Tinted Moisturiser. It’s enough to cover redness and dark circles, without feeling heavy on the skin. Dot the Merit Flush Balm across your cheeks, nose and chin for a fresh flush – and it doubles up as a lip colour, too. Finish with a dusting of Fenty Beauty Sun Stalk’r Instant Warmth Bronzer to add warmth to skin and reduce any unwanted shine, before setting your base with Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Makeup Setting Spray (in the mini size, of course) to make sure it lasts all day.

The Eyes: Forget intricate layers of eyeshadow – all you need is one product that makes an impact. Vieve Eye Wand is your friend here. Sweep one of the creamy stick shadows across the lid for an instant wash of colour. Or play on the grungy, slept-in look with one of the Victoria Beckham Beauty Satin Kajal liners – smudge under the lower lashes and along waterlines for added impact. To frame eyes, sweep the newly formulated Refy Brow Sculpt through brows for long-lasting hold, then finish with a slick of mascara – Maybelline Lash Sensational Waterproof Mascara won’t budge, even in a downpour.

The Lip: A glossy nude will go with any makeup look – try YSL Beauty Loveshine Candy Glow Lip Balm, which uses a PH Color Rush Technology to adapt to your natural lip tone for a shade that truly suits you. Or for a bold pigment, MAC Locked Kiss Ink Lipcolour promises up to 24 hours of waterproof colour – enough to withstand an all-nighter.

Supplements To Take For A Festival Wellness Boost

“Festival” and “wellness” in the same sentence? While most aren’t going to be prioritising getting their five-a-day at a festival, these are some handy supplements and accessories that will help you stay hydrated and sleep better while you’re there.

The Hydrator: The individual Free Soul Hydration sachets contain vitamins and minerals to support your hydration – everything from sodium, potassium and magnesium to calcium and vitamin C. Try adding one to your water before bed to wake up feeling fresh.

The Morning Tonic: The Herbtender Rise & Shine supplement contains ginseng to support energy levels, along with reishi mushroom to improve cognition – and this one-week trial pouch is perfect for taking away with you.

The Sleep Aids: Falling asleep in a field full of people, with music thumping away in the background, is no easy feat. Apply Ross J Bar Sleep Patches to your temples and gently massage, letting the herbal blend help you to drift off with ease. Add in the mother of all eye masks – the Drowsy Silk Sleep Mask, which blocks out all light and even covers your ears to muffle sound – and a good night’s sleep awaits, no matter where you are.

The Best Bodycare To Take To A Festival

In a land without regular access to showers, how do you take care of your body? Try Luna Daily The Everywhere Spray-To-Wipe, a cooling, cleansing spritz to refresh your body – spray directly onto skin or onto a tissue. Hand sanitiser is another must – we love This Works Stress Check Hand Shield, for its calming lavender and patchouli scent and the addition of hyaluronic acid to prevent skin from drying out.

As for deodorant, Wild’s sustainable, refillable formulas is powerful enough to banish sweat all day long, plus it comes in a range of gorgeous scents. To protect skin, Coco & Eve Body Sunscreen provides long-lasting shield against UVA and UVB rays, along with added coconut oil and aloe vera to soothe and hydrate skin. And if you’re going to take a fragrance with you, we’d suggest leaving your precious, expensive formulas at home – swapping any EDPs for a body spray (in other words, something you don’t mind spraying liberally all over your hair, clothes and body). The subtle, smoky-sweet scent of Phlur Vanilla Skin Body Mist will suit everyone – and please the crowds around you.