Prepping for festival season is practically a competitive sport. From bagging tickets in record time to securing the best spot at the front of the crowd, it's certainly not for the fainthearted.
Even the packing situation requires you to be at the very top of your game. With little room to spare in your luggage, your beauty routine needs to be streamlined and capable of covering all bases.
A festival presents the perfect opportunity to branch out from your usual makeup look and embrace glitz. Glitter, gems and facial stickers ought to be on your beauty packing list – a festival is no time to be understated.
However, you must also acknowledge the fact that your usual skincare routine will be compromised and carve out a coping strategy. With Glastonbury on the horizon, we've got you covered.
Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Balm Sunscreen Stick
Glow Recipe
Why it's an essential...
I will be the first to admit that sunscreen applying isn't my strong suit. However, ever since having this pocket-sized Glow Recipe option I actually enjoy the process as not only does it smell delish, but it's also super easy to use and take on the go.
Not only does this pocket sunscreen protect you from the rays, but it's also formulated with niacinamide to give you a healthy-looking glow.
Why it's an essential...
When showers are few and far between having a refreshing face mist spritz on hand is the closest thing you'll get to feeling cleansed.
Evian facial spray has been a cult classic for festival goers for years and with Glasto shaping up to be a scorcher you'll thank yourself for having this 'shower in a can'.
Lazy Girl Dry Shampoo
Hair by Sam McKnight
Why it's an essential...
It's highly likely that a hair wash sesh will not be on the cards during your festival weekend. Extend a courtesy to the camp's dedicated French braider (aka your most dextrous, obliging, and sober pal) by soaking up your hair's excess oil with a few squirts of dry shampoo.
Hair by Sam McKnight's Lazy Girl is one of the best dry shampoo formulas out there. It's non-chalky and super lightweight, ideal for refreshing your locks between washes. (Or for extra volume on clean hair.) It doesn't feel overly powdery, but gentle and unobtrusive. Plus, the frankincense, juniper wood and water lily blend scent - created in collaboration with perfume maven Lyn Harris - is just delightful.
Cooling Water Jelly Tint
Milk
Why it's an essential...
Having a makeup product that does it all is an absolute festival must as you can spend less time getting glam and more time getting down in the mosh pit with your besties. This Milk Cooling Water Jelly Tint can be used as a lip colour, cheek tint and eyeshadow.
If you're yet to see this product doing the rounds on TikTok let me be the first to tell you that the girlies are big fans. Available in four different colourways and designed to have a bouncy texture that glides on like a dream for a sheer, buildable burst of colour that lasts all-day.
Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturiser
Nars
Why it's an essential...
Unless your usual go-to foundation is of the super lightweight variety, go for a tinted moisturiser. They're great for providing a healthy wash of colour, while allowing your skin's natural radiance to shine through. Slapdash application is totally fine, plus you can do it with your fingers sans mirror if necessary.
Nars' Pure Radiant version is truly first-rate - I've been devoted to it for nearly a decade now. I've tried heaps over the years, but I keep coming back to this cult classic because of how seamlessly it melts into the skin. Late nights and alcohol - for many, two non-negotiable pillars of the festival weekend - can leave your skin looking dull. Perk it back up with this forgiving, sheer base - a tonic for lacklustre complexions.
Magnificent Metals Glitter & Glow Liquid Eyeshadow
Stila
Why it's an essential...
A festival makeup classic, glitter will mask a multitude of beauty sins when the lack of sleep begins to take its toll. Mac's Glitter Pots tend to be the MUA's go-to when it comes to loose pigment. Simply apply an arc of moisturiser (I've never found a dedicated glitter primer to be necessary), curving from the top of your cheekbone around towards the arch of the brow and then pack it on. Another foolproof option is to wear a wash of shimmer across your lids.
Stila's Glitter & Glow shadows are so easy to apply. They glide onto the lids, unexpectedly silky-smooth for glitter formulas, delivering high-impact sparkle in seconds. I've owned a number of shades over the years, but I've settled on 'Wanderlust' for this particular occasion. Holographic and mesmerising, it suits the festival mood perfectly.
Hypoallergenic Compressed Towels
Maude
Why it's an essential...
Another thing I'm not ashamed to admit is that when at a festival the last thing I want to do before bed is wait in line for the bathroom to take off my makeup. Having these hypoallergenic towels on hand is a godsend as not only are they small enough to travel with, but they are activated with water and are compostable.
Suitable for all skin types, just add water to expand, then cleanse as needed. I promise you these hypoallergenic compressed towels will give you no excuse to sleep with your festival makeup on.
Reflectasy
Why it's an essential...
For those seeking major impact with minimal effort, consider facial stickers. Face Lace, brainchild of makeup innovator Phyllis Cohen, boasts an excellent selection, and the easy application method will ensure a fuss-free festival makeup moment.
Sadly, this year Face Lace announced that it is starting to wind down its retail presence, so do stock up before you miss out. The brand's hypnotic 'Devotion' liners were spotted on Florence Pugh earlier this year within a look created by Alex Babsky for the NYC premiere of Dune: Part Two. But for this festival season, the 'Reflectasy' design has caught my eye. Full of impact and open to interpretation, these chrome stickers feel unusual and beautifully standout.
Lash Volumiser 38°C Mascara
Sensai
Why it's an essential...
Mascara is so many people's desert island makeup pick, and rightly so. Fewer products are so instantly transformative and capable of making you look more awake (especially if your natural lashes are slightly lacking). I'd recommend choosing one that's buildable and will stay put.
Without wanting to be hyperbolic, Sensai's Lash Volumiser 38°C is actually pretty life-changing. It was recommended to me by Princess Diana's makeup artist Mary Greenwell, and I'm hooked. As Mary promised, it doesn't budge, comfortingly resistant to sweat, water and sebum, hence why it's one of her red carpet go-tos on celebrity clients. But it's also a cinch to apply - the triple spiral wand coats each lash from root to tip and delivers excellent separation. I also love that the wand is lightweight and short, you can get right into your inner corners.
Why it's an essential...
Unfortunately, spots and pimples don't go with any festival outfit, unless they're adorned with a statement pimple patch. Not only will these protect your spots from bacteria and dirt, they'll also minimise redness, all whilst being a fashion statement.
Even when I'm not on official festival business I wear and love these powerful spot stickers. Gone are the days of hiding pimples under a slew of concealers, 2024 is all about embracing skin imperfections and making them cute while doing so.
Ormonde Woman parfum 10ml
Ormonde Jayne
Why it's an essential...
Associating a new scent with a particular occasion is a great way to then revisit a fond memory. To avoid any breakages, opt for a travel-friendly solid perfume - Glossier's You is lovely. Glastonbury notoriously does not allow you to bring any form of glass onto its premises, perfume and mirrors included. So do double check the rules of the festival you're attending to avoid an unexpected confiscation.
If a glass travel spray bottle is permitted, you can't go wrong with Ormonde Jayne's 'Ormonde Woman'. Lush and uplifting, it's such an unusual, thoughtful scent, and for me, a cloud of this feels akin to olfactive armour. It's affirming and grounding, great for when you're away from home.
Cicaplast Baume B5 Multi-Purpose Repairing Balm
La Roche-Posay
Why it's an essential...
In the event of any minor skin emergencies - bee stings, irritation, sunburn - a multi-use repair balm will be a godsend. If not for you, then for another member of your camp. I personally favour Weleda's Skin Food and La Roche-Posay's Cicaplast – both great on dry, sensitive patches.
Creamy and comforting, La Roche-Posay's Cicaplast balm is clinically proven to soothe "uncomfortable, damaged, or irritated skin" and encourage speedy repair. It's so handy, especially in situations such as festivals where you don't have access to your usual product stash.
Sun Mist - SPF 50 Spray
Why it's an essential...
Genuinely, the only non-negotiable. If you choose to scrimp on the deodorant that's your business (and that of anyone in your immediate vicinity), but SPF is a festival must-have to protect you against harmful UVB rays. Experts recommend reapplying your sunscreen every two hours but with all the festival hustle and bustle, that may not be realistic. If you know you're not going to reapply your original cream SPF over your makeup, please, please, at least top up with a mist. They now make them small enough to fit in your bum bag. No excuses.
A relative newcomer to the beauty scene, Sculpted by Aimee (created by leading Irish makeup artist Aimee Connolly), has struck a chord among editors with its your-skin-but-better HydraTint. But it also makes an excellent SPF mist. This feather-light formula is brilliant for on the go. It contains apricot oil and vitamin E for added nourishment, but most importantly it doesn't disrupt my makeup or feel overly wet. It's fine, non-greasy and dries almost instantly.
Natural Defence Hand Rub
Why it's an essential...
I shan't dwell, but the loo situation is likely to be less than desirable. Festivals are known for being pretty grimy, and a compact hand sanitiser that can be thrown in your bag will serve you well.
Neal's Yard's version is one of my most-used handbag dwellers. Killing up to 99.9% of bacteria, it's ideal for maintaining hygiene levels while you're out and about. It's a spray rather than a gel format and packed with niaouli, lemongrass and witch hazel to form a clean, fresh scent.
Jo Malone London Cologne Collection
Jo Malone
Why it's an essential...
Having a scent on hand at all times is one of my must-haves when it comes to festivals as I can guarantee you and your fellow mosh mates will be in dire need of a fresh scent more often than not.
Jo Malone is known for creating some of the most lust-worthy fragrances in the world and this set of five mini's will last you longer than you think. Pop one in your bag, your pocket, your tent and gift another to your friend in case the other four go missing in the mosh.
How we chose:
- Performance and personal testimony: The buys chosen below are products that I (Hello! Fashion's resident beauty obsessive Orin Carlin) personally really rate.
- Festival-appropriate: The products highlighted below lend themselves to a festival setting. They are effective, and worthy of your hard-earned cash on account of the fact that they will enhance your camping experience, ranging from nifty no-waste wipes to hair-saviour dry shampoos.
Hello! Fashion shares the festival beauty essentials to shop now:
Why you should trust me:
Orin Carlin is Hello! Fashion’s SEO Content Writer. Promising to leave no stone unturned in the name of fashion and beauty journalism, she is the proud creator of our ‘Try The Trend’ series. With a particular interest in formula innovation, microtrends, royal and bridal beauty, perfume, rituals, treatments, fashion history and vintage icons, she can either be found interviewing major industry names (previous subjects include Georgia May Jagger, Mary Greenwell and Sam McKnight) or scouring the internet for must-have pieces. It's not just a job; it's a personal quest to unearth noteworthy pieces that resonate with style and beauty enthusiasts.
HELLO!'s selection is editorial and independently chosen – we only feature items our editors love and approve of. HELLO! may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. To find out more visit our FAQ page.