And you thought whittling down your entire bathroom cabinet into a zip lock bag was bad. Festival packing demands the utmost decisiveness, after all, once you've got your tent, booze, killer 'fits and wellies squeezed into your suitcase, that sadly leaves very little room for beauty supplies.
Luckily, three of our favourite festival-regular Instagram influencers are on the case to help you get your beauty packing list looking ship shape...
Sarah Lysander
Model and former Hello! fashion cover star Sarah Lysander is all about leaning into the nonchalant festival atmosphere and keeping things understated. "I just embrace it honestly! Less is more, if it's hot and sweaty you just want to feel as fresh as possible," she told us. "A fresh face, nothing too heavy, and basic eyeliner is the extent to which I'll go.
"I can assure you there will be worse smelling things at the festival than some sweaty bodies." - Sarah Lysander
Can't live without…
"Face mist was a life saver for me at the last Glastonbury I went to," Sarah says. "It was 28°C every day and having this to cool down was perfect. A lip balm is always key, after all the sing-alongs, your lips will need the moisture."
Top tips for first-timers…
"It's going to be difficult to feel as clean as you would at home so just do what you can and enjoy the festival as much as possible," Sarah advises. "Don't worry about doing too much, everyone is in the same boat. I can assure you there will be worse smelling things at the festival than some sweaty bodies."
"While unapologetically glamping once at Glasto, I was up early in the morning to hit the showers. To my dismay, there were another 30 people with a similar idea all half-naked with their towels in hand. Unfortunately, the showers were out of order, and we were all sent back to reality quite quickly!"
READ: Festival hairstyles: 10 looks to try this summer
MORE: The 10 best Glastonbury Festival makeup moments of all time
Zeena Shah
Stylist and author Zeena Shah is unapologetically on the "more is more" end of the beauty spectrum. "Even though I'm embracing the festival aesthetic it doesn't mean I have to compromise on my beauty looks," she told us. "Glowy, dewy and glittery is usually my vibe! I generally start the way I usually would but with a tinted moisturiser with SPF to keep the base lighter combined with a highlighter serum.
"I'd then go for shimmery or glittery eyeshadow and bronzed cheeks. I am never without lip balm and love the Ultra Violette Sheen Screen Hydrating Lip Balm which looks like a gloss but is super nourishing. I love glitter and opt for the biodegradable packs and apply using a bit of Vaseline so it's easily removed with a face wipe. I like to apply this over the top of my highlighter at the top of my cheek bones and onto my brow bone."
"Accessories are kept too, big headbands, scrunchies, bows, flower crowns and feathers - any excuse to get the glue gun out and have a craft-ernoon, I'm there."
Can't live without…
"Conserving Beauty's InstaMelt Day Dissolver Wipes are a game changer. They come in small sachets (festival packing-friendly) and are completely degradable in water."
"I've also got some mini GHD cordless hair straighteners that I pack too, just bring a battery pack for top ups," Zeena says.
"I love a hyaluronic acid spritz and am obsessed with Dr Barbara Sturm's Hydrating Facial Mist right now, I always find my skin gets dry from the tent, booze and glitter no doubt. A quick spritz throughout the day refreshes my skin and gives me a little boost plus it's a great icebreaker."
"SPF – Always, always protect your skin. I have been to festivals before and forgotten it and really noticed the sun damage, plus I've had friends in serious pain from terrible sunburn, so I never leave home without it. I love Supergoop's Unseen Sunscreen for topping up throughout the day. It's also totally transparent and brown skin-friendly."
Top tips for first-timers…
"Make sure to take your makeup off before you go to bed (easier said than done) but you will have glitter on everything if you don't," Zeena says. "Sheet masks and eye patches overnight will do your skin the world of good too."
"I use travel pouches to separate everything so it's all easily accessible. Makeup goes in one pouch, skincare in another, accessories in another etc. It makes it easier to find when it's just you and a torch fumbling around late at night."
Kara Rose Marshall
Artist Kara Rose Marshall's approach towards festival beauty centres around fresh, lit-from-within skin. "My go-to look is natural, but healthy," she told us. "The one major thing I always do before a festival is get a spray tan, which I never normally do, but I feel all you need to do then is apply some mascara and you look fresh and ready for the day."
"For my first-ever festival I went to Leeds in 2007. At the time I loved clip-in hair extensions, not the greatest, they became all matted and gross – never again!" - Kara Rose Marshall
Can't live without…
"It’s super naughty, but face wipes. They’re always a no-go in normal everyday life, but for festivals, wipes are super handy, lightweight to carry, and freshen you up. I like ones with cucumber in them to keep you feeling awake and fresh."
Top tips for first-timers…
"I always pack dry shampoo and mascara and wear sun cream - I'm a factor 50 girl," Kara Rose says. "A water-based cool-down mist is really nice on the face too, and of course mascara makes you instantly feel a bit more done-up."
"For my first-ever festival I went to Leeds in 2007. At the time I loved clip-in hair extensions, not the greatest, they became all matted and gross – never again!"
How they chose:
- Performance and personal testimony: We caught up with influencers Sarah Lysander, Zeena Shah and Kara Rose Marshall to find out their festival beauty secrets. All the buys mentioned below are their personal recommendations, products that they use and genuinely rely on come festival season.
- Festival-appropriate: Camping is bound to wreak havoc on your usual beauty routine. These product inclusions are total life-savers, according to our festival insiders.
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