Festival fabulous
Castlepalooza and Electric Picnic are also among the staples of the Irish festival calendar and lots of us head from one to the other as the summer sun (hopefully) shines on.
The key to packing your essentials for a couple of days camping — or glamping, depending on budget — is to plan ahead. Bag beauty bits that can double up, which have long-last capabilities and which you’re not going to be too upset about if you lose. Most of all, make ’em bright, fun and colourful, because if it’s going to be a weekend of hedonism, music and dancing, then it just makes sense that your cosmetics should match up.
And don’t forget ... a bumper pack of Berocca, some Motillium, lots of water, extra socks, a warm jacket or jumper for the evening, small packs of tissues and a bottle of hand sanitiser are all really sensible festival-going inclusions.
TIP: If you find eye makeup resists wipes, then soak some cotton buds in a heavy-duty remover like Lancome Bi-Facil before the off, seal them in a plastic bag and use them to remove stubborn mascara and liner.
Look for something long-lasting, budge-proof and sweat-resistant. Rimmel’s 25 Hour Foundation, €8.75, might not hang about for the full day-and-a-bit but it’ll definitely get you through a long hot day and night of dancing — and then you can lash it on again the next day for a repeat performance.
Sally Hansen’s new Complete Salon Manicure nail polishes, €8.95, come in 36 hard-wearing colours, but the really smart will chose to paint nails with a chic dark or bright creme shade before the off. Why? Not only will nails look good for the duration but you’ll also be hiding the fact that you could plant potatoes in the furrows beneath your fingernails.
Clever, eh?
Where would you be without the good old babywipe? A bumper pack of Johnson’s, €4.61, will see you through a three-day jaunt to Oxegen and they’ll not only keep you in some semblance of cleanliness, but they can also double up as a makeup remover too. And if you urgently need to shave your legs, you can use a wipe pre-razor to help with glide.
Lush’s bright little Toothy Tabs, €3.10, are a handy alternative to tubes and all you need to do is crunch one in your mouth, add a little water and your brush and hey presto, instant toothpaste. Best of all, there’s no chance of squishing your Colgate out all over your sleeping bag as you fall into your tent in a heap at 3am. Yes, this has happened to me.
If you stick with a classic understated taupe every other day of the year then hey, this truly is your one chance to break out the big guns and go completely crazy. No one wants to spend €15 on individual brights they’ll only use a couple of times, so that’s where budget brands come in. Catrice’s Absolute Mono Eye Colour range is a great bet for vivid shades for very little outlay. This little lot are just €3.29 each.
Lip tints are a huge trend in beauty land right now and happily they’re fab for festivals, delivering long-lasting colour. Smashbox’s Limitless Lip Stain and Colour Seal Balm, €26, in Guava is the best I’ve tried. While pricey, it’s a bright, in-your-face coral that’ll get you noticed and the addition of a tinted balm on the other end to the stain means lips are never tight and sore.
Practically bomb-proof, Gosh’s excellent Extreme Art Liners, €10.99, dupe Mac’s much more expensive Liquidlast offerings for a lot less cash. A great shade range, glossy finish and decent brush make these an absolute festival must-have.
The brilliant little Nivea Sun Pocket Size SPF30, €5.79, is an essential. It’s really easy to forget to bring sunscreen and it’s true that Irish festivals can often be a washout, but UV rays can penetrate through cloud cover and as you’re outside most of the day enjoying the fun, it’s important to protect skin. For the price, there’s no excuse not to pack one in your rucksack either.
Legs and arms are on show at a festival and if you fancy getting your glow on but don’t want to go down the smelly fake tan route, there are loads of products tapping into this year’s trend for skin finishing. Rockstar Tan’s Fame, €19.99, is definitely one of the best. A good-for-skin ingredient list, a decent, bronzed result that’s pretty budge-proof and ease of use mark this out. Best of all, it’s instant so there’s no waiting around for colour to come up.
Benefit’s newest lip and cheek stain, Cha Cha Tint, €33.50, is very definitely the feelgood hit of the summer. Warming even the most hungover complexion, a dab of this on the apples of cheeks and patted onto lips after a heavy night will have you looking human again in no time.
Benefit at department stores; Catrice at Dunnes, Penneys and the Moderne; Gosh at pharmacies; Johnson’s at supermarkets; Lush call 0044 1202 668 545; Nivea at supermarkets and pharmacies; Rimmel at pharmacies; Rockstar Tan www.rockstartan.ie; Sally Hansen at Boots, pharmacies and supermarkets; Smashbox at department stores and selected pharmacies.
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