Hitting a Festival This Summer? Here Are 7 Ways to Still Rock Your Beauty Routine
Main image – Shotprimestudio
We might be midway through the festival season but there are still plenty of big weekends left to go. And with the weather hotting up in Europe, any beauty-addicted festival goers among us might just want some advice on how to hit the tent/field/mosh pit – all without sacrificing on our beauty routines.
Because who needs to be worrying about sweaty skin and fading brows when there’s music to dance to and memories to make?
Welcome to your festival beauty checklist! From long-lasting lipsticks to sweat-proof SPFs, the tried and tested products below have been seriously put through their paces by us here at the LTG team.
Meanwhile, expert tips from Jo Martin, international makeup artist and brand manager for Paul & Joe Beaute, Sophie Smith, aesthetician, laser and skin expert and co-founder of Grand Aesthetics clinic, and Headmasters creative ambassador, Clare Hansford, will ensure your festival beauty look is consistently on point.
Hot girl summer – incoming.
1. Prep like a pro
Before you set off, some pre-festival groundwork might make you feel better prepared. First up, treat yourself to a hair and scalp treatment to ensure they are both in tip top condition before you party hard.
Headmasters have a brilliant offer on this summer – a Nioxin Dermabrasion treatment and professional blow dry for £55 which would normally set you back up to £102. Festival goers tend to ply their hair with dry shampoo to avoid having to wash it there so getting rid of any existing product build up before you go is essential.
Image – Irina
“At festivals, people tend to focus on hair styling and totally forget the scalp underneath – but that’s where healthy hair begins,” says Hansford.
So, wash your hair before you go. “Leave with super clean, well-conditioned hair and use just minimal styling products so that you can gradually build these up over the festival-weekend without getting too much build-up” she continues.
When it comes to your skin, Smith says prep is key. “A few days before the festival, I always recommend booking in a Hydrafacial,” she advises. “It deeply cleanses, exfoliates, and hydrates – giving you that fresh, plump glow that lasts.”
Then, “focus on strengthening your skin barrier,” she says. Look for serums and moisturisers containing nourishing ingredients like ceramides or glycerin.
And what about the night before? “I’ll do a full ‘everything shower’ to feel fresh and reset,” Smith says. So, a full body exfoliation, cleanse and moisturise! After all, it might be a while before you can pamper yourself to that extent again!
And remember to pack the right stuff. “I always take a face-sized flat mirror and an LED rechargeable light with a clip whenever I travel. These don’t take up much space and are light,” explains Martin.
Image – Charlotte Tilbury
“Use multi-use products that can be applied and blended with your fingers,” she adds. The Charlotte Tilbury Unreal Blush (£30 from Cult Beauty UK /$42 from Sephora US) is a brilliant three-in-one stick that leaves a beautiful, dewy finish in its wake. It can be used on your cheeks, eyelids and lips and is so fool-proof and easy to blend, you may not even need a mirror.
You’ll also want to pack a few more handy essentials. “Buy your favourite products in mini sizes,” says Martin. “You can get pretty much everything in travel or sample sizes now. You can even get good brushes in mini sizes. Don’t forget baby wipes (for cleaning hands only!), sanitising spray and dry shampoo!”
And Hansford says not to forget something refreshing for your scalp to. “Pack a cooling scalp spray with soothing ingredients like peppermint or tea tree to calm any irritation,” she advises. “A quick spritz at night or in the morning helps revive the scalp and even relieves tight hairstyles.”
2. Rock long-lasting lip colour
Whether you’re sipping water, frequenting the food vans or puckering up with your summer crush, you’ll want to ensure your lip colour stays put.
We love a lip stain because whilst a lipstick initially looks fab, it often won’t last past your first burger. Wonderskin’s Lip Stain (from £18 from Boots UK /$22 from Wonderskin US) comes in various wipe-off or peel and reveal forms and is waterproof, transfer-proof and smudge-proof. It comes in loads of shades, from your-lips-but-better to vibrant – and while we’ve found they may not last quite *all* day, even the most subtle shades stay put on us for a good 7 hours.
Image – Wonderskin
Not sure how to apply from a tent? “If you don’t have a mirror, then your phone camera works just as well, or ask a friend or someone you are with to help,” advises Martin. And if you love a bit of shine on your lips, we like Dussl’s Lip Oil SPF 25 (£21 from Dussl UK) which helps to keep lips both hydrated and protected whilst out in the sun.
If you’re not a lip stain fan though, you can still embrace the festival spirit with a seriously cute lipstick case that will keep your lip product safe from the mud, like Paul & Joe Beaute’s AW25 Limited Edition Lipstick Case (£13 from Amazon UK) The little cat on the top is just the icing on the cake – and makes for the perfect festival selfie.
Image – Paul & Joe Beaute
3. Be brow savvy
“I love it when I check my reflection after dancing the night away and realise one of my brows has wiped off,” said no one ever. Yep, the sweaty brow struggle is real.
Invest in Wonderskin’s Wonder Blading Brow Stain & Go Masque (£19 from Beauty Bay UK /$17 from Wonderskin US) which is waterproof, smudge-proof, quick to use and – klaxon – lasts for up to two whole days. You can also replicate long-lasting freckles with it too – festival chic!
Image – Refy
If keeping your shape is more of a worry, try Refy’s Brow Sculpt Eyebrow Gel (£18 from Sephora UK /$24 from Sephora US) which is a wax-gel formula that has won thousands of rave reviews for holding brows in place for 12 hours.
4. Stay fresh
When you’ve been dancing and walking, then dancing and walking in the heat, you don’t feel at your cleanest. (And who wants to spend their entire weekend in the shower queue anyway?) Luna Daily Cooling Everywhere Spray Mini (£8 from Boots UK /$14 from Luna Daily US) is genius.
Image – Luna Daily
As its name suggests, it’s both travel sized and cooling. Buy it with the (very cute) matching lanyard, or tuck it under a bra strap, making it easy to stay fresh on the go. Plus you can use it everywhere (and we mean everywhere) meaning you can freshen up without any nasty surprises.
Next, rock your signature summer scent. Who is Elijah’s Cherry Fiesta is one of the prettiest we’ve come across this season. Vibrant and lemony, with just the right amount of sweetness, this fragrance is both fresh enough for day time, and sophisticated enough to transition to the evening. Cherry Fiesta comes in a portable 10ml sized bottle (£40 from Who is Elijah UK /$45 from Who is Elijah US) making it an ideal little spritz to take with you and keep your festival experience smelling fragrant!
Image – Who is Elijah
It’s not cheap but, hey, you can’t put a price on smelling good when it’s day three of using nothing but porta-loos and communal showers.
You’ll want to keep your hair fresh too but don’t overdo the dry shampoo. “It’s tempting to load it on, but too much can clog pores and leave your scalp flaky,” Hansford says. “Use it sparingly and brush it through properly. You want volume, not residue!”
I love Rehab’s Essential Dry Shampoo (£24 from Rehab UK /$33 from Rehab US), which not only comes in environmentally-kinder non-aerosol packaging, but also never leaves me with residue (whilst still tackling my day 3 hair).
Image – Rehab Your Hair
And as for deodorant, Soft & Gentle 72hr Hyaluronic Care in Watermelon Spritz (£3.50 from Boots UK) smells divine- and suitably summery- and keeps hardworking armpits comfortably dry, yes, for up to 3 whole days.
5. Stock up on multi-tasking SPF
If you’re a bit sweaty but urgently need to top up on SPF, Lancaster Sun Body Water SPF 50 (from £27 from Cult Beauty UK) can be applied to wet or damp skin while maintaining its effectiveness. This dry oil-style SPF formula dries almost instantly and smells divine too.
Another fab protecting (and hydrating) multi-tasker is Hello Sunday The Shimmer One Mineral Glow Stick SPF45 with Hyaluronic Acid (£23 from Boots UK /$22 from Sephora US) which is perfect for reapplying face SPF on the go – and we’ve also found it’s non-irritating on even the most sensitive skin types in the LTG office. Plus it gives a gorgeous shimmer so can double up as a highlighter too – bonus.
Image – Hello Sunday
For your scalp, use an SPF scalp spray or grab a bucket hat – both very 90s nostalgia and a nice nod to Oasis’s 2025 reunion tour. “A burnt scalp is so uncomfortable – but so common,” Hansford warns.
And finally, Rosalique 3 in 1 Anti Redness Miracle Formula SPF 50 (£29.99 from Rosalique UK /$39.99 from Rosalique US) is tinted so it corrects redness if you find that’s an issue while in the heat. I’ve found it works as a fab makeup primer too, all while offering SPF 50 protection.
6. Ensure your makeup base lasts
Keeping sweat and oil under control and only lightly hydrating your skin while you’re at the festival is key to your makeup staying put.
“In extreme conditions, use a light moisturiser which is not heavy on the skin, a primer that grips or controls sweat and sebum production and then with your base and the rest of your makeup, use products that are ‘long-lasting’, ‘sweat and waterproof’,” advises Martin.
Image – Vieve
“Finish the face off with a setting spray and if you do find yourself sweating, then dab your face with a tissue or blotting papers; do not wipe the sweat away.” Vieve Invisiveil Setting Spray 30ml (from £16 from Space NK UK /$18 from Vieve US) is not only travel sized but it’s also excellent at keeping makeup in place, giving a dewy glow and smelling of spas (which, let’s be honest, you’ll be thankful for).
7. Maintain good skin care – but don’t stress too much
As for your skin regime, it’s unrealistic to think you’ll be able to continue doing your full home beauty routine, but you can still take care of your skin on-the-go. “Obviously, it would be great to be able to double cleanse and do your full skincare routine, but sometimes that is not possible,” Martin says.
“If you don’t want to carry any bottles, you can soak cotton pads or reusable rounds in micellar water and eye makeup remover, then put them in zip lock bags. If you want to make sure your skin is thoroughly cleansed, then decant some cleansing balm into a small pot, massage it into the skin and then use a biodegradable single-use face towel to wipe off.”
Smith sums it up, “Your routine doesn’t have to be complicated. Just cleanse, hydrate, protect and enjoy yourself,” she says. “Skin can bounce back but the memories (and a little glitter) will stay with you.” Amen to that!
Meet the experts
Jo Martin is international Makeup Artist and Brand Manager for Paul & Joe Beaute
Sophie Smith is an aesthetician, laser & skin expert and co-founder of Grand Aesthetics clinic
Clare Hansford is creative ambassador at Headmasters, one of the UK’s largest chains of hair salons
Get Glowing!
