From staying protected with SPF to keeping cool with the right facial mist, here’s your go-to guide to packing for a summer music festival, from someone who just came back from one.
It’s no secret that the summer music festival season is fully upon us. Coachella came and went, but there are many more big name fests to come throughout summer and well into fall.
Anyone who’s a music festival regular knows the toll that a weekend of non-stop concerts can take on your skin. Last month, I headed to BottleRock festival in Napa Valley, which celebrates music, vino, food, and brew all in the heart of wine country. Here, I’m breaking down everything I packed with me to get through the very humid weekend that was packed with three days of dancing, misty temperatures, and a solid amount of wine.
Oil-Blotting Sheets
I really only use these if I know my skin is bound to produce excess oil. I’m not one to sweat easily on my face, but music festivals are prime territory for this. Having been to this festival before, I knew that the temperature in Napa tends to fluctuate a lot throughout the weekend – a recipe for a greasy complexion. Dabbing some oil-blotting sheets (I like these from Too Cool For School) throughout the day helped reduce any excess shine and helped my makeup stay put throughout the day.
SPF
This one’s a given. I wear sunscreen every single day of life, whether it’s rain or shine outside (as we all should be), but during festival season, it’s extra important to be diligent. I have sensitive and acne-prone skin so it took a lot of trial and error to find my ideal SPF, but the EltaMD UV Pure Broad-Spectrum SPF47 has become my go-to and has never let me down, even after hours and hours of dancing. I wore it under my makeup and this version on my body through the day. Both of these make it easy to reapply as needed, even above my makeup.
Underarm Wipes
Instead of bringing my traditional deodorant with me to the festival grounds, I opted for underarm wipes instead. These from Pacifica were a simple way to stay fresh and clean throughout the day, and the formula is natural as well. It’s important for me to feel as refreshed as possible when in these large crowds of people, and these made it easy to just sneak away, clean myself up, and dispose of them.
Facial Mist
I can honestly admit that I’m completely obsessed with face mist whether I’m at a festival or not. It’s a rare occasion if I don’t have it in my bag, and I never ever travel without it. I’m particularly a fan of this green tea, aloe vera, and cucumber combination from Mario Badescu, because it’s so refreshing and smells amazing. When I’m in the sun, it’s a great way to refresh my skin and cool it down, and it also helps calm and inflammation and redness. Our skin can feel a little stressed when it’s exposed to a ton of things at a music festival, so this is great to have on hand.
Moisturizer
I moisturize my skin as much as I can, but especially when I know I’ll be outdoors for an extended period of time. The environment can strip our skin of its natural oils and expose our pores to plenty of aggressors that we wouldn’t want to feel otherwise. Rather than dehydrating your skin to the point of no return, bring a quenching moisturizer with you when traveling for a music festival weekend. For my skin type, I really like gel-based formulas because they don’t clog my pores and help keep my skin balanced in humid climates.
Lip Balm
Another part of our bodies we really don’t want to neglect is our lips. Our pout can face dehydration during festival season, especially if you plan on drinking as well. Now while I don’t indulge too much, I don’t deprive myself either and I make sure to have a rich lip balm on hand at all times. An emollient lip product like the Skinrx MadeCera Lip Balm will never let you down and will leave your lips feeling baby soft all weekend long.
Shop K-beauty music festival essentials below!