Whether you're getting your indie fill at Green Man and Citadel, seeking more artistic pursuits like poetry and theatre at Latitude, or looking for the finest culinary treats at Wilderness, the festival season this year is looking tip-top.
Alas, along with our favourite bands comes greasy hair, unwashed bodies and grimy skin. There's no escaping the dirt of festivals (unless you're fully committed to boutique camping and legit showers, but we'd rather be down the front row, TBH), but we can ease the pain with products that keep the effects of four sleepless nights at bay.
Ahead, we have your beauty bag covered. Team Refinery29 has rounded up the beauty products we rely on every festival season, from essentials like dry shampoo and suncream to biodegradable alternatives to glitter and makeup wipes.
Jacqueline Kilikita, Beauty Editor
Neither liquid lipstick or glitter eyeshadow stand a chance against this waterproof makeup remover. It cuts through even heavy duty makeup, oil and grime in seconds without making eyes sting or leaving behind a greasy film.
Institut Esthederm Osmoclean High-Tolerance Waterproof Make-Up Remover, £21.50, available at Beauty Bay
Feeling sweaty and sticky is not the one, so I'll be sure to stuff these eco-friendly wipes into my bag. One-hundred percent natural and compostable, they cleanse skin sans any irritating essential oils or strong fragrances, and always leave me feeling fresh.
Beauty Kitchen Free From Wish-a-Wash Wet Wipes, £4.99, available at Holland & Barrett
This lighter-than-air SPF mist is so clever. It's non-comedogenic, so won't block pores or cause breakouts, it shields against both UVA and UVB and absorbs into the skin in next to no time at all. You can even top up over makeup.
Garnier Ambre Solaire Sensitive Face Sun Cream Mist SPF50, £6, available at Superdrug
People always forget to apply SPF to their lips, but if you're at a festival outside, it's a must. This moisturises and protects without leaving behind unsightly white tidemarks along your lips or a gross taste in your mouth. Stockpile it.
Ultrasun SPF 30 Ultralip Balm, £6, available at John Lewis
If you're going to slather yourself in glitter, make it biodegradable. Whether I pack this stuff onto my lips, eyelids or cheekbones, it never irritates my skin. Plus, it looks super pretty in photos.
The Gypsy Shrine Amethyst Diamond Glitter, £6.50, available at The Gypsy Shrine
Nina Joyce, PR Director Europe
I feel strongly there's nothing more important in your routine than SPF, so don't let that go out the window because you've lost your friends after necking five pints of warm lager. Those UV rays will get you, and in the morning you'll regret skipping SPF more than the Instagram Stories you posted at 1am.
La Roche-Posay Anthelios XL Face Ultra-Light Fluid SPF50+, £12.35, available at Feel Unique
Dehydrated skin is very boring, so when you're feeling dry, tired or like maybe you shouldn't have spent £15 on NOS balloons, give Mario a spritz!
Mario Badescu Facial Spray With Aloe Herbs And Rosewater, £7, available at Beauty Bay
When I was a teenager, everyone looked bad at festivals and it was accepted that several days without a shower put everyone on a slightly cheesy-smelling, even keel. Since then someone very cruel has decided you have to look fit all the time, so avoid being mistaken for the reincarnated dead by whacking on this very reliable concealer.
Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Ultra-Longwear Concealer, £24, available at John Lewis
Come on. You know why.
Femfresh Wipes, £3.15, available at Boots
If you're staying overnight at a festival, for the love of god take a proper moisturiser. And don't be stingy. Let your friends borrow it. Let the girl crying in the toilet queue borrow it. Let the man selling you an £8 taco have some. Everyone deserves moisturised skin <3.
Lixir Universal Emulsion, £29, available at ASOS
Georgia Murray, Fashion & Beauty Writer
We all know what four nights of heavy boozing, no sleep and not enough H2O does to our skin. Luckily, you don't have to accept that grey pallor thanks to this wonder product. I wear this every day and it makes even the most sallow hungover skin look chirpy.
it Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Illumination SPF 50+, £30, available at it Cosmetics
Ah makeup wipes, how you remind me of being a grotty teenager at Reading in 2004. I'd never advocate using any kind of face wipe usually, but festivals call for something sealable, pre-soaked and disposable. These gentle ones use salicylic acid to exfoliate those weather-worn dead skin cells, and witch hazel to moisturise.
Skin Laundry Purifying Make Up Remover Cleansing Cloths, £14, available at Cult Beauty
I usually shape and brush my brows into submission with a pencil, but I'll have neither the time nor the constitution to do that while hungover in a sweaty tent. Enter Boy Brow: two swipes and your brows are set up for the day (and night).
Glossier Boy Brow, £14, available at Glossier
This is still one of my favourite mascaras on the market. It needs to be waterproof because a) it will rain, and b) I will cry at my favourite headliner. I'm just being practical.
Clinique High Impact Waterproof Mascara, £19, available at Clinique
Part dry shampoo, part hairspray, this multitasking beauty not only smells amazing, but will give greasy locks the boot while providing enough hold for day four French braids.
Hair By Sam McKnight Cool Girl Texturising Spray, £25, available at Liberty London
Sian O'Flaherty, Senior Creative, Branded Content
Undoubtedly the most underrated festival essential is the humble mirror... I've had many festival experiences where I've been trying to precariously do my makeup in a tiny powder compact mirror and it's just not the one. This foldable one will balance in your tent, meaning you can at least attempt a normal makeup look.
Danielle Creations Multi-Purpose Travel Mirror, £19.99, available at Boots
Next up, suncream! Because no one wants to be dealing with sunburn in a tent. This Glossier one is completely sheer, meaning you're not walking around with white stripes all over your face.
Glossier Invisible Shield Daily Sunscreen SPF 30, £20, available at Glossier
The real OG of festival beauty: the wet wipe. These ones by French pharmacy brand Bioderma are a little more spenny than your average wipe but well worth it.
Bioderma Sensibio Micelle Solution Make-Up Removing Wipes, £5.40, available at Landys Chemist
A red lip is good at masking even the worst festival hangovers. This one from NYX is the perfect shade of orangey red and stays on all day.
NYX Professional Makeup Soft Matte Lip Cream, £6, available at Cult Beauty
Hand sanitiser... because portaloos :/
Cowshed Anti Bacterial Cow Slip Hand Gel, £7, available at Trouva
Anna Jay, Art Director
I always put factor 50 on my face when the sun's out. The Body Shop one is really light, works, and if I have a choice I'll go with a cruelty-free brand.
The Body Shop Skin Defence Multi-Protection Essence SPF50, £21, available at The Body Shop
No one needs to be faffing with micellar water and cotton wool in a tent, but wipes are terrible for the environment so I opt for these biodegradable ones.
Yes to Cucumbers 30 Soothing Hypoallergenic Facial Wipes, £3.99, available at Boots
Hands down the best lip balm (IMO) and with a touch of SPF it's my saviour at a festival.
Carmex Moisturising Lip Balm Strawberry SPF 15, £2.69, available at Superdrug
Pretty basic BUT this is a great brush, especially if you have ridiculously tangle-prone hair.
The Wet Brush Midi Wet Brush Blackout, £3.95, available at Luxplus
Of course you need glitter at a festival. I love the pots from Topshop, the glitter sticks easily with Vaseline and is easy to remove.
Topshop Glitter Pot In Lilac, £7, available at Topshop
Tamar Riley, Director, Marketing & Audience Insights
It doesn't budge, and probably won't move all weekend. Not that you'd test that...
Maybelline Lineworks Ultra Liner Waterproof, £4.84, available at Amazon
This feels so good on hungover, dehydrated skin. It's sheer colour that you can reapply without a mirror.
Clarins Tinted Moisturiser SPF15, £30, available at Clarins
Putting makeup on in a tent isn't ideal. The lighting is brutal, and it's normally very sweaty and hot, so mists are ideal to make you feel refreshed. I always look for products which set makeup all night, to minimise the need for top-ups.
Immunocologie Vital Ionic Mist, £52, available at Wolf & Badger
Foolproof gradual tan with a slight festival shimmer, so even if it's a washout, I've got a summer glow.
Isle of Paradise Happy Tan, £14.95, available at Isle of Paradise
This turns tent hair/ I've-not-been-to-bed hair into wonderful beachy waves without being crunchy.
Kérastase Aura Botanica Eau de Vagues, £16.70, available at Feel Unique
Jess Commons, Health & Living Editor
Considering you're going to be outside all day long at a festival it's IMPERATIVE that you wear some sort of SPF on your face (yes, even if it's cloudy). I have quite oily skin so struggle to find SPFs that don't make my face all greasy, and wearing makeup impossible. This mattifying stuff is great, though, AND it's SPF 50.
SVR Sebiaclear Cream SPF50, £8.50, available at Sanareva
I have to wash my hair every day or I feel super gross and dirty. But no way am I paying for festival showers. Which means I wash my hair under the campsite taps and annoy everyone queuing to fill their water bottles. To make it as speedy a process as possible, I go for a shampoo and conditioner in one – like this one from Cowshed.
Cowshed Lazy Cow 2-In-1 Ultra Rich Shampoo And Conditioner, £15, available at Look Fantastic
Bio-Oil is an incredible multi-use product. Obviously it's great for scars and stretch marks but it also does wonders for uneven skin tone, ageing and dehydrated skin. Also, because it's an oil, it works marvellously as a makeup remover. Use to take off all your stubborn (biodegradable pls) glitter while nourishing your face at the same time.
Bio-Oil 200ml, £15.95, available at All Beauty
Boots discontinuing its Seventeen makeup was a very big problem for me because it meant my favourite "Tattoo Me" eyeliner was gone for good. Luckily, budget-friendly C.Y.O seem to have exactly the same product in their This Line's a Keeper eyeliner, which lasts FOREVER, or until you take it off with an oil-based makeup remover.
C.Y.O This Line's A Keeper Semi-Permanent Eyeliner, £5, available at Boots
I'm pretty sure this stuff is magic? As I get older I notice partying will wreak havoc on my skin the following day. Three days at a festival, then, is likely to leave me looking haggard af. This serum however has a remarkable ability to make my skin look as though I went to bed at 8pm after drinking six litres of water. I fully love it.
Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate, £49.50, available at Kiehl's
Sarah Raphael, Editor at Large
This sounds vain but whatever, I hate not being able to see my full face for four days at a festival. Mainly because my hair is always wild and I need to know what it's up to so I can try and plait it or tie it up if it's not 'working for me'. I like having a mirror that's bigger than a pocket, and this one is perfect because you get the whole face and hair in shot, and you can balance it against a sleeping bag, which means you can use two hands to apply Saturday's cat-eye. Festival style is stressful enough without having to do one-handed makeup in a tent.
Boots Folding Travel Mirror, £6, available at Boots
It's basically lip balm (feels nice and moisturising) but gives your lips a nice flattering tint. I put it on all night.
Korres Lip Butter In Wild Rose, £8.94, available at Korres
I use a tiny amount of glitter and only when I'm at Glastonbury (not at other festivals) because usually my friends have a fancy dress day – a few years ago it was unicorns so everyone was in wigs and pastel-coloured metallic bodysuits. One of my friends is a makeup artist and recommends a dab of Vaseline before a dab of glitter on your cheekbones.
Vaseline Lip Therapy Tin Original, £1.95, available at Boots
I really appreciate a good face wash and a good moisturiser at a festival, it makes waking up in a tent with a dehydrated face that bit more palatable. Even if I don't shower, I'll always get to the sink and do a full face wash as I would at home with an exfoliating scrub and a soothing moisturiser (decanted into little bottles from Boots). It's really refreshing.
Nip + Fab Glycolic Fix Foaming Facial Cleanser, £5.78, available at Amazon
MAC does this mineralised charged water spray in mini bottles especially for festivals. To be honest, I don't know what it does for your skin but it feels really refreshing in a sweaty crowd and I like to be the person who offers a refreshing face spray at a difficult moment.
MAC Mineralise Charged Water: Revitalising Energy, £19, available at MAC Cosmetics
Kara Kia, Editorial Intern
There are few things more uncomfortable than itchy, dry contacts when your favourite act is playing. I'll be carrying my trusty B + L artificial tears to keep my vision clear and comfortable all day.
Bausch + Lomb Soothe Eye Drops, £12.99, available at Amazon
I have oily skin, so these blotting papers are a lifesaver after a few hours under that beautiful British sun. They sop up all excess oil, keeping my skin shine-free and photo-ready.
Jolse Blotting Papers, £3.74, available at Jolse
I love having a bit of shimmer on my cheeks but I am not a fan of getting glitter all over my body, finding random specks all over my clothes, and taking multiple showers only to find even more materialising from the ether. Benefit's Hoola travel-size bronzer gives me shimmer without the sparkle and comes with a mini mirror and brush.
Benefit Hoola Travel Size, £12.50, available at Cult Beauty
I recently started using this Vaseline lip balm and I love it. It's tinted and moisturising without being sticky, plus it's in a flat tin which doesn't take up too much room in my micro cross-body.
Lulu Guinness Poppy Kissing Cameo Tinted Vaseline, £2.99, available at Lulu Guinness
I take lip care very seriously. After my moisturising lip balm, I add my (current) favourite K-beauty lip tint on top. The shade Sheer Delight brings out the pink tones in my lips, looks very natural and smells like watermelon.
Pony Effect Favourite Fluid Lip Tint In Sheer Delight, £8.39, available at Yesstyle
Liv Santner, Graphic & Photography Intern
It's a super balm! I put this on literally any part of my body that needs some moisture. It's all natural so my sensitive skin can deal with it, and it's multipurpose and very small, so doesn't take up room in the bag!
Suneeta London Superbalm, £2.50, available at Suneeta London
Makeup wipes are terrible for the environment and I never use them except at festivals! These guys are biodegradable and they actually feel so nice on your skin, not leaving it uncomfortable or burning.
Beauty Kitchen Abyssinian Oil Sustainable Beauty Wipes, £5.99, available at Beauty Kitchen
Sunscreen is an obvious must. This thick creme is made from natural anti-ageing ingredients and will protect you from the sun. It doubles as a moisturiser and is compact to save space.
Suneeta London Sunshine Cream Enriched With Raspberry Seed & Carrot Seed Oil, £8, available at Suneeta London
It's small, compact and hides under-eye bags that occur when you stay up dancing all night. You can't go wrong with this little concealer jar.
NYX Professional Makeup Dark Circle Concealer, £7, available at HQ Hair
This is refreshing, relieves redness and irritation while replenishing precious moisture – perfect when your face needs a little pick-me-up throughout the day.
PIXI Glow Mist, £16, available at Cult Beauty
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