What Beauty Products Should I Pack For A Festival?

Working out what to take to a festival, beauty-wise can be a blooming nightmare. Picture this, Glastonbury 2015 and me stuffing all of the beauty products I could ever need (for about 10 times longer than I'd actually be there) into the biggest wash bag you've ever seen (and in every spare space in the bag I packed). Long story short, I over packed and after heading to a couple of festivals since, I've narrowed down the products that you actually should think of bringing along. 

Keeping Clean

Keeping clean is a necessity, you're going to be camping for several days so it'll be worse than your usual day-to-day life. Some festivals have showers readily available. I went to Bilbao BBK festival this year and you could play €1 for the use of a regularly cleaned bathroom with toilets and showers. This was a dream as camping in hot and sticky weather made it a necessity. However if you're not so lucky, and you're at a festival a little more like Glastonbury then face wipes will become your new best friend. You'll need a few packs. In fact, this is something I think I'll forever overpack - but just imagine not having enough with you? As you'll be using a tonne each time, it can be worth just picking up some more affordable ones. My go-to for budget face wipes are the Superdrug Cleansing Facial Wipes*, £0.99. You get a lot in the pack and they're under a pound. You can't go wrong! If you're after something a little more specific from a better skincare brand then I'd recommend looking into the Burts Bees White Tea Facial Wipes, £5.99 the Dermalogica Precleanse Wipes*, £14.75 or the DHC Make Off Sheet*, £7.95. They are all great and a little better suited if you were to use it on your facial skin than the Superdrug ones.  

If you're still concious of your skin, the REN Anti Pollution Mist*, £24 is great for keeping your skin in tiptop condition all festival long - this was a saviour for my city break festival in Bilbao. It's refreshing, and great for post-cleansing if you don't want to just stick to face wipes (but great for it if you do too). I love bringing along minis of my favourites, like the Garnier Micellar Water, £1.99 and the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish, £6. Now it's not always possible to use them in the best way possible - I definitely never can get the hot water I'd prefer to wash my face with, but the product still works pretty well and is great for rescuing your skin in any meltdown.

On another note, I'd recommend picking up a pack of the Femfresh Pocket Wipes, £1.69 to keep your ahem, downstairs fresh all festival long. They usually have some fun designed packets that add to the festival spirit too. 

Keep a hand sanitiser on you at ALL times. You'll need this after you see the state of the loos. I mean I know everyone says they're bad, but once you see them... Oh boy. You'll be slathering the stuff on like you've never done before. I always chop and change with the hand bac I use, but this time I've been using the Superdrug Strawberry Antibacterial Hand Gel*, £1.25. It's a bargain, it smells delicious and it works a treat. Bring a mini hand cream along too, I always find my hands feeling super dry at festivals (probably from the excessive antibac gel I'm using) so a hand cream is a must-have. The Crabtree & Evelyn La Source Hand Therapy Hand Cream*, £6 was my go-to this year for urgent hand hydration. 

After you've had a wipe down and got dressed. You're going to want to give yourself an extra spritz with a little something something (or just a fragrance, who knows) to make sure you're smelling your very best. I usually take a tonne of the impulse sprays with me but honestly I'm not too much of a fan of the scents. This year I opted for the Crabtree & Evelyn Pomegranate, Argan & Grapeseed Body Mist*, £15 as it smells blooming incredible. It's a super refreshing and fruity scent, perfect for giving you a postive fragrance boost in the morning (and throughout the day, cause you know, festivals). 

Makeup

One of the best things about a festival is the fun you can have with your makeup. You can wear things that you may want to give a go but may have never been brave enough to wear in day-to-day life and it's so much fun (you know I just mean glitter, all day every day, everywhere). Colour is one. Glitter of course is another. And if you go wrong, you don't really have to worry about it too much (though the DHC Olive Virgin Oil Cotton Swabs*, £5.50 are perfect for this - and they're individually wrapped so perfect for travelling with). 

My go-to festival glitter is always from Topshop. They have the most beautiful range of glitter, and I always find myself going back to pick up another shade pre-festival. It's easy to apply, just dab on some of their glitter glue and pop the glitter on top. And your festival makeup look instantly looks a billion times better. A glitter liner also works incredibly. Check out our team reviews of the glitter liners we at Get The Gloss gave ago for the best. If that's not enough, I also really recommend giving Glitter Lips*, £12.50 a go. Maybe leave this one for day-wear but after you've finished your dinner, pop back to your tent and slap some of this on. It looks INCREDIBLE. 

Glitter aside, the days at a festival are long and you need your makeup to last. You don't want to be having to head back to your tent in the middle of the day because your liner isn't quite on your eye anymore and is in fact half way down your cheek. The Clarins Waterproof Cream Eyeshadows*, £18 were my absolute favourite for this. I love a smokey eye, no matter how subtle it may be and these are a god send. They can be worn on their own or can be used as a base for something a little more intense. If you want your mascara to last a little longer (and not to be rinsed off in the pouring ran - Glastonbury, I'm looking at you) then the Clarins Double Fix Mascara*, £20 is a god send - it can also double up as a clear brow gel to keep your brows in place too. 

Saving space is an essential, and if you've got a multi-use palette in your stash then I'd recommend popping that one in your bag. I've fallen in love with the Clarins Summer Bronzing and Blush Compact*, £30 since bringing it with me to Glastonbury. I'm usually a total bronzer-phobe but after welcoming this into my life it has changed everything. The compact not only looks beautiful, but what's inside is just as incredible two. It features 3 bronzer shades including a gorgeous shimmer shade and one beautiful peachy blush shade too. When used together the shades look incredible and I've been using this all summer long too - so that's just a bonus. 

Hair 

I feel like dry shampoo goes without saying. I used to love the John Frieda Volume Dry Shampoo but it's since been discontinued leaving me with a hole in my heart for a new favourite dry shampoo to be welcomed into my life. Currently I'm loving the Colab Dry Shampoo, £3.49. It is the best I've tried lately and is the one I'm forever packing in my festival bag, but it's just not quite as good as the other so I'm still on the hunt for a new favourite. 

You'll want to tie your hair back when it gets a bit too much (or a bit too dirty) and I love using something fun and colourful for this while at a festival. The Oh! K Ribbon Hair Ties*, £5 are super cute, and they don't leave any horrible dents in your hair. The Oh! K Spiral Hair Ties*, £6 are also great if you're an invisibobble fan. They are super pretty flecks of glitter inside and I'm obsessed. 

Adding colour to your hair is also a super fun thing to do. I've got blonde ends which makes adding a hint of colour a lot easier and this year I've been obsessed with the Pixi Lott Paint Hair Colour Chalks* £4.99 and the Pixi Lott Paint Hair Hi-Light Pens*, £2.99. If you're after something a little quicker then I'd recommend the Superdrug coloured hair sprays. My favourite is the Superdrug Coloured Hair Spray in Purple*, £2.99. 

Adding a little something fun into your usual beauty routine is what it's all about. If you want to cover your face in glitter, do it. If you want to add that colour into your eye look that you've been dying to try, do it. A festival is fun and so should your beauty (just make sure you don't pack too much. You'll regret it once you're carrying your incredibly heavy bag on the way there). 

What are your festival beauty essentials? 

Lorna x

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Beauty prepping for a holiday or festival

When you're off on holiday (or to a festival), the last thing you want to be worrying about is your nails chipping or your leg hair growing a bit too long. You want to spend your time relaxing and having fun and there truely is nothing worse than getting there (potentially in the burning heat) and realising you haven't shaved your legs. Ergo, a trip to the bathroom, and probably a quick fix speedy job and while sitting by the pool, you notice a patch of hair. Blooming nightmare.

Hair removal

For my legs, I'm all about epilation. If you're a waxing kinda gal, then go for that. But for me, epilation is easy, and after a a few goes, not all that painful at all. I've gone through a few epilators in my time, but my go-to for pre-prepping has to be the Braun Silk-epil 9 SkinSpa Wet and Dry Epilator & Exfoliator*, £119.99. This one does it all and is perfect for your pamper session. It has a selection of heads, I use the exfoliation heads in the shower before hand, sometimes with an exfoliator for a more abrasive scrub but if I'm after something a little more gentle then I'll just opt for the shower gel I'm currently using. I know it seems like a lot, but trust me, if you know you're going to use it, it's well worth investing in a great epilator as it will save you time, save you money in the long run and it will also make the whole experience a whole lot more bareable as you'll actually use it. For topping up when I'm travelling, my favourite is the Phillips Satinelle Wet and Dry Epilator with 9 attachments*, £200. It's more of a slick model, and fits better into my travel beauty bag. The model is just as good and it works in the same way, so I'd highly recommend this one too. Honestly, I chop and change which one I use depending on which is charged as they are both as great as each other. You can pick up some great deals, so do keep your eyes peeled for these.

If you're not up for getting on the epilation bandwagon, and you're all for shaving (I still do this everywhere else) then I'd recommend giving the Philips SatinShave Prestige Ladyshave Wet and Dry*, £70 a go. This electric razor is perfect for using all over the body, my go-to for the hair removal on the bikini line. It leaves a really close shave and that's something you really want when you're off on holiday. I then make sure I've got my Gilette Venus Swirl Flexiball Razor*, £11.99 for when I'm away for any touch ups. 

 If you are however looking to invest in an epilator, both of the favourites I mentioned above also come with a razor head that give the same effect as the Philips electric razor, so no need to pick up both unless you're looking for an added extra. 

Nails 

If I'm heading away, I swear by getting gel nails done. I've been abroad before with a normal mani, and the nail polish would just peel off and I'd reapply, but the same would happen. The Red Carpet Manicure Gel Polish Pro Kit*, £90 allows you to get this at home without having to make time to book in a trip to the salon. The price seems a lot, but when you really think about it, it's really only a couple of trips to the salon and you've made your money up. The Red Carpet range comes with a huge range of shades, but my top picks this summer are from the 'Escape to Paradise' range. These are super bright neon shades, and they look incredible with a tan. If you're heading to a festival however, non-chipped beautiful coloured nails will be a god-send and if it's a Glastonbury-esque festival, then you'll be thankful you can't see the dirt under your nails... 

After a couple of goes using the range, I got the hang of it and now I'm hooked on having these longer lasting nails.

Skin 

Before I head away, I always try and give my skin a bit of a pamper. This usually consists of a cleanser, an exfoliator, a few masks and some under eye masks, finishing with my usual serums/oils/moisturisers. This is such an essential part of holiday prepping for me, as it is just the beginning of the relaxation. I won't talk specifics, but you'll know what products work for you when you have a pamper - so crack those out and you'll thank me.

 What do you do to prep for a holiday or a festival?

Lorna x

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Why The Models Own Makeup Collection Is Truly Incredible

Models Own do incredible nail polishes, right? I’ve used them for years and they’ve been a staple in my beauty collection ever since the first day I tried them. From the incredible colour range, to the cool yet simple packaging and straight through the amazing and pigmented formula that actually lasts. I remember around 5 years ago stocking up in their 50% off sale online, and struggling to hold myself back from buying the whole collection. I had a nail polish thing, and Models Own was right up they’re egging me on.

With the incredible nail polish formula, and well, that being what they’re all about – I mean think about their amazing bottle shops (I could only dream of visiting one when I was in my  ‘need-to-stock-up’ era in case miraculously they stopped selling) but never did I think they’d be able to pull off creating a makeup range as incredible… Nor did I even think they would ever try to.

Oh how wrong I was. They’ve only blooming gone and done it. Models Own have launched a makeup collection with over 500 new products – and its incredible!

Now I can’t say I’ve tried every product in the range, in fact I feel like it might be a little bit OTT if I did – but after trying a pretty big range from the collection, I’ve got a great scope into what Models Own are trying to do and how amazingly they’re doing it.

I feel like I’m getting to gushy up in here, but when you find something I really love, especially such an affordable collection like this, I just have to tell you about it. This post isn’t sponsored, I’m just a really really big fan…

The collection has everything you could need or want to give a go. For base I gave a couple of the Sculpt & Glow products a go. The Models Own Sculpt & Glow Contouring Bronzing Powder*, £8.99 was incredibly pigmented but so buttery and easy to blend seamlessly into the skin. I’ve been using this to add a touch of a beach bronze glow this summer and it truly is becoming a favourite. To add a touch more of a bronzey glow, the Models Own Sculpt & Glow Liquid Highlighter*, £9.99 is perfect. It’s the biggest blooming tube of highlighter I’ve literally ever seen in my life, so if you want to get on the all-over-face highlighter challenge (or you just want your highlighter to last a bit longer than usual) then this will be your guy. It’s incredibly pigmented, easy to build and blend out too. I’ve got the darker shade ‘Bronze Glow’, which is perfect for adding a bit of a glossy dewy glow but I’m already eyeing up the shade ‘Brilliance’ for the rest of the year. 

I’ve tried a few new release blush sticks lately, but honestly they’ve all been a little lack lustre and just don’t really do all that much. The Models Own Rock’n’rosy Blusher Stick*, £6.99 couldn’t be further from that. The pigmentation is intense and a little goes a long way meaning it will last for a long time. I’ve got the shade Peach Pop and it’s the perfect peachy coral shade for this time of year. It’s brightening and gives a beautiful pop of colour when blended onto the cheeks.

Onto eyes, and if you’ve been around here for a while then you’ll know that I’m pretty neutral when it comes to my usual eye look. I have about a 50 billion nude/brown/neutral/natural eyeshadow palettes in my collection and rarely do I ever break out of that mould… But when this collection arrived on my doorstep, there was just something that made me feel as though I wanted to try something new. I’ve got the Models Own Eyeshadow Palette in Sweet Dreams*, £14.99 and this is the perfect palette to add to your collection if you’re like me, afraid of colour but want to give it a go. The pigmentation is great, they blend out well and I’m hooked. Obviously eyeing up some of the more natural palettes now (‘Supernatural’, I’m looking at you!).

For eyeliner, and as much as I used to be hooked on the stuff, I rarely wear it anymore and if I do – I’ll usually opt for a pen liner flick but I gave the Models Own  I-Definer Kajal Kohl Liner*, £7.99 and I could finally see what I’ve been missing. This is a super pigmented black kohl liner; it blends incredibly and is the perfect addition to a smokey eye. It lasts pretty well too!

I never thought I’d give a coloured liner a go. I used to buy the Barry M ones when I was younger as a kind of Pokemon-esque ‘gotta catch em all’ kind of thing, but I don’t actually remember wearing any of them. Probably for the best, that bright pink liner probably would have made me look as though I have pink eye… But the Models Own I-Definer Kohl Pencil Eyeliner in Electric Indigo*, £5.99 just did something to me. I kept swatching it wondering if I’d be able to pull it off, and after a few days (and about a million swatches) I gave it a go. This liner is the most beautiful shade of blue I’ve ever seen. Now if I’m honest, blue really isn’t my colour… But when it’s as beautiful as this shade, who blooming cares. It’s the most pigmented electric blue with a very subtle hint of shimmer that makes it glow as though it’s a gem. It’s so beautiful and when applied as an addition to a black liner across the under eye or as an addition to the black liner flick – it looks gorgeous. It can be smudged easily and layered for added pigment.

Onto lips and of course they have the usual lipstick in the bullet. The Models Own Luxestick Velvet Lipstick*, £7.99 is super hydrating and incredibly pigmented. I’m not the biggest fan of the shade I’ve got as I just can’t really pull off a bright pink but with a formula like this, I’m already eyeing up some of the other shades. But as good as this is, it’s not what’s made me fall in love with the Models Own lipstick collection. If you’ve ever wanted to be able to create a lipstick shade to perfectly finish off your look, quickly and easily then you’ll be just as excited as I was to see the OCC Lip Tar dupe, the Models Own Lip Gunk Lip Paint kits in metallic and gloss have got me so excited. Each shade comes with a small lip brush and metal tray to easily blend shades together to create the exact shade your looking for. With bright reds, purples, pinks, blacks, blues and many more – this collection of products are so dreamy. I’ve got a bright red and a metallic blue and I’m obsessed. It allows me to create my ideal purple shades or deeper red – and I’m always testing to see what colour I’ll make next. They are incredibly pigmented and last incredibly so you don’t have to worry too much about making the same shade on the go.

I’m hooked on this new range and I can’t help but ogle the rest of the collection. Next on my list are the blusher palettes, colour chrome eyeshadow kits, and probably the rest of the Lip Gunk shades. I’ve also spied the new Models Own Polish For Tans collection – and I’ve not given it a go so I can’t say if it’s as good as the other polishes, but it’s definitely worth a quick look if you’re heading on holiday (or just want to feel as though you are)!

Lorna x

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The Makeup Collection You Need This Summer

Rarely do I ever get won over by a makeup collection and if I do, it's generally solely by the packaging. But the Clarins Sunkissed Summer Makeup Collection is so much more than that. Not only is the packaging beautiful, but what's inside is what really counts here and it's been getting me through the summer like nothing else. 

I'm not usually one for bronzer, however this summer something's changed in me and I'm all about getting that bronze glow. In fact, the same used to be said about a coloured blush - although now I can't get enough of a subtle pink flush to the cheeks. My go-to beauty product this summer for both of this is the Clarins Limited Edition Bronzing & Blush Compact*, £30. It's the most beautiful compact I've seen in a while but the inside is what gets me going back again and again. The compact features 3 bronzer shades and one peachy apricot blush. It's glowy, it's bronzy, and it leaves you looking as though you've just stepped off the beach - and that's a winner in my books. It's pigmented and easy to blend and honestly? I can't say a bad word about it. With all of the shades in one, it's been my go-to palette for travelling and popping in my bag to top up that beachy glow, on-the-go.  

During the summer, not only do I want a beachy tanned glow, but I want my makeup to last! The Clarins Limited Edition Waterproof Eyeshadow Shimmering Cream Colour*, £18 and the Clarins Double Fix Mascara*, £20 are perfect for this. The cream colour eyeshadows are the perfect all over the lid metallic eyeshadow base, they can be used on their own, blended together or used as part of your eyeshadow look. I took these on holiday with me, to Glastonbury too and honestly they were a god send as they really did last. The same could be said about the Double Fix Mascara. I fall in love with certain mascaras and I hate it when the waterproof formula just isn't quite the same and this product gets around that. It's a mascara topper and it makes what you've already applied last that bit longer too. 

These are perfect for packing for your holiday, or even perfect for packing for any festival you've got coming up as they really do what they are supposed to. A luxury favourite that's really worth spending a few extra pennies on. Highly recommend!

Lorna x

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