Despite the rain and grey skies, festival season is upon us! As hippies and music lovers flock to Somerset for the start of Glastonbury today, we’re sharing our festival survival guide. Whether you’re setting up camp in a muddy field or are more of the glamping type, we hope these tips will come in handy when packing your essentials. Four days without a shower will seem like a total breeze after you’ve read our top ten tips
1. Braids. Plaits or braids are definitely having their moment, and we can see why! They are the perfect way to keep hair off your face whilst still looking gorgeous. Long lasting and the messier they look the better for boho vibes. If you want some braiding inspiration check out missysueblog or amberfillerup on Instagram, they are the Queens of braids and have some fab tutorials over on Youtube.
Double Dutch braid. Image credit: missysueblog -Instagram.
Image credit: amberfillerup – Instagram.
2. Blowdry. If you were to opt for a blowdry go on the day you head to the festival, as our Head of Styling Joanna shares, “a good blow dry should last at least 4 days” – perfect amount of time to get you through a festival. Take dry shampoo but limit too much product on the hair to avoid it becoming greasy. On the final day you could add in some glitter or hair paint to try something different, at least you know you’ll be able to wash it out when you get home that day!
Coachella girls, 2016. Image credit: Pinterest.
Glitter hair. Image credit: Pinterest.
3. Gel manicure. This durable option for nails is perfect for a festival manicure. Choose a bright colour and show off your nails! Book in a nail appointment with us at our Kensington salon where we use CND for a gel option or Essie polishes for a regular manicure, we have lots of colours to choose from!
Colourful selection of our Essie nail polish range at aer.
Image credit: Pinterest.
4. Accessories. Accessorise with temporary tattoos, floral headcrowns, layered necklaces and bold makeup. Festivals are the time to experiment with your look and just have fun. There really are no rules and it’s a chance to let loose and enjoy yourself.
Kendall Jenner layering necklaces with glitter in her hair at Coachella 2016. Image credit: Pinterest.
Image credit: The flower crown is a classic choice for festival headwear. Pinterest.
5. Baby wipes. Essential for removing that stubborn glitter eye shadow at 5am and also useful if you’re not one for braving the communal showers!
6. Pop up mirror. This will be your best friend because relying on your iPhone camera as a mirror just won’t do!
7. Hoody. For when the temperature drops later on, it will be worth packing an extra layer.
Image credit: Pinterest
8. Always be prepared for rain. We know it doesn’t sound fun but pack appropriate wet weather gear; mac, wellies, caps, coats… They may be heavy to carry but trust us you won’t regret bringing them when it comes to the unpredictable British weather!
Image credit: Pinterest
9. Snacks. Don’t forget to stay hydrated, drink plenty of water and take a flask with you to fill up when you can. You’ll be grateful in the morning! High protein energy snacks are also good to stock up on. Energy balls or even a handful of nuts to snack on will keep you going. After all that dancing you’ll need to recharge.
10. Polaroid camera. Instead of draining your phone battery uploading to Instagram, experiment by taking retro style polaroids you can frame at home or send to friends.
We hope this post will come in useful if you’re heading to a festival this summer. Check out this if you want the lowdown on the UK’s best festivals, and remember don’t forget to pack your wellies!
Words by Sophie Halbert.