BEAUTY ESSENTIALS - Music Festival Edition

Music festival season is upon us! Coachella is right around the corner! While I'm not personally a fan of that scene (I prefer smaller indoor venues), I think I know which makeup products can stand up to the sweat and sun. Well, at least some better than others!

My Picks for a Heat-Resistant Look

I'm by no means a professional makeup artist, but I have been doing my own makeup for a long time and spent many summers in the very hot and humid city of Hong Kong. If makeup products aren't chosen carefully, you can end up with a smudgy mess in less than an hour. To add to that, I have an oily t-zone, stick straight eyelashes, and pretty oily hooded eyelids. On these tougher weather days, I prefer to be really low-maintenance. We lowly humans are no match for the sun!

The easiest thing for me to suggest is that you don't wear any makeup at all and just wear sunscreen and keep reapplying throughout the day. But that's not gonna happen, right? Haha! Makeup or no makeup, make sure you stay hydrated and keep reapplying that sunscreen! My personal favorite is Trader Joe's Face & Body Sunscreen with SPF 30 (only available in stores, $5.99).

Frankly, if it's near or over 100°F degrees outside, I don't know if there's any amount of primer or setting spray that can help you looking like you just did your makeup. You're very likely going to have your sunnies on anyway. Make sure you kick back and enjoy the music and the company of your friends!

I have linked my product recommendations to where you can purchase them.

FACE

Let's start off with the face. If the weather is warm but not sweltering, I would recommend a mineral powder foundation with SPF. At least on me, it doesn't seem to wear off in large amounts like liquid foundations do when I'm out in the heat. I like Bare Minerals Matte Foundation in Fairly Light N10 as it is very sheer.

Bare Minerals Matte Foundation in Fairly Light N10

You can certainly go ahead and use your regular liquid foundation with SPF but make sure that regardless of what type of foundation you use, apply a setting spray at the end to keep everything in place.

I mostly sweat in my t-zone more than my cheeks so I have no real issues with powder vs cream blushes. I personally stick with powdered blushes. I would think that since you'll have a flushed look from the sun anyway, just a light touch of blush would do.

Essence Silky Touch Blush in Babydoll

I'm really loving Essence Silky Touch Blush in Babydoll. It's super affordable and you just need a light tap of it on your cheeks to get the most lovely pink flush. (Oops, I forgot to include this with the group pic above!)

EYES

For eyes, I think keeping it simple with neutral shades would be best since it won't be as noticeable if it does wear off. Start off with an eyeshadow primer like Urban Decay Primer Potion to help lock down the shadows.

Urban Decay Primer Potion

A new tip I discovered is after laying down your base eyeshadow color, use a dark eyeliner pencil and trace over your upper lid. This can be any color, but I personally have black, navy, purple, and green. I like darker colors closer to my eyelashes. Gently pat your chosen color eyeshadow over the liner and just make sure everything looks blended and finish the rest of your eye look. The point is for your eyeshadow to have something else to grab onto and this opens up more options if you prefer to have a pop of color.

If you'd rather go for a winged liner look over your eyes, I highly recommend Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Eye Liner. The liner gel comes in a little pot with a small brush. This stuff applies like a dream and lasts all day on me.

Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Eye Liner in Blackest Black

I use the shade Blackest Black and it's super opaque! I used this when I did my own makeup for my engagement photoshoot and Chinese wedding banquet and it did not budge or transfer.

Here's my favorite part: mascara! Find your favorite waterproof mascara and it will be your best friend that day. The mixture of oil and sweat is a guarantee for regular mascara to get smudgy on the lower lids. My favorite waterproof mascara is CoverGirl's Lash Blast 24hr. It holds my curled lashes instantly and dries super fast. You just need a little patience at the end of the evening when gently removing it with waterproof makeup remover.

CoverGirl Lash Blast 24hr Mascara in Very Black

I've put many waterproof mascaras to the test and the Lash Blast 24hr has become by HG--no smudges here! Others were great after a couple of hours but would still smudge by the end of the work/school day. The weird thing about this mascara is that nowhere on packaging does it say it's waterproof, but trust me, it is! I still see this mascara in drugstores but not in very large amounts. I can't find any listings on the usual online retailers so I'm going to recommend the original CG Lash Blast in Waterproof since so many people love it. If you can find the 24hr mascara in stores, I highly suggest you snatch it up!

LIPS

There are lots of options out there for long-lasting lip colors. The most low maintenance one I can recommend is the Maybelline SuperStay 24 Hour Lip Color. They may not have the most "fun" color selection but they get the job done. Apply a thin coat of liquid color first, wait one minute for it to dry, then apply the balm from the other end to give a semi-glossy finish. You can reapply the balm throughout the day as it wears off, but don't reapply the actual color as it can get clumpy mixing with your first coat.

Maybelline SuperStay 24hr Lip Color in 100 Very Cranberry

I've used these for long work days when I had to attend conferences and fairs on hot days and they held up. I only reserve these for times when I really don't have time to look at a mirror let alone do any touch ups. I know the color is still there even after eating and drinking. I do not advise you use Super Stay for more than a couple days at a time. They do dry out your lips so make sure you condition your lips before and after. I made the mistake of buying way too many thinking I would use them everyday. I thought it was so amazing to not have to worry about the color wearing off. For removal, you can put a little olive oil or coconut oil on a cotton ball and hold it against your lips. The prolonged contact with the oil will break down the long-wear lip color.

If my suggestion above is too drying for you, Revlon Colorburst Balm Stains are another great option. They apply like a lip balm but leave a lovely stain on your lips once the semi-glossy coat has worn off. I love that there are a variety of fun shades to choose from and range from light to dark.

My Fave Lazy-Girl Shade in Honey from the Revlon Colorburst Balm Stain Line

I raved about this Revlon lippie in my previous MLBB post.

THE FINAL TOUCH

Lastly, finish off your look with a few spritzes of a setting spray. I use Make Up For Ever's Mist & Fix.

MUFE Mist & Fix

There is also Urban Decay's All Nighter that works well and lots of people love it. If you prefer a drugstore option, I've heard great things about L'Oreal's Infallible Pro-Spray & Set Makeup Extender Setting Spray. Settings sprays help lock down your makeup and you will need it for these hot days!

WHAT TO PACK

Here are the things I would pack in a small makeup bag for the big music festival day:

• Travel-size sunscreen
• Lip balm with SPF
• Hand sanitizer
• Mini vial of perfume or mini deodorant for a quick freshen up
• Lip color used that day
• A small mirror
• A hair tie
• Pack of tissues
• Pack of blotting tissues
• Pack of makeup remover wipes to freshen up for when things get really grimey 

I've been hearing really great things about Epielle Cleansing Tissues over the past couple of years from G. at Nouveau Cheap. I picked some up at Big Lots for 80 cents last weekend when they were having 20% off. I realized that not only do these remove makeup really well but they can be used to wipe your hands if hand-washing isn't convenient. I would imagine it's not at outdoor festivals! Any kind of gentle wipes should suffice.

Epielle Green Tea Cleansing Tissues

If you don't want to take the entire pack, you can stick a few inside a Ziploc bag. Remember, you're traveling light that day!

I hope these tips are helpful for you whether you're attending a music festival or working an outdoor event. You can always test drive these products before the actual event day to see how it works with you.

Do you have any music festivals lined up? What are some heat-resistant/sweat-resistant products you've used and love? Let me know in the comments below!