With the festival season and Summer months creeping up fast, I thought I’d share a few of my favourite makeup tips and tricks that help you look and feel super Summery whatever…even if the weather’s telling you otherwise (fellow UK/ Ireland people, you know!)! Let’s get straight in to it…
✖(So Many!) Alternative uses for lip liners and liquid lipsticks…
Can’t find a bold enough eye liner in the shade you’re looking for? Don’t be afraid of experimenting with products purposed for elsewhere! (Important to note: A lot of lip products aren’t ‘tested for the eye area’…that doesn’t mean you can’t or it’s unsafe to do so, but of course use your own judgement and use with caution)
You can use liquid formulas as liquid liner or for dot/ design work with a fine brush ( I really like the MYKITCO. 1.22 Pro My Feliner Brush* for extra precision for anything like that) and I like using them as a base for eyeshadow or even just buffed and blown out as an eyeshadow in it’s own right! You could try any formula you like, but in my opinion in both shade range and the way they blend out…the Kat Von D Beauty Everlasting Liquid Lipsticks (UK* / IE*) take some beating!
Lipliners make great eyeliners to smoke up a look or add an interesting pop of colour in the waterline! You want to find something soft and smooth to apply (a lot of lip liners can be too waxy which can tug and irritate) and long wearing, preferably waterproof if you’ll be wearing it in the waterline especially. The best ones I’ve found for this so far are the Kat Von D Beauty Everlasting Lip Liners (UK* / IE*) or Urban Decay have a brilliant range of shades between eye and lip liners in their 24/7 Glide On range too (UK* / IE*).
✖Same goes for eye products on your lips…
Use a matte pigment or shadow (even blush) patted over lipstick to matte it down and create a cool suede/ velvet textured lip. Metallic loose pigments (the one’s from Inglot are cruelty free and there’s loads of duo chromes and cool, interesting shades available), pressed metallic shadows and glitters are brilliant for adding dimension and creating custom lip shades!
✖Next level metallic…
I’m obsessed with the Mehron Metallic Powders…of course you can use any metallic pigments with a mixing medium, but these are super finely milled and give another level of molten metallic goodness. I use them on faces (eyes and lips included) and bodies to create intricate details/ designs and they’re great for adding a different eye catching twist to a makeup without glitter (I love a bit of glitter, but not everyone does!). You can mix them with the Mehron Mixing Liquid for a water based metallic liquid paint effect (and extra staying power) or with clear lip gloss (for wet look metallic, this can be sticky/ not for long wear but amazing for pics!) or any mixing medium you have/ want. A little goes a long way with these!
✖Customise those lashes…
A great way to use glitter (again if you don’t fancy it on your actual face/ eyeballs), gems and colour! Also a pre customised lash is an easy addition to festival up your existing makeup if you’re short on time or not feeling confident doing anything else…and a way to amp up your look if you’re already pretty extra with your festival look and love more is more!
Experiment with bottom lashes too…if you don’t want to apply a full set, take an old pair and get chopping for easier to apply accent lashes that look really effective and cool with a strong eye look!
✖Highlight like you mean it…
You all probably know by now how much of a highlighter fan I am, as I know are a lot of you too! There’s nothing like a bit of a glow to improve your mood (and face!). I usually like something buildable that I can apply minimally for a naturally healthy sheen or build up to full on glow, mood dependent and I do like a more neutral tone day to day too to give shine rather than any colour. One of my favourite highlight formulas around is definitely from Ofra, there’s a shade for everyone and they give a glow that’s hard to beat. Not glittery either which is what I prefer. When you’re talking festival highlight though, why not experiment with something a bit different.
There’s loads of unusual and pretty highlighter shades around now that can really add to your festival vibe. Duo chromes, different colour shifts…I love the Kat Von D Beauty Alchemist Highlight Palette (UK* / IE*) for this, perfect! Wet your brush with setting spray before applying your highlighter too for an extra pop and don’t just stop at your face…shoulders, collar bone…anywhere you like! Highlights like this can be used as toppers over eyeshadow and lip products too to customise looks even further!
✖Get frecked…
Wether you’re naturally blessed with freckles, end up covering them with your base and want to add them back in or you don’t have them and just want to fake some of your own…freckles can summer up any makeup look and look cute as part of a festival makeup!
You can go as bold as you dare (using colour, glitter and gems) or for a natural and believable sprinkle! I do have some freckles naturally and I don’t really try to cover them, but they just do when I wear a fuller coverage foundation…I’ll sometimes use a brown ink eyeliner (Kat Von D Tattoo Liner in Mad Max Brown (UK* / IE*) is good) or brow pomade on a small brush to paint my freckles back in. It just gives the illusion of less makeup and a fresher complexion. Another good way to do it is to load up a spoolie (a clean tooth brush will have the same effect) with a deeper tone foundation or liquid brow colour and flick it on to your skin after makeup in the same way you would doing a paint splatter design on paper. You can use this method with false tan too if you want your frecs to last the weekend and/ or don’t like to wear a lot/ or any foundation…they’ll develop as tan does and hang around a lot longer than makeup as well as being waterproof!
I was scrolling Instagram the other day and saw that one of my fave cruelty free peeps (and peeps in general!) @jessicahazemua had a really cool natural freckle technique that I’ll definitely be trying! Along with using Get Frecked (an actual freckle purpose pen – similar to my ink liner technique above) to darken larger individual freckles, she used Kevin Murphy Retouch Me in Light Brown which is a tinted root touch up spray for hair and she said it gave a very realistic freck in real life which I’d definitely agree with, they look amazing…I’ll link her specific post here go peep it. They do look very natural and I’ll absolutely be giving her method a go!
However you choose to get frecked, the key is to keep it as random as possible to stop it looking too done. Bold or more natural, you can always use a few different shades too which’ll give your sun kissed skin more dimension!
✖Last but not least, glitter…
I don’t really need to say more here, but I’m going to anyway haha. Glitter’s always a festival favourite and there’s so many ways to use it! Short of bathing in it, you can… incorporate it in to your eye makeup, patted over your lips, in your hair, anywhere on your face and body…options are limitless, just be prepared to find glitter everywhere you look forever more and probably ingest more that you’d think you would haha. Anyway you know this/ how to use glitter (I have a whole other blogpost on it here)…my tips for glitter is more so to do with removal!
Use oil based cleanser! If you use regular cleanser/ anything like Micellar water, it actually attracts glitter back to the skin so you’ve be there forever and end up irritating your skin…not good! I use Superdrug B. Effective Stubborn Makeup Remover and you can even use coconut oil too (as you pretty much can for absolutely anything else in the world if what Pinterest tells you is anything to go by!).
Before I do go in with an oil based remover, I always try to blot off any excess glitter (works well for chunky or fine glitter) with some scotch tape…you’d be surprised how much comes off and then it’s less to cleanse off and find everywhere. I use tape for picking up any rogue bits of glitter too without disturbing the rest of my or my client/ model’s makeup! Keep your tape handy for a quick and easy eyeliner guide or template for body/ face paint designs too…if you’re using it on your face, just press it against your hand first to take off the harsh tack that’ll pull at your skin (especially around that delicate eye area!) before sticking it in place.
And there you go…a few of my tips and tricks when it comes to festival makeup. I haven’t been to a festival in ages (my last one was Oxegen 2009 in Ireland!), I’m more about gigs/ concerts (LOVE them!) then sleeping in a comfy bed after, let’s be real haha!
What are your favourite festivals to go to and do you have any planned for this year??
Lyd x
PLEASE NOTE:
I’m now based in Cork, Ireland. Although I do still take select bookings for North Wales/ Cheshire and Dublin (get in touch for more info) and am available to travel country wide…I’m mainly taking makeup bookings for Cork City and surrounding areas.
As a bridal makeup specialist, I do get booked up well in advance so if you’re looking for wedding makeup in Cork contact me asap to check availability, secure your date and avoid disappointment! I’m freelance and travel to your home/ venue of choice.
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