So the festival season is well and truly upon us with V Festival taking place in Chelmsford this weekend, Reading and Leeds Festivals happening next weekend, Bestival starting on the 9th September and of course all the other local festivals happening in your area over the next few weeks. If you are anything like me and a little bit of a festival newby (this being my second festival experience) i thought i would write about the essentials - which i believe you shouldn't head to a festival without - to keep you looking tip top all weekend!
1. Outfits - My first festival was a bit of a fashion nightmare! I spent most of the weekend looking like a homeless boy due to the unexpected leading me to believe that you take rubbish clothes which you can mess up as much as possible. This is not the case!!!! This year i have put together outfits which are light to carry and comfortable to wear for an entire day! I have chosen an outfit for each day, wearing the heaviest items on my travels so i don't have to endure any uncessary weight whilst carrying my bags to the campsite!
I have also packed a warm hoodie to sleep in and some spair leggings, top and dress in case of any emergency!
After all this nasty British weather recently, i have invested in a khaki parka jacket from Very.co.uk. Not only is it fitting with this season hottest new colours, it goes with all of my outfits, again it is light and comfortable and it will keep me warm and dry should the skies decide to open upon us!
2. Beauty - I think it's important to still look as good as possible even though you may be without showers, hairstraightners and all the usual day to day electrics to keep us in top shape. I don't mean taking an extra bag dedicated to beauty products - you're there to have fun, not spend the whole day getting ready! Keep make-up products to as few as possible. Concealer, Foundation, Eyeliner, Eyeshadow and Mascara are my choices. These are all small enough to carry lightly and easily. When it comes to hair i couldn't venture away from my home comforts without a dry shampoo. My favourite is Andrew Barton Dry Shampoo as it makes my hair grease free and has a lovely vanilla fragrance. This should save your locks for at least 2 days, however after this i may recommend wearing a hat or a headscarf. I paint my nails almost every day. I hate having naked nails and this weekend will be no exception! I'm opting for a nude pink colour to provide a natural look rather than anything to OTT and it matches all my clothes so i dont experience any clashing! I will take a clear varnish with me to apply overcoats to try and prevent chipping as much as possible! Another benefit to painting nails over a festival weekend is that it hides any dirt which may start to appear under your nails! If that's not a top tip - i dont know what is!
3. Accessories - It may just be me, but not being a particularly "boho" person in real life, a few days living in a field can change me from the girliest of girls to eco green hippy in an instant! I don't tend to load up on accessories when i go away as they are often the heaviest part of my luggage and i don't want to risk losing any of my treasured possetions this weekend! With this in mind, this weekend i shall be taking;
1. Oui Oui Earrings - ElsieBelle
2. Peacock Feathered Headband - Primark
3. Satchel - Very.co.uk
4. Purple Headscarf - H&M (We are talking years ago so may not be available)
5. Cowboy Hat - to be purchased on site as i ran out of shopping time!
4. Hygiene - Noone likes to talk the nitty gritty of personal hygiene, so i'll keep this section short and sweet! Remember the option of showers may be limited where you go. You can purchase solar showers which warm up during the day (providing there is sunshine of course) however one of my funniest memories of last year is watching a couple of my friends try to use this wonderful device and without much luck!! Therefore i advise to stock up on hundreds of baby wipes to use instead! If they are good enough for babies then they're good enough for us! You can pick these up from your local supermarket for next to nothing for about 90 wipes! They also can be doubled up as cleansing wipes to remove make-up after a long day of partying!
Hand Sanitiser - this is super important! The toilets i have experienced tend to have sanitiser units, but remember - if these run out you will have nothing to clean your hands with and being in a field with thousands of other party goers - this would not be pleasant!!! Hand santiser is available pretty much everywhere these days and comes in a small bottle to fit in your handbag - perfect to use whenever you need it!
Loo Roll - It's obvious you won't be doing your business everywhere and anywhere, however take some loo roll when you go if you can! Thousands of people using the same loos all day will result in a shortage of paper! That's all i need to say!
5. Safety - Last but not least, as well as having a brilliant, fun weekend - stay safe!!!! The last thing anyone wants is a tragic end to an event you have been looking forward to for months!
- Stay Together! Even if you just need to venture out to the loo for 2 minutes, take someone with you - especially if it's dark!
- Buy your own drink! We've all been there - you get chatting to some hottie, they offer to buy you a drink and you let them toddle off to the bar alone, bringing you back what you only presume is a beer. The truth is you have no idea if it is just beer so make sure if you are lucky enough to meet Mr or Miss Cutie, you go with them to get your drinks - no matter how long the queue is!
- Pack only what you need! Anything you usually carry in your handbag that you won't need - leave at home! My advice is to withdraw money that you need before you head off and leave all bank or credit cards at home. ID may be required, but try to apply for a cheap ID card before the event so you don't risk losing a passport or driving license!
- Drink & Eat Sensibly! We are all going to enjoy a few bevvies over festival weekend! Buying drink for our tent was pretty near the top of my festival to-do list! However, don't go overboard! You don't want to risk being asked to leave, making a fool of yourself, potentially ruining other peoples weekends or having a hangover so bad that you miss the event the following day!!! Try to drink as much water as you do alcohol - especially if you are drinking throughout the whole day - to keep you hydrated and try to have something to eat before you start drinking so that something can soak up some of your alcohol!
Most of all peeps - if you are heading to a festival in the next few weeks - HAVE FUN!!!!!!! I'll follow this post up with pictures of my weekend of shannanigans next week!
xxx
