Around this time each year a large amount of blog posts crop up about styling yourself for Glastonbury and Coachella, and how to get the the ultra-cool, ultra-fashionable summer music festival vibe. I've read my fair share of these posts like any other female, but the only festival I've actually been to is Hard Rock Calling back in 2009 when I was 16 and was stung by a wasp and sprayed with beer - hardly the hipster/glam experience the internet promises. If we, however, descend a few rungs below festivals on the 'Ladder of Cool', we might find ourselves camping. Yes, camping, the word that sends we shower-and-hairdryer-lovers running for the nearest hotel. Yet it is a fact that while I'm unlikely to don a pair of Hunter wellies and head to Glastonbury any time soon, there's a much higher chance that I (and I suspect you) will be roughing it in a tent this summer. But, as a girl who spent a year trying (and failing) to be a tomboy when she was nine years old and has since cemented herself solidly in the realm of all things feminine, I'm not really a fan of 'roughing it'. And so, for girly-girls everywhere, here's a list of skincare and beauty products to help you rough it without really roughing it:
2 // Olay Complete Night Fortifying Moisture Cream. Again, moisture is good. Don't forget to slap on some night cream before burrowing down in that sleeping bag.
3 // Baby Wipes. Yes, the old staple. No make up doesn't mean we should give up cleansing, and we all know that the uses for baby wipes are endless. Wiping dirty knees? Check. Mopping up the ketchup that's dribbled onto your foot? Check. Cleaning underarms and other regions because there's no shower and this is the only way to feel somewhat human? Not enjoyable, but check.
4 // Sun Cream. An absolute must have. It shouldn't matter if you're off camping to the Scottish highlands and won't see the sun for a week because of the freezing, driving rain - don't forget the suncream! I'm pretty rubbish at science and always have been, but I know enough to understand that we don't have to see the sun and feel the sun's heat for our skin to be damaged. I like using the sun cream designed for babies because my skin is extra sensitive, and the kid's stuff usually smells rather lush too.
5 // OFF! Deep Woods Insect Repellent. Camping in Canada is a wonderful thing. There are lakes, forests, chipmunks ... and mosquitoes. The Canadian mozzies love me and I swell up like a balloon when bitten, so I literally hose myself down with insect repellent whenever I go into wooded areas. They like moist, grassy places and their numbers explode come night time, so if you're going camping this year - wherever you are - grab some insect spray.
6 // Homeoplasmine. This is some rather fabulous French pharmacy stuff that I picked up in Paris after hearing rave reviews. Beauty bloggers recommend it for pre-lipstick-prep, but it's great for patches of dry skin and is also an antiseptic. You might not be planning on trying the latest lipstick trends in your tent, but a product like Homeoplasmine is always useful. You can order it online if you live outside of mainland Europe and you're prepared to pay a high price, but Vaseline would do a similar job.
7 // Burt's Bees Replenishing Lip Balm with Pomegranate Oil. Once again: moisture! We protect our skin with sun cream, but how many of us are guilty of neglecting our lips? I love Burt's Bees products, and this particular balm is tinted and works as a lovely stain for low-key days.
8 // Benefit Posietint Stain. This isn't a must-have for roughing it, but if the whole 'no-makeup' thing feels like too much of a hardship then I like to use a lips and cheek stain to give my face some colour. I've had this Benefit Posietint for ages - hence the scruffy bottle - and it applies almost like a nail varnish. Put a drop on your lips and on each of your cheeks, rub each drop in with your ring finger, and you get a very subtle, summery result. A nice way to feel pretty when walking around in crumpled clothes and dirty hair.
9 // Batiste Dry Shampoo. Speaking of dirty hair, who wants it? Anyone? I didn't think so. I have very thin, fine hair that quickly gets greasy and I swear by dry shampoo. It's pretty much one of my daily staples as it adds body and a feeling of freshness to my hair. I don't travel anywhere without it - especially camping trips.
10 // KMS California Hair Play Dry Wax. A really good solution to the no styling rule that often comes with camping, this dry wax adds a bit of instant texture and movement to natural hair.
11 // Charlotte Ronson A Perfect Mess Beach Hair. Surf spray is another great hair option when you're roughing it. Spray onto damp hair for an off-duty-model look.
12 // Nail Varnish (Sally Hansen Insta-Dri in 'Jade Jump' & Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in 'Commander in Chic'). Nail varnish is just a feel good beauty product. I can look like I was dragged through a bush backwards (and when camping that might actually happen, you never know) but if my toes are a nice colour I feel just about okay. These two colours are my faves this summer - I love a minty green on my toes with a subtle neutral on my fingers.
13 // Hair Grips. These don't need any introduction (I hope). Camping + females = copious amounts of hair plaiting/braiding. Throw some hair grips in your bag so you can finally try out all those summer hairstyle ideas you've been gathering on Pinterest.
14 // Hair Ties. Or 'bunchies', as my sister and I used to call them. Stash these with the hair grips - you can never have too many.
15 // Ukulele (or Guitar/Recorder/Harmonica/ Triangle/Singing Voice). The beauty product for the soul. I can't think of a less cheesy way to phrase that, but you know what I mean. Camping is for bonding and unwinding, and I can't think of a better way to do that than music round the campfire. Or, at the very least, you can wind everyone up by singing "one man went to mow" and "ten green bottles" in the car on the way back.
Happy Camping!
Kitty xx
No comments:
Post a Comment