Stay glamorous this festival season
But when you’re living out of a rucksack, beauty products have to earn their place. The secret? Multi-tasking formulas, long-wearing favourites, and clever little essentials that keep you looking fresh without bringing your entire bathroom cabinet along for the ride.
Pre-festival: Kerry Hanaphy Red Carpet Glow, Cork
Before you even contemplate packing the glitter, give your skin a head start. At Kerry Hanaphy in Blackpool Shopping Centre, Cork, I love the idea of a proper pre-festival skin reset.
The clinic offers glow-focused combinations including Forma, which uses radiofrequency technology to support collagen production and improve firmness and radiance, alongside treatments such as dermaplaning, chemical peels, and LED. Think smoother, fresher-looking skin before the festival madness begins.
It’s equally appealing after the festival when late nights, makeup, sunshine, and campsite living have taken their toll. Kerry’s skin philosophy is very much about tailoring treatments to the individual rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach. To book a treatment call 087-3695542.
Trinny London makeup stacks, from €18 per pot, Brown Thomas and Trinny London
Possibly one of the cleverest inventions for anyone short on packing space. Trinny London’s iconic stackable pots click neatly together, giving you highly pigmented cream colour for eyes, lips, and cheeks without taking over your bag.
Customise your stack, throw it into your handbag, and you have practically an entire festival face in the palm of your hand. Perfect for speedy tent touch-ups when the lighting is questionable at best.
Burst Teeth Whitening Breath Strips, RRP €6.30, Chemist Warehouse
This tiny product has very useful festival credentials. These TikTok-viral strips combine a quick teeth-brightening boost with fresher breath, making them ideal after festival food, drinks, or before the inevitable 400 group selfies. Best of all, they take up virtually no space. Slip a few into your crossbody bag and you’re sorted.
Skingredients Eye-Light Eye-Bright Arbutin Under Eye Pads, RRP €35, Skingredients.com
Because festivals involve late nights followed by mysteriously early mornings, these cooling hydrogel patches contain arbutin, niacinamide, and a multi-weight hyaluronic acid complex to help brighten the appearance of dark circles, reduce visible puffiness, and deliver a welcome hydration hit.
Pop them on while you’re getting ready, making coffee, or recovering from the night before. Ten minutes of looking slightly ridiculous can make the rest of the morning considerably more glamorous.
My festival beauty rule? Pack less, choose better, and never underestimate the transformative powers of fresh skin, fresh breath, and a very good concealer.