Off to Reading or Leeds? Here's your guide to festival make-up (without the toxins)
Source: BBC Health ↗
Festival season is arriving with Reading and Leeds set to kick off this weekend, prompting a surge in neon‑centric beauty trends such as graphic eyeliner, vampy lips and holographic highlighter. Make‑up artist Dominic Skinner, a judge on the BBC series *Glow Up*, demonstrated a technique to make colours pop by applying a white eye pencil on the skin before pressing bright eyeshadows on top, a method he says ensures intensity and all‑night durability. While festival‑goers chase these bold looks, the Chartered Trading Standards Institute warns that many third‑party sellers on platforms like TikTok Shop are offering products that contain prohibited chemicals, including banned colourants such as Solvent Yellow 172, CI 45161 (Basic Red 1:1) and CI 45174 (Basic Violet 11:1), which can cause rashes and allergic reactions. Consumers are urged to read labels carefully, avoid items marked “not for cosmetic use,” and steer clear of cheap, unknown brands that may be marketed as “non‑cosmetic paint” despite being intended for skin application.
The health concerns extend beyond skin irritation to eye safety and infection risk, according to Dr Emma Wedgeworth of the British Skin Foundation, who advises keeping glitter and other reflective products away from the eyes to prevent corneal scratches and to never use craft glitter, opting instead for biodegradable, eco‑friendly alternatives. She also stresses the importance of high‑protection sunscreen—at least SPF 30—applied as a primer and reapplied every two hours, with matte or sweat‑proof formulas recommended for better makeup longevity. Sharing lip balms or lipstick is discouraged due to the potential spread of infections like cold sores, and makeup artists are reminded to sanitize tools between clients to avoid cross‑contamination.
Beyond safety, the guide outlines creative festival styling, encouraging a “fairycore” aesthetic with sparkles, face gems and glitter applied to hair partings or shoulders for maximum impact, and suggesting reusable gems that can be peeled off after the event. For lips, Vogue predicts a 2026 trend of juicy, blurred textures achieved with stains and glosses, while InStyle recommends dramatic dark‑red vampy shades applied with liquid formulas that resist smudging; Skinner advises applying lip colour before liner to mask uneven application. Accessories such as scarves, crochet beanies, eye‑catching hair clips, charms or cuffs can complete the look, and hairstyles like mermaid waves or thin baby braids are suggested for longer hair. Any colour‑changing sprays or dyes should be patch‑tested behind the ear or on the arm for 24‑48 hours to check for allergic reactions, ensuring festival‑goers can enjoy bold, safe makeup while protecting their skin and eyes throughout the multi‑day events.
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