April 12, 2017

How Interested Are You In Musical Festival Makeup?

Coachella kicks off this weekend and I can’t help but think of that one time I went and was absolutely miserable but still happy I got to see Best Coast perform. I am an avid concert attendee. I’ve been blessed to see some of the greatest bands and singers ever on stage from Tom Jones and Donovan to Marilyn Manson, Pearl Jam, and In this Moment (literally just seen them this past weekend). But I am not a musical festival type of person. I’ve been to a few but I’d honestly rather be stuffed in the middle of a mosh pit with hundreds of sweating bodies versus walking around in the heat at a musical festival.

People, Coachella is no joke. If you can survive that crazy ass heat you have my full blessing. I remember seeing photos of Emma Watson at Coachella looking flawlessly beautiful, easy, and breezy. She was wandering around like she was in an air conditioned shopping mall. Yeah, it’s the desert!? How the hell are you not melting in a puddle? I mean ok, typically it’s not that hot in the morning but as you head deeper into the afternoon things heat up fast and there isn’t a ton of shade. Granted, they have misters around as well a few shady areas. But let’s be honest here, that’s also a lot of sun too!

Needless to say this is the time of the year that public relations start pitching me a slew of “music festival makeup ideas” and I’m sitting there here all like, puh-leez! I am not going to recommend people wear your full coverage foundation in sweltering heat because I don’t care how long wearing you promise it to be, in the heat it’s melting off.

Are you into musical festival makeup?

Do you like reading about Coachella makeup trends?

I don’t. Sorry!? I actually skip over articles that start relating back to me what I should and shouldn’t be wearing during musical festival. Or right now since Coachella is so near, I skip over all Coachella articles. It’s like, dude, I really don’t care. I mean I might read something about the bands but when it comes to, “Wear this makeup to Coachella”, I tend to jump over the article. I mean even if I was attending this year, I probably wouldn’t even bother.

What about you?

Do you actually read through “What you should wear to so and so music festival?”

Or do you skip over them.

As for musical festivals, I think I’ll stick to concerts thanks so much. Well, there might be one exception, if I could have attended Woodstock and seen Jimi Hendrix step on the stage with his Fender Stratocaster and perform for over two hours.

I swear I wouldn’t bitch about the heat if I could have seen that.

A girl can dream right?

About the Muse

Isabella MuseIsabella is just an average everyday geeky girl who doesn’t blend her eyeshadow correctly, wears too much blush, and hopes she never finds her holy grail products because she likes the thrill of the chase so much. Her mission is to bring you super honest reviews on makeup, skincare, fragrance and all things beauty. She’s in no way an expert on the topic and she sure as hell isn’t a super model. But she’s passionate about makeup and is seeking like-minded individuals that like pina coladas, getting caught in the rain, and ones that enjoy spending hundreds of dollars at Sephora without feeling buyer’s remorse. If you’re that person feel free to reach out and leave a comment or follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Bloglovin‘.

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Comments

  • Colleen

    Hendrix would have been sublime. I’m with you on that one. I don’t read festival make up items. If I was going to a festival I would want to be as relaxed and cool as possible. Mascara and lip balm only.

    • Isabella Muse

      I would have loved to see Hendrix perform or even Morrison, Joplin, Grace Slick circa ’69, Cass Elliot, so many great artists long gone :-/ Ha me too! It’s more like cheek stain, lip balm, go! No thanks on foundation !

  • Michelle

    God, no! I’m old enough to remember Woodstock and the people attending then would have been horrified! You’re there to relax and sweat and have fun, not to be concerned about your fashion and makeup.

    • Susan

      This. Music festivals are IMO for you to see, not for you be seen. Relax, have fun. It’s not about you all the time. (And by that, I mean the general “you,” not YOU, Muse!!)

  • Rebecca

    I could not care less about Coachella – I’m kind of sad that I even know what it is – and I’m sick of the “music festival” marketing. It certainly doesn’t apply to 99.9% of the population who have to – you know – go to work or school or take care of their kids instead of jetting off to a music party campout in the desert.

    It seems to me the main result is teenagers strutting around the mall in not enough clothes and artfully stringy hair.

    • Isabella Muse

      lol jetting off to party in the desert! that’s about the extent of it haha! In Coachella’s defense it is a weekend event 😀

    • Lori

      Rebecca, you have a great way with words That’s exactly the tone I’d take about it too!

      • Rebecca

        Thank you! I don’t mean to criticize people who go and/or would like to – I just think that, like the Super Bowl or the Kentucky Derby, it’s an event that most people don’t have a realistic expectation of attending, even though they would like to.
        And I really don’t need my 13-year-old daughter telling me that she needs her backside hanging out of her shorts because that’s the style for Coachella.

    • Lydia

      Well I don’t have children, I work, and I pay my rent and I go to countless gigs and festivals because thats what I enjoy. I don’t think because someone has reproduced its a reason to be down on people wanting to enjoy their existence in a different fashion.

      Coachella sucks to me, too corporate, too based on sponsors and people who don’t actually love music that much from what i’ve seen. Not as confusing as Burning Man to me though….admittedly.

      • Isabella Muse

        I don’t think she meant it like that otherwise, I’m in the same boat! 🙂 No kids and still partying like it’s 1999. I work full-time and I self indulge myself to the max with events, weekends away, etc… By the way, I have to admit I’d love to try Burning Man JUST once! It seems terribly interesting. It looks like a Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome experience haha! Now what’s really weird is the gathering of the juggalos, whoa…! No disrespect to Insane Clown Posse fans, hell I even like some of their music, but I’m not sure how comfortable I’d be at that event! It seems crazeeeee!

      • Rebecca

        I’m not down on anyone, even though I have reproduced – although my boobs are a little down on me since I nursed two babies. If you enjoy music festivals and are able to go then I am nothing but happy for you and a little jealous. I remain convinced that most people do not have the freedom and the resources to go to music festivals wearing cutoff shorts that cost more than my monthly mortgage payment, and that Coachella seems to be a celebrity photo op with a band playing somewhere nearby. But if anyone wants to provide a weekend nanny and a plane ticket so that I can go, I will be there with bells on. And unicorn highligher.

  • Agona

    Yeah, no interest. I don’t even have any interest in going to a festival! I think companies just want an excuse to market anything. I know why eye shadows and heavier makeup aren’t big in summer collections–because once the summer heat and humidity is on, it melts off.

    • Isabella Muse

      I’m so not built for festivals lol! I can go from 9 to 12 at Disney in Florida but stick me in the desert for a music festival and it’s like, NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO PLEASE NOOOOO! haha ;-D

  • Christina D.

    We are indeed sisters from other misters, separated at birth…

    I think you know that I worked for many years in the music industry and was fortunate to go to dozens and dozens (hundreds) of concerts. But I never, ever went to any of the festivals and would give away my tickets and passes. But a full-face of make up would not be a consideration.

    Sad to say that I haven’t been to any concerts recently. These are not the days of smaller, intimate venues and reasonable prices. Sigh.

    • Isabella Muse

      Christina I am so jealous of your career in the music industry 😀 must have been amazing!!! Yeah, face full of makeup in the heat=NO! I went to see In this Moment in Milwaukee last weekend which was pretty damn fabulous, props to Marie Brink for screaming her little heart out but I’ve been kind of slow on the concert front lately too! Donovan in the Fall was the last one I’ve been to I think!? It seems like there aren’t enough hours in the day sometimes….! Check out Tarrytown Music Hall, they sometimes have really great performers and the prices are fairly good but beware, the theater is old and not exactly luxurious seating 😀 But they tend to have some really good bands/singers and even cover bands that are actually pretty awesome too!

  • Lauren

    I’ve read stuff, but most of it is how a lot of Coachella/festival fashion (both clothes and make-up) is cultural appropriation – like Bindis were apparently the fashion there a while back, which is really not okay. That makes me have no interest in learning more about these trends.

  • kjh

    This old broad’s idea of a music festival is Tanglewood, in the cool Berskshires. I missed Woodstock, but flew over it, on my way to Buffalo, for a friend’s wedding. Did see Hendrix in Cleveland though. He smashed the guitar and set it on fire, then extinguished it by urine stream. Then, they stormed the stage and I was bloody terrified! Those were massively different days. Now people use phones instead of lighters….. The only w/e festivals I ever did were Cajun/Zydeco and I saw some of the greats, Clifton Chenier, Buckwheat Zydeco, Queen Ida, etc. plus the food was fab. Multistage, though, which can be tricky. Festival m/u makes only mildly more sense than beach m/u. Go in the North Atlantic with UD eyes? don’t think so.

  • Carol G

    Well, I am a veteran of music festivals, but not the kind they are marketing “festival makeup” for. I attend Rock on the Range (this will be my 9th year), Louder Than Life ( year 3) and when it was a thing, Mayhem (did 4 years of that). I just laugh when I see this marketing for festival makeup because it is never marketed towards us metalheads which is fine because we don’t need “festival makeup”. Just give me my UD Perversion eyeliner, sunscreen and I’m going to survive 12 hours in the sun (and usually rain too). If you can survive any of these festivals intact (with all your teeth and limbs not being broken) then you don’t need their ethereal makeup. I come home at the end of the day beaten, broken and scarred (nod to Metallica there) and wouldn’t have it any other way. Metal festivals are not for the faint of heart.

    • Isabella Muse

      I’m with you! That’s my range of music and UD perversion is def the call of duty. I’ve been to Ozzfest twice and strong black eyeliner is practically an institution at that event 😀

      • Lydia

        Ozzfest!! I wish I’d got to go. I’ve been to reading festival over here in 25 times. Used to be great, now it’s like spring break, honestly you’d want to slap them all! Thankfully I either don’t pay or get paid to be there. We had a great one over here called ATP which were held in budget holiday camps. Imagine! Your own room, a shower and a Pizza Hut. Sadly it went bankrupt but it was heaven.

        • Isabella Muse

          lol Lydia! That’s why I never visit the Jersey Shore anymore, it’s like Spring break crazy lol!

  • Cheryl

    Well, I hate crowds and, although I like music of all varieties, I have no “inner hippie. ” Until a couple of years ago, I had never heard of Coachella, no less “festival season!” I think fun and fancy make up is awesome, but I will stick to Halloween… much cooler, less time commitment, and way fewer people! If anyone needs me, I’ll be here at home, hanging out with my dogs, wearing a sheet mask with a glass of wine and a concert on TV.

    • Isabella Muse

      I’ll be with you on Halloween! Totally my time of the year 🙂

  • Lulle

    I’m so NOT interested in those “festival looks” everybody is trying to shove down our throats these days! Flower headbands and dots of random color on the face, woohoo, so inspiring – not… I live very close to the Coachella Valley, but I’ve never had a chance to go to the festival because 1) the tickets sell out crazy fast 2) they cost an arm and a leg. And if I had a chance to go, I’d go for the music, not to parade in my vaguely tribal makeup look and boho chic outfit.
    I find this trend so silly, but here’s the thing, one big outlet starts talking about it, and everybody follows. It’s become a new fixture in the social media marketing calendar now, “festival season” is like “back to school”, “new year new you”, “fashion week” and “getting cozy for fall”…

    • Isabella Muse

      It’s so true! festival season has really turned into the new back to school! It starts infiltrating social media to the max around this time of the year!

  • Lydia

    YAY FOR YOU. I’m older, 37, I started going to festivals in 91, which was naughty because I was far too young, but they were just about surviving the rottenness of camping because you loved the music so much. Suddenly Kate Moss went to one wearing a pair of hunter wellies and ‘festival fashion’ was born. I’m into make up and fashion, I’ve worked for a few of the festivals with the job I do, and the idea of bothering with ANY of that idiocy is ridiculous. If you’re not there for the bands, surely you’re just standing in a field, hot and knackered, with sequins on your sweaty forehead wondering how long till you can get drunk and start to enjoy yourself?

    • Isabella Muse

      Older too lol! 😉 LOL so much truth there about Kte Moss 🙂 I laughed so hard at the sequins on your sweat forehead! ha!

  • breyerchic04

    My dad saw Hendrix live. It was definitely one of his most beloved memories, it was before Woodstock, he lived in Indiana and didn’t know about Woodstock until too late supposedly.

    I don’t do a lot of festivals or outdoor concerts, but I’ll go to the tiny local ones. And whine a little bit about the heat most of the time 😉 No elaborate looks though, I usually wear whatever sundress, waterproof mascara, tinted lip balm, maybe something like shimmery champagne liquid shadow on my eyelids or pixi gel blush on my cheeks but barely. Maybe I sound old bbut I know what works now!

    • Isabella Muse

      wow, that’s incredible. You must have heard that story a million times and I’m sure it isn’t tiring! I would have loved to had seen Hendrix live. Haha likewise. Last year, when I went to Governor’s Ball it wasn’t even that HOT and I was whining the entire time, totally a killjoy for my friends haha! I def go light. I’m good with curling my lashes, cheek stain, and a little gloss!

  • Jane

    Zero interest in festival makeup or clothing. It’s another case of marketers trying to make fetch happen.

  • Dora

    Nope! I’m older too — went to Dead shows back in the day, which seems to be the inspiration/source material for a lot of festivals — but never thought twice (or once!) about wearing makeup. As for the marketing, it’s just . . . marketing. I did buy a couple of products from MAC’s Vibe Tribe collection — before that all blew up because it was considered un-p.c. and appropriated tribal culture. I am actually a pretty p.c. person and it didn’t occur to me when I purchased it. Anyway, I didn’t buy it for the packaging — just had indulged in some shopping. The highlighter was pretty but broke IMMEDIATELY and still love the Hot Chocolate lipstick, although feels like a very un-festival color to me.

  • Janessa

    I didn’t know we had a love of concerts in common! I went to my first concerts the summer I turned 4 (Beach Boys, Van Halen, Warrent, and Hall & Oats – my parents have a very eclectic music tastes) and have been fortunate enough to see a few hundred bands over my lifetime – country, rock, rap, metal, pop, punk… I have all of my concert tickets since I was about 14 (when my mom and dad would drop my bestie and I off at Vans Warped Tour for the day) and my mom has all my ticket stubs leading up to that… Rock on girl!

    Oh – and no, I’m not at all into festival makeup… heavy SPF/ CC cream with SPF, waterproof mascara and chapstick are all I need for a festival or summer time concert. I’m no Emma Watson, and I know from personal experience that I will never look that fabulous melting in the Coachella heat… I’ve been to Coachella, Stage Coach and the Big 4 (Metallica, Megadeath, Anthrax and Slayer) down in Indio, and that heat (and the WIND) is seriously no joke.

  • Silvia

    No Coachella or Burning Man for me. The only huge crowd I’d live is running marathons that’s crazy enough. I can go near me to Marina Del Rey for free concerts saw Arturo Sandoval and it was awasome and best if all free. I love to go to the Hollywood Bowl that is fun! Open air and very nice and relaxing specially in this S.California weather I love. I don’t even like Miami hate humidity and heat (I’m a runner and would die there) although I have family I like to visit, mostly I go tocryn into the beach now that is nice! My nephew and gurkdfriend are going to Coachella they both are making great $$$ and travel every chance. I’m broke I rather save for WetnWild and Colourpop! Lol!

  • Carrie

    I don’t get the festival makeup thing either. Like others said, you’re just going to be hot and sweaty, so it’s not gonna last. I remember being at Disneyland in the summer, seeing a few women with full faces of makeup and thinking the same thing. Obviously, they can wear what they want when they want, but in that kind of heat why bother with a full face?

    • Isabella Muse

      can’t even bother with a face full of makeup at disneyland lol! nooo!

  • genevieve

    I am definitely not a festival person – I am so fair that I get heat stressed very easily and the thought of being outside for extended periods of time, great music or not great music, doesn’t appeal to me as a way to spend a weekend.
    A great musical, museum and a lovely restaurant – now that’s my idea of fun.
    I don’t think your makeup would last really long in the heat anyway….

  • Amy

    As someone who went to a music festival once upon a time (in the middle of summer in central Florida) “music festival makeup” and the tutorials that come along with it make me laugh. I wore makeup to one festival and learned my lesson! I came home looking like an orange raccoon. I just wanna yell at these girls “skip the makeup and wear about a gallon of sun screen!!!”.

  • Silvia

    Lol! Love that raccoon story. In Miami is hard to wear makeup so humid and I can’t imagine wearing those brief on top of panties or pantyhouses! Yuck! Too humid. Lol! Thanks for the reminder we are planning to go soon and I’ll be packing my spf and light everything just enjoy the beach. I used to go every year when single then a couple of years with hubby and kids but haven’t been back in ten long years plus.