Festivals I'd Love To Go To

Festivals have always been something that I've enjoyed attending as they are a great opportunity to see loads of different artists in one place. Watching live music has been one of my favourite things, there is something about watching bands in a field with the sun beating down on you. Well, that's if you get lucky and aren't getting stuck in the mud and drenched from head to toe. Even those times when I've been to a rainy festival, it doesn't ruin the atmosphere and I tend to just accept I'll be getting wet and enjoy the weekend. 

I'm not one to normally like to go camping, but when I'm at a festival it's a much more enjoyable experience. There's always a number of different things to do, such as checking out the different food options on offer or going on some of the rides that tend to be at most festivals these days or even heading to the comedy tents. I think I've got the experience from Leeds Fest since I've been three times already, as well as attending V Festival twice. We are right in the middle of festival season and I'm sad to say I've not actually been to or will be going to a festival this year. As you might be able to notice, I've tended to stick to the same festival choices, however, I would like to experience different ones.

Having looked through this interactive summer festival map, I've picked out a few options that I've like to experience. Even though they play the same acts that are at Leeds Fest, I'd like to see what it's like at Reading to find out if there is a different feel and atmosphere to it. Having listened to a many rocks bands over the years, I'd love to check out Download, in Leicestershire, which is packed full of this genre all in one location and be something a bit different. Parklife is a different kind of festival that's based in Manchester which is nice and close for me to get to. It's not a camping festival, so you can stay in a hotel overnight, or even stay at home if you are not too far away like me. It's a bit of a mix between pop and indie genres, and I think the non-camping element will make it a bit different. The last one I'd like to try is Latitude Festival, located in Suffolk, which has got quite a few bands I like listening to, as well as some I've not heard of before so it will be good to discover new music.

So if you're planning to head to a festival next year and need to get your drivers license before heading out on the road, why not head over to Go Girl for an affordable learner driver car insurance quote.

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V Festival Photo Diary & Vlog

Since I was little I've always been taken to festivals which carried on into my teens when I started going to other festivals with friends. I went a few years without going to any so was ready to experience one again. Andy had never been to V Festival before, so I thought it would be a good idea for him to experience it too. We both had wanted to see Bastille for around 4 years now so it was a perfect chance to see them too.

To see how I got ready for V Festival, check out my previous posts, here, here and here. Click below to watch the vlog if you want to see exactly what we got up to. 

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Festival Essentials

I love festivals and since V Fest is approaching I'm glad that I'm going again! I've been to Leeds Fest three times, V once before and a smaller festival called Womad a few times so I've learned my lessons well and truly when it comes to packing. I've been drenched, hit in the face with a football, cried when UV paint has gotten into my eyes and many more whirlwind experiences. Festivals are such a fun experience that I think everyone should get to go to at least once in their life. Here is my packing list that I'll be using for V Festival this year.

1. Camping Gear.

A tent to sleep in comfortably. Not getting as many people in one tent as possible. A spare, smaller tent if you don't have a middle are or 'living room' as I call it, to store chairs and wet items. A blow up bed, because having a comfortable nights sleep will get you feeling so much better and roll/yoga mats can only do so much to comfort you. Bin bags - these have multiple uses from bagging up your dirty clothes to a makeshift seat. Wind up torch - you'll be needing torch and it would be a pain if the batteries ran out half way through the festival. A cooler or bucket with ice in for your drinks. There isn't much worse than drinking warm beer or steamsboats in a can. Blankets for warmth at night. I can't stand sleeping in sleeping bags and I'm much comfier sleeping amongst a fluffy blanket. Plus you can kick it off if you get too warm!

2. While You're Watching.

Camera or phone - this will be great to catch some of your favourite bands and moments. A portable charger will be very useful for charging up your phone, camera or anything else you take with you.  Sunglasses to protect your eyes when out and about. A bumbag, handbag or backpack to carry your day essentials. Split lists for acts - either take something with you or buy a programme when you get there so you don't miss your favourites.  Making sure you have suncream on so you don't burn while you're watching Biebs.

3. Food & Drink

Alka-Seltzer or Berrocca to help perk you up and reduce hangovers. Sweet snacks to keep you going between meals. Soft drinks - as much as you'll want to drink while you're there something normal may well be a welcome change.  If you're cooking yourself you need some type of stove (check what's allowed at your specific festival). Plus the food you're cooking with. Plenty of bottled water to re-hydrate. Bring a bit of extra cash with you for snacks and drinks when you're watching acts.

4. Bare Necessities.

Wellies - because if it wet and muddy you will definitely need these otherwise you'll be so uncomfortable. Shoes to wear if it doesn't actually rain. There's nothing worse than being in the heat wearing knee high socks and wellies when you don't need to. Enough clothes to last you the time you're there plus a few spares if you get rained on. Wipes - giving yourself a clean in the mornings and evening can make you feel that bit fresher plus being useful for those times when nature calls. Scented deodorant as glass perfume bottles are prohibited. Your makeup to create some amazing festival looks! Tickets - as obvious as it sounds this may get left on the shelf when throwing everything in your bag. Money is a must to make sure you can get enough food and drinks and anything else you might want to buy. Dry shampoo, because who wants greasy hair? Also bring a flower crown if you're wanting to hide your roots! Contraceptives if you have to pack them (I'm lucky to be on the implant!) ID - if you want to buy alcohol and think you might be asked to prove your age don't forget this. Waterproofs are key as there is a high chance it will rain at some point during a festival and you can buy some pretty macs like the one in this post. Sleeping bag or similar to make sure you stay warm at night. Plenty of plasters for blisters and accidents. Loo roll - this doesn't need much explanation.

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V Festival Makeup Look

Today I thought I'd bring to you my second festival makeup look this week as my first one went up a few days ago. This one is a bit different, with straightened hair, a smaller flower crown and added sequins to make your eyes really stand out. This look was inspired by my L'Oréal Festival Package including the prettiest Quay Australia glasses I've ever seen. For festival makeup the key thing you need to remember is priming and setting your face in order for it to stay on all day long.

To prime I used the Stila One Step Correct primer to even out my skin tone and provide a good base for the rest of my makeup. For foundation I used Estée Lauder Double Wear in Ecru which I'm surprised I've not reviewed yet as I have three bottles of the stuff. To conceal I used the Seventeen Skin Wow Concealer and my usual Nars Creamy Concealer. To powder I again use my trusty Maybelline 24hour powder that's nearly running out and I'm yet to repurchase!

For the eyes I primed them with Benefit's Stay Don't Stray which is an eye primer but has colour to it so it covers veins and discolouration to your lids. I only added a small amount of colour to my lids as the main focus is going to be the glitter so I used my Tartelette in Bloom palette to create a subtle bit of definition. All over the lid I applied 'Charmer' and in the outer v used a mixture of 'Rebel' and 'Jetsetter' and blended it out. For liner I applied the Kat Von D Tattoo Liner which seems to have both its good and bad days but it worked for me on this occasion and looked quite pretty. I applied the Miss Dolly lashes by Esqido which are the softest lashes you'll ever apply and they feel so much nicer than the cheap lashes you can pick up in multi packs. As I have blonde lashes I applied the Too Faced Better Than Sex mascara to add a bit more volume.

For the main feature of this look which was the opal glitter underneath the lower lashes, I first lined below the lashes with some glittery eyeliner and the Gallactica liner from Collection Cosmetics. This is because the chunky glitter I applied is round so there were bound to be a few gaps and I didn't want it to be obvious that there was just foundation underneath. I applied some lash glue then I used the In Your Dreams glitter by applying each bit one at a time starting from the inner corner and working my way out. You may have seen from my Snapchat (username laurahadley) that I recorded a video of the light hitting the glitter and it was so pretty as it changed colour depending on where the light hit.

I actually used a different brow product this time - the Nyx Tame and Frame pomade in blonde through most of the brows and in the front of them used a little bit of Benefit Brow Zings to soften them up. I did my usual highlight Anastasia Beverly Hills Glow Kit and used the new L'Oréal Glam Bronze for blush and contour.. For the lips I used by Urban Decay Vice Lipstick in Big Bang which is a metallized finish and lasted all day which I was so impressed with. I know this is a more simple festival look but when you've just woken up from an uncomfortable sleep in a tent, the last thing you want to do is spend three hours putting makeup on. 

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Festival Makeup Look

Yesterday I decided to create my first festival makeup look featuring some of the L'Oréal Paris products I was sent not long ago. Firstly, my hair here is in it's natural state with a bit of RedKen Pillow Proof Cream in it to help it dry quicker. I added my DIY Flower Crown which is so good to use in festivals when you're on day 3 of your hair. For my base I first applied the Too Faced Hangover Primer then I used a mix of the L'Oréal Paris Infallible Sculpting Foundation with the Nude Magique Cushion Foundation as together they create such a flawless base, it's perfect for a festival. To conceal I used the trusty Collection Cosmetics Lasting Perfection Concealer and the Nars Creamy Concealer in Vanilla. To powder I used my Maybelline 24 Hr powder as it adds a hint of colour.

To create the glittery effect on the side of my face I used a fair few shimmer products! These included the Collection Cosmetics glittery eyeliners, some body glitter and dazzle dusts by Barry M, and some Essence glittery eyeliners. I would have added some sequins or something but since it was a quick makeup look that's a lot more realistic when you've just woken up in a tent with a potential hangover, I thought maybe not. I also used the glittery eyeliner above my Lancome Grandoise Liner for extra sparkle. I didn't see the point of adding a ton of glitter to my eyelids as I have hooded eyes and they would be hidden for the majority of the time. For lashes I applied some cheap ebay finds which you can never really go wrong with! To line my eyes underneath I used my Urban Decay Electric Palette to bring out the blue in my eyes and make them pop. I ended up using four shades from the palette to add more depth.

To contour I used the new L'Oréal Paris Glam Bronze Healthy Glow and it's honestly the prettiest blusher/bronzer combination I've ever used. To highlight I went with my trusty Anastasia Beverly Hills Glow Kit in Gleam in the lightest shade as I was going for a full on glow. For brows I used my normal combination of the Benefit Brow Zings with the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz with the Illamasqua Brow Build as I've lost my Benefit Gimmie Brow! Finally, to complete the look, I opted for the Urban Decay Vice Lipstick in Rapture for a bold finish. I hope you've liked this festival look, stay tuned for the second one later this week!

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Getting #FestivalReady with L'Oréal Paris

As you may know, I'm off to V Festival in a few weeks, and L'Oréal Paris surprised me with this #FESTIVALREADY package to get me ready for the weekend. To celebrate all this festival, they've brought out the Miss Hippie Mascara and the waterproof version to ensure that your mascara stays in place all day long. The second big hit is the Nude Magique Cushion Foundation which is such an amazing invention especially when applying foundation when you're sat outside your tent! It's so easy to apply, with a small cushion pad to allow you to press your foundation onto the skin for a flawless base.
For a beautiful glow, they sent the Glam Bronze Healthy Glow which can be used to contour and add some blush to the cheeks. The orange and pink tones are so pretty and really help your cheeks stand out. It's a dream to blend in and I've been using it for eyeshadow too as it's such a versatile product. To really bring out your eyes they included the In Your Dreams 'Iridescent Mermaid Chunky Glitter' which I'm doing a complete festival look on soon. In the light it changes colour and I've been loving playing around with it. 
To wear at V Fest, the Boohoo Holographic Festival Bomber which reminds me of mermaid colours and will keep me dry in case it rains! The sunglasses featured above are from Quay Australia and I've wanted a pair for so long, I was over the moon when I opened these! For my hair they included a pretty flower crown headband from ASOS along with a mesh backpack to keep all of my essentials in.

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How To Make Your Own Flower Crowns

V Festival is creeping up quickly and I've been shopping around for some new pieces to wear to it this year. When shopping on the high street and online there has been an abundance of something I love wearing to festivals, flower crowns. Nothing was catching my eye so I took matters into my own hands and made my own. The good thing about this DIY Flower Crown Tutorial is that you can really make each one to your taste and only the assembling part it crucial to stick to. This is a great step by step tutorial for both adults and children when it comes to making your own festival flower crown.

Step One - Buy The Products

I bought a pack of four fabric headbands from Amazon in yellow, orange, pink and blue for the base of the crown. You could also pick up elastic headbands that wrap completely around or even a thicker band to add more flowers onto them. These four headbands cost under £2 and you can pick them up in a variety of colours. For the flowers themselves I bought all of these from Ikea and chose a few different fake flowers and them chose a few colours that I had in mind. You can buy cheaper flowers in bulk from Ebay or Amazon if you plan on making quite a lot of flower crowns, or you can individually pick them to make each crown unique. This DIY would also work with real flowers but don't go outside to pick them - purchase them from a florist or supermarket. To secure the flowers you need a glue gun and I picked one up from The Range for under £5. I had previously tried using super glue and it just doesn't work well and takes absolutely ages to dry. Using the glue gun cut the time spent holding the flowers onto the band which meant I could start new crowns quicker.

Step Two - Lay Everything Out

Lay out your headband and flowers out and see what colours you think will work together. if you place them on a flat surface you can roughly see how many flowers will need to fit on the band. From something short of a miracle, I managed to buy the exact amount of flowers for each band which I was so pleased with. During this step you can also turn on your glue gun to start heating it up for when you want to start assembling your flower crowns.

Step Three - Making Your Flower Crown

I started gluing my flowers onto the band from the middle of the crown and worked my way either side. You only need to add a small amount of glue to the flower before holding it down to the band and it tries in enough time to get the positioning right but doesn't take long enough for it to become a hassle. You can add as many or little flowers as you wish depending on the look you're going for. Leave a minute in between gluing your next flower onto the band to ensure that it is secured, and wait around 5 minutes before trying it on to make sure there is no wet glue that might stick to your hair. I made four in total and they all look different due to the colours and style of flower. If I were to make some more I would buy a set of all small flowers and a set of large flowers and make two different designs with them as they'd look really good for festivals too.

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How To Be: Festival Safe

As an avid festival goer who loves music seeing live bands with my friends, today's post is all about how to stay safe at festivals whilst having fun. I've been to Leeds Festival about three times, V Festival, WOMAD and some day festivals so with this experience I have learned from my mistakes! 

[Leeds Festival 2011]
Go with people you trust I imagine this is straightforward for a lot of people. You go to a festival with your friends and friends-of-friends but stick next to the people you definitely know you trust. The amount of times people get robbed at festivals or spiked because they aren't paying attention to what they're doing. If you're with the people you trust you're bound to have a better time anyway. People do split off when going to see different bands so make sure you're with someone you know at all times.
Carry valuable items safely I don't agree with the whole "don't have expensive/important items with you" because to some people they are necessities. For me to buy alcohol in Leeds Festival I had to take my passport since I don't have a drivers license. I also took my phone and extra money because you can never be "too prepared". My advice would be to make a good hiding place - on your body. Don't leave your brand new iPhone in the tent or your spare purse with money in it. For me, I take some money in my bra (sometimes my phone goes there too!) and then I either carry a bum bag or an over the shoulder bag with multiple compartments and keep it to the front. If you want to take your camera to capture some amazing photos then do it, just remember to keep it on you and hidden.
Stick to your gut If something doesn't feel right then don't do it. You see a wide range of drugs being used in front of you at festivals. There will be people everywhere selling and using and if you're not into that then don't do it. I've been asked plenty of times by random people if I wanted to buy drugs and the simple answer is no. I never would touch drugs but that's my personal opinion. You never know what is actually in them and I've seen all sorts at festivals to make me steer clear for life. I don't want my memories of the festival being spent in first aid, I want to be dancing and listening to music. 'Legal highs' have recently been banned so don't get sucked into something by a stranger telling you something is safe when it really isn't. Cloudstix have more information about this here.
Do your research Every time I go to a festival, a few weeks before I print off the festival map and the estimated artist times/locations so I don't have to spend £10 on a programme and dangle it around your neck on a lanyard all day. If you know how to get to your campsite, the toilets and the stages then you're set! An important thing is to research what you're allowed to take into the festival. Some festivals don't allow gas canisters for your portable cooker as they cause a risk of exploding which can can cause serious harm. Glass won't be allowed either so make sure any alcohol you're taking is in cans or plastic bottles.
Food and drinks I think there are two types of festival goers. Those who take a weeks worth of food and drinks with them and those who take a multipack of crisps and a 2 litre bottle of vodka. Firstly, don't try and take everything with you as if you damage your back carrying all of this on the first day you won't be in for a happy weekend. Secondly, there are plenty of stalls and shops to buy food and drink from. I'm not saying you should buy everything from them because they are extortionate prices - you're looking at £7 for a decent sized meal on a paper plate with a plastic fork. The festivals have to provide stalls that sell water to ensure you get enough liquids down you so take a decent amount of money and make sure you're eating three meals a day with enough water to keep you hydrated. 
Pick your outfits carefully I really cannot emphasize this enough. If you advertise that you're wearing designer clothes then you may be at risk of someone breaking into your tent and having a rummage through. You don't want to be taking full length jeans and white tops if you're going to a potential muddy festival anyway, but please don't take flip flops (you don't want broken toes) or a winter coat. You don't need them. Stick to a trusty pair of wellies with shorts, a t-shirt and a mac! 
Make sure to have fun and be safe!

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