Festival Season Essentials — As Seen On CBS Austin’s “We Are Austin”
SXSW officially kicks off tomorrow so, before your days become absolutely chaotic, make sure to prepare for the festival so you can enjoy yourself to the maximum. From brightening serums and facial wipes to glow-enhancing body oils, frizz-fighting hair creams, UV protection, stylish shades, reusable water bottles, and redness-fighting eye drops, check out my ultimate Festival Survival Guide, which I discussed this morning on CBS Austin’s “We Are Austin.” Make sure to click here to view the segment on CBSAustin.com and keep reading for the scoop on everything sen on air!
DERMA E VITAMIN C CONCENTRATED SERUM, VITAMIN C INSTANT RADIANCE CITRUS FACIAL PEEL, AND VITAMIN C BRIGHTENING MICELLAR WIPES
Forget shining bright like a diamond — during festival season, we want to beam like the sun itself! For a glowing, youthful, incandescent complexion that will make people want to orbit around you, make sure to double down on some Vitamin C-packed skincare products. Eco-ethical brand from Derma E has a complete collection of skincare products formulated with stabilized vitamin C, and they’re the key to that lit-from-within glow we all covet.
I’ve long been a fan of the Vitamin C Concentrated Serum ($24.50 at DermaE.com), which contains vitamin C, a potent antioxidant that’s been proven to brighten the skin, even skin tone, and promote collagen synthesis (thereby rejuvenating skin). The 100% vegan serum can be used morning and night, and it also contains highly effective ingredients like hyaluronic acid to draw and bind moisture to skin; aloe vera extract to soothe and soften the skin; vitamin E to protect skin from free radicals and improve moisture levels;, lactobacillus, a probiotic that helps to balance the skin’s microbiome; and antioxidant-rich green tea extract to calm and refresh skin and protect it from environmental aggressors.
For 2019, Derma E introduced two new additions to its Vitamin C collection: the Vitamin C Instant Radiance Citrus Facial Peel ($23.95 at DermaE.com) and the Vitamin C Brightening Glow Micellar Wipes ($7.99 at DermaE.com). The Citrus Facial Peel contains resurfacing and exfoliating lactic and glycolic acids that help to dislodge dead surface skin cells to reveal a more luminous and smoother layer of skin, while a citrus fruit peel puree comprised of lemon and orange peels work to fade dark spots and yield a more even skin tone. To use, you just apply the peel to clean and dry skin at night, leave on for 3-5 minutes, then rinse off. The weekly treatment not only yields long-term results, but it delivers a noticeable radiance boost after a single use!
The Micellar Wipes, meanwhile, are the epitome of convenience during festival season. You can use them to remove your makeup at night, along with any dirt and grime that may have accumulated during your outings, and you can stash them in your cross-body bag or backpack and take them out as needed to refresh skin mid-day. These ultra-gentle wipes use micellar technology to effectively remove impurities without any rinsing being necessary — all while keeping the skin’s moisture balance. The wipes are also enriched with vitamin C, grape seed extract, hyaluronic acid, Rooibos extract, and probiotics, so they’ll help to brighten the skin, protect it against free radicals, and keep it hydrated and soft. Plus, they’re biodegradable!
LA ROCHE-POSAY ANTHELIOS 50 MINERAL SUNSCREEN
While you’re soaking up the sights and sounds at the festival, you’ll also be soaking up the sun. To protect your skin from harmful UV rays, make sure to apply the the La Roche-Posay Anthelios 50 Mineral ($22.99 at LaRoche-Posay.us and drugstores nationwide) before heading outdoors and then reapply every two hours. The Anthelios 50 Mineral is the brand’s first-ever mineral-based sunscreen for the body and face. It features 100% mineral sunscreens (absolutely no chemical UV filters!), and it’s gentle enough for even the most sensitive skin. It’s also loaded with antioxidants that neutralize free radicals, further protecting the skin and leaving it smooth and hydrated.
LA ROCHE-POSAY MY SKIN TRACK UV
When it comes to wearable technology, we’ve seen everything from fitness trackers that keep track of calories burned, steps taken, miles logged, and heart rate changes to walking shoes with built-in pedometers and sunglasses that snap photos and record HD video. But what about wearable devices that can help consumers better tend to their skin? Well, that now exists thanks to La Roche-Posay, which just introduced its groundbreaking My Skin Track UV, the first battery-free, wearable device to measure UV exposure. The discreet, clip-on device contains a sun-activated sensor that measures UVA and UVB ray levels, plus it features a companion app that tracks your exposure to pollen, pollution, and humidity. Once you download the companion app and sync your sensor to it, you’ll be able to gather data on your skin care habits and receive personalized advice on how to protect and care for your skin that takes into consideration all of the aforementioned external factors in addition to your age, skin type, ethnicity, and skin tone. With this device, then, you can make more informed skincare choices and gain insight on how to improve your existing skincare habits.
SOL DE JANEIRO GLOWMOTIONS GLOW OILS
Terms like “polar vortex” and “arctic blast” have come to summarize the brutal nature of this winter season. After all those weeks and months spent bundled up, revealing as little skin as humanly possible, many of us are looking way paler than usual — as in our arms and legs could easily belong to the creepy White Walkers in Game of Thrones. And no one wants to slip on a flirty romper and reveal legs that scream, “Winter is coming!”
To disguise that ghastly pallor and give your body an instant faux glow, just apply the transfer-resistant Sol de Janeiro Glowmotions Glow Oils ($35 at SoldeJaneiro.com). These transfer-resistant glow oils come in convenient pump bottles for a mess-free application process, and they’re enriched with hydrating coconut and açai oils as well as cupuaçu butter, so they’ll leave skin soft, supple, and luminous. Plus, both oils feature the Cheirosa ’62 fragrance popularized by the brand’s iconic Brazilian Bum Bum Cream, which features notes of salted caramel and pistachio. In other words, with GLOWMOTIONS, you’ll look and smell inviting!
You can choose between two shades: Copacabana Bronze, which gives you a warm bronze tint, and Rio Sunset, which has a translucent champagne shimmer finish.
SOL DE JANEIRO BUM BUM SOL OIL SPF 30
We all know applying sunscreen is necessary, but that doesn’t mean we find it particularly enjoyable. Oftentimes, it feels like an unavoidable chore — much like brushing your teeth and flossing. But, with the new Sol de Janeiro Bum Bum Sol Oil SPF 30 ($38 at SoldeJaneiro.com and Sephora.com), applying solar protection will actually feel like a treat. Yes, you heard right: you’ll look forward to applying it!
The Bum Bum Sol Pol SPF 30 is a fast-absorbing, non-greasy sunscreen oil that’s packed with hydrating ingredients like coconut and acai oils, and it contains a hint of shimmer thanks to the addition of golden mica, so illuminates skin while protecting it. Now that’s lit!
FEKKAI BRILLIANT GLOSSING CREME AND FULL BLOWN VOLUME DRY TEXTURIZING SPRAY
Music festivals can lead to a plethora of potential hair-tastrophes. Here in Austin, where humidity should be spelled with an uppercase “H,” frizz is always a concern. But there are so many other potentially horrid scenarios — after all, during outdoor performances, the wind and dust can easily leave hair looking tangled and unkempt and, during indoor shows, the heat that comes from being in a packed venue can lead to sweating, leaving hair looking greasy or making your once-bouncy hairdo limp and lifeless. To keep your hair looking fresh, smooth and lustrous even after the music stops, check out these two products from Fekkai.
First, to banish frizz, you can reach for the Fekkai Brilliant Glossing Crème ($14.59 at Target and Target.com), which is a really lightweight, olive oil-infused styling cream that can be applied to wet or dry hair to polish strands while giving them a glossy shine. It even comes in a smaller travel size, so you can keep it on hand to tame fly-aways as needed. Take that, Austin humidity!
And if you want to give your high ponytail, loose braid, or top knot more body, try spritzing some of the Fekkai Full Blown Volume Dry Texturizing Spray ($19.99 at Target and Target.com). This non-sticky, lightweight spray will give your hair an airy fullness and volume that lasts all day. Moreover, it contains a ton of hair-loving ingredients: lemon peel extract to balance oils in the scalp, preventing hair from becoming greasy or losing its oomph; sunflower seed extract to protect hair from UV rays and keep your color from fading; antioxidant-packed moringa extract to protect strands from environmental aggressors; and ginseng extract to promote hair growth.
Curious about these products? Then make sure to follow @fredericfekkai on Instagram and enter their giveaway for a chance to win these products!
BEARD CARE GANG SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE
Talk about prized family recipes! The three brothers behind Beard Care Gang spent years creating products to keep their beards soft and lustrous, trying out one recipe after the next until finally perfecting three formulas that together constitute a complete beard care system. By launching Beard Care Gang, they’re sharing their findings with the world, allowing other bearded gents to successfully tend to their own beards using this 3-step system. Moreover, with a subscription to BeardCareGang.com, fellas can have the grooming products they need for proper beard upkeep sent directly to their doors every single month.
The care system is comprised of a beard wash, a detangling conditioner, and a softening beard balm that stimulates growth. All three products are vegan and incorporate shea butter sourced from West Africa.
Subscriptions start at $19.95 at BeardCareGang.com, and there are plans available for men with beards of all lengths.
With your first order, you’ll receive a walnut wood comb, detangling brush, and high chromium salon scissors in a magnetic seal case (as shown above). CBS Austin viewers and Sicka Than Average readers like you can receive 10% off their first order with the code CBSAUSTIN.
NALGENE INSPIRED BY NATURE COLLECTION
It’s easy to get dehydrated when walking around for hours during a festival — and that goes double if the festivities take place somewhere as hot as Texas! To stay hydrated, you’ll need your own portable oasis, and that’s where Nalgene comes in. Nalgene’s Inspired by Nature collection features BPA-free reusable and refillable bottles in 7 colors inspired by the earth, sea, and sky, so that shades include a bright sunset orange, a funky leafy green, and more. Each bottle is available in 16 and 32 oz. sizes with narrow and wide mouth choices. Prices range from $9.50 to 11.50 at Nalgene.com.
Reusable water bottles help you reduce waste and save money, and Nalgene bottles are a particularly eco-friendly since they’re made in the USA. Why is that crucial? Well, for starters, a 2016 study Nalgene commissioned with the Rochester Institute of Technology found that reusable water bottles made overseas have 10 times the carbon footprint as reusable bottle made in USA. And there’s more: the mere act of transporting reusable water bottles from abroad to the US — even when opting for maritime shipping — involves expending fuel and emitting greenhouse gases. Therefore, by buying American-made goods, you can easily lower your carbon lower carbon footprint.
A Nalgene water bottle, then, will save you a fortune, help to reduce waste and make the world a bit greener!
SMART PRESSED JUICE
Chances are you won’t find a ton of vegetable-packed, clean and healthy food options while hanging around during SXSW. Chips and queso? Sure! BBQ? Of course! Sliders and breakfast tacos? Believe it! But clean and healthy plates packed with nutrient-dense veggies? Well, that might be more of a challenge. Luckily, you can come to the festival prepared with your own healthy food reserves.
Southern California-based company Smart Pressed Juice makes it easy to feed your body the nutrients it needs — even when you’re on the move. Their juices are made from raw, organic fruits and vegetables that are freshly pressed and dehydrated immediately after harvest to preserve all those phytonutrients when they’re at their peak. The juices are all vegan, non-GMO, and gluten-free, and they contain no added sugars or artificial ingredients.
To keep you going during jam-packed festival days, add a scoop of the Revive Beets + Roots Organic Pressed Beet Juice (at SmartPressedJuice.com) to 6 oz. of water. You can even take the juice with you in that reusable Nalgene bottle! This juice contains beet rot juice for a natural energy boost (without the crash associated with caffeine), along with superfoods like ginger, turmeric, golden root, and kale.
And if you want to detoxify your system after a hard night of partying, you can follow the brand’s 1-Day Cleanse or 3-Day Cleanse ($19.95 and $59.95 respectively at SmartPressedJuice.com). This one-of-a-kind juice cleanse features organic juice powders specifically designed to support the body’s detoxification process. A 1-Day Cleanse, then, will include 2 single-serve packets of Vegan Vanilla Proteini to provide the amino acids needed for our livers to flush out those toxins, as well as 2 Organic Pressed Greens packets to support the neutralizing phase of the cleanse, and 1 packet of Pineapple Chia Cleanse to help your digestive tract eliminate those toxins. And since all the juices in the cleanse come in convenient single-serving packets, you can carry them with you and mix them with water while on the go!
BANDELETTES THIGH BANDS AND PANTY SHORTS
We all love flaunting whimsical floral skirts and dreamy Boho maxi dresses at music festivals but, oftentimes there’s something far from pretty happening underneath those garments, and that’s painful inner thigh chafing. Enter Bandelettes, a comfortable and convenient solution to all your chafing problems.
The Bandelettes thigh bands ($16.99 to $21.99 available at Bandelettes.com) feature two rows of stay-up silicone, so they never fall off or roll down, preventing your thighs from rubbing together without overheating you in the way tights or pantyhose would. And, of course, they’re a much better alternative to roll-on deodorants and ointments that you can easily sweat off, and which lose their efficiency over time. The thigh bands come in stylish lace prints and solid colors, in an assortment of shades, and in sizes S to 3XL, so there’s an option for women of all sizes and body types. Plus, they’re sexy enough that you won’t mind if they peek out from underneath those shorts or rompers!
And, if you want a bit more coverage, you can opt for a pair of Elegance Panty Shorts ($25.99 at Bandelettes.com).
SHADES FROM DISCOUNTGLASSES.COM
You can throw some shade this festival season with a killer pair of sunnies from DiscountGlasses.com. The USA-based company has an amazing assortment of affordable, on-trend, top-quality sunglasses so that you can purchase multiple pairs without braking the bank. Most single-vision frames ship within 1-2 days, so you’ll receive them almost as soon as you complete that purchase, and DiscountGlasses.com has a 365-day return policy so that, if you’re dissatisfied with your purchase for any reason, you can return those frames up to one full year after the ship date. Now, that’s putting customer satisfaction first!
I’m totally smitten with the Privé Reveaux The Heartbreaker shades (shown above at top) and the Angel Severine shades (shown second from top) — each of which retails for less than $30.
For more options, check out DiscountGlasses.com!
LUMIFY REDNESS RELIEVER EYE DROPS FROM BAUSCH + LOMB
During festival season, staying out late and spending time outdoors in the sun can cause your eyes to become red and irritated. That’s why you need to keep the LUMIFY redness reliever eye drops from Bausch + Lomb ($14.99 at CVS) in that cute festival belt bag for easy access at all times.
Just one drop of LUMIFY significantly reduces redness in as little as one minute to help eyes appear whiter and brighter for up to 8 hours. You can find LUMIFY in the eye care aisle at major retailers nationwide such as CVS and CVS.com.
