Festival make-up trends for 2025 emphasize a shift toward Fairycore-inspired aesthetics, featuring bold sparkles, face gems, and glitter. While styles range from the “sunset blushlook to minimal
clean girl” bases, health experts warn against using craft glitter and applying products too close to the eyes to prevent corneal scratches.
The transition into the 2025 festival season has seen a move away from subtlety. This shift is evident in the rise of Fairycore, where the focus is on crystals, playful colors, and high-impact shimmer.
Fairycore and High-Impact Aesthetics
For those looking to stand out, Skinner suggests applying glitter to the shoulders or within hair partings. While various shimmers are popular, he recommends face gems for their size and visual impact, noting that they can be peeled off at the end of the night and reused the following morning.
Skinner stated that the no make-up look is gone and the clean girl aesthetic is out.
Other prominent trends for 2025 include sunset blush, which uses warm tones swept across the bridge of the nose to mimic a golden hour glow. This look is a “TikTok fave” and is noted for performing well in low light or flash photography. Doechii modeled this trend at this year’s Paris Fashion Week, with a look created by Makeup by Chelsea using products from Lancome, Pat Mcgrath, Kiss, and Danessa Myricks Beauty.
In contrast, the “clean girlaesthetic remains a viable option for those preferring a barely-there base with exposed freckles, balm on lips, and brushed brows. This style is described as
I woke up like this” but on purpose, and is considered particularly effective for day-to-night transitions and layering SPF. This look is noted as being best for darker skin tones.
Medical Warnings on Glitter and Eye Safety
The use of heavy embellishments carries specific health risks. Dr. Emma Wedgeworth of the British Skin Foundation advises against the use of craft glitter, urging instead the use of biodegradable, eco-friendly alternatives that are softer on the skin. To ensure safety, she recommends skipping application near the eyes to prevent nasty scratches on your cornea.
Safe application relies on appropriate adhesives, such as lash glue, to keep gems and sparkles in place without irritating the skin.
Product Selection for High Humidity
Festival environments, such as the “muddy runway” of Glastonbury—which runs from the 25th-29th June—or the desert backdrop of Indio, where Charli XCX and Tyla performed at Coachella, require formulas that can withstand humidity. Digital beauty and fashion writer Renee Washington highlights the utility of a blurring skin tint for maintaining a consistent look throughout the day without appearing cakey.
Specific product recommendations include:
- Skin Tints: Fenty Beauty’s Eaze Drop is described as an oil-free, non-comedogenic, light coverage tinted moisturiser with a “HydraBlend complex” and “hydrating QuickBlur complex.” It is available in 25 adaptable shade options. Renee Washington describes it as “magic in a bottle” that minimizes pores and evens out skin tone.
- Blush Palettes: The Made By Mitchell Curve Case is a versatile cream palette. It features four bronze and contour shades inspired by the “blursh bronzed” collection and four familiar blush shades. It offers five variants for fair, medium, and deep skin. Washington states the “pigment payoff is unreal” and the formula blends effortlessly.
- Lip Care: Non-sticky, reflective glosses remain popular. Additionally, “the one For Your Lips” is a fragrance-free, clear SPF50 lip balm enriched with squalane and shea butter to keep the pout hydrated and protected.
Whether opting for “soft glam” or full-on editorial vibes,
the choice of product often depends on the desired effect, ranging from a natural finish to the high-pigment payoff required for festival glam.
For specific skin concerns or product recommendations, readers should consult with qualified beauty or health professionals.