Go to Coachella as many years as I have and you get the whole packing thing down to a science. Yes, I said science, but it's not rocket science. You're obviously going to want to pack face wipes and lip balm (shit gets dirty and dry, my friends) and don't even think about forgetting your SPF or water bottle. You're an adult and can handle the essentials just fine.
But there's also the art part. After years spent crowded into tiny, overpriced hotel rooms with friends, seasons spent baking at hotel pools and weathering what I like to call The Great Coachella Dust Storm of 2014, I can tell you exactly what ancillary products you're actually going to want and what you'd wished you left at home.
So grab your wristband and get on the 10 early next Friday morning — no, seriously, traffic is going to be insane. But whatever you do, don't forget these non-essential essentials. See you in the desert!
If you only follow one piece of my advice, let it be this: Don't bother with anything precise. You may think your favourite liquid liner can withstand the heat and sweat and dust and drinking and pools and parties, but it can't.
Instead, make like the top stars in Hollywood and smudge a bright pop of blue under your bottom lashline. It looks fresh AF in bright daylight, rad at night, killer in pictures, and even better if it gets smudged and worn in. Seriously, this is the look to wear this year.
Sephora Collection Retractable Waterproof Eyeliner in Turquoise, available at Sephora.
Whether it's the dust or the hippie vibes, you will inevitably want to braid your hair. Enlist a friend and bring these to make your plaits look chic and seamless. Or plop down in the field and make a braid train — you'll have 249 to spare.
Goody Ouchless Value Pack Latex Elastics, available at Target.
There's something about Coachella that makes you want to match with your gang, your crew, your Coachella clan — whatever you're calling yourselves. (This phenomenon may seem passé, but it's very real.)
When these temporary tattoos came across my desk I immediately stowed them away for the desert. They're so incredibly pretty and real-looking — and just wild enough.
Tatouage Blossom 102 Temporary Tattoos of Flowers & Plants, 21 Art-Print Keepsakes, available at Laurence King.
This is another product that I am dying to break open once I see that Palm Springs sign. It's as easy as, well, a stamp, and can be used so many different ways, from subtle to artsy to dramatic.
Milk Makeup Tattoo Stamp, available at Urban Outfitters.
I actually discovered this leave-in at the pool at Coachella one year and it (quite literally) saved my hair. It detangles, makes air-drying easy, has UV filters, and it works for every hair type and texture. Plus, every surfer-girl we know swears by it.
It's a 10 Miracle Leave-in Product, available at Ulta Beauty.
The glitter hair trend isn't exactly my thing, but if you're into it — and I know a lot of people are — celeb colourist Daniel Moon 's is the shit to use. The chunky glitter is super modern and the goopy texture will stay where you put it.
Major Moonshine Hair Glitter, available at Urban Outfitters.
Body makeup may seem out of place, but hear me out: it can be a huge confidence booster — and one that completely takes the stress out of wearing cut-offs or dresses for the first time in six months. (Since there shouldn't be any.) There's a colour in this formula for most complexions and this stuff won't budge — seriously. A few drops in your SPF evens out your situation, a 50/50 blend gives you supermodel evenness, and a full-strength, well, don't go full strength.
Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs Leg Makeup, available at Ulta Beauty.
April in Indio is either grossly hot or disturbingly windy — and sometimes both. This blush won't melt or crack and provides a gorg flush that doesn't look like makeup. Tip: Haze is the foolproof shade to order now — it honestly looks good on everyone.
Glossier Cloud Paint in Haze, available at Glossier.
Okay, so this isn't a beauty product — but it may as well be, because when your highlighter wears off (it will) and the desert dust coats your skin (don't say I didn't warn you) this phone case will light you up and make all those things magically disappear. You can bet I'm bringing mine.
LuMee Duo LED Lighting Case for iPhone 7, available at Apple.
If you don't wake up exhausted at least one morning, then you didn't do it right. These sheet masks will save your dry, tired skin before you even get out of bed — and the pack has enough to share with your partners in crime.
Karuna Hydrating+ Face Sheet Mask 4 Count, available at Ulta Beauty.
If you're cramming into a shuttle-adjacent hotel room or a packed-to-the-brim house, your bathrooms are going to be a disaster by checkout. Leave your fancy highlighter at home and bring something cheap and glowy that you don't mind sharing and won't be pissed it if breaks. This one is a cult classic and can be used anywhere on the body.
Wet n Wild Mega Glo Highlighting Powder, available at Walmart.
I have a PhD in avoiding shampoo but it's especially hard in the desert (sweat, dust, chlorine — you get it) so pack this spray, which gives locks a mega hit of texture and lived-in appeal, even if your strands are clean as a whistle, which, you know, isn't too cool.
Sachajuan Dry Powder Shampoo, available at David Pirrotta.
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