An LA girl’s festival packing list – what I’m secretly taking and why

You cannot get away from the dust in the Indio desert no matter how much you try, so go in being proactive and not reactive.

If you have access to N-95 masks, they will always be your best option to keep the dust out of your mouth and nose, but alternatively a cotton bandana will be practical and stylish.

I am loving Whte Moss’ 100% cotton designer kerchiefs, which are made from extra fine cotton and come in a series of gorgeous designs, all for less than $15. 

Wrap them around your neck to keep warm, lift over your mouth to protect from the dust, use as a hair tie or hair band – and they can also be tied to bags or belt straps for accessorizing.

You will thank me later for this one! No matter how gorgeous and styled your hair is with braids and beads, by the end of a hot 100 degree day, you will be so thankful for that scrunchie on your wrist.

Having your hair out of your face will help the evening breeze cool you down, and help you continue to party into the evening.

I love Kitsch’s satin scrunchies perfect for all hair types, and they come in a variety of colors that suit whatever wardrobe you’re packing for the weekend. 

It’s not sexy but if you can rinse your eyes out at the first sign of irritation, I promise it will make a world of difference.

Biotrue Hydration Boost Eye Drops are enhanced with HA (Hyaluronan), Antioxidant, and Electrolyte, and are safe for contact lens wearers as well.

No festival outfit is complete without a bag, and although fashion often trumps comfort, when it comes to a bag – and shoes – at a festival we’d always recommend comfort.

I’ll be wearing a Herschel’s Pop Quiz Hip Pack – it comes in 17 colors and the waist bag/sling bag can be worn in a variety of ways to suit your needs, and features enough space for the necessities and a few extras. It comes with a top front pocket with easy access, a buckle for durability and secure closure.

Do not leave your tent or hotel room without packing some band aids for a day at a festival.

You may as well buy a a family pack and keep them stuffed in every pocket and bag.

This is a no brainer! It’s the California desert in April – you need to wear SPF – and my new favorite is the e.l.f. SKIN All Set For Sun SPF 45 setting spray.

Lightweight, it sits nicely over makeup so you don’t need to worry about rubbing away that carefully placed blusher with a layer of SPF.

And at $11.20 at Amazon for one bottle, I’d stock up. 

As a millennial who knows no better, I would never normally recommend cleansing wipes.

But in an absolute pinch, cleansing wipes are a must. I’ll be going for the Neutrogena Makeup Remover Cleansing Wipes because in my opinion, they’re the best ones on the market – and they are made with 100% plant-based fibers, making them compostable.

Perfect for gently cleansing the skin I would recommend using these throughout the day to wipe away the dust and sweat before reapplying a new layer of SPF and make up.

Dry shampoo is God’s gift, and Redken’s Deep Clean Dry Shampoo is the gift that keeps on giving for those of us, like me, who dread going without a daily hair wash.

The high-performance shampoo works on heavy duty oil absorption for all hair types, promising to leave hair looking – and feeling – clean.

After a day in the sunshine, singing and dancing and vibing with friends, your skin will need to recover. 

After cleansing and before slipping into bed, I love to slather on a scoop of Peter Thomas Roth’s refreshing cucumber Gel Mask, an extreme hydrator that cools and soothes the look of irritated skin overnight. 

What I love about this one, is you can wipe off after five minutes or leave it on overnight, meaning you can lie down in bed and forget about it.