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Music Festival Beauty & Makeup Essentials

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With 2025 sailing into summer, festival season is quickly approaching, and it’s the perfect opportunity to experiment with creative, bold, new looks, and level up your Instagram. Whether you’re getting muddy at Glastonbury or immersing yourself in a local indie fest, it’s important to pack smart and plan ahead for long days, hot weather, sweaty crowds, and, of course, photo ops at every turn. We will cover everything you need beauty-wise to keep your festival look flawless and fresh all weekend long before you go – from glitter must-haves to long-wear, meltproof essentials! 

Dry Shampoo 

With limited access to showers, completing your full haircare routine can be challenging, but with the ultimate non-negotiable of dry shampoo, you can refresh your hair for longer! Dry shampoos such as the Kérastase Fresh Affair Refreshing Dry Shampoo as well as the Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Advanced Clean Dry Shampoo work instantly to deliver results ‘comparable to a rinse-out shampoo’, whilst also adding texture and volume, which oily hair and grease can take away, perfect for your effortless festival look. 

SPF 

Being in the middle of an open field with little to no shade means that you’ll have to endure hours of intense and direct sun exposure. This means that SPF (whether it’s in lotion, spray, or stick-form) will be your best friend in protecting you from the sun’s harsh rays! Supergoop!’s Unseen Sunscreen SPF 50 is an award-winning SPF that is 100% weightless, and ‘doubles as a primer for all-day makeup wear’, so you can enjoy a flawless all-day wear without the heaviness of a full routine! La Roche-Posay’s Anthelios UV Mune 400 Invisible Fluid SPF50+ is also a best seller with an ‘ultra water and sweat resistant’ formula which is non-sticky and non-greasy, perfect for those sweaty crowds. 

Tinted Moisturiser 

Given the long hours outdoors, foundation can feel heavy and cakey which can often add to the discomfort of the blazing heat and weariness of dancing all day, but weightless makeup such as tinted moisturisers or serums can act as an easy alternative that’s lighter on the skin! Brands such as Rare Beauty offer tinted moisturisers that are weightless and hydrating, making them less likely to clog pores or cause breakouts, which can be a great concern during the sweaty, high-energy festival days. Rare Beauty’s Positive Light Tinted Moisturiser also adds a subtle natural glow to your makeup routine, giving you the perfect sun-kissed look! 

Matte Powder 

Being out and about from morning to night making the most of your weekend getaway, a key essential in achieving an airbrushed and flawless finish in your makeup routine is a matte powder which sets makeup and keeps you looking fresh. Setting powders such as the Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish or the Maybelline Fit Me Matte & Poreless Powder are both matte pressed powders with a super-fine consistency that control shine, even in heat, humidity, and crowds – they absorb excess oil, especially in the T-zone, keeping you looking polished in photos and real life! They are also super touch-up friendly, making them perfect to reapply between sets or on the go. 

Glitter Eyeshadow 

Festivals are the occasion to try out new looks and go for bold and sparkly makeup, where glitter eyeshadow is an essential. Palettes such as the NYX Professional Makeup Ultimate Shadow Palette – I Know That’s Bright are small and compact yet offer an extensive 16-colour shade range! Not only can you create endless looks with this product and transition your day look to a night one with ‘one swipebut it is also rich in colour, and has a lightweight formula, preventing the heavy feel of eye makeup. 

Waterproof Mascara 

Mascaras such as the Maybelline Lash Sensational Sky High Waterproof Mascara and the L’oréal Paris Telescopic Lift Waterproof Mascara hold up flawlessly against sweat, humidity, and hot weather that accumulate quickly in festival conditions, avoiding any smudges or transfers. More importantly, knowing British weather, the likelihood of it raining during a weekend spent outdoors is laughably high, so it’s better to be safe than sorry, and have a stunning, budge-proof eye look – zero smudges, zero worries! 

Setting Spray 

With a good setting spray such as Milani’s Make It Last Setting Spray or Mac’s Fix+ Setting Spray, there are no constant touch-ups required! They lock in your makeup, keeping from it melting or sliding off, even under harsh conditions, so your look stays in place despite the heat. They also refresh your skin, giving you a natural, hydrated finish, the perfect final step in bringing everything together! 

As festival season approaches, the secret to keeping your look flawless and long-lasting throughout the weekend is packing the right essentials. From long hours and sweaty crowds to unpredictable weather, these products ensure that you look as fresh at the end of the weekend as you did when you started! With your Instagrammable festival makeup look planned, make sure to find travel minis to save space and ensure convenience; also, give your products multiple uses to simplify your routine without compromising style. All these curated steps in your festival beauty routine guarantee a meltproof look that won’t disappoint you. 

Wombo Announce New Album ‘Danger in Fives’, Share New Single

Wombo – the Louisville-bred trio of Sydney Chadwick, Cameron Lowe, and Joel Taylor – have announced a new album, Danger in Fives. It arrives on 8 August via Fire Talk Records, and the lead single and title track is out now alongside a music video helmed by Lowe. “’Danger in Fives’ has something to do with loops and cycles and the comfort I get from walking around a peddlers mall,” Chadwick shared, and there’s something haunting to it, too. Check it out below.

“We really quickly threw a lot of paint down and it was almost the picture, but we still tweaked it for a year,” Lowe explained, adding that they wanted to “get away from a results mindset, where it’s about producing things for a certain expectation instead of doing it all for the joy of exploring.” Chadwick recalled, “There were a lot of ones where I was like, ‘This sounds really cool but it doesn’t sound like a Wombo song.'”

Danger in Fives Cover Artwork:

Danger in Fives Cover Artwork

Danger in Fives Tracklist:

1. Danger in Fives
2. S.T. Tilted
3. Cloud 36
4. Ugly Room
5. A Dog Says
6. Neon Bog
7. Reveal Dusty
8. Really Melancholy and There Are No Words
9. Spyhopping
10. Common Things
11. Garden Spies

DIIV Share Video for New Song ‘Return of Youth’

DIIV have returned with a new song, ‘Return of Youth’, the band’s first new music since last year’s Frog in Boiling Water. It was recorded after the fires in Altadena, California, that resulted in frontman Zachary Cole Smith losing his home. “Breathe silent hope/ Into a world unknown/ Guide me on a path that leads/ Innocent and dumb,” he sings on the track, whose music video, too, surveys the aftermath. Check it out below.

In a lengthy statement, Smith said:

Hi

DIIV has a new song out today, “Return Of Youth”. Sorry for the long statement

‘Frog’ was an album that focused our gaze outward at the world around us. It captured a series of snapshots of our condition, in confusion and disgust and awe.

The writing period for this album was part of a beautiful time in my life, as we prepared and waited for our first child to be born. That beauty was cut with a profound existential dilemma: how can we bring a child into this world?

The common thread running through the fragmented world of the album was hope. We’ve talked about it a bit. Real hope, false hope, something to give your life meaning. It’s an individual journey. I found it in parenthood, but you can find it anywhere you want.

“Return Of Youth” was written before our son was born, a projection, zooming in until the larger existential dilemmas were out of frame. Where “Fender On The Freeway” found peace in the patterns of a gigantic macro, this one finds it in a mundane and simple micro. I imagined seeing myself through the eyes of my child, a rebirth of sorts, laced with fear and insecurity, discovering beauty and serenity together in the simplest places.

At the very beginning of the year my family and I lost our home and everything we owned to the wildfires in Altadena, CA. We had been preparing for the birth of our second son. We were living in the beautiful world at home that I had imagined in this song, and at once that world was gone.

When we re-approached this song to finally release it, I couldn’t help but hear the song differently in the aftermath. What makes a home? Can you ever escape the outside world? Is hope just a delusion? Is anyone actually prepared to be a parent? How CAN you bring a child into this world?

I found again the big questions were irrelevant. You just keep on living I guess. Life happens on life’s terms.

Anyway, make of the song and the video whatever you want, it’s just a snapshot, albeit a more personal one this time.

Enjoy.

Cole

Read our inspirations interview with DIIV.

Taylor Swift Debuts ‘Look What You Made Me Do (Taylor’s Version)’ in ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’

Taylor Swift premiered ‘Look What You Made Me Do (Taylor’s Version)’ in the latest episode of Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale. The re-recorded and revamped version of the 2017 hit appears in the opening scene of the penultimate episode of the series. Check it out below.

“I’ve been wanting to use a Taylor song for many years on the show and we finally found the perfect spot for a track from her, and I’m so glad we waited because there could not be a more perfect song for a more perfect moment,” star and executive producer Elisabeth Moss told Billboard. “Taylor has been such an inspiration to me personally. As a Swiftie myself, and I think I can speak for [co-star] Yvonne [Strahovski] and our entire cast as well, who are all Swifties, it’s such an honor to be able to use her music in the final episodes of our show.”

Moss continued, “I said to my editor, Wendy [Hallam Martin], ‘I really want to find a place for a Taylor track in the last two episodes of the show’ and we wanted to find a music queue for the opening of nine, and all the credit goes to Wendy for picking this track for this moment!”

Handmaid’s Tale editor Wendy Hallam Martin added: “In trying many songs for this specific moment in our series and knowing how much Lizzie wanted a strong female voice and message, Taylor was really the artist that delivered both lyrically and tonally. Our badass main character June in this scene, really was saying ‘look what you made me do’ and the song couldn’t have been more on point. A perfect pairing. When I laid the song up against the scene, it just landed perfectly thematically, rhythmically and magically hit all the edit points which sometimes happens if it’s meant to be.”

Reputation is just one of two albums Swift has yet to re-record in an effort to reclaim her masters, having previously completed Fearless (Taylor’s Version), Red (Taylor’s Version), Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), and 1989 (Taylor’s Version). She previously teased ‘Look What You Made Me Do’ in an episode of Apple TV+’s The Dynasty: New England Patriots, and in August 2023, offered a glimpse of ‘Delicate (Taylor’s Version)’ on Prime Video’s The Summer I Turned Pretty. Her 11th album, The Tortured Poets Department, came out in April 2024.

Vines Announces Debut Album ‘I’ll be here’, Unveils New Song ‘Evicted’

Vines – the project of Brooklyn artist Cassie Wieland – has announced her debut album, I’ll be here. Following 2023’s Birthday Party EP, the 10-track effort will be released on July 18. On the mesmerizing lead single ‘Evicted’, Wieland repeats the questions, “Am I getting sick/ Or am I over it/ Am I being born/ Or just evicted,” piling one sonic layer after another. Check out its Evan Chapman-directed video below.

“‘Evicted’ is the first song with lyrics that I wrote for this record,” Wieland explained in a statement. “It’s about going through a transitional period in your life and not knowing where it’s going. I’m reflecting on the insecurity and discomfort that can come with healing.”

Read our Artist Spotlight interview with Vines.

I’ll be here Cover Artwork:

I’ll be here Cover Artwork

I’ll be here Tracklist:

1. I’m getting sick
2. Evicted
3. We’ve made it this far
4. Undercurrent
5. King of swords
6. Omw
7. Happy is hard
8. Tired
9. Keep driving
10. I’ll be here

How the Art Industry is Shining With Green Poster Printing

With the rise of sustainability, more artists and creatives are thinking about their impact on the planet. Art is evolving, and so are the tools and processes to create it. One area seeing a big shift is poster printing. Artists are moving towards greener and cleaner options for poster printing. The change is a movement that is catching fast in the entire industry.

Why Eco-Friendly Poster Printing Matters

Traditional printing methods haven’t always been kind to the Earth. They often include:

  • Petroleum-based inks
  • Non-recyclable paper
  • Toxic solvents
  • Excess energy use

These methods can harm the environment. However, eco-friendly poster printing is changing the game. Artists and printers are finding smarter ways to create without causing damage.

What Makes Poster Printing Eco-Friendly?

Green poster printing uses materials and methods that reduce environmental harm. Here are some options

  • Soy/Vegetable-based inks: These release fewer VOCs (volatile organic compounds) than traditional inks.
  • Recycled or FSC-certified paper: These options make sure that the trees are sourced or reused in a responsible manner.
  • Water-based coatings: Less harmful than chemical finishes.
  • Digital printing: It creates less waste and uses less power.
  • Local production: Reduces carbon emissions from shipping.

Artists Leading The Change

Eco-conscious artists are at the front of this movement. They care about the message and the method. Many artists are making the following changes:

  • Print with green-certified studios
  • Choose minimalist designs to reduce ink use
  • Sell digital downloads instead of physical copies
  • Educate their followers about sustainable choices

Benefits For The Art Community

Sustainable printing is good for the Earth. On top of this, it is an excellent choice for artists and collectors. The community feels good to create and collect art that does not harm the planet.

Here are some other major benefits:

  • Lower long-term costs with digital and local printing
  • Healthy work environments with non-toxic materials
  • Higher appeal to eco-conscious buyers
  • Stronger brand identity for eco-friendly artists

Steps To Start Printing In A Sustainable Manner

Well, if you are thinking of making the switch, it is pretty easy. Here are some of the steps to start with sustainable printing.

Step 1: Choose the right printer- You have to look for companies that offer eco-printing options.

Step 2: Ask questions-  Try to find out more information about their inks, processes, etc.

Step 3: Opt for digital when you can- It is cleaner and more efficient to print posters.

Step 4: Print only what you need- This will help you avoid overproduction and waste.

Step 5: Educate your audience- Share your sustainability choices to help others make the switch.

The Future Of Poster Printing

Well, there is a bright future for sustainable pester printing. The demand for sustainability is on the rise and the industry is evolving with it. You will expect to see:

  • Biodegradable inks
  • Fully recycled and tree-free papers,
  • Low-energy printing machines become standard

Also, digital printing will improve production by making it clean and quick. Besides this, there is a push toward on-demand printing which will reduce the level of overproduction and waste. More artists and studios will prioritize local sourcing and eco-friendly packaging.

Why Travel Storage Bags Are a Must-Have for Frequent Flyers

If you spend a lot of time in planes and airports, travel storage bags are a must-have item. As someone who flies a lot, you probably already have your tips and tricks lined up, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make things even easier on yourself with a custom travel bag with a logo. It’s never too late to include something else, like travel storage bags, that will make your frequent flying easier on you.

The Challenges of Frequent Travel

Traveling is exciting, but when you travel a lot, it brings down the level of excitement you may have over the change in location. You just want to get where you need to go! There are a number of challenges for those who fly frequently. Here are a few: 

  • Delays

When you have a tight schedule, delays put you behind schedule. Even if you have time to kill, delays are an annoying inconvenience.

  • Lost Baggage

The more you fly, the more likely it is that you have lost a bag at some point or another. It’s a bummer, but whether you travel for business or pleasure, there are items in those suitcases you need. It’s costly to have to buy new items whenever you’re stuck without your back.

  • Crowds

What might you run into if you fly in and out of popular areas, tourist destinations, and large cities? Long lines, crowds, and higher prices.

  • Health Issues

When you travel a lot, you’re going to be around a lot of people. People have germs. You may very well be open to catching an illness. Depending on where you travel and how careful you are, food and water contamination could become an issue as well.

Streamlining Packing with Compact and Versatile Storage Solutions

When you travel frequently, you might have packing down to a science. If you are just starting to travel more, you may still need a little help. Lay out everything you want to take and then figure out how you can make it compact with storage bags for travel. 

Have a packing strategy and put larger items, like shoes, on the bottom. You can then put things inside the shoes and fill gaps with softer items. Consider rolling or folding, which is best for you? Rolling clothes helps to save space and cut back on wrinkles. If you have enough space, fold away!

If you have versatile compact storage solutions, you may be able to get everything you need into a carry-on bag. That kind of compact travel allows you to forget about lost suitcases. 

Protecting Belongings During Travel

While you want your bags to arrive at your chosen destination, you also want them intact and unbroken. Certain items, like clothing, can take the abuse of a tossed bag, but you may take other items along with you that need more protection. Find travel storage solutions that insulate precious items, like toiletries, that might break during the traveling process.

Consider what you take with you on a regular basis and decide what kind of material and protection you need in any travel bags you may use.

Enhancing Convenience at Airports and Beyond

It’s never a bad idea to choose travel accessories that stand out so you can easily spot the bags you brought and grab them fast. If you have a branded bag, it’s unique and unusual, making it easy to spot.

If you have a black suitcase, guess what, so does everyone else. But a bag with a brand on it helps it to stand out and saves you time as you watch for it on the carousel.

A Branding Opportunity for Businesses

If you own a business, you may want to work with Save Your Ink on creating branded travel accessories. Frequent travels can make use of your items, and since they get around a lot, your brand and logo would get around as well!

If you offer branded travel items, those looking to go places appreciate the usefulness of the item, and you could get your name out there farther than you would otherwise. Create something stylish, but unique, and efficient to be truly useful to any traveler who might want to make use of the item.

In conclusion

Storage bags for travel are a great option for those who travel frequently and need to streamline their packing process. There are a lot of issues that can arise with frequent flying, and travel bags can’t fix everything, but they can help with efficient packing. Logo bags also stand out as unique among the many other suitcases. You’ll be able to spot your stuff with ease and move on to your next location faster than you would have otherwise. Include the right storage bags in your must-have list, and frequent travel suddenly becomes easier.

Sister. Announce New Album ‘Two Birds’, Share New Single

Sister. have announced a new album, Two Birds, which is slated for release on July 11 via Mtn Laurel Recording Co. It features the previously unveiled single ‘Blood in the Vines’, and today, the New York-based band have shared the LP’s title track, which was written by Hannah Pruzinsky (aka h. pruz) and Ceci Sturman. Check it out and find the album cover and tracklist below.

A communal spirit reverberates through the stunning ‘Two Birds’, which finds comfort in shared grief. “Hannah and I wrote ‘Two Birds’ on the night we moved out of our old apartment to live apart from each other for the first time in 9 years,” Sturman explained in a press release. “We tried to go to a friend’s birthday party and both cried too much so had to leave immediately and sit down in our packed up music room and create something to share. At the core of anything we make we are trying to draw lines in the sand about what our relationship means to each other and then we draw them again and again and again.”

Two Birds Cover Artwork:

Two Birds Cover Artwork

Two Birds Tracklist:

1. Blood in the Vines
2. Honey
3. Patient Guy
4. Two Moons
5. Two Birds
6. Star Interlude
7. Piece of Silver
8. Power
9. Levity
10. Sta

MSPAINT Share New Single ‘Drift’

MSPAINT have previewed their recently announced EP No Separation with a new song called ‘Drift’. Following lead cut ‘Angel’, the track is brooding and dynamic, with vocalist Deedee’s voice punching through the distortion. Check it out below.

No Separation drops on May 23 via Convulse Records. Revisit our Artist Spotlight interview with MSPAINT.

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet: New raid event set for late May

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Nintendo and GameFreak’s most recent success, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, has just announced the next in-game event, a Seven-Star Tera Raid.

The event will allow trainers to face the pseudo-legendary Pokemon Garchomp with the chance to catch one already at level 100.

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet: What type of Pokemon is Garchomp?

Garchomp was first introduced in Pokemon Diamond and Pearl as a dragon and ground type mach Pokemon. It is the evolved version of the Gible and Gabite Pokemon and a mega-evolution version, Mega Garchomp, was introduced in Pokemon X and Y.

Garchomp is also the signature monster of Cynthia, the renowned Pokemon League Champion of the Sinnoh region. It’s highest stats are its HP and physical attack, meaning it can utilize moves like Earthquake, Outrage, and Poison Jab with brutal efficiency. Garchomp’s versatile moves, physical power, and high health make it a staple Pokemon in most competitive battle teams.

However, as with any other Pokemon, Garchomp suffers against its natural opponents, fairy, ice and dragon type Pokemon, which are able to deal greater damage and recieve less HP hits when battling against dragon and ground type Pokemon.

Despite these weaknesses, trainers trying to get their hands on the level 100 Garchomp are faced with a major challenge.

When will the event go live?

The event will start a few days after the ongoing Metagross Tera Raid event ends, with Pokemon Scarlet and Violet players having a few extra days to get their teams into order to take on the Garchomp challenge.

According to GameRant and Serebii.net, the event is set to start on May 23, running through to May 25 with a second round open from May 30 to June 1.

GameRant outlined: “Like other pseudo-legendary Pokemon featured as Seven-Star Tera Raid bosses in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, Garchomp will have two potential abilities to draw from.

“Its Sand Veil ability boosts its evasiveness during a Sandstorm, while Rough Skin deals damage to any attackers that make physical contact with their moves.

“Both of Garchomp’s abilities can be negated by either using a different weather move like Rain Dance or avoiding using physical attacks altogether.

“But, Garchomp’s reputation as a competitive Pokemon battle staple is not without reason, as it can still use strong physical attacks like Earthquake and Dragon Claw to punish its foes.”

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet is available on Nintendo Switch and will be released on the Nintendo Switch 2 when available.