Festival season has commenced, before motherhood I used to go to plenty of them. After working in the optical sector for nearly 15 years, I feel festival is basically the perfect storm for some eyes related incidences such as dust, wind, smoke, late nights, questionable hand hygiene, and if you’re like me then there will be at least one moment where glitter ends up in your eyes except where you intended.
So here’s your MGAM style, no-judgement guide to keeping your eyes clean, comfy and photo-ready for your next festival trip, from the first campsite selfie to the final muddy goodbye.
The festival eye problems no one warns you about
Even if you don’t normally have sensitive eyes, festivals can trigger:
- Dry, gritty sand in the eye feeling (dust + wind + dehydration)
- Itchy allergy eyes (hello hay fever season)
- Redness from smoke, late nights and rubbing
- Watery eyes from wind and irritation
- Makeup fallout (especially shimmer and loose glitter
The goal isn’t perfection but more about prevention and quick fixes so you can enjoy the weekend without feeling like your eyeballs are on fire from all the irritation that is not the norm.
The golden rule: keep your hands away from your eyes! I know, it is easier said than done when you’ve been dancing for six hours and your eyes feel itchy. However, rubbing your eyes is the fastest way to:
- Make irritation worse
- Push makeup or dust into the eye
- Move germs from your hands to your eyes
- The “clean hands” reality at a campsite
- Soap and water beat everything when you can get it.
- Hand sanitiser helps, but it’s not magic if your hands are visibly dirty or dusty.
If you’re a contact lens wearer, try to plan lens handling around times you can properly wash your hands (really important!)
Contact lens at a festival: the safest setup and when to skip them
If you wear contact lenses, festivals are doable but you just need to be a bit more strict than usual. If you can, choose daily disposables because they are the easiest, cleanest option for festivals since you can:
- You start fresh each morning
- Forget about case hygiene
- Stop stressing how you are going to top up the cleaning solution and clean your lens in a tent.
Bring your glasses, and to me that is non-negotiable. Even if you love contacts, pack your glasses. If your eyes get irritated or worst, infected, switching to glasses can be the difference between a minor annoyance and a full-on miserable weekend.
- The hard no’s (please don’t)
- Don’t rinse lenses with water (not bottled water, not tap water, just not any water)
- Don’t sleep in lenses unless you’ve been prescribed them for overnight wear
- Don’t “push through” pain or light sensitivity
When to skip contacts altogether?
If your eyes are already inflamed, very dry, or you’re prone to infections, consider wearing glasses for the weekend. You can still do a great festival look with frames and your eyes will thank you for it.
Festival eye makeup and glitter: how to do it without ruining your eyes
I love glitter so, I am not here to cancel glitter but I’m here to keep it out of your eyeballs or try to give you advice on how to do that.
Keep sparkle away from the waterline because the waterline is basically a direct route to irritating your eyes. If you want drama, go for:
- A graphic liner above the lash line
- Shimmer on the lid (pressed/cream formulas are usually less flyaway)
- Glitter around the eye, not right on the lash line
Choose formulas that behave in the wind and heat. I know loose pigments are gorgeous, but they’re also more likely to move around when it’s windy, sweaty, or you’re applying makeup in a tiny mirror balanced on a camping chair.
If you’re going full festival face:
- Cream or pressed shimmer can be easier than loose glitter
- A good setting spray can reduce fallout
- Waterproof mascara helps if your eyes water in wind
- Don’t share eye makeup!
Festival bonding is lovely, but sharing mascara is not. How can you safely remove festival makeup, even when you’re exhausted? This is where most people go wrong: you’re exhausted, you scrub, your eyes sting, and suddenly day 3 photos are giving off the red-eye chic.
Step-by-step: the gentle removal method
- Wash your hands or at least properly clean them
- If you wear contacts, remove lenses first
- Soak a cotton pad or reusable pad with remover
- Press and hold on the lid for 10–15 seconds
- Swipe gently no aggressive rubbing
- Repeat until clean
If glitter gets into your eye:
- Don’t rub
- Blink a few times and let tears do some work
- Use lubricating drops (see below) to help flush it out
- If you feel sharp pain, persistent scratchiness, or light sensitivity, treat it seriously
Quick relief for dry or tired eyes and what actually helps
Look for lubricating/artificial tear drops. If you’re using them a lot, many people find preservative-free options are gentler.
Tip: keep them in your bag so you’re not digging through a tent like you’re on a treasure hunt.
Cold compress hack for when your eyes feel puffy or irritated:
- Use a clean, cool cloth (or even a clean water bottle wrapped in a T-shirt)
- Hold gently over closed lids for a minute or two
- Hydration and sleep (annoying, but true)
Dry eyes love dehydration. If you’re drinking alcohol, balance it with water. Your eyes and your head will thank you for it.
Glasses wearers: quick clean without scratching your lenses
Festival dust is brutal on lenses. A few tips:
- Don’t wipe dry lenses with a T-shirt (dust + fabric = tiny scratches)
- If you can, rinse with clean water first, then use a microfibre cloth
- Keep a small microfibre cloth in a case so it doesn’t become a pocket lint collector
Here is MGAM Festival eye-care packing list:
- Lubricating eye drops
- Sunglasses (for wind + dust, not just sun)
- Glasses backup (if you wear contacts)
- Daily disposable lenses (if possible)
- Contact lens solution + clean case (if not daily disposables)
- Hand soap or proper hand wipes
- Microfibre cloth + glasses case
- Gentle makeup remover + cotton/reusable pads
- A small mirror you can actually see in
The bottom line
You don’t need to be precious or stressed over how to keep your eyes happy at a festival. A little planning (and a tiny bit less rubbing) goes a long way. As always, I say be sensible with your choices; just because you are away having fun, it doesn’t mean all senses have to go and make silly decisions. At the end of the day, we only get one pair of eyes so look after them no matter what the occasion is.
Image: Stock image from UnSplash by Tony Pham