4 Post-Festival Products From Ulta Beauty That Will Soothe, Hydrate, & Reset Your Skin
Here’s how to give your skin a calming comeback with post-festival skin essentials from Ulta Beauty.
Festival season brings the sparkle, the serotonin, and the statement looks — face gems, bold beats, and makeup that lasts from through every DJ set. But after a few days in the crowds (plus, three layers of SPF and setting spray), your skin’s ready for its own headliner: recovery. Once the music fades and you’ve scrubbed off the last fleck of glitter, your complexion might be feeling less dewy and more distressed. That’s where Ulta Beauty comes in. We tapped content creator and festival regular Crystal Nicole to share her favorite products for post-festival skin-care, and let’s just say — she gets it.
“Most festivals I attend happen in a desert,” she says. “Overly dry skin is always an issue. I need to exfoliate and follow up with a face mask for extra hydration.” With a combo skin type that runs oily in the T-zone, Nicole’s recovery routine is all about rediscovering balance: “I normally exfoliate three or four times a week to control oil, texture, and dark spots, but after attending a festival, I always make sure to put even more emphasis on moisture.”
Her secret? Prioritizing hydration, barrier support, and getting skin back into its normal rhythm: “Festivals throw off my whole routine, so I have to do more to get my skin back to baseline.” From tired eyes to parched skin, keep reading for the post-festival essentials from Ulta Beauty that are here to rescue your skin — and then some.
So you went all out with the longwear makeup, face decals, and setting mists — and your beauty look had the time of its life. This detoxing mask is here to help you hit the refresh button with a creamy Brazilian purple clay that gently clears congestion without drying you out. “I love to use clay masks at night since they really pull out impurities and leave my skin feeling super smooth by morning,” she says. Whether you just got back from the desert or you’re battling everyday buildup, this is your skin’s way back to chilling out.
After a weekend of dancing, dust, and maybe one too many late nights, Nicole swears by these rejuvenating under-eye patches. “I definitely notice a gentle depuffing with eye gels — and if I’m in the mood for extra chill, I’ll throw them in the fridge for an extra cooling, relaxing effect,” she says. Packed with ingredients like caffeine and collagen, these eye gels do all the heavy lifting of faking a full eight hours of sleep, like a nap you can wear.
You spent forever sloughing off layers of heavy-duty makeup — and maybe stripped your glow right along with it. “This sheet mask with collagen does wonders for my skin. It adds radiance, smoothness, and leaves me super hydrated and glowing,” says Nicole. Wear it for 30 minutes for a quick hydration boost or overnight for deeper moisture. Either way, your post-fest skin is about to enter its glassy era.
You tried to be responsible with tons of SPF and shade breaks, but somehow still ended up with red, cranky skin (hey, that desert sun is strong). This serum smooths things over with a non-drying formula that reduces redness and discomfort while providing all-day hydration. “Barrier support serums make my skin feel nourished and comforted. They help repair the skin and leave everything looking and feeling smoother in texture,” she says.
