Oxegen 2009: Beaut.ie Tales From The (Muddy) Frontline

Having spent a very wet and muddy weekend at Oxegen with tens of thousands of other punters, I got to witness some festival fashion and beauty faux pas up close and personal in the last couple of days. Sadly, it seems that no amount of handy survival tips or, indeed, common sense is enough to save some people from themselves when it comes to Oxegen and Electric Lightbulb and the like.

There were severe weather warnings all over the news last week, with flooding at the Punchestown arena being forecast from all quarters. So I was a bit taken aback by the number of runners, ballet pumps, and even flip flops (!!!) that were out in force while, as expected, it poured out of the high heavens all day Saturday and the place turned into one enormous mudbath.

This, I thought, was sheer lunacy. Why on earth would you pass up an opportunity to wear pink wellies and stripy over-the-knee socks - and have nice dry feet?

I was even more astonished by the amount of girls who apparently didn't realise that rain is mostly made up of, y'know, water - there were countless pairs of bare legs poking out of hotpants and minis which were criss-crossed with white streaks where rivulets of rain had done away with their instant, wash-off-with-water tans.

Now ladies, if you absolutely must have bronzed limbs for a music festival in Ireland where it's likely going to spill rain for the duration, step away from the Rimmel SunShimmer and get your act together in advance. Either spend a few evenings lashing on the gradual tanners, or head off for an in-salon spray tan, or just do a DIY tan job in the comfort of your own home. Rinse off any residual guide colour before heading for the campsite and you're all set.

Or just flipping make life easy on yourself and don a pair of leggings or tights!

Pic courtesy of Oxegen.ie