A camping trip definitely takes you out of your beauty element when it comes to the modern conveniences of blowdryers and lighted makeup mirrors. With careful planning and a few simple tricks, you can still look radiantly lovely and refreshed until your return to civilization.
Consider the physical environment you're going to be staying in and the duration of your trip. Will you be totally roughing it in the outdoors or will you have access to campground facilities such as showers? Sensitivity to ecological issues and pollution, for instance, means that you may not have the chance to shampoo and condition your hair every day if the only water source is a babbling brook. Likewise, if you regularly use a lot of hairspray at home to keep your locks in place, you'll need to find a substitute (i.e., gel or mousse) if you're going into an area where airborne chemicals could potentially endanger plants and wildlife.
Consider the mindset of your traveling companions and the objective of the trip. If you're traveling with girlfriends, boyfriends or family members, they have probably already seen you at your worst, which accordingly diminishes the pressure to look glamorously perfect the entire time. If the goal of the camping trip is to take breathtaking photographs of nature, scale treacherous peaks, or engage in water sports, your companions will likely be more focused on fun than on your looks.
Consider the activities you'll be engaged in. If you're going to be in and out of the water all day, whatever amount of time you spend in applying makeup and styling your hair will be for naught. Activities that involve long hikes in the sun could result in a nasty and very unattractive burn unless you liberally apply sunscreen. Conversely, excessive time spent in the cold and wind will dry out your lips and cause them to crack. Use chapstick instead of lipstick to keep them moistened. This also saves you from having to keep reapplying color.
Choose a hairstyle that requires very little work. A French braid, a loose chignon, or a ponytail will neatly keep your hair off your face and out of your eyes. Of course a cap or a sun hat will not only shield your eyes but will also help you get through bad hair days.
Pack light when it comes to your makeup kit. In the first place, you're going to have to carry your own gear; do you really want 25 pounds of it to be beauty products? Opt for a small jar of moisturizer, a brush-on mineral powder foundation (which will be lighter than a liquid foundation), a little eye shadow, mascara, eyebrow pencil and lip gloss. All of these should fit easily in a small plastic bag like the kind you'd use going through airport security.
Take a plastic spritzer bottle and fill it with cool water. Spray it over your face throughout your day for a fresh, dewey look that will also keep your skin healthy and hydrated.
Pack clothes that either don't wrinkle or are supposed to look wrinkled (i.e., gauze). Don't obsess about feeling you have to wear a different outfit each day, especially if the chances are that you're going to see your traveling companions in the same jeans, shorts and shirts throughout the whole trip.
Use a light fragrance body splash instead of heavy perfumes or lotions. The latter items are likely to attract bees and other bugs. How stylish can you look if you're constantly swatting away winged critters?
Smile and laugh. Happiness can take years off your looks and make you feel younger inside, too.
Exude confidence. A woman who projects insecurity in spite of looking like she just stepped from the pages of a fashion magazine isn't going to be deemed as beautiful as someone whose love of nature and adventure exceeds any preoccupation with her appearance.
